Episode 16

*Thump thump*

Mike and others are walking in spiral narrow stairs going upward.

It did not take a while for them to reach the top of the ship as they are being led by the military guy.

The area at the top is vast as you need to run to reach the end of the ship.

The sun is already set as the bright moon is showing its beauty in the night sky while their surrounding is covered in mist.

They did not stop at the top of the ship and continued their walk towards the stern of the ship.

Leo is covered in sweat as he is still terrified about what just happened earlier from Carlo.

Carlo and his right-hand Rin are not here in the group as they are been left behind from the room.

The remaining thugs also wanted to stay beside Carlo but they got rejected by Rin saying that they need to live if following the military guy is the only choice for their survival. The thugs bitterly accept Rin's orders and joined Mike and the others.

Rin accepted his fate that if he will die at least he will die together with the boss.

**********

At long, at last, they have finally reached their destination.

The ship is larger than they thought like their eyes have been fooled from what they have been seen.

"!?" From their location, they are not the only ones here.

Other kids are also here they are skinny, weak and exhausted as they faced the same situation as Mike and others.

They are many of them to count as they almost filled all of the places of the deck but they are in silence as they don't have the energy to talk or even to look at others.

From what they see some of the kids are in Carlo's thugs as they also wear the same handkerchief scarf on their head.

They have dead eyes but as soon as they saw their friends from the other groups they felt relieved.

They wanted to embrace each other but can't because there is an invisible between them as numerous military guys appeared keeping an eye on them.

Not only people who wear military uniforms appeared people who wear lab coats also appeared and people in a black suit also appeared.

They're countless of them making the kids feel afraid and nervous.

Mike also felt the same, these kids are almost the same age as him, maybe older than him and yet they experienced this kind of event in such age.

Leo is trying to keep his cool expression but he is getting overwhelmed by the numbers of men in military suits and men in black suits. He is the strongest and most experienced fighter here from the kids but his instinct is shouting at him to stay low and swallow your pride if you want to be alive.

As Leo is trying to get off his feeling of being afraid he saw someone familiar in the crowd of kids.

He saw two boys staying beside each other. They are the two from Leo's group. He wished that if he did not see the two means that they didn't get kidnapped but it looks like his wish was in vain.

Those two are also here they are also weakened and exhausted the same situation as they are in.

"Riza! Jacob!" Leo shouted at them in a worried tone.

The two turn their heads and look at the one who shouted their name and saw Leo.

"Leo!" Jacob wanted to go where Leo is but he is getting held by Riza as Riza knew that it will cause problems not only to them but to Leo.

"Brother!" Riza also shouted in worry.

As they are shouting their names others too also shouted their worries to others.

"Hey! How have you been!?"

"Were fine! We almost die!"

"Same here! Haha"

The silent aura that the ship is giving is now changing into a happier one.

Like couples that did not see their loved ones for a long time, they are shouting but they can't get close to each other because of the men in the military and in black suite blocking their way.

However, it soon stops as some of the people are now groaning in pain because of something.

"Glrugh!"

"Arghh!"

The men in the military uniform are in the move as they continued to punish them who are still shouting one to each other.

Others understood that if they did not stop they will get hurt and quickly shut their mouths off.

They did not even dare to lay their hands onto the men in military uniforms as they already know what will happen.

It did not take a minute for them to went into silence as the only thing you can hear throughout the ship is the sound of the chilling wind in the night sky.

As soon everyone is now quiet they got ordered to form a line. They got no choice but to follow as they can't defy what they say as they are numerically disadvantaged and also strength disadvantage.

Mike is in the middle of the line and he did not have a single clue on what is happing even now since they got out.

(Now that we think about it where are we anyway?

We got out in the night and yet we don't know when nor where we are.

The situation hasn't been changed even if we managed to defeat these guys, we are still kids who did not know a single thing about navigating a ship.

It would be a miracle if someone from us knows it but based on the kid looks they mostly consist of thugs and homeless kids who did not get touched by education.) thought by Mike.

While he is thinking some guy stands in the highest point of the deck and looks at the people below him.

He is like a man standing at the top of the stage but he just standing there not giving a shit about those kids below him as he is observing them.

And not soon after he grabs something like a walkie-talkie and said something to it.

Mike can't hear a single thing as the distance between them is vast even he is not even at the end of the line.

As soon after the man finished his talking he quickly went down and disappeared through the crowd.

They haven't been given a single idea of what is happening and that is making these kids anxious.

Are they gonna get their organs removed? Are they gonna be forced into prostitution? (but they are mostly men.) Are they gonna be tortured? Are they gonna be experimented like lab rats? Nobody knows a single shit about these.

They are expecting something as soon the man left the stage but nothing happens... yet.

The men in military suits are standing there surrounding them preventing them to escape yet they haven't done anything.

(It looks like they are waiting for something.) thought by Mike as he is now thinking of a way to escape from here.

(Carlo and others at the room can't be saved anymore so the people are lessened making it easier for me to escape.) it's kinda cruel but he only knows Carlo for a short time.

(At least I can drag Ray with me to escape.)

While Mike is planning a way to escape he looks at those people who are wearing a lab coat.

(Not much of a thought but they might be useful if we plan to make them a hostage since they are the only ones who look weak and valuable.)

As he thought of that he saw something familiar from them.

Out of those lab coats, he knew that he already saw one of them from the past.

The lab coats don't have much difference from another but he knew that there is something there that he is familiar with.

In the middle of the crowd, he is waiting for them to make way to see the guy who is in the middle.

He waited for a while.

And wait.

And the people make way for Mike to see the certain man in the middle.

He did not believe it at first but he sees him.

"L-Lucas?" his thoughts voiced out.

********************

*Ray POV*

"L-Lucas?" Mike whispers something from his mouth.

What did he mean Sir Lucas?

I look at the direction where he is looking at and saw something familiar from the crowds.

Y-you kidding right?

Why our teacher is here?

No, no, no, no maybe he is someone else.

But no matter how you look at it.

A lab coat covering his whole teacher uniform, it can't be him, right?

The one looks like Sir. Lucas looks at us and somehow he looks surprised seeing us.

He immediately went off from the crowds and run towards us.

The shorter the distance between us the more he looks like Sir. Lucas.

I voiced something from my mouth as I can't believe what am I am seeing.

"S-Sir. Lucas... I-is that really you?"

He is already here in front of me and he is breathing haggardly from running all the to here.

He immediately said something to me but he did not answer my question.

"W-why are you kids here!?" he said aggressively in a panic state like he is not Lucas that we knew.

His voice is the same as our teacher. His tone is the same as his.

He is definitely Sir. Lucas but...

Our teacher would never raise his voice to his students.

Our teacher would not lose cool and pride in front of his students.

Our teacher would always help his students.

Our teacher would teach his students.

A-and yet... and yet! Why our teacher is here with the guys who kidnapped us!?

I want to shout. I want to hit him. I want to beat him.

WHY WHY WHY IS OUR TEACHER HERE!?

I grabbed my head trying to compress all of the information that is twisting inside my head as it's trying to force it all at once into my small brain.

It hurts. It hurts me to learn something that is not that I was expecting.

I crouch in as I am holding my head.

Help.

I need help.

As soon as I was about to fall into depression.

"We got kidnapped by those people of yours." a voice like sharp crystal ice pierce into the air making the night more chilling.

I look up and saw Mike making a scary glare towards Sir. Lucas.

Mike is like this whenever he is in trouble.

Sir. Lucas also felt the stare towards as he took a step back.

"I-is that so. A-anyways, I didn't think that my students would get caught in this operation." Sir. Lucas said in a less aggressive tone than earlier as he is still wary of Mike's stare.

Mike didn't let him rest as he quickly replies.

"Then would you be so kind if you make us an exception?" A quick suggestion for us safety alone came from Mike's voice.

"Uhhh... That is what I can't decide alone I would need to ask our upper unit for that."

"Is it possible for us to not get caught on this bullshit?"

"T-That is I don't know..." said Lucas in a low tone.

With a straight question like no wonder, he got defeated with just words.

And even with their conversation ends Mike is still staring at him like he is still not satisfied yet with his answer.

"So this is the reason why you are staying up all night in school and here I thought you were doing something back then like trying to help us students but I guess it was not."

"..."

"Do you plan to stay quiet Lucas?" the air around us is getting colder as the snow passes by.

He is not letting our teacher leave just like that I also wanted to ask a question but can't as I was also feeling afraid of just being near my best friend.

I am more familiar to see him like this every time but I think this is the first time I see him very angry.

The less you speak the more you are angry. That is how I know Mike for a long time now.

As Lucas cannot handle it anymore he finally gives in.

"I'm sorry," Lucas said in an apologetic tone as I could hear the frustration from his voice.

The cold air is getting warmer as Mike calms down a little.

"I'm sorry?" said Mike in a soft low tone.

"I'm sorry this is the only thing I can say to you." Even he spoke little he speaks with his heart.

Speaking with only necessary words that's the Lucas that I knew.

We know that Sir. Lucas is not actually bad even tho he only gave us a little word of apology. I mean all of the adults here are not talking on us nor giving us a clue on what is happening.

After we all calm down I stand up and look at Mike.

Mike is still staring at Sir. Lucas but without the cold stare anymore.

Sir. Lucas is also staring back at Mike as he is ready at something.

"Again. I am very sorry but you cannot escape from here even with my power. You will die here without the world knowing." said Sir. Lucas in an apologetic tone.

"We know," Mike answers like he knows that Lucas's answer will be just our future deaths.

"..."

"That is why let me ask a question."

"A question?"

"Yes. A question of why we are all here in the first place."

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