This Thing A Quiet Madness Made

Chapter 30

"Oh? Please do." She was smiling, but he couldn't quite tell if she was being sarcastic.

"I didn't know much about you before this operation began. The chief only informed me of everything after your deal had already been made. Why did the plan go off-course?"

Unknown smiled wryly as she leaned her head back, closing her eyes with a light huff. "The League of Villains is why. The damn Manager made some agreement with them and ended up cutting my time at the school short, then all our original plans went on hold because we had to work with them... how awful. Anyway, I already told the police all this during our little meet-up after it happened."

"I remember. Drawing out signals with your location tracker was smart."

"You flatter me."

A brief silence lapsed between them, punctuated by the occasional beeping of the pulse monitor.

"I don't know if you heard, but the police are still searching for your real name, along with those of the other four members."

"I already told them it was a waste of time," she scoffed dismissively, tilting her head back. "The Manager wouldn't have taken us in the first place if our old selves could be found so easily."

"What do you mean?"

"How do you think he managed to keep from getting caught for so long? He's careful about who he chooses."

...

A tall man with dark hair walked leisurely down the evening street, the warm spring air pleasant against his skin. Next to him stood a little girl, no older than seven or eight, with short black hair just reaching her shoulders. The moon shone brightly above the rooftops of the small town. There were few others out at this hour.

Soft footsteps caught the pair's attention just as a little boy stepped out from around the corner. He seemed around the same age as the girl, his wavy brown hair rustling in the wind as he looked up at the two strangers in surprise.

They exchanged a brief glance before the man took a small step forward. The boy blinked and unconsciously shuffled back, big blue eyes swimming with uncertainty as the man knelt down in front of him.

"Are you lost?" he asked softly, a gentle smile on his lips.

The boy hesitated for a long moment, his gaze lowering to the ground as he played with his fingers. Faintly, he shook his head. Upon closer inspection, the man noticed the child was carrying a small backpack, lumpy from its contents, and his shoelaces were messily tied in loose knots with one side fully undone. His thin, cream-colored sweater was a bit crooked, small flecks of dirt clinging to the ends of the sleeve where he gripped them tightly, arms coiled in front of his chest. He appeared tired, his forehead gleaming with a thin sheen of sweat, as if he had been out under the warm springtime sun for a while.

"Did you... run away from home?" he guessed, eyes scanning over the boy as his head tilted curiously.

The boy slowly nodded.

"Oh, poor thing," the man gently ruffled the boy's hair, a look of sympathy on his face. "It's alright, don't be scared. You can come with me; I'll bring you back home, alright?"

The young boy must have been regretful, as he nodded once again. His caution seemed to fade as he quickly stepped forward, taking hold of the man's outstretched hand in his own tiny grasp. He remained quiet as the man turned around and led them further down the street, the little girl following next to them.