Stain [H.S] - Major Editing

Chapter Seventeen

Friday. Lunchtime.

When I arrive at the lunchroom, I see Fry, Liam, Dina, and Zayn seated around a large square table.

“Ally, over here!” Fry said as soon as he saw me. He waved his hand around and I awkwardly waved back.

“Yeah. Be there in a sec.” I say, and grab myself a tuna sandwich and a can of Coke.

I settle on a vacant seat beside Zayn.

"Hey, Alice. Easing on the foods now I see?" He joked.

"Ha-ha..."

“Harry!” Fry called. “Come sit with us.”

Carrying a plastic wrapped Styrofoam bowl of vegetable salad and a bottle of water, he approached us and sat on a chair beside Liam. “Thanks.”

“No problem, dude.” Fry said, grinning.

“So, I was thinking about something earlier.” Liam said, chewing. We were all silent as we waited for him to swallow. “I was thinking of suing The Union Daily and its bastards of editors for libel.”

Fry gave a low whistle. "You serious?"

“Their latest articles about the GS are absolutely derogatory. Blasphemous!" He said, whirling his fork around. A spaghetti strand landed on my arm, and I wiped it off as casually as I could.

"They’re throwing out these irrelevant and fabricated claims against us and nobody gives—a—damn." said Liam. "I might as well tackle the problem myself and take the wisest course of action, right?”

“But in that Wayne Hartman article, the numbers were correct.” I say and everyone looks at me. “Liam, you said so yourself that corporate media is an open field. You said it’s unscrupulous. But you also said that that’s what people who belong in the system do. They—”

“Yes, I did say that." He interrupted me. "The system continues until every single asset is exhausted. Who are the slaves of the system? Those big shot corporation bosses all over the country. That's who. They're predators, Alice. They call all the shots. And those employees of theirs? Us, even? They're henchmen. We are henchmen. We are savages. We'll do anything, absolutely anything, to carry ourselves to the top. We'll step on people, fabricate news, step on people. After which we will take deep long breaths and carry ourselves up again. " 

"Now, after all the pathetic climbing, when we'd finally reach the top, the system pulls us down again. It's all just one big motherfucking cycle, really. We climb, we fall. We climb. We fucking fall."

"Language, Liam." said Dina.

"At the end of the day," Liam continued. "the system gets the good stuff. We are merely its doers. But what’s the point in all this? Aren’t you tired of conforming to this cycle? Why can’t we just bring finality to the issue? Put an end to it?” Liam said, and all of us were silent. 

I see Harry hide a smile. He was clearly trying his best to hide his amusement. 

I cleared my throat. “So, to sue The Union Daily for libel is the best way to end this?” I said, bemused. 

Liam raised an eyebrow, probably affronted. “It's a start."

"Upset the order, eh?" Zayn said.

"Exactly." Liam smirked. "A little twinge won't hurt. No actually it will, won't it?"

"We knock over the first domino and the rest will follow." Zayn said, smiling rather mischievously. "The Union Daily will be the first domino to fall, Liam."   

"No. That's wrong." I said.

Liam shook his head. "Alice, do you have any idea of the Global Stateman’s status right now? It’s on the brink of pandemonium. We have to defend before we attack. We have to be tactical.”

"We have to create a plan of action." Zayn added. "An expedient toward gaining advantage." 

I shifted on my seat uncomfortably. “I have a theory.”

“Do enlighten us.” Liam said, his tone sardonic.

I look at Harry and see him smile at me, which made my heart jump a little. “Well, Zayn," I looked at him and he nodded. "told me something last week. What if—what if there are traitors, here, in the GS. Like right now, he or she could be secretly conspiring with the adversary? Like inside jobs. They could be giving them our depreciations, perhaps? Secret files? I don't know."

"It may be," I continued. "that we’re all blinded from noticing that The Union Daily and its claims are true, and that our allegations against them are,” scared, I lowered my voice. “false. Maybe, these articles that they write about us, like Hartman's for example, are sorta' like wake-up calls for us."

All was silent, and I shrank on my seat. I felt miniscule; miniscule because a newcomer like me, a greenhorn, had the balls to present such an outrageous claim. I can’t help it though; I had to voice out my opinion.

Liam nodded slowly. “Who do you suspect, Alice?”

I bit my lower lip. “I’m not sure. I’m not really comfortable pinpointing…”

“You know, that Ronaldo kid’s kinda' shady.” Dina said. “I don’t want to point fingers, but he’s got that fishy aura around him, and whoo-wee does it stink.”

“Yeah, he does.” Fry agreed fervently.

“Nah, Ronaldo’s a good guy.” Zayn said and sipped on his Diet Coke. “He hates The Union Daily. Despises them.”

“How about you, Harry?” said Liam. “Got any plausible moles in mind?”

“Um…I have no idea.” Harry said, looking down.

“Right, well, let’s just keep our eyes peeled team.” Liam said. 

“So we’re a team now?” Fry said.

“Yeah. The six of us! Global Stateman’s very own defense squad.” Liam said and we all laugh.

“Should we have a team name, then?” Zayn asked.

Liam rubbed his chin, looking pensive. “Hm, the Super Six?”

“Lame.”

“The Dream Team?” Dina said and I chuckle.

“The Avengers.” Zayn said and Fry just burst out laughing.

"Can...I be...Spiderman...please!" He said between chuckles.

"I thought you hated Spiderman?" I said.

"Fry, Spiderman's not an Avenger." Zayn said, shaking his head. 

“The Global Sixman?” Harry said.

“Global Sexman?” Zayn said, scratching his head. I snickered.

“No, the Global Sixman. Because it’s the Global Steightman, right? So we change it to the Global Sixman because there are six of us.” Harry explained and we all laugh again.

I think hard before saying, “What about, The Six Sentinels?”

“Oh God, that’s brilliant!” Liam exclaimed, and the employees at the opposite table gave us funny looks.

“I love it.” Dina said.  

“Man, that sounds so badass. Reminds me of mutant-hunting robots. Good job, Ally.” Fry said.

“The Six Sentinels it is then.” Liam said, grinning from ear to ear.

I look at Harry, and seeing that sudden bothered look on his face, I kinda’ wanted to change the name to the Global Sixman to cheer him up.

*        *        *        *

So this chapter is really vital, since it reveals Alice's theory about the whole GS vs. UD and "traitors" situation. Her theory will be helpful in the proceeding chapters, folks. 

p.s. I know this chapter is boring. Don't worry, rereading it, I got bored myself. lol

-piper