"...And now we bring you to our correspondent on the scene, Rebecca Tsosie live at Greenhaven Commercial Offices, where an unfortunate fire has left many in shock and dismay. Several researchers at a local tech firm, the Evergreen Foundation, were saved last night by the actions of several local Magical Girls, most notably Celestial Sonata and Little Red Riding Hood."

The reporter, a blonde-haired brown-skinned woman wearing a smart suit and glasses, held her microphone to her mouth and looked directly at the camera. She wore an expression of seriousness, but I could see a hint of a smile in her eyes as she spoke.

"In a tragic accident at the Evergreen Foundation, an electrical short caused a fire and explosion in one of the upper levels of the office complex," the woman said, looking straight into the camera. "Luckily, two brave Magical Girls were present on the scene and acted quickly to save the researchers who had become trapped by the blaze."

I frowned, scratching my chin. The story had been scrubbed. It wasn't a surprise. There were probably a lot of reasons for this. One of them was to keep panic to a minimum. It was well-known that negative emotions increased the odds of a Chaos Event happening.

It had always seemed odd, the way information was censored on Terra. Even in the so-called free press, where the media didn't have to answer to a government, they still seemed to always know when to stay quiet. It wasn't a matter of the truth being covered up, it was a matter of the story being told in such a way that people could continue with their daily lives without worry. That was what they called 'the greater good' out here.

I couldn't say I agreed. But it didn't matter. There wasn't anything to do about it.

That's how it had always been, and it always would be.

"And.... that's checkmate," a gruff voice grunted from across the table.

I grinned sheepishly at my opponent - the increasingly familiar middle-aged man who'd become a sort of odd friend in the last couple of weeks.

"Sorry... guess I got a bit distracted by the TV."

"Happens to the best of us. It's not every day we have a near-miss like that in the neighborhood."

I looked at the television screen, watching as the reporter continued her story.

"Well, you got me. Good game again, sir," I said, offering a hand.

Bishop grunted, reaching over and shaking it with his rough and calloused palm.

"You're doing pretty well," he complimented, his eyes crinkling at the sides as he smiled at me. "Keep it up and you'll bloody well surpass me before long."

"I doubt that, sir," I replied. "I'm a long way from being a match for you. You're the only person in the shop I've not been able to beat yet."

Bishop let out a hearty laugh.

"Maybe, lad. But the day you do beat me, I'll treat you to lunch."

I looked back at the TV.

"Still... crazy how it went down, huh? A big explosion just seven blocks away..."

"Aye. That it is," he said. "Thankfully it was contained. Those magical girls were on top of things and I'm glad it all turned out fine. The Evergreen Foundation has had a lot of bad press in the past, but it's good that their staff made it out safely in the end."

He took a sip from his coffee.

"Hmmm..." I frowned.

The man across the table eyed me curiously.

I had my own theories, but I wanted to know if he knew something. If there was something that might help connect the pieces of this puzzle.

Bishop was well-connected and knew the ins and outs of Greenhaven like the back of his hand. I'd met him a couple of times here in the cafe, and he always seemed to know something. It was hard to read him, and I wasn't quite sure how far to push him.

"Say, lad, what's on yer mind? Yer thinking about somethin'. You always look that way when yer thinkin'."

I blinked and gave him a sheepish grin.

"Oh! Uh, there's just a bit about this that isn't adding up. Can't put my finger on it, but it's bothering me."

"Like what?"

"I don't know," I said. "Like, how many researchers were there?"

"Expound on that, why don'tcha?" The man said, taking another sip of coffee as he raised an eyebrow.

"Well, it's not a big company, but they've got a lot of staff, and a lot of researchers working at a facility that's supposed to be closed. They've got at least a dozen researchers working overnight on a weekend? In an office building? It seems like a lot of work for a company."

I paused, thinking about the pawn shops and discount stores near the facility.

"It's weird. Like, they're located in a freighting district - the middle of an enclave for people from Earth."

I tapped my fingers on the table.

"Why wouldn't they be somewhere with more high-tech labs? And if they're a small biotech firm, why are they in the middle of a neighborhood of people from Earth? The number of people there on a weeknight and the location don't make any sense."

Bishop laughed and leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table and giving me an intense look.

"Yer askin' the right questions, lad," he said with a sly smirk. "But you aren't asking enough questions."

I raised my eyebrow. He was definitely testing me. "Like what?" I asked, a hint of frustration in my voice.

He chuckled and reached over and ruffled my hair like I was some kid. I was a kid. A young adult by Terran standards, anyway, but still.

"What's so funny?"

"You," he replied with a laugh.

I rolled my eyes and let out a soft chuckle. I had to admit, I was kind of amused.

"Okay," I said, running my fingers through my messy brown hair to smooth it out. "I'll bite. What am I not asking about?"

His face turned serious as he stared at me.

"How d'you think a small company manages to afford the cost of all those people on their payroll? Where do you suppose their funding comes from, eh?"

"I don't know," I shrugged. "The stock market?"

Bishop chuckled.

"Naah, lad, not for a small company like that. Companies like theirs aren't publicly traded, so their stocks are usually held by their own employees. They'd have to get their money from somewhere, right?"

"Right, but where?"

He tapped his chin for a few second, grinning.

"That's the question, isn't it?" he finally said. "It's the right one. The one that leads to other right questions."

"I don't understand."

"No, but I suppose you will eventually. You're a clever boy, and you ask good questions. The rest is up to you, but I'm sure you'll find the right answers soon enough."

He grinned, looking like the cat who caught the canary.

I groaned in exasperation. "You know, you're not being very helpful, sir," I said.

He laughed again. "Oh, don't worry lad," he replied. "I am. In my own way, of course. I can't just hand ya all the answers on a silver platter. But I'm not going to be around to help you forever."

The nonchalant way he said this sent a shiver down my spine.

"Oh come on, that was morbid!" I complained.

"Life can be," Bishop said with a shrug. "What's got you so captivated by last night's events anyway? You didn't see anything did you?"

I kept my expression from changing too much, although I'm pretty sure my cheeks turned pink from embarrassment.

"Oh no, I just heard some stuff and was curious," I said. It wasn't a complete lie.

I just left out the part where I infiltrated the building with Rai-chan's help and used her to download an entire gamut of classified information. That would definitely raise a few questions.

And it was the last thing I wanted to talk about, considering my current circumstances. The less attention I brought to myself, the better. For everyone involved. Even Rai-chan.

I was a normal human, after all. It was probably best to keep things under wraps.

"You know, lad. I've been through enough to last me a lifetime," Bishop said, a hint of fatigue creeping into his eyes. "I just want a quiet life. A quiet, boring, safe life. A life where I can raise Emily into a fine young woman."

"Yeah," I said, looking down. "I understand that. I don't like trouble, either."

"Then you should really shouldn't poke around too much about this business at the Evergreen Foundation," he replied, taking a sip from his coffee.

"Pardon?"

"You're a naturally curious one. And I get that. But if I were you, lad, I wouldn't be pokin' my nose around in places where it doesn't belong. Especially not if yer thinkin' what I think you are."

"What do you mean?"

Bishop eyed me seriously. His expression was stern and a bit sad.

"The world can be a very dangerous place," Bishop said. "Like I said. I've been around the block a few times. Met a few idealistic kids like you out when I was training recruits at Stirling Lines. There's a lot out there you don't know about, a lot of dangerous things you shouldn't get mixed up with, lad."

"I... I guess so," I stammered.

"Listen," the older man said, leaning forward. "You're smart, and you've got a good head on your shoulders. I like you. But I don't want to see a nice boy like you get caught up in some dangerous stuff, you understand? You're not the first overly curious person to ask these kinds of questions. And anyone paying attention can see their presence just don't add up here, innit? A couple of others have ended up missing, or in a hospital. Some even ended up in jail on blatantly nonsense charges."

"I..."

"Take a piece of advice from an old man, Ikazuchi," the grizzled ex-soldier said, giving me a meaningful look. "Keep going to that fancy school of yours. Get a good education. Get a nice, quiet job somewhere. Stay outta trouble. Ask less questions pertaining shady tech companies. Understood?"

"Uh... I..."

I decided to drop it, taking the man's words seriously.

I had already gotten in too deep. Way too deep.

I didn't know what was going to happen, or if it would even work, but I'd have to try.

Try to figure this puzzle out on my own.

The man across from me was a kind, intelligent individual. He had a lot of experience in life, and I could learn a lot from him.

But I knew that he'd seen some serious shit.

And that he was a lot more aware than he wanted to let on.

I was in the process of changing the topic when the door opened. A little bell chimed, signaling the arrival of another customer, and Bishop's demeanor completely changed.

"Ah, Marcus!" he said cheerfully.

I glanced at the person coming into the store. The newcomer was a huge man - easily several inches over six feet tall. His dark skin and crew cut shined from sweat, and he wore a sleeveless black shirt, his massive biceps stretching the fabric.

"Ughh.... hey boss..." he groaned.

"I told ya not to call me that anymore," Bishop laughed.

The man let out a grunt as he walked up to our table, yawning. I could smell the sweat wafting off of him. The scent was overwhelming, and it was hard not to gag.

"Something got you in a mood?" Bishop asked, looking up at him.

"I've had a splitting headache since this morning. Didn't get any sleep, and my damn head feels like it's gonna split in two."

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Marcus's face was weathered, with a deep scar over his left eye. His nose had clearly been broken at some point and never healed properly.

"Wife kept you up all night?" Bishop said with a chuckle.

"You could say that," Marcus said. "It's not my fault. I kinda dropped the ball last night."

Bishop raised an eyebrow at this, a knowing grin crossing his face.

"Oh? What happened? Didn't make her scream enough?" Bishop said teasingly, causing my face to flush from second-hand embarrassment.

"Pscht... nah..." Marcus sighed. "I just gotta remember to buy more diapers on my way back home. Little Mark is getting big, so money's been tight. Not so much this week though."

Marcus pulled up a chair and sat down next to us, placing a massive paw of a hand on my shoulder. I looked down, quickly noting a 'De Oppresso Liber' tattoo on the inside of his wrist - complete with a small emblem with crossed arrows.

"Good to see ya around, kid," he said, grinning down at me. His voice was like a rumbling volcano. "How's school?"

I smiled awkwardly and shrugged.

"Could be better," I replied. "Could be worse. Just a bit stressed out, I guess. Getting settled in hasn't been as smooth as I'd like."

"Yeah, I remember what it was like to be in school," Marcus sighed. "You ain't got it easy though, bumping elbows with those private school brats. They all uptight?"

I let out a nervous laugh and rubbed the back of my neck.

"Uh... not really," I replied. "Most of them aren't so bad. Some of them are stuck up, yeah, but it's not as bad as people make it seem. Not all of them are that way."

"Really? Most of the private school brats I knew growing up back home on Earth seemed to live on completely different worlds. And like Terra and Earth different, too."

I laughed, feeling more at ease.

"Well, they can be a bit eccentric at times. And sometimes I do feel a bit like a fish out of water. But, I've made a couple of friends."

"Hmmm..." Marcus grunted. "Well, that's good to hear. Maybe things are getting a little better out here."

BIshop scoffed, but didn't say anything.

"Say, Ikazuchi, you want to try some of these?" the man asked, reaching into a bag at his side and pulling out a box.

He handed me the box, and I examined the cover. It looked like some fancy-looking cigars or something, and the packaging had some weird writing on it in what I thought was Cyrillic.

"Oh! No, thanks. I don't smoke," I said, handing the box back. "But thank you anyway."

Marcus shrugged and put the box back in the bag.

Something about those cigars bugged me, but I couldn't put my finger on it. It wasn't anything in particular. It just seemed off in this situation.

"Mate, I'll grab one of those with ya later," Bishop said. "We can have a drink together too while we're at it."

"As long as it ain't gin," Marcus grumbled, shaking his head. "Can't stand your shit."

"Hahaha, I'm not gonna drink something like a gin and tonic at a time like this, mate," Bishop laughed. "You're such a wanker, Marcus."

"Psshhht, yeah right. Like I'm gonna trust you after last time. That cocktail you made me drink last time almost killed me, man. My stomach was churning for weeks."

Bishop laughed, and Marcus shook his head. I could see that these two men were good friends, and that they'd probably known each other for years.

"So, how's the work been around here?" I asked.

"Good. Very good. We've got a few projects that have come in lately, and they're keeping us pretty busy."

"Is it all construction?"

"For the most part," Bishop replied, leaning back in his chair. "The damage from the chaos event actually opened up a few more contracts for us. And, I'm hoping that some of these will be long-term projects that could lead to a few more steady gigs down the line."

Marcus nodded, his face serious.

"Yeah. I think it'll all work out just fine."

"Hopefully," I said with a smile. "You guys deserve it. I hope Emily's been doing well?"

"She's been aces. I might have the funds for her tuition at a decent academy next year at this rate."

"Oh wow! Really?"

"Yeah. If everything keeps going well, we should have more than enough for her tuition. We've been scrimping and saving for years now, but this latest work should really put us over the edge."

Marcus nodded in agreement. "It'll be nice for the little lady to get into a good school. Our kids deserve better than we got for sure."

I furrowed my brows and frowned.

"Anyway, speaking of school, I've got a few assignments to work on," I said. "It was nice seeing you Marcus."

The burly black man gave me a gentle punch in the arm. "Take care, kid," he rumbled.

"You too," I said. I stood up from the table and gave the two of them a smile. "Thanks for playing with me today, Bishop. I'm glad we were able to chat."

"It was my pleasure," Bishop said, giving me a warm grin. "Anytime, Ikazuchi."

The man patted my back and I made my way to the door, giving them a wave as I stepped out into the brisk autumn air.

Right. Time to go do my homework.

I furrowed my brow again and pulled out my phone.

Natasha still hadn't answered any of my texts yet.

I stared at my phone, hoping she'd answer soon. I was starting to worry, wondering what was going on.

She hadn't replied to me last night or early this morning, and I was a little worried.

The last thing she said to me was that she'd send me her class schedule after she ran some evening errands.

But she never did, so I had sent her a message to let me know she got home safely after she was done. And another this morning asking if she was okay.

I let out a long sigh, staring at my phone in frustration.

With the close calls last night and everything, I felt like I needed to make sure she was okay. It was a bit selfish, but I felt pretty ineffectual and couldn't help but think of the worst case scenario.

And then, like an answer from god, my phone buzzed.

>Morning! Sorry, I didn't mean to worry you. I'm just feeling a little under the weather.

I breathed a sigh of relief, before picking up my phone and tapping her name. The phone rang once before she answered.

"Hel...lo?" a soft feminine voice answered. Her voice was weak, like she'd just woken up.

"Hey, it's me," I replied, smiling at the sound of her voice. "Just wanted to check in and see how you're doing. I've been worried."

"Umm... oh! It's alright. I just wasn't feeling too good earlier. But I'm doing okay now. Thank you."

She coughed, sounding a bit congested.

"Are you sick?" I asked. "Do you have a cold?"

"I... I dunno. I just woke up. But I don't think so. I was just exhausted when I got home and passed out right away. I feel okay now."

"That's good to hear. We had a pretty big incident go down here in Greenhaven so I was a bit worried," I explained.

"W—! Greenhaven! Oh gosh, I was just, er, looking at the news! A big fire happened, right? That's so crazy! I completely slept through the news," she exclaimed.

"Yeah," I sighed. "There was an explosion at some tech start-up. They say the explosion was because of an electrical issue - but because of some magical girls, most of the employees and researchers survived."

"R-Really? They survived? That's incredible!" she gasped excitedly. "I fell asleep last night, but I woke up a short while ago to my phone blowing up with all the notifications about the incident!"

She sounded more awake now for certain.

"Well, it was scary," I sighed, walking down the sidewalk. I was heading towards an area with more shops and people, so the sounds of cars and the occasional person walking past could be heard on my end. "But it's over now, and that's what matters. I'm glad you're okay though. With all that going on down here I was assuming the worst when I didn't hear from you last night."

Natasha squeaked in surprise.

"Sorry! I was running errands all evening and I guess I was so exhausted I crashed when I got home and passed out!"

"Really? It's fine, just a little scary, is all. Don't worry about it," I said.

"Phew!" she sighed. "I'm so relieved you weren't caught up in the craziness down there. But... are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a bit shaken up is all."

"Oh... oh, gosh. Oh no! I can't even begin to imagine what you must have felt," she said.

"It was definitely a crazy night, and it was scary, but it's over now and everything's fine."

She laughed, sounding relieved. "That's good to hear. But still, I can only imagine how you must have felt. I've heard of some of these magical girl battles and how scary they can get."

I smiled, nodding as if she could see it.

"Well, I was a safe distance away from the action. But it was close enough that I could practically feel the heat and see the explosions. It was pretty crazy."

"Wow, I can't even imagine," she said. "I'm just glad you're safe and sound now."

I made a joke. "Oh yeah, totally. I've still got my arms and legs intact, and I didn't get blasted into orbit or anything. So that's always nice. I was close enough to see Little Red Riding Hood come streaking in on a magitech motorcycle. That was a real beauty, I'll tell you that."

"Huh? What?" she replied.

She was probably making one of her quizzical curious faces. I could practically imagine it.

"It's nothing," I chuckled, rubbing the back of my neck sheepishly.

We talked for a while, mostly small talk, and then she asked me a question. A really weird question, one I wasn't expecting at all.

"Umm, can I ask you a weird question, Ikki?" she asked. I could tell by the tone of her voice that it was something personal, and that she wasn't sure how I'd react to it. It made me feel a bit anxious, but also a little curious. What was on her mind?

"Yeah," I replied. "Shoot."

"...How would you describe a magical girl?" she asked. Her tone was tense, like she was embarrassed or worried she'd upset me. I wasn't quite sure why, but it was interesting.

"I'm not really sure," I said. "They're just... people? I've been personally saved from a hairy situation or two by them. But they seem pretty human. I'd imagine some are kind, others are jerks. Just like normal people you know?"

"Oh..."

"Why?"

"Oh! I, uh... was just curious, is all. I mean, with all that stuff that's been happening here recently, it got me wondering. But it's nothing. Really."

I hummed. I wasn't sure if I should poke at that or not, but decided it wouldn't hurt.

"Well... what do you think about the magical girls, Natasha?"

"Hmm? Me? I don't really know. I've never really thought too deeply about it before."

"What? Why not?"

"Haha! Because like you said, they're just normal people, right?"

"Right..."

She paused for a second, before responding.

"But if I had to really think about it... well, I mean, walking through their shoes. The entire phenomenon is insane. Some awaken as early as seven or eight years old, and we don't know why. Just vague things like a willingness to defend their loved ones. And then they have to fight monsters and deal with situations no normal kid or teen would have to face. They have all that pressure and danger. They don't even have time to enjoy their childhoods. And sometimes... they lose friends, people they care about battling these monsters. And sometimes, their loved ones learn their secret identity, and they're afraid for them. They have to watch the people they love worry about them, and sometimes they don't come home at the end of the day. I mean... how awful is that?"

I thought for a second, trying to think of how to respond to her.

I'd never really thought of that side of magical girls. The more I thought about it, the sadder I felt.

I sighed, thinking about Dior and her suspicious, dark, brooding aura. She seemed like more of an exception than a rule, but I could only wonder how she had been forced into the role. Or if it was something else. Maybe it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows like everyone thought, but I had to admit I never thought too hard about that part.

"They have a lot to deal with, huh?" I finally said. "But at the same time, I can only applaud and admire anyone who believes hard enough in hope and perseverance enough to defend others. Even at the cost of their own happiness. That's pretty noble, I'd say."

"Yeah," she whispered. "I suppose so."

"But..." I trailed off.

"What?"

I sighed, thinking of what to say next. I wasn't really sure how to express my feelings, but I tried to find the words. "I think... even if they bring light to others, they deserve to have a bit of happiness and peace for themselves."

At the end of the day, I was an older brother. And from a parallel world with significantly less magic to it.

If I had to fret and stress over my little sister being one of these warriors and constantly throwing herself in harm's way, I'd never get a wink of sleep.

Sure, life'd been a struggle so far, but I was glad I'd probably never have to worry about my sister staring down one of those terrifying Duke-class Aberrants like the ones I'd seen during the chaos event.

"We forget about the girl underneath all that glitz and glamor. The one who has feelings, needs and insecurities of her own. We don't always see her, but she's always there, under all that power and strength. I imagine there's someone who feels way in over her head, trying desperately to help others, hoping for the strength to make it another day," I said. "That's who magical girls are to me."

There was silence on the other end. It dragged on for several moments, and then she spoke.

"I appreciate your answer, Ikki," she said softly. Her tone of voice was softer, kinder.

"You're welcome," I replied. "I'm sorry for getting a little heavy there. Just got me thinking a lot. Sorry about that."

"No! It's fine! I didn't mind at all. Your answer was very thoughtful and insightful."

"Really?"

"Of course," she said.

There was silence on the other end of the line.

"Oh, shoot, I almost forgot!" she suddenly exclaimed.

"What?" I asked.

"Classes! My schedule! I'll send it over in a bit."

I chuckled. "You don't have to be so nervous about it, Natasha," I said.

"Sorry, I just... don't want to bother you."

I smiled. She really gave me the impression that she was a considerate and kind girl, and it made me feel better about being friends with her. It was a pleasant surprise.

"Don't worry about it," I replied. "Anyway, I should get back to homework. I've got a lot to do, so I need to focus."

"Sure, sure. Talk soon?"

"Yeah," I said. "I'll see you around."

"Bye, Ikki," she said. The line clicked as we ended the call.

I stepped into my apartment complex and headed towards my room, thinking about what she said. I wasn't really sure why she asked me about magical girls. Was she interested in them in particular? Or was she just curious?

Whatever it was, it didn't really matter.

I walked up the stairs and stepped into my apartment, settling down on my couch. The power had 'miraculously' come back after the Evergreen Foundation went up in flames.

"Hey... Rai-chan, what'd you think of that whole conversation with Bishop?" I asked.

Rai-chan materialized next to me in her usual orange sundress, hovering slightly over the ground with a thoughtful expression on her face.

"I'm not sure what to make of it," Rai-chan admitted. "It could mean a lot of different things. I take it you picked up a few things there?"

"Yeah," I agreed.

We were quiet for a while, and Rai-chan folded her legs up in a lotus position, resting her head on her hand as she watched me think.

"It could all be a big coincidence, but he was struggling to food on the table for Emily just a few weeks ago. And now he's talking about getting her enrolled in a good school?" I asked, scratching my head. "I dunno, it's all weird."

"Yeah. I'm getting a weird feeling, too. Bishop is a nice man. But..."

"I know," I said.

As Bishop had sort-of lectured to me, material conditions and the people in our lives were always the first priority. And Elio had given me similar thought experiments in the past when I was growing up.

People tended to justify their political beliefs and their own self-centeredness with logic, rationality, and moral grandstanding, but in the end, they only had their own locus of control to look out for themselves. And sometimes, they didn't even consciously think about the harm they'd do to innocents.

People were people.

It seemed almost too coincidental. I'd seen the marksmanship trophies and crew pictures in Bishop's home. He wasn't just a middle-aged former soldier. He was SAS, and that was not something to scoff at.

He had a gruff exterior, but his heart seemed pure. He cared a great deal for his daughter and the people around him.

But he'd been a soldier once upon a time.

A soldier that was willing to do what was necessary. For the sake of those he loved, or for his country.

If Bishop were a normal, gruff old veteran with PTSD, I'd never think of this as suspicious. But the man knew Greenhaven like the back of his hand, and thought about bigger abstract things than just road work.

He was a shrewd and cunning chess player who'd seen it all. He was the foreman of an honest construction crew, but I could pick out several of the men that worked with him in those pictures at his home.

While it was too dangerous for infantry to fight chaos beasts or the like, Earth's special forces were reorganized and deployed to assassinate saboteurs, zealots, and mages part of apocalyptic cults. It wasn't a thing that happened often, but it did happen.

I'd seen a 'De Oppresso Liber' tattoo on Marcus's arm - a creed that belonged to the best of the best of the USA's armed forces.

The fact they were struggling to even make ends meet here in a world completely separate from our home was a horrifying revelation. They were people. Exceptional people. They had dreams and ambitions too. But, they were still war heroes, and the fact they had been reduced to such a pitiable state was a tragedy.

That they'd turned around their fortunes so quickly - immediately after a big Chaos Event, after the mysterious bank robberies and now the attack at the Evergreen Foundation...

My mind was seeing correlations here, and that didn't bode well.

"Rai-chan... you said you backed up and memorized all the data we got out of that laptop and filing cabinets, right?"

The AI bobbed in the air as she perked up.

"Yeah. I can probably recreate it on your rusty tin bucket of a laptop in an hour or two if you want," she replied.

"Then I'll need to borrow that," I said, leaning against the wall. "Can't hurt to know, just in case."

"Yeah... I guess," she said.

There was an awkward pause.

"Ikki?"

"Yeah?"

"I know you can't just keep your head down and ignore what happened and our gut feelings, but... I think Bishop is right. You need to be careful. You don't have to be a hero."

The thought of my father and Izumi struggling to get by back home on Earth made my stomach turn.

My heart was heavy with worry and fear. For them. And for all of us.

I didn't know what I'd find.

But, it didn't feel right just leaving it at that.

Bishop had his reasons for being the way he was, and so did I.

I looked down at my hands.

Could I really risk putting my family and myself in a worse spot just for the sake of some truth and closure that didn't even really matter to me?

I wasn't sure.

"Tell you what. I'm going to tackle that history homework, then look over the information. It'll give me time to think. I want to do what's best, for all of us," I finally said, looking up at her. She stared at me for a while, and then nodded her head.

I sighed.

"Let's see where our cards fall then," I mused.

I didn't want to lose sight of why I was here in the first place, and what I was supposed to do. I didn't have to be a hero. I didn't even need to go digging any deeper. I was a normal kid from Earth, just trying to survive.

That was all I needed to be.

I had to make the most of the hand I was dealt with, and make my peace with that at the end of the day.

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