Mr. Sim puffed and mindfully waved the smoke away, as many voters were passing by. "Your father is worried. I saw him yesterday, and he had bags under his eyes. He hasn't been getting a lot of sleep or rest." He said with a hint of worry.
The two were sitting on a bench while watching several voters pass by with haste, looking for their designated polling stations. Mr. Sim's gaze, filled with concern, scanned Frizz, seeking any signs of distress.
"I can't go back. I can never go back." Frizz softly muttered.
"You're burying your father with stress, you're sending him to an early grave." Mr. Sim added.
Frizz's heart skipped, picturing his father with a depressed expression. The thought of it was enough to send a guilty stab through his heart, but the pain then faded away.
(Damn stupid perks, I swear to god I am becoming less emotional every day.) He mentally scoffed.
(I feel sorry for my parents, but I don't have the drive to apologize or confront them. This is really problematic. I missed being emotional...) He thought, mulling.
Frizz then looked up, sighing. "How is my family recently? Do they look richer or well-off recently? What about Weng?" He inquired, thinking about the huge sum of money he had given to them.
Mr. Sim paused, staring in the distance. "Your father quit his job, and Weng is doing fine. I saw him yesterday doing some light hiking." He said, trying to scrutinize Frizz's expression.
"Mina and Yani are still working for me, but there's something wrong with Yani. I mean, she treats me with respect and even Mina to an extent, but..." Mr. Sim trailed off, clicking his tongue.
"I saw her fly, Frizz," Mr. Sim bluntly revealed, catching Frizz off guard with the statement.
"Similar to what you did days ago. You were naked when you flew, though, and yes, I recognized you, even with that mask."
"There are people out there similar to you, right? Please, don't abuse your powers." Mr. Sim said with worry, looking out for Frizz's welfare.
"I know that you can do more than fly. If I weren't aware of your abilities, I would've dragged you to your house the moment I saw you here." Mr. Sim rose from the bench, clutching his voter card, not even bothering to look at Frizz in the eye.
"I don't know who you are anymore. It feels like I am talking to a stranger. If you can grow out of your childishness, go talk to your father."
"Oh, and you're fired. I will also report this accidental meeting to your father." Mr. Sim then walked away with a miffed tone while Frizz kept staring.
(If it weren't for my perks suppressing my emotions, his words might have way more impact.) Frizz thought, sighing and exhaling. (I'm sorry, Dad and Mom, I can't face you two right now.)
As Frizz turned to leave, intent on forgetting everything, a small buzz caught his ear. He sighed and shook his head. Someone was watching him.
"What is it that you want, Hei?"
"Have you voted yet?"
"I'm sure you know that I haven't."
"Well, we have another meeting today, we're going to discuss our new mission and also the nature of your contracts."
(Still going to pry more about my contracts, huh?)
"Correct, we need to know more," Hei said.
"!?"
Frizz, surprised and glaring at the floating eyeball, felt a jolt of annoyance. He didn't appreciate his thoughts being read.
"Relax. My Informed Opinion talent is somewhat similar to your Intuitive Proficiency talent." The floating eyeball muttered as it then flew away without a single care.
Late at night...
Frizz was the last to arrive at the meeting. He spent most of the day just staring at the sky while waiting for the voters to dwindle out, finally casting his vote at six pm.
The meeting was held in the makeshift base located inside the unfinished building. The members of the Status Quo were already inside. However, not all members were present; some refused to participate.
Nathaniel Macaraeg, in pajama attire, was anxiously tapping his finger on the table, while Divine Hesoyam Rosa, in a chef's attire, was preparing a hearty snack for all the members.
Justing Hang was exhausted, having recently finished with his corporate job. He was using a suit to cover his face while taking a quick nap in a chair.
Rylai Capones, still wearing a school uniform, was scrolling through her social media reels on the phone with a bored expression.
A cold wind breezed through the abandoned building, producing a soft hum that complimented the silent members. Divine Hesoyam Rosa finally brought out some tea for the members and some biscuits.
"We need to prevent election interference."
A loud voice snapped everyone awake, their heads swiveling to the source. It was Hei de la Roxas, dressed in a night guard attire, while also bringing a box full of donuts.
"This is our first official government work. We do this, and we will be under the good graces of the government. We give them something and they'll give us something."
"You mean, we let ourselves be their dogs and they give us treats?" Justing Hang snarked, face still covered in his suit.
"That's a cynical way to see it, but if you keep jumbling negative words, then anything would fit." Hei retorted.
"I understand all of your opinions, but please, think about this. In the eyes of the government, we are powerful people with no checks and balances. We're wildcards."
Hei said, placing down the box of donuts on the table.
"We don't play by any conventional rules, and they can't handle us conventionally. This is a great middle ground, we listen to them and they listen to us."
Hei continued, trying to deliver a convincing speech.
"Trust me, when the world is finally aware of our existence, we'll be in a better position because we played along. Be sensible, no country or society wants unchecked walking catastrophes."
Hei said, his hand smacking the table with an exasperated sigh.
"Not like we have a choice since you've made our decision for us," Justing Hang scoffed, unconvinced.
"What's the alternative? Debate on this topic for weeks on end, letting the government be informed of our indecision and infighting? Making them anxious?"
(This is one long night.) Rylai Capones thought, staring at the sky.