Chapter 155: Chapter 155: Darkdude
A sudden gloom washed over the tiny party of the adults. Well, perhaps not necessarily gloom, but just a little sense of reality. But the silence this reality brought forth was short-lived, ended by the sound of Lisa slurping through her straw to finish her margarita before the conversation could fall deeper into the abyss, literally.
"Wait..." Lorraine cracked the silence ever wider, leaning out from her seat as she stared Prophet in the eyes. "...What do you mean the government asked you to stop the investigation? The investigation on Darkday?"
"I’m afraid so." Prophet sighed, a chuckle slowly escaping his lips as he waved the question away. "But let’s not talk about that. This is supposed to be a vacation. Let’s leave work behind and enjoy the country."
"Oh, I’m enjoying it," Lisa raised her glass, standing up from her seat and almost stumbling forward. Her husband tried to catch her, but she just ended up planting her hand on his face to regain her balance.
"And I am also a firm believer that in our age, a little gossip here and there could actually extend our lives for a few years. So, Mr. Prophet...
...why do you think the government asked you to stop investigating? I have high amounts of alcohol inside me. I’m brazen."
Lisa stood beside the counter, resting her waist on the edge as she smirked at him.
"Does it, perhaps, have something to do with the current public opinion of the common people?"
"Opinion?" Tanisha raised an eyebrow. "What other opinion should people have other than this Darkday needs to be arrested and answer for his crimes?"
"Oh. Believe me, sis..." Lisa pointed at Tanisha. "...There are a lot of opinions being thrown around, and in favor of our black-clad vigilante."
"He’s a supervillain," Tanisha said, groaning while taking a gulp of her drink. "Just like any of them. He’s probably part of this Dark Millennium group that’s been terrorizing our children. Lorraine, you’re an esteemed reporter. What do you think?"
"He should be put on trial."
"Thank you."
"But..." Lorraine winced, sighing as she placed her drink on the table in front of her. "Lisa’s right. I’ve been walking around, and most of the people are saying that Darkday’s victims deserved it."
"What is wrong with this world? I tell you, this is the devil doing his deeds," Tanisha clasped her chest. "Ooh, I need more wine in me. This is getting me heated up."
"Speaking of getting heated up..." Lisa’s entire tone changed as she stared Tanisha straight in the eyes. "...You two didn’t bring your husbands."
"I..." Lorraine’s eyes widened, leaning back to her seat as she looked at the lowering sun. "...I think I prefer talking about the heavier stuff. So..."
Lorraine glanced at Prophet, who was still carrying the same smile on his face.
"What’s the real reason why the government asked you to stop? And I’m not asking this as a reporter."
"Well..." Prophet chuckled, "...I’m afraid I don’t know. Believe it or not, they don’t tell me anything."
"Oh, I believe you. If there’s anyone here who’s actually more involved with the government, it’ll be you."
Everyone turned to look at where Lorraine was pointing, only for their eyes to land on Bernard, who was just casually having a different conversation with Ed. Both Bernard and Ed noticed that everyone was now looking in their direction, and Ed was a little confused at first with the sudden silence.
Bernard, on the other hand, smiled and chuckled.
"Well, believe it or not..." Bernard repeated Prophet’s words, even carrying the same tone, "They don’t tell me anything. The only time they come up to me is if they’re asking for a loan, my dudes."
Ed was the first to laugh at Bernard’s words, and then Bernard laughed too, quite high-pitched and even almost snorting at that. And with his cartoonish laugh cackling in the air, the others followed suit. Diana, however, covered her face while shaking her head at her husband.
But Bernard soon cleared his throat, and a serious expression fell upon his face.
"But..." Bernard raised a finger, leaving Ed and joining Diana on the straw couch. "...I did hear about something. I was going to tell this to Prophet in private later, but you dudes can hear it too."
"Whoa, wait..." Prophet squinted.
"It’s fine. It’s not that big of a deal, and it’s just a rumor I heard from my guy at the office, and I don’t even know if it’s true," Bernard started to whisper, leaning forward as he looked at everyone there one by one. He paused, letting the silence linger on for just a moment before he slammed his palm on the table.
"Eek!" Everyone, mostly Ed, yelped in surprise when he did so. Bernard laughed again before clearing his throat and waving his hand while apologizing to everyone.
"But seriously," he once again whispered. "They just said something similar to Tanisha, that this Darkdude might be related to the Dark Millennium."
"Aha! I knew it!" Tanisha clasped her hands together. "These people are all the same, flocking together when hope is at its weakest."
"That... doesn’t make any sense." Lorraine raised an eyebrow. "If Darkday was part of the Dark Millennium, they would’ve already claimed him to be one of them."
"Maybe," Bernard pointed at Lorraine. "But this Dark Millennials group hasn’t really been seen anywhere since their first appearance. Who’s to say they’re not just waiting to make their announcement or whatever?"
"Wh—"
"Alright!" Lisa raised her voice before the conversation could spiral into deeper territories.
"I know I’m the one who started this conversation, but let’s move on!"
She then rushed toward the bar, pulling at a bottle that seemed more sophisticated than the others, even adorned by some sort of animal.
"I... don’t remember stocking that." Prophet pointed at it, and Lisa only chuckled.
"That’s because we brought it with us." Lisa lightly shook the bottle before rushing back to the patio and placing the bottle right in front of everyone.
"I think... it’s too early for that." Lorraine squinted, and yet her hands betrayed her as she very slightly slid her glass closer to the bottle. "And we need to wait for the kids to come back... ...Where even are they?"
"Relax, there are cameras everywhere."
"And I’m a little concerned at what they’re doing," Lorraine explained. "They’re teenagers. You know how they are. They’re... curious."
"Surely not. Are you saying..." Tanisha gasped, clutching her chest as she looked at Diana. "...Your son is a little too good-looking for his own good. Ha! This is good, maybe my daughter—"
"Wait, wait. Okay." Lisa held the bottle she had placed earlier on the table. "I think for this conversation, we really need to open this. After all, if we’re basing this on our daughters, my Pauline’s the proper fit for Riley. Don’t you agree, Diana?"
"O...Oh, well..." Diana awkwardly chuckled. "I’m pretty sure nothing close to what you’re thinking is happening right now."
***
"How... big are those melons?"
"Oh, yeah. They’ve been getting bigger since last year."
"Ayo! Lemme get a feel of that. Are they... I wonder what they taste like?"
"W-wait... stop. They’re sensitive!"
While the adults were having their own fun, the children were too. And right now, they were hidden away in the depths of the lagoon, staring at the vine of melons that had somehow grown despite the conditions.
They looked healthy, too.
"Anyway..." Gracey turned away from the melons, turning her focus to the beach instead. "This... place really is beautiful," she muttered. "I wish we could stay here forever."
She let out a long, and very deep breath as she sat on the sand, letting the small waves of water to wash over the sand stuck to her legs.
"You guys haven’t even seen the most beautiful part yet," Hannah smirked. "Let’s go back up, the sun’s about to set."
The Baby Crew started packing it up, grabbing their towels before making their way to the elevator.
"W-wow..." Pauline whispered, placing her palm on the glass as she watched the beach grow farther and farther away. She couldn’t appreciate this earlier since she was literally falling from the cliff.
"Yeah..." Gracey also whispered. "...There comes a point when someone’s too just god damn rich. An elevator, like seriously. Let me borrow a million dollars, bruh."
"...Why do you want it?" Hannah asked.
"W-wait... are you really going to let me borrow?!"
"Yeah, I don’t fucking see why not," Hannah shrugged. "Riley’s probably gonna let you borrow some if you ask. He probably has more money than me since I like to buy useless shit."
"I am afraid I have been spending my money on various things, Gracey," Riley casually joined in on the conversation. "But if it is only a million dollars, you can just have it."
"Ain’t no way this talk real right now," Bella said, blinking a couple of times as she looked at the other members of the Baby Crew as they reached the top of the cliff. "You guys for real? It—Huh?"
And as she turned around, several shadows outside the elevator caught her eye.
"Hol’ up. I think we have company," she whispered, and everyone quickly turned around as the elevator doors opened.
And there, several ATVs were now parked alongside their motorcycles. And there were people there too, all of them carrying large caliber rifles in their arms.
"Great..." Hannah whispered.
"...Again? Sorry guys, they’re here for us."
"Who...?"
"Kidnappers."