149 Splitting Up

The next morning, it was time to split up. Light had stayed up all night preparing lesson plans and meals for everyone. Having been with Aida for so long, he knew that Aida was a true foodie with no cooking skills. To ensure that they had meals for the duration of the time they were apart, he prepared a duffel bag filled with snacks and meals that could be reheated. Rose was practically a walking refrigerator so he wasn't concerned about the food getting spoiled.

He also created a full lesson plan for the children so that they could have a continuous education even while away. Handing the assignments to Xiao Ai, Rose and Little White, he gave each of them a hug and said, "Stay safe and take care of each other."

He then looked quietly towards Aida and said, "I know you won't be crazy and reckless with them around so I won't worry about your safety too much, but just know that we will miss you." He then handed her the giant duffel bag of food.

If they were successful, they would regroup in a week.

Aida still wore her usual cold expression, but everyone could sense the underlying melancholy. They all ran over to give her a hug. "We'll regroup here in a week. If people aren't back within a week, go forth with the plan and we can meet at the house that Ace purchased for us in the city. Remember to prioritize your safety. If you get caught, just find a way to get a message to me and I will come save you."

Ace had done the most amount of preparation and legwork among all of them. He not only worked on creating fake IDs for everyone, but also purchased a house and prepared a secure line of communication only accessible to their group for unexpected situations. He was wailing and protesting as the others helplessly dragged him into the RV. Aida could feel a headache coming along as she saw his behavior, she would surely have to placate him a lot after they met back up again.

After a few more goodbyes, Light, Lucifer, Ace and the twins took the RV and drove off. Their heads could be seen sticking out the window and waving towards them nonstop until they were no longer visible.

Staring off, Aida sighed and then said to her three tails, "Alright, it's time for us to go as well. The sooner we finish working out the details with Green Base, the sooner we can meet up with everyone again."

They had acquired a second minivan and Aida, with the help of Artie, drove off to Green Base. The entire car was significantly quieter since neither Rose nor Little White could speak and Xiao Ai was sad about the other's departure. They all sat in silence as they drove, it would take roughly 7 hours of driving before they reached their destination.

Everyone listlessly got rid of all the Reapers that approached the car. Little White's body could be seen flashing in and out of the car as he went and collected the gems from the Reapers.

They finally reached the Green Base by the evening. The base was built around a row of hotels. Skulls were hung on sticks along the road as if to warn outsiders from entering. Aida and the others had a look of distaste as they saw this disgusting decor. The skulls probably came from Enrageds and Reapers they had killed, but it was still a disgusting habit. Enrageds and Reapers were once human as well and deserved that amount of respect.

On the streets of the base, a large number of people were dressed in rags. It could be seen that they hadn't taken a shower in weeks. All their cheeks were hollowed and there was a blank look on their faces indicating that they were likely under the influence or had given up on life. The closer they got to the base, the greater the density of these people.

Unlike other bases, the Green Base didn't bother to build a physical wall. Instead, they used these homeless and despairing Variants as their first line of defense. The look of disgust on Aida's face increased. She also used the rearview mirror to check on the two kids in the back, making sure that they weren't affected by this awful scene. Thankfully, none of the kids had a faint heart so remained unbothered by these scenes before them.

Rose seemed to be contemplating something as she watched the homeless people on the streets. Aida opened her mouth and was about to ask when she was interrupted by a rude and condescending voice.

Their car had already reached the entrance to the base and there were a group of guards standing there. The guard at the very front had his gun pointed at the car as he shouted, "Stop!"

This guard had tattoos running across his face that made him look intimidating to the average person. However, he ran into Aida who was completely unaffected by his poor aesthetic decisions. She ignored his demands and casually stepped out of the car after telling the kids to stay inside.

Walking towards the guard, she stood right before the gun and said, "I am here to talk to your leader."

Another guard behind the tattooed man responded with a smirk and lascivious look, "Lady, you think our leader is someone you can just talk to if ya ask? He's a busy man. But if you give us a sampler, I'm sure we can work somethin' out."

Aida furrowed her eyebrows in annoyance, making her cold contenance even colder. She didn't have any intentions to make a big scene just yet for fear of scaring away the leader. However, that didn't mean she was a complete pushover either. Tapping Xiao Ai who had turned into a fluffy scarf sitting around Aida's neck, she subtly communicated with her.

Xiao Ai vibrated in response, knowing what Aida was looking for. She sent out a wave of electricity to shock the guard.

The man screamed in pain and Aida took advantage of this time to close the gap between them. Reaching out, she casually placed a blade on the man's neck. "Bring me to him or I'll find someone else."

All the other guards froze in surprise. They hadn't expected a woman with two children to be so strong. The tattooed man was the first to come to. He raised his hands and said, "Ok ok, calm down lady. Our leader ain't in right now."

Aida pursed her lips in displeasure and asked, "When will he be back?"

"I don't know! Later!"

Aida pressed the blade harder on his neck, "More specificall?"

"T-tomorrow or the day after!"

Nodding, Aida said, "Find me a place to stay."

Then she indifferently removed her knife from the man's neck and waved towards the duo sitting in the car. The guard she had a knife against quickly stumbled back as he was freed, he was eager to get as far from Aida as possible.

Little White and Rose climbed out of the car hand in hand and quietly walked over. The combination of the two made them look like adorable angels that could cleanse the souls of the people in this depressing base.

The guard's eyes wandered, assessing Little White and Rose, with narrowed eyes. He saw that they were wearing completely clean and bright clothes which made for a huge contrast with the rest of the base. His eyes became calculated and it was clear he was thinking something sinister. There were many people at the base who had interesting and "unique" hobbies.

Aida's killing intent increased as electric sparks began to build around her. She said viciously, "Look again and I'll make you regret it."

The man quickly averted his eyes. The tattooed man, who was the most decent of them, and led the way. He was nervous and jittery, but was still willing to perform the task. Aida secretly nodded, it seems there were still a few decent people in this base that seemed unsalvageable.

As they walked down the streets, Aida and the others were extremely eye-catching with their pristine clothes and beautiful model-like faces. Most of the people laying on the streets were men, they all looked upon Aida and Rose with covetting eyes. They even cast greedy looks towards Little White.

Realizing the potential dangers, Aida raised her killing intent to cover the entire group. As people who grew up in the slums, they were able to properly assess who they could mess with and who they couldn't. It was obvious that Aida's group was not one they could easily bother.