Chapter 32: Family

Talk about a boss upgrade! Mr. Takeda wasn't your average convenience store owner, that's for sure. Out of the blue, he decided to shut down the convenience store for two whole days and drag his ragtag crew on a countryside getaway. Apparently, his long-lost buddy Damien was worth closing up for.

Avery, still nursing a few bruises from their recent adventures, thought a chill weekend might be the perfect moment to recuperate. No shadowy organizations, no life-or-death battles – just nature and maybe some marshmallows.

Mina was still in a bit of a funk after the whole "surprise attack" fiasco. But Mr. Takeda, smooth operator that he was, dangled a juicy bonus in front of her for "showing initiative in store defense." Suddenly, being the butt of the joke didn't seem so bad. Cha-ching!

Then there was Edward. Sweet, simple Edward. The guy showed up decked out like he was ready for a deep-sea expedition – floaties, goggles, snorkel, the works. Never mind that they were headed for the woods, not the beach.

Avery couldn't help but facepalm. Sometimes he wondered if Edward's brain had taken a permanent vacation back in fifth grade. But at least he was prepared... for something, whichever that something was.

Two hours of winding roads later, they finally arrived at their destination: a secluded cabin nestled in the heart of the forest, with a babbling river nearby providing the perfect soundtrack. Mr. Takeda proudly announced that his buddy Damien had snagged this sweet spot, big enough to house a small army – or in this case, their motley crew.

The real adventure began when they had to ditch the van and hoof it through the woods. Mr. Takeda nearly had an aneurysm at the parking fees, trying to haggle like he was at a flea market. He kept shooting hopeful glances at Avery, Mina, and Edward, clearly fishing for some financial backup.

Fat chance. The trio shared a silent, unanimous thought: "Your trip, your treat, boss-man."

After what felt like a million mosquito bites and at least one "Are we there yet?" from Edward, they finally stumbled upon the cabin. There was Damien, looking like a wilderness magazine cover model as he tended to a massive grill.

The smell of sizzling bacon hit them like a delicious brick wall. Damien grinned, waving a spatula in greeting. 

"Thought you slickers might need a proper breakfast!"

Before anyone could blink, Mina had teleported to the grill, spatula in hand like she was born with it. Suddenly, they had a new grill master.

Damien chuckled, impressed. "Well, look at you, Speedy Gonzales. You've got quite the crew here, old friend."

Mr. Takeda puffed up like a proud papa bear. "They're not much, but I'd trust these three with my life." He gestured to the group. "You've met Mina before. Kids, introduce yourselves!"

Edward bounced forward, practically vibrating with excitement. He stood ramrod straight, like he was addressing the entire United Nations instead of one dude in a "Kiss the Cook" apron.

"Hi! I'm Edward!" he chirped. "I love anime, working at the store, and... did I mention anime? Oh, and everyone's super nice to me!"

Damien's eyebrows shot up, but he grinned. "Well, aren't you a ball of sunshine?"

Avery facepalmed internally. Leave it to Edward to make a first impression that was... pure Edward.

Avery's turn came, and suddenly his brain decided to take an impromptu vacation. Great timing.

He shuffled his feet, feeling like he was back in middle school, forced to give a book report he'd forgotten about. But Damien's expectant look made it clear there was no escape.

"Uh, hi. I'm Avery," he started, eloquence clearly not his strong suit today. "I started at the store the same day as Mina. And, um, I'm into farming."

Warming to the topic, his voice grew a bit stronger. "Actually, my dream is to get a little plot of land someday. Grow my own veggies perhaps a livestock or two"

He trailed off, face heating up. Way to sound like a total dork in front of Mr. Takeda's friend.

But Damien's face lit up. "Now that's what I'm talking about! Simple dreams are the best dreams, kid."

Avery blinked, surprised. He'd expected eye rolls, not enthusiasm.

As Damien launched into a story about his own vegetable patch, Avery felt himself relax. Maybe this weekend wouldn't be so awkward after all.

As afternoon rolled around, they found themselves by the riverbank, fishing rods in hand. Edward and Mina fidgeted like they were sitting on hot coals, but Avery, Mr. Takeda, and Damien seemed to be in zen mode.

"Man, this is the life," Avery sighed, surprising even himself with how he blurted that out loudly.

Damien glanced over, curious. "You've always been into this kind of thing?"

"Yeah," Avery nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. "This setup you've got here? It's like my dream come true."

Mr. Takeda chuckled. "Ave's a bit of an old soul. Used to be a real firecracker as a kid, but after his mom passed..." He trailed off, then brightened. "Lately though, he's been coming out of his shell more."

"What about your dad?" Damien asked gently.

Avery's brow furrowed. "Honestly? I don't remember. As far back as I can remember, it was just me and Mom." He paused. "Lately, even those memories are getting fuzzy. Mom's death... it's all kind of a blur."

He shrugged, repeating the explanation he'd given Mr. Takeda whenever his memory gaps came up.

"Could be trauma," Damien mused, slipping into therapist mode. "Hey, how about becoming one of my patients? I'll even throw in a friends-and-family discount."

Mr. Takeda jumped in, suddenly morphing into the world's most enthusiastic infomercial host. "Oh yeah, Damien's helped tons of people work through their issues. He's like a professional massager, but for your brain!"

Avery shifted uncomfortably. "Uh, I'll think about it," he mumbled.

Their heart-to-heart was interrupted by shouts from downstream. Mina and Edward had ditched fishing poles for... rock throwing?

"No fair, Sis Mina!" Edward whined, his aim wild as another catfish leaped from the water. "You've got, like, laser-guided stones or something!"

Mina's smirk could've powered a small city. "Not my fault you throw like a sleepy toddler," she taunted, eyes never leaving the water's surface. "Face it, kid. I'm the stone-cold fish assassin."

As another catfish made the mistake of showing its whiskers, Mina's stone found its mark with deadly accuracy. Edward's pebble, meanwhile, managed to splash down a good five feet from the target.

"That's how it's done!" Mina crowed, doing a victory dance that was equal parts embarrassing and impressive.

"Alright, alright, break it up you two," Mr. Takeda finally stepped in, playing referee. "Mina, ease up on the kid."

Mina rolled her eyes. "Oh come on, I'm not bullying him! You're just playing favorites."

As the day wore on, Avery found himself watching Edward with new eyes. The guy was actually... kind of normal? It was hard to reconcile this goofy, excited kid with the dangerous person Avery knew lurked beneath the surface.

If it weren't for those episodes where Edward's eyes went cold and his fingers twitched for violence, you'd never guess what he was capable of. For a moment, Avery let himself wonder: was there still hope for Edward? Could this messed-up kid actually be saved?

His musings were interrupted by Edward's triumphant yell. The guy came bounding up to Mr. Takeda, proudly displaying a wriggling catfish like it was an Olympic gold medal.

"Look, Mr. Takeda! I caught one!" Edward beamed, his face lit up with pure joy.

As Edward turned that megawatt smile on Avery, he felt a pang in his chest. It was moments like these that made everything so complicated. How could someone be both so innocent and so dangerous?

As night fell, Mr. Takeda and Damien found themselves on the porch, nursing glasses of wine. The day's excitement had knocked out the younger trio, but these two old warriors needed some time to wind down.

"You've built quite a life, Takeda," Damien mused, swirling his glass. "Was this always the endgame for you?"

Takeda leaned back, a small smile playing on his lips. "Yeah, pretty much. Sure, it gets dull sometimes, but those three knuckleheads?" He chuckled. "They keep things interesting."

"Worth it, then?"

Takeda's smile faltered. "I paid a hefty price for this peace, Damien. If I could just have my wife and son here... that'd be perfect."

Damien's face grew serious. "You know the organization won't allow that."

"I know," Takeda sighed, his gaze far away. "But I can't give up hope." He turned to his friend. "You should think about getting out too."

Damien shook his head, his voice barely above a whisper. "I can't. I'm in too deep."