Chapter 10

I make it back to my home ready to go to bed seeing the box that was formally still with a bit of fruit, is now empty, and moved as I also noticed the mask turned from the corner to my bed

"Did someone come in to find something!?"

as I look around only the box and mask seem to have been moved at all, the rest of the stuff including the medkit that I recently found exist is still there, along with my carving under the sink being perfectly fine

"It couldn't have just been someone accidentally here, the food is eaten and they moved the mask, is this a threat?"

as I begin to close my door and lay down looking at the door as I do

"Wishing I had an actual door lock"

as I begin my sleep for the next morning

-

I wake up again and go towards Jerry's place to talk about yesterday, as I start putting the mask near the edge of the door hinges, as I slowly close it having it face between the bed and crate so if it was moved I would know someone else came

as I get on to Jerry's place as I see him just outside their home using the wood from crates as they start to carve into the walls of their home now

"Hey Jerry"

"Ah hello again! Any new evidence!"

"Ah well sadly no, but who knows maybe we can get more evidence though it seems I'm being a bit watched?"

"Huh? how come!?"

"I don't know what, the food from yesterday is gone and that mask was facing my bed!"

"oh dear, then all hints should stick with me then, unless, you aren't being followed right?"

"I'm pretty sure I'm not but this felt more like a threat than being spied on as well"

"It must be from either the four or the guards, Jake whatever you do stay strong and don't spill it!"

"Right"

along as they don't know our main plan we may have a chance of not going after us just yet

"So ready to do another quest normally?"

"Right if every time I'm out I'm not actually doing a quest or getting points, they might get suspicious"

"Right"

that and you are one of the few I can trust in these investigations of the outside

"So let's go to the food giveaway, and then get on a mission right!"

"yes"

so as Jerry goes to pack their stuff for the mission trip as I go toward the food giveaway to wait in Cook's line seeing two others go as well behind me

"Jake you seem a bit distant with us nowadays, is something wrong?"

"indeed and you seem to talk to Jerry more than usual as well, was there something in that place?"

I freeze up hearing their voices right behind me, as I turn around to see Brownie with a worried look on her face as well as Cody with his usual neutral face

"Ah, it's nothing you need to worry about! I was just worried since someone came Into my home for some reason"

not the best part to tell them about if I'm honest with myself, but I need to avoid talking about that mask!

"What! why didn't you tell us that sooner?"

"W-ell, because it -"

"happened today?"

Cody said as I looked over at them with a bit of shock

"How, did you know that?"

"It's a good excuse, and you confirmed it, though the issue is glaring"

"O-kay?"

what did I miss I can already tell his suspicions have grown but I can't just rush off so what do I do?

"what about we just wait here for our crates of food right?"

"your just changing the-"

as Brownie interrupts him with a look of worry as they seem to also want to change the topic as well

"yes! we don't need to get heated over suspicions, let's all at least eat our fill and do a quest together right!"

as Cody looks over to Brownie as they sigh and relent

"fine then, we can talk about this later"

"of, course! we can all talk about issues after the mission"

"Right"

as we wait till our turn in line as we look over at Cook who looks at us with a particularly tired face today

"looks like 3 out of four of the group is all in one place today "

"The, group?"

"just a little group dynamic I made in my head"

"what, type, of group dynamic"

"nothing really, so how were all your days?"

"mine was, in-teresting but nothing too special"

"Normal"

"it was fine! the business is going good"

"got it, anyway here's your food, now hurry, there's still more in line"

as they place 3 crates down for us to get, as I look at Cook with suspicion as I get mine, as Cody and Brownie just get theirs as usual and go over to me

"let's just eat our food then get to this building, and don't worry Jake, I'll check the food"

as I simply cough, as we began to eat our bit and give the crates over to Cody

"People get used to anything I guess"

Brownie muttered as I look at the finished crate that held a day's worth of food

"I mean, others spread it out still"

"Still"

"either way we are finished, so let's go to the building as we agreed on"

"right, well then, off to certain, death"

"No it's not, let's go"

as we head over to the building seeing the usual receptionist at the desk with her own little decor of a small flower and a few papers they are working on

as I also see Jerry who sees me and was about to wave until they also see the other two with me, as they nod and go back into the crowd

"Well, I'll go get my armor from my room and be right back!"

"Your room? we are already so-"

"He means the ones in the building, they are on the other floors it's for holding equipment you don't want to wear all day"

I don't know how he knows that already, but this time it helps me as I nod

"yep so, I'll be right back, don't worry!"

as I start heading in the direction of the stairs as I make a bit of a turn to Jerry and whisper to their ear for the change of plans

"you avoid them otherwise they'll get even more onto us than normal, just do the quest as we planned but not together ok?"

"don't worry got it"

"ok"

as I continue to pass by like nothing happened, as I silently pray nothing happened as I walk up the stairs to my room and take out my key I unlock the door to see my legging sitting in the same spot I left them as well as the keys

"looks like none of these were moved thankfully, I still don't trust it but this room is clear for, now, but"

as I stop thinking about Cameras and bugs, as I keep silent

"well let's just put this on and get going!"

I say loudly as if that's gonna change anything as I put the leggings on as they fit even with what I'm already wearing, as I go out and lock the door again as I start heading to Cody and Brownie

they are at the clerk as they look in my direction as I walk over to them in the leg armor

"so, what was the quest?"

"Thankfully it's actually fairly non-dangerous!"

"However what is afterward is"

while I'm glad they answered, I grew more interested in what Cody said after her about the afterward part

"so, what is it?"

"It's a multi-day mission, on-site, it's for building a base on the ground"

"Why, a base by the way? the moving city is right here, and as the name implies it can move! wouldn't it be easier to just use it"

"They didn't say exactly why, though I do have suspicions"

"Right so will you two still go there?"

"We will if you are! besides, they will drop off food and drink there so we won't starve"

"OK, well I'm still going, but are you two sure? specifically you Brownie"

"Well yes, can't change our idea now, we agreed on it"

"So we have reached a consensus, all you need to do is sign up as well"

"yeah, great"

as I do a small pained chuckle as I look over to the clerk

"so as usual I'll go on this quest as well"

as the clerk writes my name down on the list for the quests as she gives me a thumbs up to continue

"Just wait at the sides of the rooms"

as I hear that and walk over I see the group of people that will be getting out is a good bit, enough to help in construction as I see the thin guys and the strong couple there as well

the thing guys both have armor on specifically on the chest so right now their matching

as the couple bot got some leggings to wear as a few others from the second mission, to now have armor on as well, as I, Cody, and Brownie, take our spot to wait for the elevator to descend as a new intercom sounds from around the top floors as I hear Wolf's voice yet again

"due to the number of participants today for this mission, we are to inform you that this will take two trips, so during your multi-day mission we will begin to reconstruct the elevator, that is all"

as the elevator depends down And like the intercom said no more can fit in as the elevator begins moving up again, as the rest of us wait for it to descend again

"Jake I'm sure I know why this is a mission that spans multiple days"

"How so"

"the spider nest is right there, and I'm assuming the 'spider patrol' isn't unusual?"

"Well yes its just, oh"

"so we aren't just building a base"

"we, are also, guarding it, that's unsettling "

"Yeah, you sure you two are still good to go? I mean-"

"y-es! we are, we made a deal on it"

"so let's wait for this elevator, shall we"

as we all await the next elevator trip to the outside, for this base

_

I finish the intercom as I look over at Shadow

"I got you the time you needed, you can sneak in with all the others as another random person, your stand-in is ready to be replaced as ordered"

as Shadow begins to get up and walk over

"then I won't disappoint like-"

"quiet, be stealthy about this, the person has the needed equipment "

as soon, with a slight grumble from being interrupted, Shadow leaves the room