Five

"Boy... Even for you this is cruel." Jeff's voice faltered, it was almost like he was going to cry.

"Oh come on, you have to see some comedic value in this." Zhao Wei smirked, "I did exactly what you want, I made Myra give you back your restaurant so you have a place to live and don't have to follow us..."

"You dropped it off in the frickin' dessert!" And sure enough the restaurant was left out in the middle of nowhere. "Do you see anyone coming here for a snack!"

"Well to be fair, no one really came to your restaurant either." Thirteen chimed from behind.

"Not. Right. Now." Jeff pointed at her.

Jokes aside, Zhao Wei ended up making a third carriage to put the restaurant on. Now it looked like a small convoy. Luckily the engine in the front could still handle this weight, but if it got any bigger, what worried Zhao Wei the most would be how he would control the whole thing.

Even now, if he made a turn he needed to reduce his speed by at least half so that the last carriage wouldn't pull them back. Zhao Wei had been fixing things up and building some things for him to use, but really his skills in doing this were crude to say the least.

As they watched Zhao Wei fix the things up, Jeff moved up and sat next to thirteen. "Thanks for not telling him." Thirteen said.

"What's the use of me blurting it out anyway." Jeff sighed. "He won't understand... he's not like us, but you better not slack off, by the way he treats himself you'll just be sucked up into it if you do it halfheartedly. He may have come out alive this time, but the same can't be said for those close to him... Did you hear me?"

"Yes sir." She nodded.

Watching her busy with her own thoughts, Jeff let out a sigh in pity. "I told you to just call me Jeff."

"Yes Jeff." She replied.

Only blood children knew the pain of the other, even though those who looked from the outside could try to empathize they would never understand the hell they went through. As Jeff looked at Thirteen who was looking at Zhao Wei longingly, he couldn't help but worry.

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"Hey... hey you awake?" A immature voice rang out in the night.

"What are you doing thirteen?" A child replied as she rubbed her own eyes as she yawned. "We have training in the morning..."

"I know but I guess I wanted to talk to you five... you know, like do you remember your life before this?" Thirteen asked. "Like your name, the one your parents gave you?"

"I don't know, been 4 years since I last used it, it was Nina or Nu... Something... why do you ask?" Five curiously gazed at her peer.

"I don't know, maybe one day when we finish, I might want to live a normal life you know... and I guess I would like to use that name instead of the numbers." Thirteen looked up at the pitch black sky, the stars twinkling a little before the dark clouds covered them.

"You shouldn't talk like that," Five rebuked, "Instructor says it's how we get ourselves killed."

"Nah Five, it's how we keep ourselves alive, when you have something to reach, then absolutely no one can stop you from reaching it." Thirteen replied.

"It'd be nice if that were the case," Five murmured as she turned on the grass. "Should get some sleep we have a long day tomorrow, not even sure how many are left."

"Says the person who hasn't done any sleeping since we started," Thirteen shrugged.

"You'll end up sleeping if I ask you to keep watch." Five retorted.

Thirteen chuckled on the other side, "I guess I might, thanks buddy, wake me up when my shift comes."

Five gave an exasperated groan. "Just wake up properly tomorrow morning."

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Splash!

"Five!, you alright!?" Thirteen came over worriedly.

Five came up from the swamp, using unsteady hands to drag the tail out. "I'm okay, just snagged my tail on one of the underground roots."

Both heard a rustle come from nearby, at most 300 meters away and closing in fast. "Go first! I'll be fine!"

"I'm not leaving you!" Thirteen spoke, trying to take an arm over the shoulder.

"It's too late! just go hide, I'll give the signal!" Five urged.

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Two children entered the clearing where Five and Thirteen just were.

"Where are they!" One shouted as they found it empty.

"I'm not sure..." The counterpart looked at the muddy water and a drag mark on the ground.

"I think one of them is injured though, they should still be here... Two!" the child warned as behind it's counterpart was exactly the enemy they were looking for.