Aligning with Ace increased our chances, but I had no idea what Ace’s ultimate goal was. At least Mirei had somewhat good intentions. Ace was still a wild card and would betray us at some point.
“It’s simple, isn’t it? Accept the deal and not follow through. We’ll worry about Ace later,” Kyoi replied.
“That’s not a bad idea, except Ace might retaliate, which isn’t exactly great. But, I would be fine getting her help and deal with the messy aftermath,” Shan agreed.
“Before we discuss any further, we must return to the issue of Mirei first. If we all agree to relinquish our powers and turn over matters to her, there’s no reason to consider Ace’s offer,” Tess reminded us.
What would Mirei actually do if we let her handle things? She could take care of Ace but what would happen after that? Recalling Tess’ words, Mirei planned to seal off all entries into other dimensions. Did that really resolve anything? The Traveler would still be around. Did Mirei and her team have enough firepower to take him down?
“We’ve been doing a good job. Let’s keep doing this!” Jen spoke for the first time.
“She’s right! We can do this, guys!” Ichaival supported the woman.
“Jin, what is your view on the matter? You have not spoken yet,” Tess asked.
“Well, you know, it’s…. yeah. Might be nice to just not do this s*** anymore. Able to relax, don’t worry about anything, it’s definitely something to consider. But, I’m not going to give up, who the hell do you think I am? So, like Darryl said, we’ll go out and finish it,” Kisai responded, giving a slight smile.
Okay, I was starting to feel it. He was right. It would be bad to just leave things like this. Maybe I was just biased after all the time I spent with them.
“If we’re going to do it, let’s get going already. We don’t have a lot of time, right?” Kuan looked over at me, adjusting his glasses.
“Yeah, you’re right. Tess, anything else?” I stared at the Gatekeeper.
“No, time to make your decision, Tomo,” Tess said.
I already knew my answer, even before the meeting. I was almost swayed initially by Zhuyu and Shan, but after hearing them elaborate, nothing changed. Time to deny Mirei and take her down!
“Let’s work with Ace and deal with the fallout,” I stated.
“If that’s your decision, then I wish to discuss a suggestion in more detail later,” Tess said.
What did Tess have up her sleeve? She probably already developed a contingency plan.
“We’ll head to the secondary meeting room. I’ve texted you the location. We’ll meet up with Lilith’s team there,” Tess ordered.
Kisai stumbled as he stood up. Shui and Jen supported him all the way to his car. Jacque and Shui appeared the healthiest. Kuan, too, but it looked like he might have some knee pain. I approached my car and saw Tess point at it. Jacque nodded and headed my way.
“Tess said I should ride with you,” Jacque informed me.
“I don’t really mind. Let’s get going or we’ll be the last ones there,” I agreed, unlocking the passenger door for him.
“Tomo, what kind of place is it?” Jacque asked, staring out the window.
“Sorta like a school auditorium with a stage and has a bunch of tables,” I described.
“That’s cool. I wonder how badly the other heroes are hurt,” Jacque remarked.
“Lilith and a few of her team members were there so probably the same as us. Maybe not as bad since we’re Mirei’s main target,” I guessed.
“Yeah, wish I could do something else. Being a rock isn’t exactly the most useful thing, especially against her,” Jacque lamented.
“I can’t actually disagree with you, Jacque. It sucks. You know what, I’ll just shut up now and not make things worse,” I decided.
“Nah, you don’t have to hold back, Tomo. How are you injuries?” Jacque inquired.
“It hurts. Felt my arm tighten when I was driving earlier,” I admitted, feeling the tightness return again.
“Damn, must suck. How’s it feeling right now?” Jacque questioned.
“It’s okay, I can still drive,” I answered, making a left turn.
“Good to know, good to know,” Jacque said with relief.
