We scour the arena, trying our best to keep up with Jessie's blinding speed. Streaks of black and white cut around corners, darting into every nook and cranny inside the arena. Under seats, back in the private rooms, below the canvas of the ring.
Every time we think we see them, get within touching distance, they warp into a new hallway or dive into a pit of chairs.
Victoria and I eventually have to sit down in the warm audience seats and watch Jessie climb up to the stage lights and parkour over the railing holding them.
There really are no lengths they won't go to. I don't know how they even got up there so fast in the first place, but it's not my job to worry about it anymore.
Being able to sit in one place for more than five minutes, my body presses me into the uncomfortable seat. My back melts into the plastic. My head droops over the chair's back. I shut out the empty ring from my mind, inviting peace inside. This is nice...
Maybe I just sit here for a few minutes, maybe hours.
-
"They're fast!" Jessie's voice cracks my eyes open.
"Did you get them?" I ask in the middle of a yawn.
"No. No, I didn't. I didn't even see them after they left." Jessie crosses their arms and slides their Antique into their holster. "I even went all over the mall and I couldn't find them." A deep sigh pushes out their lightly pursed lips. "Let's go. We've done everything we can…"
I've never seen them this upset over something. It's like the failure killed all their abnormal cartoonish joy. They're not even worried about their costume still lying somewhere in the arena. They probably don't take failure too well, hopefully they get over it. As we leave, the main ring's been completely emptied. It looks like the medical team reached Rosa because all that's left to mark that she was there is her battered blood.
We make it back to the elevator with no problems. I was expecting some resistance from the big guy and his gang, but it looks like they're letting us go. At least for now.
"I'm hungry. Let's get some food," Victoria says as the metal doors shut.
My stomach shamefully gurgles hearing the word "food". "Me too..."
"Hm." Jessie scratches their chin, before lifting their eyes from the ground. "I'm upset we couldn't find the Antique. That would've been a big win for us. But, maybe some good food will lift my spirits!"
"And remember that expert play I made by shooting at the guards? Remember how you told me you'd reward me for it with free food?"
"We definitely never agreed to that," I clarify.
"It's fine Ren, I can pay for her food. Do you want me to pay for your's too?
"As long as you're fine with it." Jessie clicks the second-floor button while Victoria's hums bounce off the walls.
One free meal and she's turned into a kid. I'll need to keep that in mind whenever I need her off my back.
"I want Chinese food! Ren, you want Chinese food too, right? You'd love some Chinese food."
"And why do you automatically think that," I say, crossing my arms, eagerly waiting for what she's going to say next. "Why did you assume I specifically want it?"
"It's not because of what you look like, yeesh! It's because you're American! In every state across the country, there is one thing that binds us together, one thing more American than the pledge of allegiance, football, or even guns." Victoria's hand lands on her heart as she looks up into nothingness. "And it's that a Chinese restaurant is waiting for you somewhere within ten miles of your house! Orange Chicken, Fried Rice, Wonton Soup! These dishes are quintessential to a Chinese restaurant's menu, and thus quintessentially American!" She turns away from whatever she was imagining far above us and places her hand on my shoulder. "So, after a hard day of work, as employees of the United States government, don't we have a moral obligation to eat Chinese food?"
A soft exhale breaks out of my nose and my cheeks float an inch from where they normally rest. "You're ridiculous."
"Did you just laugh at that?"
"Victoria..."
"You actually laughed at a joke I made!"
"Don't make this a thing."
"Inside that tough shell, you do have a soul!"
"Phantom, where do you want to eat?"
"Changing the subject doesn't mean you can run away from me and my friendship!"
"Chinese sounds great, I love bourbon chicken! Great idea Victoria!" Jessie commends.
"I know, I'm a genius."
We all make our separate orders at the Chinese stall. Victoria tries her best to squeeze Jessie dry of every cent she can, and I have to scold her to get her to order a normal amount. And after a long verbal battle, we sit down at a table, and I can finally satisfy the animal inside my bruised stomach.
A makeshift gauze made from a piece of trimmed fabric off Jessie's jacket wraps my injured hand, giving me enough relief to ignore it and just eat. Lo Mein and shrimp fill my face so fast I can't even speak. The mall food restricts Jessie and Victoria's speech as well, hushing the bombastic Curators. The sounds of forks scraping the bottom of the containers and chewing are the only conversations between us.
Every bite is therapeutic to the soreness on my skin. Before, my jaw hurt just to move from the knockout punch Rosa hit me with. But now, it's moving independently of me. My hands are a little numb after all the punching, but they're twirling these noodles into my mouth like they're perfectly fine!
If I forget about the vengeful mob boss who threatened to end my life due to no fault of my own, coming to this mall was almost worth it.