'Bulletproof glass?'Rex's eyebrows shot up in surprise.
"Rex pulled out his phone and did a quick search for bulletproof glass prices. He chuckled when he saw the cost – over $10,000! This renovation was a serious investment."
'Boss, is something wrong?'
Lorna hesitated, a little nervous. 'Is this glass expensive?' she asked. Rex had put her in charge of overseeing the repairs.
'Yep, it's pricey. Even the cheapest kind costs hundreds of dollars per square meter.'
Lorna's jaw dropped. Rex quickly smiled. 'Don't worry, Joy sent in the guys. She paid for it. I wasn't worried about the cost, just surprised by her generosity.'
Rex glanced around the store. 'Where are Colleen and Peter?'
"l'Sensei went back to the Dojo, and Peter went to school. He said he'll be back in time for the evening shift. Boss, are we opening tonight?'
'Yes, we are! And don't worry about those guys from lunch. I took care of them. Tell Colleen that, maybe she'll stop trying to lecture me!'
'Alright, I'll call Sensei.'
'Boss, you're not mad at Sensei, are you? She might have been hard on you, but she really does care about you, too.'
'Oh, she made me furious!' Rex laughed, teasing Lorna. 'You seem to have a lot of respect for Colleen.'
'Sensei is the best person I've ever known. Everyone respects her. For us street orphans, she gives us tuition, helps us out, and teaches us how to protect ourselves. It might sound silly, but she's like an angel to us.'
'Angel?'
Rex's face hardened. Colleen, with her kind heart, had no idea that these orphans she was training would end up joining an evil organization. Bakuto had seen her kindness as a weakness, a way to manipulate her into becoming a recruiter without her realizing.
She thought she was running a charity Dojo, funded by her Sensei.
The Hand... Charity... It was a cruel joke!
'Boss?'
'Do you think I'm wrong?'
'You have no idea how wrong you are!' Rex couldn't bring himself to say it. If Colleen found out, it would shatter her world. He had to keep it hidden, even though she was bound to find out eventually.
Rex was too weak to deal with this now. He couldn't fight The Hand, and he couldn't run. He forced a smile and changed the subject. 'Lorna, if you're okay, stay in the store for a bit. I have something important to tell you.'
'I'm free.'
Rex locked the door and pointed to the last table. 'Let's sit and talk.'
They sat facing each other, a silent tension hanging in the air.
'Lorna, how long has it been since you dyed your hair black? The green roots are starting to show, matching your eyes.'
'Boss, I...'
'I know you're a mutant, Lorna. Colleen told me the day she brought you here.'
"..."
Lorna's eyes widened in shock. Her biggest secret was out! Her emotions surged, and her tension grew. A slow, rhythmic clacking filled the restaurant.
Rex turned to see metal objects around Lorna shaking violently, as if they were about to levitate and fly towards her.
'Lorna...'
'If you wreck the store, I'm not cleaning it up!' Rex said, his voice calm but firm.
His tone and bizarre threat startled her. The swaying knives and forks on the table stopped shaking. The restaurant fell silent.
'That's it! Good!'
'Actually, I kept it from you so you wouldn't get mad, but anything you break will be deducted from your salary!'
'Boss... I was wondering... are you a mutant, too? This Kung Fu thing you do with the food... it's just a cover for your mutation, right?'
'Unfortunately, I'm just a normal guy,' Rex grinned awkwardly. 'I dream of having a power that would just suddenly appear, but I'm not one of those lucky people.'
Lorna's eyes widened. She could tell Rex was being honest.
'What are you surprised about?' Rex shrugged. 'Did you think I'd discriminate against mutants? Would Colleen have told me the truth if that were the case?'
"'That makes sense,' Lorna agreed. 'But Boss, I never thought you'd be so trusting, taking the risk that I might lose control!'"
'Who said I'm not worried? It's terrifying! Every day, I wake up afraid you'll destroy the place!' Rex thought to himself. He smiled. 'That's because I'm confident I can handle it whenever it happens!'
'Pfft!' Lorna's heart warmed, but she didn't let herself get her hopes up. 'I can't believe that! It's impossible!'