Permafrost: Thunderbird

Chapter 14: Reward Offered

⭐️Chapter 14: Reward Offered

It was the next day again, and all day the Infernos hadn't seen the Wave Crashers. They weren't bothered to go and look for them of course, but it was...intriguing. Had they gotten so mad from the last loss that they'd run away from the place? Or was this perhaps a trick...were they plotting revenge? It was hard to say, though it wasn't really all that bothersome.

The day actually went well without those bullies. It seemed that other turf teams that lived in Laocrah Town took notice too, and boy were they glad. They were all playing turf war normally, and it was now that the Infernos realized just how many people the Wave Crashers had...well, bullied. They'd initially thought it was just weak players, but no. The Wave Crashers were knocking down almost every team in the town, and the Infernos were the only ones they'd replayed multiple times.

But still, suspicions were raised about just what that gang of goons was up to. Of course, the Infernos didn't exactly WANT them back, but if they were plotting something nasty (especially if it involved Bird and the whole science experiment thing) then the group HAD to see what they were up to. They didn't have a trail though, and their choices were too vague. Not to mention they still had to keep track of Bird, and if they went after the Wave Crashers then they'd risk a loss in numbers, which was important because only the Infernos and the Thistlins knew about Bird at the moment. If anyone else were to be with Bird, they'd probably turn her in with the scientists lying through their beak.

Clara had to admit, she never thought that being on a mission would be this difficult. She'd wondered how Ryn and her friends even endured the trip to Frostcap Mountain before, and now that this was happening...she could see how hard it must've been. But hey, the two were working together now, and she was ready to do whatever she could to help out. She was going to make up for being useless by actually doing something, but she needed to figure out a plan. As she met up with Ryn later in the afternoon, the two discussed possible plans.

Ryn just wanted to play things safe and be defensive for now instead of being offensive. Clara could somewhat understand since this was a new situation, but she'd always thought that Ryn was a daring risk taker that could leap into things like it was no big deal. She didn't exactly want to say that in case it caused trouble, but it was her thoughts. Clara had also asked the rest of Ryn's teammates what they thought of the situation, just to be sure. Cosmo seemed to be in the same boat as Ryn.

Silvia had considered that maybe the Crashers had just stopped turfing for the day, or that they had chores. While it technically was reasonable, there was also no proof to back it up. Of course, there was no proof to back up the assumption that the Wave Crashers were off doing something malevolent either, but still. Jack wasn't sure at all, and was just going with the flow and changing his opinions as new suggestions popped up. In the end, Clara still wasn't entirely sure about the situation.

She'd split from the Infernos and her team to think to herself for a little. Maybe they were clouding her judgement, though she couldn't tell if that was the case. She personally thought there could be something done about this, but she couldn't tell if she was in the right or the wrong. Was it too risky to attempt anything, or was she right to want to see what the enemy was up to, even if it was only a day. Maybe everyones' suspicions were acting up because of what happened...but this was about her.

If it was just her alone, she'd go after the Crashers. Didn't matter if they just happened to have a break, she needed to do something she'd remembered from her family sayings: keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.

She later decided to ask her team about what they thought. They initially stated they would agree with her, but she told them she didn't want them to. She asked for their individual opinions on the situation, so that's what they gave. Sai was a little stuck on what to think since they could see both sides of the argument. Glade agreed with looking for the Wave Crashers, even without Clara's influence. Ella wished to stay defensive with the Infernos, and not make big risks.

Taking this all into consideration, Clara then thought about the situation again. Technically more people voted for "go after the Wave Crashers" than "stay", so they could do that. But...was it the right thing to do in the first place? Was taking a random chance really something she should be doing? Well, not that she really cared at the moment, but...she knew how her friends felt about this. After some thinking, Clara had made her decision. She was going to look despite the group's lack of evidence. She was also going to do this no matter what Ryn or the others said. It was just her and her team on this one, and they were all in this together. Clara found Ryn and the Infernos hanging around town, and decided to have a chat with them along with her own team.

Hopefully this wouldn't go downhill...

"Wait, you want to what?" Cosmo asked after they explained their opinion.

"Yeah, we kind of did some thinking about this," Glade replied.

"But....are you sure about this?" Jack asked.

"Listen, as much as I don't want to do this, I don't think we have much of a choice," Clara said. "We either stay here and leave them to do whatever they please, or we can go after them and find out what they're doing!"

"I...I guess you're right," Ryn replied. "But...how...?"

"Simple. We're going to go look for them ourselves," Sai said.