This Reality

8: The News

A/N
Hello! This is the second time I'm uploading this chapter because the first time it crashed when I tried to edit it (thanks, Wattpad) so it will be slightly different although the story is the same.

Anyway as usual, if you are enjoying this story, votes/comments/follows are always appreciated!
Thank you for reading!
Enjoy,
Kori.

Without meaning to, Astrid sleeps through the night. She is woken by Milla knocking on her door around 9am.

"Astrid? Are you awake?" Says Milla from the other side of the door.
She gets a grunt in response.
Teenagers in the morning these days.
Honestly.

"I'm coming in, okay?"
She enters the room to see a sleepy Astrid sitting up in bed rubbing her eyes.
Milla doesn't look much better herself. Her black hair is messy and her dark eyes have faint circles forming under them.

"Are you coming to breakfast?" Milla asks. "You haven't eaten much this week. You really need to get your energy up."

"Yeah, fine, I'll have some breakfast." Astrid says groggily. After a quick wash and a change of clothes, they make their way down several flights of stairs to the dining hall.

This place really is run like a hotel.
The two of them sit down at a table with Jax.
"Morning," says Jax brightly, earning some mumbles in response. His light brown hair is less messy than Milla's, although his hazel eyes still show signs of tiredness.
"This grumpy teenager really isn't a morning person," says Milla jokingly.

Astrid chooses to ignore Milla's comment and look around. There are tables and chairs that people sit at, eating away hungrily, filling the room. There are so many people! And all of them, agents and members of the Permitters. There are tables around the edges of the room for you to help yourself to food and drink. On each wall there is a screen with news on it. Not the kind of news you would watch at home. News just for the Permitters, about their missions and their agents.

"I'll get some drinks, shall I? Coffee?" Says Milla, standing up. Jax and Astrid both give her nods and mumble thanks.

"So," Jax speaks quietly, leaning towards her. "How are you finding it, with all the sudden news and everything?"
"Eh, it's alright. A bit hard to get my head around, but it's alright," says Astrid. "What exactly happens now?"
"Well," begins Jax, "we are going to infiltrate the Leaders' government headquarters, which is the institute you were locked up in. We are going to rescue your parents, who are still there, and the leader of the Leaders, who goes by the name of Xavier, we are going to take him, and if that proves too difficult... we'll have to... kill... kill him." Finishes Jax.

Astrid stares at him. "Kill him? You're going to kill him?"
"Only if taking him proves too difficult. It's not easy to say if-"

He is cut off by someone shouting and pointing at one of the screens.
"Look, look at the news!"

Everyone's conversations ground to a halt as everyone stops to listen to the news reporter.

"...and it has become apparent that the couple kidnapped a week ago for fictional writing is being held at ransom. They were kidnapped along with their daughter, who has since escaped and was assisted out of the building by members of the Permitters. If the daughter is not handed back in five days time, the Leaders have stated that they will kill the parents."

The report finishes and conversation resumes. Milla rushes back to the table to where Jax and Astrid are sat.
"Did you hear that? We need to get going quickly!"
"You're going to... hand me over... in order to save my parents?" Astrid asks slowly and quietly.
"Of course not!" Snaps Milla, "we're going to go through with our original plan. We break into the Leaders headquarters and rescue your parents, and we also take Xavier. Hopefully murder won't be necessary."

"Yeah, exactly," adds Jax, "the plan won't change. It will just happen sooner than expected, that's all."

On the way out of the breakfast hall, Astrid asks, "so how exactly do we prepare for this mission?"
"Ah," says Jax, "before we start preparations there's someone you need to meet. They're coming with us because they know something that will come in handy."

The two adults lead her down stairs and corridors. There are so many floors and rooms, how does no one get lost here?

On the way to the West wing, Astrid has some time to think. She is nervous about the mission. So am I. I know I am only her subconscious, merely the voice inside her head, but I am concerned for her. There's a chance she might not come back if she goes on that mission.

The three of them arrive at the door of a suite. Milla opens the door and Astrid sees, standing at the window screen, watching the world go by outside, a person. Not a man or a woman, just a person. They are holding nothing and they give nothing away. They own nothing. But they know something.