𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘣𝘰𝘺, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙮𝙨

𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣

"OKAY, SO WE GOT TWO ROOM. THERE'S FOUR OF US, SO I GUESS..." THE GROUP WATCHED HUGHIE, SAMUEL HAVING HIS BACKPACK ON. "I guess it'll be me, Sam, and M.M.." He continued, looking at Annie. "I mean, for privacy reasons, of course, we're guys-" Annie just nodded to herself, smiling lightly. M.M. stepped forward, briefcase in hand.

"Good choice."

∞

HUGHIE STARTED TO REGRET HIS GOOD CHOICE IMMENSELY, NOT GETTING A SINGLE LICK OF SLEEP. M.M.'s snores bellowed the room, and Hughie couldn't help but be impressed that Samuel was able to sleep through it untethered. He had taken the couch himself, finding out it unfolded into a bed itself. Hughie stared up at the ceiling, lights shining past when vehicles drove by.

He wasn't going to sleep at all.

His phone chimed, the man picking it up to see a message from Annie.

'Vending Machine Crisis! What should I get??'

He smiled to himself, slipping out of bed and throwing his pants on.

∞

"CAN YOU GET OFF THE WEED, HUH?" M.M. ASKED, SAMUEL SCRUNCHING UP THE BLUNT IN HIS HAND AFTER EXHALING QUICKLY. Annie and Hughie walked after the two, Samuel putting the blunt end in his pocket. "I bet Liberty loves weed." He let out, M.M. deciding not to even entertain the boy.

Walking down the street, they reached the correct house number, Hughie deciding to knock on the door. "Hello?" A woman answered, looking at Hughie curiously. "Uh, hello, um..." He looked back at Samuel and M.M., the latter nodding. "I'm Hughie. Is there, by any chance, a woman living here who used to go by the name of, um, Liberty?" He asked, Samuel's brows furrowing when the woman's polite smile faltered.

"No." She answered, closing the door. Hughie turned around confused. "Okay, we have the right address, right? Is that...?" He asked, M.M. checking the paper again. Samuel moved forward, knocking on the door himself. The woman answered again, shaking her head. "Please leave." She begged the boy, Hughie and M.M. watching.

"You know what, I'm sorry if he said something wrong. We just have a few questions-" "Just leave me alone." The woman interrupted, looking at M.M.. "I took your damn money, I signed your damn papers, and I have kept my mouth shut." Samuel glanced back at M.M. too, finding some comfort in the shared confusion.

"Oh, no, we're not with Vought." He looked back, shaking his head. "We just wanna learn about Liberty." The boy shrugged, M.M. nodding encouragingly. The woman stared at Samuel's smile, huffing. "Then y'all are just some damn fools." She spoke, Samuel's smile faltering a little. "Sounds like you know her. Or knew her." M.M. made his voice known.

"You're wasting your time, okay-" "Mis, Miss, just hear us out." M.M. stepped forward, him and Samuel. "If, after that, you want us to leave, we'll go." M.M. surrendered his hands, the woman sighing. "Go ahead." She huffed, Samuel leaning against the wall as M.M. did the talking.

"My father was a lawyer. Small-time, very smart. And aggressive." Hughie perked up at the words, Annie listening intently. "When I was a kid, something happened between my family and Vought, which I'd rather not talk about, but it was bad." M.M. continued, Samuel glancing from him to the woman. "Now, see, my dad, he believed in the law and that nobody was above it, not even Vought."