Like A Fairytale

Chapter 37

Samuel

"Sir? You wanted to talk to me?" Early in the morning, Sofian Goldbird had called him to his office. A small office, in a modest hallway. This was where all the clone brothers had their offices. The largest and anything but modest belonged to Ferry Goldbird.

Sofian Goldbird's small office, on the other hand, was simply furnished, albeit probably expensive.

Samuel yawned. He had overslept. His hastily put on uniform betrayed him at once. Buttoned crookedly, two different socks, the pants had a large stain...

"Ah! Mr. Cold! Good, good." Lena's father sat at his desk and drank coffee. He had pushed his breakfast aside untouched while looking at a holographic screen. "Sit down! Do you like croissants? You look tired."

The clone pointed to his plate. There was an untouched pastry, with a bowl of jam and a piece of butter. "I don't like croissants."

"Sir?" Samuel suppressed a smile. He couldn't resist another yawn. Unfortunately. "Sorry."

"Huh? Oh, all good. But please straighten your uniform soon. You appear... confused." The clone raised his eyebrows. "So, are you hungry? I ordered sweet buns, but got a croissant. You'd think the staff would know that neither my brothers nor I like THAT! Would you like to have it?" He pushed the plate in Samuel's direction. "Please, sit down."

Samuel wanted to refuse, but his growling stomach betrayed him. He hadn't had breakfast himself. He hadn't gotten around to that after he had gloriously missed breakfast, only to rush to Sofian Goldbird's place looking like a fool. And he got lost twice on the way. The seat of government resembled a maze. "Gladly. Thank you."

Hesitantly, he sat down on the empty chair at the desk, opposite the mayor, and pulled the plate towards him. "Shall I ask for something else for you in the kitchen?"

"No need. One of my brothers must have done that long ago. Or we all think that one of us did... Then we'll starve until lunch!" He happily brushed the hologram aside with a simple wave of his hand. It disappeared immediately. "So. How is my daughter?"

"Your daughter? Why are you asking me? Excuse me, I don't mean to be rude, but as a father, you certainly know more than I do."

The smile disappeared from Sofian Goldbird's face. "Father of an almost still a teenage daughter! I'm afraid you know more than I do. Apart from Mina, but she usually keeps everything Lena tells her to herself. Women!"

Now it was Samuel who smiled. "I don't know anything about that. I suggested a small celebration for her. She seems lonely. Since Burgstadt almost sank, she has been restless, which is not surprising."

"What kind of celebration?" Interested, the clone stirred in his almost empty coffee cup.

"With a few other girls from a good family. Peers. She seems to be missing friends. But she rejected the idea."

"Did she?" Sofian rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He resembled a character from one of the comics that Samuel had liked to read as a child. "A celebration. That's a good idea! I will discuss this with Ferry! Thank you, you can return to your work now! I have a party to organize!" Sofian Goldbird jumped up. He wanted to run past Samuel, but then his eyes fell on the barely touched breakfast. Samuel hadn't gotten around to eating yet. "Feel free to take the plate with you."

"Thank you. But, sir? Your daughter doesn't want a..."

"To your post, soldier!" The clone did not listen to him. Instead, he handed him the plate and shooed Samuel out. With his employer's ignored breakfast in his hands, he went to relieve the tired Annabella, who stole half of his croissant.

She had missed breakfast, too. Thanks to him.

Icy

"Number 100?" Number 5 walked beside him. They were on their way to Burgstadt to get the data on the security protocols. They would evaluate these to improve the security of the city. Of all cities.

Of course, Icy accompanied his colleague to collect evidence against him and then present it to Number A. He should analyze every reaction and watch for anomalies. He recorded the conversation between the two. However, his system manipulated the audio track when necessary. The fact that Number 100 was part of the resistance had to remain secret.

These manipulations would be difficult to detect.

"Yes?" Icy blinked in the harsh light of the morning sun. A warning appeared on the small display in his field of vision. On this day, the sun was shining too brightly for his artificial eyes. Immediately, a dark film slid over his red eyes. Sun protection. The warning disappeared.

"I saw the boy yesterday. The one with the purple hair," continued Number 5. A sunscreen also covered his eyes, which Icy could see under the mask. The eyes of the other shadow looked duller as a result. They shone less.

He nodded. "I did too. Apparently, he works here now."

"That's unusual."

"That's right." Icy adjusted his mask. A strand of hair had gotten lost underneath and tickled his nose. The cyborg sneezed. "It's very unusual. After all, he has a mutation."

"Do you think the boy could serve our cause?" asked Number 5 further. "Or has he already been recruited? Did you get orders? He shouldn't be working with an obviously recognizable mutation here. Maybe he has good connections? Although. No. As a resident of Level 3, he will hardly know the right people to help him here. Something is fishy about it."

Icy didn't answer.

"I'm going to check his background. Maybe he belongs to us", murmured Number 5.

"Don't get caught."

"My days are numbered anyway!" The other cyborg just shrugged his shoulders. "I am here to die in the name of our cause."

Icy nodded.

Number A would never know about this conversation.

(c: sasi)