Adrien waited at the meeting room. Usually he would socialize with everyone. Everyone there were high class caretakers, but always less successful than him. Somehow, he didn't feel like talking to them that day. All of their conversations were just jumbled up shallow small talks. He had to talk to them, his status would fall if he didn't bother, but he just wasn't feeling it today.
He could only think about how this was over and how he felt like a burden was washed away from his chest. But then again, he felt bored once more. He got so much praise and approval for getting that hard case finished, for making Unako remember her identity. After a while, it got old, just like it always did.
He loved the success, but he wanted something bigger. It wasn't challenging at all, but he had nothing higher to aim for. He was bored amongst these people, and with his job. He missed while he was new at this, while he had to try hard to make them remember and to get high up on ranks. He had everything now, but it wasn't nearly as satisfying as the hard work he had to put up to get to where he was now. It was all just so monotonous and boring.
"Who would have thought that you'd make it." He heard a female monotonous voice.
He snapped out of his thoughts as he looked at the familiar female Judger. The same one who threatened to fire him. While it would have satisfied him to get his way usually, it was just boring by now.
Although, he always was freaked out by that specific Judger. The more he saw her around, the more memorable she was. Which was odd, almost a bit scary. Her voice, even if it was by a little, was not as emotionless as the other Judgers, and while she spoke, he could sometimes see glimmers of emotions go through her eyes, that weren't even the same old shade of other judges. He felt like this female Judger was bad news, but he couldn't get why.
"I told you that I wouldn't let you down, dear." Adrien grinned, feeling more comfortable with this Judger than anyone in this room combined.
She gave him almost an confused facial expression.
"You seem different, Mr. Marais." She commented, looking at him with her peering gray eyes.
He was quiet for a bit. Was he different? He felt like a lot did change since he met that odd girl. Like he noticed some things around him that his pride just decided to ignore. He forgot just how important human communication was to him, not for his job or status. He felt like there was something missing in this dull meeting room. Maybe it was Alex's bright smile and determination? Or was it just Unako's clumsiness and curiousity? Or hell, even Mia's random outbursts and snarky remarks?
"I think that the challenge you gave me left me in a different mind state. I wasn't the best of The Caretakers like my status would imply." Adrien answered after a few seconds of careful thought.
What happened next almost shocked him. It wasn't much, something normal actually, but coming from her was odd. She smiled. It was brief, not very wide or energetic, just a brief small smile, before her lifeless face returned to her facial features.
"Maybe you do deserve this job..." She said very quietly, before turning away, her gray stature mixing into the masses.
While Adrien was left briefly in confusion, it soon started growing into loneliness once more. He wanted Alex to be with him now, to make him smile and remember just how fun it is to help people. He wanted Unako to ask him personal questions, so he can feel like someone cared. He wanted them, not these people. But they couldn't just casually reach this status. No one can.
Adrien looked at the man that he could recognize as Alex's father. He couldn't see any similarities. The man had yellow hair and lilac eyes, with a big forced smile on his face as he cracked jokes with everyone else in the room. He was trying so hard to be likeable, although he knew he was a bad person, loving money and nothing else. But Adrien wasn't much better, just replacing money with his job, pride and status. He was skeptical about Alex because of that man, he didn't want another corrupted money hungry person. He got pleasantly surprised though.
Adrien stood up, not feeling like being there anymore. He exited the meeting. He had nothing to do there. They just discussed plans about the new rules, something they would just get written down later. Half the Caretakers there just showed up to socialize with other powerful people, hoping they could rise on popularity. The only ones who should be there are The Judgers, who don't seem to care if The Caretakers come or not.
He took out his phone, dialing a familiar number as he walked through the streets.
"Oh, hello, Mr. Marais!" A gleeful Alex picked up the phone.
"Good evening, Alex. I just wanted to ask if you still want to be my apprentice?" He questioned, somehow feeling bad that he was doing that.
He could be a Caretaker directly, but the kid just wouldn't let go of the thought of being an apprentice first. As if he was too scared to go into a completely new environment and like he just loved Adrien too much to let go.
"Of course! It would be an honor to help out the best Caretaker in all of Hell!" Alex squealed in the phone, obviously excited.
"I just don't want you being pulled down." Adrien told him, wanting the boy to think about it.
"I need more practice anyway, don't worry too much, Mr. Marais." Adrien could feel the boy smile on the other side of the phone.
"If you say so, Alex." Adrien agreed, knowing he'd be too stubborn on helping him.
After their talk, Adrien couldn't help but think about that strange Judger. Everything about her was just odd. But he couldn't help but feel like something bad in general would happen soon, he didn't know when, but soon.
