Everything Stays: In the Future

Dinner Date

Inside the Fumi home, the family sits around a small coffee table, eating dinner together. The house is relatively quiet until Ember and May look at one another. May gestures towards Wolfgang and he looks at her with some confusion. May does the same thing but with some added emphasis. Ember cocks an eyebrow at her, still confused by the acts. She sighs and pieces the bridge of her nose.

Mocha: Dad annoying you again, Mom?

May: No sweetie. He does that everyday.

Ember: Hey.

Mocha: So...is there a problem?

May: No. Just wanted to start conversation.

Ember: Mission accomplished.

May: You know I can kill you.

Ember: (Laughs) No you can't! Believe me, she's tried kids. I mean, that's how we met.

Wolfgang: You two have the weirdest relationship I have ever seen.

May and Ember look at each other with some shock before Ember begins to laugh a little. Once Ember calms down, he goes right back to eating the steak on his plate. May roles her eyes and smiles with Ember before eating again.

Wolfgang: So...Dad. When are you going back to Vale?

Ember: I...I'm not going back. At least not for a while. Your Aunt Weiss has hired your grandpa and I to work with her legal team to get her a solid defense. And put away some bad guys here and there. So it may be some time before I even step foot in Vale.

May: Or here. Right?

Ember: Well, I mean...yeah. But I've been out of the office for six months now and I feel as if-

May: Are you sure you can't get a branch down here? I'm sure Blake would agree to it, Ghira too! And you can't-

Ember: I know, I know. But my parents can barely manage as is. The last thing I want them to worry about is a fifth branch and even more corruption charges.

May: I'm sorry, what?

Wolfgang: Corruption charges? Where did that-

Ember: Yeah, it turns out the guy who ran the Atlas branch was a complete a...jerk. Complete jerk. So he's been charged with corruption and bribery and it's a PR nightmare up there but hey! Not my jurisdiction. Not going to worry about it.

Wolfgang: So, grandma and grandpa are worried about that? Who's going to take over then?

Ember: We have conventions every month. So either the old number 2 takes over, baring the charges don't follow through with him too, will take over or we elect one of the higher-ups of the branch. No big deal.

Ember then stood up and grabbed his plate as well.

Ember: Anyone want anymore.

Wolfgang: Yes, please!

Mocha: I'm good, Dad. Maybe some more milk though.

Ember: Coming right up, kiddos.

Ember grabbed Wolfgang's plate and Mocha's glass and stacked them. However, before he could fully get around the table, he stopped in his tracks and sniffed the air. May and the kids looked at him with some confusion. Ember sniffed the air again and slowly glanced around. He lowered the plates onto a small table and sniffed the air one last time.

Ember: (Whispering) May. Get the kids out of here now.

May cocked an eyebrow at him. Ember patted his thigh into a pattern to signify the location of the intruder. May slipped both her hands underneath the table and grabbed Wonderland and cocked it. Ember sniffed again to confirm the position. Wolfgang got up with Mocha as the two slowly moved towards the edge of the room.