The Next Day

It was early in the morning for the city that Seto, Husky, Jerome, and the fifteen recruits were in. They were all fast asleep, as it was nearly five am, though Seto would be making soon to make breakfast.

Their sleeping was disturbed when their front door was kicked open.

"YA MISS ME?!"

Jerome snorted awake, falling off the couch, as Husky and Seto fell out of Seto's bed in shock. Husky was the first one in the kitchen, which was where the front door branched into, with Jerome hot on his heels as their held their own weapons. Seto, wrapped up in a purple robe he had packed with him when they went on this journey, followed, his hands crackling.

To their surprise, and utter annoyance, not a threat stood there but instead Deadlox did. He was smirking widely and carrying bags of what looked like Chipotle, his bang that covered his red eye pulled back with a hairpin. Seto stared at him, before he sighed as he realized he would not be cooking breakfast. He glanced at the number of bags at Ty's feet and behind him, along with the ones that a certain blue eyed scientist was carrying. He couldn't help but smile at the sight of the two, relieved to see they were okay.

Husky wasn't.

"You assholes!" He shouted. "Do you realize how big of a panic attack you gave me?! I was ready to rip you in half!" Deadlox only laughed in reply, walking past the furious Mudkip as he placed the Chipotle he was carrying on the table.

"Well, I'm not one for calm entrances, Husky!"
"At least tell me you didn't break the lock."

"Oh, no, course not Seto! I lock-picked it with my hairpin!"

"Oh, yes, that makes me feel much better..."
"Hey, it's a cheap-ass lock. I could get it with a library card if I wanted to."
"Fantastic."

Jerome sniffed the bags, then wrinkled his nose. "What is in here?" He asked, seemingly disinterested in the smell that made even Seto's mouth water. Deadlox's eyes widened, rounding on the Bacca.

"Have you never had Chipotle?!" He yelled. Jerome stared at him, and Deadlox grabbed a bag and yanked out a burrito, unwrapping it before he shoved one of the ends into Jerome's mouth, who choked. "CHEW. YOU WILL TASTE HEAVEN!"

Seto laughed, before he looked at True. He blinked. "Whoa. Someone dyed their hair."

Everyone looked over, and Deadlox snickered. True, who was originally a dark brunette, was now a dirty blond. He glanced over at everyone, before he snorted. "Nah, I don't believe in hair dye." He gestured to his hair. "This has been changing gradually. It'll probably be a bright gold if it doesn't stop here."

"Why? Is it some alien thing?" True shrugged in reply.

"I don't think so, but it might just be my genes reacting to the atmosphere here. Who knows. Maybe once I have the right equipment, I'll be able to find out." Husky suddenly snapped his fingers, glaring at the two.

"Speaking of that... Considering you have a lot of food, I'm guessing we were founded quite well?" He asked, his tone a bit dangerous. True and Deadlox glanced at each other, and Husky's eyes narrowed as a silence followed his question.

"Right?"

True sighed. "How many recruits do you have?" He asked.

"Fifteen." Jerome said after he had swallowed his first bite of the burrito. True smirked bitterly.

"So I suppose that no one is taking this serious?"

"Not quite."

"Well, it is not different on our side. We have two people funding us. A senator in the West, and an old granny who promised to tend us fifty bucks a month because she thought Sky was cute."

Seto snorted, and Husky glared at him.

"How can you be taking this so calmly, Sorcerer?!" He hissed. "We're not going to be able to do any of this without money! And, considering what you told me last night, Sky gave us what was in his damn tomb!"

"Hey!" True snapped, and Husky glared at him. "It's not Sky's fault the currency has decreased! What was the couple of hundred he was able to get you was nearly millions back in the 1700s! He's trying! It's not like he's trying to cheat you!"

"Well it sure as hell feels like it!" Husky shouted. "I was promised gold and treasure if I joined this cause! I'm not going to be getting any of that!"

"Look, just because people don't believe in us right now, doesn't mean they won't in the future!" True snapped back, his voice somehow even. "After a couple of battles, they'll realize their mistake and we'll get more funding!"

"And how am I supposed to believe the predictions of an alien who's hair is changing because of the ATMOSPHERE?!"

True stepped toward him, and instantly Seto was in between them. "Enough!" He shouted, before he pointed. "We've got kids watching!" Everyone looked, and stopped.

The fifteen recruits were peering in, some standing in the doorway while others stayed behind it, peering around the frame. They were young, from the age sixteen to perhaps eighteen. The oldest looked nineteen or twenty. There was dead silence for a few moments, before Deadlox suddenly tossed a bag of Chipotle at one of the recruits in the doorway. "Eat up!" He chirped, grinning. The recruits' eyes widened as they saw the bag, their mouths instantly beginning to water before they looked to Seto for permission. They had never met Deadlox before, so they had no idea if they could even trust him or were allowed to follow them. Seto smiled at them almost motherly before he waved his hand, giving them his "go ahead" signal before they raced to the table and began to get what they wanted.

Seto grabbed Husky's arm and led him to the sink, which he turned on as he began to fill a small bowl he had washed yesterday. Husky was about to ask him what the hell he was doing, when Seto suddenly splashed the contents onto his face. Husky coughed, bending forward slightly, before he stared at him with wide eyes. "What the hell?!" He shouted, and Seto smirked.

"Cool down, babe." He said, as if he was mocking somebody, and Husky's glare became harder. Seto only rolled his eyes at him before he turned and walked over to the table, beginning to clean up the mess the recruits had made when they were grabbing their food before rushing to the living room or to their rooms. Jerome looked at Deadlox, swallowing another bite of his second burrito.

"Where's Sky?"

Deadlox flinched. "He uh... He wanted us to take a break and go on without him. He told us to do this actually, he had a feeling you guys were all working your asses off to take care of the recruits." Seto glared at the two other men as he threw away an armful of trash.

"I've been working my ass off taking care of them." He corrected Deadlox, and True raised an eyebrow as Husky rolled his eyes and Jerome looked a bit sheepish.

"Anyway," True continued, "we separated with him on the outskirts. He said he'd be back before nightfall, though. He just wanted some time to himself." He sighed. "He's really upset about all of this... He won't say it out loud, but he's feeling discouraged."

Jerome glanced around, before he sighed and threw away his wrapper. "Yeah..." He muttered as Seto began to wash the dishes that he strangely didn't finish last night. Husky watched him do so, mainly staring at his arm.

"He's not the only one..."