Chapter 19

Days passed after Vandalizise's ultimatum, but the atmosphere at The Jackal's headquarters felt a little lighter. After a tense meeting, the group members resumed their routines, though underneath, uncertainty lingered in everyone's minds.

I sat in the lounge room, gazing at the view of the mesospheric sky that stretched out beyond the large windows. The early evening brought a calm atmosphere, but there was still a sense of tension within. Jhonny entered the room with a leisurely pace, his face looking more relaxed than ever. He always had the ability to bring a bit of humor, even in the midst of tension.

"Look who's here," I said with a grin. "Are you ready to negotiate with Raven? That regulatory king?"

She glanced at me with a sardonic expression. "Why do you always like to make fun of me, Alice? Do I look like a pushover?"

"Of course not, but it looks like you're planning to," I replied, creating a joking tone between us. "Pretending to cooperate with Vandalizise? That's not your style."

Jhonny came over and sat next to me, his face serious for a moment. "Look, I have a secret. It's not about cooperating. It's about manipulation," he said, his voice low but sharp. "If I act like I'm willing to negotiate, they might trust us and reveal more information."

I was stunned. "Seriously? You're not kidding, right? That's a crazy idea!"

Jhonny shrugged, his smile not disappearing. "Crazy, huh? But in this world, sometimes you have to take risks. And trust is a powerful weapon."

I tried to digest his thoughts. Indeed, this is not a strange thing for Jhonny. He always had a different way of thinking, often stepping over the boundaries of what was considered normal. "But are you sure this will work? Vandalizise is not an arbitrary group."

"And I'm not just any leader," he replied in a challenging tone, then he added, "You know, I remember when we attacked the Moon Shark base. You were really impressive with your whip. It was an exemplary performance."

A sense of pride crept into me. Jhonny rarely complimented directly, and when he did, it felt like a breath of fresh air. "Thank you, but everyone else helped too. Without the team's support, I wouldn't have been able to do it alone."

"Yes, but that ability of yours, Alice, makes a lot of difference. And I'm not just saying that to cheer you up," she said, looking up at the dark sky. "Do you remember that time? How you took on several Moon Shark members at once?"
Gosh this stupid guy is remembering that again and it makes me so embarrassed. Does he have to remember all the details about the movements for when I was on the battlefield? Just so you know I have a sense of embarrassment for myself if someone praises me too much like this.

It's not just with my friends I also become awkward because I actually don't feel that great. I feel like there are still a lot of flaws that I have and every time I make a good change I feel like it's still lacking because I see that there are advantages that other people have and it's better than me.

"It seems like only yesterday," I retorted, reliving the moment. "Everything felt so intense, and my whip was really working well back then. It was as if there was a flow of energy within me."

"Then maybe you can channel that energy into negotiations with Vandalizise," Jhonny interjected, lightening the mood. "You could threaten them with your whip."

Jhonny said as if I was a very good person with my whip, I knew it was a compliment but when I heard it again I felt like it was a joke and therefore I felt tickled and I really wanted to laugh.

I laughed, although in my heart there was still a sense of anxiety. "Oh, sure. I would say, 'Listen, if you don't stop this threat, I will beat you with my sophisticated whip!'."

"It could be that they fear your whip more than our threats," Jhonny countered, his eyes sparkling with humor. "Maybe we need to bring it up in the meeting."

"But really, Jhonny," I said, trying to change the subject. "Are you sure your plan will work? What if they get even more suspicious?"

"In this world, we have to play our own way," he replied, his eyes never leaving mine. "If we can gain their trust without appearing weak, we can use that information to our own advantage. It's not about giving up; it's about surviving."

I pondered for a moment, trying to see things from Jhonny's perspective. Maybe he was right. The tension out there was indeed threatening, and if there was a way to control the situation without engaging in direct combat, that might be better. However, at the same time, my trust in him also had its limits.

"One thing is clear," Jhonny continued, "I will not let anyone set my pace. Especially by Raven and Vandalizise. We have to make sure they know that we're not a group to be trifled with. I'm so sick of them always talking down to us and threatening us like we're little kids who'd wet their pants if bullied by their people."

Honestly, I also had a thought with this man beside me, I also absolutely do not want to be humiliated like that by them. I'm not an anti-critic, but if the treatment given by others is constantly in the form of threats and bluster then they consider us as people who are very weak and deserve to be trampled on.

I nodded. "You have a way of making everyone feel confident, even in times of distress like this."

"You can do that too, Alice. We're all here fighting for the same thing." She looked at me, and for a moment, I felt a deeper closeness between us. "We're not alone."

It was then, in the midst of our conversation, that I realized that Jhonny was not only a strong leader, but also someone who could inspire. Although there was no explicit declaration of love between us, this moment felt quite intimate. It was as if we had a deeper understanding of each other-an unspoken but existing bond between us.

As the conversation continued, we started planning our next move. One thing was for sure, we would not back down, and if we had to face Vandalizise, we would do it on our own terms.

"So, what are your plans after this?" I asked, trying to take my mind off the approaching tension.

"My plan? Maybe we need to prepare a backup plan," she replied. "But I won't tell anyone about this plan, including Miranda and Jimmy. It will be my secret."

"Secret? Now you're making me even more curious," I said, smiling.

He raised his eyebrows. "And that was part of my plan. Let them feel at ease while we strategize."

Our conversation was interrupted when Miranda and Jimmy walked into the room, bringing the latest news about Vandalizise. The calm atmosphere was instantly replaced by curiosity and tension.

"Any news?" Jhonny asked with his face turning more serious.

Miranda turned her head and explained spontaneously. "We need to listen to what they have to say. They called us for a meeting, and we can't ignore it."

Jhonny turned to me, his eyes sparkling. "Time to get ready. We'll see what they want. They'll definitely show their intentions now directly, even though they've made their first rebuke but I'm sure it's just an alibi, because surely their intention is to fight."

Those of us who heard that just nodded in agreement with what he was trying to say. We didn't expect those words because we strongly agreed, judging by the response of our enemies who had always been so casual to us, we were sure that it was their intention.

As we prepared, I felt the adrenaline start to flow. The battle might still be a long way off, but every step towards the encounter felt crucial. One thing was certain: we wouldn't face this alone.

And perhaps, in the midst of all this, I began to see Jhonny in a different way-as more than just a leader, but as someone I could trust, in an increasingly dark and uncertain world.