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Anya was sitting in the headmaster’s office with Damian and Connie to her left and right. She was devastated because she had just earned her fourth Tonitrus Bolt. Next to her, Damian also had the saddest look of regret on his face.
“Great….thanks to you, I’ll never be able to look my father in the eyes again!” said Damian to Anya with his arms crossed. “I only got caught because you got scared, and I had to come save you!”
Master Henderson had explained that only Connie, Damian, and Anya had been identified as the students who snuck into the old school house behind Cline Hall.
This was because they were the only ones who got closest to Eden’s secret project. Anya had fallen near the shadowy figure, Damian had rushed in and saved her, and Connie had thrown her evil-repelling charms at the figure.
What was sad is they hadn’t even been able to figure out what that black shadowy figure was, or what secret project Eden Academy had in its midst. But whatever that shadowy figure was, it got a good look at them and was able to identify the three of them.
“I’m sorry, sy-on boy,” said Anya, with tears in her eyes.
Damian scoffed. But he felt bad seeing her cry. Plus, it must be worse for her. She was now half-way into getting expelled.
“We’ve called your parents. When they arrive, we’ll explain the situation to them,” said Master. Henderson.
Loid was meeting with Handler in the WISE secret hideout after a very tough mission.
The last twenty-four hours had been rough. He didn’t get any sleep the night before because he had to complete a planned, scheduled mission. That was why he was supposed to have a light day today - no patients, just working on his research. But by mid-day, he was informed by WISE that they needed him to stop a terrorist plot on the subway. This led to him disguising himself and infiltrating the terrorist group to get information. But just before he was able to escape - they figured it out and decided to attack him. He was able to defeat them all and stop the terrorist attack, but it had left him bruised and exhausted.
And now he was de-briefing Handler on what had just happened. Handler was asking him very pointed questions on what had gone wrong, and how the terrorist group was able to identify that he was not one of them.
The phone rang. Handler picked it up.
“Hello?” said Handler into the phone. She listened to the voice. “Ok, I’ll tell him.”
She looked at Loid. “That was Nightfall. She says Eden Academy called you at work, and they need you at the school immediately.”
Loid flinched. What could this possibly be about? He had a bad feeling in his stomach.
“Did Nightfall say why?” he asked.
“No,” said Handler. She sighed. “You should go see what they want. We’ll continue this later.”
“Understood,” said Loid.
Loid had covered up all his bruises, made sure his face looked clean and sharp, and put on an upper-class outfit as he walked to the headmaster’s office. There was no visible sign that he had just fought with a bunch of criminals just a few hours ago. As he walked, he felt the crippling tiredness of the day. Plus, he had a bad feeling about this.
When he arrived, he saw Anya, Damian, and Connie, sitting there looking devastated.
Oh no, thought Loid. It can’t be-
“Mr. Forger,” said Master Henderson. “Thank you for coming in such short notice.”
“Of course,” said Loid. “What is this about?”
Master Henderson sighed. “Your daughter has received another Tonitrus Bolt.”
All the color on Loid’s face drained. He started to feel wobbly and lightheaded.
“I did not want to give her the bolt, but my hands are tied,” said Master Henderson. “The school board at Eden Academy strictly forbids trespassing into the old school house. There are some confidential projects that they have to keep hidden. Your daughter, along with her classmates, snuck into the old school house a couple of days ago. I tried to explain to the school board that there should have been tighter security or signage to prevent access to the school house, but the school board said it is no excuse. I am sorry.”
Loid’s shoulders slumped, and he nodded sadly, “Thank you for telling me.”
When he turned to look at Anya, he wasn’t able to hide his true feelings, and ended up shooting her a sharp glare. When Anya registered his glare, she jumped.
Uh oh, thought Anya. Papa’s real mad.
Damian looked at the father-daughter duo with a sympathetic, knowing look.
Anya read Damian’s mind and heard him think, “Yeah, my dad’s the same way.” Anya gasped.
“Come on,” said Loid, with obvious frustration in his voice. “Let’s go home.”
Anya stood up from her seat. She and Damian exchanged glances as she left - Damian offering a sympathetic nod to her.
Anya and Loid walked through the school hallways without speaking to each other. Loid was slumped as he walked due to the exhaustion he was in, and he seemed focused on just putting one foot after the other.
Anya could feel the heaviness of the silence.
This feels bad. Why isn’t he saying anything?, thought Anya. I’ll just have to read his mind.
I’m so tired, thought Loid. Another bolt? And why? Why did she even decide to go into the old school house in the first place?
When they reached the car, Anya sat in the back seat.
Loid started the ignition, but didn’t start driving.
Instead, he took a few seconds for himself. Then he looked at Anya through the rearview mirror.
“Anya,” said Loid, with more sharpness in his voice than he expected. “Why did you decide to go into the old school house?”
Anya knew her Papa would not like the answer.
“I…wanted to catch ghosts,” said Anya.
Loid pressed his hand to his forehead, and tensed up.
“You got a Tonitrus Bolt…because you wanted to catch ghosts?” repeated Loid, incredulously.
“Yeah….” said Anya, hesitantly.
Loid squeezed his eyes.
I cannot believe her. Peace between East and West threatened because she was playing some game about ghosts? Does she not realize that these reckless choices could get her expelled?
“There was a rumor saying if you catch a ghost, you can get a Stella Star!” said Anya, thinking it might help that she did this partly to help his mission.
Loid glared at her again through the rear view mirror.
Ah!!, thought Anya. That completely backfired!
She thinks a ghost can give her a Stella Star? That’s ridiculous! I’m just so tired of every single day having to put up with some silly thing she’s up to, thought Loid.
Anya gasped.
Papa is tired of me?, thought Anya, with a sinking feeling in her stomach.
“Ghosts don’t exist,” said Loid. “And even if they did, why would one give you a Stella Star?”
“They could exist!’ said Anya. “The rumor said they could! So I had to check it out.”
“You didn’t have to do anything,” said Loid. “You now have four Tonitrus Bolts. If you do badly on your next set of midterms or finals, you could get expelled. Do you understand that?”
And if she’s expelled, thought Loid. Then that means this mission is over. The Forger Family is over. And peace between East and West is dead in the water.
He felt a sting of pain in his stomach from just thinking about it.
“I-I’m sorry, Papa,” said Anya, with tears in her eyes.
Loid sighed. “Promise me you won’t do something like this again. Don’t believe everything you hear, and don’t go to new places without permission. Just go to school, follow the rules, and behave. Can you do that?” His voice sounded more stern than he had intended.
“Y-yes,” said Anya, with a hiccup.
Loid looked at her in the rear view mirror, and noticed that she was crying.
Should I try to comfort her? I’m just so tired from everything that happened today. I don’t have any more emotional energy left. And I don’t understand why she behaves like this. Maybe it would be better if I let her feel the consequences of her actions.
He started driving. During the drive, neither of them said anything. Anya continued to quietly cry in the car. She looked at her Papa’s expression through the mirror; his eyes were fixed straight ahead, his face stone-cold and distant.
Papa doesn’t love me anymore. Wait, did….he ever love me? I guess I could never figure that out from his thoughts, thought Anya.
I messed up. The Forger family might be over because of me. World peace might be over because of me.
And he said he’s tired of me. Does he want to get rid of me?
This thought made her cry even more.
When they got out of the car, Loid looked down at his daughter, and saw that she was still upset. But he chose not to say anything, and led the way to the apartment.
As Loid and Anya were walking up the steps to their apartment, he felt his stomach growl.
Crap!, he thought. I forgot to pick up take out on the way home. I definitely don’t have the energy to cook. Ugh, this day keeps on getting worse.
When he opened the front door, Yor greeted them with a smile. “Welcome home!” But then she took a look at Anya’s teary expression and gasped, “Did something happen?”
Anya sniffled a sob.
“Yeah…” said Loid. “Anya got another Tonitrus Bolt.”
Yor gasped. She kneeled to give Anya a hug. “I’m so sorry, Anya.” Anya buried her face in Yor’s shoulder, and openly sobbed for the first time since she got the bolt. Yor hugged her tight. “Awww, Anya…it’s not so bad. You’re not that close to being expelled.”
Loid’s eyes narrowed. Yes, she is, thought Loid. She’s halfway there.
While Yor was comforting Anya, Loid said, “Hey Yor, it’s been a tough day. I’m not in the mood to cook. I’ll head back out to pick up some take out.”
“You don’t have to, Loid! I made dinner today!” said Yor, with a sweet smile.
Loid looked over at the kitchen counter, and saw a dish that did not look appetizing. He could even smell the strange aroma from all the way from over here. Well…it is better than nothing. And I am too tired to go back outside again.
“Thank you, Yor,” said Loid, with a smile. He started setting up the table, as Yor continued to comfort Anya.
In her Mama’s embrace, Anya glared at her Papa as he passed.
By the time they started eating, Anya had stopped crying.
Loid looked down at Yor’s dish in front of him and made a commitment to finish it. He hadn’t eaten anything since the morning, and today’s mission had been very action-packed and draining. He was tired, hungry, thirsty, and emotionally spent. He knew he had to force this food down, or his mood was going to keep on getting worse.
But when he tried to eat the first few bites of food, he found it difficult. It felt like his stomach had closed up, and soon he was just prodding the food with his fork instead of actually eating it.
Meanwhile, Yor looked around at her family, and realized that something was off.
The dinner table was eerily silent. Yor looked over at Loid. She noticed he had an unusually deep frown on his face, and his eyes were fixated on his plate. She looked at Anya who was also just moving her fork around, her head hung low, not eating. They both seemed to be refusing to look at each other. Yor glanced back and forth between them trying to figure out what was wrong.
She didn’t know what to say.
This was the most awkward family dinner they had ever had. The tension was worrying Yor. Anya and Loid looked so sad and depressed.
This Tonitrus Bolt must have been brutal, she thought. It’s no wonder they both look so crushed… maybe I should ask.
“So… um… why did Anya receive the bolt?” asked Yor, quietly.
“Do you want to take this one, Anya?” said Loid, without looking at her, taking a sip out his glass of water.
Anya burst into tears again. “I hate you, Papa!” she said. She ran to her room, and slammed the door.
Yor was taken aback. Loid didn’t react, and kept on moving his fork around with a sad look on his face.
“Loid…she seems really upset,” said Yor. “Did something happen between the two of you?”
“No,” said Loid.
I guess that wasn’t completely true.
…Why am I acting like this?, thought Loid. Am I really that angry at Anya for this blow to Operation Strix? I guess…I am? The last thing I want to do is go into her room, and tell her it’s okay. To tell her I’m not mad, when I am. But I know it is a father’s duty. And right now, I’m failing at it.
He sighed. “I’ll talk to her later. I’m just not feeling well today.”
“Oh no, do you feel like you might faint again?” said Yor.
“No, I was able to keep myself conscious this time,” said Loid. He put his fork down. “Maybe I just need to take a nap and sleep this off.”
“But what about Anya?” asked Yor.
“I-” said Loid, his eyes darted to her door. He hesitated. “I can’t right now.”
“But she needs you,” said Yor. “She looked so heartbroken!”
Loid felt a pang of guilt. “I’m worried if I talk to her I might say something I regret,” said Loid. “Trust me…I’ll just make it worse.”
Yor whispered so that Anya wouldn’t be able to hear through her room. Little did she know, Anya was still listening to this entire conversation through her mind-reading ability.
“Are you really that upset at her?” whispered Yor.
Yes, thought Loid. This was a completely avoidable Tonitrus Bolt…if only she was a more serious child. Then Operation Strix wouldn’t constantly be in jeopardy.
From Anya’s room, they heard a slightly louder sob.
“I think I need to be in a better mood before I can look at this rationally,” he whispered back. Loid got out of his seat.
“Oh, okay…” she said, hesitantly. “I’ll go in to check on her while you rest.”
“That sounds like a great idea. Thank you, Yor” said Loid. “I just need two hours, and then I’ll be ready to tackle this with fresh eyes.”
Two hours of sleep was how much he got on a regular day so he reasoned that this nap should be more than enough to leave him feeling refreshed.
He stood up, and walked into his room.
Yor was left all alone, frowning, staring at the two almost completely uneaten plates of food on the table.
Anya lay in her bed, clutching her Mr. Chimera plushie. Her tears rested on her cheeks from crying so much.
If only I hadn’t gone ghost hunting, she thought. Then maybe Papa would still like me.
He said he’s tired of me. He’s going to get rid of me. It’s all over. I’m doomed.
She sobbed into her pillow again.
She heard a knock on her door.
“Anya, it's me,” said Yor. “Can I come in?”
“Yeah…” said Anya sadly.
Yor opened the door to see Anya’s disheveled and puffy face. Her heart sank watching her like this.
Yor went straight into giving her another hug.
“Do you want to talk about it?” she asked, with her arms around her. “You didn’t react this way to other Tonitrus Bolts.”
“Papa’s really angry this time,” said Anya.
“He’s just tired and feeling unwell,” said Yor. “It doesn’t have anything to do with you.”
Anya started crying again. “Yes, it does,” said Anya. “He said he’s tired of me. He doesn’t like me anymore!”
“Did he really say that?” asked Yor.
Oh, Anya thought. Right, he hadn’t.
“Fine, he didn’t say that, but I know he was thinking it,” said Anya.
“He’s your father, Anya. Fathers don’t stop loving their daughters,” said Yor. “He might be a little disappointed, but that doesn’t change how he feels about you.”
But he’s not my real father….thought Anya
Anya buried her face in Yor’s sleeve, and started crying again.
Yor was confused about what she said that had made her upset again.
“Hey, it’s okay, Anya,” said Yor, messaging her back with little circles. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know if Papa likes me,” said Anya, leaning into Yor’s arm.
“I know he does,” said Yor.
“How?” said Anya. “How do you know?”
“Well….” said Yor. “I see it in the way he looks at you. I see it in the way he takes care of you, protects you, and spends time with you. I see it in his eyes…that he loves you very much.”
“Hmmmm,” said Anya, a little skeptical.
“I’m not lying, Anya,” said Yor. “You have nothing to worry about. Loid would never stop loving you - no matter what you did.”
I don’t know about that, thought Anya. He only cares about his mission. But if Mama sees something I can’t...maybe I don’t have to be so worried.
“Where is he, anyway?” asked Anya.
“He’s taking a nap,” said Yor. “He said he only needs two hours, and then he’ll be ready to talk.”
“Okay,” said Anya.
“How about in the meantime, we watch some Bondman? It could take your mind off this,” said Yor.
“I guess that could be fun,” said Anya.
Anya sat in front of the TV, watching the newest episode of Bondman, with Bond cuddling next to her. Anya was grinning as she watched Bondman escape from a criminal hideout. Yor also smiled watching her. She marveled at the power of good television in distracting you from whatever’s bothering you.
The phone rang, and Yor went to pick it up.
“Hello, Mrs. Forger speaking,” said Yor.
“Umm….Hi….Mrs. Forger,” said the voice on the other end, sounding very unsure. “This is Damian Desmond. I was wondering if I could speak to Anya.”
“Oh!” said Yor, a little surprised. “Of course.”
“Anya!” said Yor. “You have a phone call!”
Anya looked up from her television.
“Me?” said Anya, surprised. She bounced up, and ran to the phone. “My very first phone call!”
Yor chuckled. “Looks like it,” she said, handing her the phone.
“Hello, this is Anya Forger,” said Anya into the phone.
“Hey, shrimp,” said Damian.
Anya gasped. “Sy-on boy!”
“Yeah…it’s me,” said Damian.
“State the nature of your business, please,” said Anya, trying to sound grown-up.
“Oh…I was just calling to see how you were doing after the Tonitrus Bolt,” said Damian.
Anya frowned. Watching tv had made her forget all about that.
“I’m okay,” said Anya, quietly. “Papa seemed mad though.”
She looked over at her mama, who was standing at the kitchen counter watching her. Yor gave her an encouraging smile.
“Yeah, I could tell. When he came to pick you up, he reminded me of my dad,” said Damian.
“My dad is nothing like your dad!” said Anya, a little forcefully.
“You sure about that,” chuckled Damian. “My dad didn’t talk to me after the Tonitrus Bolt. But Jeeves did relay the message that he was disappointed in me. What about your dad?”
Anya blushed. I guess that’s what Papa did too….in a way. Well, he ignored me even when I cried.
“Papa talked to me,” said Anya. “But only to tell me I need to follow the rules and behave next time.”
“That’s what my dad said too in his message,” said Damian. “He said that a Tonitrus Bolt is not something befitting a Desmond, and that he expects better from me.”
Damian’s voice was layered with hurt. “I just wanted him to be proud of me. But instead, I did the exact opposite.”
“Sy-on boy,” said Anya, softly, caught off guard by his vulnerability.
There was a small pause before Damian continued, “I feel like I failed him.”
Anya understood his feelings immediately. “I feel the same way,” said Anya. She hesitated, unsure if she truly believed the words she was about to say. “But it’ll be okay, right? Our Papas still love us.”
Damian was silent for a moment, before responding with a simple, “Yeah…”
“You should watch the newest episode of Bondman!” said Anya, trying to make him feel better. “It made me forget the whole thing ever happened.”
“Nah,” said Damian. “I’d rather study and make sure I never get another bolt again.”
“Suit yourself,” said Anya. Then she realized something. “Oh, Sy-on Boy! Friends call each other on the phone! Does that mean we’re friends?”
“Huh?!” said Damian, flustered. “What are you talking about! I only called you because we are in the same situation! Nothing more!”
“Oh ho ho, but friends also talk about their feelings and things like that.”
“Ahhhh! I knew you’d take it the wrong way!” said Damian. “What a waste of time. Goodbye.” He hung up the phone.
Anya smirked. Today I helped Sy-on Boy with his Papa and got closer to Plan B. I’m already making up for the Tonitrus Bolt! Hmph.
Loid woke up exactly two hours from his nap. His mind was immediately slammed with the events of the day.
I’ve failed as a father and a spy.
He quickly got up, and realized that he needed to fix this. But then, his stomach growled again.
Right, I’m still hungry because I didn’t finish dinner. Better get some food in so I can properly restore peace to the Forger household.
After he got himself ready, he walked over to the door. He lingered on the doorknob, and tried to listen to see if his family were in the living room. He could hear a little bit of rustling, but he couldn’t pinpoint exactly who was in the common area.
Well, I have to show my face eventually.
He took a deep breath, and slowly opened the door. He tried to be as quiet and unnoticeable as he possibly could as he left his room.
The second he was outside, Anya, Yor, and Bond’s heads turned sharply to look at him.
Loid blushed under their gaze. The embarrassment of how he’d acted today washed over him. He knew they had all been waiting for him.
His eyes drifted to Anya. She had been drawing at the living room table - the crayon in her hand frozen mid-air as she looked up at him now that he’d arrived. Loid met her big, green eyes and saw that she seemed mostly okay. But when he looked closer, he saw the fear, worry, and hurt that still lingered there. A pang of guilt tugged at him.
He sheepishly walked into the kitchen. “Hey, Anya,” he said. “Do you want some omurice? I’m making some because I wasn’t feeling well during dinner.”
“Omurice?” repeated Anya, her voice small. “…Okay.”
Loid gave a faint smile. “Alright. I’ll make enough for both of us.”
Yor beamed.
“Do you want some, Yor?” said Loid.
“No, thank you. I might have been the only one who ate dinner,” said Yor.
Loid silently got started on the omurice. As he worked, the atmosphere was still a little tense. Anya continued drawing silently, and Yor watched her.
When Loid was finished, he put the two plates on the dining room table. He looked over at Anya, and saw that she had been watching him.
He smiled, and said, “It’s ready, Anya. Come join me.”
Anya put her crayon down, and walked over to him at the dining table.
“I’ll let you two have some alone time,” said Yor, as she walked by them on the way to her room.
Loid ate the first few bites of his omurice quickly. He needed to get some food in him before he was ready to have the difficult conversation that awaited him.
He looked over at Anya, and noticed she hadn’t started eating. His stomach sank, and that pang of guilt was back.
“...Anya,” he said softly, his voice heavy. “About earlier… I owe you an apology.” Anya looked up at him with her eyes shining. “I shouldn’t have been so harsh. And I’m sorry I let you cry alone instead of being there for you.”
Loid’s face turned a deep shade of scarlet saying these words. He wasn’t very good at having emotional conversations. He would rather cook her something special or buy her some cake, before having to put himself in a position where he had to be vulnerable.
“Okay…” said Anya.
“I’m not mad at you either,” said Loid. “About the Tonitrus Bolt, all we can do is look to the future. And I really appreciate how hard you’ve worked studying. I know you’ll pass all your exams, and then it’s just about avoiding bolts through other means. I know you can do it.”
Anya nodded. “Yeah…” she said sadly. She still seemed distant and reserved.
It’s not working, thought Loid. I may have messed up for good this time. In the end, I’m the one who did irreparable damage to Operation Strix, not her. What do I do? What do I do? What else could be bothering her?
Loid watched Anya still hesitating near her omurice and felt his chest tighten.
“Anya, What’s wrong?” said Loid, his voice now emotional and laced with worry.
“I have to ask you some things," said Anya.
“Sure, go ahead,” said Loid.
“Not here,” said Anya. “Let’s go to my room after dinner?”
“Oh? But it’s just us here. Yor went into her room,” said Loid.
“I know,” said Anya. She lowered her voice to a whisper. “But these are super secret questions.”
Loid felt a jolt of unease go through him. There was no telling what that could mean. But he knew he had no choice but to hear her out.
“Okay, sure, we’ll do that after dinner,” said Loid. “But please eat, Anya. Our conversation will be better if you have the energy for it.”
“Okay, Papa,” said Anya.
She took her first bite of the omurice, which led to Loid exhaling a sigh of relief.
For a minute, they were back to being silent dinner eaters. But Loid realized he couldn’t stand the silence and refused to go back to that dynamic. So he started asking Anya different questions like what did she do while he napped, or what happened on her spy cartoon. Anya answered all of his questions, and Loid smiled as she did look back to her old self for a moment.
At the end of dinner, Anya had only eaten half of her omurice, but that was good enough for Loid. Loid, on the other hand, had eaten the entire thing and felt that sense of peace he had been missing. He was rested, well-fed, and energized for whatever trials awaited him next.
“Let’s go, Papa,” said Anya, yanking his arm towards her room.
In her room, Loid sat beside her on the bed, anxious about what questions Anya was going to ask him.
Anya also looked uneasy. She picked up her Mr. Chimera plushie, and hugged it.
“What did you want to ask me?” said Loid, softly.
“Today, when I got my Tonitrus Bolt,” said Anya, her voice cracking. “Did you want to get rid of me?” Tears started falling from her eyes.
Loid’s chest tightened. “Anya…” he said, softly. “No, of course not. I-I don’t understand where you got that idea, but I’m-I’m-I’m,” he stuttered. “I’m not going to get rid of you, especially for something like that.”
And besides, she’s an integral part of Operation Strix, he thought.
“But you think I’m too silly and ridiculous,” said Anya.
How’d she know that? I didn’t say that out loud, did I? Children are so perspective, thought Loid.
“I was just tired and unwell from the day,” said Loid. “And I don’t think you’re ridiculous! Maybe I think you are kinda silly…but in a good way! You can always make Yor laugh. And besides that you’re brave, smart, and kind, too.”
Anya smiled at the nice things he was saying about her.
“Do you like me?” said Anya.
Loid’s mouth parted slightly, caught off guard by the question. “Yeah,” said Loid, in a low voice. “I-I like you.”
Loid scooted over to her, and put his arm around her, drawing her in for a half-hug. She snuggled by his side, enjoying the warmth and comfort that it gave her.
“Mama said fathers never stop loving their daughters,” said Anya, quietly. “But…is that true for us? Since…I’m not your real daughter.”
Loid’s breath hitched.
What was he going to say?
“It’s true,” said Loid, stopping himself from thinking about it further. “I don’t think I could ever stop loving you.” His voice cracked at the end of that sentence. Admitting that was unexpected for him - realizing it was a completely true statement was even more surprising.
“Really?” said Anya, with hopeful eyes.
Loid nodded.
“Really,” said Loid. His voice cracked again when he said, “I think I’ll always love you”
Even after my mission ends, I don’t think I could stop loving her.
He felt his eyes water, and looked away from Anya.
“Papa’s crying!” said Anya. “This has never happened before!”
“It’s just been a tough day,” said Loid, wiping his tears. “Don’t tell anyone about this.”
Anya looked at her dad in awe. He really had quieted a lot of the worries she had. He really wasn’t going to send her back to the orphanage. And he loved her! This was undeniable proof that he loved her!
“You know what would be really good after this tough day?” said Anya. She remembered him thinking about this when he had apologized to her. “Cake!”
Loid groaned. “Only you can convince me to get cake after getting a Tonitrus Bolt. But sure, we can pick some up tomorrow.”
Anya hugged Loid even tighter, and they stayed like that for a few minutes.