CHAPTER THIRTY–NINE STORMY SEAS
月
The man hesitated, clearly not expecting this turn of events. The teenagers had moved closer too, forming a protective circle around Nia and Hello.
“This is ridiculous,” the man muttered, snatching up his briefcase. “I’m getting off at the next stop and reporting all of you.”
As the train slowed for the next station, the man stomped towards the doors. But in his haste, he tripped over the elderly man’s outstretched cane. He went sprawling, his briefcase flying open and scattering papers everywhere.
The car erupted in chaos. Papers fluttered through the air like confetti. The teenagers scrambled to help gather them, while the blue–haired woman checked on the elderly man, who looked more amused than *anything.
Nia and Helia found themselves on their hands and knees, scooping up documents. As Nia reached for a paper near her feet, she froze. The letterhead caught her eye it was from Colossius Tech, marked ” Confidential“.
Her eyes widened as she quickly scanned the contents. It was a memo discussing the planned janitorial cuts, dated weeks before the official announcement. And at the bottom, a familiar signature – Mr. Darry’s.
Nia’s mind raced. This document proved that the decision to cut their jobs had been made long before any official review. It was exactly the kind of evidence she and Helia had been looking for.
She glanced up, meeting Helia’s questioning gaze. With a subtle nod, Nia folded the paper and slipped it into her pocket.
The angry man had gathered most of his papers by now, muttering curses under his breath. As the train doors opened, he stormed out without a backward glance.
An collective sigh of relief went through the car as the doors closed and the train started moving a
“Well,” the blue–haired woman said, brushing off her hands, “that was exciting.”
again.
The teenagers burst into laughter, the tension of the moment breaking. Even the elderly man chuckled, shaking his head.
“Thank you,” Nia said to the woman. “For stepping in like that.”
The woman shrugged, a small smile playing on her lips. “No problem. Couldn’t let that jerk push you around. I’m Skye, by the way.”
As they settled back into their seats, Helia leaned in close to Nia. “Okay, what was that? I saw you pocket
something.”
Nia glanced around, making sure no one was listening, “It’s a document from Colossius,” she whispered. “. About the cuts. It’s dated weeks before they told us anything.”
Helia’s eyes widened. “Holy shit. That’s huge, Nia. What are you going to do with it?”
Before Nia could answer, the train screeched to a halt, the lights flickering ominously. A garbled announcement came over the speakers, something about a delay due to signal problems.
“Oh, come on,” one of the teenagers groaned. “I’ve got a curfew to meet!”
As if things couldn’t get any more chaotic, the doors at the end of the car suddenly slid.open. A man in a
ratty coat stumbled in, his eyes wild and unfocused.
“The end is near!” he shouted, waving his arms. “The lizard people are coming! We must prepare!”
Nia and Helia exchanged a look. It was going to be a long night.
The self–proclaimed prophet continued his rant, pacing up and down the car. Most of the passengers did their best to ignore him, but the teenagers seemed torn between amusement and concern.
“Dude, maybe you should sit down,” one of them suggested. “Take a breather, you know?”
The man whirled on him, eyes blazing. “Sit down? SIT DOWN? There’s no time to sit! The lizard overlords. could strike at any moment!
Skye, the blue–haired woman, caught Nia’s eye and rolled her eyes. “Never a dull moment on the NYC subway, huh?”
Nia couldn’t help but laugh. “You can say that again.
As the prophet continued his tirade, Nia’s mind drifted back to the document in her pocket. What should she do with it? Expose Mr. Darry? But that might lead back to the mysterious USB drive, and she wasn’t ready to open that can of worms yet.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden lurch as the train started moving again. The prophet lost his balance, careening into Helia.
“Watch it!” Helia exclaimed, pushing him away.
The man’s eyes locked onto Helia, a manic grin spreading across his face. “You!” he cried. “You’re one of them, aren’t you? A lizard person in disguise!”
Helia blinked, taken aback. “Excuse me?”
“Don’t play dumb with me, reptile!” the man shouted, pointing an accusing finger. “I can see through your
human costume!”
The situation was rapidly spiraling out of control. The teenagers were openly laughing now, while Skye looked ready to intervene again.
Nia stood up, placing herself between Helia and the agitated man. “Sir, I think you’ve got the wrong idea. My friend here is 100% human, I can assure you.”
The prophet narrowed his eyes, studying Nia closely. “And how do I know you’re not one of them too? Protecting your scaly friend?”
Before Nia could respond, the elderly man in the corner cleared his throat. “Young man,” he said, his voice surprisingly strong. “I’ve been riding this subway for over 50 years. Trust me when I say, if there were lizard people among us, I’d know.”
This unexpected statement seemed to give the prophet pause. He looked between the old man, Nia, and Helia, confusion evident on his face.
“But… but the signs…” he muttered, his certainty wavering.
Skye stepped forward, her voice gentle. “Hey, why don’t you come sit down over here? I’ve got some water if you’re thirsty.”
As Skye led the now–subdued prophet to a seat, Nia and Helia exchanged relieved glances.
“Thanks for the backup,” Helia said to the elderly man.
He winked at them. “Been dealing with characters like that since before you were born. Sometimes, all it takes is a voice of authority to snap them out of it.”
CHAPTER THIRTY NINE STORMY SEAS
3/3
The rest of the journey passed without incident, though the car remained abuzz with chatter about their eventful ride. As they approached their stop in Queens, Nia felt a mix of relief and lingering anxiety.
“What a night,” Helia sighed as they stood up, gathering their things.
Nia nodded, her hand unconsciously touching her pocket where the document was hidden. “Yeah, and it’s not over yet. We still need to figure out what to do about… you know.”
As the train pulled into the station, Nia and Hella said goodbye to their fellow passengers. Skye gave them a friendly wave, the teenagers called out cheerful farewells, and even the elderly man tipped his hat to them.
Stepping onto the platform, the cool night air was a welcome relief after the stuffiness of the subway car. Nia took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the day and the document in her pocket – settle over her. “Come on,” Helia said, linking her arm through Nia’s. “Let’s get home and figure out our next move.”
As they climbed the stairs to the street, Nia couldn’t shake the feeling that their adventure was far from ‘over. The subway ride had been chaotic and unexpected, much like the past few weeks of her life. But as she looked at Helia, her friend and partner in all this craziness, she felt a surge of determination.
Whatever came next, they would face it together.
The streets of Queens greeted them, familiar and comforting after the chaos of their subway journey. Streetlights cast a warm glow over the sidewalks, and the late–night crowd was a mix of people heading home from work and others just starting their evenings.
As they walked, Nia’s mind raced with the events of the day. The board meeting, Leon’s unexpected intervention, the celebration with her coworkers, and now this mysterious document. It felt like the pieces of a puzzle were slowly coming together, but she still couldn’t see the full picture.
DE CHAPTER FORTY THE FAST KISS.
