The Billionaire Twins Need A New Mommy!-Chapter 641: Five
"All done!"
Pika pulled a young woman up from the manhole, dusting his hands off as he smiled at her. The young lady smiled back at him with gratitude, pulling her little brother close to her side.
"Thank you, sir," she said, her eyes teary. "Thank you for saving us."
The young boy with her clutched her clothes, hesitant at first, before he quietly said, "Thank you, good sir."
Pika opened his mouth to reply, but in the end, he simply closed it. He offered her and her little brother a broader smile and nodded in understanding.
They smiled back at him, and even without repeating their words of gratitude, the emotions in their eyes screamed with appreciation.
Pika watched them go, joining the rest of the evacuees at the station where Tomie’s men were waiting.
The plan was all there was. But in a situation like this, they had to keep improvising it. So, having Tomie set up more safe points for the innocent residents of the city in different areas just came naturally. There were too many that were trapped in the city than one would think, after all.
"I don’t like wars," he murmured to himself. "And tonight... I hate it even more."
The idea alone was scary and heartbreaking, but it was different when one was in it.
It was his first time being in one, and seeing the damage, even the initial hours of battle were already too much to stomach. Pika was surprised he hadn’t thrown up yet, despite seeing bodies littered everywhere.
Maybe it was the adrenaline keeping him upright through all of this.
At the same time, he also understood that this was long overdue. The government of this region had suppressed and abused its people, driving every single one of them into a corner.
Their presence here was merely the tipping point, but this entire situation had been inevitable.
So, twisted as it sounded, Pika was still glad that this happened while they were here. After all, having the Order present raised the residents’ chances.
"Hey!"
Pika snapped out of his thoughts when one of the rebels jogged over to him. Once the man stopped, he asked,
"We’re taking them to the base. Aren’t you coming?"
Lola had told him that he should go to District Five for safety. In her mind, there shouldn’t have been any problem if Pika had left the main city and assisted them elsewhere. However, Pika realized moments ago that this wasn’t the case.
Once he left the main city, the temporary defenses he had put in place within the region’s cybersecurity would collapse almost instantly. To put it simply, everything he’d been working on would vanish.
After all, there were people actively fighting him virtually, trying to erase traces and digital footprints within the system. His instincts told him that leaving would bring more cons than pros.
"No." Pika smiled at the rebel. "Just take them to safety. I’m staying."
"Huh?"
Pika jerked his chin at him. "Just go," he said quietly. "I’ll be alright."
Confusion flickered in the rebel’s eyes. Tomie had given clear instructions: aside from rescuing trapped civilians, they were also supposed to prioritize those working with Lola.
Pika was small, and even without meaning to judge, the rebel couldn’t help but notice that Pika didn’t look like a fighter.
"Just leave me," Pika huffed, ignoring the man’s obvious hesitation. "I can fend for myself."
The rebel hesitated a moment longer before nodding. Without wasting another second, he turned and jogged away, jumping into the truck that sped off immediately.
Pika kept his eyes on the truck as it carried away the people he had helped, along with the other rescued civilians.
"Maybe it’s the madam’s spirit... or the granny’s," he whispered to himself as he turned away from the departing vehicle and the people guarding this point. "But just for tonight, let me borrow your courage."
If Himari—an old woman—could stand proudly in the face of death without fear or weakness, then Pika could do it too. Even if only for one night... he didn’t want his first—and preferably last—mission to fail.
He wanted to help.
Not just in the aftermath. He wanted to help now because he shared Lola’s goal.
He wanted everyone who came here to return in one piece.
Drawing a deep breath, Pika opened the compact laptop strapped to his arm and pressed his earpiece. His fingers flew across the keys while his steps remained slow as he searched for a better position and stronger signal, his heart hardened with borrowed courage.
"Everyone, this is Pika," he said calmly, his expression solemn. "Please listen closely as I report the situation on each street and the locations of remaining mercenaries."
His quiet, determined voice rang through every earpiece connected to his line. He paused in the middle of an empty street, though his fingers never stopped moving.
"Camp team, give me access to the drones," he requested after relaying key information about safer routes.
Instead of an immediate response, a voice replied, "There’s a team trying to breach our system. Transferring files right now would be dangerous."
"I know," Pika answered calmly. "Do it anyway."
The members of the camp team—relocated after their original position was compromised—exchanged looks. They knew Pika. They came from similar departments, though their specialties differed. Even so, they were unsure... despite the fact that Pika had already established a connection without using their private signals.
"I’ll hold them off," Pika said. "Just do it."
A brief silence followed before the camp team nodded among themselves. They needed information just as badly, and access to the drones was crucial for coordinating reinforcements.
"Alright," the acting lead finally said. "Our issue is that aside from drones being shot down, the data we receive is incomplete. The feeds glitch, files get corrupted."
As he explained their current problems, the team worked in a blur, syncing their operations with Pika’s reports.
"We’re sending out new drones," the man said. "In about five seconds."
Pika didn’t reply as he simply listened.
Then, after another steady breath, the voice continued,
"Five."
