"... Yumi. Yumi, are you listening?"

  Some time ago, in a white Sedan, Yumi... "Yumi Popovic"... was sitting in the car's front seat. Her blue eyes stared at the passing scenery, watching the cityscape pass by. An absent-minded look was on her face as she was asked this.

  The driver, the gruff and bearded man with a Serbian accent, side-eyed Yumi when he asked. Currently dressed in a gray hoodie and black cargo pants, pressing down on the gas pedal with a brown leather boot. Sizzling steam came from the inside of his leather gloves, evaporating from his hands as he held the steering wheel.

  "Huh? Yeah, pops, I was..." Yumi lied, resting the side of her cheek on the back of her hand.

  "You're not. Listen, you need to keep a watchful eye. Chouko Ashford is—"

  Yumi rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Black hair, red eyes, inherently some short British girl... got it."

  "Yumi. There's more. Do listen up, it is important. Now, if you see Ashford..."

  These are two of the many... many mercenaries that are in pursuit of Chouko Ashford. Driving away with a stolen white Sedan, driving away and making their way to Indianapolis. To these two people, Ashford's last known location is reported to be that office building. As long as they drive there, they will have a likely chance of running into her.

  It was evident that Yumi was still not paying attention. Every word lay on deaf ears, as Yumi actively chose not to listen to his explanation.

  Now, this car conversation runs through the mind of the gruff man standing outside the diner. His back is against the diner wall. His hand holds a cigarette between two gloved fingers. His mouth puffs rings of smoke out, and coughs in response to the ash in his beard.

  The reason they stopped at this truck stop was that the seller requested the car to be brought here. That's all. The gruff man had stopped at this truck stop to exchange cars, dropping off the white Sedan to a buyer on the edge of the parking lot.

  Money tucked away in his phone, he sent Yumi into the diner to buy a bountiful lunch for the both of them before taking another car in the area. That was the part Yumi paid attention to: food.

  On their way here, he had given Yumi general instructions to watch out for Ashford, to be discreet about the search. There were details about her that mercenaries had reported, giving a more up-to-date description of what Ashford might look like. For anyone who matches that description, he told Yumi to stay away from them and tell him, notify him that someone matching Ashford's description is in the area.

  Now, he has a cold grimace on his face as he looks over his shoulder, peers into the diner, and notes to himself:

  Yumi did not fucking listen.

  Chouko Ashford is right there. Right in line in front of the brown-haired girl, actively talking with Yumi and making conversation while having cooked meat dropped onto their plates. The outfit is a perfect match, her hairstyle is the same as it was reported to be in Indianapolis, and she's accompanied by a white-haired and pink-eyed android. Everything about this woman screams "Chouko Ashford", and here Yumi is... right behind her, talking to Ashford and completely going against all protocol he's set up.

  He needs a smoke. The gruff man makes the most out of his cigarette, needing it to unwind and ease himself down.

  Sure, the gruff man can give her the benefit of the doubt. All Yumi heard was "black hair, red eyes, British girl". This is a black-haired Japanese girl with sunglasses over her eyes. Not that obvious if you're going off of that description, and he should have been more conscious of that.

  But from minute one... no, no, SECOND ONE, the very first second, he immediately recognized that as Ashford. Yumi would have known it was Ashford too, if she paid any attention. He and Yumi could have coordinated a plan to capture Ashford and escort her to the highest bidder.

  Now Ashford knows Yumi's face. This complicates things. Every discreet approach is out the window.

  ... tch. The man bites down on his cigarette, forcibly, causing it to slip out of his fingers and fall to the ground. Immediately, he spits out the ash and just stomps his foot down on the cigarette, extinguishing the cigarette with the bottom of his boot. Frustration is on his face...

  "Uhm! Excuse me, sir!"

  ... briefly called out of his frustration, the man looks at the voice and is staring at one of the workers. A silicone android with vibrant orange eyes and short golden hair, holding a clipboard to her chest. It is one of the worker androids at this stop in particular, wearing the stop's uniform of a red polo shirt and beige khakis.

  Right, right, these types of places have a policy on littering. All of these places do. "Tell your co-workers to fine and bill me on my way in. I'm in a hurry."

  "U-Uhm... okay..." the android idly responds, uneasily looking at this bearded man before looking down at the residual litter.

  It's not worth the trouble to clean up after himself, that's what the androids are for. That's what they're good for, after all. Cleaning up after people. So, best to enter the diner and leave it to this android.

  As he enters, the man slips past the people in line and looks for an empty table. An unoccupied table for him and Yumi. The diner itself seems very, very occupied, so there doesn't seem to be a good enough seat.

  However, about one minute in, he finds the perfect spot. A window seat booth, one with unsightly cyan blue lights hanging over the table itself. This specific table has two unoccupied tables around it, which is good for discreet and isolated conversations.

  So, he walks right over to it and prepares to sit.

  "Ah, sir, please wait a moment!"

  Ah. Before he sits down, an android calls out to him. Another one of these.

  The gruff man looks as this android speaks up, walking over to the man. The inverse of the outside worker android, her eyes are golden yellow and she has her orange hair tied into a ponytail. To further differentiate herself, she is wearing a red waitress's dress with a silk white apron on, while holding a large and empty metal tray in her right hand and a payment scanner in her left hand.

  Immediately, the android gestures to the table and has a polite look on her face, giving a smile to the man. "If you would like to sit at this table, then—"

  The gruff man immediately takes his phone out, holding a smartphone up to the android. "I'll pay for it, yes, yes. How much?"

  "Well... for this table, it's about $80 for an hour," the android explains as several beeps sound out of her payment device. "Or, if you'd like, we could have you pay a one-time $200 fee to sit here for as long as you are in the building—"

  "Give me the $80..." the man responds, rolling his eyes. One hour should be fine to wait for Yumi and eat.

  "Well, alright! Thank you for your patronage!" the android calls out, bowing. "Now, if you would like to order some food, I can take your order for a modest 30$ fee, not including the costs of the food you—"

  "Someone's already in line, it will already be paid for..." the man immediately responds.

  "Right!" the android exclaims, her eyes flickering as she receives more information. "... ah, and there will be a $60 fine for the cigarette you—"

  "$140 total, yes, yes. Just charge it." The man has a glare in his eyes. Sixty dollars?! ... tch. Whatever, he thinks to himself. Anything to stop their incessant pestering.

  "... well, alright! All set, then! Please enjoy your time here!" the android exclaims, bowing lightly before looking around and walking up to a family of five going up to a distant table. Walking to take their order now.

  Damned highway robbery...

  Well, whatever. The man takes his seat and waits for Yumi, taking a deep breath and unwinding. Judging from the line he's seen, it will be quite a while...

  ... he reaches a hand out to the panel at the side of the table, staring at the buttons. Fiddling with the buttons, the cyan blue becomes a neon green, then a pure pink... and then, finally, a normal orange. A gentle orange.

  "... ah!" The android comes back over. "Apologies, each light switch flip is—"

  With $32 less, the man sits quietly in his normal orange light. He stares at the table and intensely thinks to himself... what is his next move? How is this going to happen? What exactly is Yumi thinking? He is deeply in thought about everything that... that may happen, that could happen, that would and should happen. With a total of five billion dollars on the line, there's a lot to consider, and having Yumi mess up further will be their downfall.

  Sure, Yumi's been good with improvisation. As long as he gets a chance to talk with her, some chance to get Yumi alone, he can coordinate a proper plan with her. Telling her that she came into contact with Chouko Ashford will be enough to get her to take this seriously. However, as she is still with Ashford, there's no plan they can make yet. He just has to wait, to wait for Yumi to be out of that line so that they can quickly size up the plan.

  Would it be good to message her? To alert her to be alone? ... no, that draws too much attention. It's best to wait, to think carefully. Every plan goes through his head as he ponders and plans.

  So, several minutes pass as Yumi is still in the line, and the gruff man rests his arms on the table and leans forward.

  If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

  "... ah! Pops! There you are!"

  Here comes Yumi. Now that she's out of the line and away from Ashford, there should be ample time to— why is she still with Ashford?!

  Yumi's not alone. The man looks at Yumi and her two new acquaintances, the three of them holding four plates. Immediately, it crosses his mind that Yumi has possibly invited them to eat, As expected, Yumi has no idea who this woman is. Now HE has to improvise whatever it is Yumi is thinking, going along with whatever act she's come up with.

  So, the supposed "Pops" looks to Ashford, and gives a faint smile. Keeping his cool. "Ah. And I see you've brought company, daughter. Good, good. The more the merrier for the table, right?"

  "Yeah!" Yumi answers. "They pretty much paid for our food, so I brought them along."

  "Ah, yes. Yumi's told us a lot about you," Ashford remarks, giving a subtle nod as she looks at the man. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

  ...

  You gave them your real name?!

  ... no, no, it's fine, the man thinks. The gruff man is actively walking a thin line in trying to keep his cool. "Likewise, likewise. Please, have a seat." One name doesn't matter. As long as she didn't say a real last name—

  "T-Thank you, Mr. Popovic..."

  ...

  Alright. Deep breaths, Popovic... how did that saying go? The straw that broke the camel's back?

  IT IS A BUNDLE OF HAY, YUMI, GOOD FUCKING GOD.

  "... ah, yeah, uh. Pops, this is Diane Smith and Roxie Jones," Yumi introduces, gesturing to Ashford and the android respectively. "Diane, this is—"

  "Johnathan," the gruff man reluctantly answers, interrupting Yumi with an exasperated look on his face. "But please, do call me John."

  "Oh! Well, nice to meet you, John!" the android, Roxie, exclaims as she moves to sit first. Moving to sit inside, placing her tray down.

  "Yes, a pleasure," Ashford answers, sitting next to the android with a nod to John. "Have you been waiting long?"

  "Oh, no, I have not. Still absolutely starving though, so let's eat..." the gruff man, "John", answers as he takes a moment to scoot closer to the wall, giving Yumi ample room to sit with him.

  So, everyone here is using an alias... except Yumi. Ashford is "Diane", the android is "Roxie", and he is "John". There are a lot of factors to consider now.

  "... I... uhm... is something the matter?" Roxie asks.

  John takes a moment to look at Shortcake, looking at the android with a calm look as he grabs his fork to begin eating his meat. Yumi has given him the plate that only had meat while keeping the well-rounded meal for herself. "I am alright, Roxie, just... well, do you know how much this table costs?"

  "W... Well, no, I don't," the android responds, smiling. "I... I assume it's a big price?"

  "Somewhat. In total, I have paid 172 dollars. We have about 47 minutes to enjoy our food before either we have to go, or they charge me 80 dollars more," John answers, jabbing his fork into his food. "That's all that's on my mind, money."

  "Mmm, yeah, uhm... money..." the android mumbles. Her uncertainty about the subject indicates her cluelessness on the matter.

  "The money spent on the food is worse," Ashford brings up, joining in on the conversation as she scoops up a spoonful of corn. Holding it to her lips for a few moments. "It costs approximately 192 dollars, with what Yumi suggested."

  "192... per person?" John asks.

  "No, in total. I presume it's a little under $50 per plate, while androids eat at a discount of 40% off. Add the sales tax of 7% and my electronic receipt tells me '192', approximately."

  "Tch. This economy, am I right...?" John asks, biting the sausage and pulling it off of his fork.

  "Indeed..." Ashford remarks as she eats the corn, staring straight at John.

  "Y... Yeah..." Roxie answers, running the tip of her fork through the mashed potatoes. Her android pink eyes flicker every so often.

  Hmm...

  ...

  ... the air is uncomfortable at the table, as none of them speak for a couple of minutes. It's just idle, casual eating. Except for Yumi, whose intense eating involves her shoveling her food into her mouth. She's already a quarter done with her food while everyone else has only had a few bites.

  John knows he has nothing to say... because he's thinking about how slowly Ashford is eating her food. Yumi's a fast eater, the android likely is not designed to eat and simply joined in because of Yumi, and he's eating at an okay pace. Ashford is slowly eating by scooping up a small bite at a time, holding it up to her lips, and then taking some time before eating.

  It isn't a British thing, it's an act of caution. Because of how slowly Ashford is eating her food, "John" concludes that Ashford is sitting with them for... security. She's cautiously eating her food alongside them, taking a long time for some reason. That's the only reason that Ashford, the ruthless mercenary killer, would ever consider publicly eating with people...

  That makes the gruff man think that he needs to be careful with his words. He needs to be cautious as well, to not say the wrong thing.

  "So. Uhm. C... Changing the subject," Roxie tells the table after a couple of silent minutes. "D... Do you two, uhm, like cakes?"

  The android is breaking the ice with small talk. Curious.

  "Cakes? Eh, not my kinda stuff, sorry," Yumi answers the android. "I like my food to be more varied. The carnivore over here'll probably agree."

  Best to answer. "I mean. Some cake is good once in a while. It's one of the crucial parts of, how you say, life's comforts," John responds.

  "Really? What kind of cakes do you like?" Roxie promptly asks, her eyes shining.

  John thinks for a moment, scratching his chin. "I suppose... nothing wrong with a good Little Layer."

  "Oooh! Southern Chocolate?" Roxie exclaims.

  "Heh. 'Southern Chocolate'," John responds, feigning amusement and jolliness as the android says this. "Is that what you call it?"

  "Well, it's a recipe that came from Georgia, you know? Southern..." Roxie explains, smiling at John. "... but... yeah, I hear those are good! Really delicious, right?"

  "Yes, it is pretty good," John immediately answers, jabbing his fork into a slice of beef before looking to Ashford. "It's not exactly something common to have, so I don't expect you to have tried it before..."

  "... correct, I have not," Ashford answers, scooping some mac and cheese.

  "B-But it might be really delicious to try it sometime!" Roxie responds with a bright smile, staring at John.

  "Yes, do give it a try..." John answers. Following the android's lead, he then adds a question for Ashford in particular: "So, you have a favorite?"

  The android is the first to answer. "Oh! No, because... uhm... well, uhm, all cakes are good..." Roxie nervously claims. "I'm designed to like all kinds of cake..."

  "... and it may sound boring of me, but I'm a vanilla cake kind of woman," Ashford explains. "Vanilla cake's good."

  "Fair..." John answers, keeping a note of that. Ashford choosing to answer is a good sign that—

  "Hhhhhh..." Yumi distastefully noises before swallowing the food in her mouth, narrowing her eyes at Ashford. "... you really goin' with plain vanilla?"

  Oh no.

  Ashford looks at Yumi and nods. "Yes. Vanilla."

  "Well, c'mon, I don't like cake, but even I know you gots to go over the top for it..." Yumi mumbles, gripping the handle of her fork and pressing her fist against the table. "You can do better than vanilla. C'mon, Smith!"

  "..." Ashford stares at Yumi for a bit, visibly uneasy at this pestering. Her face is tense and she's narrowing her eyes.

  Seeing this, John... looks at Yumi and joins in on Ashford's defense, trying to reel Yumi back. "The woman likes her cake vanilla, Yumi, don't push her further about it. Vanilla is a fine cake."

  Yumi rolls her eyes at John, seemingly heated about this topic and not taking the hint whatsoever. "C'mon, pops, you said a whole 'Thin Layer Chocolate', that's a unique option. Freaking GEORGIAN cake! So Diane here should like something better than just 'vanilla'. That's just a generic word for ice cream, not cakes!"

  Ashford stares down at her plate, visibly uncomfortable.

  "... Yumi, seriously, don't push her," John instructs.

  Yumi doesn't listen as she takes out her phone. Stopping her eating and beginning to look up something. "C'mon, let's give her a list of cakes, see which one's better as a favorite."

  "Yumi—" John speaks up, his voice raised. "Stop."

  The android looks between everyone, staring at Ashford, then looking at the two across the table. "A... All cakes are good, though..." the android remarks, smiling and trying to get a hold of the situation. "It doesn't matter if it's vanilla, little layer, rainbow sprinkles, or—"

  "Coffee walnut."

  "Coffee walnut cake, yes," the android responds. "All cakes are pretty good, so— ... huh?"

  John raises an eyebrow at the android's confusion. It's confused about 'coffee walnut cake'? That can't be right.

  No, the android is confused that Ashford is the one saying it.

  "... my favorite is coffee and walnut cake, to be specific," Ashford answers. "If I had to judge cakes, I'd pick that one. Are you satisfied?"

  John looks at Ashford, the android looks at Ashford, and... even Yumi looks at Ashford as she says this. Coffee Walnut. Yumi seems satisfied with this answer and backs down... putting the phone away.

  "I... I see," Roxie answers, staring at Ashford with a warm smile. "... w... why is it your favorite, Diane?"

  Ashford lets out a sigh. "It's... it's personal. I don't want to say."

  The android stares at Ashford for a bit, before looking back forward at her plate. "... I see."

  "Huh, well... coffee and walnut... what kinda cake is that?" Yumi asks, looking at Roxie. "Anything like coffee cake?"

  "Oh, no, uhm," Roxie begins to explain, scratching its head. "Coffee cake is, like, a sweet bread. Coffee walnut, or... uhm, 'coffee and walnut' is a sponge cake flavored to taste like coffee and taste like walnut."

  "Yeah, it's European... it's a big thing in the UK, so like..." Roxie begins to speak, before immediately clearing her throat. Her eyes widen. "... y... yeah."

  "Oh, neat, the UK? That's pretty..." Yumi begins to speak, before a look forms on her face. A curious look of realization replaces the casual smile on her face, as she looks right across the table at Ashford.

  John notes Yumi's silence, looking at her. Why exactly is she...

  ...

  Britain.

  Yumi believes she's looking for a black-haired, red-eyed British girl. The dots are probably crossing in her mind at this moment. The silence is Yumi's brain finally thinking.

  However, Yumi is an improviser. She's not a "think it out first" woman, she's a "think as she goes" person. John cannot trust Yumi to think rationally.

  Best to divert the situation... John visibly gulps down the meat in his mouth. He holds his cup and drinks. "Right, Yumi, it is a pretty country..." he tries to cover Yumi and finish her sentence, before looking at Roxie. "Yumi and I have vacationed in Europe before. We've personally had that cake before."

  "Oh! Is that so?" Roxie asks, smiling. "That's good to hear, I—"

  Yumi places her hands on the table and stands up, starting to stand in the seat as she looks down at Ashford. A tense, cold look on her face as she stares down at Ashford.

  "... is... something the matter?" Ashford immediately asks.

  "... you're..." Yumi speaks.

  No. Nononononono, Yumi, don't be reckless...! John is tensing up as he watches Yumi stand up, and thinks that he needs to stop her. So he reaches out to her shoulder and—

  ...

  The... the lights suddenly turn off.

  In the truck stop diner itself, the lights completely turn off. The diner is left in darkness, with only the passive sunlight outside to illuminate the interior.

  Suddenly, a loud sound rings out right next to John, startling him. It is the sound of glass breaking, which he notices only because of the bullet flying past his eyes.

  A bullet has pierced through the window, forming one singular hole with cracks around it. He side-eyes the cracking, shattering sound with an intense look on his face. His mind is simply too slow to react in time, completely caught off guard by this.

  It takes him far too long to realize that the bullet is heading straight for Ashford's head. The bullet simply goes right through the window.

  "...?!"

  In the next second, John stares at this bullet, watching as it is being held between someone's thumb and index finger.

  The bullet is stopped.

  Right now, a hand is holding the bullet completely still, having caught it out of the air. John watches this bullet with increasing worry on his face, and he watches as Ashford's death is prevented by one person...

  ... Yumi.

  Yumi, still standing up, stares quietly as she pinches the bullet between the tip of her index finger and thumb. She reveals her reflexes to the entire table, reacting far quicker than anyone in this entire building. Her breath is heavy, and her eyes are completely wide and bright.

  In her other hand... a pair of sunglasses. The sunglasses she's taken off of Ashford's face.

  "... Ashford," Yumi tells Chouko Ashford, bluntly coming out with it. She knows this is Ashford.

  "..."

  The next few seconds to follow are decisive for the table, as John watches Ashford and Yumi slowly look at each other. A few seconds of Yumi's pure blue eyes staring forward at Ashford's ruby red eyes. The two stare at each other for the longest five seconds of their lives...

  John, watching Yumi stare down Ashford, is left to only contemplate this situation.

  First, the building experiences a blackout. Then, a bullet is fired from this side of the diner. There are mercenaries here, coordinating an attack of chaos to try and capture Ashford. There's a likelihood that the other mercenaries will be the ones to claim Ashford's head.

  Active, active thoughts run through John's gruff, bearded head on what to do next...