Chapter 703 Italian Pizza

"This is your cafeteria?" Lee Seng asked with his mouth agape. He slowly took in the large multi-floor room. "It looks like the food court in the mall."

"We have all kinds of food here. You miss something from Daros? We got it here!" Shang excitedly explained. "Popular ethnic foods are even here. We have people who travel all around the world – well, whatever traveling there is to do via air – and sometimes they miss the food, so we have people who make that food here for us!"

Lee Seng and the gang trudged along as Lee Seng took in the sights and smells. He could smell something spicy cooking, but quickly was turned when he smelled pizza.

"Is that… pizza I smell?" Lee Seng asked.

"I can't smell anything other than the spicy soup. How can you -ack – even smell that?" Manny asked, pinching his nose. Shang turned and sniffed a couple times before turning to look at Lee Seng in confusion.

"I don't smell it." Shang told his Senior.

"You forget your beloved Senior has a great sense of smell." Felicity put an arm on Shang's shoulder.

"Ahhh, you're right! I forgot about that!" Shang nodded at Felicity. "Senior, you're the cool—"  He turned to look and noticed the group was already moving away from them.

"I guess he really wants that pizza." Felicity moved past Shang. "C'mon. Let's follow them before we get in trouble."

Lee Seng led the group to an Italian place. The sauce was what led Lee Seng here in particular. An old Italian man with a younger Italian man greeted them.

"Hello, Fox friends! Have you come to try our delicious pizza?" The old man greeted them. The team sniffed as Lee Seng nodded.

"You're Biohumans?" Lee Seng asked.

"Why of course! Why wouldn't we be? You think this place would be run by Fox Spirits? Ha, a wonderful sense of humor, my dear Fox companion!" The old man bellowed.

"Dad, I told you, you don't have to address every person as Fox or Fox companion. It makes them uncomfortable. They're like us." The young man told his father. The old man brushed it off and turned to look at the others.

"You all must be new, no?" The old man asked. "I haven't seen you around before. What are your names? Are you new here?"

"Oh, uh…" Olivia looked at Lee Seng. "We're Biohumans. Us. Lee Seng, here, is the only Fox Spirit."

"Ah, Biohumans! I don't think I've seen any humans here before. Why are you here? Are you prisoners?" The old man leaned forward and asked quietly. He made it seem like whispering the question to Olivia in front of Lee Seng would make it seem like he was having a private conversation without prying ears.

"It's complicated." Lee Seng answered the old man.

"Oh, he heard me. No one hears my whispers. Luca, he heard me! The first!" The old man cackled. Luca sighed and turned to Lee Seng.

"You'll have to excuse my father. He's getting up there in age and refuses to retire." Luca forced a smile at Lee Seng.

"Oh you found the pizza place?" Shang asked, rounding to Lee seng's side.

"Shang! You are back! I thought you said you'd return a week ago!" The old man shouted. Shang jerked backwards and slid behind Lee Seng, poking out from behind Lee Seng with his head. "Good for nothing, babe! You should keep your promises!"

"Dad, you scared him off last time. Of course, he wouldn't want to come back here!" Luca scolded his father.

"How many pizzas do y'all want?" Manny asked, looking around.

"I could eat a horse." Lee Seng answered.

"I only want a couple slices." Liz answered.

"Same." Evan raised his hand.

"I usually eat half." Olivia answered.

"I eat a pizza." Ritsuka raised his hand.

"Okay… That's like three pizzas between you guys… I eat like one and Lee Seng's probably hungry so…" Manny began to quietly count as Lee Seng ordered.

"We'll take six pizzas. Shang, Felicity, y'all wanna eat, too?" Lee Seng turned and asked.

"I'll have whatever you have!" Shang smiled.

"I'll pass. I'm not craving pizza right now." Felicity declined. Lee Seng nodded and turned to face the father-son duo. "Do you guys do pepperoni or sausage?" Lee Seng asked. Luca's old man gasped like he was hurt by that. Luca awkwardly laughed as he turned his father around and told him to get ready for a large order.

"We've implemented it into our pizzas, but… My father is still vehemently against it. A classic would probably suffice." Luca answered.

"I'm not making pepperoni for these Americans! They don't know true Italian pizza!" Luca's old man pouted.

"What's on a classic?" Lee Seng asked.

"We use pork products, usually. Salami, prosciutto, ham, sausage. Fresh mozzarella slices on top and a nice sauce on top. A couple basils. That's usually specialty pizza." Luca explained.

"Let's do that, then." Lee Seng nodded. He turned and looked at the rest of the group. "Are you guys okay with that?" The group nodded and Lee Seng turned and smiled at Luca.

"Alright, lemme ring that up for ya." Luca tapped the counter and began to click the air. "It'll be 895 credits." Lee Seng began to pat his pants for his wallet when he realized he didn't have any money on him.

"Oh, my wallet! It got burnt!" Lee Seng looked at the group.

"I could pay for it." Manny began to pull his wallet out when Shang stepped in and handed Luca the money.

"I'll handle it." Shang told them. "Keep the change."

"Thank you." Luca nodded. He stuffed the cash below the counter and pulled a scanner out. "Could I scan one of your devices? We'll have one of our waiters run your food out to you, wherever you go."

"Here." Shang lifted his phone up. It looked like he was used to this sort of thing. Luca scanned it and thanked them before excusing himself to help his father and the extra hands in the back.

"You didn't have to pay. I could've paid." Manny told Shang.

"It's better this way." Shang told them. "We wouldn't want anyone to potentially know where you are based on your transaction history."

"Oh, I didn't think of that."

"C'mon, let's find a place to sit." Shang motioned.

Shang and Felicity led over to a large set of tables that were empty. With some readjusting, the group all settled into their seats and waited for their food. Shang sat next to Lee Seng on his right while Felicity sat across from him.

"So," Manny spoke up. "Once we visit Olivia's grandma, we're just gonna disappear? Go to Daros?" Manny looked at Lee Seng, Felicity, and Shang. Lee Seng turned to look at Shand and Felicity. He was interested in hearing what they were going to do.

"Mmm, not entirely sure. Last I checked, Senior Ysa was checking with some Eyes to see where the nearest portal would be." Felicity answered.

"Eyes?" Lee Seng asked.

"The Energy detectors. We call them Eyes. You would call them scouts, I guess. Our scouts are Eyes."

"I'm one of them!" Shang raised his hand. He beams another smile as Shang's phone buzzes. "Oh, I think that's the pizza." Shang pulled his phone out and looked at it. A notification had come onto the screen and as if on cue, a couple waiters climbed to the top of the stairs.

"Pizzas?" A waiter asked.

"Yeah, over here!" Shang raised his hand. He happily waved them over and as Shang stuffed his phone into his pocket. Lee Seng and the gang watched the pizza set in front of them. The smell of the pizza made Lee Seng's mouth water as he watched the steam rise.

"Thank you!" Liz told the waiters.

"Dig in and thank you for your patronage!" The waiters waved before descending back to the pizza shop.

"Let's dig in!" Shang clapped.

Lee Seng pulled a hot slice of pizza away and turned the triangle towards him. He smiled, taking a whiff of the pizza before taking a bite.

"Mmm." Lee Seng's eyes lit up. He took another bite of the pizza, taking a bit of the basil with it.

"Mmm, this is good!" Evan commented. "Maybe I should've asked for more. The pizza sizes are smaller."

Lee Seng listened as a set of footsteps climbed the stairs. Halys's hands were in his pocket as he reached the top. He scanned the second floor and noticed Lee Seng and the group not too far. Ysa, Valen, and Chrono all coming up the stairs behind Halys.

"There you are." Halys smiled. The group of Fox Spirits wandered over to the table. Felicity and Shang stood up and saluted the General. "At ease. You're fine to continue eating. I see you're trying Marco's pizza. Good ain't it?"

"Y-yeah." Lee Seng nodded, covering his mouth.

"One of my favorites. I'm glad to see you're up and about, Lee Seng. The Foxlings and your friends were worried you'd sleep yourself into a coma or something." Halys chuckled.

"Why are you guys here, sir?" Felicity asked. "Did you figure out what to do next?"

"Bingo." Valen nodded.

"Yes and no." Ysa answered. "Y'see, we have a problem… I'm gonna need you guys to help with this one. Can I trust this with you guys, Team Zephyr?"