The Weight of You (and Me)

17

TEENS VS. THE CORPORATION

〰・♡・〰

Relief washed over Keera in a tidal wave as she burst through the warehouse door, Mrs. Mendoza and David close behind. There, amidst stacks of dusty crates and cobweb-draped machinery, stood Iñigo, his face pale but defiant.

"Iñigo!" Keera cried, rushing towards him.

He turned, his eyes widening in disbelief. "Keera? How...?"

Before he could finish, a gruff voice boomed from the shadows. A burly man, his face etched with a sneer, stepped forward, a hand resting on a thick metal baton hanging from his belt.

"Leaving so soon, kids?" he growled.

Keera's mom stepped forward, her voice surprisingly calm. "We're taking my son and leaving."

"Not so fast, lady," the man sneered. "Mr. Lee has other plans for your little whistleblower."

"Mr. Lee can go..." Keera began, her voice hot with anger, but her mom cut her off with a sharp gesture.

"We can offer you something better," Mrs. Mendoza said, her gaze locking with the man's. "Something that will benefit you more than following LeeCorp's orders."

The man raised an eyebrow, skepticism etched on his face. "And what would that be?"

Mrs. Mendoza reached into her backpack and pulled out a small, sleek device. "This," she said, holding up a flash drive identical to the one David had hidden. "This is the key to taking LeeCorp down for good. Evidence of their crimes, enough to put them out of business and land them in jail."

The man's eyes narrowed. He glanced nervously at the flash drive, then back at Maya, Keera's mom. A flicker of doubt crossed his face.

"How do I know this isn't some kind of trick?" he asked, his voice gruff but laced with a hint of hesitation.

"Because," Maya said, her voice gaining strength, "LeeCorp will use you and everyone else they employ until they squeeze every last drop of profit out of you. This is your chance to get out from under their thumb, to walk away with a clean slate."

Silence hung in the air, thick with tension. The man's gaze darted between Maya, the flash drive, and Iñigo. The wheels were clearly turning in his head.

David, sensing an opportunity, spoke up. "She's right. LeeCorp doesn't care about you. They'll throw you away once they're done with you. But with this evidence, you can expose them, help bring them to justice."

A long moment of silence stretched on. Finally, the man sighed, a defeated rumble escaping his lips. "Alright," he muttered, his voice laced with a hint of resignation. "But how do I know this will work?"

"We can't guarantee anything," Maya said honestly. "But we can promise you this: LeeCorp is going down. And if you help us, you won't go down with them."

The man hesitated again, then reached out and took the flash drive from Maya's grasp. "Alright," he said, his voice gruff but determined. "Let's get this over with."

With a newfound sense of urgency, they worked together, the unlikely alliance fueled by a shared desire for justice. The former guard, whose name they learned was John, provided them with a back exit and a safe house location.

As they finally emerged from the deserted warehouse, blinking in the morning sunlight, they knew their fight was far from over. They had taken a significant step, but LeeCorp was a powerful enemy.

"This isn't the end, is it?" David whispered, his voice laced with a hint of apprehension.

Keera shook her head, a fierce determination hardening her gaze. "No, David. This is just the beginning."

They had Iñigo back, safe and sound (though shaken). They had a key witness and crucial evidence. But the true battle, the fight to expose LeeCorp's crimes and bring them to justice, was just dawning.

And as they walked towards the safe house, a new team, forged in the crucible of danger and fueled by a shared sense of purpose, prepared to face whatever challenges lay ahead. They may have been teenagers, but they were determined to make a difference, to stand up for truth and justice, even against a formidable opponent like LeeCorp. How would they use the evidence and John's testimony to bring LeeCorp to its knees?

The revelation hung heavy in the air – John, their captor turned reluctant ally, held the key to bringing LeeCorp down. But how to use it effectively was the burning question.

"Alright," Keera said, taking a deep breath and huddling with the others in the deserted alleyway behind the warehouse. Iñigo, shaken but determined, leaned against Keera's mother, his eyes fixed on the flash drive in John's hand.

"We need a plan," David chimed in, his voice reflecting the urgency of the situation. "LeeCorp has money, lawyers, the whole package. Just showing them the evidence might not be enough."

Sarah, her eyes gleaming with a newfound resolve, nodded in agreement. "They'll discredit John, try to bury the evidence. We need a strategy that hits them hard and fast, something they can't ignore."

John, who had been surprisingly quiet, spoke up for the first time since accepting the flash drive. "They care about two things: money and reputation. Hit them on both fronts," he said, his voice gruff but laced with a hint of defiance.

His words sparked an idea in Keera's mind. "The Underground Journal," she blurted out, her eyes widening with excitement. "We can leak the evidence again, but this time, with a twist."

David leaned closer, his brow furrowed in concentration. "What kind of twist?"

"We leak a snippet, just enough to pique the public's interest," Keera explained, her voice gaining momentum. "But instead of anonymous sources, we cite John as our whistleblower. A disgruntled ex-employee with insider knowledge? That will grab headlines."

"And," Maya added, a sly smile playing on her lips, "we can leak it to a specific journalist. Someone with a reputation for taking down corrupt corporations."

A collective gasp escaped their lips. They knew exactly who they were talking about – a legendary investigative journalist named Margaret Thorne, a thorn in the side of powerful companies like LeeCorp for years.

"Margaret Thorne," David breathed, his eyes wide with admiration. "She'd tear LeeCorp to shreds."

John, however, seemed hesitant. "She's a big shot. How do we even get in touch with her?"

"I might have an idea," Maya said, a mischievous glint in her eyes. She reached into her purse, pulling out a worn leather address book. "Let's just say I have a few contacts from my... activist days."

A wave of nervous excitement washed over them. This was a risky plan, putting John's safety on the line, but the potential reward was immense. Exposing LeeCorp through a respected journalist like Margaret Thorne could bring them down for good.

"Alright," Keera said, her voice firm with determination. "Let's do this. We expose LeeCorp, clear John's name, and get Iñigo the justice he deserves."

A sense of unity filled the air. They were a team now, teenagers and an ex-guard, bound by a shared purpose. They may not have had all the answers, but they had each other, their courage, and a plan that could bring a powerful corporation to its knees.

With renewed determination, they set off, each member playing a crucial role. John would meet with Margaret Thorne, David would manage the Underground Journal leak, and Keera, with her mom by her side, would focus on Iñigo's well-being and prepare for the fallout.

The battle lines were drawn. LeeCorp, a behemoth of industry, versus a ragtag team of teenagers and a disgruntled ex-employee.