Ameliorate

Chapter 22: A Phone is Ringing

"We don't have a good answer for why Nightmare looks like me, by the way," Clay piped up.

"Good to know," Elizabeth mused. "So is he a shapeshifter, then?"

"Well, that's a whole other can of worms, isn't it," Addison stated.

"Pretty much," Dave stated.

Someone's phone vibrated audibly.

Dave sighed, grimacing. "That might be mine." He pulled out his phone. "Yeah, it's Phil. Am I allowed to take this? I kinda...left off in a suspicious way yesterday."

"What'd you say?" Zak asked.

"I said I got stabbed," Dave stated nonchalantly.

"Yeah, you'd better answer, then," Will chuckled.

"I'm putting him on speaker," Dave said as he accepted the call. "Hallo-"

"Don't you fuckin' 'hallo' me, you bastard." Phil's voice filled the room. Will covered his mouth, already almost bursting out laughing. "I have one day away from discord, and the first thing I see from you is 'Hey, I got stabbed,' and then no one answers any of my fuckin' messages!"

"In my defense, we've been busy," Dave defended.

"Been busy doin' what, exactly?"

"Well, if you'd allow me to talk," Dave countered. "I'm trying to tell you what we've been doin'. We were all talking in a group-"

Will scrunched his nose up and sneezed, leaning away from the phone.

"...Dave, am I on fuckin' speakerphone?" Phil asked, exasperated.

Will started laughing.

"Hi Phil!" Clay called out cheerily.

Phil sighed. "Fuck."

"Hi, Dadza!" Will greeted brightly.

"Hello, Will.   Who all is there?" Phil sounded resigned.

"We're all here," Zak told him.

"Sorry, Dave," Phil apologized.

"It's ok, we pretty much all have stuff. Hero stuff, I mean," Dave told Phil.

"What!?" Phil asked. "Ok, we need to talk about whatever the fuck made you guys have that shit."

Elizabeth clapped her hands excitedly. "Yes! I have theories."

"Do you actually?" Phil inquired.

"Yes! I have a notebook and everything!"

"Before we start with that, I would like to call attention to the fact that the favorite child got told off," Will giggled.

"Oh, please," Dave remarked.

"Yeah, we know I'm the favorite child," Tommy quipped.

"I hate you all equally, we've discussed this," Phil stated dryly.

"Yeah, I thought Toby was the favorite child," Clay remarked.

Toby beamed.

"Back to the original topic," Alistair redirected. "You said you had theories, Elizabeth?"

"Alright, well, the short version is my life is boring as shit and the only thing I can think of that could have changed me like this is the Florida Convention," Elizabeth stated.

"Were we all there?" Addison asked. "Wes and I were there."

"Are you serious?" Toby asked.

"Me, Toby, Will, Dave, Niki and Floris all met up," Tommy recalled.