Self Destructing Messenger

#28 - Turn Back Now

It was just two weeks before Christmas, a fact that had slipped Azalea's mind when she chose the mall as V3's meeting place for the day. Her thought process had been that it would be nice and public so maybe Elaine wouldn't make a spectacle of herself when they were reunited. Another was that it was the only way Pyro could participate since he had to work. She assumed his presence would also split the spazz load. By day, the vigilante was employed at some snooty clothing store with loud club music, and dim lighting so that you couldn't think clearly or see that the actual quality of the apparel was s@#$.

So far Gia and Elaine had yet to show up. Cayce, Hunter, Azalea and the Man in Black all waited around a large fountain in the common of the first floor. They were all bored. The black shepherd kept forgetting he was on a leash as was required by the mall and repeatedly clothes-lined himself every time he saw a new potential friend. Unfortunately everyone was a new potential friend. Finally he got the point and sat miserably, occasionally biting the water of the fountain in an effort to reach the pennies at the bottom.

When his break hit, Pyro emerged from the preppy clothing cave and weaved his way through the holiday stampede to them. He smelled like he'd been thrown into a vat of cologne by an arch enemy.

"I don't know how you do it," Azalea said. "I'd die, literally die from the fumes of that place."

He shrugged. "You get use to it. Besides someone has to work to pay for all you freeloaders."

Cayce looked pissed but Azalea spoke before he could. "Hey you are the one that said we shouldn't accept tips anymore when doing the good deeds shtick. I could have supported us all on what I was getting."

"Yeah. Now we have to steal. I don't really see how that's better," Cayce added smiling.

"What?!" Pyro's voice was harsh and low. "You can't steal either!"

"Damn it!" Azalea said. "What in the hell are we supposed to do then? I kept your dumb code in mind. Only took from those who deserved it, like that guy upstairs? The one who so publicly yelled at the landscapers last week for getting leaves stuck in the rims of his convertible?" She rolled her eyes. "Yeah who carries around three thousand bucks anyway? Dick."

"I don't understand this code business," the Man in Black said. "Princess was born for thievery just as I was born to make human graffiti. There is no safe she can't enter just like there is no heart I cannot stop. You were born useless. These are facts."

"Screw you," Pyro said, then repeated, "No stealing."

Azalea was about to chastise Cayce for bringing up their robin hooding when something slammed into her full forced from behind.

The embrace lessened in its intensity just long enough for her to turn around. All she could see was short red hair but that was enough, as Elaine squeezed her once more. Azalea debated calling mall security. She felt violated.

"Az it's been so long! I haven't even seen you since..." Elaine stopped short of finishing the sentence, her voice getting tight with emotion. "I'm so sorry! I'm sorry for refusing to see you. For not being there when you left. For not being here when you came back. I blamed you and I'm so sorry." By the end of the rambling, she was almost incoherent, crying and shaking.

Azalea put her arms around the hysterical girl while she worked out two years of regret, saying nothing. She simply held the redhead while Cayce watched, amused at her discomfort. At least it wasn't him this time.

Eventually the tears slowed and Azalea peeled the quieted girl off.

"Well you aren't any less dramatic," Azalea said, sighing.

Elaine wiped at her eyes with the back of her sleeve. "I understand if you don't forgive me."

"I don't," Azalea replied. "Because I was never upset with you in the first place, Ellie."

As the words sank in, Elaine's smile grew and she threw her arm around Azalea again. "Ah you're still so cool!" She exclaimed.

"This would be a Kodak moment," the Man in Black interrupted, holding his fingers together to form a rectangle. "That is if they hadn't gone out of business."

Elaine pulled away and gave the Man in Black a serious up and down. Then she turned to Pyro. He held up his hands in surrender but there was no white flag acceptance as she launched herself at him next, spewing apologies and tears.

Gia finally dragged her off of him. "Alright Ellie! We get the point! I don't know what you've been thinking this whole time. That we had formed some secret Elaine Hate club or something? None of us are mad!"

"Sorry, sorry," she said, smoothing her hair back in place. "I'm just happy. I want everything to be like before."

Azalea smiled. "It will be as soon as you take over as V3's tech. Gia sucks."

"Hey!"

Pyro glanced at the time. "Thank you Azalea for making decisions for us when you are, at best, a reservist. But we would love to have you back Ellie and with that I gotta go or I won't have time to eat. Catch up with you guys around ten or so." He flashed his winning smile and ran off towards the elevators, presumably to the food court on the fifth floor.

"Is it really okay?" Elaine asked, looking at Gia.

The teen was getting frustrated. "Yes of course. Can we move on now?"

Elaine nodded, grinning widely. And then she wasn't grinning, instead she looked around as if trying to locate something.

"What-" Was all Cayce managed before Azalea doubled over, hands clasped around her head. "Azalea, what is it?" He redirected, fighting against Hunter who was now tugging at his leash with renewed frenzy. He had a sick feeling that he didn't want the answer.

Azalea grimaced through the pain and joined Elaine in the stare upwards at nothing game. "I don't know," she said. "I think I have to go upstairs."

"Then we should definitely not go upstairs," Cayce insisted.

The blonde pitched forward again, taking a knee. Then she jumped up yelling 'sorry' as she ran towards the escalators. Hunter yipped and pulled to no avail, Cayce held firm.

"I really hate when she does that." He turned to the girls and the Man in Black. To Gia he said, "You and Elaine get out of here." And then his leash went limp. He dumbly held it up, only to observe part of the nylon disintegrating into greenish liquid. His eyes moved on to Hunter, as the black shepherd strode across the mall common and up the down escalators. It was slow progress even for a canine.

Cayce closed his eyes, took a deep breath and counted to three. It didn't f@#$ing help at all so he jogged to the elevator. At the doors he stopped and looked back at the two girls who had not yet started running for their lives. He did not have time for their s@#$. He pointed sharply to get their attention then motioned for them to get going. Elaine smiled and gave him a thumbs up. No, not okay, he thought.

The doors of the elevator opened. People casually filed out and Cayce reluctantly got in.