||Series Removed|| OTB

15 - A Dumbo's Promise

15

I was starting to feel like one of them... one of the Lost, shambling from one area to the next, sleepless and ever-vigilant for whatever meal would present itself. I'd spent most of the previous night talking with TB, listening to his insights on Telos and what little information he could divulge about Elizabeth Boudica.

Biting into my breakfast tray full of Pollies, I barely noticed that I was surrounded by five other vacant expressions in the packed cafeteria. Apparently sleep was a privilege that not all of us 'greenhorns' were accustomed to yet.

Tomás and Beth were messing around with their food while Harry lazily told them off, and it looked as though Alisha and Stacie had just sat down. Everyone had stopped talking as soon as the teacher arrived, which was either rude or strangely respectful.

"Hey 'Lish. What've you got on today?" I asked, snapping her out of whatever trance she had lost herself within.

"H-Huh? Oh... Nothing." The curt response had me thrown off, but then I remembered what she had been expecting this whole time. Swallowing my food along with the lump in my throat, I tried to keep a blank face.

"...Still no sign of the kids?"

Lowering her head, she gave it a stiff shake and pushed her tray further away, not holding much of an appetite. "I don't get it... Harry says that the school bus is still holed up in the garage. Even that Vinnie asshole is hanging around somewhere. I just need to find him, and fast. Before he hurts... Well, I'm still looking."

She cut her sentence short to keep Stacie calm, and I was thankful for it. I had decided to keep quiet about my night in the sewers... After everything we'd been through with the Turpin's Tilt, Alisha was too fragile. She would no doubt storm underground with her guns blazing, tearing through allies and O-Saints alike if it would bring her children back.

Desperate to change the subject, I waved everyone in closer and kept a low whisper. "All right, we've been here for a good day or two. Anyone got any news?"

We all looked at each other and exchanged shrugs, but Harry stared me dead in the eyes and exhaled carefully. "...Blessing. I ran into her when I was closing up for the night."

I tensed my muscles, which was exactly the kind of reaction he had expected, delivering a slight smirk as I shook it off. "Blessing? What did she say?"

"Nothing much. She told me that she misses being with everyone, hopes that we can talk again soon. What do you guys make of it?"

Tomás, who usually took a backseat on any group matters, leaned in formally and cleared his throat as though he was about to address the nation. "I don't get why she came after us. I mean, our attack on the Telos sub; it could've just 'caught her eye' like she said. I don't doubt that... but there must've been other people standing up to Telos, right? Like Elizabeth's fighters. What makes her think that we're any different?"

Taking the chance to jump back into the conversation, Alisha picked up her Polly and tore a small piece off. "Well, I don't know about any of that... I definitely see it, though."

We all stared blankly at her, until I attempted to break the silence. "See what?"

"You guys. It's probably just me... but when I saw you all flying into Chicago on that helicopter, my first thought was 'what a bunch of crazy assholes'."

"Jeez, thanks for that input."

"No, you know what I mean. There's something about the lot of you, and I don't say crap like that often. I can't shake the feeling that something good will happen, if I stick around. I might be able to find my students, maybe survive a little longer. Don't get me wrong, you're all bat-shit insane for taking on Telos, but if anyone's got a chance... my money's on you three boys, Blessing and this Boudica woman."