18:00

36 : Unwrapped Gift

"You have your eye on her?"

"Yeah. And I'm trying to focus, so shut up."

"Just turn your earpiece off if it bothers you that much."

Trophy scoffed, hoping the bush he hid behind muffled his voice enough. "I still need to talk to you just in case."

"Fine, fine. Just tell me if anything happens." Taco obliged, her attitude audible through the headset. Even if she couldn't see him, Trophy nodded in response.

He watched from behind the bush as an awfully familiar object wandered through the woods, a bag over her shoulder and a lab coat drifting at her sides. He had no idea what she was doing out here, but knowing her, it wasn't anything good.

There were a couple unfamiliar aspects to Test Tube's appearance though. For one, there was a giant shatter on the back of her head that was poorly bandaged. Her lab coat was dirty and stained, but she didn't seem to mind. She had a couple cuts here and there, but they all seemed pale.

She had been walking for a couple minutes now, though from the way she strode it was clear she knew where she was going. It made sense, she had competed on these grounds for years before this. Her pace didn't make it easy for Trophy to keep up with her though, especially when he didn't want to be seen.

"...Has she done anything yet?" Taco asked for the umpteenth time.

"Didn't I just tell you to shut up?" Trophy responded, growing tired of the question constantly being repeated.

"Well I'm sorry for trying to make sure she didn't kidnap you!" Taco exclaimed, huffing into her mic. Trophy wanted to say something back, but before he could, he noticed something.

"Hold on, be quiet. She's approaching the old lab sight." Trophy said. Immediately, the headset fell silent, devoid of even static.

He made sure he was at a bush tall enough to duck behind at all times, following Test Tube as she walked into the awfully familiar clearing. His main worry was stepping on something and giving himself away, but luckily for him Test Tube seemed too sure of herself to look around.

She walked on top of the metal base where the vending machine used to be, feet shuffling in the fake grass. The dirt on her shoes left slight imprints of dirt on it, ones that would undoubtedly fade with a bit of rain. Trophy subconsciously lowered into the bush, praying that Test Tube wouldn't turn around.

A sudden song playing made him flinch, almost making him lose his balance. His heart leaped out of his chest, but he calmed down once he realized it was just Test Tube's ringtone.

The vial reached into her coat's pocket. She pressed a button on her phone before bringing it up to her ear. Trophy took the chance to tell Taco what was happening.

"Somebody's calling her." He whispered, hoping Taco could hear it through the headset.

"Who?" Taco responded. The answer both relieved Trophy that he was still heard, but also annoyed him since he didn't have a solid answer.

"I can't hear who it is. Just give me a moment." Trophy mumbled. He kneeled on the ground below him, making sure most of his body was covered in case Test Tube looked over.

There were a couple more seconds of silence that Trophy awkwardly sat through. His eyes unwaveringly stared at Test Tube, analyzing every bit of her. He couldn't see her face, but her posture alone was unsettling.

"I'm sorry, who is this?" Test Tube asked into the phone, her tone impatient.

Suddenly, she began to turn around. Trophy practically fell to the ground, scrambling to make sure he wasn't seen. He could hear his heart beating in his ears, the sound making him shake more than the actual situation.