============== The Present.
Karl sighed. "We'll find him, Armstrong."
Nick raised an eyebrow. Just Armstrong? The last time he'd called Karl just Jacobs, he'd gotten a talking to about how "he worked for those PHDs, and he'd be damned if anyone said his last name without the 'Dr'."
"Thanks, Mr. Jacobs." Nick tested. Something was very amiss with his boyfriend- but he needed to be sure.
Karl simply smiled, and returned to another conversation elsewhere.
Nick frowned, his lava flaring from orange to a brighter yellow in concern. Last he'd seen Karl (which was only last month), that same remark nearly cost him his daily coffee.
Maybe I should ask him what's wrong. Nick thought, maybe I'm just paranoid.
"Sorry-" Nick heard a voice right as someone bumped into him, he realized it was Clay.
Nick got an idea upon seeing his mind-reader friend.
"Hey, Clay..." He said, his voice low. "Can you help me with something?"
The blond scratched at the back of his neck, "I mean sure, but-"
"I think something's wrong with Karl."
Clay's brows furrowed with concern. "Why do you think that?"
Nick sighed frustratedly, "He's just acting... odd. I just want you to like... check in on him? I'm probably just overreacting-"
Clay frowned, "I hope you're not asking me to spy in his head."
"No no, of course not," Nick backtracked. Of course, that was exactly what he'd been asking.
After a few moments of pause, Clay spoke again. "I can... I can look in quickly. Just to make sure he's ok, but beyond that I think is wrong. Privacy, y'know?"
Nick nodded. "Thanks."
Clay closed his green eyes for a brief moment as he reached out to Karl's mind.
Shortly after, his eyes flashed open in alarm. Clay dragged Nick by the arm away from everyone else, a sense of pained urgency in his expression.
"Woah-" Nick sputtered out as they came to a jarring halt, "What's wrong?! Is he ok? Did I do something-"
"Nick, listen to me." Clay put a hand on his non-lava'd shoulder. "Karl is... I don't know where he is."
"What?" Nick scoffed and pointed over his shoulder, "He's right there."
"No-" Clay pinched the bridge of his nose. "God, I've got the worst headache-"
"You did get turned into Kentucky Fried Clay a few days ago."
"Nick, listen. Karl's somewhere dark, you can't even see. He's scared as fuck."
Cold fear started to grip at the lava-boy's heart. "W-what do you mean?"
The blond closed his eyes again, "I'm going to find more."
A few moments later, "He's with someone... I think it's Anthony."
"Oh my god."
"Hey, are you ok?" Karl walked up behind them, a soft grin on his face.
Nick turned on a dime, wheeling around to face him.
"I- I'm fine, babe." He plastered on a fake smile. "Just worried about Anthony."
Karl nodded, "So am I. We're doing a sweep of the property in a couple minutes, ok?"
YOU ARE READING
Uncontainable (DreamTeam SCP AU)
ActionIt's back, folks. :) Reuploaded, but improved, edited, and finished.
