Of Love and Death.

The Present Chapter 18: And the Winner is...Pt. 4

Valt stumbled awake when a ringing sound burst through his dreams. It rudely interrupted a fantasy about a strange world where an ancient prophecy from a fortune telling dragon and the last line about "the world as we know it shall end" was just about to come true. It had been very compelling - and disorienting. For a moment, he forgot exactly who and what he was, becoming one of the people in his dream instead.

Then, the mind reader's eyes peeled open. Whatever stories had swirled around in his sleeping thoughts disappeared, replaced by a groggy understanding that the ringing was from his phone. Which Valt had left on his nightstand, just underneath his lamp. Stumbling around with his hand, he managed to grab it, and even sat up a little bit. Just enough to see the words: "Unknown Number" grace the screen as he swiped to answer.

Normally, Valt did not answer calls from Unknown Numbers. Spam calls, crazy people, beyblade teams trying to recruit him, etc, were all a pretty big deterrent. But he was not thinking clearly, and just wanted to make the noise go away. He did not have the comprehension skills to understand that answering the phone equaled more noise. Or that he would probably wake up Shu. He had stayed over to talk last night, as neither one of their parents had even tried to fight that losing battle.  Not that there was any problem with it.

Surprisingly enough, the phone call was actually a video call. Which meant that the strange blond person in a disheveled green suit got treated to a Valt Aoi with morning breath and his hair down. "Ah-um, good morning," they said in a slightly rushed voice. Not exactly terrified. But wary. And definitely suffering from an adrenaline shock. They looked a little familiar too, but even fully awake Valt would not have been able to recognize them.

Blinking a few times, Valt tried to form a coherent sentence. "I'm awake," he grumbled. Hey, it was a sentence. Not an eloquent one, but a sentence. And he slightly realized that, sheepishly pulling at the corner of Shu's black coat, which he had worn to sleep. Much to the annoyance of his boyfriend. Who wasn't winning the fight to get it back.

To their credit, the mystery caller didn't bat an eye. They just kept on rolling. "Yes, um, Valt. I need to speak with you about something," they explained. The green-suited person nervously readjusted the phone, panning out the camera. They were sitting at a desk, in what appeared to be a hotel room.

Shrugging, Valt nodded. "Sure, what? And-uh, who?" he mumbled, flopping back down on the pillow. The phone screen was left staring at the blank ceiling. And the pencil markings from when Valt had tried to make a mural there. He'd been seven.

Against all odds, a laugh seemed to emanate from the strange caller. "Ah, yes. I believe we have met maybe once. I am Travis Hitcherson," He said simply. Even flashed a business card. Although his hands were shaking, quite a bit. Okay...Travis. Valt had heard that name before, but where? "I am-used to be Theodore Glass's right hand man, both with the Raging Bulls and at the Snake Pit."

Oh.

A bit of adrenaline shot through Valt, as he bolted up. His heart was beating in his chest faster than it had a right to. Now he felt like what Travis seemed. Anxious and on edge. Shocked into action. "Wait-what?" Shu exclaimed. 

Without request, in a daze, Valt moved the phone onto the pillows between him and Shu, so that they were both hanging over the screen, watching Travis intently. Tense, up against each other. Watching for any hint of danger, any ulterior motive, anything. "I understand that sentence is not exactly a pleasant one for you to hear," Travis said calmly. "But, like I said, I have something to discuss with Valt."

It looked like Shu was on the verge of hanging up for them. And Valt was inclined to agree. Yet he was curious. And he couldn't shake the feeling that something had gone wrong. Wrong enough to shake Travis enough for the secretary to call basically his mortal enemies. "What happened?" the mind reader said cautiously.