Wavelengths

A Completed Circle

"We have to tell him tomorrow," Puffer said as soon as he saw Kryoz walk into the room with Smiity. Droid and Pezzy were already there, as was Blarg, and Puffer knew the last two wouldn't have been far behind.

"Tomorrow?" Kryoz asked surprised and Puffer nodded. "I- I went over today, we went to the bowling alley, and we talked. It's hurting him, us not telling him. I wanted to tell him after exams, even told him we would tell him next week, but after our talk at the alley, we have to tell him tomorrow," Puffer pleaded and Droid and Smiity looked at Kryoz hopefully.

Puffer knew it was killing them to not be able to tell Grizzy everything. They'd been friends long before any of them had been on the Alarie's radar, or more intimately known at least.

Puffer had known who Grizzy was since the youngers first day at the college. Like Pezzy had noticed Droid the beginning of the year before, and even further back to high school. Or how Kryoz had noticed Smiity his first year in.

They'd noticed them, because they'd never looked at them like the rest of the campus. Something to be terrified of, to steer clear of. Sure, they didn't reach out, but they didn't go out of their way to run the other way or whisper about them within earshot.

That day Droid had saved Pezzy had brought three amazing friends into their family. And Puffer was going out of his mind knowing Grizzy was talking to someone so dangerous for all of them, just because he didn't understand how dangerous.

But if he could convince Kryoz to tell Grizzy tomorrow, then his friend would understand. Would know what was at stake if he kept Percy as a friend.

Seeing that fucker show up on what Puffer had felt was the first step for something more had created a category 5 hurricane swirling in his stomach. He'd been so pissed, and he knew Grizzy had seen it.

The laughs, teasing, joking, easy going conversation, just drained from between them. Puffer had hated seeing the dejected look on Grizzy's face, though squeezing his hand once they were home had brought some light back to his smile.

"I thought we were waiting till after exams," Kryoz said slowly and Puffer groaned, running his hands through his hair as he paced the living room.

"That's what I told him, but that fucker showed up at the bowling alley looking for him. There was no reason for him to be there, he didn't have anyone with him and as soon as Grizzy told him maybe another time he just left. He was there for Grizzy and I don't know what he's going to try," he pleaded and Kryoz gritted his teeth, looking at the door thoughtfully.

"Okay. Okay, yeah, we can tell him tomorrow. We'll go down to my usual place in the woods, I have enough of my power sprinkled in the area that using a little bit won't bring them to us directly. Obviously, they know we're in Austin, but they don't have a confirmation," he said and Puffer let out a rush of air in relief.

"Droid, have you done your reading?" Kryoz asked and Droid nodded, crossing his arms. "I did. I've done a lot of fucking research, at least before exams, but I know what to do to complete a circle. I also know what happens when I do," he said and Pezzy blinked at him.

"You do? We never saw anything to do with that?" He asked surprised and Droid crooked a wry smile. "I might have broken into Percy's house last week, using some of my prankster skills. I found three Circle journals, one that details what happens when a circle is completed.

"I also know Percys not alone. He's got someone in the house with him, an older woman. She's probably posing as an aunt or something. She's experienced, this is Percy's second ever mission, and the first one went awry. But she's been training for nearly 30 years, recruited the day after her 14th birthday," he said and Puffer blinked slowly.