Defining Factors

Chapter 17: Intermission

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Warnings: None

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One thing was for certain, everything went to shit. The others could tell there was extreme tension running through the group. Fredericks looked at them all, one by one, as they all sat around a table in his office.

Burr was sitting calmly and unruffled, waiting for Fredericks to start as if everything were normal. Eliza sat next to him to cancel out their temperature changes for the others but she didn't look that happy about it. Though she looked a lot happier than being over by Thomas or Hamilton or really any of the other guys. She and Peggy both kept glancing between Thomas and Hamilton. Angelica sat with her sisters, looking like she knew everything about everyone here, and knowing her, she might. She could be just as cold as Burr sometimes. Francis and Laurens seemed the most relaxed out of everyone besides Burr. Almost sitting in each other's laps while waiting for Fredericks to start talking. They seemed to have worked out their differences. Thomas and Alex however, felt like a hurricane brewing pressurized in a pressure cooker and waiting to explode. Alex had stubbornly sat next to Thomas who immediately got up and leaned against the wall instead.

Fredericks sighed. "What happened? You used to be one of my best teams?"

"James happened," Angelica answered.

"Never should have let him in the group," Laurens added. Francis hit his arm. "Never should have treated him like dirt," Laurens corrected.

Angelica rolled her eyes. "Someone, just tell me the story so I know why we lost our Teleporter, who I remind you, was our best lead and tactic against the Necro," Fredericks said.

Hamilton, for once in his life was afraid if saying anything for fear of worsening his current relationship with Thomas. So it was Burr who spoke. "James is the Necromancer, sir."

Fredericks blinked and stared at them all. "Someone, for God's sake, explain." So they did. Burr and Francis told most of it as unbiasedly as they could and the others chimed in with their own additions. When they finished, the Fredericks looked around at them all. "So let me get this straight. You had the Necromancer. Not only did you have him, but he was on your side? And you thought the best thing to do was to try and kill a teleporting Necromancer? Had you no better ideas? What happens if he's now pissed off enough to teleport right into this room and unleash another army of dead?"

"He wouldn't do that, sir," Francis said softly.

"Obviously," Fredericks answered. "If he didn't teleport out when you first turned on him, and still teleported your sorry asses out from being crushed, then he's not going to be marching on us, it just means that he's not who we thought he was."

"But sir, your orders were to kill the necro," Hamilton protested, we were doing as you said.

"My orders were to stop him at all costs so that the world doesn't suffer. I thought him evil but it seems he's only acted in self-defense. How three of you didn't see that and just jumped right to attacking is beyond me."

"But sir-"

"No. Now your job is to clean this mess up. I want full apologies and I want James to be brought back, by his own free will this time, so that we may all bestow our sincerest apologies."

"We have," Hamilton said quietly. "Or at least I have. I've been texting him, Thomas shared his number a while ago and I've been doing my best to apologize."

Everyone around the table nodded in agreement and Thomas glanced at Hamilton, slightly surprised. "He doesn't answer," Francis said.

Burr fished out his phone. He hadn't texted James yet, figuring he'd rather be left alone, but hey, why not? James, feel like going to a coffee shop? Just the two of us. No one needs to know.