James is awake, Juliette is here, no one knows what to do, and Kenji, Warner, and Alia are still in the locker room. This is taking too long, maybe I should go in there.
I give myself a timer. If they're not out in ten minutes, I'm going in.
But they're out in five.
"What the hell happened?" I ask Alia.
"He found out about last night on the roof" she says.
"Yeah, I already knew that" I scoff. "Did he ask how you knew?".
"Adam" she says. "....I have to tell you something".
"Kent" Kenji says, catching up to us. "A lot of shit just went down, I'm a little confused. Ali.....you're Commander Baudelaire's daughter?".
I know that last name.
The Baudelaire's died before my mother had. They were some of the only good commanders left in this world. They didn't listen to the Reestablishment. That was when I could take strolls with James and my mother, and she read us books before we went to sleep. That had to be almost ten years ago.
I look at Alia.
"Baudelaire" I repeat. "The Commander before Warner".
" ...the Baudelaire's are dead" she says. "I'm the last one left".
"Then, by blood, you're supposed to take place as Commander"
"No" she says. "E-Even if I wanted to, the title belongs to Warner".
"How the hell did Warner become commander then?" I say.
"Why don't I be the one to address this matter?" Warner appears.
He gathers us on the benches, all of us sit in front of him, ready to listen.
"What is this about?" Juliette is the first to ask.
" ....some of you may know that a few of our members snuck out of this room last night" Warner says.
"Who?" Castle questions, and I wonder if he was in the locker room when I happened.
"Let's not bring up names at this time, please" Warner says. "What matters is I felt extremely disrespected and began to wonder if any of you appreciate my consideration at all? In the snap of my fingers, I could have you all arrested, killed, or banished".
" ....I appreciate your consideration, Warner" James speaks up. "Not just because of what you can do".
" ...you didn't let me finish, James" Warner tells him. "I found out through Delalieu, who had been in charge of the security cameras at the time, and you all were lucky bastards that he was. And then I found out who had snuck out".
Silence.
Warner stops pacing and looks straight at Alia.
" ....the girl who used to live here" he says. "Suddenly, I was the one who was disrespectful".
Alia and I both raised our eyebrows at his response.
She looks down as everyone looks at her.
" ....I have a....confession to make" Warner sighs. " ....My father didn't hand me the position as Commander, he made me fight for everything. I married into the position".
"Hold up, you and Ali..." Brendon begins.
"Heavens no. She was too young....her older sister, however, was of age" Warner says.
"Yeah, and you killed her, along with her parents" I argue.
"False!" Warner addresses. "I had nothing to do with her death...I was, however, involved with the Baudelaire's disappearance".
"Bullshit" I accuse.
"Let him talk" Juliette says.
"Thank you, love" he says softly. "Mr and Mrs Baudelaire wanted nothing to do with the Reestablishment. They weren't going by commands, they were too....good. They wanted to be the generation to destroy it.....they weren't ready like we are. They might as well of tried to erase Sector 45 off the grid. They were too obvious. My father considered an option to bomb the entire Sector.....but then he assigned me to take over it, and i did. He wanted me to kill them, I sent them South. But I let the rumor's spread of their deaths. Please understand, Ms.Baudelaire. I would've sent you to follow them, as well as your sister after the heat had died down...maybe say your parent's death got to the two of you and you killed yourselves....but your sister crashed in a plane, selfishly trying to escape. And you ran away....I'm assuming to Omega Point".
Everything is silent again, and I look at Alia too observe her reaction.
She's staring down at her hands.
Your parents are alive, I want to say.
But she's in her own world, one where no one is looking at her.
" ...however, lawfully, I am your Commander....and I intend to be until the plan initiates next week" Warner continues.
" ....doesn't this make Alia Commander, technically" Lily speaks up.
"No" Alia without hesitation.
"She's right. Not everyone can be Juliette" Winston laughs.
Everyone else laughs with him, Juliette even shyly smiles a little.
"She doesn't want to and she has that right" Warner says.
I look back at Alia, who's still not at all surprised by the news that her parent's are alive.
"You said you had something to tell me" I quietly say in her ear.
She nods, and I slip my hand through hers.
Alia stares at our hands, then slowly entwines our fingers.
Warner addresses a few more things before Delalieu arrives and everyone becomes distracted by breakfast.
But I take Alia to the locker room.
"What aren't you telling me? What's going on?" I say.
" ...Warner told me where my parents are" she says. "After the plan, I'm leaving 45 to be with them"
Alone?
You're leaving?
Without me?
"....come with me?" Alia finishes.
Yes.
But James.
"Where are they?" I ask her.
"Um Warner wrote this down from me" she says.
Alia takes out a folded piece of paper from her pocket and hands to to me.
I open it.
They're directions to a safehouse in Sector 1.
"How will we get there?" I ask her.
"Its 44 Sectors over" she says. "It'll take a week to get there by car".
" ....we have to take James" I say.
"Absolutely" Alia agrees. "So you'll come?".
" ...absolutely" I agree.
