Criminal

Chapter 7

Lance stared up at the ceiling. It was morning, but it was a Saturday, and he wasn't getting up if he didn't have to, unlike Keith who was already gone who-knew-where. "Hunk?"

Hunk's sleepy voice came from underneath him. "Mm?"

"Why do you think the AB positive students are disappearing?"

"I don't know. It would make sense for O negative, but AB positive... it's really weird."

"What?"

Hunk yawned. "Well, if blood type matters, it might make sense if they were using students as a blood farm. But AB positive blood is next to useless. AB positive people can receive blood from anyone, but can only give blood to other AB positive people."

"Okay, so not a blood farm. Got it. Still weird, though."

"Might be a coincidence."

Lance shook his head. "I don't think that anything that happens here is a coincidence."

"You sound like Keith."

"Yuck."

Hunk laughed. "You want to go to breakfast?"

"Yeah. Sure."

He was up and dressed fairly quickly, and when they got to the cafeteria, Hunk's face broke out into a grin.

"Pidge! You're back!"

She smiled at them politely. She was wearing the girl's uniform, one wrist wrapped in plaster. "Hi."

Hunk and Pidge ran up towards her, grinning like maniacs. Lance leaned in. "So, what did you find out?" he whispered.

She looked at him blankly. "Find out about what?"

"You know... with the security feeds."

She blinked at him placidly, uncomprehending. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Lance felt his confidence start to crumble, worry taking over. "You know? On your computer? You hacked the school?"

Pidge laughed. "I wouldn't ever do something like that! Where did you get that idea? I barely know how to filter an Internet search: how on Earth would I hack something?"

Lance looked closer at her, but she didn't seem to be faking. Hunk blinked slowly. "Pidge?"

She waved her good hand. "Oh, please don't call me that anymore, Hunk. Just Katie is fine. I don't need a childish nickname anymore."

Lance and Hunk looked at each other in dismay. What had happened to Pidge?!

Xxx

Keith knocked on Shiro's office door.

"Come in," Shiro's voice called.

Relief flooded through Keith. He wasn't kidnapped. Lance had been right: Shiro had just been sick. He pushed the door open.

"Shiro, I was worried!"

Shiro gave him a puzzled, slightly-glazed look. "Why? I just had a fever, Keith. Nothing to worry about."

"I just thought—maybe—I asked you to look into that thing—and I thought maybe something bad had happened to you."

Shiro sighed. "You're too paranoid, Keith."

Keith's veins turned to ice. "Wh-What?"

"You heard me."

"I—"

"There's nothing going on in the L wing." Shiro's voice was overly firm, and his expression was stormy, but still slightly glazed. "Stop breaking the rules to get in there."