Vagabonds

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Lines Drawn

"What. The. Hell."

Tori's mouth fell open as Eliza stepped back, the blindfold now limp and useless in her hand. Sharing a grimace with Aquila, she moved forward to catch Tori's attention, drawing her gaze with a gentle wave of the ripped fabric.

"It's okay, I know things look weird, but everything's —"

"Weird? Weird? No, no, we've gone way past weird," Tori shook her head, eyes passing over Moose's coppery goggles, Daisy's spines, Aquila's wings, Tero's eyes.

Lingering on Otto.

"Hey pretty lady," said the glistening boy, grinning as if it were the most normal thing in the world for him to be standing there with a shock of snow-white hair and skin that shimmered like mother-of-pearl.

Tori folded her arms, the ghost of her old self flickering across her face.

"And what are you supposed to be?"

"Fucking dangerous."

"Oh yeah?"

"But not to you, of course." Otto winked. Tori sneered. Eliza took a step back, feeling distinctly like the world was crumbling away under her feet.

"Um, so what's next?" she asked in a sad attempt to regain control of a situation that had long ago careened out of her hands.

"W-w-well, it s-sounds like y-you guys have d-decided to break into F-Fitzgerald l-l-labs," Tero stammered, velvety wings rustling in disapproval.

"Her brother's disappeared in there," Aquila said, jerking his head at Tori. "We think he's our way to get inside."

"And figure out our super cool epic origin story," injected Moose, flexing his arms and wincing as his bandage pulled taut.

"Do you know how we can do that?" Eliza asked, looking to Tero before remembering that he couldn't see her anyways.

He ran a hand over his buzzed black hair, face twisting in thought.

"Whacha thinkin' there, Dracula?" Otto said, winking at Tori.

Tero cringed at the word but declined to comment, instead answering in Eliza's general direction. "O-one of the g-guards there has a r-rather distasteful a-anime habit."

"Gross," Moose said, sticking out his tongue.

"H-he has f-failed to realize that I-I've attached a v-virus to his latest d-d-download. I-it should a-allow us a-a-access to the m-mainframe."

"Nice one, batman" Moose said.

"D-don't c-c-call me t-that."

With hunched, thoughtful shoulders, Tero began to drift toward his vast array of monitors, fingers twitching as if they were already flying over the keys.

"H-however the virus will only g-get u-us inside. Then w-we'll have t-to f-find the l-lab, which w-won't be easy."

"No problem," Otto said, grinning at Tori and stepping aside to let her lead the way.

Eliza felt like driftwood floating in the back of the cavern, watching as her worlds collided. This was what she wanted, right? For Tori to be friends with them? For the blonde monster to maybe care enough to not go to the police and get them all arrested?

Then why did it feel so wrong?

"I hope my dad didn't upset you."

Eliza jumped as Aquila edged up next to her, smiling down in that adorably sheepish way that made her insides feel like they were on fire. She forced herself to return the smile.