Chapter XVIII: Questing Anew
AN:
Hey there, Fan-fic-folks!
I'm trying to keep this up to a monthly updating schedule. Apologies, but I think that's all I've got time for, these days. I've got a lot of irons in the fire in my attempts to find employment and unfortunately those irons are all very time-consuming.
Only a short one today. Both because of the time limits, and oddly because I didn't think it needed to be any longer. Let me know what you think - any parts need a bit of bulking up?
Thanks for reading and, as always, please review.
"Stranger! We have something for you!" Stan was beaming proudly as I entered the little rooftop hobo-commune he'd asked for me at. There were four equally enthused people standing around the small space, all in rough but well-kept clothing. One woman was standing by a small table, with a hand on the box that sat on it.
"The box?" I asked.
He nodded. "Sara wanted to make you guess, but I know you don't like games, so I'll just tell you - it's some Prescott files they tried to destroy!"
I immediately whirled to stare at the box. He nodded again, this time faster. He looked like one of those bobbing-head dog toys. "Yes! I knew you'd be interested." He spat on the ground. "The Prescotts are bastards and criminals, every last one of them, and you deal with those kinds, right?"
I gave a nod of my own, short and sharp. I couldn't take my eyes off the box. "How did you get it?"
"Well, old Jimmy was fishing trash out of the bay when a Prescott van showed up. Three of their goons climbed out and took these boxes of files - Jimmy said there must've been two dozen boxes in total." A pause. "Apparently they also said something about them coming from a warehouse? He wasn't sure about that one though. Either way, they burned most of the boxes, and tried to mulch the ashes, but he managed to dig through and save one box, plus some extra." He shook his head with a tired grin. "Jimmy loves a Jigsaw."
"This is excellent." I swept over and scooped up the box, holding it up with a reverence that surprised me. But it was a lead! "Good work, Stan, all of you. I'll up your cut to forty percent in my next three bounties for this."
The four of them all perked up at that. I'd miss the money, but honestly it was worth it. If this box was full of files the Prescotts were disposing of, then it'd be exactly the sort of thing I wanted to know about. A lucky, lucky break I absolutely needed.
I just had to find the time to dig through it.
"Thank you again, Stan. Let your people know how much I appreciate this. I'll be in touch with our next target tomorrow."
I slunk out of the room, leaving their happy laughter behind me.
I laid the box gently on one of the metal tables around the edges of my lair and dropped into a nearby chair. Wowzer. This was one hell of a break. I reached out and plucked the first file from the box. I flipped it open and- "Oh. Oh my."
One lucky break indeed. In more ways than one.
"DNA!" Mr Furaro clapped his hands together, grinning broadly. "It's the stuff that all of us are made of. But like bricks and wood and whatever else they're making houses of these days, it serves more purpose than just construction materials."
He clicked something in his hand and the slide changed.
"When cells divide, DNA replication occurs - and DNA owes that to enzymes called 'polymerases'. They use existing DNA as a template, then add new nucleotides to a new strand to make it match the old one. They can even check their work! Natural proofreaders, polymerases are." He eyed us amusedly. "Unlike some of you I could mention - do I have to get Mr Rodgers to do an essay writing class again?"
Blackwell catered to a lot of different types, and the student population varied and disagreed as much as you'd expect. Political views were diverse, philosophies and ideologies varied wildly, and the Lunch Menu debate still raged to this very day. Needless to say, the entire class blurting "No sir!" in unison was a sight to behold. Heh.
"You might be wondering how they get those new strands? Well, proteins pull the DNA helix apart, breaking down the very hydrogen bonds that keep the two strands together and taking floating bits of DNA from around the helix and cramming them in so they match up to the old version." He clicked again, and this time the slide played a little animation of the process he described. Wasn't Disney, but it wasn't half bad. "See?"
"Now, this breaking can also happen due to natural damage," Another new slide. "And plenty of things can cause that from heat, genotoxic chemicals or mutagens, and a million other things that will be in today's homework and next week's pop quiz! So, get studying!"
He enjoyed our groans of dismay far too much.
Well. That class was... interesting. I gathered up my things and followed Max and Kate to the door. After a moment, Max held out a hand to stop me. "Rachel, do you-"
There was a sudden clang, loud and violent enough to silence the corridor as Nathan slammed into Max and- bounced off? What the hell? The ringing sound echoed ominously as we all stared at the King of Blackwell, lying dazed on the ground. I looked at Max in concern, and something about her seemed... more present. Looking at her... it felt like every hair on my body was standing on end. Electrified. Like every cell in my body had suddenly sat up and taken notice of her. More than they usually did, anyway. Ahem.
I quickly looked away, and back to Nathan.
He was still on the ground, and there was a dizzied distance in his eyes - how hard had that fall hit him? He shook his head a few times and looked up at Max, eyes blazing as his mouth twisted in a furious scowl. His body tensed. "You bi-"
"Is there a problem here?" Half the people around us jumped. Our biology teacher was stood, arms crossed, one eyebrow raised as he watched the scene unfolding. For such a lithe guy, he was surprisingly intimidating in that moment.
Max stuck out a hand to Nathan. For a moment, everyone froze. Nathan's eyes flicked up to Max's, stayed there for a moment. Something must've been communicated, because his expression dropped and he shook his head. "No problem. Shit happens."
"Language, Mr Prescott. But that's good to hear. Get up off the floor already."
There was another awkward pause, and Nathan took Max's hand. She pulled him up with no visible strain. He paused, blinked at her. "Thanks," Another quick shake of the head, then he smiled, bearing all his teeth like the cornered dog he was. "Max."
I might've shuddered. The way he said her name... The way his eyes kept flicking up to hers, then skittering away. It felt... wrong.
The teacher grinned. "Great, everybody is friends! Now, don't you all have classes to get to?"
Everyone scattered like panicked meerkats on the savannah. Nathan stumbled off, hand going to his shoulder and squeezing roughly. Max's head suddenly snapped round to stare at him and she watched him the entire time until he disappeared around a corner.
I didn't even realised I'd opened my mouth before I blurted- "What the hell was that?"
"He did fall down quite easily." Max shrugged. "Maybe he was injured? He smelled like blood."
I blinked. "He smelled like what?"
"Blood. You know. The stuff in you?" She blinked at me, wide-eyed.
I rolled my eyes in a gesture right out of Chloe's playbook - I had picked up a few bad habits from my best friend over the years. "I know what blood is, Max. I am in AP Bio. What I meant was - how the hell did you smell it?"
She shrugged. "It's very distinctive. How can you not?" She seemed honestly baffled. What the hell had that Island been like?
I breathed in and out, very very deeply. That's... "I..." I shook my head. A mystery for another time. "So, the King's been bloodied, huh? Wonder how that happened."
"It is a mystery, but one for later." I looked at her, squinting in perplexion at her expression. That was... uncomfortably close to my own thoughts.
"What do you mean?"
"It's lunchtime." She said, just as the bell rang. "We should be going if we want a good seat."
Kate just looked between the two of us, mouth open and eyes crinkled and watery.
*Flashback begins*
She took another gulp from the flask. Her face curled in disgust at the harsh rotgut burning down her throat. "You cannot be serious."
Valli gave a disbelieving shrug that exaggerated the throat sac that had been slowly bulging throughout his speech. This time there were a dozen or more voices, melding together in harmony. "Deadly serious, Stranger. It will take preparation and planning, but we have the chance to kick the Men off of their mountain for good! To save this place from the Prescott pestilence that plagues it! To me, that's worth the price."
Despite herself, Max found herself mulling over the possibilities. Over the Price she may have to pay to fulfil them.
"They think our bodies, our minds, our very souls are theirs to play with. To reshape to their own ends." The E-Series leaned in, fixed her eyes on his. "Will you join us, Max? Make them pay for what they've done to so many people? What they've done to you?"
Max paused. "I..." I what? She had no idea.
"Don't you think you deserve justice?" His face was so close to hers now. Those worms beneath his skin were swarming so close to the surface.
*Flashback ends*
"Ah, Tuna Casserole. Just like mama never, ever made."
Kate laughed as I sat down, sliding the ridiculous plastic tray of mono-coloured goop down in front of me. "It, um. It's not the most appetising looking, is it? I am very glad I know how to make sandwiches." She held up her sandwich, half-eaten. "It may be cheesy to say, but I love my cheddar and ham." She laughed lightly, blushing to herself.
Aww. "Nice pun. And that was diplomatic as hell." I flashed her a grin, followed by a raunchy wink that had her blushing openly. "Stay sweet, Katie." I leaned back in my chair, resting one arm on the corner of the back as I trailed my fork through my 'flavoured' sludge. "So, what were we talking about?"
"Chloe." Max said, succinctly.
Ah. Right. "Yes. That."
Max hmm'ed quietly. She speared and ate another mouthful of the 'tuna casserole'. I glanced down at her tray and blanched. "How can you eat so much of that stuff?"
She looked at me, blinking owlishly. Another forkful of the foul mixture disappeared into her mouth. "What?" She stared at me for a second, then followed by gaze back down to her plate. Her eyes flicked back up to mine. "You picked it too."
"Because it was a choice between this and the questionable meatloaf, which could actually be people for all I know."
"Actually," Max responded, "people tastes nothing like meatloaf. It's a bit more mild. A lot tougher though - kinda stringy." Her face creased in an oddly sour expression, like she was actually thinking about... Oh God.
I gulped, and asked the obvious question. But did I really want to know the answer? I honestly couldn't say. "H-how do you know that?" The quaver in my voice was horrifying, but oh my God. Has Max eaten fucking human beings?
"Chloe and I read Jungle Ways by William Seabrook. It was part of our pirate phase." She paused. "It... put us off the idea of Island Food for quite a while."
The table went silent then, an ironically eerie island of quiet in the sea of noise that was the Blackwell Cafeteria.
"So," I started. I propped my head up with one hand, lounging laconically forward. "Has anyone seen Chloe today?"
Both of them shook their heads. "No."
"Shit." I said.
"Yep." They both said back.
Kate's face pursed, before kind eyes watered slightly. "Is she... okay?"
Max and I shared a look. A rapid, slightly confused communication of eyebrows and expressions followed. Eventually, Max made things clear and simply nodded. I turned back to Kate - who was eyeing us both with open befuddlement - and began to tell her the whole, sordid tale.
When I was finally, mercifully done, I sat back. "So, what do you think?"
Kate thought for a moment. "Chloe is... troubled." Heh. That's one way of putting it. "My pastor always says - 'Troubled is just another word for Struggling'. It seems like Chloe is having the kind of struggle that makes her think she isn't worth helping."
"So, we have to make her think she's worth helping?" I asked.
Kate shook her head. "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make them drink. Help her, but don't try to manipulate her. She has to find her own path. It might be you that provides the ultimate help, but it may also be someone else - even her herself."
"Well. That was downright profound." I grinned thoroughly at her.
Kate flushed brightly, and stammered something awkward I didn't quite catch.
Max just smiled and gave me this look that made me feel... okay, so I've been looked at by a lot of people. I'm pretty, I work out, and I take pride in my appearance. With some, I'd felt their eyes drape over me like gaudy fabrics - they never sat quite right.
Max's look was just so... comfortable.
I smiled back, helplessly.
Really though, what else could I do?
And then she picked up her fork, and started eating again.
My smile went strained, and I looked down at my own plate of horrifying tuna casserole. Well. When in Rome, I guess. I take a bite.
I spit it out, almost immediately.
Jesus! That stuff is awful. Maybe even the actual people would be better.
Max raised her eyebrow and gestured with her fork. I rolled my eyes and slid the tray over to her. And the adorable madwoman dug right in.
Kate quietly stopped me on the way out of the canteen - with no subtlty whatsoever, she guided me over to a quiet spot. "Max? Have you, um, found anything? About what I told you about?"
I nodded. "Nothing concrete yet, but I have a solid lead." I reached out and took her hand, gave it a squeeze. "A friend found some... police files and they say some things that might prove what happened to you - I just need to find a bit more information, I promise."
She nodded. "I... okay. I trust you, Max."
She shouldn't.
