I'm back bitches

The troll and I have had a lovely little chat over on AO3 (by lovely I mean they were their usual nasty self) and they've been dealt with although they might keep clowning in the reviews if they still haven't gotten the message.

Posting will resume here, thank you guys for your patience *kisses*

[Hexagon Academy, Briox]

[10.5.2065]

"A week?"

Firestar nodded. "They've given us a week to get the money together. Then...they want it delivered by two teachers in a bright orange backpack."

"A bright orange backpack?," Jayfeather inquired, his eyebrows raising up into his blue-black hair. "Why?"

"No idea. They were insistent about that though. They specifically want bright orange."

"But that's ridiculous!" Ivypool broke in. "Six million? In a single week? They can't possibly expect anybody to be able to get that kind of money together in that little time! Nobody just has that kind of money laying around."

Firestar rubbed wearily at his temples and looked as though he was thoroughly regretting taking up the job of Hexagon headmaster. "You just let me worry about that, alright? We'll think of something."

Hollyleaf looked over to Jayfeather, then to Lionblaze and the others. "The alumni funds," Hollyleaf suggested tentatively. "Maybe if you ask….well. They might be able to help, won't they?"

Firestar said nothing, running his worn-out hands over the surface of Bluestar's old desk. "I should really get rid of this thing," he muttered as if Hollyleaf hadn't spoken. "Bluestar is the last person I need hanging over my head."

Then he waved at the door. "I need quiet. Thank you for all your help."

…

Ivypool's fist hit the table, the noise echoing through the common room with a resounding bam.

"Start talking," she said coldly, glaring around the room.

Hollyleaf sighed and slowly uncrossed her legs, leaning back on the cushions to look around too. "I'm sure there's a better way to make your point, Ivy," she said, exasperated. "That one over there looks about two seconds away from wetting himself."

The Sky in question squeaked and attempted to get up from the couch.

"Stay put," Ivypool snapped.

It was then that one particularly brave Sky finally had the courage to look the two girls in the face. "What exactly do you two nutcases want from us?" she said angrily, shooting Ivypool a filthy look. "You-," she inhaled furiously, "-barge into our common room and start interrogating us on some-"

Ivypool had just opened up her mouth to retort back when Hollyleaf put a hand on her shoulder. "Yes, excuse us for that," Hollyleaf said in a tone of forced politeness, looking the Sky girl in the eye.

"I don't even know what you want from us!" the Sky girl said loudly. "What are you even here for? Get out of our sector!"

"We were getting to that," Hollyleaf said patiently.

Both Ivypool and the Sky girl made irritated noises and looked pointedly in opposite directions.

Hollyleaf rubbed at her temples and looked like she hated the world.

"Firestar mentioned earlier in the year that Sky Academy was the victim of numerous attacks. That was the reason the school had to close, correct?"

"...correct," the Sky girl muttered begrudgingly.

"Okay," Hollyleaf said, internally pleased that the conversation was finally going somewhere. She leaned forward, putting her hands on her knees to look the Sky girl in the face.

"These attacks. Did they ever seem to have any sort of…goal?"

The Sky girl gave Hollyleaf a suspicious look. "Not really?"

Hollyleaf raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, fine. They were really random. They would follow us on field trips but never do anything. One time, they stopped a bus and searched every person inside, and then they just let us go. They stormed the school on a day off once, guns and armored trucks and everything. Then they just…left."

Hollyleaf exchanged a glance with Ivypool. Her pulse was starting to jump excitedly, the telltale feeling that she was onto something.

"Were they maybe," she took a breath, "looking for someone? Possibly?"

The Sky girl scoffed. "How would I know?"

Hollyleaf leaned forward, grabbed the Sky girl by the knees, and looked her hard in the face. "Try to remember," Hollyleaf urged. "Please-"

"Don't" the Sky girl shoved Hollyleaf's hands off. "-touch me. That is so weird."

"Think about it," Ivypool interjected, clearly tired of sitting in silence. "You have a brain, use it. You said they left after they checked everyone's identities. Who was there? Who wasn't?"

"Well, I mean, Harveymoon wasn't there. He was in detention. Echosong never goes on field trips either. And then there was-"

"When they stormed the school, where did they go?" Hollyleaf cut in. "What classrooms?"

The Sky girl, looking thoroughly bewildered, answered only hesitantly. "T-the 10th-grade classrooms I think?"

"Who was in those classes?" Ivypool hissed. "Names. What students should have been there when they were attacked?"

"Patchfoot, Sharpclaw, Echoson-"

But Hollyleaf and Ivypool had gotten what they wanted. "Thanks," Ivypool said gruffly, following Hollyleaf out of the room.

"You helped us tremendously," Hollyleaf said kindly. "Really. We'll do our best."

…

The door to Cinderheart's room flew open with a violent bang.

"Oh my GOD," Cinderheart groaned from her bed. "Hollyleaf, you scared me half to death. Why can't you knock?"

"We need to get the others in here," Ivypool said briskly. "We have news."

Cinderheart bolted upright. "What?"

It took the others all of five minutes. Lionblaze, Fallen Leaves, Breezepelt, Jayfeather, and Briarlight soon crowded the small room, joining Hollyleaf, Cinderheart, and Ivypool on the beds. Breezepelt unapologetically put his shoes on Hollyleaf's pillow. Lionblaze made a noise not unlike a mouse being trodden on and was barely restrained by a smiling Cinderheart.

"It's all about Echosong," Ivypool said. "That's who this has been about all along. Echosong."

Breezepelt reclined on Hollyleaf's bed and looked his girlfriend rather grimly in the face. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You weren't there Breezepelt, but when our ship got boarded, they had everyone line up." Ivypool looked around the room, quietly. "They asked us all for our names."

"We just talked to the Skys about the attackers that drove the school into shutdown. The attackers- they did the same thing. Every time there was some sort of attack, they would ask every student present for their name," Hollyleaf added. "Isn't it obvious? This entire time! Those attacks haven't been random, they've been looking for someone! And that person- that person's been Echosong!"

"The kidnapped students," Briarlight piped up. "Bumblestripe, Tigerheart, Icecloud, and Echosong. Two Thunders, one Shadow, one Sky. It…certainly all seems to fit together."

"Those other three students could've been anybody. One of us, even. The only person the kidnappers wanted this entire time was Echosong," Lionblaze muttered. "But I don't understand. Why kidnap three other students at all, if Echosong is all it comes down to?"

"To hide their motive, dumbass," Breezepelt snarked. "If they only nab Echosong they make it too obvious. Actually-" Breezepelt leaned back and picked thoughtfully at his thumbnail. "-I bet this whole thing with the six million dollars is all for appearances anyway. They don't give a shit about the money. But whatever they want Echosong for? That's already going on in the background, you can bet your ass."

There was a moment of icy silence.

Jayfeather's face was set with cold anger. "By taking in the Sky students," he said slowly. "Firestar led the danger straight to Hexagon."

"...I suppose one could say that, yes," Hollyleaf conceded.

Jayfeather's lips narrowed dangerously, pursing into one thin, angry line. Then he got up and stalked out.

"Oh dear," Hollyleaf murmured sadly. "Briarlight-"

"I'm on it." Briarlight heaved herself onto her feet with difficulty, her prosthetic leg teetering, and then she limped out into the hallway in pursuit.

…

Jayfeather could feel himself broiling.

He'd known this was coming, hadn't he? Hadn't he told Firestar this was a terrible idea from the get-go? Firestar had painted a target on Hexagon himself. He'd practically invited it. He might as well have parked the school in the the middle of a war zone for all the protecting he'd done of it.

Jayfeather wasn't thinking. He stormed into the nearest classroom and threw open the door.

"Jayfeather?" came a silky voice from somewhere in the direction of the teacher's desk. "Come to finish your art project, have you?"

…

Briarlight froze.

She had only just seen Jayfeather disappear into closeby classroom.

"Oh Stars, he must be out of it," she breathed. "Silverhawk's classroom? Oh, great-"

She jogged swiftly, following Jayfeather through the door, and only just caught a glimpse of Silverhawk stuffing a bright orange backpack out of sight, under his desk.

End Chapter 17

Make of that ending what you will :)

Azra out!