(A/n: Please enjoy)
Chapter 32: A Long Night Ahead
"Haven't you ever heard of the famous saying, 'Never judge a book by its cover'?"
"Haven't you ever heard of shuttin' the hell up?"
"C'mon, guys. Relax."
Sapphire eyes glare into teal ones. "Relax?! How the hell-" Stan silences himself with a vexed sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose as he taps his foot. Just where did he go wrong? Now both Ike and Pip are missing. Perhaps Brendon didn't notice Pip because he was standing behind them...fuuuck...
"Well, what do you suppose we do now?" Gregory asks, his back leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.
Stan drops his arm to his side with another sigh, he doesn't have the energy to think anymore. His head is starting to really hurt now. "I don't know."
"We might as well head to the gym then," Gregory advises. "He most likely didn't inform Ike of our meeting place so it won't do us any good just standing here."
"We don't know that for sure," Stan says with a troubled frown.
"And that's exactly why we shouldn't stay here, Stanley."
"Well why don't you come up with something then?" Stan snaps, his patience running out.
Gregory fights back a grin at riling him up. He knows now isn't the time to be fooling around, but he just couldn't resist. He really will never get tired of pissing Stan off. "Like I said, we should go to the gym. I already helped you by telling Brendon to teleport us here, I'm not helping you again."
Stan glares at him in disbelief, his patience now at zero. "You barely did anything!"
"GUYS!" Gary shouts, scowling at the both of them. He's just as annoyed at this development, and is not in the mood to hear them bicker.
An awkward silence hangs in the cool air until the sound of hasty footsteps come from the hall up ahead. Stan, who was massaging his forehead, looks down the hallway as well as Gregory and Gary. Could whoever they be, be the vampire hunter? Stan would've hoped so at first, but since two people from their group have been separated, he's not so sure now. He's put at ease when the individual darts out from around the corner, it's Ike. The closer he gets, the more evident his glistening eyes appear. He eventually slows to a stop to catch his breath.
Gregory knits his eyebrows together. "So Brendon did tell Ike to meet us here." He knows of Brendon's true nature, he's the deceiving type, and a very cunning one at that. He can only imagine how many gullible vampires fell for his 'charisma'. But what confuses Gregory are his intentions behind his actions, like him excluding Pip, for example. While he thinks of reasons as to why Brendon might harbor animosity towards Pip, Stan asks Ike where he'd been and why he left.
"My friend wanted to talk to me, was all," Ike told him evasively, then he notices someone is absent among them. "Where's Pip?"
There is a moments silence. "He was left behind," Stan says almost lethargically.
Ike frowns at his answer. "What are we gonna do now?"
There's only one solution, and it's not them going to the gym. Although Stan really doesn't want to say it, they've made it this far, and there is no way he's going to turn back now. "I hate to say this, but-"
"No," Gary says assertively. "We are not gonna leave Pip here either."
"We don't have any other choice," Stan insists calmly. "Leaving him is the only way."
"No, it isn't," Gregory rebuts, pushing himself away from the wall as he unfolds his arms. "Did you seriously not consider going to retrieve him?"
Stan scowls at him again for the accusation. "Was that why you wanted us to go to the gym? If it was, then you should've just said so asshole!"
Now it's Gregory's turn to glare at him, but not out of anger but annoyance. "No, that wasn't why. We clearly aren't going to be able to escape so just give up already!"
"Umm..." Stan and Gregory look to Ike. Seems not only does he not want to hear them argue - Gary was ready to intervene again - but he also has something to say. "Who's gonna go get Pip?" Whether they escape or not (deep down, he hopes they don't), he doesn't want Pip to think he's been left behind too.
Gregory sighs away his glare. Okay, so maybe angering Stan almost constantly has its drawbacks. "I'll do it since I'm the one who suggested it." He walks off en route of the gymnasium.
"I'll come with you," Gary offers.
"No need."
"You aren't gonna get there any faster by walking, idiot," Stan calls out to which Gregory responds with a middle finger. "We need to find somewhere else to wait for them at," Stan announces to Ike and Gary.
"But where? All of the doors here are most likely locked," Ike presumes.
"Shit..." Stan mutters, forgetting that possibility. Seconds tick by until Gary opens his mouth to speak.
"Maybe we can go up to the rooftop."
Ike frowns at his choice of location. "But it's raining."
"That's the least of our problems," Stan says, then he asks Gary, "Do you know the way to get up there?"
"Yeah, but..." Gary blinks. "The door is probably locked though..." Stan face-palms whilst shaking his head.
"I did say all the doors are most likely locked," Ike reminds Gary.
The blonde forces out a sheepish laugh as he scratches the back of his head. "I know, it slipped my mind for a second. Sorry."
"Aw, screw it," Stan says. "Let's go check an' see anyway, it beats standin' here."
With Gary leading the way, they begin walking down the hallway. "But what about Gregory and Pip?" Ike asks.
"If the door is locked, then we'll just come back."
"But what if it isn't?" Ike doesn't get an answer to that.
.
.
.
After going up two flights of stairs, the trio stop before an iron-colored metal door. Sliding his eyes closed while saying a prayer in his head, Gary reaches for the steel handlebar and exerts gentle force onto it. The handle emits seemingly loud clicking noises that overlap the sound of the rain.
"Why's he opening it like we're in some horror film?" Stan wonders, equally confused and amused. Ike is wondering the exact same thing, however he's solely on the confused side.
A loud squeak causes them to flinch with a fright. "It's unlocked," Gary announces while opening his eyes. He pushes the door open all of way. He only takes one step forward before coming to a quick halt in the doorway, he shivers.
"Thank God," Stan says then his body does the same thing. He hugs his arms, regretting wearing a thin long-sleeved shirt as the night's brisk winds enter the building, but the teachers were rushing them out of their rooms so he didn't have time to slip on a sweater or anything else. Ike tucks his hands underneath his armpits, him and Gary also wearing long sleeves. "W-why aren't you moving?" Stan asks Gary. Instead of waiting for his response, he peeks over the blonde's shoulder. He's shocked when he lays eyes on a familiar blonde-haired vampire, who's looking at them through his damp hair with shock apparent in his hazel eyes.
"What're you guys doing up here?" Kenny immediately asks them.
"W-we're the o-ones who should be a-asking you that," Stan utters out through his chattering teeth.
Kenny frowns, then he goes back to the spot he was idling at, which happens to be a few feet away from the door. He leans back against the wall, a gloomy air around him. "You three should close the door or you'll catch a cold."
As much as Stan would like for Gary to do that, he'd rather go about doing this idea he just thought up instead.
"A-actually, c-can you do us a s-small favor?"
"I cannot believe I'm about to do this."
Gregory reduces the pace of his walking once he's out underneath the breezeway, stopping and facing the large gymnasium not a long distance away. Minutes prior till now, he was racking his brain for a plan to recover Pip. Even though he came up with at least three ideas, his cutlass was required for two of them, and he sadly doesn't have it on his person. The reason being he was rejected from taking it with him the instant the weapon was spotted by the keen eyes of one of the administrators, reassuring him that he wouldn't need the thing to protect himself and his friends.
As much as he wants to go back home to England, his precious blade is far too important for him to abandon in this place, and he will be damned to leave it here. But he knew there was no way they were actually going to escape, which was why he wasn't too reluctant to depart from it.
Inhaling the nippy air into his lungs then exhaling, Gregory marches out onto the smooth grass ruffling up his attire, the unrelenting downpour flattening his platinum blonde hair. Feeling nervous executing a plan of his isn't a first for him, almost every time amidst an assassination mission his heart would feel as though its ready to burst out of his chest and he could hardly keep his body from trembling with adrenaline. How he overcame the sensation has been unknown to him for a decade now, but it doesn't matter. In the end, he always completed his missions alive and uncaught, and those were what counted to him the most.
So, with another deep breath, the lingering tension nulls out entirely as Gregory takes a few steps back then barrels into one of the doors, tumbling to the floor catching the attention of hundreds of eyes inside of the gymnasium, his presence silencing the voices. Disregarding the pain in his shoulder, Gregory breathlessly informs the approaching faculty and staff about the vampire hunter, lying that he's searching for the rest of them within the academy. His flustered and desperate appearance aided his lie to a certain degree, inducing the adults into a puzzled state of mind. Was he telling the truth or not?
The matter is then pushed aside when Henrietta speaks, immediately voicing out her own course of action. As she does so, Dr. Kero asks the teen if he is hurt anywhere and he shakes his head that he isn't. Henrietta then questions him about his friends.
Gregory looks away biting his bottom lip. "I-I don't know where they went off to...we split up so the vampire hunter wouldn't follow us going to the same place."
The woman slants her eyes. "What a deceptive brat." "Don't tell me those idiots took him too lightly," she grumbles.
Pip, who is sat on the last row of the bleachers, quietly observes the commotion attentively with a profound longing to get up and be by Gregory's side. The seated vampires resume chatting to one another. Was what he said the truth? Did him, Stan, and Gary really come across the vampire hunter? But what about persuading the man to help them? Did they not get a chance to or something? Oh right, Ike is-
Pip blinks when he notices apricot-colored eyes looking at him, the owner of the pair now standing and discreetly beckoning him over with a very vague nudge of the head.
It takes a second nudge for Pip to comprehend the gesture, hesitantly standing on his feet and ambling towards the gradually dispersing crowd, most of the vampires rushing out of the opened door. Without a word to the other blonde, Gregory turns to exit the gymnasium, Pip quickening his pace to catch up. Before he can utter even one syllable, both are forced to stop once they're outside.
"Where do you two think you're going?" Demands Henrietta. "Go back inside."
"I'm afraid we can't do that," Gregory objects, frowning. "Please let us come with you. We can't just sit idly in safety while the others are still somewhere within the academy, they could be having trouble getting here."
Henrietta considers his proposition for a moment then sighs softly. "Fine, go catch up with Luther's group. They're going to find your friends while me and another group are gonna go look for the vampire hunter." Gregory shows his gratitude by nodding his head then takes off after Luther's squad, Pip nervously thanks the vampiress verbally before following after his friend. Henrietta watches them go with a slightly uneasy frown. "Keep a close eye on them, Luther." She signals for her crew to get going, instead of running they teleport to the foyer.
Once Gregory and Pip are back inside the main building, upfront they see the group consisting presumably of ten or fifteen vampires dashing down the hallway. Gregory slows down upon reaching an intersection, inspecting both left and right before going down the left hall. Pip furrows his eyebrows as he glances back and forth between the group up ahead and Gregory's back, once again trailing after him.
"Gregory-"
"If they manage to find Stanley, Ike, and Gary then we won't be able to continue with the escape plan. I know where they are anyway."
Seems Ike was able to rejoin the rest of them, however Pip is more concerned about the reminder of Stan's plan, and can't prevent his face from frowning in returning enmity. He does not like the idea of leaving Tweek here to die. He doesn't deserve death. Just like him being a vampire, he doesn't deserve to be that either. What's the point of saving someone if you're just going to turn them into a monster?
Pip shakes his head to rid away the dismal thoughts. "Did you guys really meet the vampire hunter?" He asks.
"No, I made all of that up," Gregory admits. "I'm thankful that it worked. I had to lie in order for us to regroup." They round another left corner, not too far down a small part of a stone-grey metallic door is peeking out from behind it.
"I see..." Pip says, feeling himself growing out of breath. He's honestly surprised that he's kept up with Gregory for this long, perhaps he's been preserving his speed to be on par with his own. It seems highly palpable since Pip has been never fond of physical activities, thus was his downfall for always failing Gym class back in South Park.
"You knew about the kind of guy Brendon was, didn't you?"
Pip almost loses his footing after Gregory asked him that, greatly taken aback. "I-I did..." And now he feels guilty, he should've been quicker in getting Gregory's attention before they were teleported away.
The duo slow to a stop along the cafeteria hall, seeing the absence of three males not only confuses Gregory, but also worries him. "Where the hell did they wander off to?" If they were going to go someplace else, they could've at least told him before he left. He bets this is Stan's doing.
Having caught his breath, Pip approaches the double doors. "Maybe they're in here." He places a hand on one of the silver door levers, pushes it down, and pulls it back. However, it doesn't budge.
"Every door is locked," Gregory says. Pip moves away from the doors to stand beside him. "Meaning Stanley and the other two are most likely wandering the halls."
"Oh," Pip says acknowledging the possibility. "But wait, the teachers-"
"Right," Gregory nods, face going grim as he stares down the hallway. "If they're found, then we can forget about escaping."
A small bubble of joy swells up within Pip's chest. He tries not to let it show, but doesn't do too well. The best he can suppress his elation is by smiling somewhat faintly. Thankfully for him, Gregory isn't looking at him. "What do we do now?" Good thing his tone of voice didn't give away his opposite attitude towards their situation.
Gregory doesn't answer him for some moments, pursing his lips and knitting his eyebrows as he thinks of a solution. "I would say we should look for them first, but I haven't the slightest idea where they could've gone to. It wouldn't do us any good searching the halls aimlessly otherwise we'd run into-"
"Oi! You two!" Startled, Pip and Gregory turn towards the direction they heard the voice come from. Coming up to them is Mr. Ashton and his team. "What are you boys doing just standing there?"
Bad luck struck before Gregory could even jinx it. "Tch, well this is just great," Pip hears Gregory gripe under his breath. "Ms. Biggle gave us permission to come and help you all find our friends," Gregory says once the group is closer to them.
"I see," Luther says although they didn't need the extra help. "Well, c'mon. You can tell us where you guys split up at while we run."
Pip suddenly gets a bad feeling when he sees Gregory agree with a mysterious smile.
/
"Are you worried about them?"
Tweek makes an indifferent face at Kyle's question. Just a minute ago, he watched Pip and Gregory leave the gym from his position in the middle row of the bleachers. Why should he be concerned about his former friends' affairs? He doesn't care what they do anymore, in fact, he wants them to accomplish their goal so he won't have to see them ever again...If him and the other vampires survive against the vampire hunter, that is.
"No," is Tweek's deadpan answer.
Kyle frowns at him. He's been looking down ever since fourth period ended, and has yet to tell him why. He places a hand over Tweek's own that's on the seat. "What's wrong?"
Tweek had been contemplating telling Kyle about Stan and his friends planning to escape the academy for awhile now, and he's finally come to a decision. "I can't tell you here."
Kyle is about to suggest they teleport to their room, but quickly thinks against it. The teachers and other administrators are inside the academy building so they can't risk being detected by them. "Okay." He gives the pale blonde's hand a comforting squeeze.
"You can tell me, Tweeky."
Tweek's expression changes to anger in that instant. "Fuck off."
"Ouch...Look, I know you're pissed at me about the bond, but believe me, it's not so bad."
Tweek simply ignores Luke. Taking the hint, he doesn't bother him anymore.
(A/n: Finally starting on some Grip development for those they have been waiting for it, it's not much but it's a start yeah? I hope you enjoyed and the next chapter will be up soon)