Hey, I'm here! Sorry it's so late, my family's watching TV and I keep getting distracted by it. Realistically, I should just go to a different room, but I'm comfy :( First world problems, amiright?
Anyway, I hope you're ready for stuff to happen! 'Cause it's sure gonna happen! Probably! You'll have to read it to find out! See you at the bottom of the page!
MIA (military slang): Missing In Action; refers to someone who is unconfirmed to be alive or dead
Charles Calvin offered side salutes to everyone he passed in the hallway as he made a direct beeline for the dormitories. When he finally reached the room he was looking for, he lifted a hand to knock… then paused.
He knew Rupert needed his time and space, given everything that happened to him less than a week ago, but he also really wanted to help him right now. Charles hated feeling like he was sitting around doing nothing, especially when he knew someone needed help, but he had kept telling himself that everyone was different and that Rupert would seek him out when he was ready. The only problem was, that hadn't happened.
It had been a few days, and Charles hadn't seen Rupert once since he'd shown him his special spot on the hill. Not at the cafeteria, not in the hallways; not even in PT, which Rupert never missed. The General could be generous with breaks and vacations, but not that generous. There was a schedule to follow, things to be done, so if Rupert hadn't come back to work yet, then, well… it was reasonable for him to be worried, right? That's what friends were for!
Nodding to himself in affirmation, Charles brought his fist down on the wood… Only to startle when the impact sent the door wide open into Rupert Price's empty dorm room.
Leaving your dorm unlocked was a huge no-no, and Rupert was definitely not the sort of person to leave his room unlocked for any reason, let alone half open. Charles leaned into the room to peer around, keeping his feet planted firmly outside of the doorway so he wasn't crossing any boundaries.
At first glance, the room looked fine: the bed was made and there was hardly any trash in the trash can, but then something occurred to Charles: the room was neat, but it wasn't Rupert Price-level neat. Rupert folded every towel, sheet, and anything else he could fold into corners so sharp they looked like they could cut; he'd seen it a few times before. The pillow had obvious wrinkles from being used, and the top blanket was skewed completely, higher on one side of the bed than the other. The fact that there was trash in his can was strange, too, with how little time he spent in here.
Charles stepped inside, peering first behind the door to see if Rupert had gotten stuck back there somehow. Then he checked under the bed; still nothing. He glanced towards the trash can as he stood up and noticed what looked like a business card with a message scribbled on it. Forgetting for a moment that it was weird to pick through someone else's trash, Charles picked up the card to read the note:
GADGET GABE CAN FIND YOUR FRIEND.
Confusion flickered across Charles' face, then shock, then worry. He flipped the card over and saw a phone number he didn't recognize, then flipped again to the note. He had no idea who or what Gadget Gabe was, but this note… if it was about what he thought it was about…
Charles closed the door behind him and set off towards the cafeteria. There were two other people who knew about Rupert's situation, and while he didn't want to think they'd do something like this… well, the Bukowski Twins were called troublemakers for a reason.
LINEBREAKHERE
"Who's Gadget Gabe?" Calvin Bukowski asked.
"Dunno," Konrad Bukowski replied before handing a slip of paper to Charles.
Charles took the papers he'd collected from the twins and compared them to the business card. He sighed in relief; neither of them had the same handwriting as the note.
"Shady Sea Town…" Calvin mused. "I swear I've heard of that place before."
"Oh, I remember." Konrad took the card from Charles and pointed at the phone number. "It's that crappy beach town we looked up that one time, remember? Because of the area code."
"Oh yeah!" Calvin exclaimed. "How could I forget about Weed City?"
Charles peered over his shoulder to look; the area code was 420.
"Blaze it," Konrad said seriously. Calvin nodded sagely along with him.
Charles had no idea what that was supposed to mean, but he had other things to worry about. "Why did he have this?" He muttered to himself. "Who gave it to him? Who else knew he'd lost someone? Where is he?"
The twins turned to him slowly, giving him matching odd looks. "You know he's on vacation, right?" Calvin said.
"Yeah, Galeforce approved it himself, too," Konrad replied. "Didn't think he'd have to do that anymore, as a general. I heard Price was headed for the beach."
That was concerning for a lot of reasons. First of all, that contradicted what Rupert had told him at his spot on the hill, but more than that… In the time he'd known him, Rupert had never once taken a vacation, or a break of any kind, for that matter. The fact that he'd also forgotten about the general's promotion, despite being part of the mission that had gotten the general that very promotion…
"Why're you so worried about Price again?" Calvin asked.
Charles bit his lip. "I found this note in his room-"
Konrad raised his eyebrows. "And what were you doing, breaking into someone's room?" Calvin's mouth dropped open dramatically.
"W-what?" Charles' face flushed to match his headphones. "No, no; he left his door open!"
The twins were silent for a moment. "Are you sure?" Calvin finally asked. Charles nodded.
"Are we talking about the same Price?" Konrad added.
"He's always getting on our backs about not locking up!" Calvin huffed. "The hypocrisy! The betrayal!"
"The horror!" Konrad put the back of his hand to his forehead. "It's the end of all things!"
Charles pressed his mouth into a firm line. He could believe that Rupert's recent loss had been enough to make him take a break from work, but to leave so haphazardly? Something wasn't adding up, and it was leaving him with a sinking feeling in his stomach, like he'd turned off the engine of his helicopter and it was about to plummet.
"...vin? Calvin? Hello?" Calvin knocked on Charles' shoulder, startling him out of his thoughts.
"Are you good, man?" Konrad asked. "You don't look so hot."
Charles flashed them a grin, though it was more of a toothy grimace. "Uh, yep! Everything's fine! Totally hot- er, cool- uh…" he waved at them as he made his way back to the hallway. "Just uh- just gotta check on something real quick! Nothing wrong! Probably! …I hope." Without waiting for a response, Charles turned the corner and hurried down the hall of the military base.
LINEBREAKHERE
Charles knocked on General Galeforce's door three times, his fingertips buzzing with nerves. He still felt like a helicopter about to drop to earth, but he wouldn't let the feeling consume him just yet. Remaining rational was important, especially if Rupert was feeling particularly… irrational.
The door opened just a crack, enough for Galeforce to peek his head out and see Charles. "Charlie? Do you need something?"
Charles saluted politely. "Sorry to bother you, General, but uh... could I come in real quick? I just have something I wanted to ask."
The general raised an eyebrow, looking down at him silently for a moment before pulling the door open further. "You'll have to make it quick; I'm expecting a very important video call soon, so I can't take too much time away."
"Of course, sir," Charles said, flashing him a smile as he stepped into the office. "I promise it'll be really quick. Probably."
Galeforce sighed and closed the door after him, striding towards his desk before regarding Charles again. "I'd prefer something a little more certain than 'probably', but I suppose I can't pick and choose. What's troubling you, son?"
Charles took a deep breath, glancing quickly around the office. True to Galeforce's word, a laptop was propped open on his desk, whirring quietly against the wood surface. "Sir... is it true that Rupert Price asked you to sign off for his vacation?"
Galeforce blinked, clearly not expecting that line of questioning. "It is," he said slowly. "Admittedly, he should have gone to Alabaster or Canterbury for that, but I had some spare time on my hands to do it when Price asked to go to the coast. Given how stressed he's been lately, I could hardly refuse. Why do you ask?"
The feeling in Charles' stomach grew worse. "That's just it, sir! Price has never taken a vacation for any reason, and he was just telling me the other day that he hates the beach!"
The general quirked a brow. "He hates the beach?"
"He told me he didn't have a lot of good memories there. The sand bothers him a lot, too."
Galeforce hummed non committedly. "Price informed me he was visiting family; that doesn't necessarily mean he's going to spend time on the shoreline."
Charles cocked his head. "Isn't he from England, though?"
"Charlie, why exactly are you so invested in Price's private business, if you don't mind me asking?" The tone of the general's voice indicated that even if Charles did mind, he was still expected to answer.
Charles stood straighter. "I'm asking because a lot of things aren't making sense. I went to check on Price in his dorm since I hadn't heard about his vacation until now, but the room was unlocked!" He reached into his pocket and presented the business card to Galeforce. "Rupert also had this in his trash can. Look at the note."
Galeforce's eyes flicked over the shoddily written message. Then he flipped the card around. "Gadget Gabe...?" He muttered under his breath.
"Sir," Charles said, trying not to bounce on his heels nervously. "I think someone played a trick on Price. I'm worried that he's going to get hurt."
Galeforce frowned, running his thumb along the uneven edge of the card thoughtfully. "I see what you're trying to say," he said slowly, "but Price left nearly two days ago, and won't be back until next week. He's likely already arrived at Shady Sea Town by now."
"But sir," Charles protested. "What if he's in danger? What if this 'Gadget Gabe' is-"
"Gadget Gabe…?"
Charles and Galeforce snapped their heads towards the desk, where a woman's voice had just sounded from the laptop speaker. Charles couldn't see who had spoken, but she had a soft, deeper voice with a bit of an accent. "...Do you know who he is?" He blurted.
"Charlie," the general scolded. "Dr. Vinschpinsilstein is a very busy woman who has been very patient waiting for us to stop talking. She and I have business to discuss, so I'm going to have to ask you to-"
"Business can wait," the woman, Dr. Vinschpinsilstein, interrupted. There was a hint of strain to her voice, though Charles wasn't sure if it was because of the aforementioned busy schedule or the topic of Gadget Gabe.
Feeling a bit awkward for accidentally shunting the General's video call to the side, Charles asked, "Do you know Gadget Gabe? What kind of person is he?"
A rough noise sounded on the speaker, and it took Charles a moment to realize it was a growl. "That man..." Dr. Vinschpinsilstein muttered. "Is narcissist, da? No regard for others. Steals designs, cannot make them work. No redeeming qualities; disgusting man. Stole my Babushkat, am positive."
"Babushkat?" Charles muttered, then shook that thought away. "Do you know where he is?"
"Lighthouse in Shady Sea Town, USA. Uses, ah... 'squatter's rights', da?"
The tension and nervous energy that Charles had been desperately trying to reign in snapped like a rubber band, and he began pacing in tight circles around the office. "That's where Rupert went! This guy probably tricked Rupert into meeting him alone; he must be in trouble-!"
Galeforce clapped his hands onto Charles' shoulders, forcing him to stop pacing. "Calm down, Charles. This is not the time to lose your head. If all of this is really true, then you need to be able to focus, alright?"
Charles nodded rapidly. "Yessir. Gotta calm down. Cool as a cucumber."
"Good man." The general patted him once with both hands before loosening his grip. "I'll sign you off for a search mission, if you complete the paperwork and go with at least two people. I won't make the same mistake I made with Price. Everything must be checked and accounted for. Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir. I'll come back as soon as I can-"
Galeforce shook his head briefly. "Be thorough, not quick. And communicate often, even if it's over something minor. I want you to check in frequently so that I can keep track of where you are."
Charles nodded, expression firm as his mind raced with all of the protocols he'd need to go through to get started on Rupert's rescue mission.
The general nodded, seeming pleased with Charles' resolve. "You're dismissed. Now, if you'll excuse me, Dr. Vinschpinsilstein and I need to discuss important matters."
"Yes, sir." Then he called over the general's shoulder, towards the laptop, "thank you for the information, Doc!"
"Be careful," she replied cryptically, then went silent.
The general waved Charles towards the door as he walked back to his desk, and Charles gave a parting salute as he closed the door behind him. He took a deep breath, in through his nose and out through his mouth, then strode back towards the mess hall. He knew just the teammates who would best help him complete his mission.
Hey look, it's Charles! And some other peeps that he's gonna bring along for the ride! Hmm, who will he take with him to fly off to Shady Sea Town to save Rupert? It's a mystery; we'll never find out.
The Bukowski Twins are trouble makers, but they're not malicious. Still, given that they were kind of dismissive of Rupert's sadness back in chapter two, Charles had to make sure that things weren't being taken too far. Luckily, they're not! ...Not by the twins, at least. Rupert's probably taking things too far on himself. Not that anyone's around to tell him that.
I have no idea how signing off for a vacation works when you're in the military, but I needed the plot to go brr, so I did not do any research on how that process works. Not that you were reading this fic for how realistically it handles military procedure.
Next week, we're jumping back to Rupert's POV! Don't worry, Dave will get his time soon, but until that moment, you're gonna have to be patient! Leave a comment or a kudos, and I'll see you later. Until then!