This was getting, to Adamant Tower's mind, beyond the point of a joke now. He'd just wanted to get home with as little hassle as possible, dammit; if he'd known the scale of insanity he'd find himself embroiled in as a result of that detour, he'd have just chanced his luck on the regular route.
Given their situation, the Astartes seemed to be taking it surprisingly well, or so he thought at least. It was always hard to tell what silence meant with them. That wasn't the only thing they were being unsettlingly vague upon; since they'd left the Crystal Castle, none of the aliens had said so much as a word to the pony. He was, apparently, here to navigate, in spite of his repeated protests that he would know the way about as well as they did. Still, it never paid to argue with Space Marines, especially not when they were in a bad mood. They hadn't even told the surviving governors of the Crystal Empire where they were going, or that they were taking him - although, Adamant Tower consoled himself, it was unlikely his kinsmen would have cared much anyway.
"Reminds me of home." Adamant Tower couldn't help but flinch and give a small squeak of surprise as the gruff voice rang loudly and close in his ears; almost instantly, he regretted being taken off guard and giving the Space Wolf cause to grunt in displeasure. "Russ's balls, Xenos, is there anything that doesn't make your race wet itself?" Helsturnn asked, his voice as snarling and gruff as ever.
Adamant Tower wanted to say one of any number of things in return - that, given the circumstances, he could be forgiven for being on edge, that the ponies had fought the Daemonic incursion to the best of their ability, and that if it wasn't for the Space Marines and their treacherous brothers they wouldn't be in this mess to begin with. Self-preservation outweighed all of those urges however, so instead the sea-green pony just folded his ears against his skull, gulping a little nervously.
"I...s-sorry..." Was all he said in a small, frail voice. The answer didn't seem to please the Grey Hunter, but the Space Marine also didn't seem like he wanted to get into a debate about it. Instead, Helsturnn took another glance round the wasteland the squad found itself in; snow crunched under foot or hoof with every step any of them took, the pony on more than one occasion having to stop himself sinking deeper down into it. The Warp-touched sky above them made the journey more unsettling still. What could only be assumed to be Chaotic energy prickled across both skin and armour, never overpoweringly so but always present, whilst the clouds above continued to roil and occasionally darken with Daemonic silhouettes. Sometimes, sharp cries rang out, the source impossible to pinpoint - they always stopped, and always set off again with the feeling of been pursued.
"Reminds me of home." The Wolf said again, nodding. "Besides all the taint, I mean. But the snow." He tapped a grey boot on it, the crunching sound ringing out again, as if to illustrate his point. "It's good snow, I'll give you that. Like the snows of Fenris."
Adamant Tower wasn't really sure how to respond to that - the fact that he was being indirectly complimented alone was enough to flummox him. So he didn't say anything immediately, instead keeping his head down and walking. Just as he was about to express awkward gratitude, however, Helsturnn looked down at him. "Are you frightened, Xenos?"
Again, what the pony wanted to say was that the Space Marine had just accused him and all of his kind of being cowardly, and so asking it a second time seemed to be just an exercise in arrogance. Once more, however, he was smart enough to know not to antagonise the Space Wolf. Instead, Adamant Tower just sighed, an expression of guilt crossing his face. "Yes...I don't know how you talked me onto this suicide mission, but...yes, I am."
Helsturnn was quiet for a moment, whilst the pony just remained grateful he hadn't mentioned that, despite everything, he'd actually quite like to live. After that moment had passed, the Wolf just grunted.
"Good." He said. "Shows you're taking this seriously." The fact he'd just been complimented again once more surprised the pony enough to actually look up and round, but the Space Wolf had already shifted his attentions; his golden, black-pinned eyes now focused on the group of green-armoured Space Marines who were leading the group. Bitter winds caused their robes to waft back and forth, their towering forms seeming to disappear a little behind the snow. Adamant Tower watched them, though without the open hostility of the Space Wolf. They seemed...reduced, somewhat, with the death of their brother. What had before been secretive silence was now near-total obfuscation.
"Why do you hate them?" The pony asked softly, before he could stop himself; for a moment, he wondered if he'd gone too far, and the Wolf would strike him for it. Instead, Helsturnn gave a predatory growl.
"An old feud." He shrugged, voice gruff. "They don't like the Rout. We don't much care for them. We've crossed blades, Nehemiah and I, as tradition requires." He gave another noise, an animalistic chuckle. "And, more to the point, it's all their fault. The vaunted First Legion....aye, they aren't taking that well." He said, chuckling again. Adamant Tower still didn't really know what the Grey Hunter meant, but as he kept walking - the cold now feeling like it was settling into his bones - his eyes fell on another detachment of the group. These, if anything, made him feel even worse.
"And what about...them?" He asked, gulping as he gestured towards the two Iron Hands. The black-armoured Space Marines had maintained a steady but implacable pace, marching through the snow as if it were nothing. Helsturnn glanced at the two Medusans, a grin crossing his face; Adamant Tower instinctively shied away at the flash of enlarged canines.
"Best stay out the steel mens' way, lad." He advised. "They get the job done, but by the Allfather, they're cold bastards. No soul in there, no spark. They'll kill you if they deem it 'logical' to do so, and they won't give a damn who knows." He paused, glancing down at the pony's nervous expression. "You think I criticise them?"
"...no." Adamant Tower admitted after a while, trying to swallow his unease. "I think you like them immensely." Helsturnn watched him for a moment, before the Space Wolf threw his head back, giving a roaring laugh of genuine amusement.
"Wait." The entire party stopped, pony almost tripping over himself, as Nehemiah did. "Be silent." He added, raising a gauntlet. It was clearly aimed at Helsturnn, something the Wolf picked up on, expression changing to a scowl.
"Did I offend you, Calibanite?" He asked, growling. Nehemiah offered him no answer, keeping his head cocked slightly sidewards. Before the Wolf could speak again, the sound hit them all - it was faint, Adamant Tower having to strain his ears to hear it, but the sound of smoke puffing and wheels grinding on rails was undeniable.
"It's...a train." Zuriel said, a little superfluously, helmet vox disrupting his voice.
"There was a train that used to run between the Empire and Canterlot..." Adamant Tower remembered, flinching only a little as all their eyes fell on him. "I-it never turned up at any of the stations when the Iron Warriors and Daemons attacked, and nopony's been out to look for it...it was just assumed it'd stopped somewhere out here."
"Evidently not." One of the Dark Angels grunted. Their sergeant said nothing, still listening to the faint sound.
"You were brought along to navigate." Nehemiah said at last, refocusing on the pony as he drew his sword. Around him, the other Astartes readied their own weapons. "Navigate." Adamant Tower gulped, but nodded, taking a deep breath before heading for where he remembered the tracks to be with the giants in tow.
***
"Warsmith to Havoc. Warsmith to Havoc. Come in Havoc, over."
In any other situation, Barbus might well have cringed at the try-hard nature of Lorkhan's decided code-names. It wasn't fear that was preventing him now, because he refused to acknowledge that he was afraid. Rather, the combined weight of frustration pressing down on him at that moment was inuring him against such things.
"Okay." He muttered, as he looked up at Canterlot High towering above him. He still wasn't really sure how he'd let them talk him into this; he hadn't really been given a choice. Lorkhan was probably the giddiest Barbus had ever seen him, and had wasted no time in somehow scrounging together a small 'bug' for Barbus to wear on his collar, and would consistently transmit noise to Lorkhan's own walkie-talkie. The fact he'd managed to repurpose the technology all by himself was actually surprisingly impressive, but getting dragged out of bed early along with Zuko and Mordecai to arrive at the school with the rest of its students quickly killed any chance at respect. "One, why do we have to have these stupid codenames? And-"
"You have to say 'over', over." Lorkhan's voice crackled back to him. Barbus closed his eyes, letting out an irritated, lingering sigh.
"Why do we have to have these stupid codenames, over...and two, this is the stupidest shit you've ever thought of." He hissed, through gritted teeth. He knew it wouldn't stop Lorkhan now, but he had to say it.
"Bloody hell, just relax." The self-appointed leader remarked. "We know it's possible, it's been done before...it's for one day, what's the worst that can happen? As long as you remember the code-word for us to come get you out, over."
"Yeah yeah, 'Basilisk'." Barbus sighed. "And, well, for one, skipping school seems like a bad idea-" He never got to finish, as the sound of the walkie-talkie being fought over from the other end reached his ears. When it settled, it was Zuko who had apparently won.
"Do you think Principal Perturabo would care?" He asked - Lorkhan's mutter of 'you have to say over' just about audible. It was hard to deny that he had a point, and the knowledge relaxed Barbus, but only a little. "And be fair to him, 'Havoc' is alright as far as his weird obsession with sieges goes."
"It's not bad." Barbus conceded. "But 'Warsmith'?" There was another noise of conflict on the other side.
"Warsmith is fine....it feels appropriate, over." Lorkhan insisted once he'd rested control back, sounding almost vulnerable. "Now shut up and go, you can slip in with the rest of them. We'll be right behind you, over."
What Lorkhan meant by that, of course, was the Olympia High version of 'right behind you'. Barbus turned, eyes narrowing; way over on the other side of the street, the other three watched back, at the very edge of the range Lorkhan's walkie-talkies would cover. Mordecai and Zuko waved, whilst Lorkhan just glared and shooed Barbus along. Sighing in exasperation, and swallowing any lingering unsurity, Barbus hiked his bag a little further up his back and headed into Canterlot High.
Even the foyer was enough to get him to stop, mouth slightly ajar. The only room of the school he'd ever seen before was the canteen, and then only in videos. Seeing the extent of the towering interior of Canterlot, with its clean floors, pristine walls, delicate banners...if Olympia High was a fortress, then this was a palace. It was labyrinthian, about five hallways arcing off to who knew where. Chewing his lip a moment he picked one at random, setting off down it as other students milled around.
As much as the expansive majesty of the inside of the school inspired grudging admiration in Barbus, it also subtly stoked his bitterness. He hated to admit it, but sometimes he could see where Lorkhan was coming from; they spent almost every day in a damp, dreary building, with graffiti covering the walls and discontent lingering in the air. The knowledge a place like this existed just an hour away was at least a little infuriating. That said, however, perhaps his observation about discontent had come too soon; it was subtle at first, but Barbus - who was well used to such things - soon noticed the sense of division in the air. Students stuck in little groups, muttering to one another and casting dark glances at other assemblages. It felt familiar to Barbus, but it was also...unexpected.
"This is Havoc, Warsmith." He decided to play along, whispering into his lapel-mounted bug as he walked. "I'm in...this place is a fucking maze. Ev-"
"I can't hear you unless you say 'over'." Lorkhan repeated, though he at least had the sense to keep his voice down. Taking a deep breath, Barbus went on.
"Everyone...it's weird. Seems like they've forgotten all those goody two-shoes messages about harmony we heard about, over."
"I'm going to need more to work with than that, over." Lorkhan retorted. At least he was being a little professional, Barbus supposed. Still, he searched for the right words.
"It's like...they're all divided, in little groups, over." He mumbled. "They're acting like..." When the answer hit him, he actually had to stop. "Like us."
Uncomfortable silence followed his words, even Lorkhan keeping quiet. Aware that the corridors were thinning of other students, Barbus knew he'd have to find somewhere to lay low soon. Before he could, something stopped him. "Hold on...I want to check this out, over." He whispered, before straightening and heading over to a nearby poster. It was brightly coloured, a guitar and other instruments prominently displayed. The words 'talent show' had been scrawled out, and swiftly replaced with 'Battle of the Bands'. He relayed the information back to his companions, frowning a little. "Weird...the poster's disgustingly colourful, but the alteration's-"
"HI!"
Barbus gave an audible, embarrassing yelp, practically jumping out of his skin as he turned and pressed his back against the wall defensively. The sudden, loud voice in his ear belonged to a grinning girl about his age; her skin and hair were both shades of pink, as was the image of the heart emblazoned on her shirt. She swayed side to side a little, still grinning, seemingly incapable of staying still for a moment. As he tried to stop his heart slamming against his ribcage, Barbus realised he even knew her name. Pinkie Pie; she was one of the ones who had helped shoot the rainbow-laser-thing.
"...hello." He said, just grateful that Lorkhan and the others were keeping their mouths shut. She grinned wider, giggling innocently at his awkwardness.
"You seem real interested in that poster, mister!" Pinkie beamed. "Did you know it's changed? It used to be the talent show, but then my friend Sunset showed these girls round and thought they were kiiiiiiiiinda weird, and then they sang this really strange song in the canteen that made everyone go loco, so now all the bands are competing against each other, and Sunset thinks it's dark magic or something - are you entering? Me and my friends are! I guess that makes us competitors, but I'm sure you'll be great, I've never seem you before-" She paused in the midst of her constant vocal stream, expression turning neutral as her own words sank in. Barbus's eyes widened fractionally, the boy trying his hardest to hold back a gulp and his sweat. He pulled his head back as far as it could go as Pinkie leaned in closer to him, her expression thoroughly suspicious. Her baby-blue eyes narrowed even more as she examined him closer and closer, until eventually their faces were centimetres away at best.
"...Are you new?" She asked, not letting up or changing her face. It wasn't exactly what he'd expected, Barbus's own worried expression changing to one of still-worried confusion. Still, he was quick to grasp the bone he'd been thrown.
"Umm...yes?"
He flinched again as Pinkie straightened, letting out a loud and lingering grasp, eyes sparkling. "Oh my goodness!" Before he could ask, she had reached forward and grasped his hand in her own, soft one; it wasn't a sensation Barbus was familiar with, cheeks even turning a little red. "I thought there was something special about you, nobody even told me we were getting another new kid yet!" Pinkie exclaimed, giving her biggest grin yet. "You have to meet all my friends! And the Principals! Oh, but you don't wanna be late to your first lessons, silly, c'mon!"
Without giving him a chance to explain or comment any further, she had yanked him away, setting off down the corridor at an impressive speed, practically ripping his arm from its socket in the process. He had to run to catch up with her; though he remained thoroughly confused as to what exactly had just happened, Barbus decided it was better to just play along for now.
***
"Bombardment!"
A triumphant chuckle from Zuko, and sigh of disappointment from Mordecai, heralded the former's victory in their game. Zuko quickly collected up the cards in the pile that had formed, adding them to his own hand; it was about that time Lorkhan lost patience with them.
“Would you two shut up?” He hissed, still leaning over the walkie-talkie almost religiously. He had been that way all morning, ever since the ‘development’ of Barbus suddenly running into a problem. Throughout the hours they’d been sat there on the grass, Lorkhan had heard incessant female chatter from his end, and the occasional shuffling of feet. The desire to speak up and ask him what the hell was going on was nearly overpowering…but he also didn’t want to blow his cover, not to mention that Barbus technically hadn’t given the signal-word yet. Lorkhan frowned, looking back round at the other two, sat on the grassy verge behind him. “What the hell are you playing, anyway?”
“’Bombardment.’” Zuko answered, slapping a card down atop the one Mordecai had just placed between them. “Toramino showed me how to play. Take two decks of cards, split them in half, make sure each player has the same half. Then you put cards in the middle, one at a time, and if you put the same card down that the other person did you shout ‘Bombardment’. Loser is the first person to run out of cards.” Lorkhan frowned again, mind turning the explanation over.
“Isn’t that…just snap?”
“Something akin to that, yes.” Mordecai agreed, grinning as he put another card down. “Bombardment!” Taking a moment to revel in Zuko’s muttered curses, he collected up all the cards in the middle, their hands once again evened out. Lorkhan rolled his eyes, turning away from them, listening to the chatter of background noise from the walkie-talkie.
After about five minutes, in which time he’d managed to lose the game, Zuko looked up. Giving a small sigh himself, he headed over and sat beside Lorkhan, blank visor swivelling to the other boy. “He’s not going to get away from her, you know?”
“I know.” It was Lorkhan’s turn not to look up, still staring at the walkie-talkie, with a mix of anger and pleading.
“Just relax, geez.” Zuko said again, trying to calm him whilst at the same time not actually show anything in the way of concern. “Look, he’s in deep, deeper than any of us have ever got. You’ll get your information when he gets out of there.”
“You said it yourself.” Lorkhan grunted in response. “We’ve never had anyone in this deep before. This is…genuine unchartered territory…” He was quiet a moment longer, before standing, the brief period of introspection passing as he looked round at the seated Mordecai and his cards.
“Give us a go.”
***
“Hey Pinkie, how come you’re…late…”
Rainbow’s question trailed off in confusion as Pinkie and Barbus sat at the table. The athletic girl was staring at him; they were all staring at him. In truth, he was staring at them, though Barbus consoled himself with the fact that the attentions of five girls he’d never so much as made eye contact with before suddenly giving him their full attention would potentially unman anyone. Even so, he swallowed, trying his best to give them all a small smile as Pinkie giggled.
“This is Barbus!” She grinned, putting an arm round his shoulder and pulling him towards her in some bastardisation of a side-hug. “He’s new, so I’ve been showing him round all morning!” They didn’t look convinced, Dash tilting her head a little, but at least they didn’t have any reason to not believe it. “Say hi, Barbus!” Pinkie insisted, giving him a friendly poke. For a moment he still didn’t say anything, giving another swallow.
“…Hello.” He said, again, deciding to stick with the classics.
“Ah…howdy there, partner…” One of them, wearing a hat, ventured in a thick country accent. She at least forced herself to brighten into something resembling a smile. “Well…ah’m Applejack. Y’all have met Pinkie,” She gave what Barbus could only describe as a sympathetic smile, which honestly seemed completely appropriate. “An’ these are mah friends: Rainbow Dash, Rarity, an’ Fluttershy.” She paused, blushing hard. “Oh…an’ Sunset Shimmer.” Applejack added, shooting the girl an apologetic look. Sunset at least didn’t react to the farmgirl’s mistake, instead continuing to stare at him untrustingly, whilst Fluttershy gave a cautious smile and wave. It took a moment for Barbus to catch on to who she was; when he did, it was hard to keep the grin from his face.
“Hey, Fluttershy.” He said, not shouting but certainly putting a little emphasis on the name so the bug picked it up. Although their walkie-talkie was still off, Barbus could just imagine Zuko and Mordecai’s laughter whilst Lorkhan blushed up a storm. “And others. It’s… nice to meet you.” He lied. Fluttershy looked surprised he’d singled her out, but smiled again, nodding.
“Uh-huh…” Sunset said, finally deciding to speak up as she regarded him closely. “You…too…where’re you from?” She asked suddenly, not letting up. It caught the boy off guard, making him take a moment to respond.
“O…” He caught himself, eyes widening, as the natural answer almost pushed its way over his lips without thinking. Breathing a silent sigh of relief, Barbus tried to make the pause look like nothing, even as his heart rate started to pick up once more. “Oregon.” He finished, wincing internally at the rushed nature of the answer even as he gave a calm grimace. “I’m from Oregon.” He re-iterated. They all stared at him, with the exception of Pinkie, even more flummoxed than they were before.
“I…see.” Rarity said, with a smile that was painfully forced. “Well…welcome to Canterlot High…I suppose…” He nodded, giving an equally brittle smile in return. At the very least, the brief discourse did seem to make them lose interest in him; the rest of the girls went back to their own conversations around the table, only occasionally granting him furtive looks. Barbus sat, a little awkwardly, staring at the table and doing his best not to squirm in place. He couldn’t be certain, but getting his head dunked into the toilet by Kroeger and his goons may well have felt better than the simple uncomfortableness of this infiltration.
“I think they like you.” Pinkie whispered melodramatically to him, leaning closer and remaining blissfully unaware of his real identity. The suddenness of her voice made him flinch defensively, drawing a quick glance from Fluttershy. Once he was certain that she hadn’t got that close to visit some ill-treatment unto him – a novel idea to Barbus – he relaxed a little.
“They don’t seem to trust me.” He whispered back, silently finishing with ‘they’re right not to’ in his head. “Your friend…Sunset, in particular.” It was true; she was annoyingly competent, it would seem. Pinkie just giggled, shaking her head.
“Oh, it’s not that…well, it is, but she’s kinda suspicious of everyone at the moment!” Pinkie explained, as if that made things better. “Like I said, she was showing these girls around, and now everyone else is angry with each other…she’s actually really nice.” The girl assured, smiling. Barbus didn’t really believe her, but decided not to press it any further.
“So…whah exactly are ya skippin’ soccer practice tonight, again?” Applejack asked as the lunch hour dragged on, eyes focused on Rainbow as she spoke.
“Uhh, I’m not ‘skipping’, AJ.” The athlete reiterated, as if she actually believed it. “I’m just…y’know, taking a night off, that’s all.” She looked at them all in turn for a moment, leaning nonchalantly back in her seat with blue arms folded over her chest, before sighing. “Oh, c’mon…new Daring Do book, I’m not waiting an extra two hours to find out what happens!”
“Oh yes, that did come out at the weekend, didn’t it?” Rarity nodded, with a genuine smile this time. “How is it, dear?” Rainbow’s face lit up at the question, face practically radiating excitement as she spun round in her chair to face them.
“Uh, awesome, what d’ya think?! This time, Daring Do goes to this jungle-continent, and has to outwit these weird lizard-people to get the idol of Kroak!” She squee’d, raspy voice cracking a little. “I’m only like, halfway through, right now she’s in the city of Xla…Xlo…” Her smile faded, a frustrated expression crossing Rainbow’s face as she thought. “C’mon, I know this…it’s like, Xli-“
“Xlanhuapec.”
Rainbow stopped, words catching in her throat, as she and all the others looked round in surprise. None were more surprised than Barbus, who seemingly hadn’t intended to speak out loud. “I…” He looked at them all again for a moment, realising he had to finish. “It’s…the temple-city of Xlanhuapec…y’know, if we’re thinking of the same thing.” He mumbled, shrugging.
“I…yeah…that’s it.” Rainbow nodded, evidently still caught off guard. “You…read Daring Do too?” She asked, inclining her head a little. The boy wasn’t sure exactly what to say, so just gave a nod. Dash looked at him for a few seconds longer, before the faintest hint of a smile began to creep across her face. “That’s…that’s pretty cool. I haven’t met anyone else here who reads ‘em…except Twilight, when she was here.”
“Yeah?” He asked, ignoring her last point as he looked up a little. “Me too, at my…old school, people used to say I was weird for doing it.” Technically, that had the advantage of not actually being a lie.
“What?” Rainbow expressed, obviously amazed. “What’s weird about liking awesome stuff?...Dude, the end of the book before the last one, where she finds out Ahuizotl’s her grandfather?” She asked, grin plastered across her face.
“I know!” He said, knowing he didn’t need to say any more, smiling at her; to his own surprise, part of Barbus realised he was actually relaxed. “Or in the movie, where she’s fighting the rock-golem on the bridge?”
“That’s like, the best part!” Rainbow finished, giving him her full attention now – and ignoring the astonished looks of the others. “There’s a con that’s gonna be in town soon, like, next month.”
“Really?” He asked, genuinely surprised. “I hadn’t heard anything about that.”
“Mm-hmm!” Dash nodded. “Apparently it’s just a little thing, only half a convention hall, but I’ve never been before…” She trailed off, silence falling for a moment. “Favourite book?” The athlete asked eventually. Barbus tilted his head, mulling it over, trepidation forgotten for the moment.
“Probably…the Claw of Huegh.” He decided, nodding sagely. Rainbow nodded too, with a lopsided grin.
“Not bad…not bad.” She agreed, shooting him a teasing smirk. “But it’s not ‘Endless Wastes’…aw man, the bit where she has to fight the monsters, I could not get to sleep until I finished it.” She looked thoughtful again. “What were they? Minotaur, Hydra…what was the last one again?”
“Basilisk.” He said, nonchalantly. Rainbow nodded, and might have said something in return. But he didn’t hear it as Barbus’s body froze; a deep, towering feeling of horror starting to well up in his gut as what he’d just said sank in.
“Belay that order.”
He spoke calmly, words directed for the bug on his lapel, even as panic started to rise inside him. The girls stopped, frowning at him a little, not comprehending.
“Are…y-you okay?” Fluttershy asked. He didn’t answer, or even look at her, standing and staring at his collar as his voice became more frantic.
“Belay that order!”
***
“We’re coming, Barbus!”
Lorkhan’s ‘heroic’ cry wasn’t really dedicated at anyone in particular as the three of them ran for Canterlot High’s front door, but he shouted it anyway. The moment he’d heard the word ‘Basilisk’ – and he had to give Barbus credit for working it so cleverly into conversation with his captors, for a moment Lorkhan had actually believed he was genuine – he’d been on his feet, sprinting for the door with Zuko and Mordecai in tow.
“This does seem rather drastic, old sport!” The latter called out, keeping pace regardless and showing no sign of tiredness. As they pushed the building’s front doors open.
“We never leave a man behind!” Lorkhan called back, voice a snarl. True, he wasn’t really certain what his own plan to deal with this was, but it was the thought that counted.
“With…all due respect, Lorkhan, I rather think that’s just you!” Mordecai retorted. Lorkhan wasn’t listening, the trio skidding to a halt as he looked around the main foyer. It had sounded like Barbus’d been taken to the canteen, but…well, he didn’t exactly know where that was.
“Y’know, we could just actually listen to what he’s saying.” Zuko pointed out, voice level as he glanced over at Lorkhan. In response, the boy reached into his belt, pulling out the walkie-talkie through which their companions shouts were echoing.
“Can’t you hear?” He asked. “They’re torturing him!” Ignoring the mumble from Zuko, he glanced around again. “Look for…something. Anything to cause a distraction.”
They did. But when the distraction came, it was not from them. Lorkhan flinched as the fire bell, suddenly, began to ring like crazy, the loud chiming echoing through the halls. He looked round with a smirk, though it swiftly died as he saw both his companions still standing there.
“Wasn’t us.” Zuko shrugged. Frowning, Lorkhan took another glance around, methodically scanning the whole corridor. Eventually, he spotted the culprit; the man standing beside the fire alarm was certainly imposing, almost as big as Principal Perturabo, with a craggy face and whispy, long hair. Lorkhan frowned, feeling like he knew him from somewhere, but couldn’t quite place it. The man just smiled, looking at Lorkhan a moment longer before slipping away.
The unexpected fire-drill had caused something of a panic amongst some students, and into it all stumbled Barbus; he seemed to have escaped from his captors, looking around almost in a daze. They spotted him a second before he spotted him, and as Barbus opened his mouth to speak, Lorkhan had already grasped him. Navigating their way through the mass of students all arguing with each other was surprisingly easy, just as easy as ignoring all of Barbus’s protests about his ‘rescue’. When they slipped outside, going virtually unnoticed by all who passed, Lorkhan, Mord’ and Zuko had already started running – leaving their crumbling friend with little choice but to run and catch up, fuming all the way.