Missing Links

[Star]

Continued from Cell Late Fees

"No. I'm going to die. I'm going to die in this cold, dark shnookums-less world."

A dramatic hand flourish and plaintive wail had answered Avis. And a smile. Even strained, below pain-pinched eyes, it was to let her know he was Okay. Or, going to be. Hopefully she got the Guardian-speak for What Was Wrong. Nobody got thugged by a ghost. Just Pride. Apparently? Lots and lots of Pride. Lots, yo.

And maybe the smile also said The Bad Men had been Punished. That nobody had to worry about their Sins.

Eventually he had also announced he was "The Batman" during the ride. Deep Bale Voice and everything. Except more croak, less Deep Bale Voice. Because, wasn't he? Hadn't Batman's back gotten jacked up? Wasn't Batman a Guardian? Taking the fall for Harvey Dent? Totally the Batman.

I am Jack's pain-addled musings on Life, The Bat-Cave, And Everything.

Eventually they arrived at Whitey's Jolly Kone. It's a great spot for post-credits schwarma. Ridiculous name? Check. Huge parking lot for privacy? Check. Chili fries? Check. And who could resist a Fresh Peach Milkshake.

"Sally?"

The mop rolled over in Avis' lap that he'd managed to look abjectly pathetic enough to need to commandeer as a pillow.

"What happened to Michael? Michael Perrett?"

[Avis]

"We are going to take you all home," Avis added, looking at the three rescued millennials. She was the same age, actually, in fact they all were, but somehow Avis felt so much older...

"We just need to have you answer some questions so we can make sure you'll stay safe once you get there, and that the people who harmed you get what's coming to them," she clarified, hoping they'd be willing to wait, just a bit longer, and to help the people who were helping them.

And hopefully it also helped that the milkshakes and 'clog your arteries american classics' were on their way. After being groomed for gladiatorial combat, forced to eat only what was provided for them (which probably tasted like a flavorless dietitian's concoction), and coerced into staying trim, hopefully a little junk food would help them normalize, even if only a little bit.

[Truce]

With the destination suggested, Truce drove to the restaurant, parked, and ordered food and drinks for them. He'd never been here before himself, but he imagines it would be a sense of normalcy compared to where their passengers have been.

He returns with their orders. The food, at least, would be a distraction from their immediate emotional states, that is if they even had an appetite.

"It's possible that he lived, but is in medical care for an injury," suggests Truce, providing some semblance of hope. "We heard that there was a doctor taking care of you. Could he be in her care?"

[Star]

"Oh."

Eyes closed. Sometimes? It's just Conspiracy Theory. The hamster wheel kept swimming back to the faces he'd studied before they'd been consumed. In some ways, it had been amazing. Being able to watch the energyexplosionlightsound up close (he'd still flinched and ducked) but there were also after-images of white bone and flayed flesh.

No, nothing like Omar.

"Home?"

Curious eyes opened, glancing up at Avis before he righted himself. Chili cheese fries, yo. But home? They probably needed medical attention. Not just that? PTSD. But more importantly, hospitals would probably be safer. HIPPAs totally A Thing. But Best Guess said Avis probably wasn't going to be down for shoving them in a medical institution.

And maybe nothing feels safer than being with the ones you love.

A nod stopped short by lancing pain bobbed the mop, and the Angel commenced to gingerly eating.

Because all roads lead to Rome.

[Avis]

"Duh, home," Avis replied, giving Star an annoying hair ruffle. He didn't quite look up to being playfully nudged, yet.

"Soon," she repeated, helping Truce pass out shakes and food to everyone.

"First, um, yeah, let's start with what you all know. Were any of you taken to fight? Have you seen the warehouse? Met anyone besides the guards and the doctor?"

[Truce]

"So it's not just entertainment, but a demonstration in order to advertise their human trafficking. That's despicable. To think in this day and age..." Truce's brow furrows, feeling his disgust rise in his throat as he leave the thought unfinished.

"I see. So if we want to see what happened to these survivors then we'll have to get to Sandberg and his clients."

He looks to Star and Avis. Particularly Star who looked worse for wear. "I'm not sure we're in any condition to take them on tonight. We should have the police do most of the work to investigate this security company. That should put pressure on them and keep them from kidnapping anyone else."

"And we need to make sure you all stay safe. The police may offer witness protection for you." Let the Sleepers handle the clean up. They needn't get caught up in the paperwork. Perhaps tomorrow night they could head to the warehouse's location to track down Sandberg.

[Star]

"Do-nigh."

A drop of chili slipped out of his mouth with the mop ruffle, and the Angel looked blankly at it before turning the same blank look on Avis, then back to Truce.

"Tonight."

Medical Student Jack is pretty sure Guardian Jack is in shock. Rattling off symptoms in a clinical voice, so, so annoying. Hush. Fortunately, Guardian Jack had made Plans, and they were a lot easier to dredge up through the haze than to come up with new ones. Or, at least, Reasons. Maybe not Plans.

"Those, uh, those guys are already scrambling. Man. Like, shutting down, closing up shop. The alarm?" Jack's also pretty sure the security company is going to have problems of it's own. Getting a whole team and building blown up is pretty bad for business, yo. It's a Reason. All of his new Friends totally agreed. "We wait a day, you know, like, they could be gone."

A long finger swiped at the droplet of chili, succeeding only in smearing it across khakis.

"If we go fast? Maybe we can get Sandberg's books. You know. Who went where."

Maybe Perrett Junior was a survivor. Someone's bodyguard. Books, sure. No, not really. They just needed Sandberg long enough for Avis to Get The Info. Accountant Avis, doing the books.

Nobody's thinking about Avis in a pencil skirt, hair in a bun, and glasses...

...stabbing Sandberg with a pencil and slide ruler.

[Avis]

"I'm with Star. If we don't move, we lose, and I want Sandberg, and Dr. Robot. And, yeah, and everyone else. Something like this can't stand in a vacuum. It's probably not unique. Or, if it is, then great. But I want to find out."

She paused to take a long sip of peach milkshake, then another as her tastebuds tingled and demanded more of that particular flavor.

Her eyes slowly moved away from Truce and her partner to the other three people in the van.

"We really appreciate you telling us about this," she said, reaching over to place a gently hand on Carly's knee. "Is there anything that you need before we take you home? Do, um, do all of you have a place to go?" she amended, looking to Nick and Sally. "Family in town?"