The mall had Atlas a bit worried... but that was no reason to shirk his duties watching over the Spring King. The Tim situation was important... but it came down to a very simple decision.
Tim was dead. Crunk could still be saved.
And so Atlas strides down the hallway, backpack over one shoulder, cooler in one hand, and metal folding chair under his other arm. Approaching, he sees the massive form of Swilla still sitting in the hallway. For a moment, Atlas wondered if he even had gotten up to pee.
Wonder if Juno left long ago... hope that went well. Hell, could be a bathroom or food break. Gotta eat to live.
"Swilla," Atlas says quietly and politely, nodding his head. "The kid at the mall, Tim, he looks like he got made dead. They claim it was suicide, but inside sources say there was too much blood. Some people who investigated are worried he may have been involved with some crazy-ass Faeries." With that, Atlas gives the limp-wristed hand gesture that commonly implies homosexual tendencies, knowing full well Big Swilla would catch what he really meant. "Jealousy thing maybe. Poor kid."
"So, what's the word man? Any change in either of them?"
Swilla doesn't turn from looking into the room through the door window and makes no attempt to move even as Atlas explains the Tim situation. If anything, there is a constant aura of cold that emanates from his being and he grinds his teeth, a noise not unlike nails on a chalkboard. Finally he speaks.
"Savannah's dead and Crunk....this Crunk, is gone." He couldn't really explain it yet but the room is bare as a couple of nurses are busy changing the beds.
Atlas gets visibly agitated. "You're fuckin' shittin' me." His knuckles go white, clenched around what he was carrying. "So what, we just got played? I've got half a mind to go kick his ass on principle... except I'm sure they all have a very reasonable explanation for this."
The sarcasm dripping from Atlas's words is obvious, as is his displeasure.
"So... what the hell now, man? I mean other than feeling like a chump."
Swilla shrugs, shoulders moving like mini-mountains.
"Got me. I'm pretty cut up about 'Vannah. She was a good girl." One of his massive hands wipe an eye but it must be the dust in the hospital irritating them.
"I wanna know where those jackass Springers were? Did they get the fruit or not?"
"Hey... tough guy shit aside, there's no shame in that," Atlas says quietly when the dust irritates the bigger man's eye. "Whatever our approach, we all have lives to live. And really live, after we lost everything we lost. To paraphrase Dennis Leary, life pretty much sucks. You have to really appreciate the little moments that matter."
Atlas stands quietly for a long moment. "I won't lie, I didn't go quizzing anyone about if they got the fruits. But if they did, and they let Savannah die... I'm gonna bust some heads myself. Whaddaya say we go ask 'em, my man?"
"Maybe we can't be too pissed at Crunk for keepin' his head down, even if it sucks gettin' played like that. Still... priorities. Obviously the Spring Clusterfuck ain't got 'em. We can't bring the Summer King back, and they got the perp there... so not much for us. Meanwhile, the Spring kids run off to be heroes and seemingly forget they were tryin' to save lives. So, let's go make a difference with them," Atlas says, cracking his knuckles for emphasis.
"So we get 'em together, as 'em if they got the damn fruit -- just to be sure. If they did, we ask what they were waiting for. We hit 'em with Crunk and Savannah dying because they dropped the ball, then we drop the lot of 'em. After they come to, we tell em they were fuckin' lucky it wasn't the real Crunk, but Savannah IS dead and as far as they knew, so was Crunk. Because they didn't follow through. And maybe... the shock, and the ass-whupping, will teach 'em a real lesson. Plus, a little vengeance for Savannah."
Atlas grins at the only man he knows larger than himself. "We kick some ass, and get all moral on 'em. One way or another, we feel better about ourselves."
Swilla listens as Atlas talked, mind wandering away at points and coming back at others. When he was about to ask the Ogre to start back at the beginning, the brilliant idea of 'kicking ass' was raised, something that Swilla was more than apt with.
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