Calliope, after speaking to Trace, returned to her house to finalize things. Once she was settled, she walked away to go see Banjo. Thanks to the conversation with Trace, they had a lot to talk about. As Calli walked forward she suddenly stopped. Banjo wasn't at the ICU anymore. And Trace didn't tell her where he was.
So where the hell was she going?
"Hey... Calliope!"A short distance away stood Elle, out of uniform and sporting a NYC crewneck, jeans, sneakers, ponytail, and a canvas tote bag. She smiled warmly as she moved to approach her new teammate.
"Are you busy? I've got a list of books to pick up for one of my patients. Y'know Banjo? Blonde, Australian, kind of a smartass?" "Would you like to help me deliver them?"Calli turned to face the girl. She recognized her from the ceremony as one of the new members of her team. That struck a nerve as she took one of the spots that the others left, though if Calli was being honest with herself, she did not miss Inigo or Makenna.
"Oh, hey. Umm...you said patient? So you know where he is?"As much as Calli wanted to see Banjo, it was weird some random girl would run up to her, claim to know him, and ask her to come along. But if Trace got a message from him, perhaps this girl did too.
"Oh, right. Let me introduce myself." Elle started,
"I'm Elle. My community contribution is assisting patients in the infirmary. Banjo asked me to grab some books for him while he's out of class, and to let some of his friends know he could have visitors now." She smiled now.
"You're top of his list, so I figured I'd just show you where he is instead of telling you.""Okay, that makes more sense. Nice to meet you and welcome to Blackjack. Sure, we can go get his books. I am surprised he wants them. I figured he'd be lounging around grateful for the opportunity to take it easy for a bit. You know where to go better than I do, so lead the way."Elle was glad to hear Calliope welcome her into Blackjack, but as Calliope went on she began to realize that her playful mood was not being reciprocated. Elle's smile became gentle, and she nodded before turning slowly towards the library. She walked in silence for a moment before she figured out what she was going to say next.
"Do you like the dorms?" She started, passing her a casual glance.
"My room alone is as big as my old apartment." Calliope felt bad she wasn't rising to the girl's mood, but she wasn't in the right headspace. She felt a little better knowing she would be seeing Banjo.
"Haven't seen my dorm yet in the Ursus but that's good to know." Calliope bit her tongue at the apartment comment. Her room back in New Mexico was larger than a single-bedroom apartment. And that was her room alone. Some of the other members in Blackjack, though never out loud, probably thought of her as a spoiled princess. And, if she were being honest, she was. She recalled The Breakfast Club and how annoyed she felt at the two popular kids saying they couldn't be friends with the other three outcasts because of their reputation and how stupid it was to think they had any moral high ground.
But back to the conversation,
"So what made you decide to join Blackjack?""Well... I didn't really get to know anyone on Firebird. I've been too busy exploring campus and getting to know my upcoming professors, mostly to keep myself from feeling too homesick. So no matter which team I picked I was starting new." She let her eyes wander over the small portion of campus they were walking through as she put her thoughts into words. They were about a minute away from the academic quad, where the library resided.
"I've been watching the teams since the plateau..." She didn't want to call it anything but that.
"... and I've realized that Blackjack has heart. Sure, feelings get in the way and there have been disagreements, but you're all strong minded and truly care for each other."She smiled softly at Calliope.
"I wanted to be on a team like that. A team that could challenge each other to be better."Calli fought an eye roll. Sure, they cared about each other. That's why a chunk of them wanted out. Even then, perhaps that was a blessing. Trace was still cool. And now she had Coop. So small blessings.
"We definitely speak with our hearts rather than our heads, that much is true." Calli let some silence lay before she spoke up again.
"So how is Banjo anyway? I'll admit, I have been worried about him and that demon of a nurse at the ICU wasn't going to budge to let me see him."Elle grinned.
"I've heard she's just as much of a demon to work with." She shook her head.
"I just met Banjo today. I caught him sneaking back to the infirmary in a stolen wheelchair. The nurses would have lost it if they found his room empty." Her head tilted as she looked Calliope's way. She thought about how Calliope's name had been first on his list, and then how Hyperion's had been the last. That was information best kept to herself.
"He's... doing well despite his injuries. It seems like his character is unshaken, but... he has a long way to go.""There's no need to worry, though. This school has pretty great healers, from what I've heard. He just needs to rest and let the doctors do their work, and he'll be back up in no time at all."Calli fell inward in herself and tried her best not to show it. Because of Hyperion, Cass was dead and Banjo had a long road to recovery, even with healers. Calli felt her heart quicken, but clenched her fist and took some deep breaths. Not now.
"Good to hear. So what books were we looking for? Never took Banjo as much of a reader."Elle watched her carefully, having noticed the slight change in her demeanor. Her lips parted as if she were going to say something, but it seemed like Calliope was eager to change the subject. So Elle graciously slowed to a stop outside of the academic quad as she reached into her tote for the list.
"I admit I thought the same," she mused as she pulled the paper out,
"and then I was even more surprised when I saw what books he needed." She folded the sheet so that only the list was visible, still deciding to keep the visitors list hidden in case Calliope saw Hyperion's name in large letters. Hopefully her teammate wouldn't ask to see it herself. She began to read the titles one by one.
- A History of Law in Canada - Vol 1, 2 and 3
- Canada Criminal Code
- Canadian Civil Procedure Law
- Hyperhumanity's Place in Reshaping Canadian Law - A Potential Pathway To Treaty For the 21st Century
Elle finished the list with an amused smile.
"I didn't take him as the law and order type, but it looks like he'll be sporting a blazer even after graduation."Calli agreed, it was odd.
"That's what I want to do also. Study law. Though I would work in the United States, but maybe having graduated from here would open some doors for me. Either way, I did not know that about Banjo." Perhaps there was more to the guy than she thought.
Elle gave a small shrug before beginning the ascent into the suspended Southern wing.
"He's certainly clever enough." She took a moment at the top of the stairs to get the door for Calliope.
"What makes you want to be a lawyer?" She thought of the little information she knew about Calliope's family, specifically her father, but decided that wasn't a topic to breach at the moment. She'd just met Calliope, and it wasn't any of her business in the first place. Though her curiosity was killing her.
The girl was curious, albeit nice. Calli normally would have been in the mood to discuss her future plans, but lately, she felt like they were too distant for her to pay them any mind.
"Want to help people. Specifically hyperhumans, though I will help anyone who needs it. Always wanted to." She could go into the reasons, specifically as a middle finger to her father, the desire to want to ensure no one felt like she did growing up, wanting to help those who felt like they had no one in their corner.
But she didn't.
"What about you? Any plans for when you get out of here?" Elle smiled, the expression a touch melancholic.
"Well... I wanted to be a field agent when I came here." She watched the campus pass them by through the windows.
"After the night on the plateau," she pressed her lips together for a moment,
"I might be better suited for an investigative position." She glanced over at Calliope, hoping that she hadn't made the girl's mood worse by mentioning that night. She could have said that experiencing a hyperhuman attack on that level frightened her. That she couldn't imagine facing someone as strong as that again. She couldn't possibly be strong enough to take anyone down if someone with a power like Cassander Charon's didn't stand a chance.
She was sure Calliope understood that with what little she said on the matter.
"I can manipulate pheromones," she continued, trying to get past the heavy shadow she might have cast on their path to the library by mentioning it at all.
"It sounds strange at first, but it's really simple once you get the gist of it." Her lips tugged into a small smirk.
"I used it to get free drinks for a while, until I tried it on a H.I.T. Agent. Long story short, I was busted."Elle had to admit that Calliope had a way better "out" story than herself. Her jaw dropped a little, and then she quickly shut it at the mention of her father. Yeah... she'd take her Agent friend back home over an angry, anti-hype father any day. She decided not to comment on it, but instead offer encouragement. She stopped right outside of the library door and faced Calliope.
"Let's make him regret that decision, then. We'll grab your books while we're here as well. You have a lot of studying to do if you want to help future hypes." She grinned for a moment before heading in.
Banjo was laying in bed flicking through television channels. No. No. Worse. Some kind of weird lawn bowls game played on ice with stones. No. No. Ice hockey...
A knock at the door, and soon Elle was pushing her way through with a stack of books in one arm.
"Are you up for visitors, Romeo?" She stood halfway in, a smile on her face.
"Might want to fix your hair a bit." Her head tilted in a subtle nod behind her.
Banjo put his hand to his head as a reflex, and then realised there was something there. That strange red flower Trace had put in his hair at the fountain. He'd forgotten about it. He turned with a wince and rested it on the newspaper. The petals of the red hibiscus flexed with hope. Life.
"Elle!" He said, too loud for his own comfort.
"So what house do you call this? IloveEnnWhyyySee? With their colours of denim? I dunno how they knew. Un-bloody-canny." He smirked with his hook-lipped sneer.
And he turned to the door, but she wasn't the only visitor she was referring to.
Calliope was standing in the doorway, beautiful, and his sneer turned to broad grin as he found himself trying to get a read on her.
Calliope looked at Banjo in the bed. She had thought she mentally prepared herself for this, but seeing him made it real. But she needed to be strong.
"Hey Banjo. Since when do you read law books?" Her attempt at a joke was met with her voice pitching a bit at the end. She walked closer to him, unsure if she wanted to be near or if he even wanted her in his space.
"I-- uh--" Well there was a question he
HADN'T been expecting. She looked uncertain. He decided to push through the pain and speak at a normal register. She seemed worried enough already.
"I suppose since high school." He gave his warmest attempt at a smile. He left out the fact he had generally read them to cover his own arse legally in his... 'extra curricular projects'.
Well, looks like his voice is coming back already. Elle thought to herself. The grin still on her face thanks to Banjo's NYC House Colours joke. She stepped in as Calliope followed, but remained standing by the door. The two would surely like a moment to themselves. Which only became clear the moment Elle heard Calliope's true emotions slipping through the cracks in her voicebox. Elle pressed her lips together and began to set Banjo's books down on a table nearby as quietly as she could. She noticed a half-opened package nearby, Strigidae colours peeking out, and smiled softly.
Soon she was standing by the door again, her hand resting on the handle.
"I'm going to step out for a moment, but please feel free to stay as long as you'd like, Calliope." She spoke softly, wondering if the two even noticed her presence anymore.
"I'll be back in ten." Most likely longer than that, but better to let them know they wouldn't be alone for too long. Without waiting for any acknowledgement, Elle stepped out and let the door slowly shut itself.
Calliope turned her head and nodded at Elle as she left. Turning her attention back on Banjo, she continued.
"Would not have guessed that. So...um, how are you feeling? Also, if your voice needs to rest, don't strain it on my account. I don't want you to have to stay here longer than is needed." Her concern warmed him. And truth be told it did still hurt, but dumb machismo and not wanting to worry her more still drove him through most discomfort.
"I'll be alright. They've got some kind of hyperhuman healing specialist coming in to see me tomorrow. Don't expect me to be in here much longer no matter how rough I look for now. They take on whatever ailments I've got left, and then heal 'emselves. Sounds like a pretty rough gig to me."Calli looked around the room, taking it in. She noted the colored uniforms. Right, that would have to be a discussion.
"Did they let you choose your team and house? I stuck with Blackjack, for the record."His smile widened. He'd assumed as much. He didn't see her as the type to cut and run on a hurt mob. Moving on to a more beneficial situation on a dysfunctional team was one thing, abandoning them in the wake of tragedy, though? Didn't fit with what he knew of her.
"Oh yeah." He said.
"Bag there has the house stuff. Picked Strigidae. Tried to guess where you might have landed. At the time I wasn't sure how long I was going to be laid up for. As for Team? That robed prick didn't throw me far enough to have me going anywhere." He chuckled. She still seemed quiet.
"I'm sorry." He said, filling up the silence.
"I kind of wrecked that whole 'wanting to get to know me a bit better' thing, didn't I? Pissed away a good week there.""Sometimes I just... kind of do stuff. The bloke who drove me around between schools told me you tried to stop by. I'm not really used to having anyone give a shit whether I live or die." Then he winced at how that sounded.
"Well, shit. That was kind of melodramatic. I mean... I'm kind of just used to passing through most people's lives. A dot point of an anecdote. You know? Oh the kid who did 'that thing'. Anyway... tried to get word out when I could. Did you see Trace?"Calli's heart fell a bit, hearing Banjo picked Strigidae. That was one of her choices and she refused it. Though if she were being honest with herself, she didn't want to choose a house based on someone else. She was here to learn. Plus, they would still be Team Blackjack.
"Yes, I did. They were the one who told me you were okay and wanted to see me. Granted, they didn't tell me where you were so I was a bit lost until I ran into Elle." Banjo smiled at the mention of Trace passing on his message.
"Also, I picked House Ursus. It made the most sense. But we'll still see each other.""Ah!" He exclaimed, more from surprise than pain or disappointment.
"Weren't one of mine anyway. They'll be lucky to have you, Momma Bear." He gave a cheeky grin.
Calli got a bit closer now,
"Well, buddy, better get used to it. You have a whole team now of people who care about you. Luce was hellbent on seeing you, but she hit the same roadblock I did. And Elle is on Blackjack and she seems to care. Rory. Haleigh. Trevor. They care. I care.""Elle's in--" He furrowed his brow.
"Cass' slot..? Or what exactly did I miss?"He was fine with people making their own decisions, having their own reasons to possibly leave. In fact, the Team Swap was one of the few ideas he could actually fully support the idea of, that this school had. Banjo just didn't consider it likely that anyone would. Figured with Cassander's death it would, if anything, solidify them and make them more adamant to remain. Some kids also went with Hyperion, he'd heard from the Butler, but other than that fact the older man had scant few details.
Calliope would have thought Banjo would have figured some people left. Surely he could imagine one or two of them dropping when given the chance.
"Well, quite a bit, it seems. Elle is on Blackjack. So is Coop. Funny enough, Coop is an old friend of mine. We grew up together. Trace left. Makenna left, though that shouldn't be shocking. She didn't seem to get on with anyone so maybe she'll have better luck in Eclipse. Inigo also left, which also shouldn't be surprising. Haleigh and Trevor were beat up about it and spoke up, but Inigo sort of, kind of....threatened Haleigh at that point? I dunno what's going on with them. I told them to shove it, I think you would have been proud of me, but yeah. Blackjack is split. Also Luce wasn't there so I don't know if she's on our team or got bumped somewhere else, but we got some new faces."Hmm. If Trace left because of the schism that had been caused from how people wanted to deal with Hyperion, that was one thing. But if they were disappointed with their place in Blackjack and figured a new team would have them be closer, he figured Trace might be out of luck there. Trace could be caustic, and whilst they'd both go back and forth at each other, Banjo at least figured both sides at least knew the score and understood what it was. It was more latititude than he figured a lot of people would give them and he generally took it in stride. He couldn't imagine landing in a situation here, miles from home, where Trace'd have some perfect fit. Let alone filling a place on some random team which already had set friendships and cliques. Makenna had been so standoffish, he didn't have a bead on her at all. Aside from her kind of missing the point and sharing her CV whilst sitting 'round the fire. Maybe things got worse this week. Still, Calliope's a good judge of character and he trusted her assessment, particularly with no take on her of his own. And Inigo..? He thought back to how she'd stood up for him that night towards Rory and Inigo...
He smiled. It held warmth, even with his slightly swollen left eye.
"I suspect I probably would've been proud of you." He gathered himself a little, to sit up more as Calliope seemed to edge closer to where he lay, perhaps coming to terms with how he looked in the bed.
"I can think of worse things than replacing people who don't want to be there, with people who do. And Elle's good value. And I'm guessing you can vouch for Coop..."His smile widened still.
Calliope tilted her head,
"You keep smiling at varying intervals. What's up?""Just... that night. You were feeling lonely. I just think it's great that there's someone there you know now. A friend. Takes the pressure off. We can go as fast or slow as we like, and you don't have to worry that you're losing this one person that you're close to, and I don't have to worry that you're only making decisions based on loneliness either. This is good. I'm glad for you."Calliope's smile faltered a bit. It was true that Coop was a nice breath of fresh air amongst total strangers, but she hadn't seen him in so long. Who knew if they still had a connection? How could she tell Banjo that despite the team, despite Coop, despite him...she still felt alone?
"Well, hard to be alone when you have a team full of hot-headed people, present company very much included." Callliope thought for a moment before continuing.
"Did you know I want to be a lawyer? Specifically one who helps Hyperhumans. One who fights for change not just in the United States or Canada, but the world. Obviously, I wouldn't turn down helping non-hyperhumans, but that's my main focus and part of the reason I wasn't too upset about being sent here. I figure being surrounded by others like me and taught by them and about them would give me a leg up."He raised his brow in surprise, unaware that they'd stumbled into somewhat similar career plan paths.
"No, I didn't. But then, we haven't had a whole lot of time to talk since. Again, my bad. It works out well, then. California and New York have pretty much open policy regarding foreign law graduates to take their state BAR exams immediately... New York, you'd have the U.N right there... And it's hard to imagine anywhere else would give you a more serious look in terms of your Hyperhuman law focus bona fides then if you graduated right here. Other states, there can be a few more hoops to jump through depending on where you want to go, maybe D.C..?" He offered, considering Supreme Court, major mover-and-shakers judicial hearings on Hyperhumanity.
"Me, I've never been quite so ambitious. And truth be told, I've never been around so many of... well, I guess, our kind... in my life. I mean, maybe the guy who drives me 'round might be a hyperhuman. He doesn't tell me much. And presumably at least one of my parents was, for whatever that's worth. But there's a lot fewer Hyperhumans back home than there are here, just in general. I'm more-- criminal defense." He wasn't sure how that would sound to Calliope but it was going to come out eventually anyway, so he might as well.
"I kind of have a problem with authority figures picking on vulnerable types. As you might have noticed the other night." He swallowed slightly as he remembered a stuffed stegosaurus hitting the dirt.
"Authority figures don't get much bigger than the State.""So... a budding civil rights attorney, huh? Noble." He said, diverting conversation back away from himself, and re-addressing her plans and goals.
"If I can help one kid not feel like they are alone in this world, then that's enough.""Something tells me you're going to help a Hell of a lot more than just one, though..." He reaffirmed.
Calliope wasn't surprised to hear Banjo was the bad kid growing up, though it seemed more than that.
"Sometimes you have to challenge authority, especially when they are crossing boundaries. I sort of wish I did that, but I had to be this perfect daughter my father wanted.""But sometimes you have to realize you can't do it alone. Going after Hyperion was stupid, idiotic, senseless, and very brave, but you could have been killed like....like Cass." Calliope hadn't yet realized how Cass' death affected her. She felt like out of everyone, she may have had the most positive interaction with him. She had gotten some sense of him and wanted to know more, but that chance was ripped away.
Banjo looked somewhat cowed. It wasn't entirely something he could help. He also didn't like the suggestion that what he did was in anyway brave, but he wouldn't disagree because doing so would almost be to deny Calliope the claim that Cassander was, and who the Hell was he to do that?
...even if he suspected that bravery didn't factor into it for him, just like it didn't for Banjo. It was probably a defense mechanism, from the trauma of the care facilities. Banjo knew dozens of kids just like Cass, even if he didn't know Cassander himself. Quiet, to the point of wanting to be invisible, but with any kind of provocation, quick to violence and self defense, and even quicker to jump in for anyone he viewed as vulnerable. Particularly the girls. He suspected it was this that Hyperion had triggered in him - Hell, targeting the vulnerable had in Banjo - and that Banjo had inadvertantly provided an opening. One which got him killed. If he had any sense in the situation himself, he would have realised that Cass would have responded in exactly the way he did. But when his mouth started flapping, all sense and Banjo were a long way away by then... Riding the waves of his own defense mechanism.
A couple of broken kids washed up from the foster care system.
"It wasn't--" Even with the conscious thought of not wanting to take the brave label away from Cassander, it sat so poorly with him that he still wanted to shake it off, before third-guessing his choice of words.
"I wasn't-- You didn't NOT ACT because you're bound by being this perfect daughter. We moved--" He thought twice and decided to completely remove the speculation towards Cass' thoughts.
"I moved because I wasn't acting... I was reacting. On impulse. There's not much bloody soft about Trace... but he was poking at one such spot. When he went targeting Trace, Haleigh and Rory I was already movin'. But when he picked up that kid with his-- I mean he had a STUFFED FUCKING TOY for fuck's sake--" Banjo's voice went gutteral, it would have hurt like Hell, if he weren't beyond giving a shit by now.
"I wasn't in a field with a terrorist anymore. I was somewhere a long way away, a long time ago..."He took a few seconds to gather himself.
"I don't want you to think for one second-- to blame yourself for one second-- for what he did, or for what I did. Because when Hyperion did that I wasn't even there anymore. There wasn't a force on this Earth that would have stopped me from doing what I did. It's-- It's like programming. The places we grew up... there's no such thing as a good one. Just less bad. And what you can survive through. And after that it just becomes whether you're 'functional' or 'non functional' or can at least pass for it when you come out the other side." He'd slipped a 'we' in there and hoped Calliope wouldn't notice it after the fact.
"Honestly, the last few days I've been awake, I've had a lot of time to dwell on it. And the thing I'm most thankful for is that you weren't right next to me. Because like I said, I wasn't thinking of you at all-- and not because I don't care. But because I just wasn't still there anymore. Not in that way. And with your Dad being who he is... if I drew that psycho's attention to you. The kind of political message he'd probably feel moving on you would make... I don't think that's something I could have forgiven myself for."Calliope listened as Banjo unleashed something that had to be bubbling inside him for a while. Something that she triggered unintentionally. She listened because she needed to. It was a wake-up call. Once he was done, she took a minute to collect her own thoughts. She needed to make it clear she heard him, understood him.
"I don't want you thinking for one second that what you did was anything less than the brave act it was. Whatever the intention, whatever was going through your mind, it doesn't matter. Or it matters because that's how you see it. But you still acted or reacted or whatever. You tried to help. Evil wins when good men do nothing, isn't that the saying? You did something."
"And fuck my father! I don't care anymore. I am doing stuff for myself now. Hyperion hurt us, physically, emotionally, mentally. They need to pay and I will see that they do, because unlike you, when triggered, I faltered. And I have to live with that and people got hurt or traumatized or scared because I couldn't do anything. We both may have had rough childhoods, but it is what we do now that shifts our future. And I don't know about you, but I don't plan on sitting idly by while hateful people try to cause trouble."She backed up a bit.
"You need to rest and I should get going anyway.""Please don't go yet..." He was losing her. She was putting distance between them, both physically and emotionally. Throwing up walls to what he was saying. Unable to accept that his response was anything but a display of courage and her own as anything but failure. He'd touched on a nerve. No. He'd driven a hard shot to one without knowing it. Coupled with the mention of her father, maybe a few nerves.
He turned his head and saw the numbers he'd scrawled on the newspaper. 34 and 35.
"You didn't falter, and I didn't do otherwise. Crack open the Criminal Code over there.""I agree that he needs to be stopped. But the way to do that isn't to try and track this lunatic down and fight him on his turf. Why do you think he came here? Out to that open field, far off campus and away from the H.E.L.P facility? He could target a bunch of new, vulnerable kids, poorly defended in an isolated location. Before any of us could get the training to become any kind of a threat, young... impressionable. We pursue this guy, fight him where he lives... none of us are coming back alive. And even if we did succeed, how does that sound politically? A horde of Hyperhuman kids became this new threat tracking down and taking out the biggest dog on the block. We'd scare the Hell out of people. And in death probably kick off the Hyperhuman/Human war this nutcase has been trying to kick off all his life."Calli saw the book he referenced and picked it up.
"Section thirty-four and thirty-five..."Calli began flipping through the pages, albeit unwillingly.
"Canada has a Castle Doctrine. AND their Criminal Code explicitly lays out positive defences. He killed a student the last time he was on the grounds. What would otherwise be implicit Self defence becomes basically explicit. The only way anyone could convict us is if they literally threw out their own law book." He said with his smirk twisting into that same hooked sneer.
"If he comes here. We can take him out and nobody will say a damn thing, other than he went to the wrong place, messed with the wrong people, got himself in too deep. This isn't an animal you hunt. It's one you trap. He's already proficient in what he does. We're training to be the people who don't falter. Every day we're here, we're a day closer to being the type of people who can bring someone like that down. Who actually act WITH PROPER SITUATIONAL TRAINING. Calli, if I had to, for you, I'd march into Hell and kick the Devil in the balls. But that doesn't make it the smart thing to do. THIS is the smart way to handle it.""Yes, it's in the book. I get your point, even if I do not agree with it.""I'm gonna get well. I'm gonna get strong. I'm gonna get prepared. And if he's stupid enough to show his face around here in broad daylight... I'm gonna put him so deep in the dirt you'd need Haleigh to get him out."Calliope sighed, it seemed Banjo was on the side with the others, going about like it didn't happen. She couldn't sit idly by while a terrorist and traitors roamed freely after harming them and killing one of their own. She would not be the perfect daughter anymore.
"A book can only teach you so much. I am not going to defy anyone or cause chaos for no reason, but I can't stand around waiting for him to show up if he does so. I will also prepare and get strong. And he will regret ever coming to this school."She reached over and gave him back the Criminal Code. He took it and turned, placing it on his side table without looking.
"Yeah, well... If he's at all to be believed, waiting is all its gonna take..."He didn't notice as the door handle started to turn.
"...Before he threw me he told me he was coming back for me."He turned and Elle was standing in the room. The door half closed, only because of the grip she now held on the handle.
Well shit... He thought to himself, but not skipping a beat.
"And I would have told you, if I had any real inkling that you were actually seriously considering joining the team. I'm sorry. I thought you were just joking around. But yeah. It may not be the safest place to be, bein' around me, at the moment going forward." He said to Elle.
"Full disclosure and all-a that."Elle slowly shut the door behind her, but she stood still as Banjo's words sunk in. Her mind began to race. She'd been wondering what intimate words Hyperion and Banjo had shared that night.
"I had half a mind not to tell you, because I didn't want you to worry. But I'm not about to start keepin' stuff from you, Calli." He turned to Calliope.
"I never for a second thought it would make you give a second's thought to leaving Blackjack, but yeah, I don't like the thought of people jumpin' in not knowing that. ESPECIALLY if I made any difference whatsoever in their decision to join.""Have you told anyone else?" Elle asked from where she stood by the door. She slowly moved to stand at the foot of his bed.
"Even if they didn't do any good on the plateau, it would be better if the school's faculty know he plans to return." She shook her head.
"You need a security team here. He could have dropped by anytime this week, and it would've taken too long for any help to get here." Her gut twisted at the thought and her brows furrowed. She wanted to berate him for this, but she also didn't want to hit him while he was down. She couldn't imagine how he was feeling about this. She looked at him for an explanation.
"Who else would I tell? Who else COULD I tell? I've only seen you and Trace. I suspect the school shuffled me off in here to keep me and how I look all hush-hush. And in the five minutes I was outside I already saw the drones flyin' overhead. I think the school's already workin' off the basis that he may well try and come back."As for the rest he remained quiet. He actually didn't mind the isolation of the Special Ward. The way he figured, if Hyperion actually
WAS hellbent on carving a path to his door in here, some hospital security probably wouldn't be enough to get it done, and at least nobody else would be unnecessarily hurt. But he had his doubts about that in the first place.
"Ooo-ooo I'll be back for you later..." It just sounded like something you'd say to an irritant, to never let them get a moment's peace and always have them looking over their shoulder. Hell, it's something Banjo would've said.
But if it kept Calli somewhat patient, and safe. It's a fact he could use. Hyperion did still say it afterall.
However, Calli noticed something. She took pride in her ability to read people. It was a skill she had developed growing up to ensure she could say or do the right things to please everyone around her. Banjo wasn't telling the whole story.
"There's something you aren't telling. I can't force it out of you, but I will let you know if you are doing so for my protection you can stop. I should be able to protect myself and any knowledge of Hyperion or what he may be planning could only help."Once again Banjo found himself marvelling at her. She saw through him like glass. He'd never felt this way about anyone, and he'd never truly felt 'known' by anyone.
She debated if she should inform everyone else. Was it hers to tell?
"Shouldn't the others be made aware? Forget the school for a second, but Blackjack, Firebird, Eclipse, surely they should know what to expect. But this isn't my story to tell."Elle nodded in agreement. Banjo didn't need to hold back just for their protection. Yet she was unsure about telling the teams.
"I don't want anyone to look over their shoulder every day, but I also agree that they should be made aware. That's what I would want, at least." Banjo probably tensed at every set of footsteps outside of his door.
"I think it's up to you to decide if we mention that he threatened you specifically.""You're both right. But for the time being, until I get out at least, let's just keep it quiet. If you start telling people individually, it'll turn into gossip and rumour, and the whole thing will get out of control and go crazy. Before too long it'll snowball and turn into some insane notion that Hyperion declared some crazy vendetta against this place. At the moment, while I'm still stuck in here, the threat's only on me. I can deal with that. As soon as I get out, we'll gather everyone together, all three teams, and we'll tell 'em all at once - with context - and then people can make their own decisions based on that as to what's best for them. Some people'll probably be pissed at me that they went making Team Swap decisions without that knowledge, but I only came 'round yesterday, Trace left anyway, and I haven't had any other chance to see anyone else. Again, Elle, you're the one it really bothers me I didn't say anything to, because I mean we talked, but I had no idea Blackjack was a real option for you. If I'd-- I could've said something."Elle frowned as he finished. She couldn't stand seeing him look so guilty.
"I don't- that wouldn't have made any difference." She tapped her knuckle on his bedframe.
"If anyone gives you any shit for it, send them to me. You shouldn't feel guilty for getting a target put on your own back."Calliope didn't feel right about leaving the chunk of them in the dark, but Banjo and Elle had some points.
"All right, I won't say a word. For now! I don't like thinking Hyperion can attack at any time and we stood on that information."Calli shifted from one foot to the other.
"Did they say how long you'll be in here for? What about classes?"Elle pressed her lips together in response. Calliope had a point as well. She wasn't sure she could stomach it if something happened to Banjo before the rest of the school knew. Yet there had to be some level of awareness that lightning can strike the same place twice. No matter how rarely that occurs.
"The minute I get out, we'll tell 'em. Promise. I don't like the thought of endangering anyone else, either." He was grateful when more questions were asked to get him off the topic.
"Well, they say the specialist's in tomorrow, it's simple enough and I could-- well, I should-- be out then. Most of the usual classes I should be good for. They might give me a week to recover from that physical A.R.C training stuff. I'm looking a bit lean under here. Not much sunlight. Can't really draw juice either anyway just yet, because it'll tear the patch-up job they did on my spleen, and it'd hurt my everything else as well. There's stuff I can do anyway during those sessions. Hell, I might walk Rory through on how my powers work. Might as well do something with the time. Make meself useful. I'm really not bad, Calli. I see this person tomorrow and it'll be like night and day... but yeah, I mean, you can see me. I get that I look rough right now."He worked hard to alleviate her concerns. She'd still seemed somewhat distant this visit, and he chalked it up mostly to his appearance. It wasn't lost on him that his looks were the first thing that attracted him to her. That was probably the reason for the distance. It was probably pretty confronting. Yeah. That was probably it.
Off to the side, on his table, the red hibiscus struggled beneath the bulk of the Canadian Criminal Code. It's once lively petals disturbed, crushed by sheer weight of words.
- - -
Cyberlad
Qia
Half Pint
Festive
mickilennial
AndyC
Sep
Roman
Rockette
Lord Wraith
