Archive World of Darkness: The Academy - Chapter 5: The Loose Thread

[SalmonMax]

Holy shit, Renata thought to herself, wide-eyed where she crouched behind a row of books and peeked between volumes at the fracas playing itself out. Who WAS that science teacher bitch? And were those guards armed?

It was hard to get a good look, but she thought they had leathery-looking things at their sides that could be holsters. And they were trying to arrest? Abduct? Renata wasn't sure, but it was all swirling around this woman that the kids and Ms. Dorn had brought in.

Renata had no idea who she was, or what this was all about...but something about that science teacher bitch made up her mind for her. She didn't trust her, and whatever she was doing it was probably something Renata wouldn't want done.

No need to be stupid about it though. Fists vs gun = not much fun. She needed a weapon...and she thought she might have an idea of where to look for one.

(Action - First, what's the orientation of the bookshelves compared to the science teacher and her thugs? Could Renata try to knock the shelves over on top of them, domino-style? If that's not possible, while staying out of sight of the fight as much as possible, Renata checks the immediate environment for a fire extinguisher canister. I figure libraries, especially older ones, probably have a lot of 'em, so hoping she won't have to go too far to get one. )

[Dawn OOC]

Click to reveal.. (Map)

Click to enlarge.

This is how it looked at the start of this round. I don't know that I'll be updating it, but this gives you an idea - the left-to-right are bookcases, the up-down are two tables.

As Renata dashed off looking for a fire extingusher - which was at the far end of her aisle - the first security guard ignored his lightly bleeding nose and lashed out at Swan.

His fist caught her in the nose and black-blue blood flew into the air. "Doesn't feel so good, does it, bitch!" he roared, keeping his fists up. "That's for Riley!"

[Logic1]

Who the hell was Riley? The longer these "security" people and teacher he'd never seen talked and stayed the less they seemed like school faculty. Ms. Dorn seemed to recognize them, but still...something didn't seem exactly right with the whole situation. They hadn't even been surprised with the odd, to put it lightly, appearance of Swan's blood.

The feeling in his chest continued to well up. It was clear these people were intent on leaving with Swan even though she looked more than reluctant to leave with them. Everett supposed that, as the proverbial cliche goes, they'd have to go through him first.

He ran. As fast as he legs would allow. He ran to put himself between the door they'd come through and those who would exit through it with the unwilling. He attempted to run wide of the evil educator and her minions. 'Here's to hoping' he thought to himself as he bolted.

Click to reveal..

Attempting to run past Ms. Icicle and reach the door to block it.

[Dawn OOC]

Everett's dash wasn't stopped. To 'Mrs. Icicle', it looked like he was trying to get away, so she let him go.

The second guard came at Swan with a brutal kick to the chest. He didn't bounce into the air to do it; he just came from low to high with his foot and left a bootprint on her black jacket. He looked real doing it, realer than any movie or television show, and Swan staggered under the blow, falling against the back of a chair. A silver glint flashed in his right hand as he moved; was the second guard armed?

Click to reveal..

Swan's health: 4B/0L/0A

Guard 1: 1B/0L/0A

Guard 2: 0B/0L/0A

Icicle: 0B/0L/0A

Everett, free Perc+Aware - either put it your previous post, or in a new.

Anyone looking at the second guard's hand, Perc+Aware, difficulty 1 because he's not holding his hands still for you to see what it is.

Ryan is next - you have until 7 pm Wednesday to reply.

[Ryan Jackson]

"What the fuck?" Ryan blurted out as he tried to process the sudden attack. Muscle memory and instinct took over and he unconsciously took up a fighting stance, his training in Kung Fu suddenly dictating his movements. Galvanized by the suddenly fucked up situation Ryan leaped onto the table and lashed out at the security guard. "Drop that thing ... whatever it is!"

Click to reveal..

Ryan's Defense: 3

Dex + Athletics to jump into the table

1d10=9, 1d10=2, 1d10=6, 1d10=2, 1d10=2, 1d10=4, 1d10=6, 1d10=4, 1d10=6 = 1 sux

Str + Brawl to kick Guard #2

4 dice - 3 defense +3 Willpower = 4 dice

1d10.hitsopen(8,10)=0, 1d10.hitsopen(8,10)=0, 1d10.hitsopen(8,10)=0, 1d10.hitsopen(8,10)=1 = 1 sux (stupid IC )

WP 4/5

[Dawn OOC]

A pair of silver handcuffs tumbled out of the guard's hand, and the man stared angrily at Ryan.

Sylvia, you're next.

[Sylvia Dorn]

Sylvia's hand had been on the girl's arm; she felt the shock of impact as Swan was pummeled by the guards, saw the spray of - blood? - as they struck home.

And with that, she snapped.

The gentle hand became a firm grip, and she pulled Swan out of harm's way, interposing herself between girl and guard. Locking her eyes with his, she said in a dead-level voice: "Lay a hand on her again, and you are going to pull back a bloody stump if I have to rip it off with my teeth."

The words coming out of Sylvia's mouth were shocking, especially to her; in all her life, the educator had never thought of saying anything of the sort. But you dreamed it, something whispered from inside. And in a thoroughly disconcerting moment, Sylvia realized that the violent words had felt good.

Click to reveal..

Going for Intimidate again. Intimidate + Presence, with Willpower tossed in and the Feral Heart thing.

(22:13:45) ChatBot: (Sylvia_Dorn) rolls 4d10 and gets 3,5,6,8.

(22:13:53) ChatBot: (Sylvia_Dorn) rolls 3d10 and gets 10,1,6.

(22:13:59) ChatBot: (Sylvia_Dorn) rolls 1d10 and gets 8.

Three successes.

[Dawn OOC]

The guards certainly looked startled. It wasn't often that a such a fervent threat was delivered by such a non-threatening woman.

Sean is next; you have until Thursday at 7:00 p.m.

[Tatiana di Jadzian]

Sean was shocked, stunned. These guys weren't even trying to restrain Swan, instead going to straight to a full beating. Swan moved behind, pleading for his protection, but before he had a chance to reassure her, one of men punched her in the face and the other kicked her in the chest, knocking her to the ground.

Fury assailed him, adrenaline surging through his veins like liquid fire. The colour of Swan's blood didn't register, not as something important. All that mattered was that here were two large men, and they had attacked a girl, one that as far as he knew, had done nothing, other than having been assaulted already.

You don't hit girls! You just... don't.

Unlike Ms. Dorn, he didn't bother with a threat. Bullies usually didn't respond to words to well. You had to show them that you wouldn't back down. Sean intended to show them quite graphically the error of their ways.

The guards eyes on the oddly disconcerting academician after her rather detailed threat, Sean pulled back his left hand, balling it tight into large fist. He paused for a split second, then with a grunt of fury and effort, twisted around, adding torque to the devastating uppercut he launched at the jaw of the man who had kicked Swan to floor.

Click to reveal.. (Uppercut of Doom)

Spending a point of something to activate something.

All Out Attack (No Defense for the rest of the round)

Spending Willpower (3/4)

Uppercut of Doom!

Strength + Brawl(Boxing) + All Out + Willpower - Defense = 5 + 5 + 2 + 3 - 3 = 12d10

Uppercut of Doom: 12d10.hitsopen(8,10)= 8 successes

+Body Blow (If successes inflicted in a single Brawl attack equal or exceed a target's Size, the victim loses his next action)

Sean straightened next to Ms. Dorn, adding his muscular bulk to the wall of flesh in front of Swan, fists knotted at his sides, face and arms flushed with rage. He felt strung tight, like a bow-string, almost vibrating.

"That's for the kick. Back. The fuck. Off! Or you'll get some too," he roared. His voice sounded strange to his ears, but over the sound of blood rushing in his ears, he couldn't have said how.

[Dawn OOC]

The guard's head snapped back and he dropped to the floor. The teacher didn't hesitate to act. "Kotyaer, n'tess uuvanimo!" The gray-hair teacher shouted that forcefully and flung her hand out at Swan. The woman gasped and then froze, her body going stiff.

"This matter is over!" she snapped fiercely at the students. "Disperse and return to your rooms, or face disciplinary actions."

Click to reveal..

End of round, Swan can't act

Renata is up, you have until Sunday at 7 p.m. to reply

[SalmonMax]

Keeping an ear on the ruckus, Renata hurried to the end of the shelves and spied the gleefully red canister strapped to the edge of an archway into some other wing or branch or whatever the hell libraries had. The straps were some kind of heavy nylon or something, but they were cinched tight with regular old buckles. On each she worked the tongue loose and wiggled the buckle open and in no time at all she was cradling the heavy tank and hose in her arms like a newborn baby.

She grinned an evil little grin as she started back towards the fight in the main area. This was gonna be good.

(Actions: Grab fire extinguisher and hurry back as far as possible.)

[Dawn OOC]

The first security guard took a step back from the crazy teacher and violent kids. His hand went to his holster and yanked out a weapon. While it was hard to tell exactly what it was, it had that definite weapon-feel to it.

"Mrs. Pritchard, go!" he shouted, trying to move in defense of Mis. Icicle.

Click to reveal..

Feel free to roll Perc+Awareness Wits+Composure to see what he's got. Or you can be like Ryan and kick it out of his hand regardless.

Everrett is next - you have until 7 p.m. Tuesday to reply

[Logic1]

They were looking to exit. That was his cue. There was no way they could let them leave when there were so many questions to be answered that these people clearly had the answers to. And where was the justice in pummeling an unarmed, injured woman? The second guard reached for something Ev noted as he moved himself into position. The sound of wind filled and rushed past his ears as he moved. He stopped on a dime in the guards path as he took up his position in defense of the 'teacher'. Everett drew back his fist and drove it into the face of the guard for all he was worth. His fist was met with fleshy resistance upon arrival.

Click to reveal..

Spending a point to activate Ev's thing.

Moving to the second security guard and attacking

Strength(3) + Brawl(4) + Willpower(3/4)=10d10

1d10=8, 1d10=2, 1d10=8, 1d10=6, 1d10=2, 1d10=5, 1d10=5,1d10=8,1d10=9, 1d10=10

popping 10 1d10=8

4 sux

Wits(2) + Composure(2)=4d10

1d10=6, 1d10=4, 1d10=8, 1d10=10,

popping 10 1d10=2 2 sux

[Dawn OOC]

The guard shook his head and scowled. "I was gonna be nice," he snarled, glaring at Everett.

Click to reveal..

Swan's health: 4B/0L/0A, incapitated

Guard 1: 3B/0L/0A

Guard 2: 8B/0L/0A, unconscious

Icicle: 0B/0L/0A

Security #2 is down, Ryan is up! You have until Monday at 7 p.m.

[Ryan Jackson]

From atop the table Ryan all but smirked, "Yeah, you were gonna, shame that you decided instead to be an asshole." Ryan lashed out again with a quick kick at the second surly officer.

Click to reveal..

Ryan's Defense: 3

Str + Brawl to kick Guard #1

4 dice - 3 defense +3 Willpower = 4 dice

1d10.hitsopen(8,10)=1, 1d10.hitsopen(8,10)=0, 1d10.hitsopen(8,10)=1, 1d10.hitsopen(8,10)=1 = 3 sux/damage bi-yotch!

WP 3/5

[Dawn OOC]

The kick to his head staggered him and the guard nearly fell. He somehow kept to his feet, though he wasn't sure how.

Click to reveal..

Swan's health: 4B/0L/0A, incapitated

Guard 1: 6B/0L/0A

Guard 2: 8B/0L/0A, unconscious

Icicle: 0B/0L/0A

Jason is up! You have until Tuesday at 7 p.m.

[Rorx]

Jason moved forward, considering the sheated sword, but instead settling for kick to the hapless guard's groin.

"You may try to order the kids around lady, but you've got two staff opposing your actions and attitude as well. I think you have some questions to answer as well, since you seem to know this womans name when she doesn't."

Click to reveal..

STR 3+ Brawl 3 =6 - 3 defence +3 Willpower = 6 dice

(12:38:21) ChatBot: (Jason) rolls 6d10 and gets 5,9,5,2,5,1.

1 sux/damage

[Dawn OOC]

The kick took the fight out of the guard and he collapsed, holding himself in a pose of supplication. It was clear though that all he wanted was for the pain to end.

Next up: Frida. You have until Saturday at 7 p.m. to respond. If you don't have anything to do or add, please post here or in the combat thread to let us know not to wait for you. Mrs. Icicle/Prichard will be acting on her turn, and she's not done yet.

[Frida Ricci]

Other people might be horrified by the scene unfolding before them, and maybe Frida was. It was hard to tell though, the young woman's normally calm composure disguising the depth (or lack) of strong emotions as usual. She merely stood, staring at the scene with wide-eyed surprise as she clutched the tube with the drawings, ready to bolt if necessary.

Click to reveal..

Holding action.

[Sylvia Dorn]

This was all unfolding a good deal faster than Sylvia had expected. She'd hoped that the levied threat would serve to stave off these rent-a-cops and their abuse of authority. Instead, all hell had broken loose; blows had been exchanged, Swan was bleeding (something) and now in some sort of shock, and the two security flunkies were on the ground. Meanwhile, Mrs. Pritchard glared in a way that make the younger educator want to do something unprofessionally violent to her.

But looking around, with the cops down and the students standing, attacking a middle-aged woman just wasn't on the menu. Instead, Sylvia planted herself squarely in front of her and said, "I think that's enough. This would be a really good time to explain yourself."

[Dawn OOC]

"I owe you no explanation, Ms. Dorn," Mrs. Pritchard said haughtily. There was no time for her to say more, but the name suddenly registered with Sylvia. As Jason also recognized it, Sylvia knew where she'd heard the name before: Constance Pritchard was a member of Dalton Academy's Board of Directors. While most students thought that the Headmaster was the actual leader of the Academy, the true decisions were made by the Board. Sylvia and Jason had met only one; Ronald Metcalf was the Chair of the Hiring Committee and had been one of the five people brutally grilling them during their interviews.

Click to reveal..

Sylvia's Int+Aca sux: 2

Jason's Int+Aca sux: 2

Both of them know the information given above.

Ravi, you're up. Sean, you're up. You have until 7 pm on Monday.

[Tatiana di Jadzian]

"The Hell you don't!" Sean growled, muscles still tensed, thick veins standing in stark relief running the length of his thick arms. Stormy eyes of blue-grey stared at Ms. Pritchard, wide and wary.

The woman had said something and Swan had fallen to the ground as if someone had hit an off switch. Was she like a sleeper agent - Bourne - or something, with implanted trigger words? Doesn't matter, not the colour of her skin or... or the colour of her blood or anything. She's a girl and asked for our help.

"Me and Ryan found her outside, attacked and hurt, and you're treating her like the victimizer, not the victim here. Fuck that." Sean knelt by Swan's side and with the hem of his shirt, gently wiped the dark blood from her nose. Seeing her battered face, he inhaled sharply - her solid black eyes were open and he could feel Swan, awake and aware, studying him with her fathomless gave. What the hell did that hag do to her? It's like she cut her strings. Swan's no puppet! He gave her a tight nod and an assuring grin, then carefully worked his arms beneath her, cradling her in his strong embrace and smoothly got back to his feet. With the righteous wrath of a furious teen still heating his blood, Swan weighed no more than a feather to him.

"You don't want her here, fine. We'll go." Sean began heading for the entrance, walking wide around Ms. Pritchard, the girl - odd as she was - held protectively in his arms.

[Dawn OOC]

Mrs. Pritchard stared at Sean, her eyes wide. Suddenly, she laughed, but Sean got the feeling that it wasn't about something funny. "Very well, young amazon," she said, smirking. "If you wish to clasp the snake to your bosom, be my guest."

She moved to Sean's side quickly, surprisingly so. Her hand reached out and clasped Swan's shoulder, and the woman muttered something. Sean jerked Swan back, scowling, but Pritchard made no effort to stop him. Instead, she stepped back and gave Sean room to exit.

Click to reveal..

Combat's over unless someone wants to attack someone.

[Sylvia Dorn]

Mrs. Pritchard, Sylvia thought, has gone around the bend.

Of course, voicing that probably wouldn't help matters worth a damn. Nor would what she did consider voicing: that the rest of the Board of Directors would be hearing about this incident and just how exactly one of their members decided to see to the attack of an injured girl.

Instead, she simply looked to the remaining students and, in a curt tone, said, "Let's go." With that, she followed Sean and Swan out of the building. Only after she was out the door did the adrenaline wear off, and a case of the shakes set in.

[Ryan Jackson]

Ryan did a forward flip off the table and walked out behind Sean. "I don't like this. We just kicked the asses of two of the security guards and now she's all ready to let us go? What the hell is going on here?" he asked whomever happened to be listening.

[Tatiana di Jadzian]

Sean looked at Mrs. Pritchard askance. Riiiiight... Okay, she's gone batty, senile. "You're nuts."

Sean took the space Mrs. Pritchard offered and hustled out of the library, keeping a wary eye on the administ-bitch. Outside, Sean took a deep breath then looked down at the woman in his arms. At Ryan's question, he looked around and shrugged.

"I don't know, don't have a fuckin' clue. But I'm not gonna give that bitch another chance st Swan." He gave Swan a concerned look. "Swan, are you okay? I'll gonna bring you to my mother's house, it's empty right now, okay? Unless you remember where you come from or where your home is." Sean shifted his arms to make Swan more comfortable, then began heading towards student parking. "If you can't talk yet, blink once for yes, twice for no."

[SalmonMax]

Creeping up from behind, fire extinguisher in hand, Renata paused in surprise to see the two bruisers down and the professor or whoever letting the other ones go. Suddenly feeling stupid, she quickly backed up a bit to avoid notice and set the canister down. So much for the cavalry...still, she lingered a little longer, wondering what the science professor would do with her two unconscious bodyguards.

[Logic1]

Everett shook out his hand and walked out the door with his fellows. "Well...we just kicked the shit out of two security guards in front of another staff member. Swan's okay, but are we?"

As he walked past Ryan he patted him on the back, "nice moves ninja warrior" he made his way to Sean and Swan. "How's she doing?" he asked.

[Dawn OOC]

As the students and staff filed out of the room, past the smiling Mrs. Pritchard, all of them had the uneasy sense they were being watched by unknown forces. They were, of a sorts, though few would categorize Renata as a ‘force’.

The girl remained silent and still as Mrs. Pritchard watched them leave. When they were gone, the older woman’s confident smile fled. “Damnation,” she growled, walking forward briskly to stand near her fallen men. “Useless.” She waved her hand in a negligent gesture, and the men collapsed into piles of sticks and straw. Muttering under her breath about some materials, Mrs. Pritchard spun on her expensively attired heel and marched from the room.

Ryan’s question wasn’t easily answered; no one seemed to know what was going on, but all could tell something was.

Swan blinked once and a tear trailed down her cheek. She closed her eyes then, her skin darkening with a bluish tint. Sean began to carry her to the car, but halfway there, she began to move. Her eyes opened and she shifted her head a little, looking down at her hands. As the others watched, her fingers began to twitch and curl.

“Better, I think,” Sean said to Everett.

Swan said hoarsely, “I can move some.” She looked intently at her hands, then smiled when they balled into fists. “Who was that? Why was she hunting me?” she whispered to her saviors.

[Sylvia Dorn]

Sylvia frowned. "The 'who' is one Mrs. Constance Pritchard, a member of the governing board of Dalton Academy. As to the 'why', that I can't say for certain."

Her brow furrowed, considering the situation. With the heat of the moment passed, there was no doubt that the fresh stains on the girl's face were her blood. Between that and the tint of her skin, something was very, very wrong here. What was it that the harridan had said to Sean? "Very well, young amazon. If you wish to clasp the snake to your bosom, be my guest." It was a bizarre comment; whatever else the young man might be, it was not an Amazon. But the girl....

"Swan, do you have any memory - any at all - of where you might be from? I remember you saying that the library was like a king's house; are there kings where you call home? Or possibly queens?"

[Dawn OOC]

Swan shook her head, a slow, uneven movement that hurt to watch. "Only a rich man could afford so many books. Only a king would dare display them so openly, without guards at his doors and windows," Swan said softly, her speech slowly getting better the more she talked. "But... I don't know how I know that, or why it is different for you." Her eyes drifted shut and she leaned a little harder on Sean, almost curling against him.

[Tatiana di Jadzian]

Sean held her close, wiping the tear from her cheek and continued on to student parking. Trying to keep his strides smooth so he didn't jostle her, Sean looked at the others, mouthing, 'What the hell?'

Reaching his jeep, Sean carefully maneuvered to get his keys out of his pocket and held them dangling from a finger for someone to take. "Can someone get the door and tilt back the seat for me? I'm serious, I'm not staying here to let that bitch have another shot at Swan." Sean kept his voice low, but emphatic. "My mom's house is empty, you guys are all free to head over there with me, we can talk there."

[Ryan Jackson]

"Yeah, sure," Ryan dashed ahead, breaking away easily and opened the car door and moved the seat forward and forward. "I've never had any problem leaving this place when I wanted, or thought it was a good lark." He glanced at Ms. Dorn as he spoke, watching for some reaction from her. Ryan's tricks were well known to the staff and anybody who'd been at Dalton previously, the powers that be had ceased trying to keep him in and instead focused on better being able to track him down to bring him back after his Thanksgiving escape the year before.

[SalmonMax]

For at least a minute after Pritchard left, Renata was pinned behind the shelves as surely as a bug in a bug collection was pinned to a cardboard backing. Her wide-eyed gaze was riveted to the collection of trash on the floor.

That trash had been men.

There was a feeling in her head, like it was a giant balloon in a windstorm, tugging violently at the chains that held it down. The chains, unfortunately, were her sanity though. They had to be, because if men could dissolve into sticks and straw, then the world was insane. Anything could happen, at any time, for any reason. Up was down and hot was cold and nothing mattered anymore.

Dorn! This all had something to do with Professor Dorn! Her and that other girl, the one they were helping! She'd be able to explain all this!

Renata came out from behind the shelves and grabbed a double handful of the grass and twigs that had been left behind by the dissolution of the two men, then whirled and charged out of the library at a full-paced run that would have earned her a temporary banning if a librarian had seen it.

Dorn could make the world make sense again. Dorn and that woman. And they would. Renata would see to that.

[Sylvia Dorn]

Ryan's bit of snark earned him a dark glare from Sylvia, but it was a mere shadow of her usual level of deathly gaze. It was also short-lived, as she nodded at Sean.

"All in all, I think that's probably a good idea. And I think I'll be joining you, at least for a few hours; I do have a house to keep an eye on, even if a fair number of my charges are standing right here. I'll follow you out."

She turned, pulling keys out of her pocket to head to her car, only to see Renata running at a full clip from the library, apparently with lawn clipping in hand. Concern creased her features as she dashed to intercept the dashing youngster. "Renata? Are you alright?"

[SalmonMax]

"Where is she?!" Renata demanded, coming to a full stop in front of the professor. "That girl you had in the library!"

She shook the sticks and straw angrily in Dorn's face, then threw it on the ground.

"And explain to me what the deal with THIS stuff is?!"

Under her apparent furiousness there was an undercurrent of desperation to Renata's words.

[Sylvia Dorn]

Why is she waiving sticks and grass in my face? Has everyone lost their mind today? Her own grip on reality was starting to slip, she realized, but she would not go quietly into madness.

"To answer your last question first," Sylvia said in a careful and questioning tone, "that would appear to be yard waste, and I'm at a loss to explain why it is important to you. As to the other matter, we're taking the girl - and you, if you care to come along - to a house off-campus."

[SalmonMax]

"No," Renata corrected, "THAT is what the two men you guys beat up turned into! The science teacher went over to them, and they just...like melted into leaves and grass and wood!"

"So I want to know what is going on! Because I saw those guys moving and talking...and...and..."

For a second she looked down at the garbage she'd thrown, her train of thought having run out of track. In that moment her anger broke, and her face betrayed an anxiety so deep as to be close to tears. Then Renata remembered, and that flash of openness slammed shut...

"...and it's all because of HER! She's the one Science Bitch wanted! If you don't know then she must! Where is she!"

[Tatiana di Jadzian]

Sean nodded his thanks at Ryan then tenderly laid Swan down in the backseat of his Wrangler. He reached over her and pulled out a couple of blankets from trunk, something to pillow her head and give Swan a little more comfort.

Looking down at Swan, Sean's face was a thunderhead. Sure, his dad may have missed a lot of his games and such, but he had still had taught him values and one of the strongest was 'you don't hurt women.' Looking as Swan, he didn't see a freak or an alien or whatever had black blood, all he saw was a girl, injured and lost, who had asked for his help.

"Ryan, you mind staying in the back with Swan while I drive?" Sean asked as he reached over to unlock the other door.

"Not a problem, man." Ryan climbed in beside Swan with the nimble grace of a lanky monkey, propping her legs up on his lap.

Sean clicked the seat back in place and was about to slide in behind the wheel when he heard Ms. Dorn speaking to someone, though the distance was making what was being said indistinct. Standing up on sideboard, holding onto the open frame of the Wrangler, Sean looked over his vehicle and saw Ms. Dorn talking to an agitated Renata. Maybe she has news, saw what that cow - that Mrs. Pritchard - is up to.

Sean plopped down in the seat, and started the Jeep. So his surprise, instead of a cough, a rattle, and a grunt, the engine started with a bare whisper. Easing slowing out of the parking space, Sean coasted up to Ms. Dorn and Renata, the other students who hadn't followed Ms. Dorn walking alongside his Jeep.

He looked a question at Renata and Dorn, then leaned over and pulled the handle, the passenger door creaking open several inches. "I have room for one more, if anyone else if coming. It's down in Denver, a little over an hour away," he offered to those milling around, willing to leave.

[Sylvia Dorn]

Sylvia wasn't a person who showed shock easily. On the surface, her reaction to Renata's claim was just a series of rapid blinks. Beneath, however, she was screaming for a handhold on what remained of reality.

More as an exercise in stability than anything else, she said, "Let's discuss this on the road, once we're away from the campus. Miss Hodges, you should ride with me. Miss Ricci, Mr. FitzCoventry, why don't you come along in my car as well? Mr. Cassidy, can you take the rest, please?"

She didn't wait for answers; her questions were the sort that were more mandates than anything else. Instead, she escorted Renata to her sedan, climbed in, and - once everyone was seated - pulled out behind Sean so that he could lead the way.