Chapter Text
Soft notes of conversation carried through the old drafty house that the mysterious benedict society had claimed as home. One of these conversations unfolding between a Reynard Muldoon and Sticky Washington. Through old, crackling intercoms the two young men chatted aimlessly while they worked. Sticky attempting a recreation of duskwart while Reynie stared out of his large third floor window: an average hand tirelessly turning the knob on one of his six radios. Time slipped by as the boy's day continued like this, before a crackling voice, shrouded by static snapped them both from their focus and droning discussion. Reynies hand immediately stilled. his wooden office chair whipping around to face the large desk to his left. Leaning close, he listened to a inmistakeable voice. Ledropthia Curtain —previously known as Nathaniel Benedict— the "machinator" as Number Two had put it, of the emergency, the learning institute for the very enlightened, and the childrens suffering. Now the inventor of a new challenge for the society, actively being unveiled by the conversation between him and his Ten Men. Words, phrases, terms, and names grated the young men's ears. Such as "Garrison", "Child", "Tremendous", and a few choice words of extreme annoyance came from the radio, mixed with McCrakens replies of equal distaste, before the static that filled the endless negative space of radio frequency returned. Reynard just stared at the radio for a good minute, as though that would bring the voices back. Doctor Curtain is in jail. Reynie firmly assured himself. He is in jail. Not only jail, he's in the K.E.E.P, an incredibly secure facility. He has no access to radios. None. "Sticky, Did you catch that?". The average young man asked his friend, still watching the radio. Half hoping Sticky would confirm the voices were but a delusion born of paranoia. "..Yeah. I heard." Sticky replied in a shaky tone. This let down only elicited a small "Oh." A beat of tense silence passed before the boy's chairs scraped the wooden floors. Both marching straight down the stairs and to Mr. Benedict's study.
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It took mere moments (7 minutes) for the children —Kate, Constance, Sticky, and Reynie— to be stuffed into the back of an old station wagon, Rhonda Kazembe serving as their driver, and Number Two in the passengers seat, yelping out directions. The competent sisters had easily cycled through public records and collected data, locating the one name shared multiple times throughout the broken transmission: Garrison. A known foe amongst the society. The woman was nearing the absolute inhumanity of Ledropthia after her previous abduction and attempted dissection of Constance Contraire, the society's prized (yet mildly disliked) telepathic member. While the car navigated old roads and bumpy fields, Reynie and Sticky explained in better detail to their friends, what had happened that lazy afternoon. "Okay, let me get this straight.." Kate began, distracting her fidgety hands with the task of tying her blonde hair up. "You're positive it was Curtain on that transmission- but how? The only way he could send messages would be through the K.E.E.P's telephones, and he's even restricted from those. SQ told us so-" Her voice was questioning, if not a little confused. The remaining three just nodded. "I'm not sure- maybe he got a hold of one of the gaurds radios?" Sticky suggested, clearly distressed in tone and body. "No." Reynie immediately cut in. "He couldn't have-" He assured his friends, and himself. "This makes no sense." Constance blurted, pretty much speaking for all of them. She was quite unhappy, squished between Reynard and Kate, Sticky held to Kate's lap because the little girl had refused to be.
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"We should be nearing her location soon!" Number Two's shrill voice informed the children as she tried —and failed— to straighten out the ginormous map in her hands. Peering out of the windows, the society could view their surroundings: A big span of forest to the very west of Stone town. The sun was just reaching past noon, giving them only a few hours between now and night. They drove through the shore bordering the forest for lack of a trail. The sound of grinding sand audible under the squeaky green station wagon. Kate rolled down the window a bit, letting the musky, salty scent of the Atlantic ocean. "Not a bad spot for a secret lab" She commented, gazing around the shore. "Oh, really?" Constance muttered, annoyed by the fact Kate was indirectly complimenting a woman who had almost killed her. Rhonda parked the wagon against a large group of rocks, the best option available for hiding the green car. The group exited the car, while Rhonda and Number Two retrieved their supplies from the trunk, the children attempted to devise a plan based off what little knowledge they had about the situation. "What do you think they want with Doctor Garrison?" Sticky inquired, reaching to polish his glasses. Not from stress, but from the salty spray the large waves produced while crashing against the rocks that they stood against. which's spray stuck to the glass of his spectacles. "..I'm not entirely sure" Reynard replied. "They had mentioned a child, maybe Constance?" "Or Tai" The red head interjected. "Could be him too." Reynie agreed "Or maybe there's another child we don't know about, perhaps a former student from the Institution!" Kate suggested, her bright blue eyes only amplified by the cool toned setting. "I doubt it, but still possible." Sticky mumbled, not fond of the idea of yet another child in their care. Since their introduction to Tai, the young boy had been taken in by his recently recovered Aunt Claire. He visited with her from time to time, but was now busy — enrolled in a private school. "Ready?" The two sisters questioned, breaking the society from their hypothetical conversation. Number Two, armed with her yellow baton and Rhonda with a stun gun. Reynard gave his friends a questioning look, searching for objections, before nodding in agreement.
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The society began their short trek through the thick, damp, foggy forest. Kate checking and rechecking her newly fortified bucket, Constance munching on trail mix she got from god knows where, and Sticky —aswell as Reynie— theorizing on possible approaches and methods. They finally found their way to a long abandoned warehouse that looked more like a barn. The holes in its wood patched with rusting metal plates, its door fortified with equally rusted chains. As they approached, Rhonda's watchful gaze spotting a Ford hidden in the bushes, signifying the barn was most likely inhabited. "You think this is it? It looks like a dump-" Constance voiced. "Well do you recognize it?" Sticky asked, his voice terse. "You're the only one that's been here, Constance." Rhonda and Number Two shared wary glances at his clear annoyance. "Don't talk to me like that, George. I know the most about Garrison here-" The young girl seethed. "Guys, guys- lower your voices!" Kate reminded, doing little to lower her own —naturally loud— voice. "You even said that-" Constance began to retort, before Reynie shushed the three. A rustling coming from the door of the barn, a familiar glimpse of slicked back ginger hair catching their attention. "That was definitely Garrison" Kate confirmed, eyes narrowed. Number Two agreed, the duo nodded, watching the barn door.