Convergence

Chapter 15

Annabelle and Allafair decided it would be best to gain as much information as possible in regard to an escape plan, so they summoned the rest of the agents to a corner of the warehouse. Allafair wandered about the large room in search of Melline. Despite Annabelle's kind offers to find Melline herself, Allafair knew he should be the one to speak with her no matter how much he dreaded facing her again.

When he found her, she was sitting against a wall, staring blankly at the floor as she drummed her fingers against her knees. Her eyes were bloodshot from a mix of crying and lack of rest, which made it all the more painful for Allafair to approach her. One of his weaknesses from before she left was watching her cry. It always brought out his compassion. Gently, he spoke to her. "We're meeting to go over an escape route," he said.

Melline nodded absently, still staring at the floor. "You sure you want a monster over there? All I seem to be capable of is causing chaos," she said.

The statement hurt Allafair, but before he could respond, a voice carried across the room from where the other agents were already together. It sounded angry or frustrated. He also knew the voice to be Eloise. "Just come, okay?" Allafair said to Melline before heading back. He began at a jog, hoping that he could arrive in time to keep another war from breaking out between Eloise and whoever might rival her.

"You don't realize the gravity of the situation, do you?" Eloise asked Gregory as they discussed their options. "Our only way out is to help Crockett, whether you like it or not."

"Well, Miss High-n-Mighty, not all of us are as infinitely brilliant as you are. Forgive us for our sins," Gregory said, rubbing his forehead with his middle finger and thumb. "We just refuse to give in to the Big Bad Wolf so soon. Is that so bad? What is wrong with putting up a fight?"

"There's no fight to be fought! It should be obvious to you by now!" Eloise insisted. Annabelle flinched when Eloise's voice rose, knowing that she and Gregory would soon begin another of their arguments.

"Oh, because you told us? Is that it? You don't like that none of us take your opinion to heart like your old chums would? I apologize, Miss Hamm. Your inability to have any human emotion besides self-interest does not ignite a firm sense of trust," Gregory replied frankly. It was quite obvious that lack of sleep had caused his disrespect for Eloise to grow in intensity.

Eloise sent a dark and piercing glare in Gregory's direction. Her hands clenched tightly into fists, she stormed over to him and grasped him by the collar with an alarming firmness. Without speaking, she thrust him from the chair he had seated himself in and he tumbled to the floor. "You prat! Don't you know when to shut up!? I swear I'd kill you right now if I didn't have any sense of humanity. You can't just accept the facts, can you? Everything's got to be as you want it, and you won't accept anything less!" she screeched at him.

"Eloise, that's enough!" Allafair shouted, running towards her as he finally reached them. Melline trailed behind him quietly, seating herself upon a crate that sat a good distance from the rest of the group.

"Listen to the man," Gregory said, his face pressed to the cold floor.

"I refuse to have anything more to do with him," Eloise said, her voice trembling with anger.

"The feeling is most definitely mutual," Gregory grumbled from the floor. He now lay on his back, his eyes closed as he sprawled across the ground. "Is the burning sensation in my eyes what sleep feels like? I've forgotten..."

"Eloise, he's exhausted, can't you see that?" Allafair said, attempting to reason with her.

"Exhausted and lacking any decency that a man of his age should have," Eloise argued.