Tala

Tala-Chapter Three

"You're just tired, Tala."

"No, Niko you don't understand! What if I was brainwashed, or something-" Tala claimed, exasperated.

"Tala, listen to me. There is no way that technology could exist. And even if it does, the government owns it." Niko replied.

"Niko, the government owns all the technology. All the rights to it. I am sure it's a thing. But there must be some way to reverse it." Tala exclaimed. Niko blinked in confusion. "Maybe if I revisit my old school, or places I loved-"

"Aight, Okay, But we'll do it tomorrow," Niko said, clearly giving up. "How about we do a Marvel movie marathon?" She suggested. And with that, Tala hopped on the couch. They put on the first iron man and binged from there, popcorn and fuzzy blankets.
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Tala woke to the end of Infinity War. That movie still made them tear up. It was out since before they were born, and it was their favorite of all the marvel movies. The credits played and up came the Marvel intro to Infinity War part two. Niko's head lolled on their shoulder, leaned up against them in a way where they couldn't move. Tala expertly moved away and placed a stack of pillows where Niko's head was as to not wake her. They walked into the kitchen, trying to be as quiet as possible.

Niko woke to the smell of pancakes. Tala was a pancake making GOD.

"Chocolate chip banana pancakes for my one and only?" Tala asked, leaning over the couch with a stack of the steaming "cakes".  They gave Niko a kiss on the cheek before heading back towards the kitchen for their own plate of pancakes.

"So, what's the game plan?" questioned Niko, scarfing down her food like it was the end of the world.

"I was thinking we could flick through my old yearbooks first, see what we can find," replied Tala. "It's a start-" Niko had already hopped up and started going through a box. It was the wrong box, of course, as Tala had placed all their school memories away in a secret place. Tala went upstairs and pulled out her high school yearbooks. "Niko, I got 'em!" they hollered. Niko vaulted onto the couch. Tala spread the various albums on the table. They picked up the first book and flipped to her class. Niko gasped, eyes wide. Tala's face was x-ed out in black ink, scribbled over so violently it might have broken the page. But, there was also something else. A few pages later, there was a rip. It was calculated, though. It was aimed to tear out one person, on the end, name, picture, all of it. Like this picture was dangerous. Niko picked up the next yearbook. Same condition, with the scrawled lines and rips. It was the same for the final two as well. But then, they had an idea.

"Why don't we head to the school?"
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The couple hailed a cab and sped off to Tala's old high school, Kingside Creek. Kingside, as it was called, was no palace. A better name would've been "Peasants Creek," as the school itself was run down and in shitty condition. Upon arriving, the couple noticed something. Niko gasped. Tala was far less surprised. The place they had spent four years had just been toppled like a house of cards. Rubble lied everywhere from the demolition crew. Without saying a word, they got back into the cab and headed home.
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"That.. was less than disappointing." Niko sighed. Tala didn't expect there to be anything useful anyways. They had just hoped that someone would've been there.

Wait.

Someone who was there. "Hey, Niko," Tala called, "Can you look up the phone number of Lapidus Ivory?" She opened a laptop and searched him up. Tala punched in the number. The phone rang twice before he picked up.

"Hello? This is Lapidus Ivory speaking." he said, sounding like the phone was a peephole he couldn't see through.

"Mr. Ivory! It's Tala. Tala Sever?"