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Break time was loud, unruly, but blessed. 750 middle schoolers let loose through the school building which was most likely not built for such a situation. The sound volume was rivaling primary school recess’, even without the games typically found there. Good thing most students had gotten rid of their habit of running around like children – or, if not, were rapidly caught by the hall monitors. Otherwise, the place would have rapidly turned into chaos.
It was bliss.
John Marsh was beginning to wonder, though, if the fifteen minutes break hadn’t been put in place to artificially lengthen the school day. He had been bored to hell and back during that last history lesson and the conversation his friends were having right now was not interesting him in the slightest. All he wanted to do was go through that last period of class, get out of there and finally head hom-
Hm? His phone was buzzing.
“What is it, John?” One of the other teens asked, noticing him pulling his device out.
The caller ID read… ‘Mr. Edgeworth'? What could the prosecutor who had proved the truth about his father possibly want?
“Hey, you know we’re not supposed to have them turned on. You’ll get caught!” The boy protested and John refrained himself from scowling. They were all looking at him now.
“I don’t care. Keep watch for me.”
He heard one of his friends jokingly say that ‘Johnny boy was too VIP for the common folks now’ as he stepped away. He placed himself near a wall next to the lockers, the hand holding his phone obscured from the adults’ view by his body. It was hardly concealing his act but it would have to do.
He answered the call.
“Yeh?
-John? Miles Edgeworth speaking.
The stoic and slightly posh voice was unmistakable. He was speaking to the real deal.
“Mr. Edgeworth? I’m at school right now, I’m not supposed to be on my phone.
-So you’re at school? I’m glad to hear that.”
John frowned. He seemed genuine. But why would he…
Focusing on the background noise, he could hear people talking near the prosecutor. They seemed… Relieved? Happy? It was certainly buzzing around on the other end of the line.
“Why are you calling me?” His question came snappier than intended.
“John, I have… bad news. Terrible news.”
His stomach sunk.
He wasn’t dumb. If Edgeworth had called him instead of his mother… even if she was extremely strict about phone usage during his school hours…
“Y-yeh?” He asked, his voice wavering.
“Blaise Debeste has broken out of jail. We’ve been unable to get in contact with Ms. Courtney, although we’re working on a lead. However… It has been confirmed that Sebastian has been kidnapped by his father, and his whereabouts are still unknown.”
The sound and the agitation of the school’s corridors suddenly became fuzzy, the blood beating in his temple sole remainder to his senses.
It had taken only three sentences. Each of them feeling more like a blow than the previous one.
What did he mean ‘Blaise Debeste has broken out of jail’?!! How?! Where was Sebastian?? Was he in danger?!
Where was his mother?!!
“It seems like Blaise is out for revenge.” Edgeworth’s voice continued to flow into his ear seemingly unfazed. “Don’t worry, the entire police force is currently after him. We’ve got good chances of finding Ms. Courtney quickly. We only wanted to make sure that you were safe.”
And drop these bombs on him?!
John laid against the wall, clutching his phone for dear life.
“W-wh… what do you mean… ‘Blaise is out for revenge’?” His voice just managed to get out, a terrible ache developed and stuck in his throat. “Where’s mom? Where’s mom?!”
He had raised his voice. His friends were intently looking at him.
“I can’t te-”
He didn’t care.
“How do you know Sebastian had been kidnapped?! Where is he? Where’s mo-
-Kay was with him when Blaise attacked them. He broke into my apartment. Kay was knocked out cold.”
This stopped him dead in his tracks. His anger subdued. He was feeling terribly cold all of a sudden.
He had heard worry in Edgeworth’s stoic voice. The actions he described were too real. They had actually been lived, by people he knew.
John was shaking.
“Is… Is she okay?
-Yes, she was up and running in no time.” He comforted him – at least it felt like comfort. “John, we’ve been working on severing Blaise’s ties with his accomplices for months. As of now, he has little to no support left. The fact that he left Kay behind is a proof of that fact. He doesn’t have enough resources to do harm to more than a couple of people at a time.”
‘So he chooses them.’ The teen completed in his mind.
“Still, we don’t want anyone being more in danger than they should be. We’ll send someone to get you. When do your classes end?”
No. It felt wrong. His mother had worked against Blaise in secret for months, Sebastian had had the audacity to take him down himself. He was not the next person on the man’s list. If anything, Edgeworth was significantly more at risk than him.
But the prosecutor was always, terribly logical. Did he know something he didn’t? Something that put him in danger? Blaise had already abducted the one he considered as his brother and possibly his mother as well. He couldn’t rob him of anything more than…
The thought made him want to throw up. He could hardly stand, he was shaking so much.
“I-in… an hour…” He let out, weakly.
“Will… you be alright?” Edgeworth’s voice shone with worry, again.
It was only an hour. He could make it. He wouldn’t be of any help to them. He didn’t know if he could help at all. He didn’t want to be a burden. He wanted to find his mother so badly. He was deadly worried about Sebastian. He could focus on math for an hour and wait for good news at the end of his class. He could…
“N... no.”
He couldn't.
A hum. Edgeworth’s answer was lightning quick.
“We’ll send someone right away. Tell your teacher there’s a family emergency and that your uncle is coming to get you. We’ll cover for your absence from class. I’ll ask detective Gumshoe to pick you up. Do you remember him? He rescued you alongside Kay when you… were kidnapped.”
John could have appreciated the hesitation the prosecutor had showed, if his mind was not already racing both a thousand and zero thought per second.
“Y-yeh. Messy hair, big coat, big voice.
-Indeed.” Edgeworth answered, and there was almost a huff. “Do not leave school grounds with anyone else than him. Do not try to leave alone. Understood?
-Yeh.”
His voice was blank. His mind was a mess. He… He needed to get out of here. But he couldn’t risk making things worse for them.
“Very well. I’ll hang up and call your front office now.
-M-Mr. Edgeworth?” He blurted out, his words preceding his thoughts.
“Yes, John?
-Do…”
He shakily breathed.
“Get them back. Don’t let him take anyone away.”
He was shaking so much he wondered how he let that out cleanly. His legs were awfully weak. He felt like his chest could explode at any second.
“We won’t. Everyone’s on the case.”
He felt like he couldn’t breathe. Not until he had both his mother and Sebastian safe and sound near him. He…
Did not think about any other possibility.
“Good.”
A second of silence, and he hung up. The reality of the corridor should have gotten back to him. The bell rang just over his head. He didn’t even hear it. There was only static in his ears.
Blaise was out for revenge. Blaise was out for blood. He had found his mother and Sebastian. No one knew where they were.
His knees gave up under him, his phone clattered on the floor. His friends ran to his side.
He didn’t even hear it.