The Wardston Conspiracy
----The sun would likely have shone about midway through the sky and brought clarity to Dexter's vision along the floor, at least were it not for the two layers that obscured its presence; the first a cover of thick clouds, the second a ceiling of rough concrete protecting the Undersector. Midday, he could tell, and just by instinct. That didn't bode well in his mind.
If anything, Dexter lived by a strict schedule. He'd revolve his plans around where people would be, what they would be doing, and when they would be done. Tardiness was something his fellows learned to avoid like the plague, for the bull was less than pleasant when bothered--which could be quite striking given his otherwise calm and down-to-earth nature.
"Anyone wanna tell me where Rey is?" Being directed at nobody in particular, sounding more as a statement than a question, and there being no real answer to the question, the inquiry went mostly unanswered. The stomping of his hooves against the rough ground, however, demanded not only attention, but swift reply; optimally before he was finished moving the contents of his arms--said contents being worn-down chunks of steel clearly pried off of some much larger object, encased inside a slightly damp cardboard box with tiny unintelligible remnants of a label on its front end.
"How long did you say he'd be out?" the lynx nearby chirped. Dexter figured she'd be the only one to answer him.
"A day, I think? Either way, it's been two. I understand the guy isn't...incredibly punctual, but this is worrying, you know. It's getting to the point where supplies can only last so long, and--oh, hey, check this out--that idiot fox managed to lose almost everything his team got from the scrap pile out of town. And this--" he stopped and jostled the box in his arms for a moment, "--is what's left. We even have another group out just to make up for that. I think I'm entitled to be a bit upset at the moment." Alice only nodded.
"Still, I didn't think you'd worry about Rey. You, of all people."
"It's not like I don't care about anything," he replied defensively. He then shrugged and turned away. "There's just a lot of stuff going on and a cherry on top is the last thing I need."
Dexter heaved his massive body awkwardly to his workbench, releasing the box with a clatter of shaken metal. Alice started to trail away, there being not much else to say beyond the little she had already.
Instead, she turned her attention behind her and beyond the slight crumbling of dust and dirt both on ceiling and in the air, simultaneously noting that if the air was any thicker it might have been unhealthy to even breathe in. Where she looked, scant bodies of light trickled down innocently from above.
A myriad of other folk littered the rim of the inverted dome, most talking amongst one another about topics likely relevant to their situation underneath the city. Three stood alone at separate posts along the walls. One of these was a badger; long visage utterly hooded and grey body darkly cloaked, he appeared to be a bit more dodgy than was necessary. Another, a lion by the looks of his mane, once proud but presently wretched, sat down upon a small, damp rock whilst wearing little more than ragged and ravaged clothing. The last appeared to make a goal of being unremarkable and inconspicuous, sitting alone and hardly looking anyone's way, though miserably failing due to his hulking size suitable for such a grizzly bear.
Alice could only take wild guesses at what each of their stories were like, knowing that she probably had it best out of any of them. Taking one mere glance at her own striking pink shirt was all it took for her to cement that assumption and realize how much she stood out amongst such people; not necessarily in a good way. Such a thought made her turn away from any and all possible looks--or glares.
"You know," the rough voice to her side startlingly began, "I've just started to think; why did Rey recommend Scotton to you?" Alice shrugged, but then shuddered at a mere thought.
"I don't know. Since I've never been far from home, it makes me think...maybe here really is my best bet."
"Are you saying that giants have been elsewhere before Scotton?"
"I-I don't want to make any accusations yet--it's just that it's, you know, a possibility. And it's also possible that the fire at Wardston might not have been any old coincidence." The two were deathly silent, each waiting for the other to continue. Dexter quickly grew tired of such games.
"Okay, so, let's lead off of that. Let's say for a moment that it wasn't a coincidence, and the fire was set by giants. Not too much of a far-fetched idea; it's not like it'd be hard for one giant to do without getting caught. But there'd still be the question of why, and that's something impossible to answer right now." Dexter straightened himself and stretched while bringing a single palm to his forehead in exhaustion. "Forget I asked the question."
A few additional moments of silence passed, each filled at their brims with concerned contemplation. As if to punctuate the conversation entirely, a small series of suppressed footsteps caught Dexter's ears. He knew to whom they belonged, but it was much to his personal disdain, and as such they were notable only to him.
A shadowy figure appeared at his side suddenly and, as though to read Alice's mental questions and mock them by partially revealing its form, it wasn't Rey. Alice tilted her head and raised an eyebrow.
"Hello?"
At her gentle voice, the newcomer's large, bushy tail flicked to each side once and its piercing copper eyes glinted mysteriously. He stepped forward to reveal himself as a grey-furred fox, a half-smirk plastered on his face. The tips of his ears and paws blurred out into a sharp white at the ends, but he otherwise was a lithe, dark, and tall figure. His features were exceptionally sharp but somehow handsome, marred only by the existence of a fairly prominent scar upon his right cheek. A clear attempt to hide the scar manifested itself in the form of patches of fur being pressed backwards to cover it, which only succeeded in emphasizing its presence.
"Go away, Randall," Dexter said flatly, bringing a wide hand to his side without so much as sparing a glance and shoving lightly backwards the chest of the fox. "What do you want?"
"Oh, come now. Not everyone needs to be as serious you." Randall maneuvered deftly from reach and weaved between Dexter and Alice. "And in times like these, I think it pays to laugh a little. You aren't going to say you don't want my company, are you?" His voice was a stark contrast to Dexter's, being wispy and, in a way, difficult to discern the true intent of.
"You'd be shocked."
"Well that's a fine how-do-you-do. Ignoring Mr. Cool Guy, who's the kitty?" He turned to a flushed Alice and took slow steps toward her confused being.
"Lay off, you're freaking her out." Just a few strides away from her, Randall stopped, turned his head halfheartedly and then back.
"Pretty cute if you ask me. What's the name?" Alice took a single instinctive step backward.
"I'm Alice." Her voice was notably more confident that when she first introduced herself to Dexter, at least, but was still as calm, light, and prone to change as a leaf in the wind. Randall extended a single paw, leaving Alice to hesitantly grip it.
"Randall, as you've already had the pleasure." His gaze flickered to Dexter for a split second as he released Alice's hand, which was left afloat confusedly in the air for a second before darting back to its owner. "What's a darling like you doing in a run-down trash heap like here?"
"Sorry, I thought you'd notice the influx of people from Wardston. I shouldn't have expected that much of the one who'll go down in my autobiography as 'that guy who fucked up the scrap heap mission', huh?" Dexter took position at Alice's side once again. His possible protectiveness did not go unnoticed by Randall's quick eyes, but the latter suddenly couldn't help the turning of his smile into somewhat of a frown.
"And here I thought autobiographies are written by people who matter." Randall scoffed before shaking his head. "But yes...another survivor. It's surprising how many made it out. It was quite the scene, I'll admit."
"You were there?" Alice asked.
"Yeah...only for a visit. I bolted the second I saw the flames go up. Still have no idea what it was, but before I even noticed it, it was everywhere."
"We were just talking about it. You think giants are involved?"
"Hard to say. There are any number of possible reasons for doing it, none of them justified of course."
"Great, then that's the official consensus," the bull said as he threw his arms skyward. "I don't know about either of you, but I'll be sure to keep an eye and ear out for more on it. It's not something we can dismiss easily." The lynx and fox nodded, the latter's arms now crossed.
"Agreed," said Alice. "I will too."
"Good. One more thing before I check up on everyone else: let me know when Rey drops by."
"'When'?" Randall raised an eyebrow and his semi-smirk returned.
"When. He's fine, trust me." Randall shrugged and dismissed himself, walking off and sinking back into the shadows from whence he always seemed to appear.
"Baggage, that one," Dexter muttered roughly. It was going to be a long day.----