Event #7 Why Did You Do That? (Tag: Jack)

[Catherine "Pidge" Santorini]

Pain. That was the only thing that Pidge happened to feel once she woke up. It rang throughout her head, in her eardrums, and her own heart. It wasn't as bad as when Becca had punched her days ago. Was it days ago? Hours ago? Months? Who even knew at this point? Her phone was probably dead, so it was probably still June 11th if one of her theories was correct. As her vision became less blurry, she recognized the room. The science lab; her father's classroom. If only he was here right now... What would he even do in a situation like this though? He definitely wouldn't have just stood there and done nothing like she did after Nancy bashed her head against the table.

She couldn't help but remember what Veronica had confessed when she and Nancy were in Mrs. Truman's office.

"I- I- ...I- I told Amanda that I hate her and that she should probably kill herself! I'm SORRY! I didn't know what I was doing I-"

Just as soon as Cat was starting to warm up to Ms. Kishi, that one statement made all of the faith in her disappear. The techie punched the wall multiple times until her knuckles turned beet red. She was a FOOL for letting her guard down like that.

Another person was in the room with her, the strange brunette who saved her. Still in her angered state, Pidge stood above the man, attempting to look intimidating.

"Explain yourself. Who are you? What's your business here?"

[Jack Ashworth]

The noise. The noise didn't stop for a second.

Nikki.

Nikki how could you. Why? Why didn't you tell me earlier? Why did you send me away?

The man rose from the ground, grunting. His head hurt like there was a hurricane in there. "Explain yourself. Who are you? What's your business here?" he heard a young female voice addressing him. He looked up and saw a girl he took with him in this room in an attempt to save their asses.

"My name is Jack Ashworth," he replied as he rose from the ground. His black jeans and t-shirt lost their look after this harsh, but still successful landing. "And that's all you need to know," he furrowed his eyebrows and looked around the room.

He needed to go. Nikki still could be here. He had no time to waste. The man turned around, ready to leave. "I'm glad you are safe," he said and clenched his fist. The noise in his head rose, making him take one sudden step back. Fuck!

Catherine could see how the man's fist glistened with red, green and blue colors, morphing and distorting, like a broken TV screen. "Shit," he muttered, gripping the hand and falling down to his knees in pain. The man breathed heavily, beads of sweat falling from his forehead. The hand though looked normal again.

[Catherine "Pidge" Santorini]

"My name is Jack Ashworth... and that's all you need to know."

No, it wasn't. There were far too many things that she desperately needed to know after seeing what happened in the headmaster's office. Why Nancy's sudden shift in behavior? How did he even get here in the first place? Jack's rescuing of her seemed to be more than mere coincidence. Come to think of it, didn't Ms. Kishi mention a Jack before? Again, this couldn't have been just coincidence.

Catherine stared at the man some more, not saying a word. She gave him a thumbs up and watched him leave the room. Or at least attempt to. When he was a good bit towards the door, something strange began to happen. Well, strange wasn't the right word, now that Pidge put more thought of it. Mr. Ashworth's wrist began to look rather off-putting, as if he was phasing in and out of reality itself.

She grabbed the wrist that had been previously distorted and pulled him closer. "Listen. Don't pretend I didn't see that. Now, let me ask you this again. What. Is. Your. Business. Here?"

[Jack Ashworth]

Okay, the girl had a point. And at least to keep her mental state clear he had to admit that... something odd has been going on with him indeed.

"I'm here to find my wife," he groaned as he abruptly pulled his hand from her grip and stood up. "Her name is Veronica," he finished this dialogue, his sapphire blue eyes darted back at the girl.

He knew she was not dead. She is still here.

Of course, if he said that, he probably would sound like he's gone coo-coo, but no. Not in a place and circumstances like this. This whole school was a big "Wonderland", a place that should have never existed. "Listen," he addressed the girl, only now realizing that he forgot to ask her name, "I don't have much time to explain to you how I got here... I am honestly not sure about it myself."

The man looked around and made a broad gesture with his hand around the room, "The one thing I know is that this 'world' you see around yourself. This shit is not real." He didn't know what exactly it was. A simulation, a new or parallel dimension, Hell?

"And I know that Veronica is here and I must find her or else everything will go to shit," he looked back at his hand, that seemed to not work anymore by his will at the moment.

Fuck.

[Catherine "Pidge" Santorini]

"I'm here to find my wife... Her name is Veronica."

So she was right. This Jack was the Jack Ms. Kishi had referenced a few times in private conversation. "I don't know where she went. She just... disappeared; then you showed up out of nowhere. The fuck was up with that?"

"I don't have much time to explain to you how I got here... I am honestly not sure about it myself. The one thing I know is that this 'world' you see around yourself. This shit is not real."

Pidge blinked and shook her head. Did she hear the man correctly or was she making up the whole 'alternate dimension' vibe she got from his speech. If he was correct, that would explain a few things about the situation, like how they seemingly went back in time to June 11 and Jack's sudden appearance. If this world wasn't real, what did this mean about her? Her classmates? Her father.

Never mind that.

This wasn't important at the moment.

Catherine needed answers, and she needed them badly.

She grabbed the strange voodoo doll she found God knows how long ago. "Jack, do you recognize this at all?"

[Jack Ashworth]

"I don't know where she went. She just... disappeared" and this girl had a point. He was too late. Again.

But he knew she is still here. With his new scenes that he got as soon as he arrived in this place - he felt her. Like something was guiding him towards her, he was just not smart enough to read the signs it gave him! He didn't know why and maybe it was just all a big fucking trap but he didn't care.

He already almost lost Roni once. He couldn't let it happen again.

"Then you showed up out of nowhere. The fuck was up with that?" the girl asked once again a pretty reasonable question.

"I don't know," he admitted, looking at his hands. He only partly had control over this "thing" that was going on with him, or at least it seemed like it. He wished he could stay and talk, but he needed to go. How could he turn in on again? Maybe he was too tired? Maybe he needed to fulfill some basic needs, like hunger and sleep? Who the fuck knows! This doesn't make any sense, but it didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was that...

I'm coming for you, Nik.

But before he left the room the girl asked: "Jack, do you recognize this at all?" A... puppet? Oh, gosh, it was probably a part of her "demon" ritual thing. Thank god she didn't commi to it...

"This... this belonged to my wife," he didn't want to tell this kid that she actually tried to kill herself numerous time, so he lied: "And that's all I know about it."

"I- I will be back! I-"he looked back at his hands. FUCK! He should turn this thing on again as soon as possible. Clocks are ticking, who knows how much time he has left. "Need some space..."

And with those words, the man has left the since lab and headed to the cafetetia.

---

[end thread? <3]

[Catherine "Pidge" Santorini]

Well, his answer was rather... disappointing to say the least. There was definitely something that Jack wasn't telling her. Yes, Pidge knew about his wife... former wife's multiple attempts at suicide. Perhaps he was trying to sugarcoat it from the short junior. Oh boy... Little did he know about the things she had seen before and after this little debacle.

As soon as she was going to respond, he had to leave. There was so much more Catherine needed to know! She desired it.. craved it! She tried following him out, but everything turned black. What perfect fucking timing that was...

[End Thread]