The loud buzzing of overhead lights, coupled with the overwhelmingly sterile scent of bleach makes for a different atmosphere compared to the sulfur-ridden halls of hours prior. Even if it’s just for a moment, Roy forgets what transpired hours ago. His eyes focus on the ceiling above as he quickly tries to recover whatever memory he could dig up on why he’s in such an uncomfortable bed.
This isn’t the hospital. He’s been to those many times in his adventurous life. The scale is much too small, not enough budget. Last he remembers, a fight transpired that he lost in an embarrassing fashion, to a Nightborn… Yet, here he was, alive and well. Most Nightborn that powerful wouldn’t spare a human, especially one who killed so many gargoyles. Those things aren’t cheap to make, or at least that’s what he’d been told.
“Oh hey, you woke up. Sup?”
“A-Ah!” The bedridden samurai recoils at the sight of the woman to his left. Something’s going on. He didn’t sense her being there at all. She yawns, placing whatever magazine she’d been occupied with on the desk before changing her posture in the chair. Everything about her blows him away, from her black on red ripped thigh-high stockings that perfectly exposed some of her smooth amber skin, to her medium-length maroon hair that reaches the bottom of her neck, perfectly matching up with her fingers as she stretches, using the back of her neck to pop all six of them.
“Dude? You’re kind of just staring at me. You talk, right?” Her dry, scratchy voice beckons.
“Y-Yeah, I-I can talk. I-I’m Roy. Nice to meet you..?” The voice breaking him out of his trance has an air of sarcasm always lingering in it. Whoever this chick was, Roy has never heard a girl with such a smoky voice.
“Is it? You don’t sound so sure, Chatterbox.” She gives Roy a sly smirk.
“Well, I’m Roy McCoy! Is that a better greeting for you?!” He barks back, offended by the nickname. Her beauty is deceiving; she’s far too sarcastic to be his type of lady!
“Roy McCoy? …Pfft, hahaha! D-Dude, no way is that actually your name! I-I… AHAHAHA!” He folds his arms at her, squinting with a red heat against the skin of his cheeks. “S-Someone looked at you as a baby and said, ‘This guy is a real Roy McCoy!’ w-worst of all? T-T-They’re kind of right! Hahahaha!”
He growls, sitting up in his bed. “W-What the hell kind of greeting is that?!”
She bites her bottom lip, bursting out in a cacophony of laughter. “P-PFFFT- HAHAHA- Y-y’know, you’re s-something else, Chatterbox.” She says, wiping a single tear from her eyeball so as to not smear her black eyeliner.
“That’s not my name! What if I called you, uh– ‘laughing girl’?!”
She snorts, sighing with a raise of her brow. “What? That’s a shitty nickname.. Why don’t you just call me by my real name and leave the nicknames to me? I’m Pandora Hellsing. Nice to meet you, pff- R-Roy M-M-McCoy.” The samurai rolls his eyes, reluctantly meeting her hand halfway for a handshake.
“Okay, Pandora, now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, why am I cooped up here? I lost a fight to a Nightborn. Shouldn’t I be dead right now?”
She parts ways with his hand, putting both of hers on her hips with a shrug. “Ehh… Murder isn’t typically looked highly upon, even if you did draw the shortest stick imaginable.”
He raises his brow. “Shortest stick?”
She looks down at the floor. Her smile fades back to the neutral expression she held earlier. “That guy who kicked your ass earlier, he’s, ugh, my dad.” She grimaces, swallowing the words like a pill.
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“Wow… He’s a dick. B-But I wouldn’t say he kicked my ass. It was pretty close for a minute there!”
“You could say that again, Chatterbox.” Her words drip with intrigue, even if the content is spicy.
“Stop calling me that!”
“Nah, how about I buy you some Chinese food instead?” Roy perks up at the offer. His stomach growls.
“You’ll pay? I don’t have any money.”
“How charming.” Pandora rolls her eyes. But.. it was she who offered… “Sure.”
So off they go. Out of the nauseatingly lit infirmary to the halls illuminated by bright orange skies outside the concrete walls of Sleepy Hollow. “Woah! What the hell? I thought it rained twenty-four seven!” Roy exclaims, stopping at a window to examine the outside world. Pandora watches him with a deadpan expression.
“That’s just to keep outsiders away. For students, the weather changes just like outside of the forest. It’s a curse or a hex or something.” With his face against the window, Roy watches in awe as students from every walk of life exit the school building and go on with their lives. Some girls joined by hand, carrying on conversations, guys playing sports on the field, and even a couple making out. Niceee!
“So this is just… The high school experience, huh?” Roy asks, eyes lit up like a Christmas tree.
“Sucks, doesn’t it?” Pandora replies dryly.
Roy turns to face her. “What?! No way! High school is awesome! It’s all about having good times, kissing girls, kicking back and relaxing.” Pandora rolls her eyes. Walking over to the window, Pandora fiddles with the locks for a second before pulling it open. She nudges him to scoot. Once he obliges, she props her elbows up and joins him.
“Assuming I can see this place for what it truly is, that makes me a student now, huh? Why?” The goth shrugs at Roy’s question, simply draping her arms over the windowsill out of boredom.
The situation was strange. Neither said a word, only observing what the other students did daily. Roy stands utterly enthralled by the casual life of Sleepy Hollow students while Pandora looks on with a thousand-yard stare. What could possibly be there to care about? Is Troy Wolfe banging another cheerleader? Is the school spirit committee hanging up gaudy banners to funnel more cash from students?
Why’d she have to feel so bitter about things? Behind the scenes, so much felt wrong, yet her cynicism made her feel like a cog that dulled out due to overwork. Her colorful world had several ennui filters that turned High School Musical into Nosferatu.
“Ah crap, if I’m a student here, I gotta familiarize myself with this place! Pandora, you can give me a tour, can’t you?” The panic-stricken samurai causes Pandora’s eyes to widen. She didn’t expect to get so lost in thought a moment ago.
“Uh… I could. But this place kind of sucks. Wouldn’t you rather go to Disney or something?”
Roy gasps. “You’re offering to take me?!”
She squints. “What? No. But the time spent here could be time spent at Disney.”
“What kind of logic is that?”
“The law of equivalent exchange.” She starts walking away, not bothering to look at him anymore.
“That isn’t how that works. H-Hey, where are you going?”
“Chinese food, remember?” Pandora answers, keeping a moderate pace towards the food court. Roy sprints to her side to avoid getting lost, even if Chinese food sucks compared to Disney.
Once the pair finally arrive at the food court, the disappointment from the lack of a Disney trip vanishes. The samurai could hardly believe his eyes with how massive this place was! “Holy SHIT! What all can a guy eat here?”
“Hm? Well… McDuckies, Burger Empire, Genny’s, Star Vicks, combination Hick Fil’A Snack in the Box, Snake and Bake, Black Castle, another Star Vicks, Sadman’s Pizza, F.P. Yangs, annnnnd Taco Bell.” Pandora sits down at a bench, relieved to finish the first floor. The second floor is trickier to remember.
“Ahem, on the floor below us, we’ve go–”
“That’s fine! Maybe another time. How about we just get Taco Bell?” Roy interrupts, rubbing his stomach in front of her.
“Over F.P. Yangs? I thought you wanted Chinese food.” Pandora cocks her head.
“Feeling more in the mood for some Mexican.” While Chinese food would hit the spot, Roy is thinking about how much that’d cost for the two of them. Despite meeting him fifteen minutes ago, Pandora had shown him kindness he hadn’t experienced often. It doesn’t feel right to make her pay that much for crappy Chinese food.
“Whatever you say, Chatterbox. Whatcha want?” She stands up.
“Steak quesadilla? Maybe some potatoes, too.” He grins.
“Anything to drink?”
Roy shrugs as he awkwardly sits down next to her spot. “So, uh, anything you want in return? If it’s cash, that might take a bit. Maybe I can get a job here if that’s what you want.”
She raises a brow. “Cash? Nah, it’s nothing on that scale. Just a small favor will do.” A huge grin spreads from ear to ear.. Favors are quick, free, and, most importantly, usually never get redeemed.
“I can handle whatever it is, trust me! I’m kind of a dependable gu–”
“Roy, I need you to kill my dad.”