[An alarm rings in the hotel room, causing Humphrey to groan as he wakes up. He sits up in his bed, groaning while holding his head. He’s wearing a plain blue shirt and white pyjama trousers. He shakes himself around a bit before looking forward, taking a deep breath. He looks to his alarm, seeing his phone reading “7:30”.]

Humphrey: [tired] Oh great, work.

[He pulls himself out of bed, groaning as he gets onto his feet. He grabs his phone, turning off the alarm and immediately discarding it back onto the bed. As he begins moving towards the bathroom, there’s a loud knock at the door. He ignores it, but it quickly knocks again.],

Humphrey: [shouting] I’m busy, come back later!

[There’s a small pulse of air behind him, catching his attention.]

Alice: We hardly have time for that, Humph.

[He turns around to see Alice, wearing a blue skirt and white shirt. She’s smiling.]

Alice: [singing] Good morning.

Humphrey: Good morning. Can I maybe sort myself out quickly?

Alice: I can close my eyes if you’d feel more comfortable.

[Humphrey turned and puts his back against the bathroom door.]

Alice: I see that isn’t a problem for you then.

Humphrey: What do you want, Alice? It’s barely morning.

Alice: Well, let’s see. When I was at the door just now I was trying to get a glass of water. Then you wouldn’t open the door so I teleported in. That sound good?

Humphrey: I suppose so.

[Alice waits, staring at him.]

Humphrey: [confused] Sorry, do you want something?

Alice: [singing] Can I have a cup of water please?

[He rolls his eyes, going into the bathroom and getting a cup from the sink. He quickly fills it up and comes back out, Alice smiling.]

Alice: [happy] Thank you, Humph, sweetie.

[Alice takes the cup and starts drinking.]

Humphrey: Now I do have an appointment so can we at least-

Alice: [quickly] Why did you take our van?

Humphrey: [tired] Pardon?

Alice: [quickly] You took our van last night after you called Marshall to say you won’t kill them, we just got that van after crashing the last one, why were you in the van?

[Humphrey sighed, visibly annoyed, as Alice took another drink.]

Humphrey: I drove Mister Gray home.

[Alice does a small spit take, quickly back into the cup.]

Alice: [surprised] I’m sorry, what?!

Humphrey: [defensive] I gave him a lift home, he was having a clearly bad day.

[Alice quickly gets up, downing the drink and chucking the cup onto the bed.]

Alice: [angry] You put the enemy in our van?!

Humphrey: [defensive] Oh for goodness sake, the boy doesn’t even have a power! He doesn’t know who I am! He doesn’t really know who either of you are! Hell, I barely know who you are! What, do you think I told him the plan on the way home? “Oh by the way, I’m friends with someone who wants you dead!”

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Alice: I swear if you told him anything-

Humphrey: [quickly] What? What would you do, Miss Liddell?

[Alice growls, pushing him back.]

Humphrey: Oh, did I hit a nerve there?

Alice: [angry] You don’t get to use that name.

[Alice goes to swing at Humphrey, but he catches the fist. His hand cracks from the hit, but quickly cracks back to heal. He stands close to her, holding tightly onto her fist.]

Humphrey: You neither if my memory serves, or have you forgotten that fact?

[Alice groans, quickly pulling her hand away. She stretches it a bit as Humphrey goes to the bed, picking up the cup and rubbing a wet patch into the duvet.]

Alice: [quietly] Fuck...

Humphrey: Marshall told me a lot about you, the both of you. You, dear Alice, you have forgotten who you really are.

[Humphrey walks back to the bathroom to put the cup back.]

Humphrey: And Marshall, from what I know, hasn’t used the name Liddell since he was adopted in the 90’s.

[Humphrey comes back out, seeing Alice sat on the bed. She’s stretching her fingers, clearly still hurt.]

Humphrey: I think we both know that the Liddell name is dead, has been since the first Storm in the 80’s.

[Humphrey moves back over to the bed and sits down next to Alice, who’s looking at the ground upset.]

Humphrey: And I can honestly say that the sooner you two accept that Liddell is gone, the sooner you’ll be able to move past it and become better for it.

[Humphrey places a hand on Alice’s shoulder.]

Humphrey: Especially in Marshall’s case.

[Alice turns a bit to look at Humphrey.]

Alice: Marshall isn’t bothered by some old family name-

Humphrey: No, instead, he’s being bothered by what clings to the name. He has been since your disappearance in 1983 and he continued to be after you mysteriously cropped up on his doorstep.

[Humphrey turns to Alice.]

Humphrey: As much as I hate to say it, as you really seem like a nice if vaguely sociopathic girl, you are the problem.

Alice: [hesitant] If… if you think this, why haven’t you told Marshall?

Humphrey: We haven’t talked properly in maybe four years. I fear that if I made my opinion clear to him now…

[Humphrey gives a nervous chuckle, looking to Alice with a small smile.]

Humphrey: Well now is hardly the time for that type of talk. And with all due respect, like I said, I have an appointment that I need to get to. Perhaps we talk later?

Alice: Okay… do you want me to talk to Marshall? So you don’t get in trouble?

Humphrey: [tired] Alice, I’d like to get ready for work.

[She nods a few times, getting up on her feet.]

Alice: Alright then… well, knock them dead!

[She gives a chuckle, before vanishing in a pulse of air. Humphrey sighs, looking into the empty space.]

Humphrey: We’ll see about it.