#in retrospect I should have at least tied a dumbbell onto it back when I was still crossing animals

[cornedbeefhashtags]

I know the whole “Start something new!!” movement during the height of the pandemic was mostly American productivity-as-morality nonsense, but can you imagine if I had spent 700 hours moving heavy objects with my arms and chest instead of planting imaginary flowers for an assortment of cartoon animals?

[apex-academy]

Chapter 3: Down Down Down and the Flames Went Higher (#15)

Kaichi still hasn’t found anything useful by the time we finish breakfast. He didn’t seem to have much written so far, so I won’t get my hopes up. Either way, there’s not much use sitting around in here when we’re all done eating.

Aware of this, Itsurou steps to the front of the room and claps his gloved hands together.

“If you all would leave your plates where they are, I shall be happy to clean up.”

“Ah, allow me to help.”

“No, no, ‘tis fine. The glasses appear to be rather fragile...”

Several people look at Tsunyasha.

“?”

“...so I’d prefer to have as few people attempting to squeeze past each other in the kitchen as possible.”

“I suppose...?”

Mahavir looks at his dirty dishes like he’d be abandoning a child. Tamiko, meanwhile, seems much less upset.

“Thanks, hon! ‘Preciate it.”

“No, thank you girls for the meal!”

“Yes! Thank you terribly, mis amores. I’ll have to find some way to repay you...”

“I’m sure I can make it worth your while.”

“Okay...”

Yuki, no.

People start to filter out as Itsurou zips around collecting plates and glasses. Some hang around the hallway to chat, but I’d rather stretch my legs. Maybe I’ll hop over to the aerobics room. Maybe bring the fire extinguisher.

“Or, actually...”

I’ll give the art room another try. I can see a little better now, so maybe it won’t be so hard to get a look. Just have to see if I can do it without drawing undue attention.

I head for the art room door and lay my fingers on the handle.

“.......”

I stay frozen longer than I should. It’s just my imagination. She’s gone. I know she’s gone. If there’s a secret message or something in here, I have to check it out.

I open the door with my breath held. The corpse hasn’t suddenly returned. Everything else looks the same.

“.........”

“Okay. It was supposed to be...”

I turn on the light, but nothing happens. Besides the lights turning on, at least. With that, I make my way to the pottery wheels and the damaged wall behind them. Guess I could have asked Itsurou for more details, or if he’s checked it out himself already. He’s a little busy, though.

Stepping over clumps of plaster, I peer at the outer wall. After a while of searching the goopy-looking mortar, I find that weird wire.

It’s not far from the dumbbell and other pieces of the machine that never got cleaned up. If I need an excuse for being in here, I can just say I was fetching those.

“That is odd, though.”

The coating of the wire running along this wall has several gaps, but this part of it is completely bare. Did current run through here, or is all of this part of some abandoned prototype?

“...”

Didn’t we use something like this for the rust traps, too? Maybe not exactly, but... If a current can help break down steel, surely there’s some way to apply that to mortar. Did Aidan figure out a way to make it work? That would have broken rules, but if he disguised it as part of the murder machine, maybe Monochap would turn a blind eye to it?

I’m also just below the cameras in this room, and I can’t see any more in the sort-of crawlspace. Could this stretch of wall be a blind spot? Is this really the reason...

“...If he knew it would work, he wouldn’t have used the machine.”

So it’s nothing certain, but it was worth a shot? Better than any ideas I’ve got right now.

I hold my hand over the bare wires, but I don’t feel my hair stand on end. Since the pottery wheel isn’t spinning anymore, I’m sure this part’s off, too. I still avoid the wires themselves as I press my fingertips to the brick. It’s cool to the touch. 

Am I sure this really is the outside wall? It would be strange, but maybe there’s another layer beyond it. Then again, I don’t think Rule #8 would have been written like it is if we couldn’t actually get to the outside wall.

I take a deep breath and push on the brick. A sharp scraping sound makes me flinch. It doesn’t look like anything’s changed, but...

“...”

My hands tremble, but there’s no sign of Monochap. I push a little harder.

More scraping.

“...!”

It stopped there, but if I just put a little more oomph into it, then maybe...!

Wait. There’s no point knocking it out right now if Monochap might find it before I can do anything with the gap. And I don’t have the flare. Crap, where even is it? Arthur’s study hall?

I straighten up, kneel again, grab the plaster-dusted baseball for an excuse, and hastily walk out. Guess I’m going to the gym first if I’m going to convince anyone I’m not up to anything. I run into Tsunyasha on the stairs, but she doesn’t ask questions. I’ll take it.

I drop off the baseball and zip to Arthur’s study hall.

Unlocked, as usual. It takes me a few deep breaths before I can pull the door open.

“Whoa! Kakumi!”

I jump back. In retrospect, I shouldn’t be surprised he’s here. But then again, he isn’t alone.

“What, somebody crashin’ the party?”

“Am I interrupting something? These doors can lock, you know.”

“Really?! Incredible!”

“We’re just hangin’ out, though.”

“Yea, ain’t much of a date if ya just let anybody crash it.”

Arthur laughs before turning back to me.

“What’s up, mate?”

“Oh, I...”

Do I trust them enough to let them in on this? Maybe not quite that much.

“Do you still have any road flares in here? I wanted to try something.”

“What, makin’ your own fireworks?”

“More or less...”

“Do I?”

“I’ll look around.”

“Thanks.”

I hang back awkwardly in the doorway as Arthur shuffles through all the junk in his room. I can’t remember if Aki brought the flare back, or whatever else could have happened to it. But it won’t surprise me if this hunt takes a while.

I try not to sneak glances at the cameras. It’s hard to fight the urge, but checking won’t tell me anything. It would just tell anyone watching that I’m acting suspicious today. Not what I want.

“Dunno how many you were lookin’ for, but I found one, at least.”

“That’s plenty. You don’t mind?”

“Not at all!”

He hands it over.

“I’m not gonna be gettin’ into any roadside trouble anytime soon, so.”

Tamiko gives me a nod.

“If you figure out any good pyrotechnics, lemme know, all right? Might be good for the concert.”

“Sure thing.”

I bid them goodbye and slip out of the room. Maybe I should be concerned they don’t care about me setting the building on fire, but then again, we’re talking about Arthur. And Tamiko seems... distracted somehow.

I let out a breath and step into the art room. I’ll only have one shot at lighting this thing, so I'll wait until I hear a plane overhead. Right? There aren’t any highways nearby, and we’re not that close to shore, so that’s the only thing that could really notice the flare.

And if I’m caught damaging the exterior wall... Well, the rules are pretty darn subject to change. I’m sure I can find a loophole somewhere if this spot isn’t as blind as I’d hoped.

“...”

I sit, my back against the first pottery wheel, and examine the road flare for instructions. It has its own built-in matchstick kind of thing. Not too hard to figure out.

I don’t know how long I have to wait. Biding my time elsewhere isn’t a great plan. I wouldn’t have much of a window to get back in here if I hear engines. Guess I’ll do something artistic.

I’ve only just cleaned off some table space for a fresh sheet of paper when I freeze.

“That...”

I shoot a glance at the door, but it doesn’t move. Something could be happening upstairs, but I doubt it would sound this similar to a plane passing overhead.

I sidestep to the loose brick and grab the flare. Here’s hoping I haven’t missed anything that’s going to get me punished for my efforts.

Okay! I’ll push with as much force as I can!

“Hnngh...!”

The scraping is high-pitched but quiet. The brick comes to a stop. It’s still not even halfway out. I huff and try again. Nothing. The dull roar overhead grows louder.

“Dammit!”

I try a kick, but the toe of my boot doesn’t fit in there well. I reach for the five-pound weight and rip it off the stupid string. The head of the weight is small enough to fit in the recess. I set it up and give the other end a solid kick. I don’t know if the brick moves, or if the metal is just making the scraping noises against it. If anything budges, it’s not by much. Definitely not enough to toss the flare out.

Are the engines getting quieter? How much time do I have before they're gone?

“Augh!”

I try more kicking and then just slam the dumbbell into the wall. Red crumbles fly off, but the brick holds its position. The noise overhead fades.

I nearly throw the dumbbell to the floor in frustration before stopping myself. If I do anything in view of the cameras, I’m screwed. I might be screwed already after all that noise. 

“...”

Let’s just run this back to the stupid weight room before Monochap decides to crash the party. I grab the part of it you’re actually supposed to hold and hurry over. Otoya’s not in here today, so no problems getting it to the weight rack. It clanks onto the rails with sad finality.

“....................”

Guess dissolving a little mortar isn’t going to break all of it down. Or just enough of it. Can’t say we didn’t try. But...

Dammit.

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