4th Howl [Private Network Messages]

[professorwolf]

[Lyall enters four numbers into the Word document he's been using as his compilation of network communications, one at a time. Banagher Links, Ryuo Bakura, Anthony Janvier, and Kenji Kobayashi, even though the latter of those hasn't actually communicated with Lyall over the network. Each of his high school students receives the same message:]

This is Mr. Lyall. We need to talk. Please come by my classroom today (Saturday) at sunset if you can. Reply to this to let me know if you can get here, need a ride, or have a prior commitment.


[He sends out anther one for former students, namely Kallie Raydan, Robb Stark, and Hajime Aikawa:]

Are you all right? Have you run into any trouble since last night? I'm having a meeting for current students today at the school, if you want to come and talk about safety tips and plans.

Comments

[professorwolf]

I watched it happen. Unless you mean different news than what happened to Paul.

[He's numbing the shock by worrying about people, making plans (many of which will not likely go through), and organizing meetings and research. He's a teacher, after all; that's what he does.]

[northless]

It's related to him. His house burned down.

[Eight dead in house fire. He wanted to scream, to laugh, to march up to wherever they were broadcasting from and yell the truth from the top of his lungs, but he can't.]

[professorwolf]

[Lyall shuts his eyes n his side of the screen, and his voice is low when he answers.]

Yes, I heard that, too.

[Came in useful in getting him into the police station, for all it was horrible.]

I suppose they couldn't risk that he'd said anything to his family, or else they really just wanted an excuse and thought it would make a good one.

[That sounds disturbingly clinical, stating it like that, so he adds on:]

It only makes it worse.

[northless]

Seeing as they're willing to murder a kid, I wouldn't put just wanting an excuse past them.

[The sight of a terrified young boy with three bullet holes in his chest--well, it's going to haunt his nightmares for years, and there's already enough material for them even without the dead Paul.]

You be careful.

[professorwolf]

[The worst part is, Lyall can actually see some of their reasoning, based on what he'd overheard before poor Paul died, and what Jack had said earlier. He isn't sure he likes that at all. For now, though, he promises:]

I will be. I have no desire to leave any students behind without someone to keep them out of trouble.

[Not that, that's the extent of being careful, but it's certainly part of it.]