Connor didn't know why he thought coming home would help. While he certainly felt safer, he didn't feel better. As his mother fussed, he just dropped his head onto the table, wondering when the pain would go away. Wondering if it ever would. Wondering if he wanted it to go away. Wondering if he could have done something more. Wondering. Wondering. Wondering. 

No amount of intelligence could help with it came to love. An equalizer, it seemed. It made fools of everyone. And just ended in pain, sooner or later. Whether it was one of the partnership dying, or one dumping the other. It ended in pain. Was it really worth it? To love someone, was it worth that pain? What did you get out of it?

Memories. A chance at relieving old happiness. Connor closed his eyes tight, as if that could stop the memories from flashing in his mind. Kijani, asking for help with her papers. The Chinese dinner in the lab, the papers around them. The dance. He could almost feel the nerves, the way he had felt, when he kissed her that night. 

Maybe...maybe it was worth it. But what was he meant to do, not? How could he go back to the school, knowing that she wasn't there? He didn't even know where she would go. Everything about that last meeting just seemed so final, and he had a feeling that even with his new technology...he wouldn't find her. She wouldn't be so foolish, would she, to go to her grandmother? To Anthony? Or would she just...go into the wind?

A hand rested on his shoulder, and he looked up, to his father. 

"You've grown up so much, in such a short amount of time. You've always been more adult then kid, but in some ways, you were always a little immature. You've grown, and matured, and just become an amazing young man. You'll surpass me, one day. Probably sooner then we both would like. In some ways, though, Con, you can be so stupid" The slap over the head shocked him, and he jolted up. "She doesn't want you to get hurt, you big fool, and pushed you away so you'd be more angry, and less inclined to follow. But you don't get angry like that. No, you just got so devastated you can't see that that was what she was doing. So pull yourself together, and go find her"

Connor just stared at his father. He had nothing to come back to that. Already, that realisation was dawning on him. But dd that mean he had to do it, had to try and find her? He didn't know. But he rose, because he had to find out why. 

He was halfway to the school when his phone rang. "It appears to be Mr. Luther, Sir" Ignot said, and Connor froze for a second. Anthony, calling him? That wasn't good. "Answer it" When it was answered, Connor was surprised at the venom in his voice when he said, "What do you want, Luther? I'm not in the mood for your antics"

"You need to check on Kijani"

"What do you think I'm bloody doing?" But of course, Anthony couldn't know what had happened, couldn't know that Kijani had pushed him away. Surely not. 

Connor could hear the slight intake of breath, and frowned slightly. That little hitch? Something he wouldn't expect of Anthony. 

"Something is wrong, Mr.Stark. with the way we are raised, to fight is to live. You fight for superiority, to be the top, or else nothing. She said she gave up, that she didn't want to fight. The only way we don't fight is when we're dead, Mr. Stark. I believe something is very wrong with Kijani. I hope I'm mistaken, but... in the event that I'm not, you should check on her."

Connor looked ahead, sudden dread filling him. "This is your fault, Luther. Yours, and her grandmothers. I swear to god, if you even think of messing with her again, your life won't be worth living. If I were you, I'd watch my back" he ended the call. 

"All power to thrusters. Move it, Ignot!" 

He hit the ground outside the girls dorms at a run, leaving the suit on. He ran, long legs fueled by the suit eating the ground quickly. He spared the door one quick glance, and then just kicked it open. What he saw caused him to freeze. And then he was in the room. He had the sense to grab the pill bottle, the vodka bottle, even as he scooped Kijani into his arms. 

He was at the nurses office fairly quickly, and had Kijani on a bed, even as he removed his suit. He ignored the shouts, and yells from the nurses, and burst into the drug room, scanning shelves quickly and found the activated Carbon, as well as the espom Salt. needed afterwards. He poured the Carbon into a glass of water, brushed passed the nurses, pushing aside the nurse who had gone over to check on Kijani, her eyes wide as she saw the pill bottle, the vodka. 

Connor manuevered Kijan into a sitting position, and held the glass to her lips, relying on the bodies natural reaction to force the liquid down her throat. When it was all gone, he induced vomiting, and hoped it would be enough, as the nurse moved smoothly, a container ready to prevent a mess. Another nurse already had the salt in water, and gently nudged Connor aside. 

"You've done all you can" A nurse said, "How did you know what to do?"

Connor stared at the nurse bleakly, and sank down into a chair. "The internet"


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Phoebe smiled, taking the apple, and rolling it in her hands. She sighed softly, and pocketed it. "We should see if we can find any of the other students. I hope that Katherin and Makoto are alright.  kind of just ran off without much warning. They probably think something has happened to me"