#18

You stops and sits in the middle of the road. It's the same that You was trying to follow earlier, alright. You can't hear the soldiers or Madame Levingt anymore; and You simply hopes that she's alright. You looks at Klaus. “We need to keep moving.” He shrugs. “Do you think they're following us?” He nods, but then shrugs. “Not much of a talker still?” And he just makes an irritated face, and You accepts this for an answer.

“Guess we'd better get going.”

You glances at him to see if that gets a response. It doesn't.

You both start walking.

This walk isn't so nice. Without someone to talk to, it becomes boring—but there are greater problems than boredom now. You is merely being capricious, or mercurial, as You often is, and You is in fact trying to cover Your sudden nervousness of being captured for associating with a known crazy murderer witch. You's discovered quickly within the last twenty-four hours that Your nervousness or anxiety manifests strangely, which must mean Your life was pretty cushy before all this. There were some moments where You was, say, drawn to drinking excessive amounts of water to hide things from Yourself and others (not specifically that, of course, because that would be stupid) but never like this. Now You's whistling. You never whistles. What the hell.

Klaus is eying You strangely. Best to cut it out and walk fast. Sweat some more, so it looks like normal people fear, and not crazy weirdo fear. You's not used to people looking at You, and while Klaus may judge everybody, it still feels really weird and kind of offensive.

Eventually, however, You begins to hear a sound behind You—it's the sound of tires. A division of soldiers riding after You? You gestures to Klaus to hide in the forests and...be silent. The car begins to pull down the road, driving cautiously over the dirt, trying to avoid sharp rocks that could cut the tires. You watches it carefully—it looks like there's just one guy in it, the driver. Maybe you could use him. You steps out, and the car slows to a halt before You.

“Do you two need a ride?” the driver calls out.

“That'd be great!” You says. Klaus tries his best to smile, but fails miserably.

He opens a couple of the doors and both of you climb in. The car starts down the path, and there is silence for a little while. Eventually, though, he smiles and tries to strike up conversation.

“I'm hoping you guys aren't Fennecs,” he laughs nervously. “I had a nasty run-in with them once. They took my briefcase, but let me go with my skin.”

“Oh no, we're not, don't worry,” You says. “I've never met them myself, but I don't really want to.”

“Yeah. Just stay lucky! That's what I always say.”

“Yeah.”

The silence resumes for a little bit.

“Where you folks headed?”

“Well, we're basically just headed down this road. We're planning on meeting up with someone.”

“Oh, fun, fun.”

You pauses again. “I don't suppose you know what is down this road?”

“Oh! Yeah, down this road is Zorro City.”

“Zorro City? Like, that one storybook character?”

“That's probably what it's named for. A lot of the people there are nerds.”

“Are they friendly?”

“That depends! That all depends. It hinges on how lucky one happens to be...”

You breathes a small sigh of relief—he almost said “how lucky You is”, which would out You as an apple.

“Something the matter?”

“Hm? No! No, not at all. Um, how much further is it to this...Zorro City?”

“Not far at all. Which is our good luck.”

You's noticing he keeps referencing the idea of luck. You feels like this means something, and indeed, a small something at the back of Your head is being tickled. But You can't figure it out.

“So, tell me about Yourself!”

You pauses for a second. “There's not much to say.”

“Oh, there must be. But I understand if people don't like to talk. I keep a tight lip myself.”

“Um. Hm. Well, do you want to tell me about you?”

“Ha, ha. Well, I might as well get right to it. You sees, I'm a gangster.” He reaches over and locks the car doors. He doesn't take his eyes off the road. “I'm a member of the Fennec Gang.” Then he glances over at You, his eyes full of humor. “And that's Your bad luck, chum.”

“Scheisse,” Klaus whispers angrily.

You remembers now. The Fennecs use luck-based phrases to denote themselves to other possible members, based on their gambling habits; so they often will say stuff like "just stay lucky". They're common thieves but their obsession with cards, pool, and other games is infamous. In fact, sometimes they commit incestuous murders over these games.

You figures this is the end, but perhaps not yet. The car begins to pull down into Zorro City, which You suddenly realizes must be the main headquarters of the Fennec Gang.