"Look, everyone, we can argue amongst ourselves all we want, but we are the leaders here; it is our job to keep things in order. We cannot lose sight of why we're here, so let's stop arguin' and try to figure out what we're going to do," Aaron sympathized to the others, causing everyone to slightly nod their approval.
"Yes, Aaron is correct," Reya agreed with the coffee skinned boy, before taking back control of the meeting. "We may be teenagers, too, but our job is to be the adults around this place." While no one else spoke as she talked, Caesar was still giving Austin the stinky eye throughout the whole ordeal. "What we don't know is more than what we do know at this point—."
Another scream shook the Oakhouse, this time interrupting Reya., and it was just as inhuman as it was the other times — it was both a sound of vicious rage and animalistic insanity, as it produced a bone-chilling fear in everyone who heard it, causing them all to shiver.
"But what we do know, or, at least, can pretty much accurately guess," Reya continued on, seemingly unaffected by the screams all together. "is that Jackson was attacked by the Annihilators, possibly have been held hostage by them, and attacked the newbie known as Austin here. That's a given. The proof is in the pudding.
"Cleo, how long can you and your brother, Zether, last in trying to heal Jackson's injuries? Alyssa said, turning to the 13 year old Overseer. "I know it'll take time to whip up an anti-venom, considering this is the first time we've had a Meadower come to us stung alive, but what about his injuries? He's racked with them."
"I have Zether healing him in what he can do right now," Cleo hesitated to speak, measuring her words. "I am currently working on something, but, considering that we don't know how long the Annihilator venom's been inside Jackson, nor when he was attacked, both of which are necessary for us to determine the proportion of the anti-venom…. It will be some time, but I think, with his blood, I can determine a cure… As for his wounds, Zether pretty much can heal what is on him right now, which is what he's doing. The screams of insanity are the byproduct of the insanity caused by being bitten or scratched…He may be long gone by the time I even come up with something, though."
"That's 'if' Jackson's infected!" screamed Caesar, not letting his point to get smoothed over and ignored. "But, while we're here, shouldn't we decide what to do with the newbie? Its obvious he did something to provoke Jackson. What was he doing in the Greylands, anyway? He's not dead, and he's not a scout!"
"Yet," Aaron intervened. "He's not a scout 'yet'."
"Whatever," Caesar glared at Aaron, before returning to mad dog Austin. "It's suspicious that you picked a new protege, and a newbie at that, Aaron, especially when our old one went missing. Who's to say you don't got somethin' to do with that, Aaron?"
"What are you accusing me of now, you dimwit freeloader?" Aaron snapped, glaring at the scarecrow thin boy, with the dreadlocks and scrawny frame. "Lemme remind that I'm al'ight with us not liking each other, Scarecrow, but listen here: You accuse me of somethin' else, Scarecrow, and I swear by those who trapped us here, I'll—."
"Fine, whatever!" Caesar snapped, but he averted his gaze from Aaron, returning his glare to Austin, which had Austin realize that those two really did not like each other. He was curious why, but he didn't push. "Look, newbie, I don't trust you, but, seeing as everyone else here don't know what to do with you n' refuse to agree on punishment for your obvious involvement in what happened with Jackson, I vote to postpone this Summit's final decision until Stryker's return. Ww gettin' nowhere in this meeting. It's a total waste of time."
"All in favor?" Reya said, looking to the others, who all voiced their agreement in the temporary compromise, before she, too, raised her hand in agreeance. "Very well, we'll meet up here again later tonight, when Stryker returns from his… er, trip."
Suddenly, the trapdoor to the attic opened up and in came Cleo's little brother, Zether, and two boys Austin would later learn were named Jack and Jesus — they were wippers. They were all panting and tired from running all the way here, all three possessing expressions of anxiousness and fear.
"Zether? Jack? Jesus?" Cleo stood up, looking at the three, interrupting boys. "What is it?"
"And why the hell are you even here!?" barled an enraged Caesar. "This is unacceptable! We're in the middle of a Summit, and—."
"It's the scouting party that went into the Labyrinthe with Stryker!" snapped Zether. "Something's happened. None of them have returned, and the Gates close in about 10 minutes!"