"Okay, let it out, idiots," he mutters as soon as they're far enough away. "What's up? You lot just went along with me as if we're a happy little family on vacation. I'd believe it if you didn't seem so relieved to see me."
He expects them to come clean. Whether that's them having their existential crisis or asking a bunch of questions, or even declaring they despise his guts, it doesn't matter, nor does he try to guess.
But instead, they merely exchange a glance with each other, adjust their own 'apocalypse' gear, and let Thrasher speak like usual.
"We just really want to support our leader. You were worried sick. Like you said, just because you don't want interns doesn't mean you won't be doing a good job. What decent teacher doesn't worry when students disappear?"
He glares.
He holds it for several long moments.
Then he sighs deeply, leans in, and puts a finger in their faces, waving it around to make sure he gets all three.
"Listen, I don't know who these idiots are, but they're decent enough. If any of you make trouble, you'll be helping Max for a week!"
They salute him, which he quickly shoves their hands down. They shouldn't be saluting him when there are soldiers nearby! What if the fools think he's not just a civilian who got stuck under rubble but some sort of military guy?!
All he gets for his efforts is smiles and held-back laughter.
At least they're holding it back. That surely means something good.
~
The van, within the span of a few hours, gets properly pulled out of the rubble.
Tussle, upon realizing that the tires didn't even struggle and they probably could've driven right over even the roughest spots, and the only reason that didn't happen was the interns not realizing it themselves, shoves his team into the van, gets in the driver's seat, waves goodbye, and speeds off at the fastest non-suspicious speed.
Because that captain is perceptive, and he doesn't want to have any questions. He's got a weird feeling in general, and one less person is one less variable.
He keeps driving for a long while, taking in the scenery. The whole place looks like some movie where the lead is either a rough-and-tumble scarred and battered man or a fresh-faced nerd, and either way, he gets the girl and kills a bunch of people in fights where ammo doesn't work right.
They're in a city, full of streets without cars, lights flickering when power shouldn't be on, and rubble in some places but other buildings pristine. Signs are faded by weather, paint bleached by days without new coats...
Seems that all the people left in a hurry. Otherwise, where are the cars? Why has the power even been left on? An organized leaving, sure, given that people weren't panicking so much they just got out and ran, so not a zombie apocalypse or other sudden violence. Evacuated in an orderly fashion, an explanation for why soldiers are patrolling and stopped to check a building for survivors.
The city must be newly evacuated...
He pulls over, parking directly in front of what has caught his attention. As he does, the van's door opens, and the three in the back rush out.
"You guys have snacks?"
"We haven't been hungry, but besides going over the equipment, we're kinda bored. No windows."
Tussle smiles at Thrasher's comment, gesturing with both arms as if presenting.
"Have no fear! Not only will we switch off front seat privileges, we have arrived! BEHOLD!"
"A convenience store... aka we rob it blind of everything."
Tussle walks in as answer, grabbing one of the little baskets by the door. The place is much bigger, clearly one of the convenience stores that might as well be for groceries (if one only buys junk food). As is, there are quite a few things missing, but what remains...
He grabs as many of the candies as he can, especially the chocolate. It'll melt if a heatwave comes, but given how new this place seems, it's all still good food. Then some chips, some cookies, a few apples that haven't gone bad yet, and the little jerky and granola bars and other long-term supplies that remain.
As he grabs the items, he watches with smug satisfaction as his interns immediately fall into his bad influence. Thrasher starts grabbing several cases of drinks at once, loading them in with strategic ease that suggests he's worked in a loading bay before. Their lovely little Snow White is pulling out the drinks that are in fridges, as those won't spoil even when warmed up.
Sparky, of course, is the smartest, as she holds up various single-portion ice creams and waits for someone to take it from her hands. Tussle appreciates that, as it keeps them happy and energized (and cooled off) whilst they work.
And they do, in fact, rob the place blind.
Though he is not the one who takes the cash register or the safe! That is entirely Sparky, who apparently learned how to do electrician stuff and apparently also knows how to open the things. She claims it's a good project for the van.
Speaking of the van, he should probably see if there are any toys or something. The kids can, at least, mess around and take things apart when bored. Not to mention he himself gets restless if he stays still too long, and none of these interns deserve to deal with a bored Tussle.
When the van's back is so packed there's only enough room for sitting near the doors, and Tussle also thinks he's gotten enough random electronics and cheap toys from the store, only then do they reload. Thrasher takes first shift in the passenger seat, since Snow wants to catalogue everything and Sparky wants to crack the safe.
With ice creams in hand, they set off again, down the empty streets.