Disclaimer: A good friend will bail you out of jail; a best friend will be sitting in the cell next to you saying, "Well, at least we had fun."

Second Chances

Chapter Thirty-five: Letting It Out

Bryan looked around nervously before walking into the base psychiatrist's office. "Is this the right place?" He asked.

"Yes." Sigfreid said. "Tell me, are you Chaos or Thunderbird?"

"Chaos." Bryan said. "But most people call me Ry."

"Well then, Ry, why don't you take a seat and we can get started." Sigfreid said, motioning to a chair. Bryan sat down and put his hands in his pockets.

"How long have you known Atlantis?"

"Oh gosh." Bryan groaned. "We met in kindergarten, so just about eight years."

"Would you say that the two of you are close?" Sigfreid asked.

"I thought so, until now." Bryan muttered.

"Why do you feel that way?" Sigfreid said.

"Because she never told me." The boy said. "She never told any of us that she was feeling trapped. After all of these years, I thought she knew that she could tell me anything. Instead, she tells Kristen."

"I see." The older man replied. "And did that make you feel angry? Upset maybe?"

"A little bit of both, I guess." The green-eyed teen shrugged. "Why would she tell Kristen and not me?"

"Were you in the labs with her?"

"No. It was just the girls. Freddy, Mitch and I weren't taken."

"Then it probably has something to do with her experiences. She felt that Kristen would understand more than you."

"But we were practically family! Especially when she found out about her birthparents."

"How so?" Sigfreid asked. "What happened."?

"It was right before she got expelled from school the first time." Bryan said. "She heard her foster parents arguing. She didn't know she was adopted until then. They were talking about wasted money on her. That they should have never picked her up off the doorstep."

"Who left her there?" Sigfreid asked.

"We thought it was her mom until after she got out of the labs." Bryan said. "Then we found out it was the whack job scientist that suppressed her mutation. Kris could tell you more than I can."

"And what about you? How are you dealing with moving in with the Dreadnoks."?

"It's not half bad. We get a place to sleep and food. They remind me of my family."

"Do you see your family often?"

"No. Most of them are in jail, and Freddy's with a traveling truck show."

"Is this Freddy a close relative?"

"He's my older brother."

"Ah. And do you miss him?"

"Yeah, but Ann kept us together while we were looking for work. She's good like that."

"Has she always kept a brave face when trouble strikes?"

"As long as I've known her."

"And naturally it was a shock to you when she lost control."

"Well duh! I mean, why would she run out on us?"

"How do you feel towards her?"

"Angry, upset, sad, and about twenty other emotions I can't even describe."

"What would you tell her if you could speak to her face to face right now?"

"Why did you do this?" Bryan said. "Why would you leave us behind? We need you! It's not even right! After all these years of keeping us together, you just want to let us fall apart? It's not fair! You can't be so selfish! It's not just about you! We have feelings too, you know!"

Sigfreid nodded as the boy spoke, constantly writing down what was said. He only spoke after the youth had stopped. "Does that make you feel any better?"

"Yeah." Bryan nodded. "It does."

"Good." Sigfreid smiled. "I think we're done for now."

"So I can leave?" Bryan asked.

"Yes." Sigfreid motioned to the door. "Fly away."

"Thanks." Bryan nodded as he walked out.