Amy

The rain had let up a bit, and I had spent some time in my hotelroom bored, just watching the rain. The television got fried when Zeus came, so did a lot of things, but at least we still had light. I went to sleep and then went to class, I took some tests passed them and then the news came on that there would be another attack, this one would be Lucifer's turn to wreck a city. The rest of the family had to deal with the aftermath of the Nine so I got sent to the rear lines. Then I just kind of shut off and went on autopilot, I focused on healing people and stabilizing them while the fighting went on. I didn't know what city I was in, I didn't know what country I was in. There was a job and I did it, and then when it was over I went home, went back to school and tried to pretend I was normal.

My mind wandered back to Void, to Crawler, to almost dying in the fight, Vicky got congratulations about killing Shatterbird, there was a bounty on her, a big one, so Vicky was set for life, but she had this kind of broken look to her, she didn't handle losing Dean well at all and I just ate another meatball.

"Looking good Amy."

One of the girls, boys really didn't talk to me, getting a date when you were an open cape was really difficult when you were a girl, it was different for Eric though, dating was easy for him. Sometimes the girls got aggressive... Ok maybe it was just a different set of problems. I went to the school libary and looked stuff up. I frowned at what I saw, I was prying I shouldn't but I felt a need to pry, a need to meddle.

When class ended I took a bus and went to his house, I walked through the deserted streets where he lived and saw him getting into a car, a van of sorts. He got in and leaned against the steering wheels.

"You have a license?"

He looked at me.

"Do you?"

"Yeah... do you?"

He stared at nothing.

"I guess I can take drivers ed."

"It's against the law."

"The law has bigger problems, we all have bigger problems."

I frowned.

"I'm coming with you."

He opened the door, and I took a seat next to him.

"This isn't a date."

His voice was gruff, tired.

"I didn't say it was, but if this isn't a date then what is it?"

"A fishing trip, I'm out to catch the mighty shoe, or some cans or if I get lucky a beer bottle."

"But not fish?"

The car started.

"There's no fish in the harbor, some of the boats in the graveyard were carrying toxic waste, nothing's alive in there anymore."

"Oh."

We drove, the rain started up again lightly sprinking, in my opinion it was the worst kind of rain, enough to bring you down but not enough to be an excuse to stay in. Void's driving was ok, he didn't floor it. The ride was silent, he didn't talk and the silence felt oppressive.

"They want you to accept the award."

He continued to stare ahead.

"I don't think I will, I'm just going to do my job, and when this is over? I'm going to disapear. Vanish, go off into the sunset."

"You really think you can just walk away."

He shrugged.

"Yeah, I can."

"What you did-"

"Will be forgotten in time, I'm a 16 year old has been, it's all down hill from here, and I'm ok with that."

We stopped at a light, the silence continued.

"Why did you lie to me Greg."

He turned his head.

"The unwritten rules are there for a reason Amy, your family of all people should know that."

I stayed firm.

"Why did you tell me your parents moved to Mars."

He turned his head and continued driving.

"I read the reports, a small government building, a shelter that got hit during the Zeus fight, I did some cross references and-"

"It's none of your business."

I felt like he had slapped me.

"It is my business, we're-"

"Strangers."

He continued driving, we were almost at the remains of the harbor, he stopped and brought out a small cannoe, He then carefully took it to the water, I followed him and got into the boat.

"That was rude."

He turned around and pulled out a pocket fisherman.

"Just go out and talk to people mingle, give them a chance and-"

He glared at me and started talking.

"I went into a public-'ouse to get a pint o' beer,
The publican 'e up an' sez, "We serve no red-coats here."
The girls be'ind the bar they laughed an' giggled fit to die,
I outs into the street again an' to myself sez I:
O it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, go away";
But it's "Thank you, Mister Atkins", when the band begins to play,
The band begins to play, my boys, the band begins to play,
O it's "Thank you, Mister Atkins", when the band begins to play.

I went into a theatre as sober as could be,
They gave a drunk civilian room, but 'adn't none for me;
They sent me to the gallery or round the music-'alls,
But when it comes to fightin', Lord! they'll shove me in the stalls!
For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, wait outside";
But it's "Special train for Atkins" when the trooper's on the tide,
The troopship's on the tide, my boys, the troopship's on the tide,
O it's "Special train for Atkins" when the trooper's on the tide.

Yes, makin' mock o' uniforms that guard you while you sleep
Is cheaper than them uniforms, an' they're starvation cheap;
An' hustlin' drunken soldiers when they're goin' large a bit
Is five times better business than paradin' in full kit.
Then it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, 'ow's yer soul?"
But it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll,
The drums begin to roll, my boys, the drums begin to roll,
O it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll.

We aren't no thin red 'eroes, nor we aren't no blackguards too,
But single men in barricks, most remarkable like you;
An' if sometimes our conduck isn't all your fancy paints,
Why, single men in barricks don't grow into plaster saints;
While it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, fall be'ind",
But it's "Please to walk in front, sir", when there's trouble in the wind,
There's trouble in the wind, my boys, there's trouble in the wind,
O it's "Please to walk in front, sir", when there's trouble in the wind.

You talk o' better food for us, an' schools, an' fires, an' all:
We'll wait for extry rations if you treat us rational.
Don't mess about the cook-room slops, but prove it to our face
The Widow's Uniform is not the soldier-man's disgrace.
For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Chuck him out, the brute!"
But it's "Saviour of 'is country" when the guns begin to shoot;
An' it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' anything you please;
An' Tommy ain't a bloomin' fool - you bet that Tommy sees!"

He cast his line and I stared at him.

"Kipling?"

"You have two choices, go back to land or fish."

He brought out a fishing pole and I took it.

"What's the point of fishing when there's no fish."

He lowered his head and I cast my line, two of us in a polluted bay, trying to catch fish that didn't exist. It was pointless, the rain had turned into a mist and the amtosphere was heavy.

"What was the point of the poem, what's the point of all of this?"

"Why do things need a point Amy?"

I hated that.

"Because, um..."

"Why are you following me around? You have your own life, your own world, people love you there. I have my own life, my own world."

"A world of just yourself."

"I've been very alone for a very long time, I'm used to it."

He just kind of seemed down.

"Well I'm here."

"Why?"

I blinked, we sat there fishing in silence saying nothing.