Chapter 28: Controller of the Tongue
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Ryan's fingers hit the keys of the Danger Room computer hard and fast. He felt the burning flow through his body and his throat tighten. Don't get mad, he told himself. Anthony was right, I should be more careful about what I say to people, especially one I don't know well. But no matter what he conjured up to say to himself he still felt injured, a victim yet again of another's uncontrolled, unwarranted anger. Why did this always happen to him? He never picked a fight with anyone. His stupid tongue and temper always got him in trouble.
He who masters the tongue has control over the whole body, he shook his head.
Impossible.
How can anyone know what will offend everyone and avoid it? Well face it kid you messed up and there's no use in acting like a victim. You so deserved to get chewed out.
"Dude, you okay?"
The chair zipped from under Ryan and pain shot through his lower back as he landed on the floor. He looked up at Zeke and shook his head. "Man, I didn't even hear you come in here," he said as the other helped him up.
"I repeat my previous question, you okay?"
"Oh yeah sure, I deserved that back there," Ryan said, half lying.
"Wow, you don't have to lie to me man, everyone knows you didn't deserve what you got. Anthony's full of hot air."
Ryan shook his head. The burning cooled in his veins and he slowly forgave Anthony for his words. "No, no I think he was right, what I said at least made me sound like I thought I was better then him." His own words actually made sense and affected him now.
Anger did not help any situation at all; it only made things worse. He looked at it from Anthony's side. He's probably been called a stupid kid all his life, what with his having a daughter 'n all, Ryan speculated. That's probably a very touchy issue with him. So what I said got him mad. Whether or not he's too sensitive has nothing to do with anything. He grinned. The burning stopped and his vision cleared. He turned back to his computer and continued to type.
"So what are you workin' on?" Zeke asked.
"Oh yeah, the last time Andie, Max, Hope and I were in the Danger Room I noticed that one of the machines had a small glitch in it, which caused it to frits out way too easily, so I'm fixing it to be more efficient. And I have a few surprise programs for our next session."
"So you write all the programs," Zeke said.
"No not all of them, just a few. Like the one that can pick up invisible boy." He laughed. It made him sound like a super hero with a dorky name. "I'm also writing in the new additions to the Brotherhood. Of course that brings up an emotional point with Andie. I don't know what she'll do when she runs across the Asher program."
"Well I'd say one of two things, break down and cry, or forget about the team and go after it. The latter seems more likely, but she'll have to take him on one of these days right?"
Ryan leaned back in his chair and rested his head on his hands. His eyes scanned the picture of Asher and then the physical traits written beside him. 6'5, a whole five inches taller than he. Controls and creates fire.
No problem.
Although, no one's power matches mine really. I can just take it away with a snap of my fingers so to speak. Oh great, now I'm conceited. He grinned and clicked off the screen. The chair mumbled across the floor and he slapped Zeke on the back as he walked to the door.
"Where you goin'?" Zeke called after him.
"Me 'n God need to have a little chat in private," Ryan said over his shoulder. "See ya later."