Chapter 6: Homeward Bound
[August 20th, 2552, 13:30]
My friends were practically shitting themselves when they saw me hop off the Falcon a few days earlier. They were sure I had been crushed by rocks or starved to death.
Bradley looked like he had seen a ghost.
By that time the platoon we were assigned to was pulling out of Reach, at this point we could only start counting losses.
The sudden appearance of what could be assumed to be the Covvies's main fleet had arrived, and as it had turned out, we lost that battle I had so happened to miss the end of.
Apparently, they had a supercarrier parked above and cloaked, how the hell nobody saw that remains a mystery to me. I could only imagine what other tricks they had up their sleeves, probably some giant planet-killing robot or something like that.
But I really had no reason to be worried about that anymore.
I was seated on a half-full Pelican as it approached a frigate. The craft occasionally shook from turbulence, putting Sheila who sat next to me on edge.
"You got a fear of flying or something?" I bumped her leg.
"Not really… Maybe. After you got trapped in that cave we had to evac in one of these. While on our way back we were tailed by a banshee, which let us know its presence by shooting a few shots into the wing."
"Yeesh."
"At least we made it back in… mostly one piece."
I raised my eyebrow.
"Mostly?"
"Some dude lost his arm."
"Well, you are still here, and that's what counts."
"Yeah," she adjusted in her seat, "You know, you still haven't told us how you got out of the cave."
"That's a story for another time."
"So, you just simply trekking around a cave and finding your way out… is a story for another time?"
"More or less."
She leaned in close, studying me before backing off.
"Whatever you say, Fanny."
"That's a new one."
"I impress myself sometimes."
"Hey guys," a pilot from the front called back to us, "we are about to land on Dancing with Angels, and to be truthful with you guys, this is my like, third time doing this."
The men in the hull all looked at each other. Sheila shuddered.
Much to my, and everyone else's surprise, the landing was smooth. No sudden adjustments or any kind of metallic screeching sounds.
Johan was asleep next to Sheila when the door opened, the sudden shuffling of boots waking him.
She pulled him up by the nape of his neck and pushed him out, I followed right after her.
It had been a few months since I had last been on a ship, but the hustle and bustle of the bays was something I couldn't forget about and not get used to.
The ground crew (well, hangar crew?) would scurry from aircraft to aircraft, either repairing, refueling or rearming them. Pilots walking to and from, and random marines and other combatants trying to navigate through the chaos.
The tell tale intercom barked various commands that were lost to the echo and the machinery and the voices and the engines.
It was sensory overload at its peak.
The pelican we were onboard a moment ago lifted before descending to the surface once more, picking up more troops to haul only to come back.
"Hey Danny," Johan yelled to me, drowned out by the ambience.
"Yeah?"
"Do you know where we are going after this?"
"No."
"Well I do."
I kept walking, waiting for him to further elaborate.
"Are you gonna say or…?"
"Oh yeah, haha, we are heading back to Earth."
"Earth? Why there and not any other planet?"
He looked at me dumbly, which was saying a lot.
"Why the hell would I know?"
I could only roll my eyes.
"It was more so rhetorical than anything."
"I don't care about your rhetoric bullshit. I only care about your answer to another question: do you want to stay with my family while we are on the surface?"
Sheila and I looked at one another, "Your family?"
"Yeah. I'm one-hundred percent sure they would let us stay there with open arms."
We walked through the sliding door into the hallways, the previously deafening sounds now barely audible.
"Are we even allowed to head down when we get there? Are you sure we aren't just staying in orbit if we even go to Earth?" I voiced my concern.
"Well," Sheila spoke up, "considering what has happened to the majority of us the last couple of days, I am pretty sure they would give us some leave. But why stay with… your folks?"
We passed a few groups of disheveled Marines, barely giving us any attention.
"They are very nice and welcoming people, in my opinion and experience. Plus you don't have to pay a dime."
I thought for a moment.
"We still wouldn't pay for any kind of stay, regardless of where we went."
"Well they'll feed ya for free. My dad sure makes a mean pork butt. Blackened is the name of the game."
The word 'blackened' activated a single thought in my mind.
"Do you still think about the guys who died back in Szurdok Ridge?" I blurted out.
Sheila looked at me incredulously, "What- where the hell did that come from?"
Johan slowed his pace, his expression in slight pain.
"Some of that shit is hard to forget, you know."
"Yeah, but why bring it up out of nowhere dickhead?"
I stuttered out a haphazard answer that one wouldn't even consider words.
"Look, it's our duty to move on and stop thinking about it," Sheila growled.
"So we shouldn't remember the fallen?"
"We shouldn't dwell on it. People die. This is war."
"Don't tell me you don't actually mean that."
"I mean it Manson."
We turned a bend, following the markings on the ground that lead to the barracks.
"What about those that you have shot and killed, do you ever think about them?"
She halted, dumbstruck.
"The fucking alien bastards? Is this some fucking bit Daniel?"
I didn't respond.
"The only time I think about those things is when I'm putting a round in their ugly-ass excuse for faces."
I kept quiet.
"What the hell is wrong with you? You lost your family to them, same as mine."
"Don't you ever wonder if they have family back at their own home? Children to get back to?"
"No, I don't. They don't deserve that much of my brain power."
Johan put his hands on our shoulders, causing us both to look at him.
I didn't even realize how close we had gotten, practically spitting in each other's faces.
"Just, drop it guys."
Sheila brushed his hand off, scoffing.
"Whatever."
She resumed walking to our destination. I attempted to follow but Johan grabbed my arm, ushering me to stay with him right there.
"What's wrong?"
"Don't listen to what she says man, I'm sure she is going through her own demons right now."
He looked to the ground.
"Those are the last words I expected to hear from you, what's with the shift?"
"In the last three weeks alone I have seen enough death for a lifetime, and I have a feeling I'm in for just a bit more."
"So, you're scared?"
"I'm scared of losing you guys. Will's still alive, scarred for life but alive. I almost lost you a week ago when you walked into that stupid cave, and I nearly lost Sheila's and my own life. The future just feels so uncertain."
He looked at me with puppy eyes, quite fitting for his what-could-be-described-as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome face.
"You want a hug?"
"I would love that," he said as he extended his arms.
I returned the gesture, squeezing him until he could only croak.
"Holy- you- good at this."
"I know."
I patted his back a few times before releasing him, causing me to accidentally drop the rifle that was slung across my shoulder.
He picked it up for me, handing it over before we tried to find wherever Sheila went.
[August 21st, 2552, 0700]
It had actually been a while since I had looked at myself in a clean mirror.
Harris had a small one in the showers, although it was covered in a grime that could only be removed with a buffer. Adams had none to note.
And they expected us to stay groomed? I guess that was a luxury reserved for our little boat boys.
The previous night we began our first jump out of system, following the Cole Protocol to a tooth. By the time I had woken up we had already started the second and final jump towards Earth, which would take us about five or six days to arrive.
The wonders of the Shaw-Fujikawa drive.
A heavy stubble had grown on my pale face, reflecting the lack of a moment to shave for the past few days, and was complemented by some small scabs created during the heat of battle.
My brown eyes were reddened by exhaustion, my chestnut hair in no discernable style.
I was shirtless, wearing only a towel and covered in what I hoped was dirt.
I was a mess.
Inside and out.
I hadn't talked to Sheila since our dispute the previous day. I didn't think she was purposely avoiding me at first, seeing as we were actually assigned to two different rooms, but during dinner she went out of her way not to make any sort of eye contact. She had even avoided Johan, much to my surprise.
It didn't feel appropriate, at least in my mind, to confront her about it just yet. Giving her and I a few days to calm down and try and apologize to each other about it seemed like the right thing to do.
But to me, what was the right thing to do anymore?
"Hey Manson, the shower is free."
A marine bumped my shoulder with the back of his wrist before continuing on to the lockers.
I observed myself for another moment before pulling myself away and towards a curtained stall.
I slung the towel over the curtain rack, hanging above and behind me as I turned on the spout. The water rushed over me, which was cold of course.
"Shit. Didn't someone literally just take a shower before me?"
I adjusted the knob a little.
It didn't take long for it to warm up once more, becoming bearable at the very least. However by the time that had happened the filth covering my nude body had already been mostly rinsed away.
It was a great time for shower thoughts.
And I thought of Caso.
The Elite who I had, in some capacity, befriended.
I had left her behind with that Forerunner thing, so clearly mentally ill that it shipped us. Although she thought it was ridiculous, I found it quite hilarious.
But God damnit the mentally deficient AI had some validity to an uncomfortable capacity.
We hit it off way too well.
She was the closest I had been with another person, both emotionally and physically, as far as I could remember.
And she had mandibles for christ sake! I was supposed to shoot her, she was supposed to disembowel me. We were most certainly not supposed to get cozy with one another.
But there was just something about her.
I didn't consciously feel in any way physically attracted to her outside of her very, dare I say, endearing eyes. They might be common for her species, but their exotic properties caught my eye. Pun not intended.
She also had this sort of… cuteness to her?
However her appearance wasn't what truly enthralled me.
At first I assumed Caso was quite reserved, either being reluctant or choosing not to answer certain questions, but over time she seemed to become quite comfortable with me.
She opened up about subjects that I could tell she had never told anyone about before, and to an enemy at the very least.
Connotatively she was… human.
And to a capacity, she was just like me: conflicted with my surroundings.
Although I am unaware of the full scope of her conflict, we are both at odds with what we are told and our actions.
I sound like a broken record at this point, but I don't like killing, but I am otherwise instructed to do so on a day by day basis. I have already taken two lives, both of them I still vividly remember since then, blah blah blah.
I'm supposed to hate the alien, but I cannot.
Caso was encouraged to slaughter humanity, even honored when doing so. But when she actually committed the act, she froze, realizing the scope of her actions.
And she hated it.
And what is supposed to be one the prophets of her religion inadvertently told her it was all a lie.
There was depth in both of us, and we came to realize that in the darkness.
Our brief understanding of each other was what probably kept us from mauling one another to death and quickly forgiving when we tried to.
Shakespeare is probably cackling wherever in the depths of hell he is.
"You better not be jerking yourself in there."
"What?" I broke from my thoughts, alerted by the voice on the other side of the curtain.
"You've been in there for like twenty minutes! There are other guys who want to take a shower."
I looked down at my wet body.
I had stood there for twenty minutes and hadn't actually cleaned myself.
Swiftly, I took a hairy bar of soap out of a little plastic cubby and rubbed it all over my torso and extremities. I quickly rinsed myself once more and turned off the water, grabbing my towel and drying myself off in the span of half a minute.
A few of the guys glared at me when I walked past, but I didn't care enough to give them my time.
In the locker room I put on a spare BDU I found and called it a day, hastily garbing myself.
I was supposed to find Johan so we could get Breakfast together, but he seemed to be missing from his bunk when I arrived. The cafeteria was just a short walk away, so I imagined I would be meeting his pudgy dumbass there.
"Hey Dan."
"What, Bradley?"
He was laying on a cot in the corner of the barracks, quietly reading a book.
"What's up?"
"Nothin' much, just contemplating life and going to eat with Johan."
"Nothing changes."
"What about you?"
"Just laying here, reading some ancient book I traded some cigarettes for. It's some weird love triangle between a girl, a vampire and a werewolf."
"Sounds dumb."
He flipped a page, "You're telling me."
"Are you going to eat or?"
There was a brief moment of silence.
"Nah."
"Surprising."
"I know."
I began backpedaling, "Well, I'm gonna…"
"Mhm."
I simply turned around and walked out, not intending to be rude but to just end the conversation.
Out in the hallway were some scattered groups of crew and other personnel, all heading to wherever they needed to be.
Random blurbs from the bridge echoed through the speakers occasionally as I rounded a few bends, up a few sets of stairs.
Stalwart-Class Frigates, such as this one, were always so claustrophobic. It's amazing that people spend entire tours onboard these, although I imagine that officers receive much better arrangements than the enlisted and drafted.
I rounded another bend into the cafeteria, leading into a decently sized room with a fairly low ceiling. Johan was sitting in the front with a few other guys I shared a room with. He waved his hand at me as soon as I entered.
I sat down next to him, saying "What's up?"
"You ain't getting food?"
"I never said that?"
"You sat down without food though?"
"Well yeah?"
"So…?"
I slapped his back, "I am getting food. Just wanted to sit down first. Calm your tits."
"Well, I think you'll like it. It's cheesy eggs, milk and," he poked some brownish pink slab on his tray, "meat?"
"Is it warm at least?"
"Yeah."
I looked away for a split second and saw Sheila walking in. We made eye contact for a brief moment before she looked away, heading towards an empty table.
"You should apologise to her Danny."
"No, not yet."
"Not yet? Why the hell not?"
"It doesn't seem like the right time. Need to let the thoughts brew right?"
"Yeah, but she is probably-hopefully staying with my family along with you. The last thing I want is for this to blow over during family dinner."
"I guess."
"Just do it you coward."
He pushed me off of the bench and towards her direction, something that she picked up on and started watching.
Fuck, there was no way out of this now.
I walked towards her empty table, step by agonizing step. Her brow raised as she awaited my execution by her hand, or rather her words.
I was ready to turn around and snap Johan's neck like a glow stick.
Sheila stared me down as I sat across from her, anxiously awaiting for her to reach across the table and scoop my eyes out with a spork.
"So, uh, hi," I sputtered out
"Hi."
"Uh, how did you sleep?"
"Like a baby."
"That's nice."
"Yes it is."
We sat in awkward silence.
She was the first to speak up again.
"So… is there something you wanted to say?"
"Well I feel like we both have something to say."
"Well fuck you too."
"Look, I'm sorry I brought up such a… sensitive subject to you. I didn't realize that you felt any way about it, usually you just play games and talk about them, not about your feelings."
She gave a brief chortle before relaxing her face into a frown.
"I'm sorry I don't convey my feelings to you and Johan, and Will by extension. I just get embarrassed when I talk about these things, and my gut reaction is to lash out."
"I understand, but you don't need to feel embarrassed around us. You need to talk about these kinds of things. I don't mean that just to be nice to you, it's terrible for your mental health to not discuss the horrors of war."
She sat forward, her voice softened when she spoke, "I never really thought of this whole 'fighting thing' this bad before. I had killed and shot so many things virtually all of my life, I guess I thought I was just desensitized to it all. If I can be completely honest with you, Danny. Please don't tell anyone about this."
She leaned into my ear.
"I didn't cry when I learned my parents passed," she whispered.
"... Are you serious?"
"Completely. I can't formulate why or how I felt, but just… ugh, these last few weeks have been very challenging for me."
"We can all agree to that."
"You just seem to have it figured out."
"Me? Have it all figured out?"
"You were so, I don't know the word. Firm? Direct? Convinced? Whatever it is, you were that when we argued. It peeved me to see someone so vehemently opposed to what I thought."
"It challenged your worldview just a little?"
"...yeah."
"Yeah I've found that I am pretty good at that lately. Well, more so just the nudge that finally tips people over."
"Ha. Yeah."
"Shit sucks."
"Yup."
"Do you want to sit with Johan and I?" I pointed back towards where he was watching us.
"Why not."
"Good, c'mon, let's eat some mystery meat."
[August 24th, 2552, 17:31]
"So they caught the dude jacking it? That's fucking hilarious dude."
Squill was laughing while we sat around in our room and played Crazy Eights.
I decided to pull out the good-old boot camp masturbater story.
The name was weird to say the least, but it was what everyone called him. He told me when I met him a few days prior that his real name was William but everyone calls him Squilliam, hence Squill.
"Danny, you tell that story to everyone you meet, don't you?"
"It works, doesn't it Sheila? Uno."
"Wrong game."
"Same thing."
"Not really."
I was holding a six of diamonds in my hand, and by chance we just so happened to be in that exact suit.
Sheila placed down an ace of diamonds.
Johan put down a five.
Now it was up to Squill to put down another diamond-
Five of clubs.
"Fuck."
We were due to be in Earth's orbit in about three or four days, possibly sooner, so we just sat around and played a bunch of card games all day. Occasionally we would hit the pool tables in the rec room, but nine out of ten times they would be taken.
I drew three cards before putting down a nine of clubs.
"Son of a bit-"
I heard stomping outside, turning my head to see what the commotion was about.
A few marines ran past the door, one stopping in the frame.
"What's going on?"
"Fight!"
A fight?
We all looked at each other, even Bradley who was still sitting in the corner still seemed interested.
Before we could respond the Marine ran off with his buddies.
"I don't know about you guys, but I want to see some guys kicking each other's asses," Sheila put her hand face down on the floor, standing up.
"Might as well," I said.
We all exited the room and walked down the halls, following the ever growing crowd of guys looking for some gladiatorial combat in the gym from what it seemed.
I brushed through a crowd of crewmen to watch the main event, a very large man built like a bear in PT clothes ready to do some fisticuffs with a fairly tall and lanky lady. They found themselves surrounded by half a dozen knocked out patrons, all splayed in various uncomfortable positions.
The man outstretched his arms, mocking her, "If you are so tough, kick my shit in, eh?"
She didn't respond, only tensing up like she was ready to pounce.
"Come at me bitch, you don't even have the-"
She jumped, throwing a nasty right hook directly across the bear's face.
He comically flew back into a weight rack, his hopefully still alive body slung across like a rag doll.
The crowd roared, some even jumping up and down, others with cameras in their hand recording the whole dispute.
I was gawking like the rest of my group, all turning to each other in awe of the raw strength of the woman.
She dusted herself off and walked through the crowd and out of the room. When she brushed past, I noticed a bunch of small details that went over my head when I first entered.
She was nearly a head taller than me, and her face looked much younger than me.
I could hear her mutter under her breath, "I need my fix… I need my fix…"
The crowd started talking to one another once she left, speaking about how awesome it was to watch some guys get their asses handed to them.
"Yeah that was sick!"
"I'm surprised she didn't kill 'em She didn't, right?"
"So that is what Spartans are like? No wonder the Covvies call them demons."
So that was one of the infamous Spartans? Holy hell was I glad I didn't piss her off.
"Damn. We practically missed the entire fight," Sheila spoke up.
By then there were a few crewmates and medics rushing in to tend to the beaten and bruised marines that laid on the matted gym floors and equipment.
"I wouldn't have wanted to see how some of these guys were manhandled," said Johan.
Squill held a phone in hand.
"Too bad I didn't get enough video, I only got the part when the Spartan flung the dude across the room."
"I wonder what her name is."
"Typical Danny, trying to be the nice guy," Sheila punched my shoulder.
I have her a pretty quizzical look.
"Nice guy? What kind of behavior have I shown to be considered a 'nice guy'?"
"I don't know. It just… what's the word, emanates off of you."
"Thanks for pointing that out."
"No problem."
A Spartan was on the ship.
Why?
Shouldn't she have been back on Reach, doing what Spartans do? Killing entire armies for fun?
But an even more important question resonated in me, why did I think that of another person?
Was that their purpose in life?
[August 27th, 2552, 07:53]
The space elevator we were on was quite packed. A slew of different containers, vehicles, people and the sort found their space on the platform, slowly but surely descending down towards Earth.
Johan, Sheila and I found ourselves relaxing on top of some cargo containers, laying down and doing our best to watch the heavens pass by our eyes, the stars becoming less and less visible as we entered the atmosphere.
"Where are we going to end up once we are on land?" I asked Johan, preoccupied with Sheila holding him in an armlock.
"Th-this is over… H-havana."
"So the 'Carribean' right?"
"Y-yeah. Sheila- can you?"
"Not until you give it back."
"For the la-ah-st time, I don't… have… it."
"Where does your family live?"
"Not very far. North- America. Sheila damn you…"
"I can't wait to meet your weird ass family."
"Uh- okay?"
Sheila squeezed him tighter, "Maybe your family can tell me where the hell you put my charger."
"I don't- know! Gah!"
She pulled one more time before releasing him.
He grasped his neck for air.
"You asshole…"
"Be advised, the elevator will come to a complete stop shortly, please do not leave behind any belongings."
As expected, we felt ourselves get heavier as the elevator slowed, eventually coming to rest at the surface.
The big doors opened to a big hangar with big machines moving big objects.
We picked up our duffle bags and made our way off and onto solid ground for the first time in a week or so.
It wasn't much of a welcoming terminal to say the least.
A few workers moving crates were nice enough to point us towards the exit, which was clearly outlined on the boards above our head. The gesture was kind, I guess.
We left through customs, being able to pass through quickly due to our current employment and made our way out into what could be considered a lobby.
Hundreds of people were walking, standing around, talking and the sorts. Various holographic signs detailed the various fast food and coffee restaurants that lined the concourse, and the sounds were barely able to overpower the space elevator itself.
There were a few of those tuxedo guys that would be holding boards with names on them, probably for those stuck-up pricks with tons of money.
Howard Robertson, Nikola Devine, Linzi Buckner…
"Johan Strauss and company?" I voiced aloud.
Johan speed-walked, actually running to the man holding the sign.
"Gavriel!"
He gave a bear hug to the man, who hesitantly reciprocated the act.
Gavriel, which he was now named, was a very lanky, dark toned man, probably about six-feet tall. He looked like the stereotypical butler type with a goatee and a curtailed suit to match.
"Mister Johan, it is a pleasure to see you again," he said with a smile, "I'm sure your deployment was fine, was it not?"
Johan gave a pained smirk before looking to Sheila and I, hopefully expecting some sort of response from us.
We were both very astonished.
"Ah, I see you brought your friends that you had detailed to us in your messages back home, Danny and Sheila if I am not mistaken?"
Sheila wrapped her arm around my neck, squeezing me tightly.
"Yup! That's us!"
"Y-yeah," I wheezed.
He snickered, "It is nice to finally meet you two. It is a shame I am unable to meet with William, but I am hopeful that he is well."
Gavriel waved his hand towards himself.
"Come, I need to take you all to our ride home."
He took Johan's bag out of his hands before beginning to walk off.
"Johan?" I said.
"Yeah?"
"You're rich?"
He looked at me, confused.
"I guess?"
" Oh, 'I guess'. Bitch, you got a butler," Sheila nearly spat.
"I thought you were some country bumpkin!"
Johan only shook his head.
"Come on, we don't have all day," Gavriel yelled to us.
We skipped towards him, passing crowds of everyday people just trying to get to their next destination.
The large window panes that lined the northern side of the walkway viewed the tropical coastline.
It was still early morning, and as a result the sky was a vibrant mix of red and purple. The sky contrasted with the pale brown of the coast and the deep, dark blue of the frothing ocean. A fitting sight for my first time on Earth.
We hastened our pace and followed himself outside to a helicopter, its rotors whirring in anticipation.
"Private helicopter as well?" I said with raised eyebrows.
"I ain't that rich. Family doesn't even have a space capable ship of any sort."
Sheila propped herself on my shoulder before pointing at him.
"What the hell does your family even do? And how the hell are you enlisted?"
"If you are so curious to learn of his wealth I can better answer it than Mister Johan," Gavriel said while opening the side door and ushering us in.
The inside of the helicopter was modest enough. A row of three black leather seats lined the front and another on the back side of the interior, each with what appeared to be a collapsible tray.
It wasn't at first obvious from the outside, but the passenger windows were darkened.
I put my bag on the floor of the cabin before stepping up, Gavriel aiding me and wiping some dust off of my clothing. I took a seat on the, well, seats and melted.
"The Strauss family has owned and operated various valuable mineral mines on Earth for generations. That is where a majority of the wealth comes from," he continued as he attempted to help Sheila up, whom politefully declined.
"So, your rich family is into miners?" She said with a shit-eating grin.
Johan only rolled his eyes as Gavriel pulled him in.
"As for his… enlistment, he joined without informing us first."
I chuckled, "A little rebel I see!"
His eyes shot daggers into me.
"Although his decision was a surprise to us, and after a few days of delegation from his father, he allowed him to actually leave."
I felt heavy as the helicopter slowly ascended off the tarmac.
The inside of the cabin was surprisingly quiet for a helicopter. The only mechanical noise that could be heard was the slight whir of the engine that was stationed above the ceiling.
I guess that compared to the aircraft I had been in previously, this one was oddly silent.
"If you are curious as to when we will arrive, it will be about a fifteen or so minute flight so just make yourself comfortable."
By then we were passing over the 'Gulf of Mexico', as it was named. The shimmering water was beginning to brighten as the sky shifted into a brilliant blue.
The tinted windows did nothing to enhance the picturesque moment, but I wasn't complaining.
Gavriel was sitting across from me lightly grooming Johan, the latter of whom carried a mildly uncomfortable look on their face as it happened.
Sheila surprisingly paid no heed to them, instead focusing on whatever game she was currently playing.
"I thought you lost the charger," I stated as I pointed at her device.
"I did."
"But…?"
She took her eyes off of whatever she was doing and looked at me for a moment.
"It's not close to dying, around… twenty percent…"
"Twenty percent is still pretty close to dying…"
"Well, in reality, 'close to dying' is about three percent."
As she said that her screen went black.
"Wh- wha-"
I decided to only smirk and look out the window again.
We had passed over the coast and we're inland once more.
No matter how much money they probably made, I still believe Johan's family spent it all on landscaping.
Just flying over the home aided that theory, the rows and rows of greenery covered the area. A rainbow of colors dotted the ground and intricate patterns were carved into it. Paths cobwebbed throughout.
As we got closer to said ground, we could clearly see the Renaissance Statue-esc hedge sculptures, some of the larger ones depicting quite revealing human forms and the smaller resembling animals.
But the centerpiece of the place, where all the paths converged, was a large bust of a man's head. It wasn't immediately recognizable, but some of the features reminded me of Johan a little bit.
It was… confusing?
"What the fuuuuck…" Sheila murmured over my shoulder.
I gave her a bit of a worried glance before returning my gaze to the outside.
Slowly a majority of the yard was hidden from view as we touched down on a gray concrete pad about a football field away from the main building.
Said building was about three floors, possibly more underground. It was very gothic in design, which was a little strange considering that the area the home was apparently located was considered southern by most.
It really was both fitting and completely unexpected for Johan.
The doors slid open and I quickly stood and hopped out.
In my mind, I thought it would be kind of cool or casual to do so, like I was more of a badass than I actually was. I would hit the ground with a cinematic dust cloud and some cute girls would squeal in the background. Perhaps even my brother and his dog would be waiting for me or something like that.
At the time I thought it to be an… idea, so I just went with it.
What ended up happening was me somehow tripping over a strap on my bag, propelling my face directly into the ground.
I felt a little wet in the face before I went to sleep.
Strauss Manor, North America
[August 27th, 2552, 17:00]
"Hrrngh,"
I was strangely warm, like I was surrounded by heat, but I also felt cold from whatever cloth my skin contacted.
I felt weightless.
Actually, I was just in a huge ass bed with the cleanest, fluffiest white sheets I had ever seen.
"Eueegh,"
The room was illuminated by a subdued yellow from a lamp on my right side, on one side of the room was a large dresser with a desk on the side of it propped up to a pale green wall. The opposite wall had a large window, but I could not see how large it was or what it looked like outside due to the large silk curtain obscuring it. The far side of the room had a mirror, but it was partially obscured by the sheets.
A flash of blunt pain echoed in my cranium before I sat up, moving my hand to my forehead. I felt some sort of fabric covering it, slowly shifting my palm down my face to find that it went to my left cheek.
It was at that moment I realized I could only see with one eye.
"Shit…"
There was a brief flash of movement outside of my vision. Turning my head to look, what I saw was a black haired girl asleep on a seat next to me.
The girl was dressed as the typical maid type, donning a modest black and white ruffled dress. Her hair was pulled into a bun and parted revealing her fair skinned face, mouth barely agape as she slumbered. She looked like a doll.
She sat there with her chin in her chest, head down. Her posture remained in what could be considered to be a 'proper' position, knees together with her hands balled up in her lap.
I rustled in my sheets a bit, just making sure I still had my limbs. Of course I was only wearing an undershirt and briefs.
As I did that, the maid began to stir, her eyes softly opening before looking at me.
In a brief moment, she looked confused.
Then her previously soft face hardened into a slight frown.
"It's about time you woke up," she said with a flair of disdain in her voice.
"Well, uh, good morning to you?"
"It's the evening."
"Uh, good evening then?"
She kept her piercing eyes on me.
I rubbed my face, "So what happened?"
She scoffed in jest, "Well, for starters, you fell out onto the helipad face first. Watched the entire thing unfold."
She did her best to hide her laughter, but it was futile.
"Are you going to keep laughing at me or?"
"Ha, possibly. When you hit the ground, you got a pretty nasty gash over the left side of your face, hence the bandages."
"And then I passed out?"
The maid smiled gingerly, "Yup! Like a little bitch."
Completely unexpected language from a housemaid.
"Ouch."
"Then, Master Strauss made me take you, clean you up, bandage you, undress you, lay you down, and stay by your side," she said with increasing ferocity.
"Um, thanks?"
She rolled her eyes.
I tried getting up, placing my bare feet on the floor.
"Is there anything I can call you?"
"My name is Frieda."
"Okay, Ms. Frieda, where exactly am I?"
Her eyes squinted as if she were fed up with whatever I was doing.
"Oh, did your little stumble give you amnesia?" she said in a tone that was anything but sympathetic.
"Well, I'm in a bedroom, presumably inside Johan's house- no, mansion. I'm just asking for specifics."
"Second floor. West end."
I finally mustered up the strength to stand up, stretching my back and closing my eyes doing so. When I opened them again, she was standing up in front of me.
She was a whole head shorter than me.
Actually, Frieda was quite petite. Quite the juxtaposition to her tempered personality.
"Um,"
"Um what?" She spat.
"N-nothing."
"Ugh, I'm going to show you around the manor. Follow close so you don't get lost," She bent over to her right before throwing a pair of pants and a shirt at me, "Get decent, I'll be waiting outside."
She left the room quite gracefully for someone so shrewd.
"Welcome to Earth."
I did as she said and went out with her.
The tour was brief, mostly just me following Frieda as she pointed to a door and telling me what was behind it. She ended it by informing me what was for dinner and leading me to the common room where my friends were situated.
They were talking to an older gentleman, who I almost immediately recognized as the same face as the one on the shrubbery bust.
He noticed my entrance and put on a warm smile.
"Welcome to my home Mr. Manson, please, take a seat,"
He gestured to an empty sofa next to a recliner that seated Sheila.
I obliged, doing my best to keep some proper manners in front of him.
"I take it that Frieda treated you well?"
"More or less."
"Good," he sat back, "I've heard nothing but good things about you from my little Johan, is that correct?"
"I hope so, sir."
"No need for the formalities, call me Brent."
"Alright."
He chuckled before turning to Johan.
"Where were we again… oh right; I prefer basketball over baseball."
"I never understood that dad. Last time I checked you went to many more baseball games than basketball."
"Well basketball tickets are much more expensive."
"But we can afford them?"
"That doesn't mean I don't prefer cheaper things."
I gave Sheila a look, and to none of my surprise she was doing the same as I.
I can see where Johan got his head from.
I scratched my face and let them drone on, paying no attention to whatever they said.
"Hey."
"Hm?" I sat up.
Everyone I was sitting with a minute ago was gone. Frieda was standing in front of me, hands on her hips and her overall posture pouty.
"Dinner is ready."
"Wh-what?"
She irritably sighed.
"Dinner is ready shithead."
"Wh- did I fall asleep again?"
"Unless you're a snake, no, you didn't fall asleep."
I spasmed and stood up, nearly knocking her over.
"Watch what you're doing asshole!"
"Shit sorry."
She stomped her foot before storming off to what I could only guess was the dining room.
"Frieda, Frieda, Frieda…"
I strolled off into wherever the rest of the deplorables were.
In the room was a long table, Mr. Strauss was seated at the far end eating a large well cooked avian on his plate.
"Ah! Danny Boy! Glad to see you can join us! Please, take a seat next to me,"
He pointed at a vacant seat next to him.
"S-sure thing, Brent."
He had the largest smile on his face.
It felt off.
I think at that moment I realized that it would be a long stay.
Yo. I'm surprised I got this out in time, considering the release of Beyond Light and me binge playing Danganronpa. Also I tried something new: single POV chapters! Nice change of pace, eh? You can probably guess who the subject of the next chapter is.
Although I'm a little behind on my writing, I probably will have another chapter out in 2-3 weeks.
Also, if any of yall are interested in reading a new manga, give Chainsaw Man a try.
Ciao!