Holding onto Forever 2
Chapter 5
Matt and Olivia were going about gathering things for the trip. Olivia had decided that it would be smartest to wear dark clothing and to bring a few sweatshirts since it was somewhat cold at night on Etherine.
"So who's John?" Matt asked, as he sorted through the racks of clothes in the laundry room.
"My boyfriend. I used live over on Riley, but came here to fill in for someone. It was only supposed to be for a week... Well anyway, me and John still used to talk daily, that is until the communications were cut. For the first 2 weeks I would sleep on the ground, hoping that I could feel him...feel something. Silly isn't it?"
"No it isn't. Love is incredibly powerful and drives us to do crazy things. Don't worry, I'm sure you'll find him when we get there."
"If there's anything left there. I've considered the possibility that the whole place is destroyed that there's nothing left. For some reason though, I trust your crazy boyfriend," Olivia said, causing both of them to laugh a bit, "Hold onto him Matt. Hold onto him tight. He's special."
"I know he is."
As planned, they met at dinnertime to discuss their progress so far.
"I've gotten a route figured out. I've also consulted a few people familiar with the journey. They advised us to go this way, that there'd be very little chance of the aliens being there, as they tend to concentrate near the cities mostly." Near said, dragging his finger across the map sprawled out on the table.
"I've gotten us an extra volunteer. A guy I know named Tyron offered to come along with us. I told him we're going to attempt to restore communications between the two stations. He used to drive the transport vehicles, and knows where he left one. He's also good for some added protection. You'll see." Olivia said.
"I've gotten us some extra clothes and food to take along. I also bought some handmade rucksacks from a vendor in the main hall to carry our stuff in since we're going to be hiking for a bit." Matt said.
"By the way Matt. I spoke to the chief communication's officer and he told me to hand you this," she handed him a piece of paper with numbers written on it, "It's a list of the frequencies that they'll be monitoring for when you try to get the communications back up."
They agreed that they would leave the next night, which gave them another 36 hours for preparations and that it would be wise to keep everything a secret from the rest of the population. Matt and Near spent a lot of that time close to each other, wary of the danger they were about to endure.
Both of them were laying in bed together, with Near resting his head on Matt's lap. Two rucksacks filled with everything they would need for the trip, including Near's toys sat a the foot of the bed. They would be leaving in about an hour, and they spent that last moment together in silence, savouring each other's warmth and comfort.
"It's time." Near said.
They grabbed their belongings and headed for the ops-centre to meet Olivia.
"Good, you guys are on time. I'd like you to meet Tyron." She said.
A very large, very scary man walked into the room. He towered over them, at roughly 6'5" tall. His dark green shirt stretched around impossibly large muscles in his arms and chest, and each of his thighs were roughly the size of Near's entire torso. His angular jawline and crew cut further drove the point home. This man was a badass.
Near gaped upwards with the countenance of a small child looking up at Superman himself. The man spoke, bellowed rather.
"Pleased to meet you two." He extended his hand. Both Near and Matt apprehensively engaged him in a handshake, fearful that he might accidentally crush their puny hands. Near was the first to garner the courage to speak to him.
"Mr. Tyron, what are your qualifications for this mission, if you don't mind me asking?" Near asked, rather brazenly Matt thought.
"Well on Earth I was a sergeant in the United States Marine Corps, then after arriving here I drove the unicat for the mining crew. I also was on the front line during the first waves of the attack. While we don't have much in the way of weaponry here, I've got enough hand to hand experience with these bastards to get by, evidenced by the fact that I'm standing here at this moment." Tyron said.
"Sounds like you're definitely the man for the job." Matt said.
"Don't worry, I'll do everything I can to keep you safe. I've brought a few toys with me too which should help."
"Mr. Tyron, what's your motive behind helping us? Why would you willingly risk your life for this mission?" Near asked.
"It's been a while since I've snapped one of their necks." He said, a wide grin forming on face.
They took the lift up to the ground level and loaded their belongings on their backs. All of them were dressed in black pants and black hooded sweatshirts to keep them warm and to keep their visibility down to a minimum. Tyron had his hand on the handle to the outside door.
"Everyone ready?" He asked.
Near took a deep, nervous breath and exhaled it slowly through his mouth before nodding. Tyron opened the door. The rush of cool air hit them in the face like a splash of cold water as they carefully they filed outside. Tyron pulled a large pair of goggles with red lenses from his bag. They appeared to be homemade. He placed them on his head and flipped a switch on the side, then panned his head left and right before signalling them to continue. Tyron approximated it would be a 2 hour hike to where he believed the unicat to be. It was a long time to be out there in the elements, in near pitch black darkness, not knowing what's going to be right over your shoulder at any given moment. Near gripped Matt's hand tightly for much of the journey., a constant chill up his spine even though he wasn't cold in his heavy sweatshirt. Nobody spoke as Tyron suggested. The muted rustling of their footfalls was the only sound heard over the constant wind.
It seemed like they were walking for hours when Tyron came to a sudden halt, holding out his arm to prevent them from walking past. Everyone froze in their tracks as a rustling sound could be heard in the distance. Tyron led them off the path behind some bushes and instructed them to crouch down behind them. Near was behind Matt, and wrapped his arms around Matt's torso, clutching him tightly with his cheek against Matt's back. He could hear Matt's heart pounding with terror, as the veins in his own neck pulsed. Olivia grasped Matt's hand as she bit her lip. The rustling was getting louder, now accompanied with scratching sounds on the ground growing closer to them with every step.
Olivia's grip tightened even more on Matt's hand, causing him to grit his teeth to keep from shouting. Matt could feel Near's body shaking with fear behind him. Tyron's voice broke the silence like the blade of an axe on a sheet of ice.
"It's just a perlo."
Everyone exhaled in unison.
"Fuck! I thought I was going to piss my pants!" Matt hissed wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead.
They poked their heads above the bush to look at the strange large black bird. Near squinted his eyes a bit to see it clearer in the darkness. He marvelled at it's long neck and legs, fat round body and bright green eyes that almost seemed to glow.. It looked like it stood almost as tall as he did from his crouched position.
"That's a perlo?" He asked.
"Yeah. Weird fucking thing isn't it?" Olivia replied.
Their voices startled the bird, causing it to trot away quickly making a bizarre warbling sound that faded off into the distance. Tyron pulled out a map and a penlight from his pocket and checked their progress.
"Shouldn't be much longer, 15 minutes at the most. Ok lets go people." He said.
Carefully they filed back out onto the path and plodded onwards. Thoroughly spooked, Near practically attached himself to Matt. Eventually Tyron came to a stop and looked around.
"Ok, it should be right around here," he panned his head around with the night-vision goggles, "I found it. Right under neat that brush over there. Cmon."
They followed Tyron over to a large lump under some bushes. He started clearing them away with his bare hands, revealing hard steel underneath. They all started pulling at the viney brush from different ends of the unicat, nearly exposing the whole thing. The vehicle was massive. Similar to a military tank on Earth, just with wheels instead of tracks, and no windows for added protection from the planet's sometimes violent windstorms. There was a single door on each side of the vehicle. Tyron pulled on a handle on the side of the vehicle, opening the door upwards, illuminating the ground with the ample interior lighting. Tyron poked his head inside and looked around before signalling everyone to climb inside. The inside of the unicat was roomy. tall enough to stand in (except perhaps for Tyron), and well lit with seating that ran around the perimeter, rather than traditional rows of seats, leaving a large floor area in the middle. Everyone climbed inside and took a seat on the bench while Tyron closed and locked the door behind him. The clunk of the latch allowing everyone to relax their nerves a little bit.
"Well the first hurdle's over with, lets see if we can actually get this thing running." Tyron said as he climbed upwards into the drivers compartment and slid behind the helm.
"How are you holding up?" Matt asked as he fixed some errant strands of Near's hair affectionately.
"I'm ok. That was pretty scary back there wasn't it?"
"Yeah. I thought I was going to have a heart attack. Fucking stupid perlo."Matt laughed.
Tyron climbed back down from the helm.
"Ok I had feeling this would happen. The fusion reactor needs to be re-started manually. Matt, Olivia tells me you're pretty tech savvy." Tyron said.
"I guess I am but I've never messed with anything like this before."
"Well go in that compartment over there and grab the tech manuals and see what you can learn. We ain't moving from this spot until we get this figured out."
Matt pulled out 3 large books from a compartment under the seat he was sitting on. Scratching his head, he poured over the pages trying to learn the systems that ran the unicat. Possibly 45 minutes went by of Matt quietly muttering, dragging his finger across the many pages, and the occasional "aah." escaping from his lips.
"Ok I think I've got it. But I'm going to need to go outside and open the service cover." Matt said.
"No! You're not going outside alone!" Near said.
"I'll go with him, but someone needs to grab the helm and fire this thing up when the ready indicator comes up." Tyron said.
"I'll do it," Near said before wrapping his hand around Tyron's giant forearm and looking up at him with pleading eyes, "but please watch over Matt."
"Nothing will happen to him. I promise."
They exited the vehicle together. Tyron with his night vision goggles, searching around for anything suspect, and Matt with the penlight and a handful of tools. Matt started removing a cover from the side of the unicat.
"That boy in there with the white hair...Near... He seems to care a lot about you."
"As I do for him. We were together on Earth."
"You're kidding me! Boy, you know how lucky you two are? I'd give anything to see my wife again."
Matt had his hands inside the compartment, but Tyron couldn't see what he was doing. He seemed like he was doing something though and that was all that mattered to him. The sooner they got out of that spot, the better.
"I think I got it. Just a couple more minutes."
Tyron continued looking around.
"You almost done there kid?"
"Yeah. Like two more minutes."
"Hurry the fuck up. We've got company."
Matt felt his face go cold and pale. He turned his head back towards his work, and now with shaking hands, finished putting everything back together. He breathed a sigh of relief as he heard the generators start to drone as Near started them from inside.
"Shit. I think it heard that! Hurry up with that panel!"
Matt's heart was pounding as he fumbled with the screws that hold the panel to the side of the vehicle. He finally tightened the last one when Tyron opened the door and they both clambered inside.
"Hey get out of there! We've gotta go!" Tyron shouted as he climbed back into the helm. Near hopped into the passengers seat as Matt locked down the door, "Hang on everyone!"
The unicat lurched as Tyron reversed it onto the path and then swung the front around, revealing an alien about 20 yards away, running towards them. Tyron gave it full throttle. Near was grasping the armrests of the seat fearfully as they accelerated closer to it. Near saw it stare into his own eyes through the small window before it turned around and ran away from them. Tyron followed it, growing closer every second, practically nipping at it's heels.
"What are you doing?" Near asked with a hint of panic in his voice.
"If I don't kill it, it will tell the others what it just saw." He said, as he sped up even more. A resounding thud followed by a crunch ensued as the unicat heaved slightly while crushing the alien's body. Near climbed down from the helm. He looked like he was going to be sick. Paler than usual, and his hair clung to his clammy forehead. Matt grabbed his hands to help him down and laid him on the bench.
"Take deep breaths Near. It's ok. We're fine." Matt said soothingly while gently stroking his head. Near nodded quickly as he tried to fight off the nausea by taking deep breaths. Tyron slowed the vehicle before turning around to face them.
"Let me explain something to you. If you see one of these things kill it without hesitation, because that's exactly what it will do to you. To them we're insects. Worthless. Don't feel any remorse, just do what you have to do to survive. Now can someone come up here and read the map for me so I can figure out where we're going?"
Olivia got up from her seat and joined him at the helm.
"It looked right at me. Stared right into my soul just like the other one did. What did it see in me?" Near said.
"Maybe it's because you're far less frightening to look at than Tyron?" Matt joked.
"I don't know what it is but I'll feel much better once this journey is over."
They drove uneventfully onwards for several more hours. Tyron had turned the interior lights off so Matt and Near could get some much needed sleep. Matt was sitting on the bench with his back against the wall with Near curled up in his lap, both of them sleeping as peacefully as could be allowed.
Matt opened his eyes as he felt the unicat slow to a halt. The interior lights came on, causing him to squint at the sudden assault on his eyes.
"Matt you might want to break out those manuals again. We've got a problem." Tyron called out to him .
Matt sighed as his heart sank. He did not want to go back outside for a repeat of their last episode. He nudged Near gently to wake him up.
"mmm... Where are we? Are we there yet?" Near said, barely opening his eyes to the bright lights.
"No. We broke down." Matt replied.
Near quickly sat up, his glassy eyes wide with disbelief.
"You've got to go outside again don't you."
Matt nodded solemnly.
"We've only got another hour or so go to. So lets try to make this quick." Tyron said.
Matt got up from his seat and climbed upwards into the helm where he saw a display flashing DRIVE MOTOR CIRCUIT FAULT. He got back down and opened the manuals trying to figure out what he was supposed to do.
"Ok, I think I've got this figured out. I need to look underneath the front of this thing for a wiring problem. Tyron, can you watch my back outside?"
"Sure thing. Just don't take too long. I don't want another close encounter."
Tyron opened the door before putting on his night vision goggles. He poked his head out of the opening and looked around before signalling Matt to follow him outside. Matt crawled underneath the front of the unicat and using the penlight looked around for the problem.
"I think I found the problem! The cable's disconnected. We must've ran over a branch or something that knocked it loose." Matt shouted.
"Can you fix it?" Tyron asked.
"Yeah.. I'm just having hard time...reaching..." Matt strained as he tried to reach the cable.
Suddenly Matt felt someone grab his ankles and violently slide him out from underneath the Unicat, scraping his bare back against the ground as his shirt rode up.
"What the fuck?" Matt shouted. He barely got that much out before he felt himself being lifted by his hair causing him to scream in pain. He had one fleeting glance of it's golden eyes as the alien wrapped it's skeletal hands around his neck.
Inside, both Olivia and Near heard the commotion outside. Near hopped up inside the helm and looked out the window horrified as he witnessed one of the creatures choking the life out of Matt. He had just started to make a move to go outside when Olivia grabbed him around his torso with both arms.
"No! Don't go outside!"
"Matt! Maaatttt!!" Near screamed as he flailed against Olivia's strong grip.
Matt felt his airway re-open as the hands slid away from his neck. Gasping, he refocused his eyes. Tyron was standing behind the creature who's head was now practically flopping around, it's neck broken.
"Hurry up and fix that thing kid."
Matt crawled back underneath and reached for the cable. After a bit of straining and repositioning himself, he finally had it in his hand. He heard struggling. It sounded like Tyron.
"Hurry up!" Tyron gargled as he struggled with one of aliens. Matt reconnected the cable and crawled out from underneath the unicat where he saw one of them choking Tyron from behind. Suddenly blood sprayed out towards him as a blade burst from the middle of Tyron's torso. The alien had stabbed him through the back with some type of curved sword.
"Run! Go!"
Tyron was barely audible as one of his lungs collapsed, but his message was clear. Matt was frozen with indecision. He knew there was nothing he could do to help Tyron, but didn't want to leave him. Matt finally ran off towards the door when the alien withdrew the blade from Tyron, causing his body to collapse in a heap on the ground. He opened the door and closed it quickly behind him, locking it.
Near's face shone with relief as Matt wordlessly dashed behind the controls, droplets of blood peppering his face and clothes..
"Where's Tyron?" Olivia said.
Matt didn't reply, he wanted only to get them out of there.
Please move... Please...
The unicat sprang forward. Matt thought he was going to be sick as he crushed both the Alien and Tyron's body beneath the vehicle's tires. They rocketed down the path without a single word between them. Olivia's voice finally broke the silence.
"He died fighting. That's what he would've wanted." She said as tears steamed slowly from her eyes.
Olivia sat next to Matt in the passenger's seat as Near sat in the back silently staring off into the distance with his feet on the edge of the seat, hugging his legs against his chest. Olivia pulled out the map and checked their position.
"Matt I think we're almost there, slow down a bit."
Matt slowed the vehicle. A few lights could be seen in the distance behind some trees. The entrance to Riley station started to become visible as they drew closer. Matt pulled up close to the building and brought the unicat to a halt.
"We made it." He spoke finally.
"Not all of us did." Near said, still staring off into nothingness. Matt climbed down and sat next to Near, placing his arm around him in a hug. Near rested his head on Matt's shoulder and let out a slight sniffle as the tears came.
"Cmon lets get out of here." Olivia said, picking up her bag. Matt and Near got up from the bench and hauled their belongings onto their backs. Matt opened the door and carefully stepped outside.
The exterior of the building looked just like the one he was used to. He also knew that more then likely, the door was locked. He pressed a button on the intercom mounted next to the door, hoping someone would be there on the other end to answer.
"Who is this?" A male voice crackled over the speaker.
"Hey let us in! We're from Joa!" Matt called out.
"What? Hang on I'm sending someone right up!"
A collective sigh formed over them as there was only a few more minutes to wait until they were safe inside. After what seemed like an incredibly long time, the door opened. A slightly portly dark skinned man with a warm inviting smile appeared in the opening.
"Well don't just stand there! Come in here!" he said, doing a double take when he saw Olivia's face. "Olivia?!"
"Murray!"
Olivia ran past Matt and Near and hugged the man, practically lifting herself off of the ground.
"What are you doing here? How's everyone over at Joa?"
"We're fine! Everyone is just fine. Everything ok here?"
"Yeah. We're doing ok. Who are your friends?" Murray asked.
"This is Matt and Near. They're going to help us get the communications back up."
"You guys must've had a hell of a trip."
"Yeah you can say that." Matt said.
Murray led them to the lift which they rode down to the rest of the complex. Matt was surprised to see that everything looked almost identical to Joa.
"I wonder if my room's even the same." Matt said.
"It doesn't exist on this station. Just a blank wall." Near said, remembering his vision.
"Well I don't know about you but I'm starved. I say we go to the galley, get something to eat and then find somewhere to sleep. Then tomorrow we'll figure out exactly what we're doing here."
They walked to the galley together. Near knelt down when they reached the door and ran his hands over the words carved into the wall, the same words that he had seen in his vision, hoping he'd find some clue as to why he had led them there. He felt nothing.
They ate silently, the emotional drain of the past few hours precluding any conversation.
"I think I'm going to go see if I can find John. I'll catch up with you guys in the morning." Olivia said after finishing her meal.
One thing they realized is that Riley is a bit overcrowded compared to Joa and they had a hard time finding somewhere to curl up for the night. They ran into Murray who offered them some blankets and some space in a storage closet. Not exactly the most lavish accommodations, but they happily accepted.
Matt laid the blanket out on the cold floor. They removed their shoes, pants and heavy sweatshirts and laid down together on their sides, with Matt spooning Near. He kissed Near's bare shoulder gently as the boy stared off into nothing.
"Matt I don't know why we're here yet."
"We just got here. Don't worry yourself to death about it. Just go to sleep and we'll figure it out in the morning."
"I love you Matt."
"I love you too. More than anything in the world."
"I thought I was going to lose you earlier, but Tyron saved your life, and even though I feel bad that he lost his, I'm glad he did. Is that wrong?"
"I don't think it's wrong to think that way. It's appreciation for what he did for us. I just hope he's happy wherever his soul ends up... that it's someplace better than this."
Near closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, hoping he would have another vision, anything to give him a clue as to what he was supposed to do next. It didn't happen, he didn't so much as remember having any sort of dream in fact. He didn't sleep very soundly either. There was just too much haunting him. Matt didn't seem to have that problem though as he snored softly into Near's shoulder.
Slipping out from Matt's relaxed grasp, Near got up from the blanket and started to put his clothes on. Matt rolled onto his back, seemingly undisturbed. Near left Matt to sleep, determined to figure out exactly why he was led here. He didn't even know where to begin as he wandered aimlessly through the whole complex. Nothing stood out. That urge, that irresistible drive that had brought him here in the first place was gone.
He returned to the closet and found Matt still sleeping. He shook Matt's shoulder gently.
"Hey Matt! It's time to get up!"
Matt groaned sleepily and turned over, trying his best to ignore Near. Frustrated, Near tickled his ribs which jolted him awake.
"Alright! Hahahah! I'll get up!"
"C'mon let's go get breakfast. We've got a lot to do today."
Matt climbed out of the blanket and put his clothes back on, then left with Near for the galley to get breakfast.
"I see you got up before me. Did you find anything?" Matt said.
"No, not yet. I don't even have a clue. I wonder if Olivia found John, because that's the only thing I can think of. I'm not sure what he'd have to do with this but his name was in my vision. Perhaps he knows something."
"I think I'm going to look at the communication systems in a little bit, see if I can get that sorted out. Do you want to help me or do you want to walk around and see if you find anything?"
"I think I'll help you. I've already been through this place and I didn't see anything. I'll wait until you're done and then we can go together. I may be missing something that you'll pick up on."
Matt and Near left breakfast and went to the ops-centre. Matt fished the paper from his pocket and started punching in the frequencies. It didn't seem to work.
"I'm going to have to reconfigure the transceiver. This is probably going to take a while."
Near followed Matt to another room filled with racks of electronics. He observed Matt, but didn't say anything. It was as if he was lost in a trance. Ever since he woke up that morning he was analysing everything and anything, assuming a clue could present itself in any form. It could be anything; a note written on a napkin or an object of some sort. Frustrated, he wrapped his hair around his finger nervously, while pacing around the room.
"Don't worry Near. We'll figure it out."
"I cant help it! I dragged us all the way here! One of us was even killed. I need to know why."
Matt dropped what he was doing and held Near at arms length. He knew when the boy was about to lose it, he could tell by a certain quiver in his voice. It was something Near himself probably didn't realize he did, and as he looked down at the ground despondently, the first tear fell to the ground.
"Hey... Don't try and bear the burden of what happened," Matt spoke to him in a soothing, hushed tone, stroking his cheeks with this thumbs gently, "We all knew what we were getting ourselves into. You'll figure it out. It'll come to you. Just be patient."
Near nodded, still looking downwards.
"You know you've definitely changed. You're even more emotional than I am." Matt teased.
"I cant hide them anymore. I used to be like a stone, shielding myself from the outside world. I just... just don't feel that way anymore. It's actually pretty liberating to cry your eyes out sometimes, whenever you feel like it."
"Well I'd like to see you do more laughing and less crying. I miss your laugh."
"One day Matt. When this is all over."
Near took a deep breath and wiped his eyes with his sleeves.
"C'mon, help me get this thing up and running." Matt said.
With Near's help it didn't take very long for them to reconfigure the station's transceiver. They went back to the ops-centre to see if their efforts were successful. Matt punched some commands into the terminal. He thought he would burst from joy when he received a reply.
THIS IS JOA. NICE TO HEAR FROM YOU.
"It worked! They heard us!" Matt shouted. Everyone came over to look at the screen. The words it displayed were simple, but meant the world to them. Everyone was cheering and high-fiving each other. Matt, with a wide smile on his face, hugged Near tightly. He thought he might've even seen Near crack a smile, if even only for a moment.
"C'mon Near, lets go for a walk. Get some lunch or something."
Feeling quite proud of himself, he placed his arm around Near's shoulder and swaggered out of the room. They went to the galley and had lunch together.
"I think we should check out the library, maybe the vendors, hell, maybe even the laundry room. There's got to be something here in one of these rooms." Matt said.
"Ok, but I think we both need a shower and a change of clothes first. I feel grimy."
"Shower?" Matt said, raising his eyebrows mischievously.
"I don't think we'll be able to pull that off again. Not in the middle of the day at least."
That didn't stop Near from driving Matt crazy in the shower though. It took all the restraint he had to keep him from ravaging Near as he watched him wash his body in a very deliberate, dramatic fashion. A devilish smirk was visible as Near looked over his shoulder at Matt who was practically drooling. Matt bit his lower lip and let out a desperate whimper as he witnessed some suds slide slowly down Near's back and down the crack of his round ass.
Matt was just about to say 'fuck it' and run his hands gently over Near's sides, since he knew Near wouldn't be able to resist, when Near suddenly turned off his shower head and walked away. Matt slapped his behind playfully with a loud "smack" as he walked away.
"That's for teasing me."
He was thrilled to hear Near's giggling echo throughout the bathroom as he walked into the changing room. Matt had to be careful how he touched himself as he finished his shower.
Feeling refreshed they walked the great hall. Near was wearing his white stretch shirt and tight black jeans, and Matt was wearing his tight black tank-top and black cargo pants.
"So where do we hit first? The library?" Matt said.
"I suppose that makes sense."
They walked to the library and searched the shelves for anything that might offer some help, but didn't really find anything useful. Most of it was copies of the same books on Joa. After that they took the long walk up and down the great hall, checking out what the various vendors were selling. Nothing. They were about to head back to the library again when Matt heard his name being called out.
"Matt!" Olivia called at him from across the hall.
They turned around and saw Olivia walking towards them, possibly happier than Matt had ever seen her, with a pretty cute guy in tow. He looked to be in his mid twenties, had a medium build, dark hair that was cropped around his ears and a goatee.
"Hey there." Matt said as she approached.
"Guys, this is John." She said.
"You found him? I'm so happy for you! Nice to meet you John. I'm Matt, and this is Near."
"Sup guys." John said.
"So what are you guys up to?" Olivia asked.
"Well we're... just looking around... at stuff."
"Oh I see. Well when you're done... looking around... at stuff, you should join us at the pub. I'd like to celebrate a little."
"That sounds good I could do with a drink or two. Sounds good Near?" Matt said.
"Yeah. I might have one... maybe."
"Oh by the way Olivia. Comms are back up." Matt said, nonchalantly brushing his fingernails against his chest.
"Fucking yes! I knew you could do it! Now we have more to celebrate." Olivia said, high-fiving Matt, "Meet you there after dinner?"
"Sure that sounds great."
Olivia and John walked away with their arms around each other. Their happiness was infectious. Near placed his arm around Matt's torso as they began to walk together back to the library.
They spent another hour or so there, but still came up empty handed. They decided to give up for the day and have dinner.
"I dunno, maybe it still is just a coincidence." Matt said, shrugging his shoulders.
"What. Me? How did I end up leading us here then? My visions, my ability to invade people's minds. That doesn't explain that."
"True, it doesn't. Maybe you're psychic?" Matt said, causing Near to laugh a bit.
"At one time I would've said you're crazy for making such a suggestion. Now? Who knows?"
They left the dinner table and headed to the pub. Olivia and John were waiting for them at the door, where the pulsing bass from the music inside could be felt. They opened the door and entered. The place was far more like a nightclub that a stodgy pub. Matt's eyes lit up in excitement. There were waves of bodies moving on a dancefloor, multicoloured strobing lights, and a DJ spinning what sounded like industrial hard trance. This was the first time Matt felt like he was on Earth since he arrived.
"This is amazing!" Matt shouted over the music.
They made their way over to the bar and ordered their drinks. The drinks on Etherine were quite potent, and made Matt nearly cough after taking his first sip. He looked over at Near who was eyeing the beverage apprehensively, since the last time he drank was the night he had killed himself. He took small sip and scrunched up his face as the liquid burned down his throat.
"I have a feeling this is going to be a long night." He said.
Some time had passed and they were all pretty pissed at this point. Matt loved every moment of how chatty Near while he was drunk. He was simply hilarious. Nearly everything coming out of his mouth had them hysterical.
"So then I told that motherfucker, 'You are Kira.', just like that. You should've seen the fucking look on his face. Then all sorts of crazy shit happened."
Matt almost couldn't believe what he was hearing. Near cursing like a truck driver? What the fuck? Matt decided that it might be a good idea to have Near work off some of the alcohol, besides, he might not ever get the chance to do this with him otherwise.
"Hey, Near, want to dance with me?"
"Ssshure Matt!" Near said, nearly falling off the bar stool.
Matt held Near's hand as they made their way to the dance floor through the crowds of people. Suddenly Near stopped dead in his tracks, his face deadpanned to the crowd.
"You still think it's a coincidence?" Near said.
Matt let go of Near's hand to shield his eyes against the lights, to possibly see what Near was looking at. His jaw nearly hit the floor at what he saw.
In the middle of the dance floor was a shirtless blonde haired young man wearing a pair of skin tight pants that rode low on his almost feminine hips, he was dancing, no... grinding with another guy who had spiked black hair and a sleeveless black shirt. He had one hand on the man's neck, and the other on his midsection as he stared erotically into his eyes as they gyrated to the music.
"Fucking hell..." Matt said in utter disbelief. He soon realized he was talking to himself though as he noticed Near running at top speed towards them. Before Mello had a chance to even see it coming, Near had leapt at him and smacked him hard in the face with all the strength and momentum he could muster, his eyes red with fury. He didn't even know what hit him as his body collided with the floor.
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OK this one was a bit long. I hope you enjoyed it! Like always I appreciate your feedback. If there was something you really liked, or something you didnt, please let me know! I've got chapter 6 in the works so stay tuned for another update soon.