I feel like I say this every single time I post something, but I seriously had so much fun with this chapter. I love this! I would have had this ready sooner, but I had an insane weekend and couldn't hardly reach for my computer. But it's here now! :) Once again, it's shorter than I usually go for, but I find that shorter chapters are easier to handle. I'm not scrolling through twenty-seven pages of writing trying to fix all my mistakes. It's a relief to edit as well as to write.
Once again if you see any mistakes, please let me know. No Beta Reader means even more mistakes I don't catch. A particular annoying problem is using the same word in the same sentence or in the sentence right before it. Ugh, I absolutely hate it when I do that.
Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoy several more introductions into characters. Especially one you might recognize...
Six Months Later
The wind felt dry on his face. He squinted through the light brown miasma. There it was again. The cave in the mountainside. Stumbling slightly on a stone, he felt his muscles cry out in exhaustion. And yet he kept going. Every step taking him closer to where his answers lie. The strange hum that had began to resonate from the back pack on his shoulders grew louder in his ears.
He instantly knew it was from the Energist.
It understood where it was-
It was going home…
Goau jerked awake from his troubled dreams as the large eighteen-wheeler began to decrease its speed with a loud screech of tire against pavement. Rubbing his tired dark eyes with two tan fingers, he groaned at the crick in his neck. He'd fallen asleep with his head against the straight back headrest. The seat was lumpy and rocked on unsteady springs. He had been lucky to hitch a ride. He counted this moment of reprieve as a great blessing.
At first, Goau had been apprehensive to the back streets of the cities. Filled with the most dejected members society had to offer, he soon realized they were too caught up in their own miseries to try anything with him. Judging from their deterioration, he probably could take them if they did try to attack him. Traveling from city to city, living under bridges, park benches, and occasionally up in trees, Goau soon looked like one of them anyway. He wore the clothes on his back until they practically fell in tatters on his body. He hadn't shaved since four months ago. His hair was a complete rat's nest. The holes in his shoes were growing holes.
Hitch hiking wasn't the safest way to travel in this world, but it sure beat the ripping blisters on his heels and toes.
The large man beside him sighed and pulled the huge truck further off the road. The vehicle bounced on the rocky surface before coming to an angled stop on the right shoulder of the highway. A thick finger punched the overhead compartment and Boris pulled out three candy bars. He handed all three to Goau, who looked at him in surprise.
"You look dead on your feet, son. You should take better care of yourself."
With a grateful smile, the black-haired man slipped two of the bars into the backpack at his feet. He opened the third and tore it in half. Handing the bigger man a piece, he took a huge bite and his almost groaned with delight.
"Thanks."
"May not be low in calories, but it sure makes my big stomach happy," The driver smiled and took a big bite of his own candy. Over chewing chocolate, he said, "This here's Cornwall. I told you it wasn't much of a looker, but if this is where you're headed..."
"Yeah," the black-haired man finished his candy as he looped the shoulder strap over his arm. "This is perfect. I appreciate the lift, Boris. Not many would give a ride to someone like me."
The old man roared with laughter, his white beard bouncing slightly on his chest. "You think you can scare me? You're a twig of a man! Besides," he shook his head still chuckling, "I could tell you were different. You might look like one of them run-o-the-mill hobos, but you got a spark in your eye that I saw from a mile away. The late wife always said it was a sign that destiny was guiding them. Of course, she wasn't the best fortune-teller in the world."
"Your wife is a fortune-teller?" the younger man asked with surprise.
"Was," Boris answered smiling absentmindedly. "She probably wouldn't have liked me giving you a ride anyways. When was the last time you had a proper bath, son?"
Goau grinned sheepishly and ran his fingers through his dirty locks. "Umm… three Wednesdays ago?"
"That explains a lot." Boris laughed.
Glancing out the dust-covered window to his right, his dark eyes flicked over the weather-beaten settlement that stood in the bleak hazy background. A florescent sign with the word EAT blinked in and out over a dark decrepit building. There were several cars parked in its potholed parking lot. An old auto shop was behind it with spare parts littering the dead grass. The garage to the shop was open and a small light was coming out. Another mysterious building with several wooden doors on the outside – which Goau guessed was a motel – followed after that. Only four dated cars were parked around it. The black-haired man frowned as he glanced at the next visible structure. It was a barb wired fenced two-story building. The building didn't seem as rundown as the rest of the town. He wondered briefly why barbed wire would be necessary for such a small, empty place.
"I could stay at that motel before continuing on. Is there a convenience store here?"
Boris chucked. "I bet you can get what you need at EAT, but I wouldn't take my word for it. I've only driven past this dump. It's not even a settlement now, I'd say. More like a ghost town."
Fanel put his hand on the door handle and felt a rough pat on his shoulder. Boris had lost the cheerful look. His expression had been replaced with a tense, foreboding stare.
"Whatever has dragged you out in this dust bowl, it better be worth it. Only dangerous people exist outside from the cities. And we all know the cities ain't the best in the world anyway. The answers you are trying to find should be a different road. You are too nice to stop here."
Goau swallowed and glanced down at his backpack where the Energist was hidden.
"I appreciate the warning, Boris, but this is the road I have to travel on. It's not in Cornwall, but much further past it. This is just my first stop."
"To the desert?" The old man's white eyebrows went up.
"Further than that even." Goau admitted.
Boris reached forward and pressed a small button on the back of his large steering wheel. Another compartment popped open from under his trucker's radio. Goau was beginning to wonder if the man had his entire life stashed in all these hidey-holes. He reached in with thick fingers and grabbed an extremely worn leather wallet. Opening it, he fished out several hundreds from the inside pocket.
"Then at least take some money. Something to rent a car to help you get wherever you are going. I bet that auto shop has something available."
The dark-eyed man smiled and shook his head at the generosity. "I have plenty of money with me. That is very kind of you though."
"Why do you look like that if you've got money?"
"I've got to use it sparingly." They may track the serial number. Goau added in his head.
Boris sighed. "Well, if you don't want my money or my warnings, take a piece of my advice. Don't stay here any longer than you need to. Get the hell out of this place as fast as you can. Don't even try the motel. Get your supplies, a car, and drive."
"I'll do just that." Goau gave the older man a small smile and a nod. "I appreciate all the kindness you've shown to me."
"Friends come in all shapes and sizes." Boris looked regretful, but he gave the black-haired man a small wink. "Maybe we'll run into each other again."
"I hope it's not literally." Goau joked opening the squeaking door. He heard Boris bark a laugh.
"Literally… ha, ha, ha… running into you with my truck… I get it…"
Sliding out of the tall eighteen-wheeler, he reached in and took the ragged sleeping bag that had served as his resting place for half a year. Stepping out into the open air, he was surprised at the chilly wind that blew straight through his ragged clothes. Winter was definitely on its way. He walked further from the eighteen-wheeler and gave Boris a wave of his hand. The truck honked in reply before pulling out onto the road once more.
Turning around, Fanel let the site of Cornwall wash over him. He could see why it might have been called "Cornwall" back in the day. Dead blank fields of nothing grew for miles and miles around the town. He could just picture the walls of corn that probably stood there several decades ago. It was very depressing to see so much emptiness. Glancing out beyond the flat plains, Goau sighed. He still had a long way to go before he hit the original dig site for the fossil. This was sadly his last stop before his longest walk yet. Beyond the empty fields to the northeast– according to his map – it was pure flat-lands that were slowly turning into desert wastelands. The mountains began after two-hundred seventy miles of nothing. He'd probably save his life renting a vehicle for the journey. The only road was out of Cornwall - a tiny FM two lane – which was practically a straight shot to the mountains.
And somewhere beyond those mountains was where the excavation site was.
Slowly, with heavy steps, he made his way over to EAT and noticed laughter was coming from inside. The windows of the place were dirty and coated with the corpses of dead bugs. He swallowed and pushed open the screen door.
The smell of cigarettes brushed over his face and he resisted the urge to cough. He walked into a large, dark room. Dirty lanterns hung from the ceiling with various cracked shades of stained glass. None of them matched. Numerous, small round tables filled the floor and made Goau have a claustrophobic feeling. A long wooden counter lined the back wall with stools of different shapes and sizes pulled up to it. Bottles of hard liquor stood on unsteady shelves. A group of six people sat in the corner, smoking and laughing vociferously. There were two women and three men crowded around one bright person, who apparently just said the punch line of a joke. The bartender behind the counter sat like a slug in front of a small, fuzzy television in the corner. His shirt was stained with mysterious brown smears. Goau breathed in the smoky air and decided to take Boris' advice seriously.
Walking past the loud table, he approached the bartender with a strained smile. The man didn't look up from the static.
"What food do you serve here?" he asked pleasantly.
"Ta cook's out sick wit ta flu." The man responded automatically.
"You must serve something when the cook is gone."
"I got beer and whiskey and rum and brandy. All outta vodka and scotch."
Now Goau understood why the people in the corner were so giggly.
Dropping his backpack and sleeping roll on the chair next to him, he unzipped the pack, thumbed through the wad of bills inside, and placed a crisp hundred on the counter.
"I would appreciate if you could find food for me somewhere. Either that or change the name of your establishment. Also," he laid another hundred on the counter, "when you happen to find the food, if you could be so kind as to pack several bundles of it for me. I have a long way to go."
The dirty man swallowed as his eyes stared at the money on the counter. Without a word, he grabbed the bills, stuffed it in the front pocket of his jeans and left through a swinging door in the corner. With a sigh, the black-haired man tried to smother his nervousness. Using the money always made him fearful the killers would be able to trace where he was going. He tried to tell himself it was silly that they'd find him through paper money, but…
They'd found me at the park. He reminded himself. They could be anywhere. Even here…
"Hey!" a loud voice called behind him. Fanel turned quickly and saw the entire group in the corner staring in his direction. He glanced behind thinking maybe the bartender had returned. He had not.
"Come over here and join us, stranger." A young man shouted with his arm around a heavily made-up woman. He was dressed in a strange green suit that didn't match. His dark hair in the low lighted room looked almost navy in color. It fell in waves over his charming dark eyes. The smile he shot Goau made him feel like rejecting this boy would crush his young heart.
His charisma practically lit up that entire corner.
"I'm alright over here." Goau answered. "I'm sorry, but I'm not staying very long. The bartender's left to get some food together and then I'll be on my way."
The stranger's smile fell a little and the black-haired man could feel his disappointment like electric waves. He lifted his green arm off the woman and she gave him a pouting look. "It'll be a long wait if he's trying to find you food. We got plenty to munch on right here." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at her and she giggled. The other people around him laughed. Goau turned back around and shook his head.
"Come on, now. What's one drink?"
"He's got some dirty clothes on, Gad. I think you should leave him alone," one of the men in his group laughed. "He seems a bit shady."
"We enjoy the shadier side of life though!" The boy named Gad announced and everyone cheered. "Hold my coat for me, will you? I might feel charitable and give it to him later."
Fanel kept his back to the group. He didn't sense the green boy come up behind him until a warm hand fell on his shoulder. Goau insides immediately went cold. The boy placed his clinking, tall, iced drink on the bar in front of him.
"Now, friend, it'd be very nice if you could join us." The boy muttered in a sing-song voice. Fanel shifted his eyes to Gad's face. His intoxicating smile was frozen in place. It dimpled in his cheeks a little. On closer inspection, the boy looked to be only in his early twenties. His youthful eyes sparkled with good humor.
"Why?" The black-haired man asked in a low voice. He tried to stifle his panicking heartbeats and keep his eyes away from the backpack.
"Seem like you've had a tough journey recently. A bit of good company does a wonder for the soul."
"Gad!" The woman called with a giggle. "Does he smell?"
"Like a rotting corpse." Gad answered and the table burst out laughing. Goau felt his instincts crying for him to get away. The boy's hand still held on his shoulder leisurely. "What do you say, friend? I came all the way over here."
"No, thanks," Goau said turning away. "I just want to wait for my food."
"He's making me insist, guys!" Gad shouted back at the table. He laughed. "Man, I hate that!"
The sound was so unexpected; the black-haired man hardly had time to react. The blast of bullets leaving the gun pierced with ricocheting thunder. He had no idea who was shooting until it was over. Everything told him to duck under the table, but the boy's hand on his shoulder had grown ferociously strong. Whipping his dark eyes to the corner, Fanel saw through the smoky air dead bodies of the boy's friends slumped over their chairs and tables. The boy smiled brightly down at him, his face dimpling sweetly. He slipped the gun smoothly against Goau's ribs.
"Oops," he said easily. "Guess I got a bit carried away there."
The kitchen door burst open behind the bar and the dirty bartender marched out with a shot-gun. The older man had a bullet in his head before he even pulled the trigger. His body jerked once and fell back through the swinging door. The shotgun clacked on the floor outside the door. Goau kept his eyes away from it. He felt the nozzle of the boy's gun press against his side once more. It was an old fashioned revolver with a fancy curved handle.
"Now that was uncalled for." Gad clicked his tongue as if scolding the dead man. "You would have lived if you'd just stayed in that pantry, old man. Oh course, I'd probably have killed him anyway. He made horrible long island ice teas. Now, where was I?" he looked thoughtful for a moment. "Oh, yes. I was courteously inviting you to sit with me and my new friends, but…" he gave their twisted bodies a good-natured sigh. "I seem to have run out of friends."
"What do you want?" Goau's throat was so tight with fear that his voice came out as a squeak. "I didn't do anything." How many bullets does he have left? He thought frantically. He shot all the people in the corner so that's five down. And then the bartender makes six. Isn't there only six in one magazine? Or is that only for pistols? Or is it revolvers? What kind of gun is this? Should I take a chance?
"On the contrary, my professed angel, you've done quite a bit. Especially these past few years with that little Energist of yours. Tell me, why are you headed to the excavation site? I'm quite curious."
"How-how…" Goau's brain could hardly function. They knew he was going to the site. They knew he'd stop here. They knew his entire plan. His heart beat so fast it felt like it would pop in his chest. Does that mean they also know about Hitomi? A burn began behind his eyes. He closed them to push his tears away.
Varie…
The boy misinterpreted his expression. "You're shocked at seeing me. I expected you would come to the last resting stop before braving the desert terrain. Pretty smart, huh?" The young man chuckled lightly. "Read you like a children's book, didn't I? There are some things that are just too easy to figure out. I graduated top of my field in tracking. I didn't even need to use it, too! All that training and you walked right into my hands. And it was about time you showed up!" he grinned and it dimpled his cheeks. "I've been waiting for you for months now. That motel is quite the cozy getaway. So, tell me, friend. Where's the Energist?"
Goau remained quiet. His dark eyes opened and focused on the boy's drink in front of him. A distraction. I need a distraction. His heart raced in his chest. His palms were wet with nervous fear.
"You don't talk much, do you? I guess you are one of those that need to see a treat before you bark." He pushed the gun further. The black-haired man winced with pain.
"If you don't bark…"
Three…
"…I'll make sure you…"
Two…
"… get plenty of treats…"
One…
Goau leaned forward to grab for the drink as the boy pulled on his shoulder with a firm grip to drag him off the stool. His arm reached the glass, but his sweaty fingers missed. He knocked the drink over and it tumbled off the bar. Falling backwards, the dark-haired man landed with a rough thud on his back. The breath knocked out of him and he was vaguely aware of the boy jumping onto his stomach, pinning his legs down with his calves. The glass shattered noisily on the floor.
The boy swiftly sat on Goau and smiled in his face. Fanel struggled to free his legs, but they were effectively locked together by the boy's unyielding leg grip. Cocking the revolver, the boy quickly aimed it at his forehead. Empty chamber or not, Goau wasn't one to test fate. He stopped fighting immediately and laid still. His hand brushed a large piece of glass.
"This is called The Leg Trap. It's quite effective. Took me about three hours to get it down perfectly. Most of the time it takes at least three weeks." Gad grinned and his face dimpled. A shiver of fear ran down Goau's spine at the boy's complete unfazed attitude. It was the same smile that he'd given his friends when he was joking in the corner… before he killed them all…
"Please," Goau groaned. His hand slowly moved closer to the glass. His fingertips touched the edge. "Please, I'll tell you what you want to know."
Gad laughed happily. "Started barking so soon? But I have barely showed you your treats! What an obedient dog, you are!"
The black-haired man grabbed for the glass and instantly sliced it deeply through the boy's silk shirt and under his upraised arm. Gad gasped in pain. The momentary distraction allowed Goau to raise the shard once more and jam it deeply into his green thigh. The boy dropped his weapon in surprise and pain. He hissed, his shaking hands instantly going to the wedged shard. Goau pushed himself out of the leg lock and backed away quickly. He grabbed for the revolver and pointed at the boy's chest.
The hollow click made him want to kick himself. I'm such an idiot. I knew it was empty!
"That was quick thinking..." the boy's voice was quiet. He was no longer smiling. The expression on his face was one of quiet contemplation. He tumbled to the floor and landed on his backside; his legs spread out on the floor. A dark green stain slowly gathered where the glass shard stuck out. "I didn't even think of the glass on the floor… details always choke me up… damn, this hurts… why won't it stop bleeding…?"
His young hand was clasped tightly around his upper arm. Indeed, the red blood under his arm practically squirted down his thin sleeve and pooled thickly on the floor. Gad's face was growing paler by the minute.
"Brachial artery," Goau panted. He put the gun down and watched the boy grimace with blood soaked fingers. "I was going for your hand with the gun, but this will do. You'll bleed to death soon."
The corners of Gad's lips lifted, but it was only a shadow of his former smile. "I guess this is the end. I can't move the arm for fear of increasing the blood flow and I'd hardly expect you to help me tie a tourniquet. You've got some major tricks up your sleeve. No wonder Crying Gray had such problems with you. Oh, well. I was out of bullets anyway. I guess they tend to make their weapons specialists too trigger happy. I'll probably get terminated for my failure anyway. The Corp's not likely to forgive me. That is if I live that long...pity. Oh the bright side, I'll see Hanne again… even if it is in hell…"
The black-haired man blinked in surprise. "Hanne? Uchida Hanne?"
The boy sighed and his smile widened. It was a very different smile from before. It was wishful. "That's the one. She was beautiful, wasn't she? I've always had a thing for red-heads."
"You knew Uchida…" Goau was beyond thinking straight. His mind was whirling.
There was a moment of silence between them. Fanel and the boy stared at each other. His inner thoughts battled. He should let the boy die. But this could be a perfect opportunity to learn more about this corporation. The boy was obviously dangerous and lethal. If he saved his life, Gad would obviously turn and kill him. But the boy could be changed. Uchida ended up saving their lives by buying time for them. She sacrificed herself to protect them. Maybe this boy could break free from the shackles this training had put him through. And with the boy by his side, Goau could be more protected. He'd be able to figure out their plans, the reasons behind Operation RED, and how they keep finding him… he'd be ready to face them once that challenge came instead of heading blindly into the next awaited trap.
That is… if the boy could be changed. He was a killer and a good one at that.
What do I do?
"So, what happens now?" he asked.
The boy's smile widened. "I'm beaten. I'm smart enough to admit that. The glass was a really good move. I should have seen it coming. You did practically the exact same thing during Operation RED, right?"
Goau gasped. "You know about that?"
The boy shot him a look. "Seriously? You're that stupid? Dude, I thought you scientists were intelligent."
"How?"
Gad shook his head lazily. "Not telling…"
"If I help you, save you, what will happen?"
"I'll do my job." The boy answered with a regretful shrug. "I'd appreciate the help, but unfortunately we'd be in the same boat as before."
Fanel sighed. "What if… what if you didn't work for them anymore?"
He didn't expect Gad's burst of weak laughter. The boy slowly fell backwards against the side of the bar. "Stop it… stop it… you're making me bleed out faster… by laughing…"
"Uchida saved my life before she died."
All of Gad's laughter immediately stopped. He watched the boy swallow and struggle to open his dulling eyes. "It's too late anyway… I'm as good as dead. I'm tired… Just… let me sleep…"
The black-haired man dropped the gun and crawled to the boy. Grabbing him by the collar, he looked him square in the eye. Gad's pupils were dilaing slightly. "I'll ask you again. If I save your life right now, will you help me?"
His answer was left in the air as the boy passed out.
His mahogany eyes snapped open at the first sound of her cries.
"Hitomi," Van whispered under his breath and sat up from his bed. Shoving the covers away roughly, he leaped out and ran through the doorway of his room. His small feet pounded on the hard wood floors of his new home as he raced down the hallway to the little girl's room.
Opening the door, he gasped. She was shaking, gripping the covers with tense hands. She was gasping, as if there wasn't enough air in the world. He entered the room and felt the black hairs on his head stand up on end.
"Hitomi…" he called quietly. Walking closer to her, he could almost taste the electricity coming from her. "Hitomi, wake up."
She gave another sobbing cry. The young boy's heart wrenched. Closing the gap between himself and her bed, he closed his eyes against the waves of electric pulses that shot down his body.
"It doesn't hurt…" he whispered to no one in particular. "It's just scary…"
He reached out a tan hand and grasped her wrist. The amount of energy that was coursing through her was immense. She cried out again. He noticed there were tears coming down from her closed eyes.
"Hitomi," he whispered smoothly. He put a hand on her face and ignored the amazing jolt of shock that followed. "Calm down. I'm here. Wake up."
She relaxed slightly. Her grip on the blankets lessening somewhat.
"Wake up, Hitomi. Wake up."
She gave a deep breath and he felt her power swirl slower and slower through him.
"That's it…" he encouraged. "Just breathe. Wake up for me."
He heard her breath hitch and more tears came down from her face. She creaked her green eyes open and glanced around her empty room deliriously. "What…?" She whispered before noticing Van.
"You had a nightmare," he said quickly moving his hand from her soft face. "You woke me up."
"Oh," she murmured. She sat up in bed and sniffled. Wiping her face on her pajama sleeve, she inhaled deeply. "I'm sorry, Van."
The mahogany-eyed boy shrugged. "It's alright. My dream was boring anyways. Did you have a nightmare?"
"Yeah," she nodded. She touched her wet cheeks with her hands. "My face feels hot."
"Your power was going crazy. It's a good thing mom didn't put that lamp in here like she wanted to. I wonder if we even need to have electricity with you around. You can power all our lamps for us." He smiled at his joke. She giggled and sniffled again.
They were quiet for a moment. Van jumped up and perched on the side of her bed; his feet kicked against the box springs.
"Do you want to talk about your dream?" He asked her. She sighed and shook her head.
"No. I don't remember too much of it anyways."
"I gotcha."
"Tomorrow is school for you."
Van nodded with a sour face. "I'd rather be homeschooled like you."
"Your mom said it was the safest way to go."
"She's your mom too now, Helen."
The little girl giggled. "And you are my brother, Victor."
"Ugh," Van groaned. "I hate that name. Stupid Merchant guy."
"I thought he was nice. He was very kind about my problem."
The black-haired boy frowned. "Problem?"
"Yeah, it's a problem, right? I cause so much trouble."
"But… but it's not a problem at all. You saved my life with it." The boy argued. He leaned closer to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "It's just something you've got to learn to control. Like a superhero or something."
She tilted her head in thought. "I've never thought of it like that. A superhero?"
"Yeah," Van smiled brightly. "You could be Electric-Girl or Shock-Woman or… or…"
"Static-Punch!" Hitomi shouted suddenly with excitement. Van froze at the jolt of electricity that raced through his body. He blinked his wavering vision and shook his head to clear his scrambled thoughts.
"Calm down. You just shocked me bad."
The girl looked horrified. "I'm sorry."
"Besides, Static-Punch isn't very superhero sounding. I'll help you think of one tomorrow after school, okay? I better get back to bed." As he slid off her mattress, he felt her small hand grab his arm. Turning around with a confused look, he met her bright green eyes.
"Would you mind staying here with me? I don't… I don't want to be alone in here. I don't think I can fall asleep."
Van sighed, but was trying to hide his smile.
"Scoot over," he motioned with a hand. "I'll fall out of the bed if you don't."
She smiled brilliantly and gave him some room.
The next morning, Varie found Van in Hitomi's room lying fast asleep in a very uncomfortable position on the floor.
He'd fallen out.
Huzzah for more sub-characters! I love them! They are so much fun to play with!
Thanks to all of you who read my Valentine's story: A Simple Walk Home. I got some really sweet comments on it. You guys are the best. Seriously. I try to respond to every review I get just because I'm so thankful you guys give the time to read my silly stories. It means so much! I have the best readers in the world! :)
I want to give a quick Happy Birthday to Nainari! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
If you liked the chapter, hated it, wish I'd never write anything ever again, or just plain wanna tell me "hi", scroll on down and give the story some hate or love. I don't mind either, but I really hope you liked it all the same. :)
And with that, I'll be heading off to get chapter 10 edited.
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