The Long Drive "Home" Part 2

Vas on his best day was an awful liar. So he did the next best thing. Dance around the subject and deflect. “Jags don't wear tags and are just a reminder … I didn't barge in their house and let's face it. You walk, talk and act like a Jag. Me? Significantly less so. Oh yeah let's not forget normal folk don't bleed blue or have weird ass eyes.”

“I say again, they find you - in the sprawl, bleeding blue, black eyed, and they thought let’s fix him up?” Nate scoffed. “You best firm that bullshit up if you want anyone to buy it.”

“It's the truth. I admit I didn't stop long enough to ask …” Vas said, his voice growing smaller.

“Even you have to see how it looks,” Nate accused. “If I were you, I’d revisit the girl angle. Saw you, fell for that baby face, and it’s like that movie.”

“So … lie my ass off using the plot of a movie and hope for the best? You know if they talk to the Skye's they're not going to corroborate. She has a boyfriend, who is not me.” Vas said flatly.

“So the short answer is you don’t know why they took you in, that’s good for you, brass will ask them, and hey, so maybe they’re just altruistic.”

Vas knew the reason but he knew he couldn’t say it either. “Maybe …” Vas said really regretting this whole conversation. “ … you have anything to eat I’m starving.”

Nate reached into a duffle on the front seat, tossing him a large protein bar and a bottle of water. “Look, you don’t have to worry about it. I mean, I’m sure they’ll find that you didn’t desert.”

Vas gave a laugh tearing into the protein bar. “Is the really the concern here?” He said mouth full. Lunch had been diminutive and he had missed dinner because of Nate. “Not … how I ended up shot up, brain reset, and the bottom of a drop?” He pointed out chewing. “What was I even doing out there, I mean I know you say it was some kind of exercise but why was I participating in the first place?”

“You’re a hellhound. We run drills. RTB was a common theme,” Nate reminded him.

“So we just run drills and … what’s RTB?” Vas asked, taking another bit.

“Return to Base, really the exercises were kind of your fault,” Nate said, chuckling as he switched lanes.

“My fault? What the hell did I do to make that a regular thing? Wait, do I even want to know?” Vas chuckled.

“Bout five, six years ago, when we got sent out on a real world assignment. You got left behind, and the tops were less than impressed with the length of time it took you to RTB.” Nate said. “I saved your ass back then too.”

“Maybe I found a good food joint. Seriously the fried chicken waffles man …” Vas said, taking a long drink of water.

“You keep telling yourself that. I think it was the kid,” Nate surmised.

“What kid?” Vas asked offhandedly, chewing the last of the protein bar.

Nate helped himself to a bottle of water. “Some Erinyes, pigtailed, never stopped talking. You got it in your head she was an objective.”

Vas’s eyebrows knit thinking, his chewing slowing. Why would he have made her promise not to talk about it? He shrugged shaking his head. “No idea.” He confessed, taking another long drink. “Just another check on a long list of things I have no clue about.”

“You’re better off not remembering,” Nate told him. “But don’t worry, a little time in the tank, your priorities will be back on track. Easy peasy.”

“Yeah say that after you get a full reset and see if you feel the same.” Vas said scrunching his nose.

“You’re part of the squad,” Nate reminded, “You’re needed. Hit the ground running, you won’t feel so lost.”

“I wasn’t lost, I was fine. Now, I’m lost and got a hole in my leg.” Vas said feeling a wave of melancholy. The gravity was just starting to hit him. It didn't take a rocket scientist to put together he wasn’t going to see them again. Have after-rave early morning dinner, which was in his opinion the best part of going to a rave. The kind of routine they had fallen into … just all of it was gone now.

“You’re a hellhound,” Nate asserted. “Not a fucking lapdog.”

“Brahv I don't even know what that means so your jib’s got no punch.” Vas pointed out dryly. “You always ready to shit diamonds?”

“I’m always ready for anything. That’s why I don’t go missing with some bullshit explanation.” Nate sniped back.

“Butterknife to the eye says otherwise.” Vas retorted.

“Hell of a shot,” Nate chuckled. “Jennie?”

“Yea …” Vas said his voice low. “... mostly used it for party tricks and to hustle at darts. One of those invisible powers you know?”

“What about the guy? He an anom?” Nate pressed.

Vas was quiet for a moment, unsure but he reasoned they would find out anyway. It wasn’t like Mathias had been able to hide his marks. They were inconveniently placed and not something you could hide easily in without gloves. “Yea.”

“Yeah?” Nate repeated. “What’s he do?”

“I never seen it. I just know he keeps a tight lid on it, a really tight. So I figure it’s far from subtle.” Vas hedged.

Nate snorted, and shook his head.

“What? Can you really blame ‘em. He’s paranoid. Lot of are down in the sprawl.” Vas said, leaning back. He didn’t what was in the protein bar but it was the first time he felt nearly full. “Was the a new kind of protein bar or something?” Vas yawned.

“It’s pretty much the same thing you’ve eaten for the past 19 years,” Nate told him.

“It’s new to me. Store-bought stuff isn’t nearly as filling.” Vas noted.

“No shit, you’re a hellhound,” Nate repeated, “You need a higher volume of protein.”

“Yea? Was wondering if there was something wrong with me feeling hungry all the damn time.” Vas said trying desperately not to roll his eyes every time Nate said ‘You’re a Hellhound’. Right now he felt like he had been shot that's what he felt like! At least he wasn’t hungry that was a positive change.

“It’s our metabolism,” Nate explained.

“Cranked to 11 I assume?” Vas asked. “Folk thought I was some weird ass Anom. Hell, I thought I was a weird ass Anom.”

“You didn’t notice yourself healing rapidly? Feel the nanomites crawl around doing their thing?” Nate asked. “Bet you ain’t even bleeding anymore.”

“I mean I heal fast just not … like you.” Vas said confused. “No still hurts like a bitch and still bleeding, it’s slowed but I've bled through the bandana already. Like I said it’ll take a few days to close up. Last time they had to shoot me up with antibiotics and dumped a bunch of ice on me to keep down the fever …”

“Few hours we’ll be there and they’ll fix your mites right up,” Nate assured him. “Take another protein bar, sounds like you didn’t get enough cals while you were there.”

Vas wasn’t going to say no to more food. He couldn't remember when he felt stuffed. “So … are like brothers brother or jus like … squad brothers?” He asked curious, mouth full looking like a ravenous chipmunk.

Nate handed a power bar over to him. “Same DNA pool. So, technically, both,” he told him.

“So … are we squadmates or family?” Vas asked chewing slowly for a moment.

“Both.” Nate said quietly, digging through the bag for an electrolyte drink.

“Kinda of … conflicts with each other don’t you think?” Vas said thoughtfully.

“No.” Nate said sharply, leaving it at that.

Vas chewing not pressing the topic after the sharp response. He leaned his head against the seat eyes half lid. Feeling full was making him drowsy, still, he was riddled with anxiety. There were too many unknowns and for all the brother talk Nate was still a stranger who could soundly kick his ass. It wasn’t a good feeling. The cherry on top was just the lack of choice in the matter. He already missed them. Missed Serena and he couldn’t even talk about it.

“Get some sleep.” Nate ordered. “We have a ways to go, you won’t miss anything.”

Vas gave an unsure look at the review. Sleep won out. Fully belly and car noise, he didn't stand a chance. He went down hard, harder than he expected.