Tartar Sauce

Vas has been relaxing in the shade with Rabbit playing some made up games laughing when the made up rules suddenly changed. He had still been keeping a sharp eye out, he has no real way of keeping the time so the only option was eyes high and keep each other entertained. So when he finally spotted Nate in the distance Vas perked scrambling to his feet.

“They’re here.” Vas motioned to Serena. He had ment to wall all cool like but quickly found himself running like a puppy thrilled to see a familer face. ”Nate!” Vas said his voice full of relif. He slowed enough when he remembered Serena may not have been able to keep up with him and that would be embarrassing as hell working so hard to survive only to lose the Rabbit in a crowd!

“Like a cockroach,” Nate said as he stepped out of the SUV. He couldn’t help the smile that crossed his face seeing his ‘brother,’ alive and well.

“Rabbit!” Vas motioned for the girl to hurry up. “This my brother Nate. Nate. This Rab- I mean Serena. She was the only one I could get out … but I got her out safe and sound.” Vas said proudly.

Serena stayed a few cautious steps behind Vas, offering a small wave to Nate, who didn’t return the gesture.

“Yeah?” Nate asked, looking over his charge,and his charge’s charge. “We weren’t able to pull many of ‘em. We thought you were dead for sure.”

“Like a bomb going off next me and the roof collapsing was guna stop me.” Vas joked. “Gettting out of the building thought was … way harder then I though it would be.” He admitted. “Kid’s made of tough stuff, we helped each other get out.” Vas added dropping a hand on top of her head.

Serena beamed with the compliment. “And he was very brave. So many bombs were going off, one right after the other, an’ he got us to the roof, an’ then down the side of the building, an’ I didn’t think we were gonna make it.”

Nate tuned it out completely. Even the ones they brought back were chatty. Truth be told, he couldn’t wait for them to relocate, so far, they’d proven to be a distraction at best, a headache at worst.

“Go on and secure her in the back,” Nate ordered, “and we’ll get you fed. You must be starved by now. You have zips or you need?”

“I’m always hungry.” Vas snorted and paused. “Zips for what? No, most of my gear got busted or ditched.”

“For the kid,” Nate said, taking a pair out of the pouch on his belt. “Zips, hood, protocol. Same with the ones on the chopper, this way, anyone grabs ‘em down the road, no one has the location.” Protocol was protocol. They just normally didn’t bring back ‘visitors.’ Not alive anyway.

“Oh … right.” Vas nodded, hell he lived there and didn’t know how to get there but it was so normalized he had forgotten. “Can’t even remember the last time we brought anyone back … He cleared his throat. “Come on Rabbit you can sit next to me and I’ll keep you company … I know it sucks but Nate isn’t wrong.”

“But…” Serena started to protest, moving more behind Vas, who didn’t look as irritated as Nate.

“Unconscious is an option,” Nate offered, ticking his head towards the vehicle.

“Don’t mind him.” Vas said. “It’ll be okay but it’s something we gotta do and trust me you’ll be so tired anyway you’ll sleep most of the ride. I know I will. Then when we get there it comes right off.” Vas explained and guided her to the car.

“You going soft?” Nate scoffed. Some of their squad were the same, fawning over the little interlopers, novelties that they were. The chopper ride, the lot of erenyes were crying and whining, everything about them was irritating. “Let’s move, I cut out of drills for this. Soon as we get back we’ll get you debriefed and cleaned up. You look like shit.”

“Sorry not all of us got a fancy chopper ride home.” Vas said making a face as he helped Seren up. “Some of us got left on the roof of a half-collapsed burning building.” He said carefully putting the zip ties on Serena's wrists so they wouldn’t dig. “Not too tight?” He asked before seat-belting her in. “Home stretch Rabbit. You ready?”

Serena nodded, feeling uneasy about the whole thing, but Vas was there and if he thought it was okay, it was probably, most likely okay. “On account of we have each others backs,” she repeated.

Nate snorted as he climbed behind the wheel. “Yeah, Vas, nothing to worry about. An Erinyes has your back.”

“Hell yeah, Rabbit.” Vas agreed. “Yeah, she does Nate. She was here, with me helping. You were running drills, not here.” Vas said settling the cloth bag over Serena's head. “Fun size here was hella helpful.” He was used to Nate and often let the comments roll off him, Serena wasn’t and they worked hard to make it this far. She was entitled to some respect. Vas already felt the ball of stress letting up and climbed in next to Serena yawning.

“All those drills helped keep your ass alive in that building,” Nate reminded him, glaring into the rearview mirror. Soft. There was a hierarchy, a pecking order, ribbing each other is what they did. Now the kid was what? Trying to save face for the sake of a target, who hopefully, like the rest of them, would be gone in less than a week.

Vas just scrunch his nose in annoyance at the grump in the drivers seat. “What we need as some Urban survival is what we need.” He muttered. The motion of the car and the lull of the engine. Knowing he was what felt like safe. Vas finally felt like he could really relax and it was all finally starting to catch up to him.

“I think you survived fine,” Serena said in a lowered voice. “You didn’t let nothing happen, we found food, shelter, an’ a phone to use.”

“Team effort.” Vas reminded. “Sides never to hurts to learn more. Be better.”

Nate muttered under his breath about motherfucking distractions, but was quiet for most of the ride, listening to news reports on the radio. Serena leaned against Vas, content and mostly comfortable in the air conditioned vehicle. It was cool, and between the murmur of the radio and the rocking of the vehicle, she fell fast asleep.

Vas put a comforting arm around his Rabbit. Nate was as grouchy as ever which was oddly reassuring, status quo and such. He yawned again getting a bit more comfortable, eye half lid before nodding off. Comforted by the fact they both survived and made it back.

Vas slept most of the way back, jerking away when he felt the familiar turn and bump of the car. He didn't know how he knew, just that weird instinct kicking when you knew you were close to home. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes he went to see if Serena was awake.

Nate was scanned at the gate and the vehicle buzzed in. There’d still be a bit of a drive, the base was both well guarded and well hidden.

“Are we home?” Serena whispered, having been awake for a few miles. She’d remained still, partly not to wake Vas, partly to make Nate think she was still sleeping. He didn’t seem fond of the Erinyes…or… anything, really. “Tartar sauce?”

“Tartarus,” Nate snapped. “Hellhound base.”

“That’s Nate speak for ‘Yes’.” Vas translated in a whisper for Serena.