french fries.
we know waffle cut are the best.
STOLEN DIGNITIES ───────────────── antlerman & french fries.
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Futuristic STOLEN DIGNITIES
- Thread starter french fries.
- Start date
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- Tags
- m/m sci-fi superheroes
french fries.
we know waffle cut are the best.
The weightlessness of suspension in zero grav was a sensation matched by little else. Except, of course, the bubbly concoction Bub found himself sipping. The liquid fire overturned his stomach in ways that made him feel like his body wasn’t attached to anything else. So often he found his mind returning to his short career as a pilot, and so often he found himself wracked by regret and guilt. It was more often than not that he found himself drowning those sour feelings with inebriation.
Or was he chasing a feeling he thought would never return?
“Time to pay your tab, Bub.” An accented voice sounded with little of the comforting tone Bub so desperately craved. It wasn’t fair to crave such a thing, to want to be comforted. It was a need he no longer sought, something that made his suffering all the more real.
“Thought I had ‘til the end of the week.” His voice was strained to his own ears. He spent more time alone lately than he ever had before. His throat was unfamiliar with the silence he now enacted.
“You did.” The bartender was from Omnicon, a swamp like planet with air so hazardous only those native to the ecosystem could live or work there. The omniconian had dark green, reptile-like skin with a set of large eyes so full of depth that Bub was sure he had called them beautiful once. A comment that was followed with one of the weakest drinks he had ever been served. Akins, the bartender, apparently wasn’t so keen on Bub’s honeyed words as others usually were. “A week ago. I should start adding on interest at the rate you pay me back.”
Bub’s stomach flipped once again, though he knew the drink wasn’t the cause this time. He lifted the black tinted glass to his lips and knocked back the remained of the drink, knowing that Akins might take it away once he learned that he wasn’t getting his credits that night.
He wasn’t used to this. The ill feelings, drinking away his stupor, especially living beyond his means. Despite never feeling loved by his own parents, he did miss them if only for the fortune he had been able to live so easily on. A fortune that was now lost to the cosmos forever. Memories of space once again took hold of his body, and with those memories the feeling of the thrill of piloting his own ship. Of looking oblivion in the eye and knowing that he could conquer the infinite nothingness.
That wasn’t the first time he’d been wrong.
“Listen, Akins,” Bub attempted to straighten as much as he could with the several drinks flowing through his veins, and he found himself donning the mask of who he was before space took him for all he was worth. A half smile carved his handsome features into something teetering on the edge of danger – danger and charisma. A flick of his eyebrow followed a quick glance of those that surrounded them. Akins ran a seedy bar hidden away in an even seedier neighborhood. They weren’t near the brighter parts of Luna, no they were far from the shining towers that housed those who had the privilege to never worry about the origin of their next meal or place to sleep. That part of Luna, the city carved across the entirety of a small moon, had been lost to Bub for some time now. “How many other people are paying up tonight? Don’t single me out like that.”
Something between a sigh and a growl sounded from the omniconian, Bub’s charm seemed to have met its match.
“I’m not talking about them, I’m talking about you.” Two uncovered arms crossed over the other, Akins’ scales rippling in the low light of the bar. Bub’s gaze lowered to the clear strength the bartender had, but the swallow he pushed down was not in fear of the fight that would come from Akins, no it was in fear of the fight from those the bartender paid to protect his bar. Bub’s gaze flitted to the corner of the room, where two cybernetically enhanced humans stood on either side of the only exit, their eyes already on Bub.
Bub slid from his stool smoothly despite still feeling the effects of the drinks he’d downed. His long legs gave him height over the omniconian, but where he had an advantage in height he lacked in strength. His muscle mass had dwindled sharply in the past few months from lack of quality sustenance, and he knew that there was no chance he would come out of this fight without hurting.
“Stop stressing, man, you’ll wrinkle that pretty face of yours.” Again, Bub flashed a smile that had once been able to hold sway over others. The smile was an act that was obvious to anyone around, but Bub still attempted to use it as a distraction to slip out the door. “I’ll bring the cred tomorrow, promise!”
This wouldn’t be Bub’s first attempt at promising pay another day. No, he didn’t have any credits, barely had enough each month to keep the pitiful excuse of a roof over his own head. He was so deep within his own despair and depression that he almost didn’t want to get himself out of the hole he was in. What was the point if someone would probably take him out before he could try to be a fraction of what he once was?
As was anticipated, the moment Bub reached the back door he was met with a sturdy hand to his chest. While Bub’s height gave him advantage over most people, the two bodyguards at the bar were unfortunately at his own eye level. He was clearly outmatched.
“Fellas, been a while. How are things?” Bub’s easy tone hid the fear he felt because, no, this wasn’t the first time he tried putting off paying his tab and ended up receiving further motivation to do so in the form of some old fashioned corporal punishment.
Two sets of unamused gazes met his and Bub could only brace himself for a world of hurt as each of his arms was grabbed and he was thrown out of the bar. He landed in the dingy alley on his face. The force of the throw sent him sliding across chipped concrete and whatever mix of garbage was laying around. Bub groaned and coughed to attempt to clear whatever had landed in his mouth. His arms stung where the burn of the concrete remained, and his breathing was labored from the shock of his chest hitting the ground. The extent of his abuse was not finished in being thrown out of the bar. No, the two bouncers slowly approached – knowing that Bub wouldn’t be able to make a run for it even if he wanted to – one usually acted as the restraint while the other dealt punishment.
Bub’s lack of body mass made it all the easier for the muscled bouncer to lift his frame, the blows to his face and chest followed shortly. This physical punishment was meant to serve as a reminder that no one on Luna, not a soul, valued those that inhabited the city above the money they might be able to earn. And Bub couldn’t blame them, there wasn’t a single day that passed where he didn’t wish he could go back to the spoiled life he once had.
An odd feeling began to take form in Bub. A punch to the stomach knocked any remaining breath out of him while a follow up to his cheek left him listening to his racing heartbeat in his ears. The pain seeped so deeply that he felt it everywhere, and all he could let out were pitiful sounds of pain. That was, until the feeling within his chest intensified. It must have been obvious that something was different because his beatdown lessened in intensity.
“Randy, he’s gonna puke.” The one who had been throwing the punches took a step back while the one that had been holding him up – Randy – was quick to release. Bub fell to the ground with a thud and righted himself so that he was on all fours. While the look on his face might have been a signifier for oncoming sickness, the feeling that intensified within his chest wasn’t like any nausea he’d felt before. In fact, it was far from sickness. Before Bub could understand what was happening, his chest burst forward and he was thrust into a kneeling position, that odd, warm feeling intensified sharply and a bright light burst forth and blinded those in the alley. Though he seemed to be the source of the burst, Bub felt no pain from the light or the outflowing energy, if anything it felt like a cork finally free from the top of a champagne bottle.
As the light faded so did Bub’s vision, and he slumped forward onto the concrete once more. He luckily came to only a few moments later, and found that his previous intoxicated symptoms were gone, as was the warm feeling in his chest. He slowly rose to his feet, and once he was able to refocus his vision, he found that the two bouncers had been knocked unconscious.
“What the fuck…?” Bub’s confusion at both the flash of light and how he felt physically better than ever when he had just been on the receiving end of a beatdown only furthered. Had someone set off a light and knocked the goons out? What would even be the motivation for someone Bub didn’t know to do such a thing?
He knew not to question what little good luck was thrown his way and he quickly vacated the area. It was only after that night that he slowly started to piece together what had happened, and how that changed who he was.
His past. The lost wealth. The starship failure. Whatever had happened to him while he was a stone’s throw from a sun going supernova. It was all somehow a culmination that led him right where he was now. With power radiating under his skin that he didn’t quite understand along with a desire to have some sort of purpose, he was right where he needed to be. Weeks had passed since the power flashbang in the alley, and since then Bub had gone on to discover that when he came back from space, a little bit of space came with him. He was still figuring out the extent of his powers, but he figured learning about how to navigate them would be best with live test subjects.
Test subjects in the form of Scavs.
Scavs were what the people of Luna called what were essentially food pirates. They were a notorious group that, like Bub, had struggled to find sustenance in the city. But, unlike Bub, they took matters into their own hands and stole where they could find it. Their operation quickly changed from stealing what they could to survive into stealing what they needed to make the largest profit. The Scav’s operation now affected those who were innocent in the matter, hospitals and schools going without food because of the theft, those most defenseless left to suffer. And Luna Force, the police force of the moon, did nothing to try and stop the Scavs because they always saw a generous portion of the profits.
Bub’s time spent in that seedy bar taught him more in weeks about Luna that he would have ever learned while living in his penthouse. It was how he knew the Scavs had planned to hit a newly built shelter, waiting to be opened once the shipments of food came in.
How was Bub going to stop the murderous Scavs though? He hadn’t the faintest of fucking ideas. He was dressed in all black, a respirator on his lower face and hood pulled over his head to hide his identity. The power within him swelled as he waited in the darkest corner of the empty warehouse. Empty, save for the newly delivered sealed pallets of what had become far too valuable on Luna. The warehouse wasn’t without its defenses, but a shelter for those without couldn’t generate a large enough profit to get the crates of food the armed guards it so desperately needed.
That was where Bub would come in.
The sealed backdoor had been short circuited by a simple wave of Bub’s hand, and that was how he got to where he was now. Waiting. But the longer the minutes seemed to pass by, the more he began to wonder if his eavesdropping at the bar had been incorrect.
The thought was interrupted by the sound of an array of voices on the other side of the bay door, and once the scraping metal of that door being forced open followed, Bub prepared himself for a fight.
Or was he chasing a feeling he thought would never return?
“Time to pay your tab, Bub.” An accented voice sounded with little of the comforting tone Bub so desperately craved. It wasn’t fair to crave such a thing, to want to be comforted. It was a need he no longer sought, something that made his suffering all the more real.
“Thought I had ‘til the end of the week.” His voice was strained to his own ears. He spent more time alone lately than he ever had before. His throat was unfamiliar with the silence he now enacted.
“You did.” The bartender was from Omnicon, a swamp like planet with air so hazardous only those native to the ecosystem could live or work there. The omniconian had dark green, reptile-like skin with a set of large eyes so full of depth that Bub was sure he had called them beautiful once. A comment that was followed with one of the weakest drinks he had ever been served. Akins, the bartender, apparently wasn’t so keen on Bub’s honeyed words as others usually were. “A week ago. I should start adding on interest at the rate you pay me back.”
Bub’s stomach flipped once again, though he knew the drink wasn’t the cause this time. He lifted the black tinted glass to his lips and knocked back the remained of the drink, knowing that Akins might take it away once he learned that he wasn’t getting his credits that night.
He wasn’t used to this. The ill feelings, drinking away his stupor, especially living beyond his means. Despite never feeling loved by his own parents, he did miss them if only for the fortune he had been able to live so easily on. A fortune that was now lost to the cosmos forever. Memories of space once again took hold of his body, and with those memories the feeling of the thrill of piloting his own ship. Of looking oblivion in the eye and knowing that he could conquer the infinite nothingness.
That wasn’t the first time he’d been wrong.
“Listen, Akins,” Bub attempted to straighten as much as he could with the several drinks flowing through his veins, and he found himself donning the mask of who he was before space took him for all he was worth. A half smile carved his handsome features into something teetering on the edge of danger – danger and charisma. A flick of his eyebrow followed a quick glance of those that surrounded them. Akins ran a seedy bar hidden away in an even seedier neighborhood. They weren’t near the brighter parts of Luna, no they were far from the shining towers that housed those who had the privilege to never worry about the origin of their next meal or place to sleep. That part of Luna, the city carved across the entirety of a small moon, had been lost to Bub for some time now. “How many other people are paying up tonight? Don’t single me out like that.”
Something between a sigh and a growl sounded from the omniconian, Bub’s charm seemed to have met its match.
“I’m not talking about them, I’m talking about you.” Two uncovered arms crossed over the other, Akins’ scales rippling in the low light of the bar. Bub’s gaze lowered to the clear strength the bartender had, but the swallow he pushed down was not in fear of the fight that would come from Akins, no it was in fear of the fight from those the bartender paid to protect his bar. Bub’s gaze flitted to the corner of the room, where two cybernetically enhanced humans stood on either side of the only exit, their eyes already on Bub.
Bub slid from his stool smoothly despite still feeling the effects of the drinks he’d downed. His long legs gave him height over the omniconian, but where he had an advantage in height he lacked in strength. His muscle mass had dwindled sharply in the past few months from lack of quality sustenance, and he knew that there was no chance he would come out of this fight without hurting.
“Stop stressing, man, you’ll wrinkle that pretty face of yours.” Again, Bub flashed a smile that had once been able to hold sway over others. The smile was an act that was obvious to anyone around, but Bub still attempted to use it as a distraction to slip out the door. “I’ll bring the cred tomorrow, promise!”
This wouldn’t be Bub’s first attempt at promising pay another day. No, he didn’t have any credits, barely had enough each month to keep the pitiful excuse of a roof over his own head. He was so deep within his own despair and depression that he almost didn’t want to get himself out of the hole he was in. What was the point if someone would probably take him out before he could try to be a fraction of what he once was?
As was anticipated, the moment Bub reached the back door he was met with a sturdy hand to his chest. While Bub’s height gave him advantage over most people, the two bodyguards at the bar were unfortunately at his own eye level. He was clearly outmatched.
“Fellas, been a while. How are things?” Bub’s easy tone hid the fear he felt because, no, this wasn’t the first time he tried putting off paying his tab and ended up receiving further motivation to do so in the form of some old fashioned corporal punishment.
Two sets of unamused gazes met his and Bub could only brace himself for a world of hurt as each of his arms was grabbed and he was thrown out of the bar. He landed in the dingy alley on his face. The force of the throw sent him sliding across chipped concrete and whatever mix of garbage was laying around. Bub groaned and coughed to attempt to clear whatever had landed in his mouth. His arms stung where the burn of the concrete remained, and his breathing was labored from the shock of his chest hitting the ground. The extent of his abuse was not finished in being thrown out of the bar. No, the two bouncers slowly approached – knowing that Bub wouldn’t be able to make a run for it even if he wanted to – one usually acted as the restraint while the other dealt punishment.
Bub’s lack of body mass made it all the easier for the muscled bouncer to lift his frame, the blows to his face and chest followed shortly. This physical punishment was meant to serve as a reminder that no one on Luna, not a soul, valued those that inhabited the city above the money they might be able to earn. And Bub couldn’t blame them, there wasn’t a single day that passed where he didn’t wish he could go back to the spoiled life he once had.
An odd feeling began to take form in Bub. A punch to the stomach knocked any remaining breath out of him while a follow up to his cheek left him listening to his racing heartbeat in his ears. The pain seeped so deeply that he felt it everywhere, and all he could let out were pitiful sounds of pain. That was, until the feeling within his chest intensified. It must have been obvious that something was different because his beatdown lessened in intensity.
“Randy, he’s gonna puke.” The one who had been throwing the punches took a step back while the one that had been holding him up – Randy – was quick to release. Bub fell to the ground with a thud and righted himself so that he was on all fours. While the look on his face might have been a signifier for oncoming sickness, the feeling that intensified within his chest wasn’t like any nausea he’d felt before. In fact, it was far from sickness. Before Bub could understand what was happening, his chest burst forward and he was thrust into a kneeling position, that odd, warm feeling intensified sharply and a bright light burst forth and blinded those in the alley. Though he seemed to be the source of the burst, Bub felt no pain from the light or the outflowing energy, if anything it felt like a cork finally free from the top of a champagne bottle.
As the light faded so did Bub’s vision, and he slumped forward onto the concrete once more. He luckily came to only a few moments later, and found that his previous intoxicated symptoms were gone, as was the warm feeling in his chest. He slowly rose to his feet, and once he was able to refocus his vision, he found that the two bouncers had been knocked unconscious.
“What the fuck…?” Bub’s confusion at both the flash of light and how he felt physically better than ever when he had just been on the receiving end of a beatdown only furthered. Had someone set off a light and knocked the goons out? What would even be the motivation for someone Bub didn’t know to do such a thing?
He knew not to question what little good luck was thrown his way and he quickly vacated the area. It was only after that night that he slowly started to piece together what had happened, and how that changed who he was.
His past. The lost wealth. The starship failure. Whatever had happened to him while he was a stone’s throw from a sun going supernova. It was all somehow a culmination that led him right where he was now. With power radiating under his skin that he didn’t quite understand along with a desire to have some sort of purpose, he was right where he needed to be. Weeks had passed since the power flashbang in the alley, and since then Bub had gone on to discover that when he came back from space, a little bit of space came with him. He was still figuring out the extent of his powers, but he figured learning about how to navigate them would be best with live test subjects.
Test subjects in the form of Scavs.
Scavs were what the people of Luna called what were essentially food pirates. They were a notorious group that, like Bub, had struggled to find sustenance in the city. But, unlike Bub, they took matters into their own hands and stole where they could find it. Their operation quickly changed from stealing what they could to survive into stealing what they needed to make the largest profit. The Scav’s operation now affected those who were innocent in the matter, hospitals and schools going without food because of the theft, those most defenseless left to suffer. And Luna Force, the police force of the moon, did nothing to try and stop the Scavs because they always saw a generous portion of the profits.
Bub’s time spent in that seedy bar taught him more in weeks about Luna that he would have ever learned while living in his penthouse. It was how he knew the Scavs had planned to hit a newly built shelter, waiting to be opened once the shipments of food came in.
How was Bub going to stop the murderous Scavs though? He hadn’t the faintest of fucking ideas. He was dressed in all black, a respirator on his lower face and hood pulled over his head to hide his identity. The power within him swelled as he waited in the darkest corner of the empty warehouse. Empty, save for the newly delivered sealed pallets of what had become far too valuable on Luna. The warehouse wasn’t without its defenses, but a shelter for those without couldn’t generate a large enough profit to get the crates of food the armed guards it so desperately needed.
That was where Bub would come in.
The sealed backdoor had been short circuited by a simple wave of Bub’s hand, and that was how he got to where he was now. Waiting. But the longer the minutes seemed to pass by, the more he began to wonder if his eavesdropping at the bar had been incorrect.
The thought was interrupted by the sound of an array of voices on the other side of the bay door, and once the scraping metal of that door being forced open followed, Bub prepared himself for a fight.
Antlerman
The hero nobody is waiting for · 27
Luna was an innovative city. The population prided themselves for their resourcefulness and top-notch technology they had developed in collaboration with the smartest of people from various planets. Rarely a day went by Eric didn’t hear anyone brag about how good life here was. Whether it was about their fleet of aircrafts, the defenses against any possible interstellar threat or the continuously evolving technology.
Except life wasn’t good for most of Luna’s population. Only the elite had just superfluous problems and issues, while those living in the outskirts of the city fought every day to survive. Eric could know: he was one of those people.
Hearing - and seeing - how the rich wasted precious resources without a second thought was something still hard to stomach for Eric. To see half-finished plates of food turn into trash with no intention of saving leftovers for later, to hear people talk about credits and funding as if the amounts meant nothing substantial.
He was more than grateful for his job - he earned just enough to get by and keep his family afloat - yet that didn’t mean it felt like any less torture when he was detailed to work security at an event his boss would host. Where the technology on Luna was more than advanced enough to take care of any threats in the blink of an eye, his boss preferred an additional layer of security that couldn’t be hacked into. Plus, it gave everyone a sense of security, Eric supposed.
The man tried not to judge, and had learned to keep his head down and his mouth shut. For someone seemingly unaware of the value of credits, his boss still paid Eric and the others a minimal amount. The days were long and continuous focus was required, but this was the best job Eric had ever managed to get.
Those who dropped out of basic education weren’t exactly loved by the system, no matter the circumstances. Eric hadn’t had a choice: he had been the one in need of raising both his siblings, a task he gladly made the sacrifice for. All he wanted was for them to do better than he had, and get a real shot at a decent life in Luna.
Eric’s days were long with too little time for him to do all that he wanted to do. A work-life balance was rarely existing as all he did was work. The few hours of free time he did have he tried to spend with his siblings, if only so they would think of him as absent despite knowing Eric was doing all in his power to keep them all afloat. Or well, Ava and Jamie knew a slightly more rose-colored view of their situation. It was better for them that way.
The pod complex the Hall family resided in was a stark contrast of the buildings Eric spent his time working. In this part of Luna, everything seemed more grim and dark. Anyone in their right mind would know to steer clear of this part of the city, exceptions only made to those who were known by the neighborhood. Despite the lack of color and wealth, the people here were vibrant and looked after one another. They knew how hard it was to get by, and a burden shared was a burden halved. Theoretically, that was. Because, just like Eric, most people still had an ego they wanted to keep up, and wouldn’t ask anyone for help unless there was no other option.
Eric disassociated as the elevator took him up to his floor, blinking twice in an attempt to combat the exhaustion he felt. Only when the door slid open did Eric return to the present, the racing thoughts about bills needing to be paid and the seemingly never-ending credit inflation momentarily grinding to a halt.
He halted in front of his door, briefly closing his eyes and inhaling deeply. With the muscles in his shoulders relaxing he felt the world come to a stop. The electrical humming of the elevator faded away, leaving Eric with nothing but silence. An appreciated silence - no matter how brief. The slow exhale was drawn out, and as soon as Eric opened his eyes everything continued at full speed.
His thumbprint unlocked the door towards his pod; a crammed one-bedroom space which was actually too small for three people. The small bedroom had been split in two with a makeshift divider in an attempt to give his siblings the privacy they deserved despite having to share the room, where the living room was occupied with a worn couch, a small dining table and a kitchenette barely big enough for two people to stand there.
Neither of his siblings were home, undoubtedly hanging out with friends in places Eric likely didn’t want to know about. He trusted them not to get into any major trouble, and up until now they had managed to live up to that expectation. Hopefully that wouldn’t change with Jamie - the youngest of the Hall family - reaching puberty and starting to act out more and more against Eric.
Eric headed over to the kitchen where a pot was left on the counter. He transferred a portion of the food inside to a bowl to heat it up for his own consumption, and saved whatever remained in a sealable container to put it into the fridge.
From there Eric just went through the motions, preparing his dinner yet another quick part of his daily routine he rarely took enough time for. As he waited around and stretched some muscles, Eric found himself knocking over a glass with his elbow, sending it off the edge of the counter.
Shit.
Reflexively, he sucked in a breath, feeling the air around him ripple. The timer on the microwave stopped, and as Eric turned his full attention to the glass he found it hovering midair, falling ever-so slowly towards the floor.
Where everything around him had slowed down, Eric had everything but. There was plenty of time for him to grab the glass from the air, long before it would shatter on the floor. It was almost an automatic motion, and when Eric put the glass back down on the counter, the world around him continued as it once had.
It had been a few weeks since Eric had first noticed this strange ability, and up until now he hadn’t exactly figured out what it was just yet. For reasons unknown his reflexes had become insanely fast: a handy feat in his trade but Eric knew to keep this knowledge to himself.
The bursts of peace and quiet that came when he was in this strange reflexive zone was something he appreciated the most, as short as they were. More often than not it allowed him to reset his mind and redirect his focus to different matters. One day he’d have to get to the bottom of all of this, but today wasn’t that day. Nor would be tomorrow, or any day in the nearby future.
Eric had barely finished chewing the last bite of his dinner or he was already out the door. Onwards to his next destination of the evening.
Noboe was a local bar in Eric’s district, where most of their population gathered after long days at work. Strangers were disallowed entry as the bar’s owner - Alyr - didn’t want any stranger nosing around here. Because next to drinks there was also ‘work’ to be found, which was the main reason Eric hung around the place.
“You’ve been away for some time, Red.” Alyr noticed Eric almost immediately as he entered the bar. Then again, it wasn’t as if the bar was flooded at this time of day.
“What can I say? The lighthouse’s been keeping me busy.” Eric sighed as he sat down at the bar. “How’s business?”
Alyr shrugged, then leaned his arms on the bar. The man was a Shegal, as was clearly shown by his blue skin that turned black at the end of his fingers. There was almost no hair on his head, and the wrinkles in his face were evidence of the life he had already lived.
“Good enough, thankfully. Because I don’t think you’re here to drink.” Alyr chuckled quietly, before turning back to business.
“You’ve heard about the new shelter?-” Alyr didn’t even wait for Eric’s confirmation to continue. “It’s opening soon. Zil’s been trying to get a crew to up the defenses, but well, it’s hard without credits to spare.”
Eric sighed, glancing over at the corner Alyr had been looking at. Zil was sitting by herself in a boot, sipping from a glass in silence. The woman had a big heart, and Eric knew she’d poured everything into opening the nearby shelter. Shelters they desperately needed around here: poverty and crime went hand in hand - people were robbed from food and other possessions they had spent their hard-earned credits on. Where shelters were supposed to help out with food shortage, more often than not they only became the target of crime. No matter how hushed and secret people tried to keep it.
“You know I can’t afford to work from the goodness of my heart, Alyr.” Eric frowned. “And even if I could: it’s too dangerous.”
“The kiddos. I know, I know.” Alyr nodded in response. “You don’t have to remind me, Red. But- there are other kiddos who need that shelter as much as you three once did.”
Eric groaned, looking back at the bartender with a conflicted expression. “Don’t make this hard on me. You know I want to help Zil-”
“I’ll trade you a few meals.”
That’d been all Alyr needed to sway Eric, and that was also how Eric found himself and two other guys heading towards the shelter’s warehouse the night before opening. Eric was dressed in a black hoodie and pants, his hood pulled up to conceal his red hair. A cloth covered his nose and mouth as he didn’t want to be recognized. If anything were to go south he didn’t want to compromise his identity. Working these black market jobs was something their government didn’t exactly condone, especially if it thwarted any corrupt schemes they were involved with. His anonymous coworkers for the evening thought the same of it. Eric didn’t know where Zil had found these people, but he was glad he at least wasn’t alone tonight.
“Let’s hope for an easy night.” One of the other guys spoke up as they approached the warehouse, airing the thought all three of them had. Even if Eric worked security details for a living, this was a very different situation. At least Alyr had dug up a gun for him, but since Eric had had to brush off the dust he hoped it wouldn’t be needed tonight.
“Don’t jinx it for us.” Eric swiped the tag past the reader to gain access to the warehouse, needing to redo the action several times before the system finally seemed to catch on to it. Dismissing the lagging of the system to outdated electronics the shelters tended to have, Eric and the other guys focused on the task at hand.
By the time the trio entered the warehouse, the mechanic whirring of the bay door could be heard as it was forced to open from the other side.
A gunshot echoed. The guy to his left dropped long before anyone had even emerged from the other side of the warehouse. Blood pooled onto the warehouse floor.
Eric turned around, coming face to face with the barrel of a gun. The world slowed as Eric slammed the gun out of the man’s hand and sent it flying to a darker corner of the warehouse, the whirlwind of events rapidly unfolding after that. His ‘buddy’ had still been mid-firing and didn’t realize the gun had been flying through the air at an inhumane speed, an opportunity Eric took to knee the man and force him down on the ground.
The bay door opened enough for Eric to see several other people approach. And oh fuck, was he doomed. The man beneath him was still conscious, momentarily forgotten by Eric as he looked at the Scavs entering the warehouse. Even with his ‘trusty’ weapon Eric knew, he’d be rapidly running out of time.
Except life wasn’t good for most of Luna’s population. Only the elite had just superfluous problems and issues, while those living in the outskirts of the city fought every day to survive. Eric could know: he was one of those people.
Hearing - and seeing - how the rich wasted precious resources without a second thought was something still hard to stomach for Eric. To see half-finished plates of food turn into trash with no intention of saving leftovers for later, to hear people talk about credits and funding as if the amounts meant nothing substantial.
He was more than grateful for his job - he earned just enough to get by and keep his family afloat - yet that didn’t mean it felt like any less torture when he was detailed to work security at an event his boss would host. Where the technology on Luna was more than advanced enough to take care of any threats in the blink of an eye, his boss preferred an additional layer of security that couldn’t be hacked into. Plus, it gave everyone a sense of security, Eric supposed.
The man tried not to judge, and had learned to keep his head down and his mouth shut. For someone seemingly unaware of the value of credits, his boss still paid Eric and the others a minimal amount. The days were long and continuous focus was required, but this was the best job Eric had ever managed to get.
Those who dropped out of basic education weren’t exactly loved by the system, no matter the circumstances. Eric hadn’t had a choice: he had been the one in need of raising both his siblings, a task he gladly made the sacrifice for. All he wanted was for them to do better than he had, and get a real shot at a decent life in Luna.
Eric’s days were long with too little time for him to do all that he wanted to do. A work-life balance was rarely existing as all he did was work. The few hours of free time he did have he tried to spend with his siblings, if only so they would think of him as absent despite knowing Eric was doing all in his power to keep them all afloat. Or well, Ava and Jamie knew a slightly more rose-colored view of their situation. It was better for them that way.
The pod complex the Hall family resided in was a stark contrast of the buildings Eric spent his time working. In this part of Luna, everything seemed more grim and dark. Anyone in their right mind would know to steer clear of this part of the city, exceptions only made to those who were known by the neighborhood. Despite the lack of color and wealth, the people here were vibrant and looked after one another. They knew how hard it was to get by, and a burden shared was a burden halved. Theoretically, that was. Because, just like Eric, most people still had an ego they wanted to keep up, and wouldn’t ask anyone for help unless there was no other option.
Eric disassociated as the elevator took him up to his floor, blinking twice in an attempt to combat the exhaustion he felt. Only when the door slid open did Eric return to the present, the racing thoughts about bills needing to be paid and the seemingly never-ending credit inflation momentarily grinding to a halt.
He halted in front of his door, briefly closing his eyes and inhaling deeply. With the muscles in his shoulders relaxing he felt the world come to a stop. The electrical humming of the elevator faded away, leaving Eric with nothing but silence. An appreciated silence - no matter how brief. The slow exhale was drawn out, and as soon as Eric opened his eyes everything continued at full speed.
His thumbprint unlocked the door towards his pod; a crammed one-bedroom space which was actually too small for three people. The small bedroom had been split in two with a makeshift divider in an attempt to give his siblings the privacy they deserved despite having to share the room, where the living room was occupied with a worn couch, a small dining table and a kitchenette barely big enough for two people to stand there.
Neither of his siblings were home, undoubtedly hanging out with friends in places Eric likely didn’t want to know about. He trusted them not to get into any major trouble, and up until now they had managed to live up to that expectation. Hopefully that wouldn’t change with Jamie - the youngest of the Hall family - reaching puberty and starting to act out more and more against Eric.
Eric headed over to the kitchen where a pot was left on the counter. He transferred a portion of the food inside to a bowl to heat it up for his own consumption, and saved whatever remained in a sealable container to put it into the fridge.
From there Eric just went through the motions, preparing his dinner yet another quick part of his daily routine he rarely took enough time for. As he waited around and stretched some muscles, Eric found himself knocking over a glass with his elbow, sending it off the edge of the counter.
Shit.
Reflexively, he sucked in a breath, feeling the air around him ripple. The timer on the microwave stopped, and as Eric turned his full attention to the glass he found it hovering midair, falling ever-so slowly towards the floor.
Where everything around him had slowed down, Eric had everything but. There was plenty of time for him to grab the glass from the air, long before it would shatter on the floor. It was almost an automatic motion, and when Eric put the glass back down on the counter, the world around him continued as it once had.
It had been a few weeks since Eric had first noticed this strange ability, and up until now he hadn’t exactly figured out what it was just yet. For reasons unknown his reflexes had become insanely fast: a handy feat in his trade but Eric knew to keep this knowledge to himself.
The bursts of peace and quiet that came when he was in this strange reflexive zone was something he appreciated the most, as short as they were. More often than not it allowed him to reset his mind and redirect his focus to different matters. One day he’d have to get to the bottom of all of this, but today wasn’t that day. Nor would be tomorrow, or any day in the nearby future.
Eric had barely finished chewing the last bite of his dinner or he was already out the door. Onwards to his next destination of the evening.
Noboe was a local bar in Eric’s district, where most of their population gathered after long days at work. Strangers were disallowed entry as the bar’s owner - Alyr - didn’t want any stranger nosing around here. Because next to drinks there was also ‘work’ to be found, which was the main reason Eric hung around the place.
“You’ve been away for some time, Red.” Alyr noticed Eric almost immediately as he entered the bar. Then again, it wasn’t as if the bar was flooded at this time of day.
“What can I say? The lighthouse’s been keeping me busy.” Eric sighed as he sat down at the bar. “How’s business?”
Alyr shrugged, then leaned his arms on the bar. The man was a Shegal, as was clearly shown by his blue skin that turned black at the end of his fingers. There was almost no hair on his head, and the wrinkles in his face were evidence of the life he had already lived.
“Good enough, thankfully. Because I don’t think you’re here to drink.” Alyr chuckled quietly, before turning back to business.
“You’ve heard about the new shelter?-” Alyr didn’t even wait for Eric’s confirmation to continue. “It’s opening soon. Zil’s been trying to get a crew to up the defenses, but well, it’s hard without credits to spare.”
Eric sighed, glancing over at the corner Alyr had been looking at. Zil was sitting by herself in a boot, sipping from a glass in silence. The woman had a big heart, and Eric knew she’d poured everything into opening the nearby shelter. Shelters they desperately needed around here: poverty and crime went hand in hand - people were robbed from food and other possessions they had spent their hard-earned credits on. Where shelters were supposed to help out with food shortage, more often than not they only became the target of crime. No matter how hushed and secret people tried to keep it.
“You know I can’t afford to work from the goodness of my heart, Alyr.” Eric frowned. “And even if I could: it’s too dangerous.”
“The kiddos. I know, I know.” Alyr nodded in response. “You don’t have to remind me, Red. But- there are other kiddos who need that shelter as much as you three once did.”
Eric groaned, looking back at the bartender with a conflicted expression. “Don’t make this hard on me. You know I want to help Zil-”
“I’ll trade you a few meals.”
That’d been all Alyr needed to sway Eric, and that was also how Eric found himself and two other guys heading towards the shelter’s warehouse the night before opening. Eric was dressed in a black hoodie and pants, his hood pulled up to conceal his red hair. A cloth covered his nose and mouth as he didn’t want to be recognized. If anything were to go south he didn’t want to compromise his identity. Working these black market jobs was something their government didn’t exactly condone, especially if it thwarted any corrupt schemes they were involved with. His anonymous coworkers for the evening thought the same of it. Eric didn’t know where Zil had found these people, but he was glad he at least wasn’t alone tonight.
“Let’s hope for an easy night.” One of the other guys spoke up as they approached the warehouse, airing the thought all three of them had. Even if Eric worked security details for a living, this was a very different situation. At least Alyr had dug up a gun for him, but since Eric had had to brush off the dust he hoped it wouldn’t be needed tonight.
“Don’t jinx it for us.” Eric swiped the tag past the reader to gain access to the warehouse, needing to redo the action several times before the system finally seemed to catch on to it. Dismissing the lagging of the system to outdated electronics the shelters tended to have, Eric and the other guys focused on the task at hand.
By the time the trio entered the warehouse, the mechanic whirring of the bay door could be heard as it was forced to open from the other side.
A gunshot echoed. The guy to his left dropped long before anyone had even emerged from the other side of the warehouse. Blood pooled onto the warehouse floor.
Eric turned around, coming face to face with the barrel of a gun. The world slowed as Eric slammed the gun out of the man’s hand and sent it flying to a darker corner of the warehouse, the whirlwind of events rapidly unfolding after that. His ‘buddy’ had still been mid-firing and didn’t realize the gun had been flying through the air at an inhumane speed, an opportunity Eric took to knee the man and force him down on the ground.
The bay door opened enough for Eric to see several other people approach. And oh fuck, was he doomed. The man beneath him was still conscious, momentarily forgotten by Eric as he looked at the Scavs entering the warehouse. Even with his ‘trusty’ weapon Eric knew, he’d be rapidly running out of time.
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french fries.
we know waffle cut are the best.
The extent of the supernova that flowed in Bub’s veins was far from known, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t above a little bit of research. Scavs were deplorable human beings who found profit in the suffering of others, which meant they were also expendable. Bub was never one to have morals or ethics that set him high above anyone else. He liked to think he knew what was right and what was wrong, but that didn’t necessarily mean he judged others for their decisions.
Where he wouldn’t pass judgement, he would certainly pass a sun powered blast or two.
The Scavs entered the warehouse as Bub anticipated, but what he hadn’t been able to foresee was the another set of Scavs trying to break in, too. It was food for poor people for christ’s sake, just how many of Luna’s worst were going to try and take what wasn’t theirs? Bub’s vantage point allowed him to witness a quick escalation into violence where weapons were drawn and fired without question. Bub instinctively ducked behind the crate he hid behind. His original plan involved remaining unseen until he knew that most of the Scav were gathered. Then Bub was going to… well, he would’ve figured it out when the time came. Now he really didn’t have any chance to strategize about his involvement.
A part of him wanted to just wait until the Scavs finished duking it out with each other, then Bub could take out the remaining stragglers. But, as Bub peeked over the crate once more, he found that the fight was very much one sided. The pack of Scavs that had entered from the main bay of the warehouse were converging on the one remaining Scav who had entered from the same door Bub had. There was something like pity in the pit of his stomach that had the man coming out from behind his cover before he realized what he was doing.
“You assholes started the party without me!” Bub’s words, while somewhat distorted beneath the mask he wore, came out loud and clear despite the ongoing fight. A bang sounded distantly and while Bub caught the nearest Scav by surprise with a punch to the gut, Bub realized someone had fired a gun at him. Though he wasn’t intentionally channeling the strong energy that flowed within him, he found with every clumsy punch he threw a crackling of energy reverberated from his fist to the intended target. Distantly he wondered if he’d been shot, but that was only a momentary thought.
“Who the fuck-“ A demanding question was interrupted by Bub, whose fighting could use some definite improvement. Where he lacked technique he made up wholly in raw power. The first Scav he attacked was now unconscious. A good thing as the Scavs were down another fighter, but also arguably worse because now many sets of eyes were now on him. Bub didn’t have time to react to the concussive blow to the back of his head, nor did he have time to react to the sound of another gunshot, this one followed by a sharp pain in his arm.
The Scavs converged on Bub so ravenously he might’ve thought that he was the intended target of that night’s raid. He was knocked on his ass and half of the pirates threw jabs his way while the other half simply used their thick soled boots to finish the job. Bub’s face was leaking blood from several places, and he knew that his limbs were in a similar state. How he thought he could take on so many Scavs alone he had no idea.
Well, as the panic and the pain seeped into this skin, he had some idea.
As it had in that alley those few weeks prior, Bub felt everything within himself begin to bubble to the surface. The remnants of those stars he had chased were within him, and they showed now. His vision became blindingly bright, the light literally leaking out of him, and there was a brief moment of silence before a resounding explosion followed.
Explosion might have been an overly generic description of what happened, but Bub had no other relevant word. One moment he was getting the absolute shit kicked out of him (not for the first nor the last time) and the next he was surrounded by the ugliest Scav wreath he’d ever seen. They had been knocked unconscious like the bouncers, but this time Bub had a better idea of how. The energy he emitted – well, practically blast out of himself – seemed to short-circuit the human brain so badly those inflicted went under.
Bub moved to sit, to look across the warehouse to the single Scav that had looked to be on the receiving end of a beatdown similar to Bub’s, but his vision blurred the moment he sat up. He squinted his eyes and moved to support himself with an arm, only to immediately retract when he realized a sharp pain followed the movement. Before he had time to wonder if he had maybe overdone it, the same fate the befell the Scavs around him chased after Bub, and this time he wasn’t strong enough to fight it.
Where he wouldn’t pass judgement, he would certainly pass a sun powered blast or two.
The Scavs entered the warehouse as Bub anticipated, but what he hadn’t been able to foresee was the another set of Scavs trying to break in, too. It was food for poor people for christ’s sake, just how many of Luna’s worst were going to try and take what wasn’t theirs? Bub’s vantage point allowed him to witness a quick escalation into violence where weapons were drawn and fired without question. Bub instinctively ducked behind the crate he hid behind. His original plan involved remaining unseen until he knew that most of the Scav were gathered. Then Bub was going to… well, he would’ve figured it out when the time came. Now he really didn’t have any chance to strategize about his involvement.
A part of him wanted to just wait until the Scavs finished duking it out with each other, then Bub could take out the remaining stragglers. But, as Bub peeked over the crate once more, he found that the fight was very much one sided. The pack of Scavs that had entered from the main bay of the warehouse were converging on the one remaining Scav who had entered from the same door Bub had. There was something like pity in the pit of his stomach that had the man coming out from behind his cover before he realized what he was doing.
“You assholes started the party without me!” Bub’s words, while somewhat distorted beneath the mask he wore, came out loud and clear despite the ongoing fight. A bang sounded distantly and while Bub caught the nearest Scav by surprise with a punch to the gut, Bub realized someone had fired a gun at him. Though he wasn’t intentionally channeling the strong energy that flowed within him, he found with every clumsy punch he threw a crackling of energy reverberated from his fist to the intended target. Distantly he wondered if he’d been shot, but that was only a momentary thought.
“Who the fuck-“ A demanding question was interrupted by Bub, whose fighting could use some definite improvement. Where he lacked technique he made up wholly in raw power. The first Scav he attacked was now unconscious. A good thing as the Scavs were down another fighter, but also arguably worse because now many sets of eyes were now on him. Bub didn’t have time to react to the concussive blow to the back of his head, nor did he have time to react to the sound of another gunshot, this one followed by a sharp pain in his arm.
The Scavs converged on Bub so ravenously he might’ve thought that he was the intended target of that night’s raid. He was knocked on his ass and half of the pirates threw jabs his way while the other half simply used their thick soled boots to finish the job. Bub’s face was leaking blood from several places, and he knew that his limbs were in a similar state. How he thought he could take on so many Scavs alone he had no idea.
Well, as the panic and the pain seeped into this skin, he had some idea.
As it had in that alley those few weeks prior, Bub felt everything within himself begin to bubble to the surface. The remnants of those stars he had chased were within him, and they showed now. His vision became blindingly bright, the light literally leaking out of him, and there was a brief moment of silence before a resounding explosion followed.
Explosion might have been an overly generic description of what happened, but Bub had no other relevant word. One moment he was getting the absolute shit kicked out of him (not for the first nor the last time) and the next he was surrounded by the ugliest Scav wreath he’d ever seen. They had been knocked unconscious like the bouncers, but this time Bub had a better idea of how. The energy he emitted – well, practically blast out of himself – seemed to short-circuit the human brain so badly those inflicted went under.
Bub moved to sit, to look across the warehouse to the single Scav that had looked to be on the receiving end of a beatdown similar to Bub’s, but his vision blurred the moment he sat up. He squinted his eyes and moved to support himself with an arm, only to immediately retract when he realized a sharp pain followed the movement. Before he had time to wonder if he had maybe overdone it, the same fate the befell the Scavs around him chased after Bub, and this time he wasn’t strong enough to fight it.
Antlerman
The hero nobody is waiting for · 27
This wasn’t going to end well, that much was certain. The Scav pinned under Eric struggled to free himself, an issue solved by a few steady fists connecting to the Scav’s face.
Sending the traitor into unconsciousness didn’t solve Eric’s biggest problem, however, which was that he was severely outnumbered. As he pushed himself up from the floor he saw the bunch of Scav’s turning their attention to him, and with that a bunch of weapons came out as well.
For a moment Eric considered fleeing, as cowardly as it was. Leave the food behind if that meant he got out of here alive, as the man realized he had indeed been vastly unprepared. How he had even allowed Alyr to sway his mind about this ungrateful job he didn’t know, but dying here would be meaningless and send Ava into the exact same situation as Eric had been eight years ago.
Before he could settle on any decision, however, a third party joined the scene. Emerging from behind some boxes in the corner of the warehouse was a man similarly dressed as Eric.
What had the guy been doing there? Was he planning to take the food as well? Had Zil managed extra security detail without informing Eric or either of the other guys about it? There was no time to wonder about that part, and the whirlwind of new thoughts came to a stop when the sound of another gunshot echoed.
The mystery figure hit one of the Scavs with a powerful punch to their gut, and with that Eric decided the two of them were at least on the same side until the pirates were dealt with. One issue at the time.
While most of the Scavs were distracted by the other man throwing punches in their direction, Eric managed to find cover behind some crates. He pulled his gun and aimed it at one of the pirates. The bullet missed the target but was effective in having a few Scavs break away from the bigger group to focus their attention on Eric. Not entirely what Eric had been going for, but at least it’d give the other man more of a fighting chance. Even if they were still severely outnumbered.
Eric managed to get a few solid kicks and punches in, but while his fist flew against one Scav, another returned the hit just as easily to Eric. He winced at the impact of the blow, and not long after another one landed on his abdomen. Three against one wasn’t exactly a fair fight, and Eric found himself unable to increase the speed of his reflexes like he had done moments before.
One Scav was sent back as Eric managed to send a nasty knee up the man’s stomach, a move that was countered by another Scav tackling the man to the ground. Eric raised his hands to shield his face against the onslaught of punches that followed yet again, quietly cursing himself for not fleeing the scene when he had the chance. Did he really think he wouldn’t be on the losing end of this?
But then, an immense bright light filled the warehouse. It was so intense Eric could feel the heat on his face, despite him covering it, and shortly after an explosion of said light followed. Eric closed his eyes reflexively, not wishing to look anywhere near the wave. The light faded as soon as it had come, and Eric used the moment of surprise on the Scav’s face to regain the upper hand in the fight. A fist to the Scav’s face followed by a few more kicks was enough to render him useless for the time being.
Whatever had caused the blast, had also caused for the rest of the Scavs to be taken out. When Eric glanced over at where the mystery guy had been fighting, he saw the man surrounded by unconscious Scavs. It was almost as if the blast had originated from him, as he was the only other person conscious in the warehouse.
The guy turned to look at Eric, and the man was already in the process of raising his hands to avoid getting blasted by the stranger as well. A fear which quickly became irrelevant as the guy collapsed not even a few seconds after sitting up, and Eric was left by himself.
His heart was racing, pupils dilated due to adrenaline. Eric’s body was aching but that minor inconvenience was currently easily ignored as he assessed the situation.
Blast boy had saved his ass, but Eric had no clue if the guy was here for the same reasons as he had been. The warehouse had turned into a battlefield with mostly unconscious and one dead body. There wasn’t a lot of time for Eric to act, and he had to hurry, no matter how breathless he felt.
Each Scav was searched for weapons and the few that were found were hidden between the narrow cracks of the pallets of food. With that taken care of, Eric turned his attention to Blast boy, who was still unconscious as well. A small pool of blood was gathering on the floor below the man’s arm, telling Eric that at least one bullet had hit the other man.
Eric walked past his fallen buddy to take the cloth he had used to hide his face, returning to Blast boy’s side and kneeling down on the ground. Eric’s back was to the wall, just so he could keep an eye on all the other unconscious Scavs while tending to this man’s injuries.
He wasted no time tying the cloth around the man’s arm once he had felt out the injury, hopefully tight enough to stop the bleeding for the time being.
“Hey- Hey, Blast boy.” Words were only slightly muffled by the cloth over his mouth and nose as Eric spoke, and he gently pushed against the man’s side to hopefully help wake him up. “We gotta get out of here. You need help.”
Sending the traitor into unconsciousness didn’t solve Eric’s biggest problem, however, which was that he was severely outnumbered. As he pushed himself up from the floor he saw the bunch of Scav’s turning their attention to him, and with that a bunch of weapons came out as well.
For a moment Eric considered fleeing, as cowardly as it was. Leave the food behind if that meant he got out of here alive, as the man realized he had indeed been vastly unprepared. How he had even allowed Alyr to sway his mind about this ungrateful job he didn’t know, but dying here would be meaningless and send Ava into the exact same situation as Eric had been eight years ago.
Before he could settle on any decision, however, a third party joined the scene. Emerging from behind some boxes in the corner of the warehouse was a man similarly dressed as Eric.
What had the guy been doing there? Was he planning to take the food as well? Had Zil managed extra security detail without informing Eric or either of the other guys about it? There was no time to wonder about that part, and the whirlwind of new thoughts came to a stop when the sound of another gunshot echoed.
The mystery figure hit one of the Scavs with a powerful punch to their gut, and with that Eric decided the two of them were at least on the same side until the pirates were dealt with. One issue at the time.
While most of the Scavs were distracted by the other man throwing punches in their direction, Eric managed to find cover behind some crates. He pulled his gun and aimed it at one of the pirates. The bullet missed the target but was effective in having a few Scavs break away from the bigger group to focus their attention on Eric. Not entirely what Eric had been going for, but at least it’d give the other man more of a fighting chance. Even if they were still severely outnumbered.
Eric managed to get a few solid kicks and punches in, but while his fist flew against one Scav, another returned the hit just as easily to Eric. He winced at the impact of the blow, and not long after another one landed on his abdomen. Three against one wasn’t exactly a fair fight, and Eric found himself unable to increase the speed of his reflexes like he had done moments before.
One Scav was sent back as Eric managed to send a nasty knee up the man’s stomach, a move that was countered by another Scav tackling the man to the ground. Eric raised his hands to shield his face against the onslaught of punches that followed yet again, quietly cursing himself for not fleeing the scene when he had the chance. Did he really think he wouldn’t be on the losing end of this?
But then, an immense bright light filled the warehouse. It was so intense Eric could feel the heat on his face, despite him covering it, and shortly after an explosion of said light followed. Eric closed his eyes reflexively, not wishing to look anywhere near the wave. The light faded as soon as it had come, and Eric used the moment of surprise on the Scav’s face to regain the upper hand in the fight. A fist to the Scav’s face followed by a few more kicks was enough to render him useless for the time being.
Whatever had caused the blast, had also caused for the rest of the Scavs to be taken out. When Eric glanced over at where the mystery guy had been fighting, he saw the man surrounded by unconscious Scavs. It was almost as if the blast had originated from him, as he was the only other person conscious in the warehouse.
The guy turned to look at Eric, and the man was already in the process of raising his hands to avoid getting blasted by the stranger as well. A fear which quickly became irrelevant as the guy collapsed not even a few seconds after sitting up, and Eric was left by himself.
His heart was racing, pupils dilated due to adrenaline. Eric’s body was aching but that minor inconvenience was currently easily ignored as he assessed the situation.
Blast boy had saved his ass, but Eric had no clue if the guy was here for the same reasons as he had been. The warehouse had turned into a battlefield with mostly unconscious and one dead body. There wasn’t a lot of time for Eric to act, and he had to hurry, no matter how breathless he felt.
Each Scav was searched for weapons and the few that were found were hidden between the narrow cracks of the pallets of food. With that taken care of, Eric turned his attention to Blast boy, who was still unconscious as well. A small pool of blood was gathering on the floor below the man’s arm, telling Eric that at least one bullet had hit the other man.
Eric walked past his fallen buddy to take the cloth he had used to hide his face, returning to Blast boy’s side and kneeling down on the ground. Eric’s back was to the wall, just so he could keep an eye on all the other unconscious Scavs while tending to this man’s injuries.
He wasted no time tying the cloth around the man’s arm once he had felt out the injury, hopefully tight enough to stop the bleeding for the time being.
“Hey- Hey, Blast boy.” Words were only slightly muffled by the cloth over his mouth and nose as Eric spoke, and he gently pushed against the man’s side to hopefully help wake him up. “We gotta get out of here. You need help.”
french fries.
we know waffle cut are the best.
The soft hum of the spacecraft beneath his body told Bub that the large machine was idling. Whenever the engines pushed the vehicle into motion there was a gentle reverberation that could be felt even through the thick hull separating him from space. Except, normally the soft hum could be felt more than heard, and Bub was certain that the humming noise was a sound and not a feeling. He went to sit up from the cold metal of his bunk, but the movement transported him somewhere else entirely.
With a sharp gasp Bub returned to reality where he found himself aching head to toe, surrounded by unconscious pirates, and a Scav right in his face. Bub instinctively flinched away but couldn’t get far with a new hand supporting his back. Bub rapidly blinked trying to get his vision to focus, and he heard the man’s panicked words.
“We gotta get out of here. You need help.” Now that was something Bub could agree with. His lips felt stuck together and he didn’t say anything in return. He only grunted in pain as he leaned forward and stumbled to his feet. It was only with the support of the stranger that he was able to stand. The two men were almost at eye level, Bub’s lack of height due to his slacking posture. Bub’s arm instinctively cradled his stomach, where a sharp pain emitted. The two were able to make it a few steps toward the exit when Bub finally spoke.
“What a sorry sucker I must be to get my ass saved by a damn Scav.” He didn’t question the stranger’s assistance, not when he knew he wouldn’t be able to stumble out of there on his own, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t curious. The sound of high pitched sirens interrupted their quiet exit, and Bub’s heart sank.
Despite the Scavs paying off Luna Force, the gunfight was still public enough of a disturbance to require at least some checking in on the situation. Bub was sure that the cops would swoop in, act like the thieving Scavs were under arrest, only to then release them in some private location. At least the Scavs wouldn’t be able to take the food.
Bub’s original reason for being in the warehouse that night should’ve been a distant thought, however, as Luna Force sounded like they were just outside the warehouse bay.
“Fuck, we really gotta go!” Though the increased speed of his movement came with labored breaths and intense discomfort, Bub managed to hustle out the way he came in. Just as the two men emptied into the alleyway, his counterpart firmly shutting the door behind them, Bub heard the warehouse bay door slide open.
“Shit.” Bub startled, attempting to pick up his pace even more. At this point it didn’t matter who the hell the man was who’d helped him. If he was an enemy to the Scavs, then he was clearly an ally to Bub. “Down the alley to left, there’s a way into the tunnels.”
With every step Bub took he felt himself recovering from his blast of energy. He didn’t realize it, but his wounds also lessened as his energy regenerated. The alley was dark and dingy, but the sound of Luna Force behind the warehouse was far scarier than any dark alley. After they passed an overfilled dumpster Bub was able to break off from the man and support himself. Bub dashed forward to an inconspicuous pile of tied plastic bags and pushed them aside. The rank smell of rotting garbage quickly met his nose. Bub was glad for the respirator over his face, because if he could smell the nastiness through the filters then he didn’t want to imagine how it would be with no mask.
Once the garbage bags were thrown to the side, a small cellar looking door was revealed. Luna City was built on a moon that revolved around a lush, green planet. Luna had no natural life on its surface other than the inhabitants who took over. Most of the rock was hollow, intricate tunnel systems beneath the surface of the city. Bub knew that there was a massive power generator somewhere in the center, and his knowledge of the tunnels came from seeking that source out.
For now, they could escape to the maintenance part of the tunnel, somewhere Luna Force wouldn’t think to look and they could safely get away. With a grunt Bub pulled back the grate and motioned for the man to go into the tunnel first.
“Hurry, before they see!”
With a sharp gasp Bub returned to reality where he found himself aching head to toe, surrounded by unconscious pirates, and a Scav right in his face. Bub instinctively flinched away but couldn’t get far with a new hand supporting his back. Bub rapidly blinked trying to get his vision to focus, and he heard the man’s panicked words.
“We gotta get out of here. You need help.” Now that was something Bub could agree with. His lips felt stuck together and he didn’t say anything in return. He only grunted in pain as he leaned forward and stumbled to his feet. It was only with the support of the stranger that he was able to stand. The two men were almost at eye level, Bub’s lack of height due to his slacking posture. Bub’s arm instinctively cradled his stomach, where a sharp pain emitted. The two were able to make it a few steps toward the exit when Bub finally spoke.
“What a sorry sucker I must be to get my ass saved by a damn Scav.” He didn’t question the stranger’s assistance, not when he knew he wouldn’t be able to stumble out of there on his own, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t curious. The sound of high pitched sirens interrupted their quiet exit, and Bub’s heart sank.
Despite the Scavs paying off Luna Force, the gunfight was still public enough of a disturbance to require at least some checking in on the situation. Bub was sure that the cops would swoop in, act like the thieving Scavs were under arrest, only to then release them in some private location. At least the Scavs wouldn’t be able to take the food.
Bub’s original reason for being in the warehouse that night should’ve been a distant thought, however, as Luna Force sounded like they were just outside the warehouse bay.
“Fuck, we really gotta go!” Though the increased speed of his movement came with labored breaths and intense discomfort, Bub managed to hustle out the way he came in. Just as the two men emptied into the alleyway, his counterpart firmly shutting the door behind them, Bub heard the warehouse bay door slide open.
“Shit.” Bub startled, attempting to pick up his pace even more. At this point it didn’t matter who the hell the man was who’d helped him. If he was an enemy to the Scavs, then he was clearly an ally to Bub. “Down the alley to left, there’s a way into the tunnels.”
With every step Bub took he felt himself recovering from his blast of energy. He didn’t realize it, but his wounds also lessened as his energy regenerated. The alley was dark and dingy, but the sound of Luna Force behind the warehouse was far scarier than any dark alley. After they passed an overfilled dumpster Bub was able to break off from the man and support himself. Bub dashed forward to an inconspicuous pile of tied plastic bags and pushed them aside. The rank smell of rotting garbage quickly met his nose. Bub was glad for the respirator over his face, because if he could smell the nastiness through the filters then he didn’t want to imagine how it would be with no mask.
Once the garbage bags were thrown to the side, a small cellar looking door was revealed. Luna City was built on a moon that revolved around a lush, green planet. Luna had no natural life on its surface other than the inhabitants who took over. Most of the rock was hollow, intricate tunnel systems beneath the surface of the city. Bub knew that there was a massive power generator somewhere in the center, and his knowledge of the tunnels came from seeking that source out.
For now, they could escape to the maintenance part of the tunnel, somewhere Luna Force wouldn’t think to look and they could safely get away. With a grunt Bub pulled back the grate and motioned for the man to go into the tunnel first.
“Hurry, before they see!”
Antlerman
The hero nobody is waiting for · 27
Thankfully it didn’t take long for the man to regain his consciousness, rightfully flinching in response to Eric’s proximity. Whatever the stranger currently thought of Eric didn’t matter, not to him at least. He wasn’t one to leave anyone behind - especially not when they were unable to fend for themselves.
His life momentarily became a little easier when the man didn’t object to Eric’s urges to get out of here, and with a little bit of help the stranger was able to get up. It instantly became clear the guy had obtained plenty of injuries, and Eric wrapped an arm around the man’s waist to support him. As he did so, Eric could feel his own body protest in discomfort. Once more dismissed in favor of assisting the stranger who had saved Eric’s life - Blast boy was definitely worse for wear.
The duo was on their way to exit the warehouse when the man finally spoke, a remark that made Eric scoff instantly. “I’m no damn Scav.”
He almost felt insulted at the assumption the other man made. The only reason why he didn’t take offense was because Eric, too, had assumed the same thing about him.
Their steady exit was sped up by the sound of sirens. Luna Force was announcing their presence and undoubtedly would start a little act pretending they had stopped the Scavs from robbing the shelter. Nobody in the district would buy it, but whatever floated the cops boat. All that the approaching sirens meant for the two men was that they had to get the fuck out of there.
Getting caught meant this would be spun on the both of them and then they’d be the ones to do time. The last thing either of them needed, so Eric hoped his new friend could bite through the pain and quicken his pace a little bit.
They managed to make a timely exit, and Eric shut the door behind them just in time. The sirens had died down, meaning Luna Force had likely entered the warehouse and check out the scene. Which meant they had to get out of sight before the force would come look for any other people possibly involved.
“Woah, easy.” Concern for the other man briefly grew the more he seemed to push himself, even if it was clearly brushed off by the stranger. Blast boy seemed to know his way around here, quick to direct the duo to a nearby tunnel entrance. It was quick thinking of the other man and something Eric could appreciate. The faster they could disappear from plain sight, the better. Surely Luna Force wouldn’t descend into the tunnels to look for any possible suspects.
Part of Eric had suspected the man to direct him to the entrance so Eric could expose it, but the further they headed into the dark alley, the less the stranger seemed to need Eric’s support. It was almost as if the shot wound and other injuries didn’t bother the man as much anymore, but that had to be the adrenaline, right?
Maybe it was for the best that the one wearing the respirator was the one to toss garbage bags aside, because even from several feet away the smell of the garbage was horrendous. The scent of rotting flesh and other food was almost unbearable, and Eric had to pinch his nose to be able to bite back the gag reflex.
There was no time to get too caught up into everything, and once the man gestured for Eric to head down into the tunnels the man didn’t hesitate to do so. He rapidly descended and stepped aside once reaching steady footing, waiting for his ally to join him.
The tunnel system of Luna was dimly lit with luminescent stones, placed every thirty or so feet for those who had to walk through the tunnels for maintenance. It was just enough to see your footing and the way you were supposed to go.
“How are you doing? That flashbang you lit got you pretty good.” Eric checked back in with the man, assuming that whatever had happened in the warehouse had been caused by a weapon or piece of tech of some kind. Because why would he think of it as anything else?
It seemed like he was doing well enough to at least keep going, and with that the two men started to make their way through the tunnels. They moved as quickly and silently as they could, until Eric couldn’t hold back the question that had been on the tip of his tongue.
“Where’d you even get it? Stole it from the Lighthouse?” Eric kept his voice low, but couldn’t contain the curiosity. It was only a fair assumption that whatever the other man had used came from the wealthier part of Luna - the part the people of Eric’s district referred to as the Lighthouse, named after the many many lights.
The longer they were in the tunnels, the more the sense of urgency faded from Eric’s mind. Perhaps it was the adrenaline wearing off, more likely it was him knowing they had put a fair bit of distance between them and the police and nobody would likely be looking for him. Eric just hoped the cops hadn’t found the weapons he had stashed between the crates - it’d be nice for Zil to get her hands on some proper weapons she could hand any future security details. Once she’d hopefully would run a background check on.
Still, he remained vigilant. His hand was near his weapon at all times, ready to grab it were any surprises to emerge from the shadows. He had fucked up once already today, and he wasn’t going to do so again. It was the least he owed to the man after saving his life, to ensure he got to safety and didn’t die from his injuries as well.
His life momentarily became a little easier when the man didn’t object to Eric’s urges to get out of here, and with a little bit of help the stranger was able to get up. It instantly became clear the guy had obtained plenty of injuries, and Eric wrapped an arm around the man’s waist to support him. As he did so, Eric could feel his own body protest in discomfort. Once more dismissed in favor of assisting the stranger who had saved Eric’s life - Blast boy was definitely worse for wear.
The duo was on their way to exit the warehouse when the man finally spoke, a remark that made Eric scoff instantly. “I’m no damn Scav.”
He almost felt insulted at the assumption the other man made. The only reason why he didn’t take offense was because Eric, too, had assumed the same thing about him.
Their steady exit was sped up by the sound of sirens. Luna Force was announcing their presence and undoubtedly would start a little act pretending they had stopped the Scavs from robbing the shelter. Nobody in the district would buy it, but whatever floated the cops boat. All that the approaching sirens meant for the two men was that they had to get the fuck out of there.
Getting caught meant this would be spun on the both of them and then they’d be the ones to do time. The last thing either of them needed, so Eric hoped his new friend could bite through the pain and quicken his pace a little bit.
They managed to make a timely exit, and Eric shut the door behind them just in time. The sirens had died down, meaning Luna Force had likely entered the warehouse and check out the scene. Which meant they had to get out of sight before the force would come look for any other people possibly involved.
“Woah, easy.” Concern for the other man briefly grew the more he seemed to push himself, even if it was clearly brushed off by the stranger. Blast boy seemed to know his way around here, quick to direct the duo to a nearby tunnel entrance. It was quick thinking of the other man and something Eric could appreciate. The faster they could disappear from plain sight, the better. Surely Luna Force wouldn’t descend into the tunnels to look for any possible suspects.
Part of Eric had suspected the man to direct him to the entrance so Eric could expose it, but the further they headed into the dark alley, the less the stranger seemed to need Eric’s support. It was almost as if the shot wound and other injuries didn’t bother the man as much anymore, but that had to be the adrenaline, right?
Maybe it was for the best that the one wearing the respirator was the one to toss garbage bags aside, because even from several feet away the smell of the garbage was horrendous. The scent of rotting flesh and other food was almost unbearable, and Eric had to pinch his nose to be able to bite back the gag reflex.
There was no time to get too caught up into everything, and once the man gestured for Eric to head down into the tunnels the man didn’t hesitate to do so. He rapidly descended and stepped aside once reaching steady footing, waiting for his ally to join him.
The tunnel system of Luna was dimly lit with luminescent stones, placed every thirty or so feet for those who had to walk through the tunnels for maintenance. It was just enough to see your footing and the way you were supposed to go.
“How are you doing? That flashbang you lit got you pretty good.” Eric checked back in with the man, assuming that whatever had happened in the warehouse had been caused by a weapon or piece of tech of some kind. Because why would he think of it as anything else?
It seemed like he was doing well enough to at least keep going, and with that the two men started to make their way through the tunnels. They moved as quickly and silently as they could, until Eric couldn’t hold back the question that had been on the tip of his tongue.
“Where’d you even get it? Stole it from the Lighthouse?” Eric kept his voice low, but couldn’t contain the curiosity. It was only a fair assumption that whatever the other man had used came from the wealthier part of Luna - the part the people of Eric’s district referred to as the Lighthouse, named after the many many lights.
The longer they were in the tunnels, the more the sense of urgency faded from Eric’s mind. Perhaps it was the adrenaline wearing off, more likely it was him knowing they had put a fair bit of distance between them and the police and nobody would likely be looking for him. Eric just hoped the cops hadn’t found the weapons he had stashed between the crates - it’d be nice for Zil to get her hands on some proper weapons she could hand any future security details. Once she’d hopefully would run a background check on.
Still, he remained vigilant. His hand was near his weapon at all times, ready to grab it were any surprises to emerge from the shadows. He had fucked up once already today, and he wasn’t going to do so again. It was the least he owed to the man after saving his life, to ensure he got to safety and didn’t die from his injuries as well.
french fries.
we know waffle cut are the best.
Though disheveled and scary from the outside, the maintenance tunnels made for an unexpected refuge. Not so dissimilar from the man that still accompanied Bub. There wasn’t much of him Bub could spy from the cover he wore over his limbs and face, and there was no denying his own vehement curiosity. His initial instinct that the man was a Scav had been false, almost obviously so from the way he’d helped Bub, but it shouldn’t have been surprising that he wasn’t teeming with logic after almost frying his own brain.
The further they wandered down the dimly lit tunnel the less panic seemed to form. In its place was an odd feeling that left Bub taking smaller and smaller steps. Eventually he came to a stop and leaned against the brick wall that enclosed the tunnel around them. They had gone far enough and taken enough turns that he was confident no Luna Force would follow. He doubted they would ever go anywhere that might actually dirty their spotless uniforms, anyway.
While exhaling slowly, Bub stopped to look down at his outstretched hands. Tawny brown in color, nails cracked from lack of care, and scarred from his adventures in the atmosphere above them. His hands, nothing new. Even if nothing about himself felt right.
The sound of his companion’s voice drew him out of his thoughts and he looked up. Again, he attempted to find some crack in the man’s coverings to try and get a look at him. The closest thing he was able to come by was a glimpse underneath the man’s hood to pale undereyes. The dim light in the tunnel did little to aid in Bub’s curiosity and he only sighed as he looked away. A sigh caused both by the question and his remaining want to see the man who had pulled him from the warehouse.
“What flashbang?” Bub tried to act confused, but there was no covering what had happened. What he’d done might have been the only thing that allowed him to be there standing now. “I mean… it wasn’t me?”
He was a good liar, was able to charm money from a beggar, but he couldn’t seem to lie now. Was it the adrenaline? The bullet wound that ached less and less with every passing moment? Or maybe it was because Bub had never been in a situation where anyone had gone out of their way to save his skin?
“Listen I think it’s just better if we don’t question it.” He shook his head, raising an arm to apply pressure to his side where he was sure he was hit. “What were you doing there anyway? Hard to find anyone in Luna willing to stand up to Scavs.”
That truth was the reason they now ran rampant in Luna. Taking advantage of those in the same financial situation as themselves instead of trying to rob the rich. Maybe then Bub wouldn’t have tried to stop them.
The further they wandered down the dimly lit tunnel the less panic seemed to form. In its place was an odd feeling that left Bub taking smaller and smaller steps. Eventually he came to a stop and leaned against the brick wall that enclosed the tunnel around them. They had gone far enough and taken enough turns that he was confident no Luna Force would follow. He doubted they would ever go anywhere that might actually dirty their spotless uniforms, anyway.
While exhaling slowly, Bub stopped to look down at his outstretched hands. Tawny brown in color, nails cracked from lack of care, and scarred from his adventures in the atmosphere above them. His hands, nothing new. Even if nothing about himself felt right.
The sound of his companion’s voice drew him out of his thoughts and he looked up. Again, he attempted to find some crack in the man’s coverings to try and get a look at him. The closest thing he was able to come by was a glimpse underneath the man’s hood to pale undereyes. The dim light in the tunnel did little to aid in Bub’s curiosity and he only sighed as he looked away. A sigh caused both by the question and his remaining want to see the man who had pulled him from the warehouse.
“What flashbang?” Bub tried to act confused, but there was no covering what had happened. What he’d done might have been the only thing that allowed him to be there standing now. “I mean… it wasn’t me?”
He was a good liar, was able to charm money from a beggar, but he couldn’t seem to lie now. Was it the adrenaline? The bullet wound that ached less and less with every passing moment? Or maybe it was because Bub had never been in a situation where anyone had gone out of their way to save his skin?
“Listen I think it’s just better if we don’t question it.” He shook his head, raising an arm to apply pressure to his side where he was sure he was hit. “What were you doing there anyway? Hard to find anyone in Luna willing to stand up to Scavs.”
That truth was the reason they now ran rampant in Luna. Taking advantage of those in the same financial situation as themselves instead of trying to rob the rich. Maybe then Bub wouldn’t have tried to stop them.
Antlerman
The hero nobody is waiting for · 27
Anticipated danger stayed away, with which Eric allowed himself to relax a little more than before. It didn’t seem like his companion could head on much longer without a break. While a complete stranger to Eric, the man couldn’t help but worry for his well-being. He had been shot, that much Eric was certain about, and those injuries couldn’t be left untreated for long.
They were thoughts left unspoken. Undoubtedly the other guy was aware of his own situation. Still, Eric kept a close eye on him, just in case he was to succumb to his injuries. It was that concern that made any thoughts about the identity of the stranger fleeting. His gaze had briefly scoured over the guy’s posture to try and make out anything distinguishing, but Eric didn’t pry. It was none of his business.
Getting this man to safety was, however.
As the duo slowed to a halt, Eric found himself leaning against the wall of the tunnel as well. Muscles were protesting and Eric knew that was where bruises would be blossoming from the beating he had received. Yet, he couldn't complain. He had gotten off easy, especially considering his initial partner had rapidly bled out on the warehouse floor, and his current was most likely in the process of doing the same.
A jarring image that would undoubtedly come back to haunt him, Eric couldn’t permit himself to think about the what-ifs were the Scav to have fired at him first. The important thing was that he was still breathing, and he could thank the stranger across from him for that.
A stranger who sheepishly attempted to avoid Eric’s question, denying the presence of a flashbang nor his involvement. It was an obvious lie, one that anyone would see through, but Eric would play along. Plausible deniability was just as important as anonymity in these situations.
He nodded in response, allowing the subject to change to his own reasons for venturing into the warehouse that night. Eric couldn’t help but let out an amused laugh at the question, shaking his head along with it. Because he knew it had been insanity to even show up there, and he didn’t know what part of him had even urged him to take the job Alyr had pushed upon him.
“Yeah, that’s a good question.” Eric agreed. A frown crossed his face upon noting the other man applied pressure to his side, and once more, Eric was concerned about the other man bleeding out here in the tunnels.
“We were supposed to stay guard for the night. Owner figured putting some manpower there might be enough to scare off the Scavs for opening night. Guess it achieved the exact opposite since they hired a damn Scav.” The annoyance grew with each word he spoke, pausing only to huff. “Makes my damn blood boil. It’s hard enough to stay afloat as is without those fuckers.”
His fist clenched, nails digging into the skin of worn hands. This was not the time to get agitated about the injustice on Luna. Because Eric knew, there wasn’t much he could do. Tonight had been lucky, more than that even.
Eyes closed briefly in favor of taking a deep breath through his nose, allowing Eric to redirect his focus to what was currently more important. Complete silence surrounded him as the world involuntarily slowed, and Eric pushed himself away from the wall he had been leaning against.
What was a good few seconds for him to straighten himself and step towards the other man, had only been the blink of an eye for his companion. Not like Eric was exactly aware, not when his attention kept being pulled to the man’s clutched side. “You’re gonna need some help with those.” He nodded in the directions of the injuries. Eric had seen the other man bleed, had heard the gunshots echo. “You want me to drop you off somewhere?” Then, before the guy could even reply, he added: “I’m not gonna let you bleed out here.”
They were thoughts left unspoken. Undoubtedly the other guy was aware of his own situation. Still, Eric kept a close eye on him, just in case he was to succumb to his injuries. It was that concern that made any thoughts about the identity of the stranger fleeting. His gaze had briefly scoured over the guy’s posture to try and make out anything distinguishing, but Eric didn’t pry. It was none of his business.
Getting this man to safety was, however.
As the duo slowed to a halt, Eric found himself leaning against the wall of the tunnel as well. Muscles were protesting and Eric knew that was where bruises would be blossoming from the beating he had received. Yet, he couldn't complain. He had gotten off easy, especially considering his initial partner had rapidly bled out on the warehouse floor, and his current was most likely in the process of doing the same.
A jarring image that would undoubtedly come back to haunt him, Eric couldn’t permit himself to think about the what-ifs were the Scav to have fired at him first. The important thing was that he was still breathing, and he could thank the stranger across from him for that.
A stranger who sheepishly attempted to avoid Eric’s question, denying the presence of a flashbang nor his involvement. It was an obvious lie, one that anyone would see through, but Eric would play along. Plausible deniability was just as important as anonymity in these situations.
He nodded in response, allowing the subject to change to his own reasons for venturing into the warehouse that night. Eric couldn’t help but let out an amused laugh at the question, shaking his head along with it. Because he knew it had been insanity to even show up there, and he didn’t know what part of him had even urged him to take the job Alyr had pushed upon him.
“Yeah, that’s a good question.” Eric agreed. A frown crossed his face upon noting the other man applied pressure to his side, and once more, Eric was concerned about the other man bleeding out here in the tunnels.
“We were supposed to stay guard for the night. Owner figured putting some manpower there might be enough to scare off the Scavs for opening night. Guess it achieved the exact opposite since they hired a damn Scav.” The annoyance grew with each word he spoke, pausing only to huff. “Makes my damn blood boil. It’s hard enough to stay afloat as is without those fuckers.”
His fist clenched, nails digging into the skin of worn hands. This was not the time to get agitated about the injustice on Luna. Because Eric knew, there wasn’t much he could do. Tonight had been lucky, more than that even.
Eyes closed briefly in favor of taking a deep breath through his nose, allowing Eric to redirect his focus to what was currently more important. Complete silence surrounded him as the world involuntarily slowed, and Eric pushed himself away from the wall he had been leaning against.
What was a good few seconds for him to straighten himself and step towards the other man, had only been the blink of an eye for his companion. Not like Eric was exactly aware, not when his attention kept being pulled to the man’s clutched side. “You’re gonna need some help with those.” He nodded in the directions of the injuries. Eric had seen the other man bleed, had heard the gunshots echo. “You want me to drop you off somewhere?” Then, before the guy could even reply, he added: “I’m not gonna let you bleed out here.”
french fries.
we know waffle cut are the best.
Their combined attentions were momentarily away from Bub and his injuries and were now on his unlikely counterpart. Allies in any form were a difficult thing to come by in Luna, or maybe they were difficult to come by for Bub, who had an interesting way of showing loyalty to those who trusted him. Regardless, the odd feeling of standing in those tight-walled tunnels transformed more into curiosity as the stranger told him why he had been there. He was hired, yes, but chose to defend that food cache from the Scavs. There was an undoubtedly larger payment to be found in siding with the Scavs and being someone to take part in the spoils, but this person in front of him acted like that wasn’t even an option. That much was clear by the disgust in which he acknowledged one of his fellow hired men, who apparently was a Scav.
“Noble of you,” Bub muttered under his breath. The words weren’t a jab by any means, but a slight reveal of the jealousy Bub felt at the man. Here he’d been trying to find a way to test out whatever power lingered inside of him, and he stood across from a man who had only been trying to make a difference. There was little reasoning that could top the power of that. It was obvious by the tension in the man’s shoulders, the whites of his knuckles from his hands pressed into tight fists, that this topic was close to his heart. It wasn’t difficult to piece the puzzle together as to why that would be. More than half of the moon starved more often than not, it just felt all too wholly real for Bub to met with that head on.
There wasn’t a day that passed where he didn’t think about his old life. About who he had been. But standing there, in front of someone who’s life had likely always been as Bub’s was now, well… it was far more than humbling.
For once Bub didn’t have much to say.
Perhaps it was because his adrenaline now came to soft crescendo, and Bub was more aware of his surroundings than he normally would have been – or maybe, because of the raw interest this stranger had peaked in Bub – but the young man noticed the change. It was subtle, nothing like the stark power that flowed through his veins begging to be released in a great fiery blaze. No, what Bub felt was nearly undetectable, as if time personified that moment into a serpent and passed through him in an instant.
One moment the stranger was leaning on the wall across from Bub and the next he had cleared the space between them. An involuntary shudder wracked Bub’s shoulders at the sudden moment, and he had no idea why fear didn’t follow that response.
Bub’s lips parted slightly in shock, and he was far too surprised to find something to say. His eyes roamed the man opposite of him hurriedly, as if he could find evidence of what had just happened somewhere on his skin – not that there was much skin to see. It took a moment, a very long moment where dozens of questions flooded Bub’s mind at what just happened, before he registered the question directed at him.
Just as the stranger had inexplicably dropped the subject of the flashbang, Bub tucked away his questions about time passing inconsistently.
“I…” Bub’s thoughts trailed, he had spent the last few days figuring where and when the Scavs would hit that he never once thought about the aftermath. “I can dress my own wounds.” The words were a salty lie that burned Bub’s tongue, as much as he knew that he and the man should separate, he didn’t want him to go so quickly. Was it Bub’s curiosity about the time dilation or something else that wanted them to stay together? “But I know I won’t be able to get to the one on my back.”
Bub swallowed thickly, hoping that no part of himself appeared a threat to the man opposite him. There was no reason for them to perceive the other as enemies, but the very nature of Luna practically demanded it.
“It’s quiet, at my place I mean.” Bub’s usual charismatic ways were still noticeably absent. What did he have to be nervous about? Other than trusting a complete stranger, of course. “Could you help me? Help me not bleed out, I mean.” The last sentence was said with a smirk so stark that Bub felt his eyes wrinkle.
There was a lot riding on the question, for the both of them. There was no reason for trust to flow either way, and yet… Bub couldn’t help but feel drawn to the man. Drawn in a way he hadn’t felt since he occupied the dense nothingness that surrounded Luna. He couldn’t help but hope that the feeling was mutual.
“Noble of you,” Bub muttered under his breath. The words weren’t a jab by any means, but a slight reveal of the jealousy Bub felt at the man. Here he’d been trying to find a way to test out whatever power lingered inside of him, and he stood across from a man who had only been trying to make a difference. There was little reasoning that could top the power of that. It was obvious by the tension in the man’s shoulders, the whites of his knuckles from his hands pressed into tight fists, that this topic was close to his heart. It wasn’t difficult to piece the puzzle together as to why that would be. More than half of the moon starved more often than not, it just felt all too wholly real for Bub to met with that head on.
There wasn’t a day that passed where he didn’t think about his old life. About who he had been. But standing there, in front of someone who’s life had likely always been as Bub’s was now, well… it was far more than humbling.
For once Bub didn’t have much to say.
Perhaps it was because his adrenaline now came to soft crescendo, and Bub was more aware of his surroundings than he normally would have been – or maybe, because of the raw interest this stranger had peaked in Bub – but the young man noticed the change. It was subtle, nothing like the stark power that flowed through his veins begging to be released in a great fiery blaze. No, what Bub felt was nearly undetectable, as if time personified that moment into a serpent and passed through him in an instant.
One moment the stranger was leaning on the wall across from Bub and the next he had cleared the space between them. An involuntary shudder wracked Bub’s shoulders at the sudden moment, and he had no idea why fear didn’t follow that response.
Bub’s lips parted slightly in shock, and he was far too surprised to find something to say. His eyes roamed the man opposite of him hurriedly, as if he could find evidence of what had just happened somewhere on his skin – not that there was much skin to see. It took a moment, a very long moment where dozens of questions flooded Bub’s mind at what just happened, before he registered the question directed at him.
Just as the stranger had inexplicably dropped the subject of the flashbang, Bub tucked away his questions about time passing inconsistently.
“I…” Bub’s thoughts trailed, he had spent the last few days figuring where and when the Scavs would hit that he never once thought about the aftermath. “I can dress my own wounds.” The words were a salty lie that burned Bub’s tongue, as much as he knew that he and the man should separate, he didn’t want him to go so quickly. Was it Bub’s curiosity about the time dilation or something else that wanted them to stay together? “But I know I won’t be able to get to the one on my back.”
Bub swallowed thickly, hoping that no part of himself appeared a threat to the man opposite him. There was no reason for them to perceive the other as enemies, but the very nature of Luna practically demanded it.
“It’s quiet, at my place I mean.” Bub’s usual charismatic ways were still noticeably absent. What did he have to be nervous about? Other than trusting a complete stranger, of course. “Could you help me? Help me not bleed out, I mean.” The last sentence was said with a smirk so stark that Bub felt his eyes wrinkle.
There was a lot riding on the question, for the both of them. There was no reason for trust to flow either way, and yet… Bub couldn’t help but feel drawn to the man. Drawn in a way he hadn’t felt since he occupied the dense nothingness that surrounded Luna. He couldn’t help but hope that the feeling was mutual.
Antlerman
The hero nobody is waiting for · 27
It took the man several moments to grasp the simple question Eric had asked, something which mildly concerned Eric. He didn’t know the exact extent of the man’s injuries, but if it was getting harder for him to focus on his surroundings that wasn’t a good sign.
Eric didn’t even consider the fact the stranger had taken a notion of the involuntary time whirl that had occurred. Gaze and mind had both been too caught up with concern for the man who saved his life for Eric to think much further beyond that. He owed him, and Eric intended to pay off the debt before the two strangers would separate and likely not meet again.
It was the way of the world around here. Eric had crossed paths with many who had remained anonymous and he hadn’t thought of this instance to be any different.
That was, until the other man asked if Eric was willing to accompany him to his place and help him dress his wounds.
Now it was Eric’s brain that buffered. The sense of danger that arose washed away even quicker than it had initially come. Trust was scarce on Luna. Any friendships and alliances Eric had formed were the results of either people knowing people or putting in many hours of establishing said trust. There were only a handful of people who knew where he lived, and even then he was cautious who to invite over.
So for this man to suggest doing exactly that, inviting a stranger into his own place, was a leap Eric hadn’t expected him to take. His eyes locked on the stranger’s, and a long moment of silence passed as Eric attempted to read the intention in the guy’s eyes. There didn’t seem to be any malice, which, at this moment, was enough to sway Eric.
“I most certainly can.” The answer was surprising to Eric himself, but he didn’t regret saying it. “It’s the least I can do after you saved my ass.”
The stranger was the only reason Eric would be going home tonight, at all. So as cautious as he would normally be, this situation was entirely different. There had been too many opportunities already to stab Eric in the back if the other man had wished to do so, and honestly, Eric didn’t want to think of an enemy from the Scavs as an enemy of his own as well.
“How far is your place?” Eric questioned. A quick glance around showed them a service exit back to the surface of Luna, even if Eric wasn’t entirely sure where they’d emerge. Which made him realize the question he had just asked likely wasn’t going to have a solid answer, not until they had gotten out of here, that was.
Eric approached the nearest ladder to the exit, taking the first few steps before he was able to reach out to unlock the exit. With a quiet grunt he was able to push the hatch open, and climb further until his head was able to look at the dark streets. The late hour of the night had no people walking the streets, meaning they were able to emerge from the tunnels without anyone seeing them.
“We’re good to go. You’ll able to get up here?” Eric was already climbing out himself as he spoke to his companion, but ensured to assist him where needed as he made his way out of the tunnel. All the while Eric kept looking around for any passersby as well, until both of them had their feet steady on the ground again.
“Show me the way.” Eric wasn’t feeling like being on the street for much longer, if only for the other man’s well-being. He just hoped the guy’s place was nearby, and they wouldn’t be in need of crossing half the moon in order to get there. At the same time, dozens of questions were crossing his mind -- all of them still fleeting. There’d be time to ask some of them later. Not too many, however, as Eric knew better than to ask any question he didn’t want to answer himself.
Eric didn’t even consider the fact the stranger had taken a notion of the involuntary time whirl that had occurred. Gaze and mind had both been too caught up with concern for the man who saved his life for Eric to think much further beyond that. He owed him, and Eric intended to pay off the debt before the two strangers would separate and likely not meet again.
It was the way of the world around here. Eric had crossed paths with many who had remained anonymous and he hadn’t thought of this instance to be any different.
That was, until the other man asked if Eric was willing to accompany him to his place and help him dress his wounds.
Now it was Eric’s brain that buffered. The sense of danger that arose washed away even quicker than it had initially come. Trust was scarce on Luna. Any friendships and alliances Eric had formed were the results of either people knowing people or putting in many hours of establishing said trust. There were only a handful of people who knew where he lived, and even then he was cautious who to invite over.
So for this man to suggest doing exactly that, inviting a stranger into his own place, was a leap Eric hadn’t expected him to take. His eyes locked on the stranger’s, and a long moment of silence passed as Eric attempted to read the intention in the guy’s eyes. There didn’t seem to be any malice, which, at this moment, was enough to sway Eric.
“I most certainly can.” The answer was surprising to Eric himself, but he didn’t regret saying it. “It’s the least I can do after you saved my ass.”
The stranger was the only reason Eric would be going home tonight, at all. So as cautious as he would normally be, this situation was entirely different. There had been too many opportunities already to stab Eric in the back if the other man had wished to do so, and honestly, Eric didn’t want to think of an enemy from the Scavs as an enemy of his own as well.
“How far is your place?” Eric questioned. A quick glance around showed them a service exit back to the surface of Luna, even if Eric wasn’t entirely sure where they’d emerge. Which made him realize the question he had just asked likely wasn’t going to have a solid answer, not until they had gotten out of here, that was.
Eric approached the nearest ladder to the exit, taking the first few steps before he was able to reach out to unlock the exit. With a quiet grunt he was able to push the hatch open, and climb further until his head was able to look at the dark streets. The late hour of the night had no people walking the streets, meaning they were able to emerge from the tunnels without anyone seeing them.
“We’re good to go. You’ll able to get up here?” Eric was already climbing out himself as he spoke to his companion, but ensured to assist him where needed as he made his way out of the tunnel. All the while Eric kept looking around for any passersby as well, until both of them had their feet steady on the ground again.
“Show me the way.” Eric wasn’t feeling like being on the street for much longer, if only for the other man’s well-being. He just hoped the guy’s place was nearby, and they wouldn’t be in need of crossing half the moon in order to get there. At the same time, dozens of questions were crossing his mind -- all of them still fleeting. There’d be time to ask some of them later. Not too many, however, as Eric knew better than to ask any question he didn’t want to answer himself.
french fries.
we know waffle cut are the best.
Any signs of Bub’s prior confusion disappeared completely at the man’s mention of Bub saving his ass. Ever one with a small ego, Bub likely didn’t even realize how his chest slightly puffed out at the man’s statement. Though the bottom half of his face was still obscured by the respirator he wore, there was a bold grin beneath it. Bub had half a mind to remove the face covering then and there, but realized they would likely run into another alley full of trash while leaving the maintenance tunnels, so he didn’t bother.
Bub was glad at the man’s acceptance to help him out, less for the wound dressing reasoning he had given and more so he might find the right opportunity to ask about what the hell had happened a few minutes prior. While cybernetic enhancements weren’t necessarily uncommon on Luna, what he had seen from the man opposite him was nothing like that. The cybernetic enhancements Bub was familiar with, at least when he had been among the crowd of people who could afford such things, were idiotic additions like a flip lighter in the thumb or glowing heart freckles, nothing even remotely practical like what he had seen from the stranger.
“Uhhh… dunno where we are.” Bub’s voice, despite being muffled by his face covering, had returned to his cheery old self. “Let’s find out.” He seemed to eye the same exit that the other man had and walked toward it. Bub waited as the man climbed out of the maintenance tunnel first. Bub didn’t realize that the man was scouting the area and ensuring it was clear, but the moment he did a part of his chest seemed to lessen from the strain of the offense that had been present. Bub shook his head, disappointed with himself for always thinking the worst of people, and climbed the ladder – albeit much more slowly than his predecessor had.
Though his wounds were no longer outright paining Bub, they were still present enough to ache while strained like he had been on the ladder. By the time he made it to the exit hole he found his chest moving quicker than he anticipated. Once he managed to get up onto the street, he gave a pained groan and placed a firm arm over his center.
“I don’t think bullets agree with my stomach.” The attempt at a joke was thwarted by another wave of pain, this one emanating – somehow – from inside himself. It almost felt like he was being sewn back together from the inside, and it hurt like hell.
Once he was sure that any further movement wouldn’t elicit the same pain as climbing the ladder, Bub straightened and looked to the signs that showed the names of the cross streets. Recognition of where they were showed in his eyes, he looked to the left to find the building he expected and nodded. “Yeah, I know where we are, my place is two blocks this way.” Bub pointed forward and began to walk in that direction.
Their short trip in the tunnels had coincidentally put them closer to Bub’s apartment. Apartment being a very generous word for his tiny studio that he could barely afford to pay rent on. At least he wasn’t past due at the moment, and there wouldn’t be any embarrassing holograms waiting for them on his door. Usually when Bub spent time with people – one on one time¬ – they didn’t stay at Bub’s. That thought forced a frown onto his features, as he couldn’t recall a time he’d ever brought anyone to his place. It wasn’t some great show of trust his companion might take the request to be, either, as Bub had nothing worth stealing.
“Is this what you do all the time then?” Bub asked curiously, wanting to fill the silence that had settled over them. “Work jobs with strangers that end up trying to shoot you in the back? I wouldn’t want that job.” Bub’s following laugh told his companion that he wasn’t being entirely serious, even if he did want to hear the honest answer to the question.
Those two blocks luckily passed with no conflict or passing Luna Force. They reached Bub’s apartment building and he waved his chipped wrist in front of the sensor to unlock the main entrance. There was something about wealth in Luna that was very obvious. The higher up you were, the better off. In the penthouses that sat above the clouds there was no ugly poverty or starvation to see, only passing ships and the stars themselves. That was to say, when Bub and his companion entered the elevator and he pressed a button taking them to one of the sub-basements, that should have been a very clear indicator as to what Bub’s wealth status was.
The descent was quick and luckily the tight hallway that separated the small studios was empty. Bub passed two doors before stopping before the third, again he waved his wrist and the door slid open. The small living space was occupied by a single bunk halfway up the wall, a set of drawers underneath it, a sink and a small fridge opposite the bed, and finally a slim door leading to a toilet and showerhead.
“I’d give you a tour, but what you see is what you get.” Bub laughed again, though this time the sound was clearly heard. The moment they had stepped into the studio Bub had removed his respirator, the tawny skin of the lower half of his face on full display. He quickly moved through the small space to the bathroom, he only grabbed a washcloth and the small sewing kit he kept in the medicine cabinet. He returned to his companion and turned his faucet on to get hot water running.
Bub, almost nervous at this point, pulled out a folding chair he kept stashed between the set of drawers and the ladder to his bed. He unceremoniously unfolded it and sat down with a soft sigh. “I hope the needle won’t be necessary, I’ve never liked them.” He thought back to the many immunizations he’d needed for space with a shudder, then followed the movement by looking up at his companion – a wary, yet trusting, look on his face.
Bub was glad at the man’s acceptance to help him out, less for the wound dressing reasoning he had given and more so he might find the right opportunity to ask about what the hell had happened a few minutes prior. While cybernetic enhancements weren’t necessarily uncommon on Luna, what he had seen from the man opposite him was nothing like that. The cybernetic enhancements Bub was familiar with, at least when he had been among the crowd of people who could afford such things, were idiotic additions like a flip lighter in the thumb or glowing heart freckles, nothing even remotely practical like what he had seen from the stranger.
“Uhhh… dunno where we are.” Bub’s voice, despite being muffled by his face covering, had returned to his cheery old self. “Let’s find out.” He seemed to eye the same exit that the other man had and walked toward it. Bub waited as the man climbed out of the maintenance tunnel first. Bub didn’t realize that the man was scouting the area and ensuring it was clear, but the moment he did a part of his chest seemed to lessen from the strain of the offense that had been present. Bub shook his head, disappointed with himself for always thinking the worst of people, and climbed the ladder – albeit much more slowly than his predecessor had.
Though his wounds were no longer outright paining Bub, they were still present enough to ache while strained like he had been on the ladder. By the time he made it to the exit hole he found his chest moving quicker than he anticipated. Once he managed to get up onto the street, he gave a pained groan and placed a firm arm over his center.
“I don’t think bullets agree with my stomach.” The attempt at a joke was thwarted by another wave of pain, this one emanating – somehow – from inside himself. It almost felt like he was being sewn back together from the inside, and it hurt like hell.
Once he was sure that any further movement wouldn’t elicit the same pain as climbing the ladder, Bub straightened and looked to the signs that showed the names of the cross streets. Recognition of where they were showed in his eyes, he looked to the left to find the building he expected and nodded. “Yeah, I know where we are, my place is two blocks this way.” Bub pointed forward and began to walk in that direction.
Their short trip in the tunnels had coincidentally put them closer to Bub’s apartment. Apartment being a very generous word for his tiny studio that he could barely afford to pay rent on. At least he wasn’t past due at the moment, and there wouldn’t be any embarrassing holograms waiting for them on his door. Usually when Bub spent time with people – one on one time¬ – they didn’t stay at Bub’s. That thought forced a frown onto his features, as he couldn’t recall a time he’d ever brought anyone to his place. It wasn’t some great show of trust his companion might take the request to be, either, as Bub had nothing worth stealing.
“Is this what you do all the time then?” Bub asked curiously, wanting to fill the silence that had settled over them. “Work jobs with strangers that end up trying to shoot you in the back? I wouldn’t want that job.” Bub’s following laugh told his companion that he wasn’t being entirely serious, even if he did want to hear the honest answer to the question.
Those two blocks luckily passed with no conflict or passing Luna Force. They reached Bub’s apartment building and he waved his chipped wrist in front of the sensor to unlock the main entrance. There was something about wealth in Luna that was very obvious. The higher up you were, the better off. In the penthouses that sat above the clouds there was no ugly poverty or starvation to see, only passing ships and the stars themselves. That was to say, when Bub and his companion entered the elevator and he pressed a button taking them to one of the sub-basements, that should have been a very clear indicator as to what Bub’s wealth status was.
The descent was quick and luckily the tight hallway that separated the small studios was empty. Bub passed two doors before stopping before the third, again he waved his wrist and the door slid open. The small living space was occupied by a single bunk halfway up the wall, a set of drawers underneath it, a sink and a small fridge opposite the bed, and finally a slim door leading to a toilet and showerhead.
“I’d give you a tour, but what you see is what you get.” Bub laughed again, though this time the sound was clearly heard. The moment they had stepped into the studio Bub had removed his respirator, the tawny skin of the lower half of his face on full display. He quickly moved through the small space to the bathroom, he only grabbed a washcloth and the small sewing kit he kept in the medicine cabinet. He returned to his companion and turned his faucet on to get hot water running.
Bub, almost nervous at this point, pulled out a folding chair he kept stashed between the set of drawers and the ladder to his bed. He unceremoniously unfolded it and sat down with a soft sigh. “I hope the needle won’t be necessary, I’ve never liked them.” He thought back to the many immunizations he’d needed for space with a shudder, then followed the movement by looking up at his companion – a wary, yet trusting, look on his face.
Antlerman
The hero nobody is waiting for · 27
As the duo had climbed out of the tunnels, Eric had once more worried the other man would be pushing himself too far. Adrenaline had undoubtedly worn off by now and he didn’t want to think about the agony the stranger must be feeling by now. Eric’s own muscles were starting to protest the longer he kept on his feet, and his side felt more than sore from the kicks it had endured.
All Eric could hope was that it would turn out to be nothing more than a bad bruise. The last thing he could use was a sprained or broken rib when he had to show up for his regular job in the morning and pretend everything was fine. Again concerns that weren’t given any priority as long as the man next to him wasn’t taken care of. Eric was selfless in that way, where other people’s well-being easily outranked his own.
Which, arguably, was also how Eric had ended up in this whole fucked-up near death experience in the first place. Something he’d be giving Alyr a full ear about the first moment he got, that much was certain.
His companion’s weak joke brought him back to the present, even if Eric was too concerned to actually laugh at the attempt. Eric’s gaze briefly scanned the ground around the other man, unable to spot any trails of blood at this very moment. Perhaps the initial injuries had looked worse than they had and the bleeding had already somewhat stopped - something Eric found himself hoping was the truth.
For now, the streak of ‘luck’ they had ongoing didn’t end just yet. Wherever in the city they had emerged was only a few blocks away from their destination. Thank God. Eric knew like no other how to play pretend and hide his discomfort, and he knew that was just what the other man was doing. His state was undoubtedly much worse than he let on (the same could likely be said for Eric too).
They had barely taken a few steps or the silence between them was broken. Eric had been looking over his shoulder, still scouting for any prying eyes or danger luring in alleyways, but turned to look at the other man. In the darkness there was even less to make out of the other man’s facial features, meaning the suspicious glance Eric wore likely went unnoticed by the other man as well.
“That’s one way to put it, I guess.” He didn’t want to divulge too much about his real occupation. There was no need for his companion to know Eric worked security for a posh lighthouser, if only to limit the risk of tonight’s endeavors getting back to Eric’s employer in the first place. Some risks simply didn’t need to be taken, and this was one of them.
It was best to work on a ‘need-to-know’ basis, even if it had become very clear the stranger didn’t share that view. That much was given when they entered an apartment building and descended down with the elevator to the man’s place.
The building was similar to where Eric resided, the only difference being it was likely a few years younger. The halls were narrow and undoubtedly the living spaces would feel just as small. It didn’t take long for them to arrive at the man’s front door and enter the small studio.
Eric wasn’t surprised with how tiny the living space was, nor did he hold and judgment over the man’s wealth status. What did surprise him was the respirator coming off the moment they had stepped foot inside. The mysterious man, while still nameless, suddenly had a face.
He stayed still in his place while his companion moved around the studio, gathering medical supplies and making another off-hand joke about giving Eric a tour. The guy looked about his age, but there was something about the softness of his face that made it hard for Eric to believe this was the guy who had voluntarily hidden in a shelter in an attempt to take out a bunch of Scavs.
Whoever this man was, he was different from everyone else Eric had ever met in this circuit. He could tell by the way the man spoke, the way he moved. The fact he had uncovered his face for Eric to see. Eric, who had made no movement to reveal any more of his identity just yet.
The guy simply didn’t need to know.
“You’re quite a trusty person.” Eric stated, leaving it up in the air for the man to take it whatever way he wanted. He took a step forward to position himself between the folding chair and the sewing kit on top of the set of drawers, glancing down at the man sitting in the chair.
“Let’s get you patched up.” He didn’t allow the statement to fester for too long, and he was quick to undo the makeshift bandage he had haphazardly tied around the guy’s bleeding arm back in the warehouse. “You able to get that hoodie off?”
Eric assisted in slowly removing the hoodie, trying his hardest to put as little strain on the limbs as possible in the process. His fingertips were left with specks of dried blood coming off the fabric, which Eric paid little attention to as he hung the hoodie over one of the steps of the ladder.
“What the-” his voice trailed off as he took a notion of the man’s back. Where he had expected to see blood and at least a bullet graze, all that could be found was dried blood and yellowish tones mixed into the tawny skin. Nothing that needed direct medical attention. These were old injuries, as far as Eric could tell.
What had started as surprised wariness rapidly turned into uneasiness and distrust with each second passing. Only to be sped up once Eric glanced over the man’s shoulder just to see his fingers barely covered in the blood that should’ve been oozing from his side.
Should've been. He had seen the man get shot, had felt the blood on his own hands while dragging him out of that place. No way that wouldn't have left any marks.
Eric took a step back, creating whatever distance was possible between them in the small studio. “Who the fuck are you, and what the fuck do you want?” He was rarely one for escalation, but none of this was adding up and too many things felt wrong. Which was why he drew his weapon and pointed it at the other guy. “Because you’re clearly not shot… Were you ever injured at all?”
His grip was steady despite the rapid beating of his heart as adrenaline surged through his body. His shoulders tensed, and his gaze didn’t waver from the stranger as he was trying to figure out motives and risks. “What were you doing in that warehouse?”
All Eric could hope was that it would turn out to be nothing more than a bad bruise. The last thing he could use was a sprained or broken rib when he had to show up for his regular job in the morning and pretend everything was fine. Again concerns that weren’t given any priority as long as the man next to him wasn’t taken care of. Eric was selfless in that way, where other people’s well-being easily outranked his own.
Which, arguably, was also how Eric had ended up in this whole fucked-up near death experience in the first place. Something he’d be giving Alyr a full ear about the first moment he got, that much was certain.
His companion’s weak joke brought him back to the present, even if Eric was too concerned to actually laugh at the attempt. Eric’s gaze briefly scanned the ground around the other man, unable to spot any trails of blood at this very moment. Perhaps the initial injuries had looked worse than they had and the bleeding had already somewhat stopped - something Eric found himself hoping was the truth.
For now, the streak of ‘luck’ they had ongoing didn’t end just yet. Wherever in the city they had emerged was only a few blocks away from their destination. Thank God. Eric knew like no other how to play pretend and hide his discomfort, and he knew that was just what the other man was doing. His state was undoubtedly much worse than he let on (the same could likely be said for Eric too).
They had barely taken a few steps or the silence between them was broken. Eric had been looking over his shoulder, still scouting for any prying eyes or danger luring in alleyways, but turned to look at the other man. In the darkness there was even less to make out of the other man’s facial features, meaning the suspicious glance Eric wore likely went unnoticed by the other man as well.
“That’s one way to put it, I guess.” He didn’t want to divulge too much about his real occupation. There was no need for his companion to know Eric worked security for a posh lighthouser, if only to limit the risk of tonight’s endeavors getting back to Eric’s employer in the first place. Some risks simply didn’t need to be taken, and this was one of them.
It was best to work on a ‘need-to-know’ basis, even if it had become very clear the stranger didn’t share that view. That much was given when they entered an apartment building and descended down with the elevator to the man’s place.
The building was similar to where Eric resided, the only difference being it was likely a few years younger. The halls were narrow and undoubtedly the living spaces would feel just as small. It didn’t take long for them to arrive at the man’s front door and enter the small studio.
Eric wasn’t surprised with how tiny the living space was, nor did he hold and judgment over the man’s wealth status. What did surprise him was the respirator coming off the moment they had stepped foot inside. The mysterious man, while still nameless, suddenly had a face.
He stayed still in his place while his companion moved around the studio, gathering medical supplies and making another off-hand joke about giving Eric a tour. The guy looked about his age, but there was something about the softness of his face that made it hard for Eric to believe this was the guy who had voluntarily hidden in a shelter in an attempt to take out a bunch of Scavs.
Whoever this man was, he was different from everyone else Eric had ever met in this circuit. He could tell by the way the man spoke, the way he moved. The fact he had uncovered his face for Eric to see. Eric, who had made no movement to reveal any more of his identity just yet.
The guy simply didn’t need to know.
“You’re quite a trusty person.” Eric stated, leaving it up in the air for the man to take it whatever way he wanted. He took a step forward to position himself between the folding chair and the sewing kit on top of the set of drawers, glancing down at the man sitting in the chair.
“Let’s get you patched up.” He didn’t allow the statement to fester for too long, and he was quick to undo the makeshift bandage he had haphazardly tied around the guy’s bleeding arm back in the warehouse. “You able to get that hoodie off?”
Eric assisted in slowly removing the hoodie, trying his hardest to put as little strain on the limbs as possible in the process. His fingertips were left with specks of dried blood coming off the fabric, which Eric paid little attention to as he hung the hoodie over one of the steps of the ladder.
“What the-” his voice trailed off as he took a notion of the man’s back. Where he had expected to see blood and at least a bullet graze, all that could be found was dried blood and yellowish tones mixed into the tawny skin. Nothing that needed direct medical attention. These were old injuries, as far as Eric could tell.
What had started as surprised wariness rapidly turned into uneasiness and distrust with each second passing. Only to be sped up once Eric glanced over the man’s shoulder just to see his fingers barely covered in the blood that should’ve been oozing from his side.
Should've been. He had seen the man get shot, had felt the blood on his own hands while dragging him out of that place. No way that wouldn't have left any marks.
Eric took a step back, creating whatever distance was possible between them in the small studio. “Who the fuck are you, and what the fuck do you want?” He was rarely one for escalation, but none of this was adding up and too many things felt wrong. Which was why he drew his weapon and pointed it at the other guy. “Because you’re clearly not shot… Were you ever injured at all?”
His grip was steady despite the rapid beating of his heart as adrenaline surged through his body. His shoulders tensed, and his gaze didn’t waver from the stranger as he was trying to figure out motives and risks. “What were you doing in that warehouse?”
french fries.
we know waffle cut are the best.
A confident smile was the only thing standing between Bub and the fear that lingered in his psyche. It was easy to pretend that everything was fine, the two men had escaped with their lives intact, after all. But the line between panic and feigning ignorance was blurring, and Bub was finding himself concerned for his own health.
Working together, the men were able to remove the hoodie Bub wore. The blood from his bullet wounds – his blood – had dried and stuck the material of the outerwear to his skin. Since he wore no shirt underneath the garment, he was shirtless once the hoodie was off. Bub sat sideways in the folded chair, his arm that had been shot facing the other man. He almost didn't want to look down at his bare torso, didn't want to look at the results of a half assed plan gone wrong. The other man let out words of surprise upon seeing Bub’s skin, and he let out a wince in response. Not from the pain, but from how badly he assumed the injuries looked to get a reaction like that.
Bub felt fingers roam his skin to find the places where bullets had injured him, but the pain Bub felt from the stranger’s touch was miniscule to what he had expected. Before the injured man could even fathom a reaction of his own, the stranger in his apartment was suddenly breaking away from him and questioning Bub like he was the villain. Like he had somehow done something wrong when he was the one who had been shot.
His mind could only move so quickly, so he might not have reacted as he should have. Instead of panicking about the now seemingly volatile stranger in his apartment – who was waving a gun around – Bub was concerned about the injuries he should've had. He knew that he felt something while in the tunnels, some portion of that raw power that flowed through his veins dancing around those wounds. And he hadn't known what that could've meant, but now he could look for himself. Ignoring the potential danger in the room, Bub shoved past the other man to return to the bathroom. He slapped the wall where the light sensor was and looked at himself in the mirror.
Bub started with the wound on his arm, where blood had been flowing and pain had been fierce was only a spot of dried blood. He started the tap without thinking and scrubbed his skin with water to remove the red. What was left was dark blue and yellowed skin surrounded by his normal tawny brown hue. The bullet wound was nothing more than a nasty bruise. His mind was left in a state of disbelief, and he found himself not wanting to accept what he saw. The sound of the running water broke his gaze away from that spot on his arm, and he went to work scrubbing away the rest of the blood that had been on his chest.
More bruises.
No open wounds.
An anomaly.
“Well, that would explain what I felt in the tunnels.” Bub’s voice barely registered to his own ears, but he was sure the man in the main room still heard him.
Bub could only stare at himself in the mirror, looking at himself questioningly as if his own reflection might be able to conjure up an answer that he couldn’t himself. His eyes roamed his face, much like they had the night after the incident at the bar. Despite who he had been years prior, selfish and egotistical enough to care very little about anything else, he had at least known who that man was. Now he was faced with deep discomfort every time he looked in the mirror, because he didn’t know what exactly was looking back at him.
He finally looked down at where his hands firmly gripped the edges of the metal sink. Bub hastily lifted a handful of warm water to his face to wipe away the cold, panicked sweat that had broken out along his brow. His hand shook as he managed to turn off the water and he found himself stepping out of the bathroom. He hadn’t bothered to dry any of the water that clung to his skin. The man looked utterly tragic as he returned to the main area of his apartment. His skin was marred with marks from where he had been shot, his face showed the confusion he still felt about himself and the power that hid beneath his skin, and – perhaps most importantly – he was much too tired to fight anyone else. Let alone the stranger that had saved his ass.
“There’s no need for that.” Bub gestured toward the gun. “They obviously don’t do that well against me anyway.” The tense atmosphere in the room in no way called for humor, but Bub found himself smirking to his own quip anyway.
“Of fucking course I was shot, asshole.” Bub sighed heavily and collapsed in the chair he had been occupying moments earlier. “You saw it yourself.” If there was any way to ease the doubts the stranger may have now had against Bub, it would be to use the man’s own experiences against him. A long moment of silence passed, a moment that Bub took as an opportunity to reach into a drawer and pull out a death stick. He lit the end of the stick with an electric lighter before leaning beck in the chair, wincing slightly when his bare bruises came in contact with the hard surface.
“I was in that warehouse to… test myself.” Bub released the latter of his statement slowly and between a puff of the death stick. He had no reason to tell any of this to the stranger, but Bub really hated keeping everything bottled up. No one knew about his lightshow abilities and, well, the stranger had already seen it in person and was still somehow around, why not elaborate on it a little more? “I didn’t have any flashbangs on me earlier, not even a gun.” At the mention of the word Bub’s eyes moved to the weapon in the stranger’s hand, wondering if he was still considering using it.
Bub briefly wondered what would happen if he was shot in a more immediately vital place. Could his powers piece chunks of his brain back together? Could they restart a still heart? There was so much more to test when it came to Bub’s powers, but he didn’t know if potentially killing himself was the way to go about it.
“There’s something… different.” He sighed, then finally looked up to attempt to meet the stranger’s eye. “In me, I mean.”
It could’ve been bravery or stupidity in doing so, but Bub decided to reveal that he had noticed what had happened earlier in the maintenance tunnel. “Something different in you, too, time boy.”
Working together, the men were able to remove the hoodie Bub wore. The blood from his bullet wounds – his blood – had dried and stuck the material of the outerwear to his skin. Since he wore no shirt underneath the garment, he was shirtless once the hoodie was off. Bub sat sideways in the folded chair, his arm that had been shot facing the other man. He almost didn't want to look down at his bare torso, didn't want to look at the results of a half assed plan gone wrong. The other man let out words of surprise upon seeing Bub’s skin, and he let out a wince in response. Not from the pain, but from how badly he assumed the injuries looked to get a reaction like that.
Bub felt fingers roam his skin to find the places where bullets had injured him, but the pain Bub felt from the stranger’s touch was miniscule to what he had expected. Before the injured man could even fathom a reaction of his own, the stranger in his apartment was suddenly breaking away from him and questioning Bub like he was the villain. Like he had somehow done something wrong when he was the one who had been shot.
His mind could only move so quickly, so he might not have reacted as he should have. Instead of panicking about the now seemingly volatile stranger in his apartment – who was waving a gun around – Bub was concerned about the injuries he should've had. He knew that he felt something while in the tunnels, some portion of that raw power that flowed through his veins dancing around those wounds. And he hadn't known what that could've meant, but now he could look for himself. Ignoring the potential danger in the room, Bub shoved past the other man to return to the bathroom. He slapped the wall where the light sensor was and looked at himself in the mirror.
Bub started with the wound on his arm, where blood had been flowing and pain had been fierce was only a spot of dried blood. He started the tap without thinking and scrubbed his skin with water to remove the red. What was left was dark blue and yellowed skin surrounded by his normal tawny brown hue. The bullet wound was nothing more than a nasty bruise. His mind was left in a state of disbelief, and he found himself not wanting to accept what he saw. The sound of the running water broke his gaze away from that spot on his arm, and he went to work scrubbing away the rest of the blood that had been on his chest.
More bruises.
No open wounds.
An anomaly.
“Well, that would explain what I felt in the tunnels.” Bub’s voice barely registered to his own ears, but he was sure the man in the main room still heard him.
Bub could only stare at himself in the mirror, looking at himself questioningly as if his own reflection might be able to conjure up an answer that he couldn’t himself. His eyes roamed his face, much like they had the night after the incident at the bar. Despite who he had been years prior, selfish and egotistical enough to care very little about anything else, he had at least known who that man was. Now he was faced with deep discomfort every time he looked in the mirror, because he didn’t know what exactly was looking back at him.
He finally looked down at where his hands firmly gripped the edges of the metal sink. Bub hastily lifted a handful of warm water to his face to wipe away the cold, panicked sweat that had broken out along his brow. His hand shook as he managed to turn off the water and he found himself stepping out of the bathroom. He hadn’t bothered to dry any of the water that clung to his skin. The man looked utterly tragic as he returned to the main area of his apartment. His skin was marred with marks from where he had been shot, his face showed the confusion he still felt about himself and the power that hid beneath his skin, and – perhaps most importantly – he was much too tired to fight anyone else. Let alone the stranger that had saved his ass.
“There’s no need for that.” Bub gestured toward the gun. “They obviously don’t do that well against me anyway.” The tense atmosphere in the room in no way called for humor, but Bub found himself smirking to his own quip anyway.
“Of fucking course I was shot, asshole.” Bub sighed heavily and collapsed in the chair he had been occupying moments earlier. “You saw it yourself.” If there was any way to ease the doubts the stranger may have now had against Bub, it would be to use the man’s own experiences against him. A long moment of silence passed, a moment that Bub took as an opportunity to reach into a drawer and pull out a death stick. He lit the end of the stick with an electric lighter before leaning beck in the chair, wincing slightly when his bare bruises came in contact with the hard surface.
“I was in that warehouse to… test myself.” Bub released the latter of his statement slowly and between a puff of the death stick. He had no reason to tell any of this to the stranger, but Bub really hated keeping everything bottled up. No one knew about his lightshow abilities and, well, the stranger had already seen it in person and was still somehow around, why not elaborate on it a little more? “I didn’t have any flashbangs on me earlier, not even a gun.” At the mention of the word Bub’s eyes moved to the weapon in the stranger’s hand, wondering if he was still considering using it.
Bub briefly wondered what would happen if he was shot in a more immediately vital place. Could his powers piece chunks of his brain back together? Could they restart a still heart? There was so much more to test when it came to Bub’s powers, but he didn’t know if potentially killing himself was the way to go about it.
“There’s something… different.” He sighed, then finally looked up to attempt to meet the stranger’s eye. “In me, I mean.”
It could’ve been bravery or stupidity in doing so, but Bub decided to reveal that he had noticed what had happened earlier in the maintenance tunnel. “Something different in you, too, time boy.”
Antlerman
The hero nobody is waiting for · 27
Eric’s mind was whirling with the latest developments, and he was unable to wrap his head around it. The night had been intense enough as it was already. He had barely made it out alive, put more trust in a stranger than he usually would, only to be presented with a situation he hadn’t expected in the slightest.
Maybe it should’ve been soothing that the stranger seemed to be just as surprised about his lack of injuries as Eric had been. Where anyone sane would’ve stayed seated or at least thought twice before getting up, the other man rushed into his bathroom.
He was uncertain what to do. With his heartbeat rapidly bouncing in his throat, Eric felt everything but comfortable. It wasn’t often the man found himself at a loss of what to do, but this wasn’t one of the countless normal situations he had learned to deal with.
The sound of running water did little to help Eric organize his thoughts, even if he tried to tune in to the familiar noise. Normally this is where he would’ve closed his eyes and taken a deep breath, have everything slow down just long enough for Eric to make sense of it. But he didn’t want to risk it with the unpredictability of the situation.
It was probably for the best, as it allowed Eric to pick up on the uttered surprise of the stranger. The sincerity and disbelief in his voice made Eric lower his gun ever so slightly. This man had saved his life, if he had had any ill intentions he’d had plenty of opportunities to strike already. But trust was a fickle thing on Luna, especially to Eric. He had gotten burnt a few too many times, and as a result, there were only few he allowed in his inner circles.
When the man returned from the bathroom, he looked even more like shit than he had before. The overall tiredness was nothing new for Eric to see in these parts of Luna, he himself had dark bags beneath his eyes more often than not. It were the bruised patches of skin mixed with the leftover water droplets stuck to it that indicated a different kind of tiredness; the absence of any will of hostility. Even if Eric was still holding his gun, the man wasn’t interested in escalating this.
Neither was Eric. The night had been long enough already.
A frown crossed his face before he put his gun away. His heart was still thundering through his body, louder as the man wanted it to be. The cloth on his face was starting to feel uncomfortable, which had undoubtedly to do with the sudden sweat he had worked up in response to the discovery.
The stranger was right, however. Eric had been there when he had just gotten shot. There was still dried blood on his hands from when he had applied an emergency bandage back at the warehouse. Eric looked down at his hands to see those specks of blood, and he was able to recall the scene almost perfectly.
But that still didn’t explain how the injuries had magically disappeared. It shouldn’t be possible-
His train of thought halted when the stranger spoke up again, now holding a death stick and elaborating on the question Eric had asked. About how there hadn’t been any flashbangs at the warehouse, and that he had solely been there to ‘test’ himself.
“You did that blast thing? All by yourself?” It was more amazement than disbelief in Eric’s voice, considering how that blast had been powerful enough to knock out most Scavs and had saved both their asses. If that was true, it was only a short leap to make to some assisting healing ability. A leap Eric could only make so easily because he was familiar with the impossible himself.
But that wasn’t something the guy needed to know.
Still, he felt a quiet thrill in his stomach at the idea of having found someone like him. Someone who could do something that should biologically be impossible. If Eric had even considered the stranger’s ability to be some cybernetic enhancement, that thought was discarded right away. Only because there was a strange comfort to be found in knowing he wasn’t alone. That there wasn’t just something wrong with him.
The other man also admitted just that, only to follow it up by calling Eric out on his abilities.
He froze at that, panic settling in momentarily. Eric didn’t think anyone had seen his reaction at the warehouse, and he wasn’t aware of any usage of his ability after that. Somewhere he had always thought it was a ‘just him’ thing. That things around him slowed down so much that others wouldn’t notice the effects. Not that he had ever really experimented with it; he was just grateful for the moments of rest it granted him, no matter how short they were.
The initial reaction was to deny it, tell the stranger he was wrong and Eric didn’t know what he was talking about. But all it’d take was for him to throw anything in Eric’s direction for those reflexes to activate, so there really was no win in trying to deny it. A bigger part of Eric also didn’t want to. Not when he knew the stranger hopefully could relate to him. That desire alone moved Eric to perhaps be more trusting than he'd usually be.
Where his hand had initially been resting on his gun as a precaution, Eric now lifted it to his hood. He hesitated, regarding the other man a final time before he brushed his hood backwards. Red hair and blue eyes revealed themselves, and in the same movement the bearded man pulled down the cloth that masked the lower half of his face. “You saw that?” Eric frowned, even if he already knew the answer. If the man hadn’t, he wouldn’t have called him ‘time boy’, after all.
Eric leaned back against the wall with a sigh, crossing his arms loosely over his chest as he glanced down at his feet. After a few moments of silence, he shrugged, unable to find the right words. A part of him felt the need to elaborate, it was just that he didn’t know how to.
“I don’t know what it is.” He decided to be honest, because at this point there was nothing left to lose. Eric forced himself to look up at the other guy, as tempted as he was to avoid his gaze. He lifted one hand and gestured at his head as he continued. “Sometimes my head just gets too full and then everything slows for a little while. Or when people fire guns at me, apparently.” The last sentence was said with a long sigh, and Eric tilted his head back against the wall to look up at the ceiling. He pressed his fingers gently against his temple, regretting it immediately as they touched bruising skin in the process.
“It’s nothing compared to blasting half a dozen Scavs into oblivion.” Perhaps it was only now that the stress and adrenaline were subsiding for Eric, because the man let out a short laugh at the realization of what exactly had gone down in the warehouse. “That was dope, man, can’t lie about that. Totally get why you’d crawl into warehouses with that ability.” That much Eric would give him.
“Glad you picked the warehouse you did tonight.” This time it was easier to look at the stranger. Eric was as wary as anyone in the districts, but unlike most of them he’d admit when he had made a wrong judgment call. He wasn’t entirely sure what moved him, but Eric gave it little thought as he pushed away from the wall to take the few steps towards the other man. “So thank you for that.” There was nothing but sincerity in his voice, and he extended a hand to the other man. A sign of good faith as well as an expression of gratitude. “They call me Red.”
An obvious nickname for an obvious reason, but it’d do the job for now.
Maybe it should’ve been soothing that the stranger seemed to be just as surprised about his lack of injuries as Eric had been. Where anyone sane would’ve stayed seated or at least thought twice before getting up, the other man rushed into his bathroom.
He was uncertain what to do. With his heartbeat rapidly bouncing in his throat, Eric felt everything but comfortable. It wasn’t often the man found himself at a loss of what to do, but this wasn’t one of the countless normal situations he had learned to deal with.
The sound of running water did little to help Eric organize his thoughts, even if he tried to tune in to the familiar noise. Normally this is where he would’ve closed his eyes and taken a deep breath, have everything slow down just long enough for Eric to make sense of it. But he didn’t want to risk it with the unpredictability of the situation.
It was probably for the best, as it allowed Eric to pick up on the uttered surprise of the stranger. The sincerity and disbelief in his voice made Eric lower his gun ever so slightly. This man had saved his life, if he had had any ill intentions he’d had plenty of opportunities to strike already. But trust was a fickle thing on Luna, especially to Eric. He had gotten burnt a few too many times, and as a result, there were only few he allowed in his inner circles.
When the man returned from the bathroom, he looked even more like shit than he had before. The overall tiredness was nothing new for Eric to see in these parts of Luna, he himself had dark bags beneath his eyes more often than not. It were the bruised patches of skin mixed with the leftover water droplets stuck to it that indicated a different kind of tiredness; the absence of any will of hostility. Even if Eric was still holding his gun, the man wasn’t interested in escalating this.
Neither was Eric. The night had been long enough already.
A frown crossed his face before he put his gun away. His heart was still thundering through his body, louder as the man wanted it to be. The cloth on his face was starting to feel uncomfortable, which had undoubtedly to do with the sudden sweat he had worked up in response to the discovery.
The stranger was right, however. Eric had been there when he had just gotten shot. There was still dried blood on his hands from when he had applied an emergency bandage back at the warehouse. Eric looked down at his hands to see those specks of blood, and he was able to recall the scene almost perfectly.
But that still didn’t explain how the injuries had magically disappeared. It shouldn’t be possible-
His train of thought halted when the stranger spoke up again, now holding a death stick and elaborating on the question Eric had asked. About how there hadn’t been any flashbangs at the warehouse, and that he had solely been there to ‘test’ himself.
“You did that blast thing? All by yourself?” It was more amazement than disbelief in Eric’s voice, considering how that blast had been powerful enough to knock out most Scavs and had saved both their asses. If that was true, it was only a short leap to make to some assisting healing ability. A leap Eric could only make so easily because he was familiar with the impossible himself.
But that wasn’t something the guy needed to know.
Still, he felt a quiet thrill in his stomach at the idea of having found someone like him. Someone who could do something that should biologically be impossible. If Eric had even considered the stranger’s ability to be some cybernetic enhancement, that thought was discarded right away. Only because there was a strange comfort to be found in knowing he wasn’t alone. That there wasn’t just something wrong with him.
The other man also admitted just that, only to follow it up by calling Eric out on his abilities.
He froze at that, panic settling in momentarily. Eric didn’t think anyone had seen his reaction at the warehouse, and he wasn’t aware of any usage of his ability after that. Somewhere he had always thought it was a ‘just him’ thing. That things around him slowed down so much that others wouldn’t notice the effects. Not that he had ever really experimented with it; he was just grateful for the moments of rest it granted him, no matter how short they were.
The initial reaction was to deny it, tell the stranger he was wrong and Eric didn’t know what he was talking about. But all it’d take was for him to throw anything in Eric’s direction for those reflexes to activate, so there really was no win in trying to deny it. A bigger part of Eric also didn’t want to. Not when he knew the stranger hopefully could relate to him. That desire alone moved Eric to perhaps be more trusting than he'd usually be.
Where his hand had initially been resting on his gun as a precaution, Eric now lifted it to his hood. He hesitated, regarding the other man a final time before he brushed his hood backwards. Red hair and blue eyes revealed themselves, and in the same movement the bearded man pulled down the cloth that masked the lower half of his face. “You saw that?” Eric frowned, even if he already knew the answer. If the man hadn’t, he wouldn’t have called him ‘time boy’, after all.
Eric leaned back against the wall with a sigh, crossing his arms loosely over his chest as he glanced down at his feet. After a few moments of silence, he shrugged, unable to find the right words. A part of him felt the need to elaborate, it was just that he didn’t know how to.
“I don’t know what it is.” He decided to be honest, because at this point there was nothing left to lose. Eric forced himself to look up at the other guy, as tempted as he was to avoid his gaze. He lifted one hand and gestured at his head as he continued. “Sometimes my head just gets too full and then everything slows for a little while. Or when people fire guns at me, apparently.” The last sentence was said with a long sigh, and Eric tilted his head back against the wall to look up at the ceiling. He pressed his fingers gently against his temple, regretting it immediately as they touched bruising skin in the process.
“It’s nothing compared to blasting half a dozen Scavs into oblivion.” Perhaps it was only now that the stress and adrenaline were subsiding for Eric, because the man let out a short laugh at the realization of what exactly had gone down in the warehouse. “That was dope, man, can’t lie about that. Totally get why you’d crawl into warehouses with that ability.” That much Eric would give him.
“Glad you picked the warehouse you did tonight.” This time it was easier to look at the stranger. Eric was as wary as anyone in the districts, but unlike most of them he’d admit when he had made a wrong judgment call. He wasn’t entirely sure what moved him, but Eric gave it little thought as he pushed away from the wall to take the few steps towards the other man. “So thank you for that.” There was nothing but sincerity in his voice, and he extended a hand to the other man. A sign of good faith as well as an expression of gratitude. “They call me Red.”
An obvious nickname for an obvious reason, but it’d do the job for now.
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