Categories > Original > Sci-Fi > Untitled
A hand latched onto Vex's wrist and his eyes flew open. Chaos reached forward as much as he could and gripped Vex's arm with both of his hands. The world came back into focus and Vex used Chaos' grip for leverage, swinging his free hand back to the car. With his brother's help, Vex managed to pull himself back up onto the car. Chaos assisted him coming back through the sunroof and Havoc helped him to come into the back seat. Vex collapsed there, panting, lying with his legs sprawled across Solace's lap.
Blight turned in his seat, putting his back to the window, and reached back to them, his concern obvious though most of his face was covered by his mask. Vex reached up and took the offered hand, giving it a gentle, reassuring squeeze.
Havoc patted Vex's shoe lightly. "You okay, man?"
Vex smiled and gave a short laugh. "I think . . . I dented . . . your car. . ." He panted.
Still a little shaken, Natalie couldn't smile. "I-I'm sorry, I - The car swerved a little and I overcompensated. It was my fault."
"He's alive and uninjured." Chaos said, buckling his seatbelt. "No harm done."
Blight resisted the urge to glare at his brother. Chaos' tone never changed. He sounded cold and heartless, but Blight knew he cared about their safety. It just didn't sound that way. And had Chaos just . . . consoled her?
"The adrenaline will have you shaking for a while," Chaos said to Vex without turning his head, "But you'll be all right."
Blight's blood boiled, but he said nothing. Begrudgingly, he slipped his hand out of Vex's grip and turned forward again, pulling his seatbelt back into place. After a few minutes of heavy breathing, Vex got himself under control and finally sat upright in his seat, his feet on the floor of the car. When they were all situated again, Solace took Vex's hand in his. He had been worried. Vex gave Solace a reassuring smile though his heart was still beating a little faster than it should have been.
When Natalie asked where they were going now, Chaos simply told her to keep driving. At a legal speed, he added. If they were pulled over by the police, it would just mean wasted time and a bigger chance that whoever Keeton worked for would catch them. When Chaos finally instructed her to stop, they had arrived at a nice looking hotel in a medium-sized town.
"We'll stay here for tonight." Chaos said once they had all gotten out, standing next to the car's open passenger door. "We'll stock up on a few supplies and work on disguising ourselves. In the morning -"
The solid slap of skin against skin cut off his voice.
Beyond the force of the blow whipping his head to the side, Chaos didn't react. Slowly, he turned forward again and looked at Blight. Seething, the masked boy stood with his open hand still raised. React. He thought angrily. Strike out. Yell at me. Reprimand me. Do something. But Chaos did nothing. He simply stood and stared, waiting for whatever else would come, be it words or another blow.
Fingers curling into fists, Blight turned and stalked off.
After a second of silence, Chaos stepped forward and closed the car door behind him. "If there's nothing else, we need to check in."
At a loss for words, the others followed. Vex broke away to follow Blight.
When Chaos got inside, he walked up to the front desk at an average gate. He didn't look overly confident or devious, just - average. Forgettable.
Once he got to the counter, he paused for a moment, then looked the attendant in the eye. "James Parker. I understand you have a room for me."
The woman smiled pleasantly. "Hold on for a moment, sir. I'll check." She tapped at her keyboard for a minute and started to look confused. "I'm sorry, sir. We don't seem to have any rooms reserved under that name."
He tapped the counter discreetly and she looked back at him. "There's been a mistake."
She paused for just a moment, then smiled again. "Well, I'm sure we can get this all cleared up right away. Do you know what type of room you would like, sir?"
He gave a small shrug. "A suite that can fit six."
The woman nodded, still smiling, and typed away at her keyboard again. "Well, we have a suite open now with two rooms, one with a queen sized bed and the other with a king. There's also a couch. Will that work?"
He nodded. "It'll do. For the mistake, tonight's stay will be on the house."
She smiled and nodded again. After a few seconds, she handed him two room keys. "Here you are, sir. Room 403. Enjoy your stay."
He looked at the others and nodded towards the hall, where the elevators were.
"What about the others?" Havoc asked.
Chaos paused for a few seconds. "Tell them which room we're in." He handed Havoc a room key, "We'll wait for you at the elevator."
Havoc nodded and walked away.
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When Vex caught up with Blight, he had stopped at the side of the hotel, shaking his hand in the air. The back of it still stung where it had struck Chaos' cheek.
"Blight . . ." Vex said quietly as he approached, putting a hand on his brother's shoulder, "What's wrong? That wasn't like you."
Blight wouldn't look at him, fists clenched at his sides. "Sometimes," His voice shook, "He just makes me so mad! I wish he'd just - I don't know! Get upset! Yell! Cry. Laugh. . . Crack a smile. . ." He reached up and gripped Vex's hand. Vex could feel him shaking. "You could have died! He sent you out there and you almost -!" His voice broke and stopped.
Vex gave his shoulder a little squeeze. "But I didn't. I didn't get hurt."
"Is this how you felt?" Blight asked quieter after a pause. "That night . . . when you woke me up?" He turned and rested his head on Vex's shoulder, lightly tapping a fist against his arm as if trying to hit him. "Why didn't you tell me you felt like this?"
Vex reached up and patted Blight's shoulder gently. "It's not his fault, Blight. . . We both knew the risks. I should've waited for them to be farther away."
Blight paused for a few seconds. "Strangely . . . not making me feel any better."
"Calmed down, yet?" They both turned towards the corner of the building at Havoc's voice. The fanged boy was standing there, holding up a small, plastic, rectangular card. "You can meet with the others at the elevator now, or come up on your own later."
Vex looked at Blight and Blight nodded reluctantly. They followed Havoc back to where the others were, but Chaos was missing. Natalie just shrugged and said he "went to get something." A few minutes later, Chaos returned with the bags they'd bought at Walmart and handed one to each of his brothers, keeping the last for himself.
When they got to their room, Solace dropped his bag, ran immediately to the nearest bed and flopped down on it, teddy bear clutched tightly in his arms. Havoc followed suit, tackling Solace and rolling them over a couple times until they hit the headboard. Solace only laughed.
When the others had settled in a little uncomfortably, Chaos held up his hand, a silver object hanging from one finger. Blight wondered where in the world he'd gotten a pair of hair cutting scissors.
"Time to change our image." He said simply, then turned away, giving a little come-here gesture over his shoulder. "Blight. You're first."
Blight turned in his seat, putting his back to the window, and reached back to them, his concern obvious though most of his face was covered by his mask. Vex reached up and took the offered hand, giving it a gentle, reassuring squeeze.
Havoc patted Vex's shoe lightly. "You okay, man?"
Vex smiled and gave a short laugh. "I think . . . I dented . . . your car. . ." He panted.
Still a little shaken, Natalie couldn't smile. "I-I'm sorry, I - The car swerved a little and I overcompensated. It was my fault."
"He's alive and uninjured." Chaos said, buckling his seatbelt. "No harm done."
Blight resisted the urge to glare at his brother. Chaos' tone never changed. He sounded cold and heartless, but Blight knew he cared about their safety. It just didn't sound that way. And had Chaos just . . . consoled her?
"The adrenaline will have you shaking for a while," Chaos said to Vex without turning his head, "But you'll be all right."
Blight's blood boiled, but he said nothing. Begrudgingly, he slipped his hand out of Vex's grip and turned forward again, pulling his seatbelt back into place. After a few minutes of heavy breathing, Vex got himself under control and finally sat upright in his seat, his feet on the floor of the car. When they were all situated again, Solace took Vex's hand in his. He had been worried. Vex gave Solace a reassuring smile though his heart was still beating a little faster than it should have been.
When Natalie asked where they were going now, Chaos simply told her to keep driving. At a legal speed, he added. If they were pulled over by the police, it would just mean wasted time and a bigger chance that whoever Keeton worked for would catch them. When Chaos finally instructed her to stop, they had arrived at a nice looking hotel in a medium-sized town.
"We'll stay here for tonight." Chaos said once they had all gotten out, standing next to the car's open passenger door. "We'll stock up on a few supplies and work on disguising ourselves. In the morning -"
The solid slap of skin against skin cut off his voice.
Beyond the force of the blow whipping his head to the side, Chaos didn't react. Slowly, he turned forward again and looked at Blight. Seething, the masked boy stood with his open hand still raised. React. He thought angrily. Strike out. Yell at me. Reprimand me. Do something. But Chaos did nothing. He simply stood and stared, waiting for whatever else would come, be it words or another blow.
Fingers curling into fists, Blight turned and stalked off.
After a second of silence, Chaos stepped forward and closed the car door behind him. "If there's nothing else, we need to check in."
At a loss for words, the others followed. Vex broke away to follow Blight.
When Chaos got inside, he walked up to the front desk at an average gate. He didn't look overly confident or devious, just - average. Forgettable.
Once he got to the counter, he paused for a moment, then looked the attendant in the eye. "James Parker. I understand you have a room for me."
The woman smiled pleasantly. "Hold on for a moment, sir. I'll check." She tapped at her keyboard for a minute and started to look confused. "I'm sorry, sir. We don't seem to have any rooms reserved under that name."
He tapped the counter discreetly and she looked back at him. "There's been a mistake."
She paused for just a moment, then smiled again. "Well, I'm sure we can get this all cleared up right away. Do you know what type of room you would like, sir?"
He gave a small shrug. "A suite that can fit six."
The woman nodded, still smiling, and typed away at her keyboard again. "Well, we have a suite open now with two rooms, one with a queen sized bed and the other with a king. There's also a couch. Will that work?"
He nodded. "It'll do. For the mistake, tonight's stay will be on the house."
She smiled and nodded again. After a few seconds, she handed him two room keys. "Here you are, sir. Room 403. Enjoy your stay."
He looked at the others and nodded towards the hall, where the elevators were.
"What about the others?" Havoc asked.
Chaos paused for a few seconds. "Tell them which room we're in." He handed Havoc a room key, "We'll wait for you at the elevator."
Havoc nodded and walked away.
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When Vex caught up with Blight, he had stopped at the side of the hotel, shaking his hand in the air. The back of it still stung where it had struck Chaos' cheek.
"Blight . . ." Vex said quietly as he approached, putting a hand on his brother's shoulder, "What's wrong? That wasn't like you."
Blight wouldn't look at him, fists clenched at his sides. "Sometimes," His voice shook, "He just makes me so mad! I wish he'd just - I don't know! Get upset! Yell! Cry. Laugh. . . Crack a smile. . ." He reached up and gripped Vex's hand. Vex could feel him shaking. "You could have died! He sent you out there and you almost -!" His voice broke and stopped.
Vex gave his shoulder a little squeeze. "But I didn't. I didn't get hurt."
"Is this how you felt?" Blight asked quieter after a pause. "That night . . . when you woke me up?" He turned and rested his head on Vex's shoulder, lightly tapping a fist against his arm as if trying to hit him. "Why didn't you tell me you felt like this?"
Vex reached up and patted Blight's shoulder gently. "It's not his fault, Blight. . . We both knew the risks. I should've waited for them to be farther away."
Blight paused for a few seconds. "Strangely . . . not making me feel any better."
"Calmed down, yet?" They both turned towards the corner of the building at Havoc's voice. The fanged boy was standing there, holding up a small, plastic, rectangular card. "You can meet with the others at the elevator now, or come up on your own later."
Vex looked at Blight and Blight nodded reluctantly. They followed Havoc back to where the others were, but Chaos was missing. Natalie just shrugged and said he "went to get something." A few minutes later, Chaos returned with the bags they'd bought at Walmart and handed one to each of his brothers, keeping the last for himself.
When they got to their room, Solace dropped his bag, ran immediately to the nearest bed and flopped down on it, teddy bear clutched tightly in his arms. Havoc followed suit, tackling Solace and rolling them over a couple times until they hit the headboard. Solace only laughed.
When the others had settled in a little uncomfortably, Chaos held up his hand, a silver object hanging from one finger. Blight wondered where in the world he'd gotten a pair of hair cutting scissors.
"Time to change our image." He said simply, then turned away, giving a little come-here gesture over his shoulder. "Blight. You're first."
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