v.Reunion
Please stop, Angst thought. There was only static coming through the cell phone now. The bathroom was still empty. Max was gone. Angst wasn't a quitter but she needed things to pause; maybe after seven years she was just out of practice with the violence and lunacy and chaos. Maybe I can't do this anymore.
But then she realized that things had stopped...
Thirty seconds earlier Suki shouted, "Here they come!" as the mysterious agents launched their final assault on the motel room.
Right when Goner and Frank finally returned, the stolen car swerving into the parking lot, crashing into one of the agents' vehicles, crushing one of the agents, the engine revving and tires squealing, Frank at the wheel ready to drive into more of the attackers. The car was the only weapon they had; the equipment cache they were hoping to find didn't exist in this version.
"Thatta boy Frankie!" Suki shouted, firing her gun, the agents firing back.
Frank spun the wheel and swiped two more agents but they were still outnumbered and outgunned. Bullet holes erupted in the front and rear windshields. Goner cracked his knuckles, knowing they'd have to jump out soon and go hand-to-hand. Frank had seen Suki returning fire but not Angst...
Then the damnedest thing happened. A stuttering flash of light, a sound like thunder, and a subway car tore into the parking lot, materializing out of thin air, crashing onto the pavement, sparks flying, slamming into and scattering a lot of the attackers. And before it had skidded to a stop, the doors slid apart and Aqua and Akimoto, her in her signature cowboy hat, him wearing his trademarked army jacket/tropical shirt combo, leapt out, Akimoto swinging his broadsword and Aqua throwing punches with her gauntlets.
When Angst stepped out of the bathroom her friends were gathered in the parking lot, in the calm after the carnage, the sound of sirens fading in. She looked at Aki and Aqua and at the subway car.
Everyone was smiling.
"I guess things are about to get weird," she said, and joined them.
"Sing it," Suki said.
Showing posts with label reunion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reunion. Show all posts
20150702
Crisis In Infinite Plexes - Anomaly Three
v.Reunion
Suki blind-fired two rounds through the window, glass shattering outwards and inwards, the attackers' weapons appeared to be using normal bullets this time, just lots of them, shredding the curtains, chewing up the bed, the opposite wall. She was talking with them, two shots like nodding politely during conversation, letting them know that she was still hearing them, still paying attention – Max once told her that gunfights were just another form of communication, usually an argument, but they could also be a debate or a confession or a lecture or even therapy, and that all the standard techniques of active listening applied. So Suki was listening and replying while she was also trying to puzzle out why they had reverted to standard ammo after using those weird mind-guns before, trying to understand the point they were trying to make... And she was also waiting for Max to come out of the bathroom, Joy and Pain blasting, a moment she had waited years for, except that Joy and Pain, like the Godhammer, had yet to manifest during any shifts and Max, despite the spectacular eruption of violence in the motel room, was still nowhere to be seen.
“I'm going to check on him!” Angst shouted from where she was crouched beside the bed, holding a scavenged hunting rifle instead of her uzis. Suki had missed this, when they all became borderline telepathic during combat. She blind-fired another three rounds, interjecting to change the flow of the exchange.
Angst had not kept up with her cheerleading but she could still round off a wicked one-handed cartwheel that had her at the bathroom door in a smooth second, then slipping through.
No Max.
And a pause in the enemy's gunfire, a moment of silence while they gathered their thoughts, prepared to articulate the real point that they were trying to make. Suki reloaded; she was pretty sure that she knew what they were going to say.
Angst looked at the empty tub. Her heart was aching. Her cellphone buzzed.
Suki shouted, “Here they come!”
Suki blind-fired two rounds through the window, glass shattering outwards and inwards, the attackers' weapons appeared to be using normal bullets this time, just lots of them, shredding the curtains, chewing up the bed, the opposite wall. She was talking with them, two shots like nodding politely during conversation, letting them know that she was still hearing them, still paying attention – Max once told her that gunfights were just another form of communication, usually an argument, but they could also be a debate or a confession or a lecture or even therapy, and that all the standard techniques of active listening applied. So Suki was listening and replying while she was also trying to puzzle out why they had reverted to standard ammo after using those weird mind-guns before, trying to understand the point they were trying to make... And she was also waiting for Max to come out of the bathroom, Joy and Pain blasting, a moment she had waited years for, except that Joy and Pain, like the Godhammer, had yet to manifest during any shifts and Max, despite the spectacular eruption of violence in the motel room, was still nowhere to be seen.
“I'm going to check on him!” Angst shouted from where she was crouched beside the bed, holding a scavenged hunting rifle instead of her uzis. Suki had missed this, when they all became borderline telepathic during combat. She blind-fired another three rounds, interjecting to change the flow of the exchange.
Angst had not kept up with her cheerleading but she could still round off a wicked one-handed cartwheel that had her at the bathroom door in a smooth second, then slipping through.
No Max.
And a pause in the enemy's gunfire, a moment of silence while they gathered their thoughts, prepared to articulate the real point that they were trying to make. Suki reloaded; she was pretty sure that she knew what they were going to say.
Angst looked at the empty tub. Her heart was aching. Her cellphone buzzed.
Suki shouted, “Here they come!”
The gunfire resumed, more intense. Angst answered.
A voice she didn't recognize. Bullets started splintering the bathroom door. “Beware the Morganfokker.”
A voice she didn't recognize. Bullets started splintering the bathroom door. “Beware the Morganfokker.”
“Who is this?” she asked. “Professor?”
Suki was shouting something. The voice said, “What the KLF is going on?”
“Max?”
“To be continued.”
Suki was still shouting, gunfire like thunder. Angst shouted into the phone, “WHO IS THIS?”
The motel room went quiet. The voice said, “This is Control. Is Max there please?”
20150617
Crisis In Infinite Plexes - First Wave
v.Super
“What is it?” Seraphim asked. She was typing some calculations into her tablet.
The Shifter looked thoughtful. “Channel is transmitting some live media feeds to me from downtown. It's starting.”
The Tower stood up from the table. His head almost brushed the ceiling of the hidden bunker under the old factory. “Alright team. Remember, this won't be like the regular street gangs, corporate criminals or mad scientists we've tangled with before. The Alliance of Terrorists, Tyrants and Contract Killers is a threat unlike Plex City has ever seen.”
The Silhouette nodded. “Time to counter-attack A.T.T.A.C.K.”
“We need a cool name like that,” The Heretic chuckled.
“The batteries on the Holo-copter are charged and ready,” Seraphim said.
Shifter began focusing on the images of the city that Channel was sending him. “I'll port to the scene and start recon.” And with a crackle of autonic energy he was gone.
v.Dungeons&
Maighread had followed the strange tracks to the ruins of a Spider Temple. The Order of the Spider were famous for laying clever traps, and even though they had fallen years ago to the Children of the Pyre, it was possible that their lethal snares remained. Freeman crouched and conjured a Scrying Eye to search out the way ahead for any hidden dangers. The Faded Knight stood watch while the mage was in trance.
“Let's just charge in,” Hammer said impatiently. “We don't want to let this thing get away again.”
Maighread didn't entirely disagree with the Changeling – this was the third time they had come across the mysterious markings and each time the maker had eluded them. If some new creature was prowling the realm then they needed to learn its nature quickly; if it be foul then to stop it from causing harm, or if it be fair then to protect it.
“There is something strange...” Freeman whispered, his eyes closed, seeing through the Scrye into the shadows of the ruins.
The Lady Dread suddenly dropped nimbly down from the trees. “A patrol of the Ashen Tradition approach from the ravine!”
Hammer grinned and hoisted her enchanted mallet.
v.Space
“Modulating the emitters... There it is! I have the signal, Captain,” Lt. Lokk said from his station on the bridge.
Capt. Magenta stood up from her chair. “Set an intercept course, Commander Washington. Chief Angellus, we'll need full-speed-plus if we're going to beat that Legacy vessel to the prize.”
Lt. Angellus nodded and began tapping and gesturing on the haptic display at the Engineering station, trying to maximize the synchronization of the Plexdrive with the local quantum-gravity conditions to squeeze out whatever extra power that he could.
“Course set,” Comm. Washington said, studying vector simulations on his display. “But it's going to be close.”
Two days ago, Lokk's routine Metawave scans intercepted a Pyro-type Exo probe registering an unknown vessel appearing near the border of a nearby Ether-type Exo territory. Anomalies like this attracted attention, especially Legacy attention, and the crew of The Dragon wasn't about to let them get the first look at it.
Lt. Cube's voice came in over the comm from the hangar bay. “Send us out, Cap. I'll buy us some time.”
The crew awaited Captain Magenta's order.
“You in a Hangman, plus Lt. Comm. Wraith and Ensign Bisaillon in a Reaper. Don't get killed.”
v.Reunion
Angst sprawled on the bed. Kicked off her shoes. They landed on the floor beside the bag from the convenience store. “I made sure to get you some milk duds,” she said, yawning. “Do you still like milk duds?”
Frank and Goner were checking out an old local supply cache, to see if it was still intact. Max was meditating in the bathtub. Suki was peering out the motel window.
Angst stretched. “What are we up to? Fourteen? I'm losing count, I can't remember what's been happening, what changed. After seven years of nothing...”
Suki glanced at the revolver in her hand. She kept hoping each shift would bring back the Godhammer. Maybe some things were lost forever. She thought that she had been, but... “Maybe we should go shopping tomorrow, see if we can find you a cheerleader outfit.”
Angst looked thoughtful. “Hm. I don't know. I don't know if that's me anymore.”
“Is shooting things still you?” Suki asked.
Angst sat up. “Why?”
“Because more of those weird-eyed motherfuckers just showed up in the parking lot.”
v.Cadre
Gauntlet leaned the shotgun beside the door, within easy reach. Peered through the peephole. Opened the door and let in Viking.
“How do you know where my apartment is?” she asked. Then she noticed the blood dripping from his nose, staining his beard red. “What the - ?”
“I saw it, saw everything, is what it felt like...” Viking muttered as he stumbled to her couch. “I ran an invocation of all three of the Trimurti, dosed on Type 1 Mana...”
Gauntlet helped him sit. “You asshole! We had decided to wait!”
“You know we couldn't, Peyton...”
“How do you know that name?”
“Mirk is getting too close, Cube isn't coming back... I had to try something.”
“You tipped our hand, V. He'll know.” She moved to the window, glanced out. “I hope you got some useful intel at least.” Three black SUVs, an MK-Omega cleaner squad. She headed back to the door for the shotgun.
Viking pushed himself back to his feet. Took a deep breath. Held out a flash-drive. “There's an audio file, I tried recording everything that came through the divination. I'll buy you some time. You need to get to the nearest subway station.”
*
Aqua woke up. The rattle and hum of the subway must have lulled her to sleep. Her headphones were still on, but instead of music playing it was the sound of Akimoto's voice. He was rambling about all sorts of things, the kinds of things that he and Max would sometimes talk about.
She looked down the car to where the barbarian-poet used to sit and meditate. Then she glanced back to where Max used to sit and read. The car was empty. It felt like she had been alone here for a long time. The door to Bishop's booth was closed. It felt like there hadn't been a stop in a long time.
“What is it?” Seraphim asked. She was typing some calculations into her tablet.
The Shifter looked thoughtful. “Channel is transmitting some live media feeds to me from downtown. It's starting.”
The Tower stood up from the table. His head almost brushed the ceiling of the hidden bunker under the old factory. “Alright team. Remember, this won't be like the regular street gangs, corporate criminals or mad scientists we've tangled with before. The Alliance of Terrorists, Tyrants and Contract Killers is a threat unlike Plex City has ever seen.”
The Silhouette nodded. “Time to counter-attack A.T.T.A.C.K.”
“We need a cool name like that,” The Heretic chuckled.
“The batteries on the Holo-copter are charged and ready,” Seraphim said.
Shifter began focusing on the images of the city that Channel was sending him. “I'll port to the scene and start recon.” And with a crackle of autonic energy he was gone.
v.Dungeons&
Maighread had followed the strange tracks to the ruins of a Spider Temple. The Order of the Spider were famous for laying clever traps, and even though they had fallen years ago to the Children of the Pyre, it was possible that their lethal snares remained. Freeman crouched and conjured a Scrying Eye to search out the way ahead for any hidden dangers. The Faded Knight stood watch while the mage was in trance.
“Let's just charge in,” Hammer said impatiently. “We don't want to let this thing get away again.”
Maighread didn't entirely disagree with the Changeling – this was the third time they had come across the mysterious markings and each time the maker had eluded them. If some new creature was prowling the realm then they needed to learn its nature quickly; if it be foul then to stop it from causing harm, or if it be fair then to protect it.
“There is something strange...” Freeman whispered, his eyes closed, seeing through the Scrye into the shadows of the ruins.
The Lady Dread suddenly dropped nimbly down from the trees. “A patrol of the Ashen Tradition approach from the ravine!”
Hammer grinned and hoisted her enchanted mallet.
v.Space
“Modulating the emitters... There it is! I have the signal, Captain,” Lt. Lokk said from his station on the bridge.
Capt. Magenta stood up from her chair. “Set an intercept course, Commander Washington. Chief Angellus, we'll need full-speed-plus if we're going to beat that Legacy vessel to the prize.”
Lt. Angellus nodded and began tapping and gesturing on the haptic display at the Engineering station, trying to maximize the synchronization of the Plexdrive with the local quantum-gravity conditions to squeeze out whatever extra power that he could.
“Course set,” Comm. Washington said, studying vector simulations on his display. “But it's going to be close.”
Two days ago, Lokk's routine Metawave scans intercepted a Pyro-type Exo probe registering an unknown vessel appearing near the border of a nearby Ether-type Exo territory. Anomalies like this attracted attention, especially Legacy attention, and the crew of The Dragon wasn't about to let them get the first look at it.
Lt. Cube's voice came in over the comm from the hangar bay. “Send us out, Cap. I'll buy us some time.”
The crew awaited Captain Magenta's order.
“You in a Hangman, plus Lt. Comm. Wraith and Ensign Bisaillon in a Reaper. Don't get killed.”
v.Reunion
Angst sprawled on the bed. Kicked off her shoes. They landed on the floor beside the bag from the convenience store. “I made sure to get you some milk duds,” she said, yawning. “Do you still like milk duds?”
Frank and Goner were checking out an old local supply cache, to see if it was still intact. Max was meditating in the bathtub. Suki was peering out the motel window.
Angst stretched. “What are we up to? Fourteen? I'm losing count, I can't remember what's been happening, what changed. After seven years of nothing...”
Suki glanced at the revolver in her hand. She kept hoping each shift would bring back the Godhammer. Maybe some things were lost forever. She thought that she had been, but... “Maybe we should go shopping tomorrow, see if we can find you a cheerleader outfit.”
Angst looked thoughtful. “Hm. I don't know. I don't know if that's me anymore.”
“Is shooting things still you?” Suki asked.
Angst sat up. “Why?”
“Because more of those weird-eyed motherfuckers just showed up in the parking lot.”
v.Cadre
Gauntlet leaned the shotgun beside the door, within easy reach. Peered through the peephole. Opened the door and let in Viking.
“How do you know where my apartment is?” she asked. Then she noticed the blood dripping from his nose, staining his beard red. “What the - ?”
“I saw it, saw everything, is what it felt like...” Viking muttered as he stumbled to her couch. “I ran an invocation of all three of the Trimurti, dosed on Type 1 Mana...”
Gauntlet helped him sit. “You asshole! We had decided to wait!”
“You know we couldn't, Peyton...”
“How do you know that name?”
“Mirk is getting too close, Cube isn't coming back... I had to try something.”
“You tipped our hand, V. He'll know.” She moved to the window, glanced out. “I hope you got some useful intel at least.” Three black SUVs, an MK-Omega cleaner squad. She headed back to the door for the shotgun.
Viking pushed himself back to his feet. Took a deep breath. Held out a flash-drive. “There's an audio file, I tried recording everything that came through the divination. I'll buy you some time. You need to get to the nearest subway station.”
*
Aqua woke up. The rattle and hum of the subway must have lulled her to sleep. Her headphones were still on, but instead of music playing it was the sound of Akimoto's voice. He was rambling about all sorts of things, the kinds of things that he and Max would sometimes talk about.
She looked down the car to where the barbarian-poet used to sit and meditate. Then she glanced back to where Max used to sit and read. The car was empty. It felt like she had been alone here for a long time. The door to Bishop's booth was closed. It felt like there hadn't been a stop in a long time.
20140428
Reunion Part Final
Suki was driving. “Their eyes didn't look right.”
Angst was in the passenger seat. “I didn't recognize those weapons. I think they were partly psychic.”
Goner was behind Angst. “This is unbelievable.”
Frank said, “Get to the highway. We have to get some distance, figure out if they can track us.”
Angst saw the sign approach then recede behind them in the early morning light. “Goodbye Jones Heights,” she whispered.
“What's the last thing you remember before this version?” Max asked. He was between Goner and Frank in the back seat.
“Shorelines,” they said.
“Okay... I don't remember where I was before that, and I don't recognize some of those names, but you guys found me during the Event. We were together for a while after that.”
“We thought the Event shifted us here,” Goner said.
“What happened next?” Frank asked.
Max looked down at his hands. “A lot. A lot of bad things.” He glanced at Angst, then Frank. “I don't know if I should say. Some version of them may still happen to you.”
“To us? What's that supposed to mean?” Goner asked. “What happened to us?”
“Do you know how or why you became Marshal?” Frank asked.
“No. Maybe I was hiding? Or maybe it was a trap. To me it feels like a lot of time passed after the Event. I feel like I was alone for a long time.” Max glanced at Suki. “I think I met some other versions of some of you. I don't know, it's all pretty jumbled.”
“Well, it's good to see you again,” Angst said softly.
Max smiled. Then he winced.
“Max?” Frank asked.
“There's just a lot going on up here,” he said, rubbing his temple.
“Try saying it,” Frank said.
“I keep thinking the words Realtime, Fragmented... Citadel, Underground, Purgatory.”
Goner chuckled. “What? Don't any of you follow pop culture? Realtime was the latest album from the DJ Mana Junkie, Fragmented is this season's big cable TV drama, Citadel is one of the hottest superhero comics out there, Underground is the best-selling biography of corporate whistle-blower Simon Light, and Purgatory is catching all the buzz on the international film festival circuit.”
“Shit, what is going on here?” Suki said.
“Yeah, I forgot how weird and confusing things could get,” Max said.
“No, I mean here, out there.” She pointed out the front window. They all looked outside the car to see the road start to blur, the trees start to shimmer, the sky start to ripple.
“Can you feel that?” Angst asked.
Frank said, “We're shifting.”
Goner sighed.
Suki smiled, tears in her eyes.
Angst was in the passenger seat. “I didn't recognize those weapons. I think they were partly psychic.”
Goner was behind Angst. “This is unbelievable.”
Frank said, “Get to the highway. We have to get some distance, figure out if they can track us.”
Angst saw the sign approach then recede behind them in the early morning light. “Goodbye Jones Heights,” she whispered.
“What's the last thing you remember before this version?” Max asked. He was between Goner and Frank in the back seat.
“Shorelines,” they said.
“Okay... I don't remember where I was before that, and I don't recognize some of those names, but you guys found me during the Event. We were together for a while after that.”
“We thought the Event shifted us here,” Goner said.
“What happened next?” Frank asked.
Max looked down at his hands. “A lot. A lot of bad things.” He glanced at Angst, then Frank. “I don't know if I should say. Some version of them may still happen to you.”
“To us? What's that supposed to mean?” Goner asked. “What happened to us?”
“Do you know how or why you became Marshal?” Frank asked.
“No. Maybe I was hiding? Or maybe it was a trap. To me it feels like a lot of time passed after the Event. I feel like I was alone for a long time.” Max glanced at Suki. “I think I met some other versions of some of you. I don't know, it's all pretty jumbled.”
“Well, it's good to see you again,” Angst said softly.
Max smiled. Then he winced.
“Max?” Frank asked.
“There's just a lot going on up here,” he said, rubbing his temple.
“Try saying it,” Frank said.
“I keep thinking the words Realtime, Fragmented... Citadel, Underground, Purgatory.”
Goner chuckled. “What? Don't any of you follow pop culture? Realtime was the latest album from the DJ Mana Junkie, Fragmented is this season's big cable TV drama, Citadel is one of the hottest superhero comics out there, Underground is the best-selling biography of corporate whistle-blower Simon Light, and Purgatory is catching all the buzz on the international film festival circuit.”
“Shit, what is going on here?” Suki said.
“Yeah, I forgot how weird and confusing things could get,” Max said.
“No, I mean here, out there.” She pointed out the front window. They all looked outside the car to see the road start to blur, the trees start to shimmer, the sky start to ripple.
“Can you feel that?” Angst asked.
Frank said, “We're shifting.”
Goner sighed.
Suki smiled, tears in her eyes.
20140427
Reunion Part Five
The storage room of one of the businesses that Frank did record-keeping for. A laptop playing music. A cocktail of psychotropic drugs. A mashup of pagan ritual, Neo Linguistic Programming, and LEGACY brainwashing techniques.
Marshal had seemed more confused than scared by the abduction. Once the trances had taken over he had become incoherent, then silent.
Goner was on lookout. Frank was checking Marshal's pulse, pupils, whispering mantras in his ear at designated intervals. Angst was reading the notebook from the satchel – it was filled with poetry.
The sun would be coming up soon.
Suki finally walked towards him. Leaned in to look him in the eyes.
“I don't know where you went. I don't know why you left. We never really knew all that much, I guess. When we found each other here we did what we always did: got safe, laid low, started researching, looking for ways we could help. We had done weeks before, not usually as quiet, but... Then it was months. And there were no calls, there was no sign of you.
“And then Angst said, 'We need to start living in what's happening, not what might happen'. And she did, then Frank did, and Goner did. But I couldn't. Couldn't do it. I went crazy instead. Like my mind couldn't stop shifting, even though we had. I wondered if that was how you felt, all the time.
“I took too many pills, too many times, I cut up my arms and legs, I ran away, got arrested. I think I was trying to make a shift happen, somehow. Or maybe I thought that if I got in enough trouble you would come and rescue me.
“Finally they put me in a hospital. Put me on meds. Put me in therapy. And things eventually got to be okay.”
Suki straightened up. A tear rolled down her cheek.
“So why are you here now?” She screamed, “Why now?” She slapped him.
Marshal heard a voice. Okay, we are a go.
“I don't want to come back,” he whispered.
“What did he say?” Frank asked.
Alright Max, it's time to make things happen.
“I want to come back,” he said.
Goner shouted from the doorway. “Three vehicles approaching.”
20140426
Reunion Part Four
“This is the 'no-turning-back' conversation,” Frank said. “If we do this, at the very least we will be kidnapping a person, drugging them, and psychologically torturing them. We'll have to go on the run. Our lives in Jones Heights will be over.”
“Or...”
“Or we'll be waking him up.”
“If he even wants to be,” Angst said. “We're happy, maybe he is too.”
Frank looked at her. They were at their regular table at the cafe, regular lunch orders. “Marshal's not happy. I could tell that after one pint.”
“What exactly did he say? How could you tell it was really him?”
Frank took a bite of his sandwich. Sipped his coffee. “It wasn't any one thing. There was no code word or trigger phrase. There were no references he recognized. Nothing obvious. It was... It was as if Marshal is exactly the type of man that Max would have been if nothing strange had ever happened to him. If all the stories had remained stories and had never come true.”
Angst looked out the window, thoughtful. “I never really could tell how much of what Max said was true. I'm not sure he could either. He taught me how to shoot, though. And to fight monsters.”
“And sometimes he made you feel better when things were really bad.”
Angst smiled and nodded. “Okay, let's go get him.”
As they stepped outside, a car pulled up. Goner was driving. And Suki was in the passenger seat.
20140425
Reunion Part Three
“Hi Goner.”
“Hey! Angst, how are you?”
“I'm good,” she said.
“It's good to hear you.”
They spent some time catching up. Her quiet life in town, quiet job at the B&B. Let him know that Frank was good too. He talked about his busy job in the busy city. Investments, portfolios, boardrooms, deals. Money. He checked to make sure that they were both still receiving the monthly deposits – it didn't feel like charity, they had been through too much together to have any pride or shame attached to such mundane things.
Goner was good at his job. He used to wonder if he was always suited for work in this field or if being initiated had somehow made him good at it. He had only joined the army for the education, and had only moved into private security for the money. Everything after that had been about survival. At first, anyway. He had been so young.
“It's...” Her voice changed.
“What's the matter?” he asked.
“He's back, Goner.” Silence. “He's different but it's him. Frank confirmed it. His name is Marshal Montgomery, he's in town travelling. He doesn't recognize us. But it's him.” Silence. “He's here for two more nights. We... We're going to try and make him, help him remember. We thought you should be here.”
“Why the fuck? Even if it is him... just leave him alone. I thought we were done with all of that. It's been seven years. Why the fuck?”
“Goner...”
“He did me a favour that day in the alley, and I paid it back a hundred-fold. It's over, all that is over. Just let it be. And don't you dare get Suki mixed up in all of it again. She's finally doing okay.”
“Please.”
“Fuck this. No way. It's over.”
He hung up.
20140424
Reunion Part Two
Marshal Montgomery had booked a room for three nights at the Chambers' Bed and Breakfast in the town of Jones Heights. Angst's shift the next day started at noon; Marshal had already headed out by then. Theresa Chambers told her that he had been quiet and polite during breakfast and had taken one of the Walking Tour maps from the front desk when he left. When Angst was replacing the towels and soaps in his room she resisted the urge to go through his travel bag. She noticed that he had used the room's kettle to make a tea but hadn't used any of the packets of instant coffee.
Frank followed Marshal for hours as he walked the streets of the small town, stopping in shops but buying nothing. Along the canal, sitting at a park bench for a while. Marshal wore a satchel over his shoulder and listened to earphones as he strolled through the Heights. Occasionally he would take a notebook from the satchel and jot something down.
Eventually Frank came to feel that there was some sleight resemblance, but without Angst's prompting he never would have made the connection. But he was also less certain than Angst that there wasn't some need lurking there... He was, if not happy, at least content. Teaching guitar lessons, the occasional gig at the local pub, part-time work doing some record-keeping for a few small businesses. Dinners and movie-nights with Angst a couple times a week. There was a lack, though. There was the memory of his finger on a trigger. Even shadowing Marshal for the day brought back the rush, reminded him that once he had been a hunter.
When Marshal stopped at the pub around dinner, Frank decided he would make contact. Frank was well-known there, it would be easy to create opportunities to start a friendly conversation with a tourist.
Three hours later Frank called Angst.
“It's him. He doesn't know that he's him, but you were right.”
20140423
Reunion Part One
“It's him. He's back,” Angst said.
“But... I mean...”
“He doesn't look like he usually did, but I know it's him.”
“He didn't recognize you?”
“No. Please. Please believe me,” she said.
“Okay... Okay, tell me. You said he looked different.”
“Older, like we are I guess. Heavier, bearded.”
“And what name did he check-in under?”
“Marshal Montgomery. License and credit card.”
“And he didn't... He didn't recognize you?”
“I know,” Angst said. “I know we always used to recognize each other, no matter what version we were in. Or we thought we did. How can we be sure? I'm sure about this. It was him.” She switched her phone to her other ear. “Do you remember how I used to sometimes have those dreams, and they felt true, and then they would become true... That's how it felt when I saw him. I know it's him. ”
“Angst...”
“Listen, I know how it sounds. I know it's been a long time. And I'm happy now. I like it here. I miss it sometimes but I don't need it. And I'm not stupid, most of it used to be pretty terrible. It was scary and violent and... So it's not that. It's not me needing it to be him.”
“Alright,” Frank said. “I'll check him out.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)