As the clan went into the Center, Bruce stayed outside with Mike, Nancy, Stephanie and Angela. “Well it looks like y’all have been doing some work here,” Bruce said looking around.
“We’ll bring you up to speed at the command meeting tonight,” Mike told him and Bruce nodded hugging Angela and Stephanie.
“When are you going back out?” Nancy asked.
“A week or so, I want to change some stuff. How’s our ammo holding up?” Bruce asked.
“Bruce, we haven’t even put a dent in it,” Stephanie assured him.
“That’s good, because we have a long way to go,” Bruce replied.
“Just don’t try to do it all at once,” Mike told him.
“Can’t do that, it would really ruin the fun,” Bruce replied, grinning as a shadow crossed Mike’s face.
“Come on, let’s eat guys,” Nancy said leading them to the Center.
Bruce was the first to enter and Willie jumped out of his chair and yelled, “Officer on deck.”
All of Omega jumped to attention. Bruce looked around and headed to the front of the room yelling, “At ease!” Mike and the women went to the table as Bruce headed to the podium.
Bruce grabbed the microphone and turned around to find Omega still standing. “As you were,” Bruce said and they sat down.
Bruce looked around the Center and could tell it had been expanded again but it was packed. “I want to say that those known as the Omega drivers, our support group, will now be called Omega only. From now on, the only way you can join the Omega strike team is through the support operations or from Gamma team. Omega will all wear the Omega patch. Starting next week, my son Steve will be building a flight wing of Omega that he will be in charge of. Now, let me tell you Omega, I’m very proud of you. The team handled itself like professionals out there. I want every member of Omega to get your gear cleaned and ready to move in four hours,” Bruce told the group hearing groans from around the room.
“When your gear is cleaned and ready I want you to pack it up and starting tomorrow morning, Omega has forty eight hours off,” Bruce said to a thunderous yell.
When the yells died down Bruce said, “Next call for Omega is Monday morning 0900 right here.” Putting the microphone up Bruce headed to the command table as Millie sat down his plate. As he sat down Millie kissed the top of his head.
Picking up his fork, Bruce looked up noticing Danny and Ted arguing. “You haven’t even went to hug her you son of a bitch!” Danny snapped at him.
“I will Danny,” Ted replied nervously.
“Boy time and girl time are not the same. Girl time moves faster because boys are stupid!” Danny informed Ted.
“We just got back Danny,” Ted told her.
“To you, to Melanie we’ve been back a long time,” Danny told him.
Mary put her fork down, “We helped you pick out stuff she’ll like and guarded the store for you. Now quit being a pussy,” she told Ted.
“I’m going to do it I swear,” Ted let them know.
Danny narrowed her eyes, “If I take off this vest, I’m kicking your ass,” she warned.
Ted looked around for help but didn’t find any. David shook his head, “Dude, if Danny takes her vest off Mary, Mindy and Buffy will follow. Do you really think we’re going to stop them?”
Ted looked at Bruce but Bruce just shook his head, no. Buffy stood up and walked around the table to Ted. “I’ll go with you Ted,” Buffy told him holding her hand out. Ted smiled and stood up grabbing her hand leading Buffy over to Melanie.
For the first time Bruce got to see Melanie. She was in her early twenties with black hair. Even in ACUs Bruce could tell she was a hottie. Ted introduced Buffy to Melanie as they sat down with her. Danny just looked around the table as she said, “Boys,” as if that explained everything.
“You need to take a lesson there sweet pea,” Bruce told her as he started eating.
“What, that boys act like sissies?” Danny shot back.
“No, that if a boy has someone standing with them, they’ll do anything,” Bruce told her.
“That’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard,” Danny said.
“If I’m not mistaken, several months ago two girls who I won’t name convinced two boys with an exotic plan so they could be couples in front of their parents. If my memory serves me correctly those two girls were right beside those boys,” Bruce said.
Danny just gave Bruce a grumpy look. “I love you Daddy but sometimes I don’t know if I like you,” Danny said as she stood up. “Come on Matt, let’s go sit with the titty baby so he knows he has back up,” Danny said walking away as Matt got up to follow. All the rest of the kids followed.
Bruce looked down the table at Mike, “Who’s the fucker that was hitting on my wife?” he asked.
“It’s been taken care of Bruce,” Mike assured him, never stopping his eating.
Bruce just looked at Mike, “Who?” he asked.
“It’s been handled Bruce,” Carroll told him.
“Carroll, you stay out of this,” Marcus snapped at her.
Seeing Bruce wasn’t going to get an answer, he stood up taking off his vest dropping it to the floor. Then Bruce took off his top and t-shirt by now the center was looking at him. Bruce rolled his neck around popping it, then started to shake his hands out getting ready to fight.
Looking around Bruce asked, “Who was hitting on my wife?” As one, all over the Center, over a hundred people pointed at Wade sitting on the other side of the hall. Nobody wanted some of the can of whoop-ass that was fixing to be opened.
Bruce strode across the hall looking at Wade. Wade wanted to run but couldn’t so he just begged. “I’m sorry sir. It won’t ever happen again.”
Stopping a few feet from the table, Bruce looked at the young man shaking. Bruce was so not in the mood for this. “Do we understand each other now?” Bruce asked.
“Yes sir,” Wade replied.
“If you bother either one again, I will lay you on this table, gouge out your eyes and skull fuck you to death,” Bruce assured him.
“Yes sir, it won’t happen again,” Wade promised.
Bruce walked back over to the table stopping at Angela’s chair. Bruce picked her up over his head. “This is mine!” Bruce yelled then put her down. Then Bruce walked over to Stephanie and picked her up over his head, “This is mine!” Bruce yelled again putting her down.
Looking at the clan Bruce spoke, “They are mine, look at them like my wives and you better treat them with respect. If they choose to leave me they can but until then, they are mine and I don’t share. Any questions?” Bruce asked. Many people in the center were smiling at him.
Angela and Stephanie were smiling and blushing as Bruce leaned down kissing each of them. Grabbing his stuff Bruce walked out of the Center. Angela looked at Stephanie, “Wow,” was all she said.
“Yo man stand up for you likes that, an all you has ta say is- ‘wow’!” Carroll snapped. Looking at each other Angela and Stephanie jumped up grabbing kids. “Leave ‘em, Marcus and I will get ‘em,” Carroll told them as the two bolted outside.
Nancy and Mike came down sitting across from Marcus and Carroll who were giggling. “That worked out pretty well,” Mike admitted.
Marcus smiled, “That Debbie knew what she was doing. With those two acting like newlyweds Bruce can’t think straight and keep his hate focused,” he said.
“Make no doubt, hate still has his heart but not his soul. Debbie was right if them two wouldn’t have been there with ‘im, Bruce would already be gone. I thinks we have’a good chance to save ‘im,” Carroll said.
“I think we need to keep Bruce here longer,” Nancy told them.
“No Nancy, if you don’t give Bruce an outlet for his hate it will turn inward,” Marcus warned.
“What about the guilt he will feel later? Debbie told me that he felt bad when he just rode the hate for a little while.” Mike pointed out.
“I can help him with that,” Marc
us assured Mike.
“You need to tells Wade, he done a good job,” Carroll told Mike.
“I’m putting him on my team,” Mike told her.
“You know Bruce is going to figure this out,” Nancy told them.
“If he does then it’ll be because he has come back. If he don’t come back he won’t figure it out,” Carroll said.
“Okay, what’s next?” Mike asked.
“Just let those two keep at ‘im. When you see Bruce getting irritated, remind him Debbie loved them,” Carroll said.
Bruce had left the Center and grabbed his gear off the RG and was spreading it out on the patio when the two ran at him. If Bruce wouldn’t have heard them running they would’ve knocked him on his ass. Angela and Stephanie wrapped their arms around him kissing him.
“Baby, you didn’t have to do that,” Stephanie told him between kisses.
‘Like hell I didn’t’, Bruce thought. “Yes I did,” Bruce told her.
Angela looked up at him, “I promise I won’t ever wear socks in the bed again,” she said with teary eyes.
Laughing Bruce hugged them both tight, “I do love you two,” he told them.
“We love you too,” Stephanie told him and looked at Bruce’s gear. “What are you doing?” Stephanie asked.
“Fixing to clean my gear,” Bruce replied.
“We’ll do it,” Angela told him.
“I can do it guys,” Bruce said. They both just looked at Bruce with flat expressions. Seeing that look, wisely Bruce sat his ass down in a chair.
“You have to let us help,” Angela told him.
“Guys, Debbie didn’t even help like this,” Bruce said.
“Uh that’s not true. When you were stationed in Washington she washed your gear every time you came out of the field. Even when you yelled about it because she was working as a nurse,” Stephanie told him as she started unpacking his rucksack.
“You know, that’s really unfair. You can read all about me and you had Debbie tell you all about me. I just have to figure you two out without any help,” Bruce whined.
Angela was sitting cross legged stripping down a SCAR to clean it as she said, “Well, you know what? Ask us then.”
“About what?” Bruce asked.
“Anything,” Stephanie told him.
“I can’t think of anything right now,” Bruce admitted.
“Well when you do just ask,” Angela told him as she started cleaning his weapons.
As Stephanie pulled out the last of his clothes, she looked up at him. “Bruce, I’m putting a plastic bag in here for the clothes you’ve worn. I’m really fighting off the urge to burn them,” Stephanie told him.
“Those are my tiger stripes!” Bruce cried.
“That’s why I’m not burning them,” Stephanie told him as she walked over to the swimming pool dunking them in the water to kill the smell.
“That’s why I wanted to do it,” Bruce told her lying, he just wanting to be alone.
Stephanie looked up at him, “Bruce, your smell I can handle, but not the food, oil, diesel and blood,” she replied.
“You can smell all that?” Bruce asked in awe.
“Yeah, unfortunately,” Stephanie told him.
Angela was putting the first SCAR back together as Bruce said, “You’ve gotten fast.”
“In this family, you better know weapons,” she told Bruce as she grabbed the next one.
Stephanie came over taking everything out of his vest. Bruce leaned his head back and was drifting off to sleep when he felt something pulling his legs. Looking down, Angela and Stephanie were taking off his boots.
“What are you doing?” Bruce asked.
“Taking your boots off, Bruce they need several coats of polish,” Angela said looking up at him.
“I know, I was going to do it,” Bruce told her. Stephanie stopped untying the other boot and looked up at him with Angela. Bruce held up his hands in surrender as they took his boots off.
Bruce sat watching the two and smiled. Stephanie took the clothes inside, putting them in the washer as Angela finished the last of his weapons. Then they scrubbed his vest and pack down, as they were rinsing it off Bruce stood up. “I’m going to take a shower if that’s okay,” Bruce said walking over kissing each of them.
“That’s a good idea,” Stephanie told him.
Bruce walked inside and headed upstairs. Bruce took his pants, boxers and socks off since that was all he had on. Walking over to the shower, Bruce turned the hot water on and the room instantly filled with steam. Bruce walked over and turned on the vent sucking the steam out. Gritting his teeth he stepped in and was soon used to the water.
Feeling the water hit him from every angle Bruce could feel the dirt melting as he just dozed standing up. Angela and Stephanie walked in and hearing the shower, headed to the bathroom stripping. Opening the door they saw Bruce dozing. They both jumped in and started screaming trying to get away from the molten lead coming out of the shower heads. Stephanie backed into a corner trying to levitate to get her feet out of the lava. Angela jumped on Bruce’s back pulling him to a corner using him as a shield from the molten steel coming out of the shower heads, both screaming at the top of their lungs.
One second Bruce was in a dreamy state of bliss and the next he heard screams of pain. Then a monkey jumped on his back and was pulling him into a corner. Throwing his arms out so he wouldn’t fall, Bruce grabbed Stephanie pulling her back under the scalding water. Stephanie started to scream louder when the water hit her, pulling Bruce as she went back to her corner. Stephanie was just going to let her feet burn.
The shower overhead and the back of the shower hit Angela when Stephanie pulled Bruce forward. Feeling the liquid metal hit her back Angela climbed Bruce like a tree only to get hit with the shower head at the top of the shower. Climbing back down, Angela’s left leg was wrapped around Bruce’s neck and was strangling him. Feeling dizzy from the lack of oxygen, Bruce reached out and shut the water off as he sunk to his knees. Both Angela and Stephanie were still screaming wanting away from that water.
All of a sudden the shower door flew open and Mike was standing there holding his pistol. Angela seeing a safe haven, leapt through the air like a spider monkey hitting Mike square in the chest. Stumbling back from the impact, Mike regained his balance as Angela tried to climb him afraid the lava was going to be on the floor.
Nancy came running in to find a naked Angela climbing up Mike like monkey. For the life of her Nancy couldn’t understand why Angela would be climbing Mike naked as she ran into the bathroom. Bruce was lying on the shower floor breathing hard and Stephanie was backed into a corner of the shower.
Then Nancy understood and started laughing. “I know you two have been warned about Bruce’s showers,” Nancy said.
“Debbie said they were hot, not liquid metal!” Stephanie yelled.
Bruce looked up at her, “I would’ve turned some cold on,” he told her. Stephanie stepped out of the shower as Angela climbed off Mike. They both grabbed towels and wrapped up in them.
“That can’t be healthy,” Stephanie told him as she limped to the bed on feet with first degree burns.
Bruce looked at the two and saw red skin everywhere. Feeling bad, he got off the shower floor as Mike said, “I thought something was killing y’all up here.”
“The water was!” Angela yelled from the bed.
“I got this Mike,” Bruce said reaching under the counter grabbing some first aid burn spray.
“Now I know why that’s kept under the counter,” Stephanie said as Mike and Nancy left laughing.
“I’m sorry you two, but did you ever wonder why Debbie always announced before she got in the shower?” Bruce reminded them as he sprayed them down.
“Bruce, it’s our fault, I’m sorry,” Stephanie told him.
“I’m sorry I tried to choke you getting out of the lava,” Angela told him with down cast eyes.
Laughing, Bruce kissed each of them and looked at Angela
, “You can jump like a spider monkey,” Bruce told her. “Why didn’t you just turn off the water?” Bruce asked both of them.
“Bruce, rational thought was out of the question. I really believe that given a few more minutes, I would have figured out how to levitate,” Stephanie told him with a straight face.
Both had first degree burns to their back, legs and feet. Bruce fixed both up and dressed them in his boxers and t-shirts and helped them downstairs and sat them on the patio.
Stephanie looked at Bruce, “Bruce, if you wanted to be alone, you don’t have to burn yourself. We would‘ve waited for you to get finished,” she told him.
Bruce looked up at the afternoon sky, “Little Red it has nothing to do with being alone. I like hot showers. When I get out I feel really clean,” Bruce explained. “Where do I go when I want to be alone?” Bruce asked.
“The shop,” both answered.
“That’s right. Now come on let’s swim, it will make the burns feel better,” Bruce said as he picked them up one at a time taking them to the pool.
They were swimming for an hour when one of the roving guards came by, “Mr. Mike hasn’t given anyone permission to swim, you have to get out,” the young man told them.
“We are on the command group its okay,” Stephanie told him.
“Ma-am my orders say from Mr. Mike only,” he replied as he spoke in the radio.
Angela raised her full four foot ten inches fixing to unload when Bruce said, “It’s not worth it.”
The guard looked at them, “I’m sorry but I have to detain you until Mr. Mike or Mr. Bill get here,” he told them.
Bruce just grinned, “Son do you know who I am?” he asked.
“No sir, it doesn’t make any difference,” he told Bruce.
“I beg to differ, my name is Bruce Williams. I’m the bad ass motherfucker that likes to kill people. You may remember everyone was cheering for me today when I came home,” Bruce told him.
The color drained from the guards face as he started to step back. “Mr. Bruce, I’m sorry sir without your uniform on I didn’t recognize you,” the guard stuttered.
“That’s all right son, come here,” Bruce told the guard as he climbed out of the pool.
Blue Plague: Rage Page 13