by Riker Kane
“It’s fine.” Quentin wobbled on the uneven steel chair that had been melted down to a metal stub by the dragon fire.
“I’m surprised the pizza shop is still standing,” I said.
“That’s the beauty of a place run by robots. They’re a lot sturdier than some punk making minimum wage. I say we take advantage of it.”
He motioned for us to take a slice for ourselves. I looked at Nina and we both laughed at each other before finally giving in.
Other cadets were scattered at the tables around us. The conversation was so casual, I wouldn’t have known a dragon almost burned down the entire campus.
Nina swallowed her bite and looked at me. “What did Campbell say?”
I gave her a shrug. “Just wanted to make sure I was doing all right. Said we would have never been able to defeat the dragon with just us no matter how much we poked at it.”
“We were only trying to hold it off anyway,” Quentin said. “We did our job. Say… you think Captain Valentine noticed me? I’d say she’s pretty impressed with how I handled my shield.”
“I think Valentine was more focused on trying to kill the giant dragon threatening to burn everything down.”
“Eh. Maybe. All I know is I’m gonna spend all of this time off thinking about her.”
Hearing Quentin say it reminded me. This was probably the last meal we were gonna have together until it was time to come back. I looked at Nina and Quentin. Hell, it wasn’t just them. Paige, Brooke, even Elliot… I didn’t wanna admit I’d miss seeing them around.
“You got any plans?” Quentin asked.
“No plans,” I said with a shrug. “I mean, I live in Cutler Valley. It’s not too far from here. I figure I’ll hang around and wait until we get recalled.”
“Not a bad idea. I’m hanging around Henderson, so I’m a little farther. We should hang out. How about you, Nina?”
We both turned toward her. She looked like she was surprised by the question, putting her slice down and wiping her mouth before saying anything.
“Well… I live in Los Angeles.”
“Hollywood, heh,” Quentin said. “Why’s that not surprising? Gonna go do a few shoots and enjoy your free time, I’m guessing.”
“It might be nice to take a break from all this action. But we should all hang out. Especially since Liam lives in the area.”
She looked at me, smiling softly. It wasn’t hard to tell she was sincere about it.
“Hey, I got an idea.” Quentin’s eyes widened as he talked with his mouth full. “We’re all still getting our stipend. It’s not much but maybe we can chip in together. Think about it. We could get a nice place just for the Defenders. We teamed up in Pandora. We can team up outside out of it. Maybe you can invite some of your model friends over, Nina… What do you say?”
Quentin stared at us, his mouth open with a big grin. He was frozen in place, waiting for our responses. His babyface always made him look like he was up to something.
I searched for something to say. “Uh…” I looked at Nina and saw her eyebrows wrinkle.
She rolled her eyes and stuck her nose in the air. “If you think I’m gonna live you two, you’ve got another thing coming.”
“Oh, of course,” Quentin sighed. “Princess Higashi needs to live in her palace and can’t slum with her squad. So much for camaraderie.”
“It has nothing to do with slumming. I know how messy boys are. Two of you? You can forget about it.”
I burst into laughter at Quentin’s disappointment. He sighed and stuffed the rest of his slice into his mouth.
“The pizza,” he said. “The burgers and fries. The milkshakes. That’s what I’m really gonna miss.”
Nina looked at me and smirked. “I’ll miss the food,” she said. “I’ll miss everything.”
I gave her a nod. “Yeah… Me, too.”
44: Heart & Soul
Two weeks later…
I would’ve complained about it being the middle of the summer in Cutler Valley if I wasn’t so used to how miserable the weather always was. In nothing but a tank-top and a pair of shorts, I enjoyed the modern comforts of air-conditioning and tinted windows. It was a lot easier to enjoy the view outside with the smell of my food filling my nostrils.
“Ah… Big Mac…”
I raised my burger up and took a bite just as footsteps approached.
“All that time away and things still haven’t changed.” My brother took a seat in the booth across from me. The trimmed blond hair. The perfectly straightened collar on his white polo shirt. His confident smirk. Adam was still as well put-together as he always was. “I thought you’d be in uniform eating a salad. But here you are in some shorts, chowing down at McDonald’s.”
“They didn’t have Big Macs on campus,” I said. “The burgers were good but they just didn’t have that special sauce.”
“They must’ve had some kinda sauce though.” He reached out and poked a finger into my bicep. “What the hell happened to you? You been working out?”
I didn’t notice the changes very much when I was on campus. My muscles swelled and firmed slightly. I guess being away for even a short time was enough for Adam to notice the difference. Explaining to him the concept of Red Mana wasn’t something I wanted to try and figure out though.
“I went through some training,” I said. “You can’t expect to fight if you’re not in decent shape.”
“I can see that… You were only gone for a few weeks. I thought enlisting with the LOD lasted a little longer than that.”
“I thought so, too. Something happened.” I took another bite of my burger then chomped on a couple of fries.
Adam leaned forward in his seat, his eyes wide and his hands out. “And?”
“And we every cadet was given temporary leave while things get sorted out. Don’t worry, bro. Everything’s all right.”
“You don’t have to tell me that,” he said with a laugh. “When I heard you were moving out from mom and dad’s place, I thought they were talking about you moving in with the LOD for good. Didn’t think you’d find a place of your own.”
“A place of my own… In more ways than one. I think it’s about time. It’s only temporary, anyway. Everybody was told to get ready to be recalled.”
“I’m guessing you’re doing all right then.”
I sighed a deep breath. Thinking about everything I’d been through, it was hard to imagine how far I’d come even though I was back home for the time being.
“Do you remember what we talked about the last time we were here in this McDonald’s?” I asked.
He smiled and nodded. “How could I forget? You fell for the LOD brochure like everybody else does.”
“Going to college… Getting a regular job… I knew how grateful I should’ve been to have that chance. And I was. But there was something missing. Something… unfulfilled.”
“And you found it. Wielding weapons and slaying monsters. A real military man.”
“It’s more than that. There’s something you don’t really get when you read the brochure. What it really means to be on the frontlines and face something that threatens all of us. You remember what’s important… who’s important.”
Adam nodded slowly, his grin growing even wider. “My brother. Doing his part to save humanity. What did mom and dad say?”
I gave him a shrug. “You know them. Even saving the world wouldn’t be enough for them to be proud.”
“They’d care if you told ‘em.”
“Try explaining to them what it’s like to wield a meter-long saber while facing a fire-breathing black dragon and see if they keep a straight face. Not that it matters. I’m not doing this for them.”
“Hmm… I guess you have a point. Well, you know I’m proud of you, bro. This sounds like you found what you were looking for. I’m happy for you.”
He picked at one my fries and leaned back in his seat. I took another bite of my burger and the table fell silent. Adam’s nonchalant attitude a
bout everything meant there was never any awkward silence between us. I could’ve enjoyed this moment for what it was but he leaned forward in his seat again.
“Say, Liam… Lemme ask you something.”
“Sure.”
“So, you joined the Legion. I’m sure they gave you a weapon and proper training. You’ve faced down those things from the First Event we’ve only seen on YouTube.”
“I did that, yeah.”
“It’s real then? There really is another dimension threatening the entire planet.”
“Not just our planet. Every dimension. I tell you, Adam. I’ve seen some wild stuff. Stuff you wouldn’t believe.”
“Like what?” He widened his eyes at me. Adam was never the type to lie to me, so I knew he wasn’t kidding. But the curiosity he had only made me laugh.
I shook my head, trying to get over it.
“What’s so funny?” He raised an eyebrow.
“This. All of this. You’re the model. You’re the one traveling around the world, walking on runways, doing fancy photoshoots with hot girls, rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous. You’re the one always telling the story when we hang out. Now you’re asking me.”
“I guess that is pretty funny. Sounds like there’s a story in there somewhere.”
“I’ve fought plenty of monsters. Leveled up. Got some new weapons. Made some friends.”
“Friends, huh? Anybody cute?” He leaned forward like an obnoxious schoolgirl. Even the way he licked his lips looked like he was literally hungry for gossip.
I laughed and took another bite of my burger. “Everybody’s around my age,” I said. “Use your imagination.”
“How about I don’t and you just tell me?”
“You never told me about the girls you messed around with.”
“That’s because I’m trying to spare you the lascivious details, bro!”
“And I’ll try to do the same for you. All you need to know is that everything’s cool. I’m in a good place, Adam. I’ll be all right.”
He exhaled a deep breath through his nose and nodded. “My brother… You head back there, you keep going. Push yourself as hard as you can. Don’t stop until it’s over.”
“I won’t… But right now, all I wanna do is enjoy this burger.”
45: A Job Well Done
One week later…
Even with the AC on, the Nevada sun managed to warm my room enough to force me into my boxers and an undershirt. I stared up at the ceiling while I laid in bed as lazy as I’d ever been. My eyelids flickered as the fatigue slowly took over. Sleep always came easy when there were no responsibilities to keep you up.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
A sudden thumping against the front door made my eyes jerk open.
“Quentin…” I sighed as I slowly climbed out of bed. The journey from my bedroom through the living room wasn’t much of a walk but it felt like a marathon.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
“Hold on!” I swung the door open. “You forget your keys again—”
I cut myself off when I saw Nina standing there. Seeing her out of her uniform and armor was strange. A black leather jacket along with a matching skirt was an outfit that worked perfectly against her pale complexion. A plain white tee and long black stockings leading down to a pair of flats completed the ensemble. But with her red hair straight and down instead of up like she usually had it, I was only focused on her face.
“You never gave me any keys,” she said with a smirk.
The surprise of seeing her again so suddenly had me speechless for a moment. “Nina… You didn’t call or text…”
“I wanted it to be a surprise.”
“Right…” I stood there with my mouth half-open, watching her grin grown even wider.
“You gonna invite me in?”
“Uh…”
I turned around and looked at the living room. Paper bags filled with fast-food wrappers. Empty pizza boxes. Cords running from all of the consoles Quentin had hooked up. It’s funny how I never noticed until Nina showed up at my front door.
“Don’t worry,” she said. “You moved in with Quentin. I know exactly what to expect.”
“Right,” I said with a laugh. “Come in.”
She stepped into the apartment and immediately began examining it. She arched an eyebrow at me but didn’t seem too turned off by everything.
“As expected,” she said.
“You want something to eat or drink? It’s kinda hot in Cutler Valley.”
“Southern California isn’t that much better this time of year. I’ll be fine. You don’t have to worry about me.”
She smirked then leaned forward for a tight hug. She didn’t seem to mind that I was still in my underwear, which only made me laugh again.
“What are you doing here?”
“Liam… What do you think I’m doing here? Can’t an old squadmate pay a visit?”
“Old squadmate? You say that like we’re not on the same squad anymore.”
“It’s been nearly a month since we’ve fought together. That’s a long time.”
“I guess it is…”
She took a seat on the couch and crossed her legs. I noticed the small folder she had underneath her arm when I sat down next to her.
“You got something there?” I said.
“I do.”
“What are those? Reports on the latest Pandora findings? Scouting the Shadows we’re going up against? Or maybe it’s the latest ability list so we can decide on what to choose before we get back?”
“Aren’t you excited about going back?”
“I’m excited. But I’m enjoying my time away, too.”
“Right…” She gave me a subtle smile. Just a second of silence was enough to make it awkward between us. “How have you been, Liam?”
I shrugged. “Can’t complain. The bonus we got for that last fight is taking care of the necessities. Still getting a weekly stipend into my bank account. It goes a long way.”
“And Quentin?”
“Quentin’s cool. I mean, I couldn’t have asked for a better roommate. Except for you, maybe. There’s still room, you know.”
“Ha!” She leaned back and laughed so hard her body shook. “You really expect me to move in with you two? With all of this?”
“No,” I sighed. “Probably not.”
“Not that it matters anyway. I hear reconstruction of the Vegas District is ahead of schedule.”
“Glad to hear. Can’t wait to hang out on the Central Square again.”
“I heard they not only rebuilt it but expanded it, too. Something about more recreation areas for the cadets to unwind.”
“They sure know how to reel the young people in.”
Another awkward silence came between us. I looked away and chuckled, waiting for her to say something. There was a reason she came all this way but I wasn’t about to force it out of her.
“So…” she tapped her hand with her folder, which made me curious as to what was inside. “You wanna show me around your place?”
“Show you around?” I scrunched my face in confusion. “It’s a small place. Living room’s here. Kitchen’s over there. Not much else except our rooms…”
Her eyes narrowed. An eyebrow raised at me, the corner of her lips twisted into the tiniest, subtle smirk.
I swallowed without realizing it then nodded. “Right… Follow me.”
I got up from my seat with Nina following just behind me. I headed back into my bedroom. Thankfully, I didn’t own much, so it wasn’t as messy as it could’ve been. Outside of a pile of laundry off to the side, my room wasn’t very hard to navigate.
“This is it,” I said.
She shifted her eyes around and nodded. “A real bachelor pad.”
“It’s about the size of my dorm room. It means I won’t have much trouble adjusting.”
“Nice. Maybe you should invite Brooke over.”
“Brooke?”
“C’mon, Liam. I’ve seen ho
w you two are. You’ve got her stink all over you.” She kept her eyes narrowed on me. Her thin pink lips sealed tight with her jaw clenched.
There was nothing quite like a woman giving you an eyeful. But I was comfortable around Nina I could laugh about it.
“What does it matter?” I said with a chuckle. “Jealous?”
“Not jealous. But I figure, since we’re squadmates, after all. We should look out for each other’s well-being.”
“You don’t have to worry about Brooke. Sometimes a thing is just a… thing.”
“I suppose it is.”
She waved the folder softly in her hands and drew my attention back to it.
“All right,” I said as I put my hands up. “What the hell is that? Did you come to give me reports on the new Junctions or something?”
“It’s nothing like that. It’s a present. For you.”
“A present? Lemme see.” I reached my hands out but she moved the folder out of my reach.
“I’ll let you see it. On one condition.”
“Ungh…” I rolled my eyes. “I don’t know if I like the sound of this.”
“Don’t worry. You will. I’ll let you see. But you have to turn around. And you can’t turn back around until I tell you.”
I looked into her eyes, trying to figure out what she was up to. But there was nothing except for the focused stare I’d seen too many times before.
“Fine. I’ll turn around.”
She hesitantly placed the folder into my hands. The sudden smirk on her lips only made me more curious. I turned around and opened the manila folder up, my curiosity gnawing at my insides. As soon as I saw what it was, I had to blink to make sure I was seeing it right.
“Is this…”
“It is,” she said. “It’s been a long time. A photographer asked me if I was interested in giving him some practice. Some photographers just need the experience. I told him I’d do it for personal reasons. The prints aren’t for resale. For a certain pair of eyes only.”
It was a photo of Nina in a set of black lingerie. The lacy bra cupped her curves perfectly. The stockings and garter accentuated her hips and legs. Her skin was so pale it was hard to tell whether or not there was any Photoshop involved. Not that it mattered to me. She laid in a bed with her arms at her side and her hair splayed out. My imagination started running wild, almost forgetting she was standing behind me.