01-15-2023, 06:09 PM
That’s all he had to say. The fuck is your problem. Barely even bothered by the interruption. Nox might as well have hand-waved the nuisance from sight. Be barely bothered to call for guards to clear the room of the disturbance. A fucking text message after they cleared the caverns of shit straight out of a nightmare. Fuck him! Fuck him and Jay’s own fucking feelings.
It wasn’t his first fight in a bar. Swole guys thinking pretty highly of themselves liked to step up like they could break apart what was coming. Let them try. One hovered over Nox’s shoulder. And the cuts on Nox’s face came into bright red view. He hadn’t realized he’d grabbed ahold of the power. So Nox had already found a fight tonight. Probably won it since he was still standing and looking none too worse for wear. Jay smirked as a second swole guy pulled at Jay’s shoulder. Let them have a go of it. Make it more even fight than some poor bitch Nox probably pound into the pavement. Give them a real show. He let the asshole pull him apart, but when something jammed into his flank, Jay reacted with an instinct that hadn’t shown itself since he marched for the red, white and blue.
An elbow flew into the bouncer’s face. Knocked him back. But they were smart and had a second right on his heels. His arm swiped defense, but the wand was already active. The hot stick landed on his chest, and Jay crumpled like a sack of potatoes. They practiced this in basic training. He remembered how afraid some of the guy were as they all stood in line to get their shock. They didn’t show it so obvious as to be cowards, but Jay recognized the nervous swaying on feet. The anxiety to get it over with. The cringe at the nose when the one up front crumpled or pissed himself or moaned afterward.
Of all them, Jay had been the one who actually raised cattle. He’d held the wands. He used them. He’d felt the bite before.
But it wasn’t barns and green fields that he saw when the shocks rippled his skin. It wasn’t distant memories that made him cry out. Actually afraid this time. It was being strapped in a chair. Battery cables and buckets of water he saw. Placaso’s face leering above. Knife in hand to slice away the Raider’s tattoo from his arm. He had to get away. Couldn’t survive it twice. The burns throbbed long after the wand was switched off. It pushed tears from his eyes. And he tucked his head under his arms. But they were dragging him. Every muscle felt like water. There wasn’t strength to fight back. He didn’t want to fight. Just run. But Cayli corpse waited outside. Dead children and a smoking gun.
Then a free fall and a thump that drove his shoulder into his skull. The cry out echoed in the darkness. Maybe he’d died.
Muscles were slow to come back online. He was shaking when he sat up, gaze roaming wet through the growing light. A swipe of the hand cleared it away, if not the red from his vision.
He didn’t know where they were. He was just glad it wasn’t in the basement of a school. Nox was near, as surprised and confused as Jay felt.
But there wasn’t time to think about it. He pushed from one knee like a sprinter from the block. Arms wide, he tackled Nox. Pinned to the ground, fists landing blows on the man’s face. He’d seen that face underneath him before. Shirt gone and expression shocked and content. He wanted to be sick. What a fucking idiot he’d been.
“Why?!” he demanded. Not even sure what explanation he wanted.
It wasn’t his first fight in a bar. Swole guys thinking pretty highly of themselves liked to step up like they could break apart what was coming. Let them try. One hovered over Nox’s shoulder. And the cuts on Nox’s face came into bright red view. He hadn’t realized he’d grabbed ahold of the power. So Nox had already found a fight tonight. Probably won it since he was still standing and looking none too worse for wear. Jay smirked as a second swole guy pulled at Jay’s shoulder. Let them have a go of it. Make it more even fight than some poor bitch Nox probably pound into the pavement. Give them a real show. He let the asshole pull him apart, but when something jammed into his flank, Jay reacted with an instinct that hadn’t shown itself since he marched for the red, white and blue.
An elbow flew into the bouncer’s face. Knocked him back. But they were smart and had a second right on his heels. His arm swiped defense, but the wand was already active. The hot stick landed on his chest, and Jay crumpled like a sack of potatoes. They practiced this in basic training. He remembered how afraid some of the guy were as they all stood in line to get their shock. They didn’t show it so obvious as to be cowards, but Jay recognized the nervous swaying on feet. The anxiety to get it over with. The cringe at the nose when the one up front crumpled or pissed himself or moaned afterward.
Of all them, Jay had been the one who actually raised cattle. He’d held the wands. He used them. He’d felt the bite before.
But it wasn’t barns and green fields that he saw when the shocks rippled his skin. It wasn’t distant memories that made him cry out. Actually afraid this time. It was being strapped in a chair. Battery cables and buckets of water he saw. Placaso’s face leering above. Knife in hand to slice away the Raider’s tattoo from his arm. He had to get away. Couldn’t survive it twice. The burns throbbed long after the wand was switched off. It pushed tears from his eyes. And he tucked his head under his arms. But they were dragging him. Every muscle felt like water. There wasn’t strength to fight back. He didn’t want to fight. Just run. But Cayli corpse waited outside. Dead children and a smoking gun.
Then a free fall and a thump that drove his shoulder into his skull. The cry out echoed in the darkness. Maybe he’d died.
Muscles were slow to come back online. He was shaking when he sat up, gaze roaming wet through the growing light. A swipe of the hand cleared it away, if not the red from his vision.
He didn’t know where they were. He was just glad it wasn’t in the basement of a school. Nox was near, as surprised and confused as Jay felt.
But there wasn’t time to think about it. He pushed from one knee like a sprinter from the block. Arms wide, he tackled Nox. Pinned to the ground, fists landing blows on the man’s face. He’d seen that face underneath him before. Shirt gone and expression shocked and content. He wanted to be sick. What a fucking idiot he’d been.
“Why?!” he demanded. Not even sure what explanation he wanted.
Only darkness shows you the light.