“I don’t get it, Johnny. Why’d we bring him here?” said one of the voices. It was male and sounded mildly upset.
The voice, supposedly belonging to Johnny, spoke out in counter, “He survived, Puck. No one survives an encounter like that on their own. And, as you know, no one survives contact with one of them. Besides, look at his eyes and tell me he’s not–”
Puck quickly retorted, “I know, I know. It’s just– we never searched him. We didn’t even run recon or check out his background. All of the usual things we do to protect our asses, we dropped for this stray pick-up. We don’t even know him!”
A different voice joined in, familiar to Karrel’s ears, “I can vouch for him, Puck.”
“Really? Why’s that!?”
The familiar voice continued, “While we were out searching for Krystalyn, and I had gotten separated from you guys, me and him got caught up in a little situation. Long story short, he helped me escape.”
Johnny and Puck relayed their surprise wholeheartedly and Karrel could hear the confusion in their tone, “Helped!?” Silence overtook the room for a moment, before the unison voices came back. “You!?”
There was a brief chuckle coming from the unknown man. But, Karrel started to subliminally recognize the voice. It was Angel, the dark-eyed individual that had escaped the bandit’s mobile jail cell with him. “Well,” Angel said, “I let him help.”
Johnny’s voice switched from confusion to anger in a split second, “We’ve been here for 6 hours, and you neglected to mention that!?”
A long exhale could be heard, and a light smell of cigarette smoke filled the room, “Hey, I thought I’d make it a surprise.” Karrel could hear the smile behind Angel’s tone.
As Puck and Johnny began to verbally assault Angel, Karrel felt the weight of his body get lighter, the noises in the room get less muffled, and his motor functions return to him. He almost instinctively opened his eyes to analyze where he was and what the situation looked like, but he held back. The conversation was taking place from all around him, and that meant he was surrounded. It would be better to play dead and wait for a more opportune moment. The voices around him had seemed to calm down.
Johnny directed his attention towards Angel, “So… You didn’t show him what you were capable of, did you?”
“No,” Angel responded, “I was in the mood for a fun fight. I stuck to basic hand to hand. Nothing too special. I did happen to get shot in the noggin however, and I bet our sleepy friend is wondering why I’m still alive. Had a bag over my head, though. So, you know – plausible deniability and what not.”
“And how about him? He reveal any special… qualities?”
“Nope. He also stuck with hand to hand. Seemed well-trained too. Definitely wasn’t the first scrape he’d been in.” Angel blew out another cloud of smoke, “There was this one thing that was a bit strange. When we jumped off the truck we were escaping from, there was a room filled with weapons. There was even a gun or two in the cell we left behind. He didn’t go back and get them. Now, that might have just been the adrenaline clouding his priorities, but he did seem really intent on this little green book–” Karrel could hear Angel pulling out what he assumed to be the green oilskin notebook. “—In fact, it didn’t seem like he wanted to leave that truck without it.”
All manner of vulgar language filled the mind of Karrel. That book was his ticket to surviving this wasteland of a world, and he made extra sure to keep the thing as close as possible to him at all times. But in the span of a week, he had lost possession of the damned thing more times than he could count. Without it, he was screwed. He needed to get it back.
Karrel remembered his brawl with the bandits and the fact that Angel did not break a sweat achieving victory, even when outnumbered in the melee. There were two other guys in the room that Karrel had no way of sizing up before engaging, due to his current circumstances. Talking was going to be his only way out of this. Besides, he had some questions he wanted answered, like how the hell did he get here, where even is here, and what was that thing that attacked him? Also, Angel was right. Karrel really wanted to know how the dark-haired fighter was still walking around with a bullet in his brain.
Karrel opened his eyes and looked around. He saw gray metal and brown rock meshed together across the ceilings and the walls. There were a few chairs, a medium sized circular table, and three large, comfortable-looking couches pushed together in a u-shape. The room was of fair size, and the furniture was spread out to leave a gap wide enough for one or two people to traverse at a time. No attempt at an organized décor had been made. To his surprise, had it not been for the faint smell of Angel’s cigarette smoke, Karrel would have expected the aroma of the room to be fresh and clean. That was unusual in this day and age. There was a small kitchen, complete with a working refrigerator, tucked away in the corner. Dishes and utensils were piled up on one side of a two-pocket sink. Various playing cards were spewed about the round table. It was only now that Karrel glanced down and realized that the surface he had been laying on was a large coffee table, next to the three couches.
He sat up and peered towards Angel’s voice. Sure enough, there before him was the pale-skinned, dark-eyed individual that Karrel was expecting. He was still wearing a shadowy colored hoody, though this time his cowl was down and Karrel could see just how black his hair was. The gray, piercingly dark-colored eyes stared back into Karrel’s. Johnny’s voice could be heard from behind, “Well, looks like he wasn’t in a coma. That’s surprising.”
Karrel needed to play his cards right. Hopefully, Angel felt some sense of comradery towards him because of the recent events. All he needed to do was work toward that angle, and get Angel to give him his book back. Once he had his book, he could see where things went from there. The other two people, even Angel, could still be potential hostiles.
However, before Karrel could open his mouth, a slow-moving object approached his face. Muscle memory took over, and he instantly snatched the lobbed item out of the air. Karrel looked down to see his green notebook residing in his hands.
“Looks like your reflexes have already woken up too,” Angel said, walking towards Karrel with a smile stretching cheek to cheek, “Figured you’d want that back. How’d you sleep?”
Karrel was relieved. Angel had expressed an understanding of how important the book was to Karrel. The fact that he would relinquish that sort of control so easily meant that thankfully, there was a sense of comradery that remained.
Angel approached, slamming a firm pat on Karrel’s shoulders. He started laughing, “I bet you wish you were still out cold right now, am I right? The headache’s gotta be worse than the one you had on the truck.”
Karrel couldn’t help but smile. Angel was right. His head felt like a boombox with its bass maxed out. “My head feels great,” he said sarcastically. Taking another look around, he was astonished at his homey surroundings. Aside from the rocks intertwining with the metal, which took the place of the walls and ceiling, the room looked like an average, civilized living space. It was strikingly similar to his old home’s, minus the two extra couches. He stared down at his green book and waved it in the air slightly, looking at Angel, “Thanks for keeping this safe. It means a lot to me.”
Angel’s smile dropped but only slightly, “No problem, man. I couldn’t help but look inside a bit, though. Wasn’t able to read a damned thing of it. Just a bunch of black scribbles to me. Is that some sort of family language or something, ‘cause I’ve never seen any sort of writing like that before.”
“Kind of,” Karrel replied, “To be honest, I can only read some of it.” He thought back to all of the scrapes he had gotten out of because of the green book, and he smiled. “It’s sort of a good luck charm.”
At this time, Johnny started to feel a bit left out of the conversation. He approached Karrel with his right arm stretched out and his palm open. Seeing this gesture, Karrel did the same and proceeded to shake hands with Johnny. “Nice to make your ac
quaintance. My name is Johnny. Angel has told us so much of absolutely nothing about you.” Johnny shot Angel a vicious look before returning his gaze upon Karrel.
With a chuckle Karrel responded, “Hey, to be fair, he only helped me break out of jail. So, we don’t really know each other very well. The name’s Karrel by the way.”
The man Karrel was shaking hands with stood several inches below everyone else in the room, though he seemed to be a few years older. He had blonde hair that was neatly cut and dropped to his shoulder. He was wearing a short sleeve flannel shirt, with the buttons neatly lined up, and ripped jeans with insignificantly small tears in them. Johnny had a slightly tan color to his skin, which was unusual as getting direct sunlight was difficult to do with the constant dust storms outside. What was even more unusual though, was the deep yellow color of his eyes. It was hard not to stare at them.
Johnny released his grip and smiled slightly. Karrel was surprised at how much force had been exerted in their ceremonious exchange of hands. Johnny’s body was nowhere near as built as the other companions in the room. His muscles were not as defined, and at first glance, though not to be construed as a weakling, one might mistake Johnny for being a particularly average individual. In comparison, Karrel and Angel looked rather muscular when standing amongst Johnny. However, there was a slight throbbing in Karrel’s palm after the short handshake, which was proof of his strength.
Johnny continued, “Well, I look forward to discovering more about you. In the meantime, there is something that requires my attention. Any questions you have can be directed towards Angel or Puck.” Johnny did a slight nod towards Karrel and headed for one of the doors at the end of the room.
The figure known as Puck stepped up, slightly behind Karrel. He had dark skin and was completely devoid of hair, whether it be on his head or body. He was wearing a clean button-down shirt, having just barely half of the bottom buttons hooked together. The cargo shorts that he was wearing were just long enough to drop below his knees. Buff and built, there were no other ways to describe him. He towered over the rest of the group and intentionally stood as straight as could be, his chest puffing outwards as though his demeanor was to intimidate the entirety of the room. He was easily the most muscular person of the group and had more than half a foot over both Karrel and Angel. Johnny looked like a dwarf in comparison.
Karrel felt a heavy slap on his back that almost knocked the wind out of him, and a booming voice followed the painful exchange, as Puck stepped around and stared directly into Karrel’s vision. He had incredibly green eyes, and Karrel felt like they were piercing into his very soul. “The name is Puck, and let me be clear. You try anything here and your ass will be thrown out in the wasteland so fast, your head, that I’ll have already taken off your body, will spin.”
It was impossible to take his eyes off the massive person, currently casting a shadow that encased the entirety of Karrel’s form. Fear started to take over. He could feel himself slowly reaching for the green book, but in his peripheral vision, Karrel could see Angel observing the movement, with an inquisitive expression on his face.
In that moment of indecision however, Puck’s forward presence dropped. A large smile cracked across his face and snickering began to follow, “I’m just messing with you! You don’t seem like a total dick… Angel’s vouching for you as well, and Johnny didn’t seem to pay you much attention, so you’re all right in my book. How’s about we grab some grub, and Angel and I can show you around the hideout. Maybe get you some painkillers before you meet the others.” Puck nodded towards Angel who started to step towards the kitchen, where a nearby, ludicrously large refrigerator was located. As Puck lead Karrel over to the kitchen, he muttered underneath his breath, just loud enough that Karrel could hear, “Seriously though… if you try anything, I’m gonna have to take you out.” Karrel nodded slowly to show his understanding.
The inside of the large white container amazed Karrel. He was used to having only a handful of cans and a few bottles of water on him at any given time. This fridge, however, was fully stocked with every succulent food known to man, and then more. Bottles of water were stacked together as far as Karrel could see. Canned versions of every food group were lined up underneath the water. The most surprising thing however, were the countless strips of dried meat hanging from the bottom shelf.
Non-canned, fresh meat was impossible to come by. Even in the UWP-protected cities, it was too difficult to keep livestock alive. The only people who had open access to fresh meat were government officials, their families, and anyone else lucky enough to live in the superdomes.
“It’s not demon meat, is it?” Karrel questioned the others.
People had attempted, in the past, to cook and eat the demons that they had the fortune of slaying. However, they quickly found out that the meat obtained from the demonic creatures was poisonous to humans. It usually caused vomiting and diarrhea, leaving the person more famished than before they ate the meat. Occasionally, it was fatal.
Karrel was happy to see Angel shake his head no and was helpless to stop his jaw from dropping as he gazed upon the sheer number of dried meat strips. He felt his mouth start to water, and only now did he realize that it had most likely been a long time since he had last eaten. Angel snatched two strips of dried jerky. He tossed them to Karrel, who quickly ripped a long piece off, devouring it whole. The spiced aroma filled his nostrils and the flavor took effect immediately.
It was the most delicious thing he had ever eaten. He could feel thousands of his taste buds fire as bite after bite was taken from the strips. Karrel had no memory of meat tasting this good. It was ten times, no a hundred times that of the crappy canned foods he had to force down his throat to survive. Whether there was some special flavoring on the jerky, or he was just too damned hungry, he had never enjoyed something so amazing.
Sheer bliss overcame him, and Karrel could feel himself fighting back tears. It took a few moments to come back to his senses and realize that both Puck and Angel were giving him a weird look, as though they were expecting something special to happen. “Sorry,” Karrel said, realizing how awkward it must have been to watch him devour his meal in just under a minute, “It’s been a long time since I ate. The meat was a welcome surprise though, thanks. How the hell did you guys come by so much?”
Angel started to lead Karrel to the door that Johnny had left through. “Well… how about we show you around first? Then, we can answer any questions you have.”
Nodding in agreement, Karrel walked through the door.
•—•
Whatever this place was, it was huge. Angel and Puck and been leading Karrel through various rooms for several minutes. The pain in his cranium was starting to dissipate, allowing him to focus on digging some information out of his two tour guides.
Karrel continued asking question after question, “So, this place is underground?”
“Yep!” Angel replied, “It’s the best way to stay hidden. Both from the demonic neighbors outside, and any unwanted United World Protectorate officials.” He then said through a smirk, “I don’t think our facilities are up to code.”
“But who built this place?”
“That would be Johnny. The guy’s a genius. Pretty much any structure or contraptions you see down here, Johnny probably made it.” Angel then pointed at Puck. “Unless its liquid. If you see any colorful liquids lying around, that was him.” Puck didn’t seem to flinch at the gesture, so Karrel took Angel’s word as the truth.
Karrel had begun to be legitimately interested in these characters’ workings. The thought of escape had been clouded by curiosity, for the time being. He continued to push for more information, “If you don’t mind me asking, what exactly is it that you guys do down here? How did you come by all of this equipment and material?”
This time, Puck answered with a huge grin on his face, “This is our base of operations. You see, we are very fortunate to have been able to accumulate all of this.” Puck made a wide arm
ed gesture around the room. Angel rolled his eyes. “Our group just happens to be extremely well suited to surviving on this infernal planet. Johnny eventually had the idea putting those talents to good use. We started to harvest the bigger cities for raw steel and electronic equipment, a task that usually lands someone in the stomach of one of those meat grinders on the surface. But, we’re badasses, so we can handle it. Fortunately for the innocent citizens of Earth, we are also oh-so-very-nice people.” Angel snickered as Puck monologued. “We like to spread the wealth where we can. As many excess supplies as we can get our hands on, we deliver to the cities. The Survivor’s Guild showed us that the UWP only keeps their supercities well stocked. Even the UWP protected areas rarely get supply drops. Then, there are the unprotected ones… I don’t know how they survive, to be honest. So, we do our best to help them the most.”
“So, you guys work for the Survivor’s Guild?” Karrel inquired.
“No! Of course not!” Puck stated, “We just help them out from time to time. They’re a great place to go to if you need to trade supplies.”
“And the people who lead it are total bros,” Angel chimed in. “We’re actually really good friends with their leaders. We’ve saved them from time to time. Also, Johnny likes to build them a lot of stuff.” Karrel was very surprised, and in disbelief at the generosity being explained here, and Angel could tell. Attempting assurance through humor, he continued, “We are like, the best people you will ever meet.”
Struggling with incredulity, Karrel had never heard of any group, outside of the Survivor’ Guild, that focused their efforts on helping people. Then again, communication was not exactly a strong suit for the human race right now, and something about Angel and Puck made their story believable. He had seen first-hand what Angel was capable of. If Puck and Johnny were as skilled, it might be possible for them to accomplish these tasks.
Kin of Exile Page 6
