Descent

Chapter 5

Mai was absolutely frantic that she had just attempted to murder her best friend that she had not seen in ages. Thomas Rush held her close to himself until she was able to calm down. The two friends knew not what to say to each other at first, but they had no issue sitting in silence for the meantime. When his companions came to, and after a long-winded explanation of how Thomas and their initial enemy knew each other, they began their journey back to their settlement, Le rêve, also known as the dream. The settlement itself was still a work in progress but what they had accomplished in the last six months was marveling. The settlement homes were situated up in the trees, walkways, and bridges connecting each one to another. This way, when rainwater came through just as it had, they would not have to worry about their homes being swept away. It was like a child's dream, a bunch of tree houses creating some sort of miniature city.

The only way up was to ascend using ropes that those on guard duty would throw over, meaning unless you were adaptable at climbing trees, there was no way you were getting up here. From a defense standpoint, they had the advantage. When Highwaymen did come their way, they were forced to navigate the dense trees and inability to navigate the swamp grounds while also aiming up top. Thomas had Mai settle in for the meantime in the main hall, draping her with a blanket and providing her with freshly made soup, courtesy of one of the other settlers. She had been through the wringer, explaining how she had come here following an argument with her mother, hoping to raid some more Highwaymen outposts alongside the French-Canadian pilot, Roger Cadoret whom he knew briefly during his time in Prosperity. They were caught in the storm, separated from one another. She was fortunate enough to land in some vines, keeping her from colliding with swamp waters or any other hard surface. She had spotted Thomas and his comrades not too long after and began following them, hoping to get answers out of them. Thomas, in turn, noted how he saw some Highwaymen taking away a man from a helicopter crash, no doubt the missing Roger Cadoret. He knew that Mai would want to go out and search for him as soon as possible, but he knew she needed rest and a decent meal first. Mai stared at the liquidy substance, stirring it as her eyes glanced around the room. He could tell that she felt uneasy. Like a dog or other domesticated animal in a stranger's home. A fish out of water.

"I don't think they like me very much." she muttered, her eyes staring off to another area of the room.

Thomas followed her line of sight, seeing his two comrades from earlier enjoying their own bowl of soup while also shooting both curious, and scornful looks at her. Thomas chuckled as he sat beside her.

"You did knock their lights out. Not the greatest first impression."

Mai smiled with her eyes before finally taking a sip of the soup, "I'm sorry about your friends. I'm also sorry about hitting you in the face."

"I'm sorry for cutting your cheek." Thomas retorted.

The two smiled at one another before she took another sip of her soup. Now that her hair was drying, the red locks he was so familiar with began to shine through. She was every bit the same Mai he had said goodbye to six years ago, albeit a lot more grown up. He did not mean mentality wise. From the time he met her as a teenager, she was already twenty times more mature than any man or woman he had served with. No, instead her roundish features that were associated with adolescence had faded. There was not a part of her face that had no looked like it had been carefully crafted with care, sharpened enough that when he looked at her, he could not help but feel...conflicted. He watched as she devoured the soup, hungrily, specks of soup decorating the outermost corner of her lip.

Without thinking, Rush extended his hand, wiping it off with his finger, gently tugging her lip incidentally as he did so. Her luxuriant lips parted slightly as she looked at him with those eyes, unlike anything he had ever seen before. Thomas could feel his face warming and he could see the blush forming on her own face. The two smiled awkwardly before hanging their heads down looking anywhere that was not into each other's eyes. Thomas had no idea what had come over him. This was his friend, his former captain. What was this feeling that was suddenly boiling inside him upon seeing her again?

Clearing his throat, he attempted to shift his sudden burst of feelings, "So you and your mom aren't on the best of terms at the moment I take it. What about your father, how is he doing?"

As if Mai's face was not solemn enough in that moment, her head sunk lower, her chin nearly touching her chest. He felt a lump forming in his throat, recognizing that perhaps this was a sore topic.

"He passed away a few months ago." Mai responded, "Died in his sleep."

Way to go Rush.

Rush ran his fingers through his hair, brows raised with a look of utter disbelief and regret for asking, "I'm sorry. I had no idea."

He wrapped an arm around her as she tried to fight back her tears, "I only knew him briefly, but he was a good man."

Mai nodded her head in agreement, "My Aunt Vittoria likes to say that death had to take him in his sleep because if he had been awake there would have been a fight." she smiled weakly.

She looked up to the ceiling, gliding her fingers under the ducts of her eyes, wiping away any tears that threatened to fall, proceeding to shake her head, "I can't just sit here." she spoke more so to herself than to him, "I have to find Roger, and I have to find Malik."

"Malik?" Thomas asked curiously.

He felt foolish but the mention of a stranger's name panged him with a bit of jealousy. Get a hold of yourself man. Mai, oblivious to his inner struggle continued to speak.

"Malik, my brother." She then began to smile as she looked upon his face, "Sorry, it both feels like an eternity, but also feels just like yesterday I saw you. You probably don't even remember that my mother was pregnant when you left."

The missing pieces began to click together. He remembered now. Following the Twin's defeat, Prosperity had thrown a party, celebrating multiple occasions. Mai's birthday, and Nayeli's newly announced pregnancy.

"Malik," Thomas spoke, "That's a beautiful name."

Mai began to smile, "Malik Thomas Seed. We wanted to have just a little piece of you to remember by."

Thomas blinked, his lips curling upward, astonished that they would incorporate his own name into their family, "I- I don't know what to say."

Mai reached out, clutching his hand as they had always done before. Even if they said nothing, just holding hands said more than all they needed to ever say. Just this once though, Mai made had to make sure that they were on the same page.

"Tell me you'll help me find them." her voice held a sense of desperation he was not familiar with, especially coming from her.

Nevertheless, he took her hand, raising it to her lips as he kissed the back of her hand, his way of reassuring her on top of what he was about to say. His words flowed effortlessly and for a moment, he swore they were back in Hope County for just a moment. He smiled mischievously, lowering her hand.

"You know I'll always follow your lead, O' captain, my captain."

Mai narrowed her eyes at him but could not contain her burgeoning smile, "You fucking nerd." With his hand still grasped in hers, she stood up, pulling him up with her, "It's good to have you back."