Ticking Time Bomb

Episode 5

"Where have you been?" I grumble to Silco as he walks in. "Business.... with Marcus" I spin around in his office chair and raise my eyebrow.

"Not anything to worry about, just cleaning up." I nod and get up out of his chair. As I walk past him to the door I pause. "You've done everything right" my voice is reassuring as I can make it. He places a hand on my arm and gives it a small squeeze. "Thank you, my boy."

I walk out of the room and on my way to Jinx's tower, I hear an explosion.

Panic settles in my stomach and I run up the stairs. Pushing my legs as fast as I can go. Blue sparks fall from the wooden boards above.

My mind flashes back to the explosion.

Laying on the ground, numb, clueless.

Unaware of where Jinx could've been.

As I make it up to the top of the stairs case, I slam the door open and stumble in.

Jinx is curled up in a ball under her desk. I sigh in relief that she's physically unharmed. Closing the door, I walk over cautiously. "I didn't mean to. It was a mistake" she sobs, voice cracking. My heart breaks all over again and I kneel next to her desk. Placing a hand on her arm.

She slaps my hand away and within seconds, her gun is to my forehead. I calmly reach up and grab her wrist. "It's okay, it's just me. It's Sentry." She gasps in shock before choking out another sob. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, I-" "Shhh, it's okay, it's not your fault"

The gun falls from her fingers and clatters to the floor. Jinx tackles me and I stumble and fall on my back. She cries into my chest quietly, my half top bunched up in her fist.

Her braids are tangled around us and my arms. "It's okay, it's just us two, nobody is here, okay?" She nods and takes a deep breath in. Then exhales raggedly. "Good" I tell her, making sure she knows that's what to do.

"As long as I'm here, I won't ever let anyone hurt you."

*

A tired sigh escapes my lips. I cross my leg over my knee and pull off my padded boot. Revealing the gold and silver metal of my foot. Stemming from the connector is purple veins. They glow and reach up to a large scar that circles around my leg, just under the knee.

I gently trace the scar around my leg, and when it stops, so do I. The spot between each end of the scar is about an inch long. It feels like it's staring right back at me.

"As long as I'm here, I won't ever let anyone hurt you. What a load of bullshit. I'm just some fucking cripple who can't do shit." I scoff at my own ridiculous words. "Everyone would be better off if I wasn't here. I should've blown up with Claggor and Mylo."

It hadn't occurred to me that I was crying until a tear splashes off the metal of my foot. "Sh-it" my voice cracks. I wipe my tears as best as I can but they keep flowing down.

The creak of my door catches my attention. "Do you honestly beleive that?" Silco's voice rings through my mind.

"I-" no words beyond that can escape me. I'm speechless. He takes a deep breath and glares at me. What shakes me to the core though, is that there are tears in his eyes. "Do you honestly believe THAT YOU'D BE BETTER OFF DEAD?!" His fist slams against my door frame and I flinch.

"Dad I ... I can't think of anything better. I mean, what can I do for you and her. When- ... when all I can ever think about is how I FAILED!" I sink back into my pillows. Silco walks over, sitting on the edge of my bed. A tear falls from his face.