The Eden Projects (EDITING)

Chapter 36. Blood Money.

- Zak -

Zak, was angry. 

He took the steps in large strides. Putting distance between himself and the others as quickly as possible. Of course he'd go down. It's always down with him. Of freaking course he'd pull something like this. The railing slid against his sweaty palm as they ascended the cracked and broken stairwell. Odd rustlings of oversized wings and the tinkling of straps against metal buckles filled the gasping silence. He didn't want to be there, he didn't want to be with any of them. So the noise was a welcome relief. 

Floors A1 through 5 were easy enough, But by C3, Zak's legs were shaking, he had fallen back, and Rook repeatedly glanced over his shoulder just to make sure he was still there trailing behind them like an asthmatic weasel. Their gait more than doubled his own. 

"You gonna make it?" Topher stopped, not skipping a beat. "Or should I carry you?" 

With a huff, Zak sat down. "Shut it tweetie bird." His boots squeaked against the tile. 

Caleb was silent. Stuck awkwardly between Rook and the wall. 

Zak huffed. "I guess I shoulda stopped smoking when I was his age huh." He gestured to the boy who seemed unfazed, albeit a little bored. "Why bring kids anyway. Jeez. Isn't it a little risky?" He cracked his flask and took a swig. "Makes me feel old." 

"There are no kids anymore." Caleb said softly. 

Zak looked at the Avians clawed, birdlike feet. Bandages crisscrossed around their scaled ankles up to where they gradually gave way to a more human-esque skin. "And you with the weird ass feet somehow makes this worse." Pouting, he looked down to where they had been. "God." 

"Zak, how old are you?" Rook tried his best to sit, his wings pulling in an awkward angle. There was little in the way of grace when you had such massive things attached to your back.

"Are you trying to be funny? Cuz it's not funny." 

"No. Just curious." 

Zak sat back, letting his shoulder rest on the wall. "I don't know, how long has it been since this all started." He cleared his throat.

"Six years and counting, roughly." Topher took a bite of a snack he had packed discreetly. 

"It's been that long?" Zak's tone pitched. "That makes me, what, Twenty five ish? Wow, do you know what month it is right now?" 

"No, but it's Fall." 

"Fall... Oh. Well-" Zak took another sip. "Guess we missed our birthdays then." 

Rooks eyebrows raised as he adjusted, making room for Caleb to sit. "You and Kasper have been together all this time?"

"Day one." Zak played with the lock on his gun. "I've been with him since he was about twelve. Smaller than Caleb."

"By choice?" 

Zak chuckled and let out a wheezy cough. One hand on his chest. "Something like that." 

"You never thought for a second that he might kill you?" Topher asked, "Or are you an adrenaline junkie." Obviously impressed. 

He shook his head. "He's harmless. I knew he wouldn't let anything hurt me and I was right." His hand drifted to his arm, things were different now, and a small part of him was afraid of who this Kasper currently was. A flicker of a thought crossed his mind. He could hurt me and I wouldn't stand a chance... but would he... He could even kill me if he wanted to. "We had close calls but he always snaps himself outta it. Even if it meant hurting himself."