Unbound

Chapter 3

"So, you know that guy?" Tyson- Tyler?- asked. Gods, it was hell trying to tell them both apart. I'd have to ask them later.

"I just woke up, so I might as well be half blind and half deaf. And at this distance, I honestly have no clue," I replied groggily. Tyson/Tyler just shrugged and shoved his hands in his pockets.

We all got half way through the clearing before I recognized who it was. I cupped my hands around my mouth and shouted. "Marco!" I sprinted over and practically tackled the man in the suit, but because of my small build, he didn't even move an inch.

"Hey kiddo," he laughed, grinning lopsidedly. "And I told you, my name's Marcus, not Marco."

"Shuddup and hug me you idjit," I retorted.

Marcus grimaced at the reference. "I sincerely regret letting you get Netflix."

"No, you don't, because you're still paying for it last I checked," I pointed out. Marcus just sighed. I unwrapped myself from him and stuck out my tongue at him. It'd been months since I'd seen my old foster dad/legal guardian/handler. I lived with him after the...accident. He helped me through some hard times, and he was like an uncle/older brother to me.

"What are you doing here? I thought you couldn't travel anymore because of the whole shrapnel incident," I pointed out. Marcus had joined the Navy SEALS when he was 18, the youngest of his team, but also the best. He saved a lot of people and was a decorated soldier. A hero. He served for five years before moving to private sector security. He got hit by a bomb filled with shrapnel on the job though, and it got impaled in his shoulder and neck. It was a miracle he survived. The doctors couldn't remove all of it, so there were still pieces lodged in his shoulders. I had to move to the orphanage because after the attack, Marcus couldn't take care of me anymore.

"Actually, my boss pulled a couple strings, so I'm here to get the rest of the shrapnel removed. Thought I'd stop by and see how you're doing," he said. "Anyways, enough about me. It looks like you made friends," he remarked, gesturing to the group of teenagers standing around trying not to be awkward. Tyler and Tyson were just playing Rock, Paper, Scissors, Angel was staring at her feet, and Shiv looked like she was intently examining a tree. I mentally face palmed myself.

"Guys, this is my foster dad, Marcus," I said, gesturing to the muscled man in the suit. I was still convinced he might be a secret agent, despite the whole shrapnel-lodged-in-chest thing. Hey, as far as I'm concerned, if Tony Stark can be a superhero with shrapnel lodged in his chest, Marcus can be a secret agent.

Angel was the first to step out of her avoiding-an-awkward-situation trance. She just smiled and stuck out her hand. "Hi, I'm Angel. Nice to meet you Mr..."

"Jacobs," he said, shaking her hand. "It's Jacobs kiddo. And nice grip." Angel beamed at my foster dad. I rolled my eyes. Marcus could charm anyone.

Tyler and Tyson were next to introduce themselves. "So you're in the military?" they asked.

Marcus nodded. "Yep, served on SEAL team six for a while before moving to security with Solar United."

"Wait, Solar United as in the guys that make big guns for the government, drive suspicious looking black SUVs, and pretty much have an army of CIA agents?"

Marcus narrowed his eyes. "Uh, yes? Your point is..."

Tyler and Tyson just nodded there heads. "Oh, nothing," Tyler said. "It's just, you know, very suspicious that a Navy SEAL shows up in a government suit and just happens to say they work for Solar United, who also happens to have the tech to remove said shrapnel. But it's also suspicious how they happen to be doing this for free. And that they couldn't, say, need a man of your skills in exchange of said shrapnel removal. And-" Tyler was interrupted by Tyson who shoved him out of the way and flat out said, "Are you or are you not a federal agent here on government business?" I punched him, hard.