Connection

Chapter 1: Deep Wounds

Aviva shouted from Chris' Creature Pod, "Chris, that's enough!"

He flailed his left arm one more time before he stopped, and rose from his older brother's unconscious body. A thick stench of iron assaulted his nose. He panted, he wobbled towards the river and picked up his Creature Pod. Noise grain littered the cracked screen. His eyebrows scrunched.

"You went too far. There should be a way to avoid this."

"Shut up, Aviva!" he yelled. "This is your fault his Creature Power Suit malfunctioned."

Her eyes widened. She froze with her mouth agape. She didn't expect him to shove the blame on her. Two figures approached and stood behind her.

Jimmy tried to ease the tension between the two. "Stop fighting, please."

"Both of you take a deep breath," Koki said. "You can't think straight like this."

Chris and Aviva inhaled, allowing the fresh air to circulate in their chests before letting it out. He collapsed on his knees, startling the other members of Tortuga HQ. He gazed at his brother, and said in a muffled voice, "I'm sorry."

She nodded. "It's all right, and I'm sorry too."

Jimmy and Koki let out sighs of relief as they prevented the conflict from escalating further.

Aviva asked, "Can you please bring Martin back to Tortuga? We have to treat both of your injuries as soon as possible. I'll head over to your location if you can't."

He hesitated. He closed his eyes and inhaled. "Yes, I can. We're not far from Createrra, I should be able to carry Martin there, and drive back to Tortuga."

"We're worried about your condition." She frowned and placed her hand on her chest. "Don't hesitate to ask for our help when you need one, okay?"

He didn't respond, he turned off his Creature Pod, and put it into one of his pockets. He crouched next to Martin and looked at him as he wiped the blood off his brother's head. A sharp pain penetrated his right shoulder as he carried his brother up, staggering him in the process. After he prevented himself from falling over, he walked towards Createrra VX with his brother in his arms.

When he reached Createrra VX, he laid his brother on the backside of the vehicle. "The road ahead may be bumpy," he muttered. Ignoring the throbbing pain, he took off his torn Creature Power Suit, unzipped his drenched jacket, and placed it under his brother's head as cushions.

"This should be comfortable enough for him." He returned to the driver's seat and drove off.

The other members scrambled out as soon as he reached Tortuga HQ, and brought Martin inside on a stretcher, leaving him alone in the vehicle. He thought nothing of it, he was aware his brother was in a dire situation compared to him. He grabbed his Creature Power Suit, and his jacket before going inside.

At the center of Tortuga, in the lounge, Jimmy and Koki prepped an oxygen mask for Martin. Aviva could be seen dashing out of the hallway, carrying a bag of medical kits in her hand.