Bad Guys?

Part 1.1: Training

August 21 2017

4:37 AM. Thomas' Apartment

     Thomas' fists pounded against the punching bag, causing his shirtless body to flex as each arm moved. Sweat dripped down his chest and abs, his face straightened and his jaw clenched. He continued to punch, until his knuckles began to bleed. Once they had, he began to kick the bag. He wished that the bag was that bitch. That woman. That woman who he wanted to burn. He wanted to see her suffer. He wanted to beg for mercy, and he wanted to deny it to her. He wanted to make her howl with pain. Today was the day that Nathan and him were supposed to go to the science expo. and find Scalder. He stopped kicking the bag, his calves now throbbing and his body aching. He gave the bag one last punch before deciding to quit. He walked over to the closet and began to pick out some clothes. He would need to look the part today, so he picked out black slacks, a black undershirt, a white button up with a red tie. He had dress shoes to match. He didn't have to put them on yet, so he just laid them out. Instead, he put on a green button up with a black shirt underneath, along with with tight jeans to match, he also slid on a pair of brown work boots. Thomas walked into the living room, the darkness clearing up once he had flicked on the light. The city was quiet, apart from a few cars in the far off distance. Thomas went into the kitchen, preparing himself a cup of coffee to help wake him up, as if the exercise wasn't enough. As the coffee was making, he washed his hands off. The blood ran down into the sink, the water mixing with it. He stared at the sink, thinking for a moment. What was he doing? The only reason he ever got involved was this stuff was to help Nathan, and Nathan was gone. He wished that there was something he could do to bring him back or some other shit, but he couldn't. That could never happen. His best friend was dead, and he blamed himself. If he had only been there a second sooner, right? But it was too late now. The boy who meant everything to him was no longer alive. A door opened, and El came out of the other room. She was wearing short blue boxers, along with an oversized flannel.

    "Hey. You ready to go shopping today?" Thomas managed poured himself a cup of coffee before El answered.
      "What is it we're shopping for again?" She asked, yawning and rubbing her eyes.
      "First, we need ammo. We also need some new clothes and I want to get a haircut. And if you're going to the expo with me, you'll want a dress to look the part." Thomas walked over and sat on the couch, sipping his coffee. El slowly and clumsily waltzed to the fridge, opening it and staring into the bright abyss.
      "What are we even going to pay with? It's not like we have money." She slammed the fridge door, leaning against it and staring at the rather tired boy who sat on the couch.
      "Fake I.D.s and Nathan's money. He did a job shortly before all this began, and he hadn't spent any of it." Thomas flipped the TV on, knowing they would have a while before the stores opened.

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August 21 2017

10:45 AM. Mercer's Mall

     Thomas sat down into the black leather chair, El sitting across from him with her legs crossed. She smiled at him. She knew he was sad. He was probably more than just sad. She hadn't known the two for long, but the strong bond between the two boys was clear to see. She lost her family, so she understood that look he had worn on his face since last night. That look of pure dread, rage, and loss. She knew exactly how he felt, and so she was willing to do any little thing to cheer him up. Thomas closed his eyes for a few seconds, before the hair dresser pulled a black sheet over his clothes. He took a deep breath. The razor turned on, and it glided across the side of his head, leaving a short buzz of hair left. The woman did so to the other side, trimming up the edges as she did so. She turned the razor off, placing it on the table and grabbing the length on top of his head, trimming an inch off with some scissors and then proceeding to spray it with water. She brushed it over to the right, trying to move it up as well. El smiled at him and gave him a thumbs up. The woman spin him around so that he could view himself in the mirror. He looked different, but it was a good different. His brown hair was now in a more messy version of an undercut style, and he liked it. His caramel brown eyes only complemented the new style, as if it accented it. The woman pulled the sheet off, causing some of his hair to fall to the floor. He stood up, getting ready to pay the woman.