Hurricane // Danger Days (Book 2)

10.

Storm's communicator beeped in the middle of their Neon Ghostslingers 3 marathon.

"Hold on, I'm getting a call," he said, putting down his controller. "Pause it." He pressed a button to answer the call. "Hey."

"Stormy! What's up?"

"Hi Al," Storm smiled.

"You're with MARS, right?"

"Yeah."

"How hungover are you right now?"

He laughed. "It's pretty bad."

"I figured," Alien laughed through the speaker. "So, you comin' back to the Nest anytime soon?"

Storm prepared to respond, but he heard muttering in the background that sounded a bit like arguing. "I'm not sure," he said hesitantly, "I don't think Revolution wants me there."

"They don't," Alien confessed. "But I do. I need you!"

Storm sighed. "Okay," he said. "I'll get a ride from these guys."

"Coolness! See ya soon, my dude!"

🌩

Alien cancelled the call, and received a dirty look from Revolution.

"Ya know, Storm has to come back here at some point," Alien told her friend reluctantly as they ate their breakfast.

"Well then, I'll leave," they replied nonchalantly. "I don't wanna see his sorry ass ever again."

"Where'll you go?"

"To Killer's, probably."

"Dude, you just got back!" Alien complained. "I didn't see you for a year, then you just disappear again? Just because of what Storm said when he was drunk?"

"Are you defending him?" Revolution raised their eyebrows.

"No, no," Alien denied, "I just don't want to lose you again."

There was a pause.

"See," Alien elaborated, "when you left, I thought I would be fine, 'cause you would come back after a month and we'd be a trio again, but then the stuff with Ven happened, and I missed you! A ton! I generally don't agree with Storm's opinion on you, but there is one thing I agree with: where were you, Rev? I needed you more than anything, and you just disappeared until now, when it's too late!"

"We can still see each other," Revolution said, "he just can't be there."

"Fine then," Alien sighed. "We should make up for last night. Are Palaye playing anywhere else?"

"They're opening for Mad Gear in a couple days, actually," Revolution said, a smile slowly creeping onto her face.

"Awesome!" Alien said, smiling, but still a bit sad. "Pack your shit if you're gonna leave. Storm'll be here soon."

🌩

Sunset awoke to a knock on the door of the infirmary, where Val had insisted she sleep.

"Hey," Val opened the door and peeked in. "You awake?"

"I am now," she said, sitting up.

"You alright?" He sat down next to her on the cot she sat on.

"Yeah, much better." She sighed. "Sorry you had to see that."

"No, no," Val shook his head. "It's alright. It happens to the best of us."

"I suppose you want to know what the hell I was talking about."

"It's okay if you don't want to talk about it."

"No, it's fine." She took a deep breath. "Two years ago, my brother and I escaped the city. But we only got out because of Alien and her boyfriend. His name was Violent Vendetta. Those two were as in love as any couple could be, you know. Anyways, fast forward a couple of weeks, and Storm, Alien, and the Fab Four were out at a concert, and Ven and I were alone. I had been building up a crush on him, it's bad I know, and I kissed him. Alien walked in on it, then she ran off. But then she got captured by BLI. Ven and I and a bunch of other people went in to rescue her, and we did, but he got shot on the way out and he died." She paused for a moment and took a breath. "That was my fault. Then it gets worse. The Four went out to report everything to Dr. Death Defying, but on the way the Girl got captured. The Four went back for her, and..." her voice cracked, "they all died too." She forced herself not to cry. "You can see how this is all my fault."

Val put his arm around Sunset's shoulders. "No, it's not," he told her, believing it. "You had no idea that BLI would capture Alien, or the Girl. It wasn't your fault that BLI thought it was okay to kill them. It's all BLI."

"I hate them," Sunset said, leaning into Val.

"Me too," he said.

"Hey, Val?"

"What's up, Sun?"

"Thanks for being here for me."

"I'll always be here for you. We're friends, aren't we?"

"I'd even say best friends." Sunset smiled.

"Yeah. Definitely." Val was extremely happy. He really liked Sunset, and was glad to help her.

🌩

Storm got back to the Nest about an hour later. Alien was waiting for him.

"Morning, Sunshine," she smiled at him.

"Hi," he said, his head still pounding. "Is Revolution here?"

"Nah, they left."

"Where's Sunset?"

"In the infirmary," Alien said. "She had an anxiety attack yesterday, but Val seems to be handling it."

"Val?" Storm said, eyebrows furrowing. "As in Velocity?"

Alien nodded.

"Oh no," Storm cursed. "Sunset can't be making friends with that jackass."

"She is." Alien ran a hand through her hair. "He honestly doesn't seem like such a bad guy when you know that he stayed with her during an anxiety attack and comforted her. A total asshole would have just left her."

Storm sighed. "I don't know, Al, I just don't trust that guy—"

"Of course you don't, Storm," Alien interrupted. "You don't seem to trust anyone these days. You've made too many enemies for yourself. I'm starting to question whether you even trust me or not."

"Of course I trust you!" Storm denied.

"Then why don't you have faith in my trust?" Alien shouted back. "I trust Rev with my life, Storm! And you just assume that they're untrustworthy because they spent some time with their family?"

"I'm sorry, Al," Storm said, trying to stay calm, "but you tend to give too many second chances. You throw your trust at everyone that comes your way that isn't explicitly mean to you. Even Sunset and I! When we met, you didn't question it when I said we weren't BLI! Only Ven did—"

"Don't bring Ven into this." Alien said firmly. "Storm, listen. I don't want to argue with you. You're my friend, I like you. And yeah, I do tend to do that. But it's because I have faith. I believe that Val has the ability to be a good person, and he has been, so far! Yeah, his political beliefs might not match mine, but he hasn't shown any evidence of being a bad person. If he hurts Sunset, I give you full permission to not trust him. But right now? I advise you to not have a stick up your ass."

Storm was lacking anything to say to that. He realized that she was right. He couldn't go on not trusting every new person he met.

So he opened his arms and wrapped them around Alien's shoulders. She stiffened for a moment, then accepted the hug.

"I'm sorry, Al," he said softly.

"Me too," Alien said into Storm's denim vest.