Project Perses: Redemption

Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

"So, like you trained with the Seals?"  Teddy is asking me as he shovels a Twinkie into his mouth. 

Frankly, I can't believe he's still awake.  It's 3am, and he hasn't stopped talking since the ride in the jeep.   Mitchell had quickly showed him his quarters upon our arrival back at the hanger and then excused himself.  Not that I blamed him, Teddy could be really annoying and frankly, I kind of enjoyed watching his discomfort.  I kept my reservations about the General and this setup to myself, feeling it would be a good idea to play this close to the vest for a while. 

Teddy hadn't mentioned the tension between me and Mitchell so far; instead he had spent exactly three minutes in his own room to check out his space before barging into mine, which is directly across the hall.  He hadn't seemed surprised either by the guard posted at the door, which I found interesting.  "Yeah, they had this plan to teach me how to not go bat shit crazy by controlling this part of my brain, you know, kind of like to train me to handle it."

"You serious?"  He questions, licking his fingers.  "I would have paid to see you level those Bozos that Master Hi guy sent after you...and you did that without your superpowers." Teddy snorts to himself as something dawns on him.  "If you were a part of the General's Special Ops team, it would have made it easier for him to keep an eye on you too."

I nod to him, wondering how much I should tell him.   "Ever sense I was released from the hospital in Virginia, he's had me on a short leash.  I mean, I had the sessions with Dr. Munro, which meant three days a week I had to report to him.  Then I also had physical therapy twice a week.  When I didn't make enough progress, Munro had called in the General and he was there in a heartbeat.  Then there was the whole boot camp thing, which he arranged way too fast for it to not have been preplanned."  I shake my head, feeling really stupid.  "I had accused him of not letting me live a normal life on my own, but as it turns out; I was never really 'on my own'."

"Yeah, and you were never really normal, either.  I mean, face it dude, no matter what junk they pump you with, all that crazy shit is still in there."   His hand waves at me in this up and down motion.  Then he turns his face to the Twinkie box at the end of the bed next to him, suddenly contemplating another loaf of golden goodness.

Jesus, I thought I had an appetite. "You trying to go into a sugar coma?"

After grabbing another package of cellophane wrapped deliciousness, he shrugs.  "They didn't feed me dinner when they kidnapped me and the flight didn't offer food service.   It's been a long time since lunch.  So, when did you lose the bracelet?  I thought they said you couldn't take it off."

I look down at my bare wrist.  "Ah, that's a long story." 

Teddy wobbles his head.  "I'm not going anywhere as long as there's still Twinkies, so spill it. How long before you go all 'Terminator' crazy again?"  The look on my face must be epic, because he swallows really hard and then says, "No offense, Aiden, but the last time I saw you, you tossed my ass into the mini bar and left me there, alone.  I could have been seriously hurt, but you just didn't seem to care.  You didn't seem to care about anything except getting to those people."

I had wondered how long it would be before I'd have to do some serious groveling for what I'd done, for the way I had behaved.  "I didn't mean to hurt you, I wasn't myself."

"Nah, but you did, didn't you?  You scared the shit out of me.  I'd called Vanessa and told her everything afterward, because I was afraid you'd go after her next.  You weren't in your right mind, dude.  I've never seen anything like that and I don't ever want to again. So, if you think that now that the bracelet's off, you're gonna go all loony bin on me again, I'm out."  With that, he shoves the whole Twinkie in his mouth and starts chewing.