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Log 20

William has walked off to bring the wood back to Kristin and Fade, leaving Lux and Asher alone by the river. Lux bent down on his bionic legs and cupped a small amount of water in his hands. He smelled it and took a sip before nodding that it was ok to drink.

"What happened to you, Lux?" Asher asked out of the blue when he saw Lux's robotic calves peaking from him pants. Lux turned back to face him and rolled up his pants to show off more of the pain he had to deal with everyday.
"Axwood happened. You buddies realized that the little Brazilian boy could run so they took them from me." He ran a hand along the jointed knee, never breaking eye contact with Asher.
He looked guilty for what had happened to Lux and what he said next made Lux jump in surprise, "I'm sorry. If I had known, I would have stopped them."

"What do you mean, 'you would have stopped them'?"

"I mean I was one of the guards that took your legs!" Asher stood and yelled. He looked at his childhood friend with a light gloss over his eyes. Asher had always been a bit more of a softy when he was guilty, but Lux thought the military would have changed that.
"Ash, I don't blame you. You didn't do it I saw the face of the bastard as he sawed through my legs. It wasn't you, I know that." Lux stood and put his hand on Asher's shoulder as the brown haired guard looked down to his feet. He dug the row of his boot into the pebbles of the river, still avoiding meeting Lux's emerald eyes.
Lux smiled a devilish smile and slung his smaller framed friend over his shoulders, like he would do while they were in school, and kicked off his boots. "Lux! Put me down! What are you doing?!"

"Going for a swim." Lux smiled as he took off his socks, letting the nerves of his feet feel the smooth rocks worn away from the small tide of the river. Lux started walking into the refreshing, cooling water up to his knees and looked at his thrashing friend, "Lux don't do it! Also what about your legs? Won't they lock up?"

"Eh, they've gone through hell and back with me. I'll be fine. Also I thought you wanted me to put you down?"

"I do. But... oh my SHIT!" Lux had dropped Asher in the cool water before he could finish his sentence. The olive boy surfaced with a smirk across his lips, "That's it!" He yelled and splashed Lux.

The boyhood friends splashed around in the water as if the years apart were never lost. They joked around until Will, Able, Kristin, and Fade came looking for them.
"What are you doing?" Will asked as the pair got out of the water and started wringing out their sopping clothes. "Lux threw me in." Rushed Asher as he fixes his collar. The others laughed and sat on the natural benches made from the logs that were laying on the sands, as if they were waiting for these teenagers to find them.
Fade sat on the ground trying start a fire with the lighter and the wood Will had gathered. Will pulled out his officer's gun and shot down a few ducks that were flying over head.
With the help of Kristin, Lux, and Asher they cleaned the ducks just in time to be thrown into the fire that Fade had started. "Here, we can use these sticks to roast them over the fire." Fade draped the duck meat of the stick and rested it over the fire to cook.

     "You sure do know a lot about this place and where things are. How do you know so much?" Able asked as he sat down next to Kris and put his hand on her knee. Not thinking anything was wrong with that, Lux sat next Asher and Will on the log across from them.

      "I lived on the streets for 2 years after my parents died. I set this camp up for my brother and I. Then there were a few other people showed up and boom, I have this stuff," He paused and turned to Able, "And Yes, I stole everything." He smirked as Able looked offended at his confession of theft.

"Speaking of... Fade where is your brother?" Lux asked looking around. Suddenly, Fade broke the stick he was using to stir the fire. He bit his lip as Kristin tried to divert the conversation away from Fade. She stuttered trying to find words to help Fade, who looked like he was going to burst from how long he was holding his breath.
     "It's fine Snips, if we are going to be a group then I should tell everyone. Lux he died. He was sick and that's what killed him." Fade looked up to the rest, thinking he'd receive pity. Yet instead he was met with compassionate eyes that were accompanied with smiles. Everyone told him that he wasn't alone and if he needed to talk, they were there.
      "Fade, we lost our sister to leukemia before we moved up here. It's hard to find closure when you lose a sibling. I can't, personally, imagine losing a younger sibling. It was hard enough losing my younger twin." Will spoke up as he elbowed Lux, who growled and glared, in the side.
     "You're only older by twenty minutes." Lux mumbled as Will continued to poke him. The twins poked, pushed, and shoved until Asher stepped in and told them to knock it off, witch made the twins shove him off the bench.
     Kristin laughed and helped Fade hand out the food before she sat back down and took a bite. Her palette was used to the cooking of a world class chef and Horus, who thinks he can cook, so when the fire roasted duck touched her lips it was heavens. She took another bite as her eyes lit up, making everyone feel better as they laughed at her satisfaction.