Mister Nobody

Chapter 22

Pushing the car off the side of the dirt road, Jack watched as the car rolled into the ditch, crashing and rending itself useless as it fell to its side. Turning around, he walked past Alison without looking at her. "I noticed that there was an overpass a few miles back. We can hide out under there." Continuing to walk, he noticed that Alison wasn't talking to him, and he honestly didn't care. He'd have a few choice words to say to her soon, and she would listen whether she wanted to or not. The two of them made it to the overpass a few minutes later, seeing a few homeless people sitting underneath it. One of them was looking at them with a surly scowl. "This place is taken, asshole." Drawing his gun, Jack no longer cared about being polite. "Now it's not. Get out." The hobo's eyes widened, and he nodded, quickly walking out along with his friends. Sitting on the rags and blankets that they'd left, Jack warmed himself up by the fire they'd lit inside of a barrel. Placing their bags beside them, Alison sat down next to Jack, her arms on the top of her knees, looking down. Leaning back against the wall, Jack finally spoke his mind. "So, is that how you're such good friends with arms dealers? You sell them Ozone?" Alison turned to him with a bit of anger in her eyes. "I did what I had to do to get out of there, Jack. Besides, Randall's too stupid to try and use that to his advantage." Looking back at her, Jack was slightly ticked off. "You know, I'm tired of people telling me how things are. My life, your reasoning for selling Ozone, how I'm a trained killer. For once, I want to actually say how things are. Like you, for instance. Are you my friend, or just someone who's using me?"

Scoffing, Alison shook her head. "Christ...you're not actually buying into what Ralston's saying, right? You know he can't be trusted." Jack sighed. "No, you were the one who said he can't be trusted. I don't even know the guy. Hell, I don't even know who I am! I don't know you, or anybody. The only reason I'm here is because so far, you're the only person I've met who hasn't shot at me or tried to kill me! Directly at least." He grumbled as he turned away from her. There was silence between the two of them for a moment. Finally, Alison spoke up. "You're right, Jack. You can't trust me. Just like I told you back in New York. But what I didn't tell you was that there's another reason I chose you." Looking back at her, Jack frowned. "What do you mean?" Alison brushed some of her hair back behind her ear. "I was...different, from the rest of the other people taken by Castling. My brain chemistry didn't respond as well to Ozone. I could still lose my memory, but I would always question the orders given to me, find a way to disobey them. I would always break curfew, or talk to others when I wasn't supposed to. That was how you and I got to know each other." Jack looked at her with renewed curiosity. "You were one of the only ones to listen to me. We talked about...everything. What life was like outside of the program. Where our real parents were. Why we were here." Jack frowned, then sighed. "No. I'm not buying into this again. I've had enough of stories I can't remember." Reaching into her pocket, Alison pulled out a syringe of Ozone. "Then take this and see for yourself."

Looking at the syringe, Jack hesitated. He was about to brush it off, when he decided there was no harm in trying it again. Taking the syringe out of her hand, he held out his arm and pulled his sleeve up, exposing his vein. Breathing out, he stuck the needle into his arm, wincing at the pain, then sighing at the rush of adrenaline that came with the injection. He could feel his brain tingling as the Ozone went into his body. Suddenly, he flashed back to another memory. He was sitting on a bed in a small room, with only a single window and nothing on the walls. He heard the door open, and turned to see the younger version of Alison walk inside and close the door quietly. As she sat on the edge of the bed next to him, he could hear her talking to him. "What do you think they're training us for?" He heard himself talk. "Maybe we're gonna be superheroes or something." Alison looked out through the window at the night sky. "Whatever it is...I hope we get to see our parents again..." Suddenly, he flashed back to the present, panting slightly as Alison looked at him. Turning to her, he looked down. "I remember...we were friends." Nodding, Alison had a hint of a smile on her face. "Told you." Jack crossed his legs and held his ankles. "Alright...if you really think that we're doing the right thing by stopping Castling...then I'll help you. It's too late to turn back now anyways." Alison smiled. "Thank you, Jack." Looking at her watch, she motioned to the blankets. "We should get some sleep. It's a long drive to Washington, and we're gonna need a new ride in the morning." Jack nodded and laid down, sighing as he closed his eyes, his body seeming now more at ease since he had a goal for the first time in days.