Save Yourself | Petekey | Danger Days

Fifteen - Idiots

Pete curled his fingers around the thin pillow beside him and yawned into his shoulder. He was on his side — the same position he had fallen asleep in the night before. Groaning from a tight cramp in his stomach, he rolled onto his back and forced his eyes open. A ray of sun filtered in through the open window and shone directly into his eyes. He debated for a moment calling to Kobra, who was always awake before Pete, to draw the blinds for him, but, after a quick glance through one half-open eye that revealed, in fact, no Kobra beside him, he frowned and stared at the empty space where Kobra should have been. There was still a dent in the mattress where he had lain probably only an hour earlier.

Before Pete could begin to wonder what Kobra was doing (maybe working out outside...), he heard pans crashing against each other and someone groaning. Knotting his eyebrows, Pete pushed himself up and walked to the door to peer out through the crack. But, feeling weird about eavesdropping again, he instead quietly opened the door and walked out.

Sitting around a table and facing away from Pete sat Kobra, with Ghoul and Poison sitting on each side. Kobra's shoulders were hunched, one hand pointing to something on the table and the other clenched in a fist. To his right, Poison was more laid back in his chair, with his hand up to hold his head. He was frowning, tired and uninterested in what Kobra was saying. Across from him, Ghoul propped his arms up on the table and cradled his head. With his hands on his cheeks, he was pulling at the skin around his closed eyes in boredom or annoyance. Kobra gestured wildly and Poison sighed and shook his head, a few strands of red hair falling in front of his face.

"He's still trying to convince them, huh?" Ray said from behind Pete, startling him into a jolt.

"Convince them?" Pete said, staring at the curve of Kobra's shoulders and the way his baggy shirt showed his shoulder blades. There was a scar across one. Maybe, Pete thought, he'd ask Kobra about it later.

"He's got it in that thick head of his to attack."

Pete drew his eyebrows together and stared at Kobra's blond hair. Sleeping on his side made it stick up funny. "What do you mean 'attack?'"

"Better Living. He wants to attack Better Living at their headquarters. Tonight."

~~~

"You're being an idiot!"

Pete watched Kobra through slitted eyes, throwing his arms up as he yelled. He'd been yelling for so long. Man, that guy could yell. You wouldn't be able to guess he had enough lung space. He was so small. He was so... skinny. When did he get that skinny? Kobra clenched his fists tighter and punched the punching bag harder. When he was kidnapped, that's when. When you dragged him into danger with you and then just left him. Idiot.

"How can you just attack!? 'Cause that worked out so well last time, right?"

"I wasn't thinking last time. And besides, now we can plan more. And go in all together. It'll be fine," Kobra had argued earlier. Then Pete just called him an idiot again. Kobra stopped arguing.

They were outside. When Pete first approached Kobra and asked to talk — well, more like demanded — Kobra thought it best to do it outside. Away from prying eyes and listening ears. Plus, the cool air would help him think.

And there was a punching bag outside.

In the time they'd been arguing, Pete had gotten Kobra to wait. "Just don't do it tonight, at least. Please?" He'd sounded so scared...

Kobra just needed to think. That's all. Everything would be fine. The rational part of his brain was telling him to think through the plan again. To refine it so that it was perfect and they'd win.