VR Troopers: When Worlds Collide

The Fate of Steele Labs

At a local gymnasium, Ryan spent the next morning jabbing to a free standing punching bag. With a series of left and right hooks, he continued to train while simultaneously equipped with his red training gloves. Traces of sweat swelled throughout his body. The more intense he became, the more exhausted he would become. J.B approached the mat taking this moment to check up on his friend.

"Well would you take a look at that intensity," said J.B. "All joking aside, you should conserve some of that energy for our sparring later."

The instant he overheard the sound of his voice, Ryan's training came to a screeching halt.

"There is so much fire within me I can't help it," Ryan confessed as he turned his focus on J.B. "Thank you for allowing me to crash in for the night. This is what happens when you don't pay your bills on time. Next thing you know the landlord kicks you out of your home."

J.B responded in a serious tone. "Other than some of your clothes you brought from your trunk, did they happen to toss out all of your personal belongings?"

Ryan replied. "Luckily, even though I got evicted, I managed to keep my family frame intact. I don't know how they thought of leaving it behind, but I guess they must have realized how meaningful of a valuable it had to be."

"Well that's a relief," said J.B with the belief that there had to been a silver lining in the matter. "I can honestly say you've been through far enough. Just don't let all of that anxiety get the better of you."

"It's not that easy when you lose someone close in your life," Ryan pointed out.

"Have you thought about moving back in with your mother?" J.B asked.

"We discussed about that for a little bit," Ryan informed. "I've also been trying to look at other apartments around the area but so far nothing."

"I feel you," J.B empathized. "When I was attending college, it was hard for me to live inside a rusty and cramped condo. Even as cheap of a rent it was, I had a rough time adapting. The rooms were filthy, leaked water pipes from the restroom I couldn't fix, and a stove that doesn't light up whenever I'm trying to cook some food. It just got to a point where it felt impossible for me to live there. So I moved back in with my parents."

Ryan began to take in a sense of shared feeling. It was that range of emotion in which he seemed intrigued to learn more about his companion's structure of independent living.

"Have you tried other places? Perhaps finding a townhouse that you thought about scoping for?" He asked.

"Living in a town house is far too costly. I looked at another apartment close by and it was just an uncomfortable experience as the previous," J.B told him.

"What do you suppose my next course of action should be? Do you think I start packing up and move back in with my mother?" He intended to clarify.

"There is nothing embarrassing to have a grown adult live at their parents' place," said J.B. "The economy is nothing like it has been in the past. No matter which age we're at in our adulthood, we're all going to support each other one way or the other. It's up for you to decide which path will be beneficial in the long haul."

Ryan removed his gloves placing them on a bench next to his Gatorade bottle.

"Thanks bro. Now that you mention it, I could sure use guidance from Tao," he said taking a sip of orange Gatorade in replenishing his stamina.

"How far have you gotten in your dad's journal?" J.B wondered.

"I've only read through a few pages before I slept," he told him. "I know his job was strenuous but I never thought how much dedication he poured out to the project. The last couple of months before the incident, he would be working overtime to make sure the suits were functioning properly. Every time Mom and I planned to have family dinner, he would come up with some excuse to opt out of our get together. Sometimes I wonder if his work somehow alienated the both of us."