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SCALES AND SCARS chapter 2

Marcus arrived at work punctual and headed over to the welding area. He saw the project he had been working on before the weekend, an exhaust manifold, it still sat on the table. still held in the clamps from the week before. He let out a sigh as he picked up the spec sheets and placed them on an empty section of the welding table. Marcus then put on an old flight suit given to him by a friend in the airforce, which he used for welding since it provided decent coverage for his skin from arc flashes that could cause damage.

As part of his morning routine, Marcus cleared any slag from the table and smoothed out any bumps. He then prepared his welder, which included reshaping the tungsten rod and a double-check of the gas lines. These were all small tasks that prevented careless mistakes, something that comes with experience.

Dan strolled over and leaned against one of the metal poles the held up fiberglass sheets used as a barrier for onlookers. The gruff former Marine lieutenant gave Marcus a once-over and nodded his head.

"Let me guess, only got an hour of sleep?" Dan asked, which elicited an exasperated sigh from Marcus.

"Look...Dan...I don't have control over when the dreams come," Marcus replied with a hint of irritation. "And it was three hours, thank you," he stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

This response earned another snort from Dan, who tapped his finger against the metal rod, which produced a faint metallic ring as it vibrated against its concrete anchors. "Listen to that old head shrink doctor; you need to get out more. As you young guys say, 'touch grass'," Dan said with a chuckle at his own joke.

"Gramps, you've been scrolling through social media again, haven't you?" Marcus remarked more as a statement than a question. Despite treating Dan like an elderly man, Dan was in fact only in his early sixties, but had lived a tough life. Military service and years of work as a tradesman before opening his own shop had taken its toll on the older man.

Dan shrugged and smiled. "Just trying to keep up with these crazy times," he said with a wide grin and a happy chuckle, before he became more serious and crossing his arms.

"After you finish this job, I want you to work on the impellers for that robotics company. I want them to be blown away by how precise our tolerances are," Dan continued. Before Marcus could respond "But, only eight-hour days. I want you well-rested, not exhausted and messing up expensive materials. You're one of the best when you're alert, but not when you're half-dead."

Marcus nodded and put on his welding hood, and tightened the head strap with a few twists. "You got it, old man. Anything else?"

Dan grinned again. "Find yourself a girlfriend."

Marcus flipped off Dan as the old man left, causing Dan to chuckle, walking with an odd gate from the prosthetic leg he struggled with, Marcus appreciated Dan's care and concern for him. As a fellow military veteran who had lost a limb, Dan understood the challenges and emotional baggage that came with combat injury and loss. The old man had seen his own fare share of hell.

Dan's persistence in simply caring about Marcus was something Marcus respected in the old man, even when he was making mistakes Dan would still help him. As he settled into his welding chair and began work on the manifold, Marcus lost track of time, finding solace in the repetitive and precise task. It was a therapeutic art form that allowed him to block out any haunting memories from his past.

Technique, positioning, and skill kept the mind to busy to think of anything but work, watching a welding puddle shift along a seem binding two pieces of metal together.

When Dan knocked on one of the metal posts to signal lunchtime, Marc flipped his hood up frowned. “you know I don't normally take a lunch?"

Dan nodded his head and shrugged, “there's this new fancy Asian place, sounds pretty good"

Marcus looked between his work and Dan, “do I get a choice?"

Dan shook his head and smiled “Not one bit, so come on now pitter patter"

Marc sighed and pulled off his grim covered flight suit turned welding overalls, and pulled his hoodie back on before running to catch up top Dan who was already getting in his old ford pick up. The carbureted engine grumbling to life in a steady roar before dying to the throaty hum. Marc hopped into the passenger seat and closed the door with a resounding thunk of solid steel construction.

“old betty still runs I see" Marc mused as Dan pulled out of the shops parking lot and merged with the busy city traffic.

“you bet she does, she'll keep running long after me, trucks like her aren't around these days anymore." Dan said with a happy smile and put the old girl in drive. The truck grumbling off as the throaty rumble turned to a gentle roar.

Dan spoke without looking at Marcus. “so, how's it going with the shrink?"

Marcus simply shrugged looking straight ahead watching cars and pedestrians walking sidewalks.

“It's okay, she tries to help." he said flatley “keeps telling me I need more friends, to trust people."

The old man grunted “so to touch grass?"

Which only prompted an eye roll from Marcus. “still too much youtube for you old man"

Which only got a laugh from Dan, as they drove. Despite the busy lunchtime traffic, they arrived at dragon town in a short amount of time. This was an area primarily inhabited by dragons, who had no use for cars. So, the roads were only really used by the few humans who lived among them and for delivery of food and goods.

Dan stepped out of the old truck, slamming the heavy door shut with a loud thud. Marcus scanned their surroundings before turning to Dan. "When did you start coming here for food?"

Dan snorted in response. "Good food is good food."

Marcus laughed and nodded. "Can't argue with that. Lead the way, old man."

Rolling his eyes, Dan led them through a large entrance and into a noodle bar/restaurant.

"Hey Kori, I brought in a new customer!" Dan called out, and Marc stopped a few steps behind him. The black-scaled ness with vibrant blue markings perked up from the cash register as she saw them enter.

"Oh hi Danny, back for another visit? And you brought jogger boy with you," she greeted them as Dan made his way to the bar and Marcus followed closely behind, after he regained his composer and he realized where he was.

"You two know each other?" Marc asked as he settled into a seat next to Dan.

"Oh yes, we've met," Kori replied with a wide grin, causing Dan to shoot an accusatory glance at Marcus.

"Since when did you start going to drake land to find girls?" the old man teased, Which earned himself an elbow to the side from Marcus.

"I am not looking for a ness to talk to!" Marcus retorted, and immediately regretted it as Kori spoke up in a soft voice.

"Oh? And why not? Are we not good enough for you?" she said, as she tried her best to keep a straight face and make Marcus think she was serious.

"Yeah Marcus, is this fine princess of a ness not good enough for you? Can't she lend her ear to you? Or are they somehow inferior compared to a human girl's ear?" Dan chimed in, ganging up on Marcus.

Marcus opened his mouth, then closed it again before turning away to look at the menu. He didn't want to play this game any longer.

Dan chuckled. "Looks like you've rendered the poor lad speechless, Korinthia. I'll have my usual."

"I'll have the army stew," Marcus added before Kori turned away to write down their orders with a smile. As she headed back into the kitchen to work on their meals, Marcus swiveled in his seat and glared at Dan.

"That was mean, man. Making me out to be some Delta hater," he said, as he poked a finger at the old man's chest. But Dan only smiled back in a way that suggested he knew more than Marcus.

"What's with that look?" Marcus asked, he narrowed his eyes as he tried to tell what the old man was thinking.

"Oh, nothing. Just that you completely missed the fact that she was teasing you, just like I was," Dan replied as he crossed his arms. "And if you keep poking me, I might have to plead elder abuse and let that fine ness take care of a big bully like you."

Marcus let out a frustrated groan, feeling foolish for having his social skills questioned by the old man. It had been so long since he had just talked to people outside of work. Kori was perched on her haunches, cooking on a stove while two others Nesses in the kitchen worked and watched, grinning at the two men's argument.

"Oh, now you're gonna make me do your dirty work, Dan?" teased Kori with a giggle. The old man playfully elbowed Marcus, who rolled his eyes and smiled.

"I think I can handle him just fine by myself, dear," replied the old man with a grin. The Ness winked at Marcus and said, "I don't know...a big, muscular guy like him? My money's on him." She added with a twinkle in her blue eyes, "Scars are always a sign of someone who fights for what they want among us dragons."

The Ness scooped up noodles with two ladles and flicked off the excess water in quick movements before placing them into bowls with oil and broth. She brought the bowls over and set them in front of the men. As she did so, she asked Marcus with curiosity, "Speaking of scars...how did a handsome young man like yourself get those?"

Marcus froze as he struggled to separate his chopsticks. His heart raced and his blood pressure rose at the question. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before he responded flatly, "That's none of your business." He focused on the bowl of ramen in front of him, trying to push down the anger that was suddenly rose within him. The black and blue Ness didn't press any further, perhaps sensing his discomfort he didn't know but he just forced himself to focus on the chopsticks. He could barely register Dan's subtle gesture towards the Ness before taking a bite of the delicious ramen in front of him.

—----

Korinthia was taken aback by the cold, icy reply from the human. He had seemed perfectly fine until she asked her question, which seemed to have ignited something in him. She could sense his blood pressure rise and see a vein bulge in his neck before he took a deep breath. Before she could say anything, Dan stopped her with a hand gesture and she retreated back to the kitchen to continue cooking.

The two men ate in silence and a few minutes later, Marcus left money on the counter. Korinthia noticed that he had left more than what was needed for his meal. She went to call out to him but Dan smacked the table to get her attention and gave her a stern look. "Just let him go. I know you didn't mean any harm. But he's like me in many ways...not just physically," he gestured towards his legs, or leg rather. Korinthia nodded in understanding as she picked up the extra money and tucked it away under the counter.

"I had no idea..." she trailed off, feeling guilty for being rude.

"All I know is that he was injured in combat and an old army friend sent him to my shop for me to keep an eye on him." Dan sighed and also left a generous tip. "Compensation for the stress we broken souls cause, dear," he explained with a slight tip of his imaginary hat before he left the shop. Korinthia opened the register and put the money inside with a sigh.

Her business partner and close friend, Eilidh, spoke up from behind her. "Next time he comes in, you should apologize," she suggested with concern in her voice. Korinthia nodded in agreement, mentally berating herself for having asked such a personal question without thinking. It was not only rude but also none of her business. "If there even is a next time," she muttered under her breath, feeling regretful. The quiet and reserved man with sad green eyes had piqued her curiosity, and she couldn't help but wonder what was behind his tough exterior. But now, she may have scared him away with her nosiness. "Great job, Kori," she scolded herself before she returned to work.

–

As the door to the truck opened and Dan climbed in, Marc felt the vehicle rock. The old man didn't say anything, just started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot onto the road.

"You could have handled that better," Dan finally spoke up after an uncomfortable silence.

"It wasn't any of her business asking about it," Marc replied while he watched the scenery pass.

Dan let out a sigh, as if dealing with a child who couldn't understand something simple. "She wasn't asking about IT, she doesn't know what IT is. No one knows what IT is because you never talk to anyone about IT," he said with exasperation evident in his voice.

The old man didn't get a response and they finished the rest of the ride in silence until they returned to the shop. Marc was to open his door and escape his manager's persistent nagging. He retreated to the back of the shop where the CNC machines were located.

He focused on assembling fixtures to hold the raw stock for the impellers they were making. A small voice nagged at him, it chipped away at the walls he had built over the past year. It told him he should apologize next time he saw her.

But that opportunity didn't come for another three days or ten - Marc had stopped keeping track. Every time Dan asked him to go to lunch, Marc simply said "no" without looking up from his work. Today, he held a metal scale next to a cutting tool, so he could measure their length and input data in the machine.

Although Dan pushed him often and tried to get him to open up, he also knew when to let things go and run their course. The older man nodded and left Marc to his work.

Marc fired up a machine and the sound of metal grinding filled the shop as he worked on processing the final impellers. Each one required a final pass for surface finish and to correct the thickness of the spiral blades. Their Mill-turn machine could handle all of these tasks.

The way he reacted when asked about his scars made him feel guilty. He knew that people only saw the scars on the outside - the ones on his neck and face mostly. They couldn't see the ones hidden by his shirt or the ones that couldn't be seen at all. Those were the ones that hurt the most, with their red blood running on the inside.

He spent the rest of the day working through the final processing of the impellers, lost in thought as he watched the machine do its work.

He let out a deep sigh and glanced up from his work, to check the clock on the wall. It was getting late, but he still had two more hours of machine turning to do. He decided it was time for a quick smoke break; the CNC machines were well-maintained and he had double-checked all the necessary measurements. he felt one of his breast pockets for his lighter and pack of cigarettes in his old flight suit, he confirmed they were there before he gave a final check of the readouts on the machine.

He opened one of the bay doors, he stepped out into the cool night air. Dan must have left without saying goodbye, as he was now alone in the shop. But that was a common occurrence, as Dan trusted him to close up. The parking lot was empty and the sounds of the nearby highway had died down. It was still early in the night, so he could hear music playing in the distance and the faint sounds of cars as they passed bye in the distance.

He took an old faded zippo out of his chest pocket, he flipped it through his fingers before he opened it with a satisfying metallic click. As he lit his cigarette and took a drag, he looked up at the sky and thought about how back home, you could always see the stars at night. It was a beautiful sight that he often found himself lost in. But then again, he also needed to stop distracting himself and apologize for earlier.

"Damn...I could have handled that more politely," he muttered to himself, and leaned back against the doorway so he could still hear the lathe running while being outside. It was Friday and this was the last impeller he needed to finish up, he wouldn't be able to make it the noodle shop to make amends tonight. He couldn't leave while the machine was still working.

He let out a sigh and tossed the half-smoked stub onto the ground, and extinguished it with his work boot. He returned inside, and began to set up the remaining three impellers on the shelf for finished products, with a cart padded with foam in front of him. He took a moment to double-check their measurements with calipers before moving on to the next one. Suddenly, a feminine voice cleared their throat behind him and politely said "excuse me."

Marc, startled, dropped the expensive part onto the dolly, which luckily had foam lining. The calipers weren't so fortunate as they were swatted by a clumsy hand and went skittering behind him. He chased after them, only to see them get stuck under a black paw. Frozen, he was crouched in a mid-lunge position with his hand just inches above the paw. Looking up, he found himself staring into a pair of piercing blue eyes with slitted pupils. His green eyes blinked as his brain slowly registered what had happened, Once he realized he was inches from a dragons snout. HE jumped back and accidentally hit the lathe, triggering the emergency stop with his head. Which left a nice bump on his head as the machine slowed down behind him making it easier to hear.

"Ow ow ow, that hurt! How did you even manage to get in here?" He asked, as he recognized the Ness who had sneaked in to the shop. Kori had lifted her paw to take a step forward when he had suddenly jumped back and bumped his head on the machinery. She lowered her paw, assuming he preferred some distance between them. The Ness looked away sheepishly and glanced towards the still-open bay door. Marc sighed, rubbing the lump forming on his head, and pulled the emergency stop lever, allowing the machine to resume its work.

"Next time, just call out," he advised as he gathered up the calipers and checked on the part before placing it into a foam-filled box with cutouts for each impeller. "How did you know anyone would be here?" He asked, leaning against a non-button covered area of the machine. "Well... umm... Dan mentioned that you might be here late," she replied nervously, avoiding eye contact as she fidgeted with her paws. Her talons were painted a deep blue, matching her eyes and wing fingers. Diagonal streaks in a rich, dark blue ran along her flanks and ended at the sides of her black chest scutes. "That checks out," Marc said knowingly, he knew it was just like Dan to share that information and possibly say some words to convince her to come to the shop.

He let out a deep sigh and turned away from her, and pretended to focus on the digital readout of the X, Y measurements. "I'm sorry," he finally said, his voice strained. "I overreacted. It was just an innocent question, and I could have handled it better or told the truth instead of snapping at you."

He couldn't bring himself to look at her, overwhelmed with guilt. Then he felt a warm, scaly head nudge against his side.

"Thank you, but I should also apologize for asking such a rude question," she spoke softly, still pressed against his side. He heard her sniffle and he gently placed his hand on top of her head, like he used to do for an old friend.

"No... My therapist says I need to talk to someone about it," he muttered, still fixated on the X, Y axis readings. Slowly, her head moved away from him and after a moment, he looked over at her. Kori was sat with her tail curled around her paws, her blue eye watched him intently.

Marc bit his lip and glanced back at the machine before nodding resolutely. "Fine, I'll tell you what happened. Let me grab a water and we can find a place to sit."

He said slipping past her and walking over to a minifridge They kept near the offices, and he pulled his welding chair over next to the bay door. Sitting down, and watching the dragoness sit across from him.

"I'll tell you how I got these scars, but there are plenty more under my shirt that you can't see. The ones on my neck and cheek are just the beginning." He lifted the side of his shirt to reveal a few surgery scars mixed with shrapnel wounds.

Kori's eyes widened as she took in the scars, but he held out a hand to stop her from asking questions. "I'll explain."

"It was two years ago in Iraq. We were on our way to raid an insurgent safe house, working closely with Iraqi army soldiers. We were training them and giving them intel. Our convoy consisted of four humvees and one Iraqi humvee in the lead."

Marc shifted uncomfortably before he continued. "We were in the green zone, which is supposed to be a safer area patrolled by ISAF forces - joint American, NATO, and Iraqi forces."

"I was watching for any suspicious activity when I saw a man with a phone. Before I could call it out, the Iraqi humvee suddenly stopped and their gunner started shooting at the humvee in front of us. My humvee was third in line, if you included the Iraqi one that had been in lead."

"The Marines in the first humvee were killed almost instantly. they tried to reverse away from the gunfire, but they we ended up ramming into us before could move. We open our doors and we started firing back while insurgents fired from rooftops and windows."

As Marc spoke, Kori listened intently and gave him her undivided attention - just what he needed at that moment.

“One of our team members, Helena, was a Delta and the platoon's medic. She was responsible for treating not only us humans, but also dragons. Despite witnessing numerous Platoonmates return from raids in critical condition and even experiencing the loss of one in her arms, she remained kind and compassionate to the rest of us." he said sadly

On this particular day, she argued to be stationed nearby rather than at the base, insisting that she could radio in enemy movements and provide aid as soon as we were clear. However, she was given strict orders to only observe and not engage. When a humvee carrying her unit She couldn't just sit back and watch, god she was like a force of nature when she was mad" he said with a dark chuckle remembering past times that Insurgents had made the unlucky mistake of pissing her off.

His lips curled slightly upward as he continued, "She slammed down on the humvee's roof, crushing their gunner and caused the roof humvee's to crumple. The other four soldiers scattered in a panic, but without the heavy machine gun holding us back, we were able to take them all out."

The man's smile disappeared as quick as it appeared, and tears streamed down his cheeks. "She attempted to take flight again, and right before she could, they shot at her with a fragmentation round... It wasn't a direct hit, but the damage was fatal... I can still see her being tossed aside like a rag doll. She may have been strong, but when she landed on the ground out of cover, in the open. she looked fragile... dying in the open road."

With balled up fists and trembling, he took a deep breath “I ran towards her, ignoring the danger of being in the open. My sergeant was yelling at me to take cover, but I couldn't leave her lying there alone. The sound of bullets striking dirt and concrete filled the air around me as I tried to provide battlefield triage while under fire." he said painting the scene vividly in his mind.

“Within a short time, a Quick Reaction Force arrived at our location in the green zone. As I tended to her injuries, I also had to shoot at windows to defend ourselves from the insurgents above us. Shortly after the QRF came, attack helicopters appeared overhead and our medical corpsman was rushing towards us. I remember being so relived seeing him thinking, maybe just maybe she could live. shed never fly, but at least she'd be alive. That's when it happened." Kori noticed Marcus pause for a moment, trying to gather his thoughts before his voice turned more emotional. "The improvised explosive devices went off... Sometimes those guys were stupid with placement, but this time they were lucky."

He took in a sharp breath, "It wasn't our lucky day, Helena and I were thrown together as the explosive devices they had set in the road were delayed and poorly rigged. Instead of going off at once, they exploded in sporadic patterns. In a desperate move, she grabbed me with her jaws and hurled me through a nearby shop window, 30 feet, like a Skyball player making the winning shot. She...she didn't make it out alive, along with everyone else on that street that day..."

Marcus collapsed in on himself, as he released a weight he had carried for too long. He sobbed uncontrollably "Why me... Why am I the one who survived?"

Kori stood up and approached Marcus. She wrapped her forelegs around him and extended a wing over his smaller frame. She could feel his body shaking against her chest scales as she gently hummed in a soothing, almost motherly manner, while she rubbed his back.

"Why did I have to be the one to live?" Marcus cried out, as he let out all the pent up frustration, anger, and sadness.

It hurt her to hear him express that thought out loud. She leaned down and nuzzled her head against his gently, a gesture that Helena use to do in moments of sadness, homesickness, or frustration over the loss of their Platoonmate. Kori had replicated it unknowingly but the familiar feeling calmed the man.

“She wanted you to come home too... Sounds like she would do anything for her her friends, and she did everything she could on that day." Kori spoke softly, using a paw to rub his back and keep him close like a sad hatchling.

The two stayed intertwined until the sound of the lathe stopped, the whine descended into silence as it turned off. A green light flashing above it indicated it had finished its task.

“Do you need to attend to that?" Kori asked softly, her words ruffled his short hair. Marc shook his head and croaked out, “No...not right away."

She enveloped him in her wings, creating a barrier from the outside world. She knew he needed this moment to himself. As he sniveled, she gazed around the shop and eventually broke the silence.

"I'll stay and assist with tidying up, if you'd like," she offered while unraveling herself from him and the chair. Marcus took a deep breath and nodded before responding with a quiet "okay."

The ex-Marine stood up and walked towards the machine, carefully removing the part from the chuck and inspected its final measurements. Once satisfied, he placed it in the designated foam slots within the box and pushed it over to the section for finished parts. Then, he turned off the air compressor and closed all the lines to prepare for shutting down operations. As Kori turned off all the office lights and secured the doors, she slipped out through the bay door. Marc then shut off the shop lights and closed the bay door, completing there final lock-up routine before setting the alarms for the night.

As he stepped out, she gestured with her paw and said, "Come on, I'll walk you home." Marcus chuckled darkly. "Are you trying to make sure I don't take a detour to the nearest bridge? Or do you just prefer your humans vulnerable?" He teased her, and she responded by shoving him with her paw. Her expression turned serious as she growled, "Don't joke about that!" Marc quickly raised his hands in apology. "Sorry, sorry. Just some graveyard humor."

The Ness gave him a skeptical side glance and let out a frustrated sigh. "You better not be playing around with me, I can't handle you breaking down and then going silent," she said, mimicking the sound of a flatline. This made Marcus chuckle and shake his head. "No, no, it might sound strange, but...I actually feel much better now. Talking about it helped a lot, especially to someone who isn't a therapist."

As they strolled through the city together, Kori grinned at him. "I'm glad to hear that. I was worried you might become even more depressed thinking about it." Marcus gazed up at the sky as they walked down the street. "Well, in the beginning, I definitely felt that way. But now, it's almost like closure," he shared thoughtfully.

The two of them walked together in comfortable silence for some time. Suddenly, the ness nudged him with her snout, which broke his stride.

"Hmm?" he murmured, and raised an eyebrow. She chuckled and asked, "What are your plans for the weekend?"

He tilted his head and replied, "Nothing, we don't work on weekends."

She smiled mischievously and exclaimed, "Perfect! Then you're free to be human-napped!" She playfully shook out her wings and crouched down like a predator preparing to pounce, she wiggled her body like a cat about to catch a mouse.

“A few friends and I are going to be at the park, playing a game of wing ball. Want to join us and hang out? We might also go exploring and grab some food afterwards." She mimicked tossing a ball through a hoop. Marcus shrugged casually, “Sure, your friends don't mind me joining?"

She laughed joyfully, "We have a few humans in our friend group, believe it or not." Marcus paused and leaned against the door to his apartment building. "It's a deal then. I'll see you tomorrow. Do you want me to give you my number so you can text me the address?"

She nodded eagerly and extended her foreleg, which revealed a tablet secured in an impact-proof case. She tapped on the screen until an 'add contact' window popped up. She moved closer to him, to make it easier for him to see and type. He entered his information and saved it.

With a smile, she sent him a message and he felt his phone vibrate and chirp. He pulled out his phone and saw the word "Boop" on the screen, which made him chuckle. "Okay, see you tomorrow. Have a safe flight," he added as a farewell more suited for dragons.

Kori gave a grateful nod and spread her wings, ready to take off. "See ya then!" With one powerful leap and mighty flaps of her wings, she disappeared into the dark night sky.

Marcus stood and watched as she fly away, her figure disappearing into the distance. He then turned and made his way inside, he climbed the stairs to his apartment on the fourth floor. As soon as he stepped inside, he could feel the grime and grease from a long day's work clinging to his skin. Without hesitation, he headed straight for the bathroom and turned on the shower, he relaxed in the shower and let the warm water wash away all traces of coolant and gunk. Exhausted from a full day of labor, it didn't take long for him to drift off into a deep slumber once he climbed into bed, clean and refreshed from the shower.

–

As the humvee drove along the winding desert roads towards their mountain outpost, Marcus gazed out at the sandy dunes passing by. The gunner relaxed back in their seat, he took a break from scanning the surroundings. Suddenly, a shadow flew overhead and Marcus looked up to see Helena, their teammate, she flew alongside them. She performed a tight barrel roll, earning an applause from Marcus and the rest of his squad. Their sergeant's voice crackled over the comms system: "Great show Delta 1, now back to your post." He smiled and waved from the passenger seat. The gunner cheered as Helena did one final aerial maneuver before soaring back into the vast blue sky.

–

The incessant beep of an alarm clock filled the quiet bedroom, the sound jolted Marcus awake. The sound echoed off the walls and bounced around the room, It disrupted the peace with its urgency. The red LED numbers on the clock glared into the darkness, illuminated the small bedroom. The shrill beeps continued to pierce through the calm, signaling the start of a new day. until it got smacked by Marcs hand.