Amy opened her eyes to find an arm around her torso and a body behind her. ‘He really stayed,’ looking over her shoulder giving a grateful smile. ‘He even managed to fall asleep too.’ She slowly wriggled out of bed to not wake him. ‘I wonder how long he stayed up, he didn’t even move.’ She looked at the clock, 7:49 am. ‘Why am I awake so early?’ She brewed a pot of coffee and rubbed her eyes. ‘I wonder if he’ll be hungry, I’ll make something just in case.’ She enjoyed cooking, specially when it was for others. She’d decided that omelettes were the way she was going to start their mornings. While crafting their breakfast, she’d heard her phone vibrating repeatedly. Vector was calling. ‘Oh shit.’ “Hello?” she answered.
“Amy! Hey how ya doin’ lady?” He was in a seemingly cheerful mood.
“Vector, it’s nice to hear from you! Im well, how are you doing?”
“I didn’t wake you did I?”
“No, not at all!,” she could feel it. He knew something. “What’s up?”
“I was hoping we could chat. Do you mind if I come over?”
“Ummm.”
“Well actually I’m already here.,” he laughed nervously. “It’s, well, important.”
“Oh, ok, yea,” something definitely happened. “I’ll unlock the door. Give me a second.” She hung up the phone to gather herself. ‘Relax, it could be anything.’ She finished her omelettes and walked to her front door. Vector was by himself, she didnt know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. “Good morning!,” she greeted with a smile. “I’m sorry, I just woke up I know I look a mess.”
“That’s ok,” he said nervously, “may I come in?”
“Oh,” she blinked, “yea, sure, come on in.” She opened the door wider for him to step in. ‘Please don’t let Scourge wake up.’ She closed it behind him, “to what do I owe the pleasure? Would you like some coffee?”
“Yea, I could use some, thanks.,” as he sat at the table. He pulled out an SD card and put it on the table in front of him. “I like that Beamer out front. That yours?”
‘Fuck!’ She’d forgotten he’d parked there. “Um, no it’s a friend’s.”
“Well, it’s nice. Love the color shifting paint job.,” he said nodding his head. He’d had an expression that said he wasn’t sure how to handle whatever he was fixing to tell her.
“Yea, it’s beautiful. It’s quite the car. Got all kinds of racing things and … other things with it.,” she said anxiously. She knew nothing about his car or why he got it. She set his coffee down and sat across from him with hers.
“Yea, uh,” Vector grabbed his cup to take a sip, “we seen it pull in last night. And uh.”
Amy’s jaw tightened, ‘oh shit Amy.’
“You know, Amy, I just, um, I think you’re a good person.” He didn’t know how to say any of this to her, he thought so highly of her and still does. He also didn’t want to embarrass the shit out of her. But he wasn’t sure and needed answers. “I know you were in that car, and I just want to make sure you’re ok.”
“What do you mean?”
“Amy, there’s cameras in the parking lot. Obviously for our protection and our own security, peace of mind if you will.” He paused to word this the best way he could, “was last night consensual?”
‘Oh God!,’ the sheer panic of this being taken the wrong way for him. Embarrassed, she hesitated, “Yes it was.”
“Amy, please be honest with me,” he pushed the SD card toward her. “I will fucking destroy him right now if he forced you do something you told him ‘no’ to.”
‘He really thinks I was forced to have sex with Scourge.’ She felt nauseous. “I assure you, I did that willingly,” she ran her fingers through her hair. He could tell she was thoroughly embarrassed. “Are you going to arrest us? Is that why you’re here?”
“No,” he looked down at his coffee, “I needed to know you were ok.” He looked back up to her, “who is that though?”
His concern was evident, “Well if you must know, it’s Scourge.”
Vector was speechless, “Scourge.”
“Yea,” she said nodding. “I’m not ashamed of it personally,” she added. “However, I understand that it can affect how people view me. I know that it can draw a lot of attention.”
“Look,” he took another sip of his coffee, “I’m glad you’re finally moving on.”
‘Why does everyone say that?’
“But, do you understand who you’re in bed with?”
“Yes I do, Vector.”
“Ok,” he nodded, “alright. I was just worried about you. No one else saw this, ok? And honestly it’s not my business.”
“I appreciate you understanding that it’s not your business.” Scourge walked up from the hallway startling both of them.
“Scourge, you’re looking well,” Vector said blandly. “How’s it goin’?”
“It’s goin’,” he replied pouring himself some coffee. Amy felt an awkwardness in the air.
“You’ve put on some muscle I see,” Vector said trying to be as casual as he could be.
“Yea, I try to work out when I can,” as he rested against the counter.
“I hear that,” he paused, “well, I’ll get outta here and leave you two to it. I’ll catch you two some other time.”
“Vector,” Scourge demanded his attention. “I’d really appreciate if you kept this to yourself,” he stated. “Not so much for me, but for her.”
“Definitely! Yea, no problem.”
He left and Amy closed the door, how much had Scourge actually heard? “You hungry?”
“I could eat. Smells delicious.”
“Here,” handing Scourge his plate, “when did you get up?”
“Not long after you did. Heard you in here messin with stuff.”
“Did I wake you up? I’m sorry.”
“Nah,” he paused and looked at her. He looked like he hadn’t slept at all. “I was half awake anyway.”
‘Poor thing.’
“I gotta go after this anyway. Something is goin’ on with Surge.”
“Oh, ok,” she replied somberly. “How much of that did you hear?”
“All of it.”
She looked at him feeling awful in some way. “I’m so sorry, Scourge.” She’d realized she’d done the same thing last night too.
“It’s ok. It’s to be expected when you live a lifestyle like mine. Have a history like mine.”
That didnt make her feel any better. “But-“
“Just let me know if you ever feel any kind of way Amy. I don’t take lightly to rape,” he took a bite of his food. “Actually once someone is charged with rape or murder of a child, its an automatic death sentence in my territory. And I dont mean waitin’ on death row for years. The victims or their kin have 30 days to say what their peace, and then dependin’ on the case depends on how they die.”
‘Holy shit, he isn’t playing on those topics.’
“If I haven’t made it obvious, I’m not the one to fuck around and find out with.”
She hadn’t realized the severity of how dangerous he can be. She also came to the thought of more events must’ve happened to him or someone he cares about to be so concrete about certain things. But he was also doing his best to be better. “Would you like me to go with you to talk to Surge? Maybe I can help?”
He paused, “Maybe … that might be a good idea. I have no maternal skills to save my life.”
They’d arrived at his home to see everything still as the way it had been left. He’d let Zero know he was alive and well, so far so good. Surge was asleep on the living room couch, so they tried to be as quiet as possible. Scourge walked outside to the greenhouse and left Amy inside. She’d walked up to the pool room door where she could watch him. A voice that was half asleep came from behind her, “Where’s he at?”
“He just walked outside,” Amy said as she turned around.
“Hm, I need to talk to him,” Surge demanded lightly as she sat up. “Like now.” She stood up wrapping a blanket around her.
“Are you hungry?” Amy asked softly. “Wont take long to make something for you.”
“No Amy.”
“Oh … want some coffee?”
Surge glared at her from the side, “Sure Amy,” as Amy made her coffee, “y’know you can keep your act of the good little girl to a minimum. I dont care to see you tryin’ so hard to be one.”
Amy set her cup in front of her, “this is who I am naturally. If you don’t like it, I’m sorry, but I won’t sugar coat it for you.”
Surge scoffed, “whatever.”
A second later, Shadow intermitted inside Scourge’s home, “You didn’t answer.”
Surge looked at him, “Sorry, I just woke up.”
“Shadow!” Amy yipped.
“Amy,” he acknowledged her, “nice to see you … here”
“Pfft,” Surge chimed in.
“Have you spoken to him yet?,” he asked Surge sternly?
“No they just got here.”
“What the fuck are you doin’ in my house?” Scourge came in angrily. “Surge, we just fuckin’ talked about this last night!”
“Last night I fuckin’ needed you! And you weren’t there!” She snapped back. “That’s why he’s here! I had another dream last night! And where were you? Nowhere to be found!”
Shadow and Amy looked at each other as they found themselves between a rock and a hard place. “Stay out of this as much as you can Amy.”
“What’s going on?”
“I dont think you want to know,” Shadow assured her.
Scourge gritted his teeth as Surge began to unravel her vision. “Tell me what exactly happened in the backyard, DAD. What were you, Sleuth, and Zero digging up? I find it very strange, yet very COINCIDENTAL that it was in the same EXACT spot where someone else was digging in another dream of mine!”
Scourge was starting to turn, whatever this situation was ran deep. “That’s enough Surge!” Shadow intervened.
“NO! It’s really NOT!” Surged yelled. “That house is where you grew up! ISNT IT?”
