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The other shoe drops
Jul. 13th, 2013 11:49 amEveryone was excited when Weaver returned to the camp, especially after hearing about the explosions from Boston. The camp had fled, knowing that that the skitters and mechs weren’t going to let the 2nd Mass just slip off into the night without some kind of retribution.
Hal had found his brothers when he had returned. Ben had been with him when their dad had gone off to find Weaver, and they found Matt with Lourdes soon after. Now, his siblings both asleep as the fighters gathered around Weaver, Hal ducked out to go meet his dad and get the details from him. When the other fighters parted for him - almost like the Red Sea had for Moses - Hal realized that something was very wrong.
Weaver stood alone with the group, and his eyes lowered as he noticed Hal approaching. That fear in his gut twisted more, but Hal had to ask. “Where’s my dad?”
“Give us a minute,” Weaver said, and the group dispersed as the Captain approached. He put a hand on Hal’s shoulder and squeezed it tightly. “Son, we need to talk.”
“What happened? Where’s my father?”
Weaver led Hal away, and explained to him what had happened: the alien overlord not expecting the level of resistance; Karen serving as translator; the threats against Ben’s safety; and his father going with them freely and going into their ship. It was too much to deal with and Hal shrugged his shoulder free, trying not to break down in front of the Captain.
“I’m sorry, Hal. You know if there was a chance the aliens would harm you or your brothers, your father was going to put himself in the path.”
“Yeah, I know.” Hal rubbed at his eyes, trying to get rid of the tears before the fell.
“You boys need anything, you just come to me, okay?”
“Yes, sir.”
He left the Captain and took the long way back to the tent. Most of the civilians were sleeping, not realizing the loss yet. But they would hear soon enough, and he needed to make sure that Ben and Matt heard it from him first. But what was he going to tell them?
They had already lost Mom, and now this? Matt was going to be devastated. He was just a little kid. He was supposed to be riding his skateboard and getting into trouble. Ben was supposed to be hiding in a closet with a pile of books and a flashlight. Hell, he was supposed to be enjoying his senior year of high school and making out with his girlfriend under the bleachers while skipping math class.
The same girlfriend that was a slave now to the aliens, and helped take away their father, and turned the three Mason boys into orphans of war. Just how screwed up could his life get?
Ben and Matt were still sleeping when he got back, so he just sat at the flap and watched them. He was too angry to sleep, and he couldn't wake them just yet to tell them the bad news. There wasn't much he could give them in this world, but he could let them have one more night's good sleep without the knowledge that the aliens had taken another member of them away again. He hoped they were both in the middle of some kind of good dream to make it worthwhile.
Hal, however, had a feeling he wasn't going to sleep well again for a long time.
Hal had found his brothers when he had returned. Ben had been with him when their dad had gone off to find Weaver, and they found Matt with Lourdes soon after. Now, his siblings both asleep as the fighters gathered around Weaver, Hal ducked out to go meet his dad and get the details from him. When the other fighters parted for him - almost like the Red Sea had for Moses - Hal realized that something was very wrong.
Weaver stood alone with the group, and his eyes lowered as he noticed Hal approaching. That fear in his gut twisted more, but Hal had to ask. “Where’s my dad?”
“Give us a minute,” Weaver said, and the group dispersed as the Captain approached. He put a hand on Hal’s shoulder and squeezed it tightly. “Son, we need to talk.”
“What happened? Where’s my father?”
Weaver led Hal away, and explained to him what had happened: the alien overlord not expecting the level of resistance; Karen serving as translator; the threats against Ben’s safety; and his father going with them freely and going into their ship. It was too much to deal with and Hal shrugged his shoulder free, trying not to break down in front of the Captain.
“I’m sorry, Hal. You know if there was a chance the aliens would harm you or your brothers, your father was going to put himself in the path.”
“Yeah, I know.” Hal rubbed at his eyes, trying to get rid of the tears before the fell.
“You boys need anything, you just come to me, okay?”
“Yes, sir.”
He left the Captain and took the long way back to the tent. Most of the civilians were sleeping, not realizing the loss yet. But they would hear soon enough, and he needed to make sure that Ben and Matt heard it from him first. But what was he going to tell them?
They had already lost Mom, and now this? Matt was going to be devastated. He was just a little kid. He was supposed to be riding his skateboard and getting into trouble. Ben was supposed to be hiding in a closet with a pile of books and a flashlight. Hell, he was supposed to be enjoying his senior year of high school and making out with his girlfriend under the bleachers while skipping math class.
The same girlfriend that was a slave now to the aliens, and helped take away their father, and turned the three Mason boys into orphans of war. Just how screwed up could his life get?
Ben and Matt were still sleeping when he got back, so he just sat at the flap and watched them. He was too angry to sleep, and he couldn't wake them just yet to tell them the bad news. There wasn't much he could give them in this world, but he could let them have one more night's good sleep without the knowledge that the aliens had taken another member of them away again. He hoped they were both in the middle of some kind of good dream to make it worthwhile.
Hal, however, had a feeling he wasn't going to sleep well again for a long time.
