Asylum - Danger Days {Completed}

13. Speed Bomber

"Where, where will you stand when all the lights go out across these city streets? Where were you when all of the embers fell? I still remember them covered in ash, covered in glass, covered in all my friends. I still think of the bombs they built." --- The Only Hope For Me Is You

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Speed Bomber

There's a smile on my face for the first time in a long time as I walk over to the boys sitting in one of the booths. I'm balancing four cans of beans in my arms. This is a special occasion. Power Pup just won't suffice. "Here you go," I sing as I set a can down in front of each of them. "You've gotta be starving."

They pop the tabs on the cans and I pull four spoons out of my pockets and pass them around. They sit there for a moment and just look at the food. Then they look to me. "Aren't you going to eat too?" Jet asks, narrowing his eyes at me.

I force a smile onto my face. "No, I'm not hungry."

"When's the last time you ate?" Ghoul inquires next, his eyes flicking up and down my thin body.

The smile I'm wearing falters. I don't want to lie. I have to lie. I don't want them to share with me. I plaster the smile back on. "This morning. So I'm fine," I lie.

Kobra looks at me. He caught my change in expresson. Probably because his never changes. He slides his can toward me without a word and stands up, retreating to the counter space. He pulls out another can of beans and a spoon and returns to the booth. At the same time as he pops the tab, he bumps me with his hip, sending me crashing down next to Jet. I stare at him, shocked and surprised. He just takes a bite and gives me an "I'm on to you" look.

Party is glaring at me. "Is there a reason you're trying to starve yourself?"

"I'm not trying to starve myself," I snap back, crossing my arms. "But I didn't exactly feel like eating while I thought you guys were dead. I barely ever left that room!" I point angrily toward where we sleep, my voice practically a growl. The boys look at me with wide eyes, and then their gazes soften, like I'm some fragile flower.

Jet, since he's closest, slings an arm over my shoulder and pulls me into his side in a sort of hug. "We are so, so sorry, Paranoia. We didn't mean to make you stop eating."

I elbow him gently in the ribs and scoot back across the booth. I glower at them all. "I'm fine." I take a large bite of beans, just to prove my point. "See? Fine."

They all give me a "what the hell ever" face, but they say nothing more about it. Instead, they dig in to their own cans. Party slides forward in his seat a little until his knees bump into mine. He doesn't move again. At the same time, Jet scoots over so that his hips and legs are just barely brushing mine. Ghoul leans a little further over the table. Kobra takes a few steps closer to me and leans against the booth by my head. None of them said anything, but I know they didn't just randomly do that on their own. Damn their unspoken communication.

"We should go see Missile Kid and the others," Party says after he swallows his last bite. Since he's up, Kobra takes away all the empty cans. "You know, tell them we're okay and stuff."

I look up from where I was playing with my hands. "You mean tell them I'm okay." Party blushes. "You've already spoken to Dr. D. I heard you talking about it outside the diner. And they believed your transmission as soon as you sent it. They warned you that I'm not quite right anymore, didn't they?" My voice is soft. I frown at the table top.

Party reaches across to me and takes my hand in his. I look up at him. His hazel eyes are hardened. "You're still the same girl we knew before the rescue mission." His lips quirk into a smile. "You just look a bit like a skeleton. And your hair is pretty crazy." He chuckles.