June 7th, 2018. 11:25 PM.

Ray walks steadily as he carries Guerilla over his shoulder, making the turn onto Knox Avenue. He notices Elio and Gastronaut, calling out; “Hey, we’re here!” Gastronaut sits up straight, glancing over. “Oh, good!” Gastronaut replied as he stood up. “Don’t worry about Elio, he passed out from overworking himself.” “That’s a relief.” Ray responded. He picks up Guerilla and holds him out, Gastronaut grabs him and carries him over his shoulder; “Thanks, Ray. It means a lot to me for you to bring him all the way here.” “Yeah… frankly, I’m just glad this shit’s over with. Well, not exactly, there’s still Nasuka to deal with, but you get what I’m saying.” “Don’t worry yourself about her, I’ll go take care of her myself.” Gastronaut replied.

Ray raised an eyebrow; “Wait, seriously?” “Yeah.” “I mean, you really don’t have to.” “Nah, I know that, but…” Gastronaut glanced at Elio; “He saved Mig. The least I could do is repay him.” He explained. “Right…” Ray crossed his arms; “Honestly, I’m really glad neither you or Guerilla had to see his death. I kept my cool, but in the back of my mind,” he looks at Elio; “...all I could think about was how violent he was during that moment. I didn’t think he was capable of it, but if pushed far enough, it’s like he’s become a rabid dog…” Ray trailed off, not knowing what else to say.

“That’s terrifying… well, I should prolly get out of here, bring Guerilla to a hospital.” Gastronaut said, shrugging off what Ray said. “Sounds like that’s for the best.” “Yeah. I’ll see you around.” Gastronaut turns around. “Take care-” “Wait! I just remembered something!” Gastronaut cut him off as he turned around. He crouches down, setting Guerilla on the floor and walking up to Elio. He pats him down; “There we go.” He said as he reached into his tux pocket. He takes out the tracker; “Earlier, Guerilla said he’d slipped this onto him before the ceremony even started. You wanna do the honor of smashing it?” “Sure, why not?” Ray held his hand out. Gastronaut tosses him the tracker and Ray catches it before smashing it by just pressing his fingers against it. “Glad you remembered.” He commented. Gastronaut picked up Guerilla and began walking. “Of course. Anyway, I’m outta here now. Get home safe, Ray.” “You do the same.” Ray replied.

As Gastronaut walks off, Ray’s eyebrows furrow, a conflicted look appears on his face. “I’m so confused, the way I was talking to him just now… I hate him, given our history, but when talking, I felt no hostility or resentment waiting to come out. He was talking to me like we were friends. Was it out of association with Elio happening to help us both, or is it because we’re all just tired from what went down? What is it?” Ray pondered, crossing his arms and making his own fingernails dig into his skin. He grew frustrated, but upon looking back at Elio, his irritation softens; “Maybe he knows what it is about them. I’ll ask him when I can. His peacefulness is putting me at ease right now, then again, he did just save Reggie’s life…” He continued. As he looked up at the moon, his eye widened; “Oh shit! It’s damn near twelve!” He said to himself.

Ray looked back at Elio; “Alright, let’s get going, Elio. I’m getting sleepy just from looking at you.” He picks him up and carries him over the shoulder before making his way back to Cocina del Rey. He walks, not even noticing his own shoulders finally relaxing, the tension in his brow softening. He feels a gentle, yet warm breeze brushing his face, and for a second, he closes his eyes, breathing deeply, savoring the calmness. For the first time in a long time, the noise inside his mind fades, leaving only the ambience of cars driving and people chattering about what had happened. He glances at Elio, a faint smile is brought upon him, finding the moment of peace he thought he’d lost forever. He looks forward; “Thank you, Elio. You really came through for me.”

June 8th, 2018. 12:30 AM.

While nearing the turn to the street where Cocina del Rey is located, Elio comes to and yawns. His eyes flicker at light speed before his eyes open; “Holy shit, that was a good nap.” Elio commented, not even aware yet that he’s being carried. “Elio, how are you feeling?” Ray asked calmly. “Oh, hey Ray. I’m guessing the thing went well? Oh, and I’m feeling pretty good. Bit tired, but I’m feeling more energized now.” “That’s a relief. Also, yeah, it went well.” “Cool. By the way, could you set me down?” “Yeah, sure.” Ray stops walking and sets Elio on his feet. Elio wobbles a bit, but quickly gains his footing. “Good, I can walk normally again.” He commented.

“Y-you forgot how to walk?” “My body was in zero gravity for like five minutes, and after moving around in it for that long, gravity was not kind to me.” Elio explained. “Oh, alright.” Ray responded, nonchalantly shrugging his shoulders. The two start walking; “By the way, we’re almost at the restaurant.” Ray informed Elio. Elio lets out a low whistle; “Yo, Julia’s gonna flip when that door opens.” “Believe me, I know that better than anyone. I’m excited though, I finally get to see her happy again.” He responded while smiling. Elio grins; “Fuck, dude, the amount of weight I feel lifted from my shoulders is insane!” “I can imagine!” Ray replied, matching his excitement.

“Yeah…” Elio pauses and takes a deep breath; “Hey, Ray, I know I said this earlier, but I’m really sorry that I betrayed you like that. That was fucked up of me.” He said softly. Ray looks down for a second; “It’s cool, Elio. You did more than enough to help me out and make up for it. I’m not telling you to not feel bad, I just wanna help by saying that I forgive you.” He answered. Elio nodded slightly; “Thanks.” Elio said softly. Ray simply nodded as a response. The two stop as they’re finally outside of Cocina del Rey. “Bro, I’ll be honest, I’m also really nervous.” Ray admits. “I don’t blame you. But aye, let’s just go in, let’s not keep her waiting.” “You’re right.” Ray responds, smiling.

Ray opens the door and the two walk inside. As the door opens, Julia looks over. She spots them, standing with faint smiles, and relief washed over her like a wave. “Ray…” She said softly. Her chest tightened, and she could barely breathe as she walked toward him. Her legs felt weak, her hands trembling, but she held herself together, determined not to break. Yet, when she reached him, it was as though time came to a stand-still, tears begin to well up in her eyes. “Hold those tears back for now, let them fall when the time is right.” Elio’s words echoed through Julia’s mind. Suddenly, the dam inside her eyes broke. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she swiftly wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his shoulder, her sobs muffled by his shirt. “Ray!” She shouted, clinging to him as if her life depended on it. “Julia…” Ray’s voice cracked. “Julia, I’m so sorry. I’ve been awful for the past three years, leeching off of you, blowing off you trying to help me, I was a terrible brother-” “It’s alright, Ray, just let it out. I forgive you, and more importantly, I’m just really happy that you’re still here.” Julia said softly. Ray relaxed further; “Thank you.”

The two continue to hug it out, as Elio crosses his arms, smiling upon seeing his mission being a success. Though his smile quickly fades as he looks east; “I’m happy this is over with and all, but what about Reggie? I don’t know all there is about the Nightmare, but given how it’s been almost a full week since I brought him there and there hasn’t been any reports about Plutonians being slaughtered, it’s probably safe for me to assume that he’s doing just fine. Shit, I still wanna get him back as soon as I can-” “And you…” Julia’s words cut off Elio’s thoughts. “Huh-” Elio looked back before being hugged super tight as well. “I can’t even begin to describe how happy I am because of you right now…” She said softly.

As she wrapped her arms around him, Elio felt the warmth and gentle pressure of the embrace. His muscles, tense for so long, soften as he leans into the hug, the steady rhythm of her breathing against him offering a sense of safety. “Of course, it was no problem.” Elio responded. Smiling as he hugged her back, he felt a wave of nostalgia, leaning further into it. “I guess I can worry about that another time. I’m so tired right now…” He pondered.

After a few seconds, Julia moves her head up and looks at Elio. Her smile is completely gone as she now dons a strange look on her face. Elio is confused, but quickly knows what it is when he sees Julia break the hug and move away from him, covering her nose with her hands, silently gagging. “Elio, what the hell happened?! Did you fall into a pig pen?!” She asked, her eyes tearing up a bit. “Uh- oh…” Elio pointed at Ray. “He… kicked me into sewage…” He said quietly. “You make it sound like I did that out of malice! I did that so Mig’s acid spit would dissolve before it ate your face away!” Ray retorted defensively. “I don’t really care, just… oh my God, that smell is awful, and I pressed myself against you. I’m showering this off now!” Julia responds as she makes her way over to the changing room.

Elio immediately looks over as she’s walking away. He points his finger; “Hey, no! No, if anything, I should be showering first! I’m the one who risked my ass to save your brother!” “That’s fair and all, but you can’t argue that being a woman with a bad smell doesn’t sound like hell.” “That’s-” Elio pauses himself, giving up. “Damn… her heat signature isn’t lying though, she’s self-conscious about B.O… fine, I’ll wait, just don’t take forever.” Elio thought. Ray pats him on the back; “Don’t worry, man. It isn’t too bad, I’m used to the smell.” “Yeah…” Elio stretches his arms; “Whatever. Oh, hey, quick question, Ray.” “What’s up?” “Did you and Gastronaut talk when I was conked out?” He asked.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“Yeah…” “What did you guys talk about?” Elio asked. Ray thinks back. “He told me that he’s thankful, while you had no intention of killing Mig, he was happy that his suffering ended. Even though Nasuka’s still well, he told me to not trouble myself and that he’ll take care of her himself as an act of repaying the favor.” He explained. Elio moved his shades up while raising an eyebrow. “What did he mean by that?” Elio asked with confusion. “I… don’t know. He just told me not to trouble myself. And I’m betting he wants you to stay out of it too. So, we just need to wait and eventually see what he’s getting at.” Ray answered. “I see…” Elio responded. “Well, if we aren’t getting an answer for a while, then let’s just drop it till we do. Where’s the remote at? This place is closed for the night, so we got the TVs all to ourselves.” Elio says casually, changing the topic.

June 8th, 2018. 12:50 AM.

Elio and Ray laugh as they watch TV. “Yo, I see where Julia gets her love for pranks from. These guys are hilarious.” “I’m telling you, Elio, this is the best reality TV show right now.” Ray replies while laughing. “Bro, in what way does Jaden Smith correlate with Sal? Like the others make sense, but… yo, I’d be so fucking mad if I was Sal.” Elio snickers. “We need to binge the whole series. I know all these episodes by heart.” “You’re lying!” “Yeah, you caught me.” Ray responds while holding his hands up in mock surrender.

From the other side of the building, Julia shouts. “Hey! Can someone bring me a towel, please? I was in such a rush, I forgot to grab one!” She explained. Elio pushes off against the wall; “K.” He responded in a casual tone. Ray holds his arm out in front of Elio. Elio stopped, he held his hands up; “Aye, I’m not gonna look at her.” He said. Ray raised an eyebrow; “Huh? N-no, I believe you on that. You still smell like shit, Elio. If you pass her a towel and she dries off, she’s just gonna smell bad again.” He explained. Elio’s shoulders relaxed as he lowered his hands; “Oh, alright. That’s a relief. You had me worried for a second.” “Eh, don’t worry about it. You don’t seem like the type of guy who would do that.” Ray replied. Elio smiles; “Aye, thanks dawg, glad to hear it.” “No problem, man. Anyway, I’ll be back.” Ray said before walking down the corridor.

June 8th, 2018. 12:55 AM.

Elio and Ray keep watching TV until Julia finally comes out, wearing her work uniform as a spare set of clothes and having a towel wrapped around her head. “Alright, Elio, it’s all yours.” “Finally!” Elio retorts as he speedwalks down the corridor. Elio quickly takes off everything and steps in the shower, turning on the water and exhaling as the hot water hits him. “Woo!” He shouts, satisfied.

Julia glances in Elio’s direction before looking back at Ray. She wipes her head slightly; “Of all the things I’d hear him ecstatic about, I didn’t think a shower would be what he’s loudest for.” “Can’t blame him.” “Yeah, that’s fair.” Julia agrees. She looked up at the TV screen, letting out a small chuckle; “Oh no, you two were watching these assholes?” “Yeah, turns out he’s never seen it before, so I was introducing him to it. Showed the one where they got tattoos.” Ray replied. “Oh my God, that one’s classic!” Julia laughed. “Yeah, we’re gonna binge that show when we can, he’s got a lot that he needs to see.” “Can I watch with y’all?” “That’s a rhetorical question.” “Cool!” Julia replied.

Ray nodded before relaxing his stance. He let out a small sigh; “Hey, Julia, I’m lost right now.” “Wait, what do you mean?” She asked, showing concern. “How do I put it…?” Ray muttered as he looked down. “I guess it’s just… I’m glad Elio saved me and all, and even though we were acting buddy-buddy, I think the shock of it all is finally wearing off, and I just don’t know how to feel. Cause yeah, he saved me, but he betrayed me before that. I don’t hate him, I just don’t know what to think or feel about him.” Ray explained quietly. Julia reacts by looking down, reflecting for herself; “I’m really sorry, Ray, I understand where you’re getting at, but…” She remembers how Elio acted in front of her when he apologized, remembering the tears he shed himself.

Julia collects her thoughts before responding. “I know… I was really mad at him when he did that. That was the angriest I’ve ever been, I didn’t like feeling that way. It might sound unbelievable to you, but Elio didn’t try to justify anything that he did. He cried out of his own guilt, bashing himself for what he did.” “And that’s why you gave him a second chance, I’m guessing?” Ray responds softly. “Yeah…” “Alright, I’ll give him another chance since you gave him one and it ended up saving me. I’m a bit envious of your judgment of character, if I’m being honest. You always somehow know something about others that they don’t even know themselves, like how I used to think I wasn’t a person who could be liked, but then through your own judgment, I made friends, and even mom and dad see me as one of their own because of you.” Ray explained. He then looks up and waves it off; “My bad, I started rambling. Case in point: I’ll give him another chance.” Julia smiles, a bit embarrassed. “It’s all good, Ray. I’m happy that you even said that, I didn’t even know that about myself.” She said modestly.

“But seriously, I’m glad to hear you’re gonna give him another chance. I’ll be honest, he reminds me a bit of you. Easy to get along with, has a quick wit, and is just really friendly. But most importantly, he showed that he’ll go above and beyond for those he cares about.” She explained. Ray’s eye widened slightly before he looked away. “Alright, alright, you made your point. No need to put me on the spot like that, alright?” He responded, feigning annoyance. Julia laughs, knowing Ray’s a bit embarrassed by the comparison, she pats his shoulder. “Glad to hear it!” She replied. Ray has a light laugh before looking back up at the TV. The two then hear Elio’s voice from across the corridor, singing. “Hold on, I’ll be back.” Ray said as he got up, walking down the hall.

Elio’s voice gets louder as he begins singing another verse. “Six o’clock, TV hour, don’t get caught in foreign towers, slash n’ burn, return, listen to yourself churn, lock him in uniform and book burning, blood letting every motive escalate, automotive incinerate! Light a candle, light a motive, step down step down, watch a heel crush, crush, uh oh, this means no fear, cavalier, renegade and steer clear, a tournament, a tournament, a tournament of lies, offer me solutions, offer me alternatives and I-” Ray pounds the door, calling from the other side; “Hey, shut the fuck up! It’s one in the morning!” Ray interrupted. All he hears is the sound of Elio slipping and falling. “Shit, you startled me!” Elio responded. Ray raised an eyebrow; “Wait, really?” He thought for a second. “Hold on, I thought you could detect heat signatures, did you not say that the other day?” “Yeah, I can.” “So, how did I startle you?” “Y-you thought I’d be tracking heat signatures when I’m buck ass naked? Hell nah!” Elio retorted. Ray shrugs; “Alright, then. Anyway, just keep it down, at least. The walls here aren’t exactly the thickest.” “Got it.” Elio replied casually. “Cool. Anyway, I’m gonna get out of your hair now.” Ray said as he walked away, not bothering to wait for a response.

June 8th, 2018. 1:10 AM.

Elio, now out of the shower and fully dressed in a tank top and sweatpants, lays down on the couch in the attic. Julia takes a look at her phone, standing up; “Alright, it’s super late, I’m gonna head back home.” “Get home safe, alright?” Ray responded while typing on his computer. “Of course,” Julia nodded; “goodnight, guys.” “Goodnight.” Elio and Ray replied in unison. Julia walks down from the attic, closing it before making her way out of the building.

As she leaves, Elio stretches on the couch, laying in a more comfortable position. “Hey, Ray?” “Yeah?” “I’m sorry.” He said apologetically. Ray quickly brushes it off; “Come on, man, I already forgave you, you don’t need to force yourself to apologize now-” “No, I meant something other than betraying you last week.” Elio interrupts. “Wait, what?” Ray raised an eyebrow, confused as he glanced over. “It’s about that same day. It was when we were walking to Animal Kingdom, specifically when we walked away from that woman that was crying for help-” “Oh…” Ray reacts, his face quickly becoming saddened upon remembering. “Elio, don’t apologize for that, I was the one who acted selfishly. I should be the one apologizing, I didn’t act because of my own PTSD. Even if I was buried alive, I can’t just use that as a crutch to excuse myself for letting that happen, and worse was me roping you into not helping...” Ray explained, his heart breaking as he did.

“Well, that’s not exactly what I was gonna get at, but… shit, I’m sorry you feel that way, man. I don’t want you to beat yourself up over it, yeah, it was wrong, but I understand why you acted the way you did. I don’t know who could blame you, if I’m being honest.” Elio responded. “Yeah, I guess you’re right, it still bothers me though. But why are you bringing it up if that’s not what you were referring to?” Ray asked. “The whole reason that attack at the casino happened, how those three found us was because I went against what you said. A traffic cam caught what I did. I killed one of the people in that limo from a distance, and that’s how they even figured out that they should track us. Me going against your order almost led to your death. I’m really sorry, for acting so careless and acting off of emotion. Twice in a day, I betrayed you, first your word, then you yourself.” Elio explained.

Ray sits surprised by the revelation. He then takes a deep breath before smiling. “Oh, thank God, that woman didn’t have to suffer through it. Sure, seeing that he died must’ve been terrifying, but the thought that she was saved from being violated is relieving.” He said as he calmed down. Elio’s face contorts in shock; “W-wait, you’re not mad?! Not even a little upset?!” “If there’s anyone for me to be mad at about that, it’s myself for not working up the courage to help her out. You, even despite what I told you could happen to us, still helped her, you did what I couldn’t. Thank you, Elio. I mean it truly.” Ray assured him. Elio processed what he said for a bit before smiling for himself; “Glad I could help…” He responded. He lied back down; “And hey, thank you for understanding.” “No problem, Elio.” Ray said before resuming typing on his computer.

Elio relaxed before glancing at his monitor, seeing Ray typing away. He sat up slightly; “Hey Ray, what’re you clickin’ and clackin’ about?” “Huh? Oh, I’m just porting important stuff that I need from my computer onto my Plutonian chip.” He replied. “Wait, you can do that? I thought those were just really high tech VPNs.” “They have a surprising amount of functions, including being able to translate words immediately from foreign spelling, or what I’m doing right now, that being porting data.” Ray explained. “Well, I’ll be.” Elio responded with surprise. “Wait, hold on, why exactly are you doing that? I have a hunch you’re keeping that on you, but that makes me wonder, are you going somewhere?” He asked curiously.

“Yeah, actually. Given everything that’s happened in my life, especially in recent years, what made everything go to shit were two things. An unfair justice system, and me becoming lazy out of my own fears taking control. I was a horrible mess, and I can’t believe I turned out the way I did.” Ray grimaced as he explained. “Yeah, seeing that on your screen genuinely caught me off guard, but hey, I’m glad to see you’re wanting to get out there.” “Exactly, which this leads me to something that I wanna ask of you.” Ray responded. Elio sat up completely, using his heat detection, he noticed how much conviction Ray has at the moment. “Shoot.” He said in a serious manner.

Ray stood up, taking a deep breath. “Elio…” Ray faced Elio before continuing, asking in a direct and serious tone; “Will you let me travel with you on your journey as a hero?”