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Walking Into Danger With Eyes Wide (PR RPM) part 5
Part 5!
Walking Into Danger With Eyes Wide
part 5: Packing For War
His parents and the Vachons were talking softly to each other in the living room as Ziggy tried to get his little sister to pack what she needed to in order to go live with their mom's relatives. His mom and dad had already pulled him out of school and were making sure that the paperwork was in for Sophie to live with their mom's relatives for a little while.
It felt so strange, being out of school. He supposed he should get used to not being in a classroom with other teens. Yeah, he'd continue learning, but not with people around his age. He'd be surrounded by adults. He didn't know how much he'd expected to take care of himself, but at least he'd have others to turn to when he wasn't sure.
But he had to admit that it was kind of cool too, because how often did you get a chance to save the world from an evil computer, and as a teenager at that?
"I can do this on my own," Sophie said, looking at him with eight year old seriousness. "Shouldn't you be packing too?"
"Yeah, well, have to get you packed first, squirt." There wouldn't be huge amounts of space in his new room at the base, so he had less to pack. His clothes, some other things. Sophie was getting the better end of the deal, if you counted that she had to go live with relatives for a while. He just had to pick out which books he wanted to take, and other things that would make the place seem like home.
Besides, Sophie was going with the Vachons; he would be leaving with their folks. His parents had gotten pictures of the room, and dimensions, something for him to look at to get ready. He'd already placed where he was going to put his stuff, including his bookshelves, and the place came equipped with a desk, bed, dresser, and closet. A mundane little room, just waiting for him to put his own personal touches to.
Of course, he could have really done without being called on this quest, but hey, it was still kind of exciting. And it wouldn't be forever, and he could go back to classes soon. The sooner they defeated the resurrected Venjix, the sooner that he could be back to be a normal kid. Or as normal as someone who was a deaged war hero went.
Somewhere along the way, he wanted things to be settled with Dillon, the only person who seemed to have problems with him. Especially if they were supposed to work together as much as he thought they were supposed to be. He didn't want to make the other uncomfortable, but they should do something to resolve the problem before it became detrimental to their survival.
Maybe that was something personal he could strive for, to get Dillon to see that he was a different person and not a pale imitation of the man that he'd loved. A quest to make things right.
Their mom peeked in. "So, how's the packing going?"
Ziggy shrugged. "We're doing it slowly."
"Why doesn't he have to pack now too?" Sophie asked, motioning at him.
"He's packing after you do," she said. "Because the Vachons have to take you home, and then we have to take care of Ziggy."
He'd noticed that she hadn't mentioned where he was going, which was probably because Sophie might not really understand why Ziggy got to go with their folks and she didn't. She might understand her parents had been Rangers in the last war, but not the truth about her big brother, or why he had to go to war when nobody else his age did. "Why isn't he going with me and cousin Tracy?" Sophie asked.
"It's a log story, Sophie," their mom said, folding her arms. "Ziggy has to come with us because of what happened to him years ago."
"Besides," Ziggy said, "You get to go to actually be with people your own age. I don't." If he'd done the math right, he was really twenty-eight, in a fourteen year old's body. He was an adult, he just didn't feel like one, and he certainly wasn't legally one. He certainly didn't have the memories for it. Mentally and physically, he was fourteen, and he wanted to be around people his own age as much as Sophie did hers. "And you'll get mom and dad back." At least, unless they died, but their parents were some damn competent people, so Ziggy wasn't too worried.
"Yeah, but you get to go with mom and dad." She folded her arms, in imitation of their mother. "Why can't I be special?"
"Trust me, you don't wanna be," Ziggy said. "I don't think this is going to be fun." Okay, maybe he'd enjoy it, but it wouldn't be Sophie's idea of fun. She was outgoing, and she liked being with her friends. "I'd rather be going with you."
"Besides, your father and I are going to have a lot on our minds for a while," her mother said. "And the faster we get started on it, the faster we can all come home. So, pack."
Sophie pouted. "But I wanna go with the rest of you."
"You're not," their mother told her. "And unless you finish packing, you'll find you don't have enough stuff, and then you really won't be happy with cousin Tracy. So, get moving."
"All right," Sophie said, though from her tone, she considered the discussion far from over. She was just practical enough that she realized that getting packed just in case might be a good idea.
"Do you want help?" her mother asked.
Sophie sighed. "Yes." The argument definitely wasn't over, but Sophie was giving in, for the moment.
Their mother walked into the room. "Ziggy, you'd better start packing as well. She has a point."
"Right, mom," he said, moving out of the room, and heading down the hall to pack himself.
Walking Into Danger With Eyes Wide
part 5: Packing For War
His parents and the Vachons were talking softly to each other in the living room as Ziggy tried to get his little sister to pack what she needed to in order to go live with their mom's relatives. His mom and dad had already pulled him out of school and were making sure that the paperwork was in for Sophie to live with their mom's relatives for a little while.
It felt so strange, being out of school. He supposed he should get used to not being in a classroom with other teens. Yeah, he'd continue learning, but not with people around his age. He'd be surrounded by adults. He didn't know how much he'd expected to take care of himself, but at least he'd have others to turn to when he wasn't sure.
But he had to admit that it was kind of cool too, because how often did you get a chance to save the world from an evil computer, and as a teenager at that?
"I can do this on my own," Sophie said, looking at him with eight year old seriousness. "Shouldn't you be packing too?"
"Yeah, well, have to get you packed first, squirt." There wouldn't be huge amounts of space in his new room at the base, so he had less to pack. His clothes, some other things. Sophie was getting the better end of the deal, if you counted that she had to go live with relatives for a while. He just had to pick out which books he wanted to take, and other things that would make the place seem like home.
Besides, Sophie was going with the Vachons; he would be leaving with their folks. His parents had gotten pictures of the room, and dimensions, something for him to look at to get ready. He'd already placed where he was going to put his stuff, including his bookshelves, and the place came equipped with a desk, bed, dresser, and closet. A mundane little room, just waiting for him to put his own personal touches to.
Of course, he could have really done without being called on this quest, but hey, it was still kind of exciting. And it wouldn't be forever, and he could go back to classes soon. The sooner they defeated the resurrected Venjix, the sooner that he could be back to be a normal kid. Or as normal as someone who was a deaged war hero went.
Somewhere along the way, he wanted things to be settled with Dillon, the only person who seemed to have problems with him. Especially if they were supposed to work together as much as he thought they were supposed to be. He didn't want to make the other uncomfortable, but they should do something to resolve the problem before it became detrimental to their survival.
Maybe that was something personal he could strive for, to get Dillon to see that he was a different person and not a pale imitation of the man that he'd loved. A quest to make things right.
Their mom peeked in. "So, how's the packing going?"
Ziggy shrugged. "We're doing it slowly."
"Why doesn't he have to pack now too?" Sophie asked, motioning at him.
"He's packing after you do," she said. "Because the Vachons have to take you home, and then we have to take care of Ziggy."
He'd noticed that she hadn't mentioned where he was going, which was probably because Sophie might not really understand why Ziggy got to go with their folks and she didn't. She might understand her parents had been Rangers in the last war, but not the truth about her big brother, or why he had to go to war when nobody else his age did. "Why isn't he going with me and cousin Tracy?" Sophie asked.
"It's a log story, Sophie," their mom said, folding her arms. "Ziggy has to come with us because of what happened to him years ago."
"Besides," Ziggy said, "You get to go to actually be with people your own age. I don't." If he'd done the math right, he was really twenty-eight, in a fourteen year old's body. He was an adult, he just didn't feel like one, and he certainly wasn't legally one. He certainly didn't have the memories for it. Mentally and physically, he was fourteen, and he wanted to be around people his own age as much as Sophie did hers. "And you'll get mom and dad back." At least, unless they died, but their parents were some damn competent people, so Ziggy wasn't too worried.
"Yeah, but you get to go with mom and dad." She folded her arms, in imitation of their mother. "Why can't I be special?"
"Trust me, you don't wanna be," Ziggy said. "I don't think this is going to be fun." Okay, maybe he'd enjoy it, but it wouldn't be Sophie's idea of fun. She was outgoing, and she liked being with her friends. "I'd rather be going with you."
"Besides, your father and I are going to have a lot on our minds for a while," her mother said. "And the faster we get started on it, the faster we can all come home. So, pack."
Sophie pouted. "But I wanna go with the rest of you."
"You're not," their mother told her. "And unless you finish packing, you'll find you don't have enough stuff, and then you really won't be happy with cousin Tracy. So, get moving."
"All right," Sophie said, though from her tone, she considered the discussion far from over. She was just practical enough that she realized that getting packed just in case might be a good idea.
"Do you want help?" her mother asked.
Sophie sighed. "Yes." The argument definitely wasn't over, but Sophie was giving in, for the moment.
Their mother walked into the room. "Ziggy, you'd better start packing as well. She has a point."
"Right, mom," he said, moving out of the room, and heading down the hall to pack himself.
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