Back to the Present

R.C. slowly opened his eyes as he began to regain consciousness. All he could see at first was a bright white light. He was unable to hear due to his ears ringing.

Am I dead? He wondered to himself.

After some time his eyes adjusted to the light and the white began to fade. At first his entire body felt numb, but the more he came to, the more pain he could feel throughout his body.

He began to make out two figures standing above him. He was laying on his back. They were speaking but their voices were muffled.

Soon, enough of his senses returned that he could see who was by him. On his right was that Codea girl from earlier and on the left was Mr. Pipp.

"I think he's awake." Codea said.

He seemed to have been laid out onto a tarp and they appeared to be in what looked like a garage.

Old Man Pipp then spoke in a concerned voice, "R.C., listen to me. Try not to move too much."

At first R.C. didn't understand what was going on, but then he remembered.

Earlier that day, he set out bait near an empty lot to lure out a mechanical beast known as the El Dew-pra Cobra.

Later that night he had returned, during a downpour. Naively, he went armed with nothing, but a bat. He arrogantly thought that would be all he needed to beat it to death.

When he inspected a suspicious sound coming from a vending machine, the monster burst out of it and attacked him. It slashed him with its razor sharp blades leaving him gravely wounded.

Pipp spoke again, "He's still losing a lot of blood. I think we're going to have to cauterize that wound on his stomach."

R.C. tried to speak, but he was too weak due to blood loss.

Pipp pulled out a gas torch and started heating up a blade until it was red hot. He held the glowing red metal over R.C.s wound.

"Codea, make sure you hold him down because this is going to hurt."

He touched the blade to the bleeding slash. The blood began to clot from the heat and the heat began to burn the wound shut.

R.C.'s body instinctively contorted from the pain. Codea had to use all her strength to hold him down.

Soon enough the pain from the cauterization made him lose consciousness once again.

...

R.C. suddenly awake in a panic, as he let out a gasp as he quickly tried sitting up. There was a shot of pain in his abdomen, which forced him to stay lying on his back. He was sweating immensely.

He was laying on a cot in a very plain looking room. The walls were white brick and the floor was gray tiled. Some basic medical equipment was scattered on a counter in the middle of the room. Next to him there was an IV bag which was connected to his arm through a needle.

A familiar voice spoke from across the room, "take it easy kid. I think you're going to be fine, but we have to make sure that wound I burned shut doesn't get infected."

It was Mr. Pipp, he was sitting in a chair nearby. He looked tired, likely because he had been tending to R.C.'s wounds all night.

"How the hell am I alive?"

Another voice chimed in, "you can thank all of us for that, especially Pipp. Honestly, you owe us big time."

The one speaking was Codea. She had the same attitude she had before. Her voice had a bit of irritation in it. She looked exhausted as well.

"I don't understand, how did you know I'd be at the lot that particular night and what exactly happened?" R.C. asked.

"Old Man Pipp had a bad feeling, when you stormed off like an asshole. So he contacted my brother and I to keep an eye on you. At first I refused, but he started begging us and even offered to pay us out of his own pocket. After that we really couldn't refuse.

Figuring out where you'd be wasn't particularly hard. It was pretty obvious you were going to go to the place on that bounty, so we just waited around the area for you to show up and do something stupid... And sure enough you did." Codea spoke in a harsh tone.

Pipp spoke next, "Lucky for you Codea saw you. They were nearly about to turn in that night. I got a call and made my way over. We were able to drive the El Dew-pra Cobra off, but unfortunately not in time to prevent you from being severely hurt."

R.C. deep down wasn't particularly sure how he should feel. It was unusual for people to go so far as to help someone.

"I don't get it. What did you have to gain from saving me? I mean you don't even know me and yet you went through all this trouble."

"Well I guess I couldn't bear to see someone just throw their life away. To be honest, you remind me of myself when I was younger. I too used to be bold and reckless." Pipp responded.

Codea spoke next, "I only did it because Pipp asked me to. I wouldn't normally go so far for an idiot like you."

Pipp laughed a bit, "Don't take her too seriously. She tries to act tough, but deep down she's a kind person. For instance when you were losing blood she volunteered herself to transfuse some of her blood, since she's a compatible blood type to your's."

Her face grew a bit red from embarrassment, "I just didn't want all the time I wasted tracking you down to be for nothing... And besides I have a reputation I have to maintain in the union."

Suddenly the door to the room opened and someone entered. It was the yellow haired guy from earlier who was Codea's brother. He was holding a bag with Chinese take out boxes in it.

"Oh, looks like the food’s here." Codea said.

He placed the Chinese food down on the counter in the middle of the room.

"Here, you're probably starving." Pipp said while handing R.C. a box of fried rice.

Without hesitation R.C. started shoveling the food into his mouth. He managed to finish the entire thing in roughly a minute.

"You have a good appetite. That's a good sign you were hurt too badly internally. Oh and I don't believe I properly introduced you to Codea's brother here. He goes by Milo Yellow."

Yellow didn't speak, he just gave a nod.

R.C. spoke up, "what's his problem?"

"He's been mute since he was born. He can't speak, you idiot." Codea exclaimed taking a bit of offense to R.C. tone towards her brother.

"Okay, how the heck was I supposed to know that?" R.C. snapped back.

Yellow just smirked and let out a silent laugh. It seemed like he found R.C. and Codea's bickering to be slightly entertaining.

"What's so funny?" R.C. and Codea shouted simultaneously.

Old Man Pipp stood up from his chair. He had a smile on his face.

"Rest up R.C., there are some things I want to discuss with you in the morning."

Shortly after, everyone left R.C., so he could sleep for the night.