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Chapter 12: One Star Shit Hole
Kokobiel stretched out as he sat up, his arms slipped away from Morgan's body as he got up. Getting out of the bed stretching his arms upward before yawning, his tongue felt something in his teeth. Pulling out a small patch of fur which he tossed away and tried to spit the rest out. He looked back to Morgan who had now rolled over, Morgan smiled softly and seemed very comfortable within the bed. Kokobiel gave a soft smile as he covered the top half of Morgan with a blanket, Kokobiel noticed his upper torso had several horizontal lines across the ribs. It wasn't his place to ask about them and definitely not while he was asleep. Turning to the desk in the room Kokobiel finally got a good look at Morgan's metal arm, he picked it up as he tried to understand it better. Looking into where it went on his arm it was clear that it was built with some form of metal connections which seemed to be how he moved the fingers. Setting it back down it made a few clicks when it laid upon the desk, Kokobiel disregarded this fact as he walked up to the door and unlocked it. Grabbing his bag and sliding the door opening and stepping out the lights along the hallway had dimmed, one flickering all the way down the hallway. Kokobiel stared down the hallway before he started heading towards it. He would have to pack his bag for this next trip so he didn't smell like someone's used jock strap. As Kokobiel reached the doorway with the flickering light it shut off, he looked up at it, raising an eyebrow.
"Well that isn't ominous." Kokobiel said as he stared up at it.
"We have to run rolling low power hallways, there's always two at a time. Sometimes we find certain bulbs that require more amps." Came from a voice behind Kokobiel. This caused Kokobiel to whip around as he raised his arms in a defensive position.
"Hm I recognize that stance, but put your fists down I am not here to slit your throat." Spoke the voice as they stepped into the light. Now recognizing the chupa it was Duncan, not somebody he knew well but knew he definitely wasn't here to hurt him.
"Is your job to stand around and scare the shit out of people?" Kokobiel asked as he lowered his arms.
"No you're just a wuss puss. I was cleaning in here you can move along," Duncan huffed at him as he turned back around. Kokobiel flipped him off after he turned around, he made his way further down the hallway as he tried to navigate his way back to his room. Kokobiel knew Tom packed extra because of him so rummaging through his bag wouldn't hurt. Stepping into the room he found Tom to still be asleep and the bottle empty, moving his head to Tlom's bag he lifted it up as he opened it. Spare clothes in his size, a spare tooth brush for him, a small medical kit which Tom wouldn't be missing, a candy bar which Tom definitely would miss. Letting the bag back down onto the floor it landed with a thud causing Tom to stir and let out a groan.
"Shit, my head," Tom spat out as he braced himself up with his arm.
"Good morning shit for brains. See you feel horrible and I can only assume your head is pounding ya light weight." Kokobiel said for a wake up call.
"Go fuck yourself before I do it for you." Tom threatened despite it being rather strange of a threat to begin with. Kokobiel had an evil grin come over his face as he chose his next words.
"Maybe your brother will before I do." Kokobiel shot back. This stopped Tom for a moment as he looked over to Kokobiel in disgust.
"Yeah now we know who wins that contest." Kokobiel finished with. Tom rubbed his face as he reached for the bottle before shaking it around in disappointment before putting it back.
"What are you even doing anyways, you're very loud." Tom asked.
"Packing my bag, taking a small, maybe largish trip. Just a mission is all we'll be back in no time," Kokobiel replied as he put the clothes into his own bag. Tom was silent as he watched Kokobiel move throughout the room.
"I know you have brought it up before and you have explained somewhat, what was your family like. I mean clearly they mean something to you but for the past six months you have barely ever brought them up. Hell I was bawling my eyes out one night to you over my parents and how much I missed them. Still you have never brought them up," Tom said as he lurched out of his bed and stretched out. Kokobiel stopped for a moment in the middle of the room, slowly turning his head towards Tom with a look of anger and confusion.
"I mean I haven't ever seen you cry, I have barely ever seen you get angry. You're stupidly stoic and the cracking of jokes has to be a cover for something." Tom blurted out in a sudden moment. Kokobiel's grip tightened on his bag, he could feel the fabric dig into his skin as his claws pushed it into his palm.
"I fear that they will be disappointed and uttering words about them only drives that deeper. Me being stoic is not because I am hiding something, I am protecting myself. We should be back in a couple days." Kokobiel said through gritted teeth. Kokobiel relaxed his grip upon the bag as he walked out, not giving Tom time to respond. For once in a long time Kokobiel felt genuine anger, not at Tom at himself, he had slipped up. Being stoic was what he was good at, unfortunately Tom could see straight through that. Had he brought it up in the past? No he hadn't even he couldn't have slipped up that bad, why did his chest hurt, why did the bag seem heavy all of a sudden. Kokobiel's breathing became rapid, his grip tightening in both of his fists, that same light flickered above him. For a moment Kokobiel could have sworn he had heard the cheer of a crowd, another flash, his head started to hurt as he dropped the bag.
The flashing felt to get faster as he stood there, his legs stumbled as he pressed against the wall, he shut his eyes for a moment before reopening them. In a moment of instinct he swung seeing the face of a boxer had fought before, quickly he was taken out of the moment as he punched the wall dead on. There was a pop and a sharp pain as he made contact with the wall. Biting down as he reeled from the pain trying to focus himself, he inspected his finger as it was bent wrong. This had happened once or twice but it was painful every time, taking his finger as he straightened it out before in a quick motion popped it back into his place. A single tear swelled up and fell down to the floor. Looking back at the wall it had a small indent and crack, sadly the wall had done more damage to him then he had the wall. Kokobiel picked the bag back up as the light continued to flicker, for a moment he considered taking it out and smashing it, he would not let his anger get over him again and kept walking. Returning to his room he found Morgan awake now as he was putting his belt back on for his pants, Kokobiel set down his bag onto Morgan's desk. Morgan greeted him with a smile as he slipped his shirt back on and put the mask back over his head. Thinking back to Tom and how easy it was for him to be read by Tom he wondered if Morgan could do the same.
"Good nap?" Kokobiel asked in his natural tone.
"Certainly better than expected. Was it good for you? You do seem fairly tense in your shoulders but maybe I just normally don't pay that much attention. You just seem a bit bigger now." Morgan replied back to him.
"Completely fine, probably just slept funny." Kokobiel responded back, even if it had been a lie. Maybe Morgan couldn't read him like Tom or maybe it was due to how long they knew each other.
Morgan shrugged as he holstered his arm into its socket as he made a fist with it a few times.
"I'm ready to go. I got my shit together just tell me when we're ready to go." Kokobiel said to him.
"I still have to get ready then probably figure how we will go about this. Bringing Dingo couldn't be that bad for us. Of course I still have to say bye to a few people." Morgan chatted back. Kokobiel scratched his head at the thought of him talking to Tom, he shook his head at this thought before spotting Morgan staring at him.
"What?" Kokobiel asked.
"Nothing just admiring, it's been a while since I have done that," Morgan said as he looked away and stepped out of the room. Kokobiel didn't know how to feel about that, being admired wasn't that strange but coming from Morgan it felt odd. Sitting down on the bed as the mattress sank in, he took out his journal as he sharpened his pencil with the small knife he kept with it. Too many thoughts to process and not write down. Writing down his thoughts cleared his head and his sketching was of the light bulb with a tiny moth next to it. The break relieved him as he now went looking for Morgan, bag in hand.
Finding Morgan back in the room full of monitor screens talking to Digno he waited outside the opening for Morgan to notice him. It didn't take long before they both turned to the door and spotted him.
"Making yourself a stranger?" Dingo asked sarcastically.
"No just being patient is all, so what was your decision?" Kokobiel asked.
"Oh trust me I am going with, never get further out from this region till now." Dingo replied back.
"She actually packed her bag already, no ditching her," Morgan said as he crossed his arms.
"So be it. I am ready to go whenever you guys are." Kokobiel gave in response.
"Just have to get my bag ready, you and Dingo go load up a vehicle while I get that," Morgan said as he began to walk past Kokobiel.
"So dating our general now what a great thing for you to do. What's your plan?" Dingo asked playfully.
"Hopefully make it to third base so he'll tell me all the rebel secrets." Kokobiel said back also as playfully. Dingo shook her head as she began to walk out of the room, snatching a bag off one of the lower monitors, Kokobiel followed behind her as they went to the motorpool. They didn't have much to pack this time and they weren't going in a van instead it was a one cab pickup truck, the passenger door had old graffiti written on it and the bed of the truck was covered in a layer of dirt.
"This thing is old." Kokobiel pointed out.
"Eh we're just rough on her, she runs smooth as butter spread on bread." Dingo shot back. Sliding a small crate into the back of the truck caused the dirt to lift up and disperse into the air.
"Okay she may need a wash while we are out," Dingo said as she shut the tailgate. Kokobiel shook his head as he tossed his bag into the cab.
"Who's driving?" Kokobiel asked.
"Me of course, you think I'm going to let you get yer hands on her let alone anyone else?" Dingo said smugly.
"Just asking, no need to be snippy about it." Kokobiel spit back with.
Morgan came walking up with his own smaller crate which he set in the bed of the truck.
"What's in there?" Dingo asked.
"Paint and a canvas, if we're going to be out that far inLamtha," Morgan replied as he got into the cab and sat in the middle. Kokobiel followed him in as Dingo got in on her own side. The truck started, it didn't whine and it didn't sputter.
"Told ya she was smooth," Dingo smirked as she put it in gear. Kokobiel rolled his eyes as they reversed and then moved forwards towards the wall. It slowly opened before them as they slowly came out of the tunnel before they were on the road and towards Wortistan.
"So what will you paint once we're in Lamtha?" Kokobiel asked Morgan.
"Probably some pretty view, maybe a city, haven't done that yet with all the rooftops," Morgan replied back, a hand slowly slid onto Kokobiel's thigh. Kokobiel responded by putting his own hand atop of his. Passing by fields full of crops was soothing, living in a city most of his life it was nice to see the rural side of things. The city was always busy, even at night, at least until curfew. The country side was still the same but night and day were different, different noises, sights, smells. It was like looking into a completely different world. Though it took forever to see the two worlds, the moments between dusk and dawn were the best as some creatures woke up and the others fell asleep. Kokobiel found himself sketching things that passed, corn fields, random chupas along the road, a few powerlines, a small pond, and even a broken down tractor. Morgan slumped against him as he watched Kokobiel sketch. Dingo leaned down as she adjusted the radio, the station was something from the House, trying to switch to a different one didn't change anything.
"A recen- suspected rebel in the Sam-" played through the radio as Dingo messed with it.
"Leave it on there. I'm a little curious about what it is about." Kokobiel spoke up. Dingo left it alone once she reached a station with it on again.
"A H.A.D.E.S base was assaulted about seven hours ago, several agents found dead, the base vandalized and looted. There is a missing agent going by Raymond Bout suspected to be armed and possibly a traitor, if spotted reportedly immediately to the nearest House agent. As of the rebels while identities are still unknown they are armed and dangerous, do not approach them. May Omega protect all of you." the radio voice broadcasted.
"Isn't that you're buddy?" Morgan asked.
"Yes it is, guess he won't be allowed outside for a while." Kokobiel answered.
"Eh nobody will know where he is as long as he stays in the base, not like his armor has a tracker in it. We've been repurposing their armor for a few years at this point." Dingo responded back to the two. Kokobiel shrugged as he zoned back out.
It wasn't long before they were in a more urbanized area as they pulled into a quiet motel, it had been about three hours since they started their roadtrip. Their bodies needed to stretch and Dingo needed to look over the truck's engine due to a weird noise they had started a few miles back. Kokobiel got out of the truck as he stretched out and popped his neck, his body was hit with a wave of relief as he looked over to the motel.
"Reminds me of a place me and Tom stayed for a mission a long while back, although that one didn't have boarded up windows and doors, nor a pile of trash to the side of the building." Kokobiel said as he looked it over.
"That's great to hear, I am going to go take a wizz over there by the bushes," Morgan said as he got out of the truck and wandered off towards the woods.
Dingo had opened the hood of the truck and lifted herself to look in it. Taking a screwdriver from her pocket she poked at something before the screwdriver came back with a thick black substance on it.
"A wheel belt just melted so I think we may be stuck for a little while and could have some worse going on since it was a few miles back," Dingo said as she wiped the screwdriver on her pants before returning it to her pocket.
"What does that mean for us?" Kokobiel asked. Dingo dug around in her other pocket as she got out a handful of credits.
"Means go get us a room," Dingo said as she handed over the credits. Kokobiel took them from her as he watched her go back to the other side of the truck and put it in neutral and getting back out to start pushing it. Kokobiel shook his head as he went to the front office of the motel, finding it empty with a bell and a sign that read 'Ring for service'. Kokobiel lifted a hand before ringing the bell, nothing happened, Kokobiel rolled his eyes as he looked around the rest of the office. A poorly maintained vending machine with very few things in it, a stuffed bunnylops hanging on the wall, a sign hung up on the far wall but the writing had been rubbed off. Turning his head back to the desk he was greeted with the face of another, their eyes were wild and their breath smelled of something that had decayed. Kokobiel jumped back in surprise before settling.
"Sorry for startlin ya, 'yer awfully funny looking for someone out this way. What can I do ya?" the chupa asked. They were extremely small, standing on top of a chair and over the desk to meet Kokobiel's eyes. They were young too but not a child, maybe a pre teen to early teen.
"Just a room, preferably one with two beds." Kokobiel replied back, shaking off his surprise.
"Alrighty, that'll be seventy credits," the child held out a hand awaiting the credits. Kokobiel counted out the credits in his hand before taking what was needed and pocketing the rest. He handed over the credits before the other chupa took it from his hand and put it into a draw. They hopped off a chair and went to the room behind them, returning quickly with a key in hand.
"You'll be in room '217' for the night," the chupa said to Kokobiel as they handed over the keys.
"You're awfully young to be working the front of a motel, aren't you?" Kokobiel asked as he took the keys.
"Most people ask that but ma says I would be fine, she works the mechanic shop on the other side of the motel and can see allll the way over here." the child replied back. Kokobiel turned his head to the window and sure enough there was a mechanic shop on the other side, Dingo had already made it over to the shop herself.
"Huh guess so, see ya around kid," Kokobiel said as he pocketed the keys and stepped outside.
"See ya mister!" the child yelled back as he left. Making his way over to the shop he had Morgan join him as they both made their way over to Dingo.
They couldn't hear the conversation from the distance but it was clear Dingo wasn't happy with her body language.
"So what's the problem?" Kokobiel asked as Dingo came and stood outside.
"She says the belt is ruined and the gears around it need to be replaced and since she doesn't have the parts on her she's going to run into town. So we're stuck here for at least a little while." Dingo huffed.
"How long is a little while?" Kokobiel asked back.
"I don't know dammit we could be here for a couple hours or possibly seven hours." Dingo snapped back.
"Jeez calm down memaw." Kokobiel snarked back. Dingo stopped for a moment as she stared at the ground before slowly turning her head up to Kokobiel.
"I will use your pelt as a new wheel belt for my truck, your teeth for guitar picks, and your skull as a beer mug with how big it is," Dingo threatened as she took the screwdriver out of her pocket gesturing it towards him. Kokobiel backed up as he held up his hands.
"Don't cross the woman with a screwdriver, she'll kick your ass and use it for something." Morgan replied back as he watched the scene play out.
"Hand over the keys and whatever credits you got back," Dingo said as she got closer to Kokobiel, holding out a hand for both. Kokobiel handed over both before Dingo backed away from him and walked off towards the motel.
"At least I sleep in a bed with you," Kokobiel said, checking his surroundings beforehand. Morgan raised an eyebrow before he chuckled.
"Nah you'll sleep on the floor like a dog this time," Morgan said as he began to follow Dingo.
"What!" Kokobiel exclaimed as he gave chase.
The room wasn't a vacation home, hell it wasn't even a shed he would stay in overnight but he had to stay there.
"It smells like someone pissed pure alcohol in here." Dingo said, her face scrunched in disgust.
"You said get a room, it's not like I had a choice to pick the room. At least there are two beds, could have made you sleep in the closet." Kokobiel spit back but he was equally disgusted. Morgan ignored the two as he went to one of the beds and uncovered the sheets. It had a few burn marks within the mattress but no bed bugs, there was a weird stain near the side of it but he was going to sit atop of the blankets anyway. Dingo sat on the other bed as she picked up the remote, the small TV in the center of the far wall came to life, Dingo clicked through the channels as she tried to find something.
"Oh fuck yeah they have Grifball" Dingo exclaimed in excitement.
"The one where the ball explodes at the end of each round? I thought they weren't doing that anymore?" Kokobiel said as he sat down with Morgan looking at the TV.
"Yeah but the ball only explodes in the pro league now, matches between rival territories don't involve it anymore since someone had rigged the ball to explode in someone's hands," Dingo replied back as she relaxed back into the bed.
"That's not great." Kokobiel winced at hearing it.
"It was not, total bloodbath and it was not taken off quick enough." Dingo replied back. Kokobiel watched the TV before he felt the bed shift behind him as Morgan laid down.
"Mmm this bed is kinda stiff, maybe there were less people in this room then I had thought." Morgan said out loud.
"Or maybe there's so many bodily fluids sucked into it that it's stiffened over the years." Kokobiel joked back. Morgan stuck his tongue out as he sat up and gave a light punch into Kokobiel's arm. Kokobiel batted him back as pushed him down into the bed. Morgan fought back as he pushed him down as he wrapped his legs around Kokobiel's torso pulling back to him. Kokobiel tried to break free as he sprawled out onto the bed and got Morgan beneath him. Morgan jabbed into his side as he tried to spin them around, Kokobiel was unmovable as he lifted up.
"I will flop down with you on me." Kokobiel threatened.
"You wouldn't dare." Morgan shot back. Kokobiel raised an eyebrow as he gave in and dropped atop of him. The beg springs hinged and squeaked as they landed. Both laughed as Kokobiel lifted up with Morgan now off him.
"Fuck you, ough you got me good you fucker," Morgan stated as he pushed into Kokobiels face. Kokobiel leaked his hand in retaliance which was effective.
Suddenly a flash and the shutter of a camera went off as they both turned their heads towards Dingo. She had a camera out and grinning slyly.
"This one's for the scrapbook boys," Dingo said as she took the photo and waved it in the air.
"You show anyone that and I promise you I will use your room as a place to collect scrap metal." Morgan barked.
"Yeah what he said." Kokobiel joined in.
"Oh don't get your dicks in a twist, no one will see it," Dingo said as she slid it into her pocket. Morgan rolled his eyes as Kokobiel got off of him and laid beside him. A few hours wouldn't hurt them but Kokobiel couldn't get the smell out of his nose at this point. Getting up he left the room as he took in a breath of fresh air. It wasn't too long before Morgan joined him outside as well.
"Enjoying the little moments?" Morgan asked.
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