This was really awkward, reeeeeally awkward. Jeff just sat there and wished he could disappear well; he could just leave but that would make everything worse. So, he sat silently. Head down, thinking useless thought while two people he called friends looked at him. Probably disgusted, angry, hateful. And he couldn’t blame them really, he did fuck it up, that’s why he kept away from people. So what now, silence? Well it was at least easy.

  “Well that’s new”, was Butch’s first sentence, more bemused than angry. Which was confusing.

  “Yeah normally he looks us at least in the eye while being silent”, that comment from Ken stung a bit but well it was also true. Jeff did sometimes just sit there and stare at people silently, which was something Candy had tried to help him to get better at.

  Silence came back but it felt less heavy, they had talked to him and there was not yet any shouting or anger or disappointment for just running off with the money and selling the engine. They may just want to lure him into some false sense of hope, but Butch was too direct he wouldn’t just make hurt people for fun, he said it to your face when he was angry and Ken, well Ken was different he did things his own way. Or so Jeff thought honestly Jeff had never seen him angry.

  “So should I start?”, came Vaeries hesitant voice, clearly not sure how she fit in all this, she just wanted to survive what came next and now she sat at a table in a bar, with three guys, who she barely knew and two others who probably looked very angry. Jeff felt sorry for dragging her into this. Though it had been her best option either way so there was that at least.

  Silence, Jeff felt as if someone looked at him and then a small sigh came.

  “Well, the idiot over there wont talk to us yet so why not. Who are you and why are you travelling with Jeff?”, that was Buch’s high voice, it never really fit him, especially when he tried sounding serious.

  “Well my name is Vaeri and I met him a few days ago, we travelled together here to find a way out of the zone, we have reason to believe shit is about to hit the fan and we want to be out. He said you guys would be our best shot at getting people together to survive the greylands”, her voice steadily gained a bit more confidence, as she talked about something she was at least clear about.

  Silence was her only answer, well for a minute, which was enough to get awkward and nearly enough to make Jeff look up.

  “Mind telling us more? I may not be too attached to this town but some people I do like live here and while I would like to just ignore you, Jeff might be weird and awkward but he aint stupid, so if he came with you here to tell us this, I am willing to hear you at least out”, was Ken’s eventual response, much more muted than Jeff had thought it would be, normally he was way more skeptical. Jeff had thought Ken would be the hardest to convince to even listen.

  “Ok so we were at the camp, idk what they named it I just called it the camp, near the Esher connection? The one led by Diego?”, a pause, probably some nods from Ken and Butch, people knew at least the names of camp leaders, “Well they all got captured by mercenaries and they started talking about something big happening, well that’s what he told me.” Vaeri presumably pointed with her finger at Jeff who still refused to look up.

  “And they mentioned a Professor so it will get dangerous. We both wanted to leave either way but Esher is fizziling and well the new connection is probably not safe so Greylands it is, which means we will need a crawler and a crew and Jeff thought you guys would be a good bet and he didn’t want to leave you behind.”

  Silence followed and Jeff well he couldn’t keep his head down forever. So he looked up to see both Butch and Ken thinking, not in shock like he had been, but then he had heard it first hand and they heard it from a stranger saying it’s what he heard.

  “So you want us to believe, that some mercenaries are kidnapping people, gathering them and planning to do something with some professor being involved? And that’s reason enough for you to decide to gather your things come here, ask us for help to what? Steal a crawler? And then get to the Greylands and hope we survive whatever the Professor has in store for this zone?”

  “More or less”, was Vaeries sheepish answer, even Jeff winced a bit, he had known it was stupid but hearing it said by Butch, especially after Vaeri had pointed out the stupidity not too long ago, was well not great. Ken was the next to speak, looking right at Jeff, who just looked away.

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  “That’s a terrible plan but it at least sounds like you Jeff. Do you have any prove besides your word though?”

  “Not really”, was all Jeff could bring himself to mumble, not a great answer and he knew it.

  “Well it would explain some things, at least the kidnapping part”, Butch grumbled, clearly in thought, which was more than Jeff expected after their initial reaction.

  “We won’t just pack our things and come along, also if there really is such a threat for the entire zone, we will need to talk to others, steve for example, can’t let him and his daughters get caught up”, Butch stopped and sighed, something on Vaeris face must have been responsible, because he addressed her before continuing, “don’t look so skeptical, I wont risk all our lives for some randome people I don’t know. But I owe people, so does Kate, Ken and Candy. We cannot juts leave knowing people might die. IF we even come along, that will need further discussion with Kate and Candy, before we do anything.”

  “And Konstantine, you forget him all the time”, interjected Ken. Butch grunted in acknowledgement.

  “Who is Konstantine?”, Jeff found himself mumbling.

  “He is a new guy. Kate found him running around the city all alone, like Candy fund someone else here. He helps out with the odd jobs we do and well we don’t know much about him yet.”

  Jeff felt deveasted, they already had replaced him by someone new and probably better. It’s not like it was a huge surprise, it was one of the reasons Jeff feared talking to them again. But getting confirmation was devastating, truly awful. Something on his face must have given away his feelings, as Butch grunted in amusement. Jeff glanced up at him, world a bit swirly, as if there was something in his eyes.

  “Are you crying”, a real laugh escaped Butch’s giant torso, it was a full belly laugh, his laugh like his voice, was too high for someone of his stature, it sounded close to a girly giggle sometimes.

  “No I’m not”, was Jeffs only answer and it sounded even to him like a whiney child trying to hide it was crying. Ken was suppressing a laugh, and as Jeff loked up he also burst out laughing Vaeri just looked confused.

  “Man if a new guy bothers you, you shouldn’t have left”, Ken pressed out between laughs, Jeff must have made a weird face or looked even more miserable, because he continued laughing. While Jeff had an ever more growing urge to cry. Now they were also laughing at him, well he did deserve it still that hurt quite badly.

  “Should we torture him a bit more?”, Butch asked while gasping for air half a minute later.

  “Nah look at him, he really will cry, plus Candy will get her round of revenge too, so we don’t really have to go too far.”

  Butch shrugged at that and looked at Jeff, still suppressing a grin, trying to look more serious.

  “Don’t worry you are not replaced, we don’t replace friends, but Konstantine is the new guy, Kate likes him and he does good work. But just because he doesn’t replace you doesn’t mean you can come just back. Kate and especially Candy were really hurt when you just up and left, especially after making Candy that angry. And you took the money, which was a really stupid move. Me and Ken weren’t surprised, so we weren’t hurt by you just up and leaving expected it really. Also expected you to come back. With us everythings fine and I suspect Kate will kick you in the nuts, but after that she will be mostly fine unless you lost all the money, then she will be majorly pissed.”

  “You knew I would be back and you two didn’t care I took the money?”

  “Well, you seemed like in the need of friends when we first met you, so it made only sense you’d turn up eventually, I thought it would take half a year not just a few weeks, but well here you are. And we do care about the money, but in the end, you found the damn thing and money can be replaced, might have to put you to work until the debt is gone but I don’t care as much about the money.”

  “And I thought you would take a year, the money would be gone and I could lord it over you for the next decade. Win, win honestly. I agree with Butch you found the damn core money was always mostly yours, going without telling anyone now that pissed me off, but good for you, you took long enough I had time to cool down. Kate and Candy not.”

  Relieve flooded Jeff, the two really didn’t seem to be mad, and he had the money. Getting kicked by Kate would suck, but Jeff hoped Butch meant that in the metaphorical sense. Which would still suck but at least it would be over. That Candy was apparently still mad, well it didn’t really change anything that’s the assumption Jeff had for everyone so he would be able to deal with it. Hopefully without crying.

  Sniffling, now trying to not cry from relieve, Jeff asked Butch,” how mad is Candy?”

  “Oh boy, you made her mad, so mad she actually threw out your mattress. She wouldn’t talk to me for three days because I tried to calm her down, even now she clearly is very mad. Kate was angry because of the money, otherwise she was just sad you left without saying goodbye, Candy well she doesn’t care about the money as much as she is angry about the core. Which she was before you left already. You leaving meant she was angry about the core, angry you left without saying goodbye, angry you left at all and angry you dodged her anger. That and she probably thinks you left because of her which made her feel guilty for a day, which made her even more angry. So yeah she is still pissed. I don’t know how you will handle that lady. Especially given the circumstances.” Butch glanced at Vaeri who had turned silent and just observed, clearly feeling a bit awkward being the fourth wheel to their tricycle. Jeff didn’t quite know what to make off the glance but at least he had courage now, courage to face the wrath of Candy.