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The Retired Rifleman
“Excuse me! Can I have your attention please?!” a voice asked through the void.
A blue furred Slugcat groaned as he opened his large, expressive eyes. His tail was numb, his eyes were blurry and strained, and he was restless despite feeling tired. Oh...and he had a kink in his neck. How lovely…
“There’s been an update about our landing! There’s some rough weather ahead of us and news that a Leviathan has gotten loose from the Iterator facility grounds! We may be forced to wait up to an hour before we are able to land! Extra free drinks and chocolate will be provided to accommodate these unfortunate developments!” a flight attendant, a Scavenger, shouted over the roar of propeller engines.
The Slugcat, Ryan Ackerson, rolled his eyes and neck with a yawn. Running his hands down his face, he felt his whiskers/gills perk up as he woke up from his three hour nap. Commercial flight was still a relatively new development and there were bound to be complications, especially in the Rainlands. Aggressive animals, rough seas, old combat pilots trying to hone their craft and teach a new generation of aviators, and the ever present weather system that gave the Rainlands their name.
It was still somehow cheaper and faster than by boat. The jury was still out about it being safer but the only “safe” places within the Rainlands were on the coasts a mile away from the Iterator facilities. Ryan should know, he grew up in the region.
“Why didn’t we stay on the boat again?!” a voice complained next to him.
“Because otherwise we’d get there in time for you and your brother to go back to school! It’s not that bad Charlie!” Ryan replied back.
The Slugcat next to Ryan was a highly unique individual. Rusty brown fur, armored plates running down his back, a stocky yet short body, and a thick barbed tail defined the features of the Slugcat glaring out the window of the plane they were in. With a sigh, they turned around and looked at Ryan with silver eyes.
“I know that! Won’t stop me from complaining about it!” Charlie said as the plane bounced due to turbulence, “I swear my tail is going to need to be amputated due to a lack of blood flow!”
“Stop being so dramatic! If you want to complain, do it silently, you little gremlin!” Ryan retorted as he shifted in his seat.
Charlie rolled his eyes again and resumed staring out of the window. Ryan knew Charlie was just being dramatic for the sake of it. Sitting still for hours on end and having nothing to really do was a boring endeavor. As an energetic individual himself, Ryan was a bit frazzled as well. But he also was much older than his twelve year old son and had dealt with far worse situations than simply sitting around on a bouncing plane waiting to land.
A few brief thoughts wormed their way into his mind and he quickly banished them. He and his family were on a trip to see his parents and his brother-in-law. The days of him sitting in a muddy trench hiding from artillery and machine gun fire were over. They had been over before Charlie was even born, before he married his wife. Ryan did not need to stir up old memories that were behind him. There were funny and good moments from back then, but he did not want to sort those out from the harrowing nightmares that they often were entangled with.
No… Ryan Ackerson did not need to deal with that at all.
An hour later, the Ackerson family were gathering their belongings. Canal Bay was the typical Rainlands coastal community. A mixture of foreign and local influences, wide streets and canals filtering water into the bay, narrow gutter alleyways, and a tangled web of bridges both on the streets and between the rooftops allowing for easy access regardless of how bad the weather got. The air was hot and muggy, a far cry from the cold and damp island home the family was more familiar with.
“Up! Uppies!” a young voice demanded, breaking Ryan from his gaze at the buildings.
“Okay! Up we go! Oof! Have you been eating bricks again? Mom, why are you feeding Kelly bricks?!” Charlie asked as he picked up his younger brother who giggled at the silliness.
Ryan looked at the scene and smiled. Kelly was vastly different from Charlie and it was clear that the two were half brothers. A deep navy blue fur color, large pink/silver eyes, a streamlined body, and fins aligned along his arms and legs were the immediate features of Kelly Ackerson. However, once Charlie speed walked and started making motor boat noises, Kelly’s most distinctive feature revealed itself while he laughed: his tail split into three appendages with the insides lined with needles, flailing like a Jetfish propelling itself through the water. Ryan could not help but chuckle at the sight of his two kids having fun after the long flight.
“Well they’re having fun,” he said quietly as he turned around to grab the bags, “Got everything on your end Sev?”
Nearby was the last member of the Ackerson family and his wife: Seven “Sev” Ackerson. If there was any confusion about Ryan being the father for Charlie or Kelly, there was absolutely none regarding Sev being their mother. Short frame, piercing silver eyes, a barbed tail, and the lack of a mouth (this lacking feature hidden by a bandana) were the defining characteristics of the purple furred Slugcat Ryan was married to. With her own expression of a smile, she nodded and carried two suitcases on her own.
“Okay! Let’s get going then. Four should be around here somewhere,” Ryan said as he grabbed his own suitcase.
Sev loved her family. As a combat purposed organism, she was not really built for this kind of life. But she was happy and would just as happily spend the rest of her days living this strange, crazy, completely maddening life she was ill-prepared for. Thirteen years of marriage, two wonderful sons, and a lovable goofball of a husband who she could always count on… Considering this was her last assignment as a purposed organism and the most important one of her life, it was going pretty well even with the countless mistakes and the complicated process of learning how to be a mother.
It was not the life she was built for, but it was the one she had and she had very few regrets about living it. That was more than enough for her.
“Hey! Watch the ears! Ow! Kelly, stop pulling my ears! Kelly!” Charlie yelped as he walked between her and Ryan.
“Faster!” Kelly demanded, not quite thrilled that his brother had slowed down to keep pace with their parents.
Well he definitely has taken after Ryan over me, she thought as she watched the scene from the corner of her eye.
“All right that’s enough Kelly. Charlie needs his ears and there’ll be time to run around once we get to your grandparents,” Ryan said gently.
“Okay,” Kelly said without any complaints.
Sev gave another “smile” and scanned the street looking for her brother. Four was a large Slugcat so spotting him should be easy...unless the overgrown lunatic was hiding...or busy… She seriously hoped he was not busy. It has been nearly two years since she saw the big lug and he was well past having a vacation…
When did she start considering the necessity of vacations again? She really has come a long way from just being a combat purposed organism on an assignment.
“There they are! Hey Ackersons! Over here!” a loud, boisterous voice called out.
“Aunt Five?!” Charlie exclaimed as two Slugcats walked up from a car waiting on the street.
“That’s me,” the smaller of the pair said smugly.
“What? And I don’t get a greeting?” the larger asked in mock hurt.
Well… This was a surprise. Last she heard Five was helping One and Six somewhere in the mountains and here she was, standing on the street in broad daylight. Sev gave a mental shrug and put down the suitcases and walked up to hug her siblings.
“Seven! Haha! Look at you! Still adorable as ever little sister!” Four exclaimed as he gave a bone crushing hug.
“Four…” Five muttered before facing the boys, “How’s it going Charlie? I see you’ve got a little something growing on your head.”
“Auntie!” Kelly cried out happily, sliding off Charlie's back and running to hug her.
“What am I? A lizard's chopped liver?” Ryan asked as he put down his suitcases and shook Four’s hand, “It’s great to see you two.”
Four was massive for a Slugcat, easily head and shoulders over Kelly sitting on top of Charlie. Ash gray fur, a barreled chest, green eyes, and armored plates covering a good percentage of his body made officer “Ford Redmond” an imposing figure. Sev knew from experience that her older brother could be a force of nature if he had to be. The giant Slugcat was built for urban warfare and could rival Three (the family shock operations specialist) in terms of sheer raw power. His physical strength alone made him a one Slugcat army and his sharp mind made him nearly unstoppable whenever he displayed his combat prowess… He also had a very good singing voice and got along great with kids, making him perfect for Charlie and Kelly.
Then there was Five. Pitch black fur, a lithe frame, spindly appendages, burning red eyes (hidden by sunglasses), and a mouth full of venomous fangs made the (usually) nocturnal Slugcat menacing just by appearance alone. Sev recalled having nightmares from her early training days when facing her night operations specialist sister. Even her father claimed he outdid himself when using a spider as the inspiration for Five, down even to the knitting hobby. Five was unsettling during the day, scary at night, and a walking nightmare whenever on assignment or just angry (especially in dimly lit rooms, in dark rooms one would be lucky to even know she was there in the first place). Sev loved her and would not have her terrifying sister any other way. Besides, she made baby blankets for the kids when they had been born and was the first in any family gathering to arrive when she had the chance.
Anyone else here?, Sev signed with her hands after stretching to deal with her almost crushed spine.
“Just us. The others couldn’t make it sadly,” Four answered with a tinge of regret.
“Why not?” Charlie asked.
“Business kiddo… Even your grandfathers are busy with this one,” Four said.
“Grandpa’s busy? But I thought he’s waiting for us?” Kelly asked.
“Don’t worry Kelly, Grandpa’s still waiting for us. They’re just talking some adult stuff,” Charlie explained gently, understanding which set of grandparents were being referenced.
“Speaking of Dad, he knows about you Five? We weren’t exactly expecting you to be here,” Ryan stated, causing Sev to slap his shoulder, “Sorry.”
“It’s fine. Truthfully, I wasn’t expecting to end up here myself so let’s just consider this a happy accident. Though what in the world do your parents do to the coffee?” Five states.
“Uh-oh,” Kelly whispered, knowing full well what was about to happen.
Sev rolled her eyes as Ryan started vehemently defending his beloved coffee. With assistance from Charlie and Four, they load the car and start to drive towards the elder Ackerson household. Kelly watched the buildings go by, Charlie talked to Four about his aspirations to become a pharmacist, and Ryan bickered with Five over caffeinated beverages.
I traded a life of espionage and hunting down rogue purposed organisms for this, Sev thought as the car bounced slightly through the streets, I’d say I made the right choice. Not too bad for the youngest member of the family.
An hour later Charlie was walking down the street with Dad. While late in the afternoon and the chances of rain increasing, Dad had decided to go out for a late lunch. Mom was catching up with Uncle Four (Aunt Five had fallen asleep on the couch) while Grandma and Grandpa were introduced to Kelly. While they could have had lunch at the house, Dad wanted to revisit parts of his hometown. Charlie could understand the reason why, Canal Bay had a homely feeling to it even with the humidity being murderous (how did Dad live with this his entire life?!).
A gap in the buildings caused him to pause. Off in the distance, towering over the tropical rainforest/jungle and dominating the skyline despite being miles away were two mindbogglingly gigantic boxes. The first time Charlie saw them five years ago he spent a solid two minutes just staring in disbelief. He knew what they were then and even now he still had trouble contemplating what he was looking at.
“I’d be more surprised if those two were missing,” Dad commented as he looked at the boxes as well, “Pretty sure it would be world news if even one of them disappeared.”
“I’m not sure which is more crazy. The fact they are people or the fact they’re just...there,” Charlie said as he continued looking, “They’re not even built into a mountain. They’re just standing there on their own.”
“That’s Iterators for ya,” Dad shrugged, “Massive, artificial people the size of a mountain defying the laws of physics.”
Charlie scoffed and shook his head in mild disbelief. The Iterator back home was massive, but nothing like this. He was inside a mountain, not just floating in the sky atop of six metal poles. What about all that empty space beneath them? Whoever built the Iterators in the Rainlands clearly had no regard for structural stability.
“Come on, let’s get lunch,” Dad said as he resumed walking.
“Right,” Charlie agreed as he followed before taking a final glance at the boxes, “Kinda surprised Kelly hasn’t noticed them yet to be honest.”
“It took you an entire day to do so. I’m just waiting to see how big his eyes are going to get.”
“The same size they are now.”
“You know what I mean.”
Charlie smirked mischievously, “Or do I?”
“Little brat,” Dad playfully shoved him.
“What? I’m not allowed to act my age, old man?”
Dad just chuckled as they walked. After a couple more minutes, they arrived at a diner. Walking inside (blessed cool air and fans), they walked over to a table and waited to be served.
“Hi! Welcome to Around the Clock,” a Scavenger waiter walked up with some menus, “Can I get you something to drink?”
“Got any orange juice?” Charlie asked.
“Sure!”
“I’ll take that then.”
“Just some water for me,” Dad said as he skimmed the menu.
The waiter wrote the orders down and walked away. Charlie picked up his own menu and began reading the selections. He was in no mood for eggs (Mom really needs to find something else for everyone can eat at home), he did not want to even think about eating a Batfly (gross), the sausages were a hit or miss for him (something about the texture), the-
“I don’t believe it,” a voice exclaimed, “It really is you.”
Ryan put down his menu to look at an unexpected speaker. His eyes went wide and his mouth dropped in utter shock.
“Martin?! What are you doing here?!” he exclaimed as he looked at the yellow furred Slugcat.
“Coffee and cake with family,” the Slugcat said as a grin formed on his face as he stuck out a hand, “Put it there Ruffles!”
Ryan got up and gave his old friend a hug, the two of them laughing. Truthfully, Ryan had forgotten that Martin technically lived in Canal Bay, figuring his old friend was living in the wilds running a clinic. Sure, he exchanged letters but the last time he saw Martin in person was nearly thirteen years ago.
“Ha! Never would have thought I’d see your fuzzy mug again!” Martin laughed.
“My fuzzy mug? You’re the one who had to brush his fur every other hour!” Ryan retaliated as they broke the hug, “It’s good to see you Martin.”
“It has,” Martin smiled before turning to face Charlie, “And you must be Charlie.”
“Uh, yes sir,” Charlie got up to shake Martin’s hand, “Dad spoke a lot about you.”
“All good things I hope. Or was it about him and his mugs of stupid?”
“What is with everyone insulting my family's coffee today?” Ryan mock pouted.
Martin chuckled, “Come on, we’re sitting at the counter over there.”
“You sure?”
“Ah come on Ruffles. My niece and nephew are waiting and I’ve already told them stories about you. How about you fix some details?”
With a shrug, Ryan grabbed the menu and followed. Charlie did the same and they sat down next to a family of Slugcats.
“Everyone, meet Ryan ‘Ruffles’ Ackerson!” Martin exclaimed as he sat down next to them, “This speedy coffee addict has finally decided to grace us with his presence.”
“It’s good to meet you mister Ackerson,” a female white furred Slugcat said, “I must thank you for looking after my brother.”
“Susana right? A pleasure to meet you,” Ryan replied.
A conversation quickly broke out. With food ordered, the two families began talking about their lives in detail. Martin having a clinic a couple of blocks away from the diner, Charlie striking up a conversation with the two teenagers over education, Ryan commenting about the dockyard work he had taken up, it was a true conversation rather than an exchange between letters that took weeks to arrive.
By the time the rain started, the food had long been finished and it was almost early evening. Ryan and Martin somehow shifted their conversation to telling old war stories.
“Wait wait wait! It gets better,” Ryan giggled as the group chuckled over an old memory, “So we’re watching in disbelief. After dropping all the helmets, he bent over to begin picking them up before his belt snapped and his pants came down. The helmet juggling clown was just standing there in his briefs!”
This caused another round of roaring laughter. Ryan could remember the situation perfectly. He also recalled a lieutenant having a minor mental breakdown at the scene, becoming a sputtering mess.
“It-heh!-It was certainly a sight to behold,” Martin said as he calmed down.
“You never told us that one before!” Martin’s nephew said.
“Neither did him,” Charlie commented.
Ryan was about to open his mouth when he suddenly froze. A loud noise rang out in the back of his head. It started off distant and quiet, but grew louder.
“Huh… Is it just me or is it early?” Martin asked distantly despite being right next to him.
The rain grew louder and more thunderous. Ryan could feel his heart beat faster.
“It’s definitely the wrong time… Waa wa wa,” Susana muttered, voice mixing with the noise.
“Dad?”
The noise began to fill his ears and then his head. It grew louder and more urgent. Smells began to fill the air. It was no longer raining but the thunderous pounding grew sharper.
“Dad? Dad?”
A flash in the distance was all the warning he got before a thunderous boom went off.
“Ack!”
“Dad!”
Ruffles fell over. Machine gun fire rang out as the air raid siren went off. He pulled himself up and leaned against the wall, struggling to control his breathing.
“Someone get me a radio!”
“It’s busted!”
“On the left! Covering fire!”
Ruffles looked around as the unexpected firefight broke out. The air raid siren had gone off a minute ago, their only warning before an armored assault with infantry and artillery support attacked.
“He’s hit! Where’s my bag?!” Martin asked as he ran up and checked Ruffles.
“How should I know?!” Artemis snapped, reloading her rifle while bullets flew past her ears.
“Damn it! Medic! We need a medic over here!”
“Go! I’ve got this!”
“Warhorn this is Baker! Fire support delta, fox, eight, ten! Enemy air is inbound! Get your umbrellas!”
“Where’s the damn MG crew?!”
“Dead!”
Ruffles looked at his chest and saw the explanation for why his chest felt tight. He had been hit. Every breath hurt, his heart pounded, and the air raid siren kept wailing in his ears.
“We need anti tank crews up here now! They’re boxing us in!” Artemis yelled before hacking up a rock and chucking it, causing an explosion.
“Dad?! Dad, look at me!”
Ruffles blinked and saw someone who he never saw before yet remembered vividly as the emergency artillery barrage rained down on the advancing enemy, “Hannibal?”
The entire diner panicked the moment Dad fell over. He was breathing rapidly and his eyes moved wildly. Mister Martin ran off to a table and began clearing it for whatever reason. Charlie was scared, Dad had never acted like this before. Mister Martin said it was “shell shock,” a paralyzing flashback that dragged veterans back to the scene of something traumatic.
“What’s wrong with him?!” Susana asked, voice as fearful as Charlie felt.
“Dad?! Dad, look at me!” Charlie begged, hands beginning to twitch and eyes burning with unshed tears.
Dad barely glanced at him and a look of surprise filled his face, “Hannibal?”
“Sorry about this!” Mister Martin yelled in the background, doing something that caused dishes to smash and cause Dad to flinch again.
Recalling a memory from years ago, Charlie leaned down and gave his father a hug. It was a desperate gamble but he remembered Mom doing the same when he had gotten nightmares at the age of seven. He could feel Dad’s heart beat fiercely like a drum. But it began to slow as arms slowly reached up and hugged him back. Rapid breaths became more even and measured. Even so, he kept his eyes tight and did not dare open them out of fear for what he would see.
“S-sorry,” Dad choked out.
“It’s okay. You’re okay Dad,” Charlie whispered, slowly mustering the courage to open his eyes.
“I’m so sorry.”
“You okay there Ruffles?” Martin walked up holding a tablecloth.
“No! No Ruffles!” Dad said frantically, panic returning to his face.
“Dad, it’s okay! Mom and Kelly are waiting for us,” Charlie said, instincts demanding that he help calm his father down.
“You have a place for him?” Mister Martin asked.
“Yeah. We’re at his parents house for the week,” Charlie answered, turning only long enough to look Mister Martin in the eye briefly.
“All right, let’s get him there then before he snaps again,” Mister Martin put the tablecloth on the counter and faced the waiter, “I’ll pay for the mess.”
“It’s okay. Just get him somewhere safe,” the waiter said gently.
“I’m sorry,” Dad said, eyes dim and staring off to some faraway place that he could not escape from.
Kelly normally enjoyed playing chess. Watching it being played was a different matter. Which stinks because he was bored. Charlie and Daddy left earlier for lunch a while ago, Auntie Five was still asleep (why was she asleep during the day again?), Uncle Four was helping Grandma cook, and Mommy was playing chess with Grandpa. There were toys to play with but Kelly was not in the mood to play by himself. He had already explored the house so unless there was a super secret place he missed there was no point to do that again. The books were too high up for him to reach and had too many complicated words in them (and no pictures! He knew there were good stories without pictures but he still likes looking at pictures). He wanted to do something but he had no idea what.
“Check,” Grandpa (who looked just like Daddy but older) said as he moved a knight.
Mommy snorted and countered with a bishop. Looking at the board, Kelly knew she was planning a trap to win the game.
“Okay! Dinner will be ready in two hours,” Uncle Four said as he walked out of the kitchen, stooping down to avoid hitting his head.
“You are a wonderful cook, Ford,” Grandma (also looking a lot like Daddy) said as she did the same.
“Well I’ve had plenty of practice,” Uncle Four said before leaning to whisper to Kelly, “Don’t tell your Aunt Two this, but I’m better than her.”
“Okay,” Kelly giggled.
Mommy glared at them before returning her gaze to the board game.
“Ah! There they are. I was wondering when they’d be back,” Grandma said as she looked out the window.
Kelly got up and took a look himself and saw a stranger helping Charlie carry Daddy, “Who’s that?”
“I don’t know dear. I think I remember seeing him but I don’t remember when.”
Mommy walked over and her face changed to worry and her hands flickered, I do. Four, with me.
“Got it,” Uncle Four said as he hurried to the door, expression going from cheerful to frighteningly stern.
“Officer Ford? What are you doing here?” the stranger exclaimed.
“What happened?” Grandpa asked.
“Shell shock.”
“Do you have some towels and blankets?” Uncle Four asked.
“I’ll get them.”
“Bleh? I’m awake! Sitrep!” Auntie Five woke as the noise grew louder.
“Charlie? What’s wrong with Daddy?” Kelly asked, tails flailing slightly as his brother walked in looking scared.
“Wa waa?” the stranger balked at the sight of him, making him feel small as his tails clamped back together in nervousness.
“Okay! Time for us to disappear now! Come on Kelly, Kraken-Crusader Time!” Charlie said suddenly as he picked Kelly up.
“What?! Charlie!” Kelly exclaimed, leaving a partially confused stranger to watch the scene.
This was not the time for Kraken-Crusader Time. Something was wrong with Daddy! But Charlie had carried Kelly all the way to the bedroom they would be sharing. Charlie quickly plopped Kelly down on the bed, turned around long enough to grab a towel, and closed the door behind him.
“Charlie, what’s happening? Who was the stranger? Why is Daddy unhappy?” Kelly asked as Charlie dried himself off.
“Still surprised how smart you are,” Charlie muttered as he smoothed his ruffled fur, “It’s...complicated Kelly.”
“How?”
“We’re not doing this Kelly.”
“Please?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
Charlie groaned, “You’re not going to give up are you?”
“No,” Kelly said with all the seriousness a five year old hybrid could muster.
“It’s complicated.”
“Then explain! I’m smart, I can understand you when you explain.”
“I can’t!” Charlie nearly shouted before taking a deep breath, “I can’t. This isn’t something I can explain to you Kelly.”
Kelly hopped off the bed and waited for Charlie to face him before bringing up his arms to sign, Yes you can.
Charlie relented with a sigh, We’re doing this now. Why are you so smart?
It was a secret agreement between the two brothers. Mommy might “talk” using her hands to sign because she had no mouth, but it meant something else for Charlie and Kelly. To “talk” with their hands meant to have a serious, “adult conversation” between the two of them. It made sense to Kelly, learning how to “talk” with hands was hard and required a clear understanding of what was being said. It got the point across between them and they did not have to worry about someone overhearing a super important serious conversation like the one they were having.
Kelly gave a small smile in response to his brother’s question, You say it’s Mom’s fault.
Charlie snorted, Wiseguy.
What’s wrong with Dad?
Charlie hesitates, Bad memories. Very bad memories.
Kelly struggled to think about his worst memories, Like angry pet lizards chasing me?
Worse. Much worse, Charlie struggled to take a deep breath, So bad you forget where you are when you remember. Dad isn’t like us. He handles memories differently.
Kelly started to understand. During the first few weeks of school earlier this year he was bullied because he was different. He later learned that it was because he really was different. Mommy was different, Charlie was different, Kelly was different. Daddy was also different, but not the same way. Daddy was different because everyone else in the family was different, but outside the family Daddy was “normal.” It seemed silly and stupid (a word he was not supposed to say), but that was how the world worked.
Kelly swallowed nervously as bad thoughts filled his head, Is it because Dad is...normal? Will I have problems also?
Charlie leaned down and looked Kelly in the eye, “Kelly… We’re all normal. This entire family is normal because we’re a family. You know why? Because we’re the Ackerson’s. Our Aunts and Uncles? They’re normal too because they’re our family also. Dad being ‘normal’ might be the reason why he’s having a problem right now, but that doesn’t mean he’s the only one who has problems. Mom has bad memories also and she had problems with them too. I get them every now and then and you’ll have to deal with your own one day.”
“This is confusing,” Kelly said, grabbing his head as he tried to process it.
“It is and not even adults understand it. Some things you just can’t understand,” Charlie hugged him, “You want to help Dad?”
“Yeah.”
“Then let’s be there for him. He’ll get through this and when he does he’ll want us to be there,” Charlie broke the hug and smirked, “Besides, we’re on break. We don’t want to waste time being all sad do we?”
“No… But what if Daddy is still sad and has bad memories?”
“Then we’ll be there for him. He’ll have Mom, and a Crusader, and a little Kraken all to help him.”
Kelly still was unsure why Slugcats had a second name, but he liked being called the Kraken. It felt right and he wanted to be the Kraken right now. He still was figuring out how to be the Kraken, but maybe helping Daddy would do that.
“Okay. Let’s go help him!” Kelly said eagerly.
“Easy there,” Charlie grabbed him before he could run off, “Let Mom handle this one first. This is an adult thing.”
Sev flicked her ears as she overheard the entire verbal conversation coming from the room down the hall. Honestly, the kids were far less quiet than they thought they were and her ears were still quite sharp despite everything she has gone through over the years. But right now she had a bigger concern to deal with: her usually peppy husband looking like he has lost the will to live. The fact he flinched as the two hour warning alarm for a water dump from her Aunt signaled again only reinforced her concerns. (Had it been her Aunt’s neighbor she would have marched right over and started throwing quills into his Recursive Transformer Array. Acting irrationally due to a virus or not, he was still a self centered idiot in her book for making her clean up his mess and nearly hurting everyone.)
She was thankful that Four was able to ground Martin back into the situation after the latter saw Kelly (yes Kelly is unique, so is she). The former medic had given a detailed explanation on what had happened. Truthfully, she was unsure if he was intimidated by her siblings, her, or just lamenting that he inadvertently gave Ryan an episode of shell shock. She had only a few interactions with the Slugcat personally, but she knew Martin meant well and that all of this was just an unfortunate accident. Hopefully he was aware of that and did not cut himself off from Ryan… He seemed like he was ready to do so when he left.
But relationships with Martin could wait, Ryan could not.
“I thought I was past this,” Ryan muttered as he gripped the blanket around him tighter, wincing as the siren died down.
Sev tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention and started to write in the notebook in her hands.
It’s okay Ryan
“No it's not, Sev! I broke down in the middle of a public diner. I called Charlie ‘Hannibal!’”
He doesn’t care about that
You know that
It’s okay
“No it’s not. You know how Charlie feels about being reminded about him.”
Do we need to have this talk again?
Hannibal is dead
Thirteen years
We moved on just like he would’ve wanted
Charlie moved on
This is about you
“I’m better than this. I know I’m better than this. I’m not private Ruffles with his stupid denial about the situation anymore.”
Stop
You’re Ryan
You’re Ruffles
To have shell shock is nothing to be ashamed of
“I know,” Ryan growled as he tried to clamp the memories away, “But I’m supposed to be better than this.”
Forget about being better
I don’t want better
The kids don’t want better
We want you
Ryan, Ruffles, all of it
You
Ryan huffed and looked at her. The fiery self loathing and frustration still smoldered in his eyes but it was slowly being replaced by weariness. She knew she was getting through to him, he just needed an extra hand to get back up this time.
We need you
Don’t fight this one alone
Remember the last one who did that?
“I try not to think about those days,” Ryan sighed, briefly flinching as unwanted memories intruded his mind once again.
I know
If leaving the past behind you helps then do it
But don’t fight your battles alone
Please…
Not like this
Don’t shut us out
…Be better than I was
Don’t be the “Seven” you never met Ryan
Sev recalled a different time, a time when she was just Seven. Seven was cold, efficient, and ruthless. She did a lot of good but she was always lonely, buried in her work, apathetic to an extent, and loathed herself. Seven loved her family just as much as they loved her, but outside of that she was nothing more than a combat purposed organism, an artificial apex predator to be assigned missions for the betterment of a world she had no place in. Clandestine information retrieval and delivery, search and destroy, containment, and elimination of dangerous organizations, sometimes with simple exposure to the right sources, sometimes with lethal measures.
Seven did her work efficiently and did so in a manner where she could walk away knowing it was morally and ethically the right choice in the given moment. So she continued to live her life, from one assignment to the next. For nearly thirty years she did this, living a harsh life and never daring to think she would be anything more than what she was built to be: a combat purposed organism. But then the first love of her life showed up and changed her for the better. Hannibal was much like her and the two of them played their parts, two combat purposed organisms fighting a shadow war and then an active one. But Hannibal was much more than that, he was a good person above all else who lived his own life even with genetic programming dictating it. He ripped through the ironclad armor Seven erected around herself and saw what she really was, a scared and lonely person disgusted and afraid of her own reflection. He taught her how to live as a person, how to love who she is and the world around her, and one night how to be free from her own genetic programming.
It had been a wonderful mistake back then, one she never regretted. That mistake gave her Charlie, which led to her reaching out to Ryan. The two of them built a new life for themselves, one centered around the Crusader that bound them together. And then one day, Sev arrived in the place of Seven.
Over the years, Sev allowed Seven to rest peacefully and come back to the forefront when needed. It became even more apparent that Seven was no longer needed when another wonderful mistake was made with Ryan, leading to Kelly. It was a beautiful, fantastic life that Sev still had trouble navigating and yet both parts of her did so together regardless of genetic programming. Sev was Seven, Seven was Sev. Apex predator, covert operations specialist, combat purposed organism, wife, artist, mother… Ackerson.
Ryan relaxed his grip on the blanket. Sev had a far away look on her face as the notepad slipped from her fingers and fell to the floor. He understood what she was talking about and was reminded why he loved her so much. Their history was a complicated one and yet it was uniquely theirs. A common rifleman meeting a combat purposed organism by sheer happenstance, connected only by shared acquaintance of another combat purposed organism. They had been strangers fighting the same war in different ways, then comrades trusting each other, then parting veterans who had just finished a cup of coffee (or a “cup of stupid” as it were) before saying farewell, then a frantic pair of idiots who had no clue what they were doing with a child on the way, and then finally they agreed to be husband and wife who made everything work somehow.
Not many couples could claim to have a relationship like that.
“We’re a real mess aren’t we?” he sighed as he pulled her into a hug.
She merely hugged him back and nuzzled his cheek.
“Normally it’s me who's comforting everyone and using common sense when things go wrong in this family.”
She snorted.
“So much for a family trip.”
She lightly slapped his shoulder and glared at him.
“Sorry. I just… I just never thought I would go back there. Not like this. Ruffles you peppy, optimistic, foolish idiot? What happened to you?”
She tapped his chest and pointed across the hallway towards the kids’ room.
“Oh yeah… They happened. Gah, how do we handle this one Sev? Charlie is probably pulling his fur out trying to help and Kelly is too young to understand all of this.”
She rolled her eyes before pointing at him and herself.
“Right… Should probably apologize to Martin before we leave. I think I scared the daylights out of his sister...and her kids.”
She gave a frown and nodded before pointing towards the kids’ room again.
“Right… Them first,” he sighed before wrapping her in the blanket with him, “Thank you, I’ll be okay. I love you Sev.”
She hugged him tightly and the two sat in silence.
Hours later the Ackerson family had dinner. It had been a lively yet peaceful affair. Afterwards, Four entertained Kelly with songs while Sev used a sketchbook to draw the scene. Five was arguing with Ryan and his parents over how to brew dessert coffee while Charlie read a book. By the time the rain and Iterator floodwaters eased up, it was late at night and the Ackerson’s were getting ready for bed.
“We’ll stop by tomorrow,” Five said as she and Four prepared to leave.
“It was a pleasure,” Ryan’s mother said.
“You’re always welcome here. Especially you officer,” Ryan’s father shook the larger Slugcat’s hand.
“Oi! What about me?” Five mock complained with a chuckle before facing Ryan and Sev, “If either of you need anything just holler. I mean it.”
“We’ll make due but keep that in mind,” Ryan said.
“You better. I’ll drag Three with me if the situation calls for it,” Four promised teasingly.
Sev stepped back and appeared to be genuinely afraid, Please don’t. I know what you two can do together and we don’t need that.
“Ha! You think the two of them combined would be something little sister? I’ll drag the entire family in during the afternoon if I have to, Father included. And this big guy would help me do it,” Five challenged as she elbowed Four playfully before walking up and hugging Sev, “I’ve missed you Sev.”
“Come ‘ere you two.”
“Four no!”
Ryan laughed as Four nearly crushed Five and Sev in a gigantic hug. His laughter was cut short as Four slapped him on the back while Five glared at him, sunglasses skewed and letting her red eyes burn at him unimpeded. In the background, his parents laughed at the scene.
You deserve that one, Sev signed as her siblings exited, Take care.
They waved back as the door closed. With that, Ryan and Sev headed deeper into the house to get ready for bed. Charlie was reading a bedtime story for Kelly (who already was on the edge of sleep) and glanced up at them. With a smile he gave a slight wave and continued reading.
Entering their own room, Ryan prepared to close the blinds when he saw the Iterator cans off in the distance.
“Stupid alarms,” he muttered with an eye roll and closed the blinds, “War’s been over for over a decade. Stay in the past where you belong.”
The sound of a radio turning on caught his attention. Turning around, he saw Sev changing the frequency until a late night jazz station came on. The music filled the room and she stood there with an expecting look in her eye.
“If you say so,” Ryan shrugged as he danced with her.
As Ryan danced, thoughts about his life came to mind. His early childhood within this very house, the laughter and warm memories with his comrades on a continent far away, his two kids growing up into fine young men, his beautiful wife who he shaped a new life with. Everything came back to him, playing out like a movie in a slow fashion. Ryan, Ruffles, rifleman, comrade, friend, husband, father… Ackerson. All of it played out and he felt content with what he saw.
Yeah I think I’m good, Ruffles thought to himself as he danced with Sev as the song continued playing, We’re good and that’s good enough.