Chapter Text
Colt stared down at his legs, running his hand through his hair. He'd just got a call informing him that Ryland had volunteered for the Hail Mary mission.
He hadn't said goodbye.
He'd have to call Sebastian soon to arrange to meet up. The last Gentry brothers standing, as far as they knew. Driver could still be out there somewhere, but he doubted it. Just like their dad had said all those years ago, Driver was on a road to killing himself someway or another. He'd said that about Colt too.
What would dad say about them now?
Murdered in prison.
Missing.
On the way to die in space saving the world.
Owner of a jazz club.
Stunt-man.
Colt forced himself to stand up. The trailer was suddenly very claustrophobic. The evidence of his initial reaction to the news was shattered pieces of glass that crunched under his feet. He had his boots on, so his feet were safe, but his hands were throbbing, a wet substance running to the tips of his fingers and dripping down.
He shouldered out of the trailer and stepped into the Australian sunlight. Everyone was watching the launch, so there were no shoots today, just a lot of prayer and awe.
He found Jody standing in front of a screen with a group, watching a replay of the launch with commentary.
"Jody?"
She began to turn, "Oh! Colt, I was wondering where you were- have you been watching-" She stopped. "Oh my gosh, Colt, are you okay?"
He wanted to give her a thumbs up, he really did. But they'd had that talk, and his hands were sore, pieces of glass probably still lodged in them. He couldn't do anything. For the first time in at least ten years, Colt Seavers was frozen. His eyes welled.
"What did you do to your hands?" She was so much closer now, and she lifted them to examine them gently. He stared down at her numbly.
He was vaguely aware of the fact he was making a scene. People were staring. But he also had tunnel vision, and at the end of the tunnel was his brother, unconscious in space.
Colt swallowed and finally forced out, "We- we need to talk."
"Let's get you patched up first- did you break a window? We haven't had any glass-related stunts… Did you break a glass? Here, let's get you to the nurse."
"Jody." He said more firmly. "We need to talk."
She froze, staring into his eyes, the severity of whatever was bothering him fully dawning on her. "O-Okay."
….
"Colt! Ryland! Are you ready?"
Ryland peaked out of the doorway, "What about breakfast?"
Colt shouldered past him, adding in a snarky tone, "Should've thought of that sooner. Now you have to wait until lunch."
Courtland rolled his eyes, "Grab a granola bar. And grab me one too."
Ryland pressed his lips into a line as Colt also put in his order. Then, they were filing out the door, onto the rickety porch, and then piling into the 90's Ford pickup with a faded red paint job that was Driver's first child.
Courtland got shotgun. They stopped fighting him for it years ago after Sebastian genuinely got hurt. Driver was, well, the driver. Sebastian was already sitting behind Courtland, Ryland got middle, and Colt shoved in behind the driver.
Colt leaned up against the window, ignoring the homework in his bag while Sebastian tried to wrangle Ryland into doing some studying for a test they had coming up. Ryland was confident enough that he didn't need to, so he didn't study. Ryland passed Courtland and Colt their respective granola bars and got a, "What? You didn't get me one?" From Sebastian and a, "Rude." From Driver.
Colt knew Driver didn't actually care though, he didn't care about anything besides cars and girls.
Colt tore open his granola bar and bit into it. It was stale, and his least favorite flavor.. But he had been taught not to waste. So he gave it to Sebastian who was more than suspicious, but ate it regardless.
A few minutes later Seb and Ryland were bickering about something school related. Colt remembered when that was him and Ryland, before Ryland left him and moved up into Seb's grade. He'd probably pass Seb soon too, he'd hang out with Driver then.
"I don't know when he's gonna be home, Casey, I'm sorry." Courtland whispered. Colt cocked his head a little bit. The two oldest brothers were talking in hushed voices masked by the arguments in the back. Driver said something he couldn't hear before, "He'll come back."
Colt frowned, he was about to ask what they were talking about when Driver muttered bitterly, "I hope he doesn't."
Courtland stared back at Driver in shock, but his expression evened out into just a quietly conflicted face. "I don't think we could handle that."
Colt kept listening for a while, but that was the end of the conversation.
At school, he met up with his friends and went to their various classes together before noon. At lunch, he passed Ryland and Seb who were on their way out of lunch period. He very pointedly ignored them and Ryland very pointedly ignored him right back.
Later that day Colt was digging in his locker for his science textbook when something caught his ear. "You know the whole Gentry family is screwed up. My sister has classes with a few of them, and she said she's never heard the quiet one talk."
"Aren't you friends with the other smart one?"
"Sebastian? No. I only talk to him because he gives me help with homework. Even then, he's not that good. That's why I'm trying to be friends with the little one. The little freak who skipped eighth grade."
Colt poked his head out from behind the door and glared at their wake. Two boys that Sebastian was 'friends' with were talking. His blood boiled as he stared at their smug faces. Laughing at his brother's expense.
"Hey!" He barked, closing the distance. They turned just in time for him to deck the closest one in the face. He recoiled, holding his nose and stumbling back. A manic grin spread across Colt's face while he shook out his knuckles. "Heard you were bad-talking my brothers?"
The one who he hit started rambling, "What the- See? They're all crazy!"
The other one took a swing, but Colt ducked and grabbed his arm, flipping him over his shoulder.
He thought that was overwith but the one he'd hit must've recovered fast because he grabbed Colt from behind. Was he this big a minute ago? The one he'd flipped over his shoulder was up and while Colt was struggling he got in a good hit right into his eye with horrible form.
He recoiled from the punch, shaking his hand out in the same moment Colt was blinking away the tears that come with getting hit near the nose. Colt bared his teeth right before he bit the guy's arm and stomped on his foot with all his strength. He howled in pain and smacked Colt across the face. Colt held his face and looked up through his fingers, just to see that guy get slammed into the locker.
Driver had joined the fight!
He shoved the guy down, "Stay down." He muttered darkly, and the guy held his face, staring at Driver angrily. After a momentary staredown, Driver helped Colt up. "You good?"
"Y-yeah."
"Who started it?"
"Depends on the definition."
"Courtland's going to freak."
Colt held his face a little tighter, trying to soothe some of the pain. "Yeah. He will."
They stood still in the middle of the hallway for a moment before Driver whispered, "Dad's going to freak."
Colt's breath caught.
A half hour later, they were both sitting in detention, Colt holding an ice pack to his face and knuckles. The guys they'd fought across the empty classroom, holding their own ice packs and glaring across the way at them.
At the end of the day, when detention was over, Courtland appeared in the doorway, a furious glimmer in his eyes. "What were you two thinking?" He announced, his voice on the edge of a yell.
One of the guys scoffed, "Crazy. All of them."
Courtland sent them a glare that could freeze the sun, before turning back to his brothers. "Come on. I need to yell at you."
He left.
"Rest in peace, us." Colt muttered, grabbing his backpack and standing.
When they got out to the truck, Driver and him were the only ones out there, Seb and Ryley taking their time. "I have until four. What happened?"
Colt raised his eyebrows. He thought for sure Courtland was going to yell at him. Court raised an eyebrow at Driver, but he shrugged.
Colt sighed. "They were bad-talking us. Specifically Seb and Ryley. They called them freaks, and said that they were only friends with Seb for grades."
"So you punched him?"
Colt nodded sullenly.
"Then Driver came and backed you up?"
Colt and Driver both nodded.
Courtland sighed before he started laughing- Actually laughing!- a little and soon he was full on howling with laughter. When he finally caught his breath he turned and gave Colt a fist bump. "Good job. You guys want to get ice cream?"
Driver and him both shared a glance before Colt said, "Uh yeah!"