On the Way

"River!"

Lizard all but snatched him out of his dreams, shaking the spindly boy by his wiry arms.

"We're heading to Vevilla in an hour," she said, dropping him on the stiff mattress. "Go piss, and find something to eat cause I'm not making any stops."

"Fine," groaned River, grumpily wiping the crust out of his eyes.

He didn't get that much sleep the night before. He had returned to the stair step at ten only to find the glitch gone. He waited for a bit before heading back towards the inn, but found himself passing it, walking uphill on the busy street, just to look at the city lights across the lake. Before he realized it, it was two in the morning.

And now it was five.

"Is anything even open at this time?" River asked, running his fingers through the flattened side of his locs.

"A few convenience stores. I hope you weren't expecting a gourmet meal."

River sighed wordlessly.

"Meet me back here at six-thirty, ready to go."

"And what are you going to be doing all that time?"

"I have some business to tend to."

River tossed her an uncharacteristically mischievous look. "You mean when you take naps and talk to water?"

A mysterious smile turn the corners of her mouth.

"Exactly that."

....

Lizard opened her eyes. The translucent goo that covered her drained out of her pod. The soft shell that kept her in place loosened.

"Welcome back," said Mod Liam, a tall golden man with coffee brown eyes, pulling open the weighted door and freeing Lizard from the white, barren room. She climbed out of the pod with haste and exited, accepting a towel and paper-like robe from the mods hairy hands.

"Thanks," said Lizard glancing around, "Where's Abe and Nadine?"

"Busy. You're only here for some blood work and other minor tests. The head moderator wouldn't come for something like that."

That didn't explain where Abe was. Maybe he finally decided to give her some space.

"Actually, I find it odd that she comes to see you at all," said Liam, a tinge of bitterness in his voice, as a nurse guided her onto a scale, "But I'm sure they'll both be here tonight."

"What do I have scheduled for tonight?" asked Lizard, raising a brow.

"Well, you've been waking nightly for a few days, I just figured you'd wake again."

"I don't think so. I'm exhausted."

Liam pursed his lips. "If you say so."

The nurse pressed a cool pad onto her vein, extracting the blood through her skin.

"Sorry, I know it pinches a little," he said, as the pad expanded into a plump little packet, filled with Lizard's blood.

"It's fine."

He filled two more packets before she was released back to the teleportation room.

"Mod Liam," she started, "How many are there like me?"

"Well, twenty six percent of all preg-"

"I mean, how many of us go back and forth, the way I do?"

"I'm not authorized to answer that question," Mod Liam said sternly.

Typical. She'd just have to go strait to the top and ask Nadine, assuming the big boss could spare a little time. Maybe she would be coming back again tonight, just to quell her curiosity. No other reason.

....

It was six twenty eight. Lizard found River sleeping in the unipod, holding a sandwich wrapped in plastic. Her first thought was to wake him, but she decided better of it. She'd let him rest, at least until they made it to the wildlands. She imagined he'd make a terrible gunman, but a terrible one was better than having none at all. Traveling with a partner did have its perks.

.....

The vibration of riding over a brick road woke River out of his dreams and brought him back to reality. He was riding next to Lizard, a bulky laser laying across his lap right next to a smushed sandwich. His heart began to pound.

"Oh, you're awake. Good."

"What's all this?" asked River, pointing at the weapon in his lap, doing little to hide his discomfort.

"A laser cannon. Pretty powerful and pretty easy to use. All you have to do is press a button."

"Why is it on me?"

" I want you to look out for rogues and scavengers. Shoot anybody that looks like a threat."

Rivers stomach dropped.

"I'm a pacifist." said he.

"That's just an excuse."

"I really don't feel comfortable-"

Lizard snickered so hard she spat, flashing her saw-like teeth.

"Comfortable? You don't feel comfortable?????"

"No, I-"

"Who the fuck does, River?"

Lizard's mouth twisted into a sick grin.

"It must've been nice having a village to feed you, a merchant to protect you and a body that won't die. And look, even now you have me. But I'm done babysitting you. Either you start pulling your own weight or I drop your ass off here."

"I'm the one who found out where to find Tank!"

"You got us a lead, and it cost me a hundred points and your life if you weren't a bug."

"That wouldn't have happened if you weren't a rogue to begin with!"

"Ok. And what about your situation? You're a glitch who basically has superpowers but you don't fight. Do you realize how strong you could be without even having to risk your life? Do you know how many people you could be saving by now?"

"Is a mass murderer really talking to me about saving people? How many people could you have 'saved' just by not being a terrible person."

"I'm a terrible person, who does what they need to survive. You wouldn't know from that."

"That's an excuse."

"Call it what you want, but if you want us to make it to Vevilla safely you'll pick up that lazer."

His stomach churned at the thought.

"Can't I just drive?"

Lizard gave him a long, serious look... before, rather aggressively, sliding the controls to his side.

"The lever on the right controls the speed, the one on the left controls levitation, which I don't suggest using, and the wheel controls direction. The gps is in the right corner of the wind sheild."

River let out a deep sigh of relief causing Lizard to roll her citrine eyes.

"Just give me my gun."