(Kevin)
I held the old fashioned communicator against my ear with my shoulder as I rummaged through the small fridge for something edible. The dial tone went off in my ear a third time in my attempt to get a hold of Edd's mother.
"Hello?" A deeper voice answered after the click.
"Mr. Vincent?" I questioned turning rigid, hoping it was him rather than an agent from the facility.
"Young Mr. Barr," the voice greeted more relaxed. "How are things today? How is my son?"
I relaxed too. "Things are good, somewhat. Edd is breathing." I snickered slightly to myself as I pulled out some leftover chinese boxed food.
Mr. Vincent gave an untrusting hum. "That 'somewhat' doesn't sound promising," he declared, "is something wrong?"
"Well, to start we are outside the Facility with barely any information or word of followers in the plan to overthrow the higher ups, Edd's other self flirts with you constantly while hates me, I almost jumped your son before getting punched.... Need I go on?"
I rolled my eyes at myself. I wasn't going to tell the man that.
"Nothing big, just I'm not really cutting it as a bodyguard with so little fire power." I lied easily.
I heard him give a low chuckle. "You are a terrible liar, boy." He declared. "But I'll let it slide this one time."
I almost choked on cold rice.
"I suppose you didn't actually call just to chat," he continued unbothered, "so what brings you to call."
"Ah..." I swallowed what I had in my mouth. "Just checking in really, we haven't heard anything from Eddy or anyone."
Mr. Vincent hummed in thought. "It's been very perculiar," he began, "but suddenly, everyone has been out on assignments quite a bit. They barely get the chance to breathe before being sent out again."
That is odd, they should get a minimum of three days rest before their next assignment.
What's going on in there?
"Do you think the higher ups knows what's going on?" I asked feeling suddenly cautious of my surroundings. I should start keeping a close eye out for anyone from the Facility.
He hummed again. "It's hard to say for sure Mr. Barr. It was suspicious with your friends always coming home and staying in the junkyard abruptly after yours and Eddward's disappearance."
I set the open box on the counter and scratched my chin.
"Huh," was all I could say. "And anything on the bounty for our heads?"
The man sighed into the communicator. "No change, though the number of pursuers is going down slowly."
That is the most good news I've heard so far. We haven't been attacked yet but it's good to know people are beginning to not care. It is only a measly twelve thousand credits, I've gotten more for less important targets.
I heard Mr. Vincent chuckle lowly. "But if you do need that ammunition, talk to the motel manager." He teased. "He'll know some people that can help."
I scoffed a laugh at him. "Yes sir, thanks."
"Well then, young Barr, if that is all..." He said slowly. "Tell Eddward we say hi."
I nodded instinctively. "Yea. Good bye Mr. Vincent." I ended the call and flipped the device closed.
Well, aren't you getting close with the family?
"Shut up." I growled, picking up the abandoned box on the counter and just stared at the content inside. Diced teriyaki chicken smothered in rice, it barely looked edible for something probably two days old.
I sighed as my appetite diminished into nothing and dropped the takeout box into the trash, tossing the chopsticks with it, on my way back to the main room of the motel room.
Edd was clicking away through emails on the dino-puter as the only noise in the shitty room.
I trudged over to the half made bed and belly flopped on the shitty bed covers.
Is it bad that I'm starting to miss home?
Terrible.
I gave a heavy exhale through my nose.
Of course it's bad to miss home right now. Since home is sending people to hunt us down.
I focused on that thought for something that felt like an hour before something light was dropped on to my back.
I rolled over halfway to look at Edd, who was smiling oddly with a neatly folded set of clothes held to his chest, then to the thing his dropped on me, another neatly folded outfit.
"There's a gym two blocks down the street." He stated. "We both could use a bit of training practice." His head tipped to the left briefly touching his shoulder with his cheek.
The idea, though, had me off the bed without any hesitation, picking up the clothing that fell off my back in the movement. "Best idea of the month." I replied basically jittering with excess energy.
If I get any luck there'll be a boxing ring at the gym.
It was beautiful for a building so rundown. And there was a boxing ring. Not as sturdy and clean as the rings in training but it will do.
I think Edd almost had a heart attack at the sight of the changing rooms, especially the showers. Also, momentary embarrassment when we both realized there was no privacy anywhere.
It was just a shittily bricked room with dented lockers lining the walls on one side and open shower heads on the other. You'd think seven months of being together in a dump pile then a shithole of a motel room we, at some point, would see each other nude or damn near, right? The closest it ever came, aside from my tattered uniform, was that my habit of sleeping shirtless has yet to die.
And better yet, I have never seen Edd show skin lower than his shoulders. Unfortunately.
"I'll face the door and you face the wall?" I offered.
If either of us was more awkward with changing in front of others, it's him. In a way that's a benefit for me.
He nodded quickly before scampering to the farthest wall from the door, I followed, stopping only a few feet away and turning. Making sure I blocked him from view of the door before stripping out of my makeshift uniform and pulling on the clothes Edd picked for me.
As tempting the idea and prodding other Kevin was giving me to just peek over my shoulder, it wasn't happening. At all.
Mostly out of shame that my other self as so little impulse control and caused the last incident. Geez, if I hadn't pulled back control...
You know it wouldn't have been so bad.
I rolled my eyes at myself.
You know it's bad when you can't even trust yourself.
A hand rested on my left shoulder making me turn my head. I met Edd's appreciative smile with an amused smirk at his age old awkwardness.
It may have been only an inch or two in height difference but I wondered how could I have been useful as a human wall when I was shorter than him.
