Generation Antihero 2

Drift apart

Very tightly Henry and Dexter hugged each other. Dexter promised: "We're going to meet again... Not tomorrow, not in three years... but our paths will cross one day...". "I am so sorry...", Henry sniffled. Both had a hard time letting go of each other. Ilus also had a hard time watching. And he wasn't even jealous. Like that they were at the airport and distanced from another. Before Dexter disappeared behind the gates, he waved to Henry one last time. Henry was staring at the ground and didn't see it. Ilus raised his head so Henry could wave back. Afterwards, they walked back to the parking lot where Henry cried in the car. Ilus didn't have much to talk. He just hoped that it was enough if he held him in his arms.

After a while, they drove home and Henry looked into the sky with tired eyes, there a plane was flying. Maybe it was also the one which brought Dexter to New Zealand. Henry knew for sure that from now on he always had to think about Dexter when he saw a plane. And while he hoped that it would bring Dexter back, he hoped at the same time that he would stay far away from their deadly problems as possible. The whole time he was ambiguous; his common sense couldn't talk the thought out of him that Dexter was the only remaining childhood friend of his. The friends that took care of the class pet in primary school; tied their shoe laces together and then tried to race; secretly shared their homework right before class started; spent their summer holidays at the LA beach with sparklers to light up the warm nights; got into arguments and cried, only to laugh together in the end again.

Pensive Henry murmured slowly shaking his head while observing the plane: "Why do friends have to develop so differently...? We were almost like brothers back then and nowadays we could be strangers... How and most of all... why...?". Ilus tightened his grip around the steering wheel: "Even brothers can drift apart... I sadly can't answer your question... As much as I'd like to have an answer for it myself...".

~~~

Back in their hideout a surprise awaited them. Right after Ilus opened the door, Lucky called: "Sad pillow fight!" and in the next moment feathers flew around. Ilus got a pillow right into his face. He grabbed that and violently threw it into the untamed pack. Henry was able to smile a little and even participate. They fought with the fluffly fillings until Henry stumbled over something and hit the floor. He looked behind him and startled: "Goat?!". Shark came running: "He came back, by himself". He picked him up and carried him outside: "Sorry". "At least something...", Henry tediously got up.

Ilus dropped his pillow: "Alright boys, we also have to work again at some point". Disappointed they let their heads down. He added: "Continuition follows after the shift". To that they cheered and got to work. Shark resumed his therapy every now and then, but bit by bit he got back into work life. Meanwhile Zigz had other problems. He ran up to Ilus and shook him like a milk shake: "What am I supposed to do?! Oh my god, I can't! My heart won't take it!". With dizzy eyes Ilus asked: "What's wrong now?". "My daughter! Genevieve! She had her first boyfriend and her heart was broken already! Ilus, I can't take it, my poor heart!", he sank to the floor and looked like soft melting metal, "My sweet little gummy bear...". "You're about to cry while your daughter's heart was broken?", Ilus raised an eyebrow. Suddenly Zigz jumped up with raging eyes and growled deeply: "Her heart was broken...! I'm so going to eighty-six him!". With that he sprinted away.

Appalled Ilus shook his head and mumbled: "I'm going to note his spontaneous vacation then...". Henry was standing beside him the whole time and smiled: "It's not about the day off, is it?". Ilus' shoulders dropped: "Aren't you noticing something? He's detaching, becomes independent. I don't want to take any luck away from him, but he's my most loyal buddy of all here. Though I often don't understand him or think he's a goofball, but...". "You're afraid", Henry finished his sentence. Sighing he dropped his pen: "Yesterday he went on shootings with me and tomorrow he'll live in a pretty house with the white picket fence, an ugly-ass garden gnome and children of his own... Henry... I am so sorry for the thing with Dexter... I know how you're feeling and it's absolutely shit...". Quietly Henry glanced at the ground, then he hugged him caringly.

Lucky just ran out the door: "We're on our next mission then". Ilus called over to them: "Stay safe". Confused Lucky looked at him: "We're not babies anymore" and an echoeing laugh could be heard. Seriously curious Ilus asked Koi: "Aren't you worried that something might happen to him one day?". The adressed one stood at the printer and shrugged: "Stop being such a dad. A bad one, to mention. When he get's a hit to the face, maybe he'll stop looking like a minor. Can't hurt him too much".

Half an hour later the small group came back in panic. They shouted: "Lucky got hurt!". Almost angry Koi looked at him, how he dragged himself weakly through the main hall. Panting he explained: "We only did our job, then suddenly a kid pulled over right across the street and started shooting at us. It was unexpected and I got hit". "You know where to", Ilus sent him to the doctor. "Yes, Chef", he huffed and Koi stepped in to shore him. He asked: "A child?". "Yeah, about sixteen ot something. Not above legal age", he explained. Thoughtfully Ilus noted: "So somebody Whitefur wouldn't let on the street with guns. Another gang? Or an independent individual?". For a short moment it was silent, then Ilus touched his chest, grinned and started running: "I'll go take a look at him". Henry glared after him: "Excuse me?". But he was gone already.

On his motorcycle he dashed through the streets in which Lucky and the rest had their mission. After two minutes he found the shooter, racing around in a car. He also randomly shot at Ilus. But through the tuning Ilus was faster. He could recognize that it was actually a minor with brown-blonde curly hair and blue-greenish eyes. A British accent sounded: "Snazzy bike! You better give it to me or you'll loose your motorcycle and your brain!". "Oh no, a toddler didn't get their warm milk", Ilus falsly pitied and gained some more speed to circle around him once and flatten his tires. The boy didn't even see it coming that Ilus drew a gun.

He flinched but then aimed directly at Ilus and even hit his motorcycle. Hissing Chef squinted at the scratched metal: "Great, now Henry can paint it again". The next shot went into his tire and in the next best moment Ilus was lying on the ground against a house wall. Not his best idea to not put on a helmet. Shortly his whole head was in stinging pain. Apparently, that also wasn't too god for his damaged hearing as he barely heard the following shots. Rapidly he pulled himself up and had to trust his other senses. He was approaching the boy by using his newly learned abilities of the training camp. He reached the car unharmed, pulled the boy out and pinned him to the asphalt. They boy puffed: "My grandmother lied; being fat doesn't give you any advances if you don't want to be kidnapped...!". "I don't care about your weight! Why are you shooting at my men for no reason?", Ilus yelled at him, hard-of-hearing. At least he was able to understand what he said: "I want to have fun, who the hell are your men? Do you have a harem?". Ilus clarified: "You like my motorcycle?! You could have something like it yourself, if you aren't hostile!". "Dude, don't yell at me", he responded.

Another car showed up to the scene. Henry drifted and the tires squeaked when he braked. He got out immediately and stomped over to Ilus: "Excuse you! What the hell is that supposed to mean, you'll take a closer look at somebody else?!". Starting to hear worse again Ilus shouted: "What did you say?! You look mad! Are you upset?!". Confused the boy underneath Ilus looked at the tarmac: "What a crazy evening...!". Henry directly snapped at him: "You shut the fuck up!". Ilus tried to rub his ears. It helped a little bit: "Sorry, would you repeat that? He made my motorcycle meet death sooner and I got a bad bonk to the head. You need to tame wild animals somehow". Appalled the boy mentioned: "I'm not an animal! Who the bloody fuck are you?! And let me go, god damnit!". Henry puffed with his nose raised: "What do you want of him?". "Eventually let him join", Ilus explained. With a red head Henry growled at him. Ilus got thrown off track a bit: "Are you... jealous?". "After all those times it can be my turn too!", he defended himself. Desperate the boy sank his head: "Oh no...".

Ilus calmed him: "This is how I've gained about fifty percent of my members. Especially now against Whitefur? I should stock up on a few more collegues. He seems to be determined". "I am right here!", he fidgeted. "Just a new member?", Henry asked once more. While he nodded, Ilus picked the boy up: "It's actually really convenient that you're here. Can I lend your car? It would be unfavorable when the police shows up soon". Henry let it slide.