Faust

Extra chapter: Per aspera ad astra

Rows of desolate buildings move faster and faster by us. I throw my head back, letting out a long breath.

         Bloody Christ on a spike......... 

The aftermath of the drugs is kicking in, the last stretch and the jump were mostly thanks to the inhaler. But the combination wears off fast, and without it, an immense pain as if my lungs are old gunny sacks ripping itself open. Muscle soreness all over my body are all a hassle to deal with later.

But a familiar ecstasy surges around my chest, it's almost euphoric. And it made all the pain inconsequential for a moment, the kick of attending the impossible just to barely walk out, the rush of surviving.

I check if any shrapnel or stray bullets got me and find none, save for a wood chip on the back of my palm and a big hole ripped through the shoulder pad and the fabric above the pockets on my jacket. Even the 45 is still in its exterior pocket.

That should be enough to prove god is not fair nor just. Otherwise, I'd be dead 5 times in the last 15 minutes.

I check the chamber and magazine to see if there's any damage before releasing the slide back and strapping it back on my waist. I turn around to see Vera lights a cigarette in her mouth, brown eyes as clear as if it never changed.

She holsters the modified .40 back on her waist by crossing her right leg on the left in the crank space. While doing so she noticed half of the leather gloves turned white with hundreds of small worn-out cracks spreading like an ever growing tree branches. She sparsely closed her brows together while rubbing them.
"Your favorite pair?"
"No, but I liked it." She curl a smirk and took them off. Stuffing the once fine leather in the trunk.

"So......" Viviane lengthened the word to an unnecessary degree before inquiring. "Is anyone going to explain why y'all never called to update me this whole time?" I can see her raising her brow in the rear view mirror.

"They kept mine while confiscating."
"Mine must've felt off on the staircases." Vera takes a drag and leans the smoke by the cup holder on the door.
"Figures...Feels like I missed a whole lot." Viv complains while pulling the seat lever but it doesn't botch. I let out a cackle.

"Not much honestly, all went accordingly. Save that brick wall was taller than it looked in a binocular......." With a loud squeak, the lever is pulled upright and the driver's seat almost slams down on my face.

"Ohhh right. You looked like some Olympic champion." Viviane sang with a smile hung by the edge of her lips. Pretty sure I'll fail the drug test.

Vera puffs out a trace of white smoke, and the car's filled with the pleasant smell of burned Virginia tobacco. As she rolled the window down to dust off the ashes, doing so showed a small hint of stained blood on her neck while the rest were blocked with the black wool coat collar.    
Which reminds me.....

            "By the way. What happened after I jumped out of the window? I heard a.... series of screams." The older sister knitted her brows for a single second before she remembered what I'm referring to.

            "I was in a hurry and couldn't finish the job." She said with a hint of disappointment in her tone and eyes. "But he can never walk again." I let out a hum and dust off small pieces of rumbles on my jacket collar.

"Sounds sufficient enough to me. Those guys made my ears bleed with those cracked riffles.... And whatever the hell kind of tongue that was. I was nodding my head like a woodpecker to whatever they say until you kill the light."