"You said you live in the city, but where in the city?" Byrd asked, now leaning forward onto her knees with her chin propped up on her palm.

Kenneth watched her from where he'd leaned his head against the backseat and his small contented smile tugged back into a frown. He blinked. I can't tell her I live in the hospital...I suppose the hospital's general location might work.

"Around the center of the city," he answered, swallowing. She's not out to get me, just curious. I started this anyway. Still, his heart pounded faster in his chest and he looked down, picking at the threads of his jacket again. A swatch of sunlight had fallen between them as the truck hummed over the road. Wherever they were going couldn't be close. Kenneth had determined that much, but there wasn't much to do on the way there. He'd already tried the lock a couple of minutes ago and they were stuck in the cab, which meant the game didn't want them jumping out.

"Ah, okay!" She fell silent a moment after that. Kenneth glanced up, noticing her gaze had turned out the back window of the truck, staring at the landscape still racing by. He swallowed. She's probably waiting on me...or did I make stuff awkward? He tugged hard at the stubborn thread. It didn't snap and he let it go. Why is socializing and talking to people so hard? 

"Got any pets?" she asked after a moment, looking back up at him. 

He blinked and then shook his head. "No..." he hesitated and thought back, pressing the memories of his mother out of his mind as he thought back to home. The day his dad brought in the little brown box carrying two fluffy small animals. A smile touched his lips again. "I used to have two guinea pigs, though. Sandpaper and Waffles," he chuckled, "Don't ask how I came up with the names."

Byrd laughed and threw her head back, shaking it as she grinned. "That's so cute!" she said. "Don't worry, I won't ask."

Kenneth sank forward onto his own knees a little and nodded, his smile widening as he listened to her laugh. Peeking up, he waited for her to calm down a bit. "What about you?"

Pointing a finger at herself, she leaned in as well. "Me? I have a cat. She's a demon cat, but she has a sister who is the sweetest thing alive and so fat! Their names are Miss Priss and Acorn. Acron is the sweet one and Miss Priss is the diva queen--as the name implies. I love them so much, honestly..." her cheeks flushed pink as she put her hand to her face. Her sheepish grin crawled up to her eyes, though.

Kenneth couldn't help but feel his own lips curl into a brighter smile at the light in her face. "They sound like a handful." 

"Tiny bit," she giggled, indicating with her fingers before hiding her face behind her sleeve again. "I love them to bits, though. Always will. I'm determined to become an old cat woman."

His eyebrows lifted. "Somehow...that doesn't surprise me."

"You look like you could be an old cat man," Byrd said. She rubbed at her chin a moment. "Though, might need to throw a dog in the mix too."

He put a hand to his chest and leaned back. "Not actually sure if I'm honored or hurt by that." 

She laughed, sinking down into the ball she'd made herself into, giggling behind her sleeve and flushing pink all over again. He just shook his head and chuckled with her, forgetting briefly the game around them. Eventually, he sank back and leaned into the leather of the seat, trailing his fingers along the lines of light cutting between them. As he laughter bubbled off into silence, he racked his brain for another question. What did people ask each other when they'd barely just met? 

"So...you have any siblings?" 

She sat up some, straightening her sleeves and crossing one leg over the other as she stretched out. He looked down at her feet, inches from his leg, but didn't move. Instead, he dragged his eyes back up to her face. 

"Just two," she said. "A baby brother and a sister. They're younger than me by two and four years. Pains in the butt, both of them, but I still love them."

He nodded, rocking himself briefly. "Common sentiment among those with siblings. I had one. We're six years apart, though."

She cocked an eyebrow. "Had a sibling? What happened?"

He blinked. Then his gaze snapped to her eyes as a brief moment of panic flushed him pale. He shifted back a couple of inches and tugged down the jacket sleeves over his hands, twisting his fingers in the fabric as he shrugged. "Nothing...poor word choice." He rubbed the back of his head with the heel of his hand and stared down at the seat, exhaling. Please buy it.

"Oh, no problem! I do the same thing all the time," she said. "English is just hard."

He chuckled thinly. "Yeah...it is."

Silence lapsed. He heard the engine shudder, though and glanced outside, noticing the way everything was slowing. Sitting up, he glanced around and propped an arm on the window, peering out of the glass. The grey rocks had turned into mountainous foothills, into which he spotted a settlement sprawling up the sides and into the valleys. Red flags waved from the tops of buildings, with the oddly peaceful image of two hands together. 

A full-blooded human settlement. His heart dropped to his stomach and he swallowed the knot in his throat. The game had plenty of places to explore, and of course, humans like him--even if they were sympathizers--could enter these kinds of settlements easily. Wanting to come here was different, though. Only players joining the side of the actual humans came here willingly. Kenneth had made a point to stay near neutral settlements. Easier to find fun quests he wasn't going to risk his life in.  However, even the fortified Grafter towns he'd visited were nothing compared to the fortress that was this town.

He watched the walls arch overhead, made from the finest, sturdiest metals he'd seen in the whole game. Not a spot of rust anywhere. The stones had real cuts and texture, not just cement. His lips parted as he breathed out, his avatar's breath fogging up the glass. 

"Is this...a Human town?" Byrd asked.

Kenneth glanced back and saw her nose to the glass, watching the streets as they rolled into the settlement. He nodded and cut his eyes back some, tugging his sleeves further over his hands. "Yeah, this is a full-blood settlement. Not places you or I want to be," he whispered dryly. His hands twisted inside of his sleeves as he shrank back from the window. Eyes peered in at him, NPC's, and Players, watching them drive by. His eyes skipped over the Gamertags over the heads of players. Most of them only cast a quick glance before walking off, though. They probably watched this happen as many times a day as this quest spawned.

Still, his gut twisted into a knot and left him feeling nauseated just thinking how anyone would even join this side of the game. Sure, I chose a human avatar, he glanced down at his hands, the fingers just peeking out. I didn't know anything about the game, though. I didn't know I was on the wrong side and I correct that quickly. 

"Are we safe here?" Byrd asked. She scooted back beside him and Kenneth inched away just a hair, trying to keep some space between them. His eyes rose to the houses that looked normal if not for the overcast grey skies throwing an eerie ominous light onto it. Game mechanics, of course, but ominous nonetheless.

"Probably not, but we're in a quest. None of the players can attack us...however--"

"--We should watch out for enemies on the quest," Byrd interrupted, cocking on eyebrow as if to ask if she was right.

Kenneth bobbed his head a little bit. "Yeah. Keep an eye out for that. I actually don't have much combat experience."

"Really?" Her brow furrowed as a shadow fell over her face. They passed under another arch and Kenneth glanced between Byrd and the outside, trying to keep tabs on how deep into the town they were going. His throat felt drier, but he was still struggling to tell what was his outside experience leaking in and what was the game harping on his nerves. Nodding, he averted his eyes from her face.

"Really. I try not to get into the combat zones like I said. I got on here for fun...honestly I didn't know what the game was for the first month. It's fun, though, and immersive. I needed immersive."

He felt her stare on the back of his head and rubbed his neck to keep the hair from standing on end as they passed another row of houses and turned into a deep long drive. His eyes skipped up the cement to the squat flat building at the end. It looked like a prison if he had to be honest. His nails dug into his avatar's skin as he stopped rubbing his neck.

"Can I ask why you don't like the combat?" Byrd asked after a moment of silence.

Kenneth's hand fell from his neck to his lap and he glanced back at her, then shook his head and turned away. "Just not my style," he mumbled and reverted to staring at the building. It became clearly a prison once they passed the gate on the outside. Guards watched their every movement. Kenneth wanted to shrink into the leather of the seat and disappear. His fingers tingled and twitched, wanting to reach for the headset and jerk it off. One of his hands lifted to his face, then faltered. Outside all that waits for me is pain...and the inevitable coming of her. His eyes searched the grey plain exterior of the building. The white blank hospital room also flashed before his eyes. He could see, in the back of his mind, the door opening and his mother stepping through with the same angry scowl that had always been etched onto her face. Eyes that never forgave and fists clenched in response to the next mistake.

His hand fell to his lap. The game can't hurt me. I die and I'll respawn. 

"I think we might be in for a prison break," Byrd whispered into his ear. 

He nodded stiffly and then let out a heavy breath. "Yeah, I think we might be." He glanced back at her, hoping she wouldn't see the panic lingering in his eyes. His hands were trembling under his skin, but he kept them pressed tight together in his lap.

"I suppose I should apologize for dragging you into this?" she offered, grimacing a little and shrugging her shoulders to her ears. "Sorry."

He laughed breathlessly and looked down, shaking his head. "No need, it's just a game. Plus, I probably needed to expand my skill set a little anyway." 

"Yeah..." she bit her lip as the truck finally halted. Kenneth glanced outside as the NPC's hopped out of the front and finally opened the door. The man with the gun waved at him. His squinted eyes narrowed as Kenneth slid from the seat and dropped to the ground. Standing up to him, Kenneth stared into those cold eyes. There wasn't anything human behind them. If I can face this, I can face her, he thought. 

"Get inside," the NPC drawled and nudged him harshly with the muzzle of the gun.

Kenneth stepped back. If this was a prison break, he needed to fight. For himself, and for Byrd. Gotta get it over with sooner or late. He narrowed his eyes and drew himself to his full height.  Then he cocked his arm and punched the NPC back.