Blackout Part 11

“Okay, but just so you know, you’re gonna have a roommate, an’ you can’t say anythin’ about him to no one.” She warned.

“Roomate?” Vas scrunched his nose. “How many weird ass strays do you take in?”

“Including you? Two,” Serena told him.

“Hmm.” Vas said side eyeing the girl. “Go on, lead the way. It's a goddamn maze down here.”

“You sure you can walk?” She asked him. “I mean, you did just near get blown up and were shot.”

“Well I got near blown up, not actually blown up. Subtle but massive difference. I also have stopped bleeding and by the time we get wherever you are leading I should be fully squared. So yea I'm fine to walk.” Vas assured.

Serena found the door to the warehouse, and with a few pushes, it opened with a loud, squeaky protest. The alley was littered with concrete chunks, shrapnel, and the entirety of Serena’s backpack, apples and all. She gave a dramatic sigh at the lost contents, knowing they could have paid a good chunk of rent.

“This way,” she told him, jerking her head to follow.

Vas only gave a glance at the mess. His thought stray to, what a waste of a grenade. He feet walk in step behind Seren as they walk through mostly sunless, claustrophobic alleys. A lot of the building stacked like misshapen boxes put together with half a thought and questionable safety. The wire bundled along the cramped spaces was blatantly illegal but who was going to come down here a check? No one that's who. But it also made Vas feel weird wearing sunglasses.

Serena guided him down the familiar back roads, the ones she didn’t have to duck and avoid cameras for. The less she had to explain the better. The neighborhoods grew shabbier, as if that was possible, until she came to a run down strip of apartments, leading him to an abandoned corner unit. “This is it,” she told him, pushing open a door that didn’t fully close anymore.

It barely qualified as an apartment, one room with peeling walls, cracked floor tiles, and a well worn mattress thrown directly on the floor. The ‘kitchen’ was a hot plate situated on a flimsy tv tray with an extra long extension cord leading through one of the walls. There was a rusted sink, a few bare cabinets, one with the door torn clean off. A single bare bulb swung from the ceiling, a long piece of yarn leading down to turn it on or off.

Vas stepped in behind Serena taking it all in and the first though that popped in was. Been in worse places.

And that … bothered him because … he knew he had been … just could recall when or where …

“Roommate not in?” He asked keep the uneasy feeling pack tightly down.

A low growl came through the darkness as a sizable tomcat came out from under the sink. His cream colored fur was scraggly and matted, and half an ear was torn clean off. He stared at Vas with contempt.

“That’s him,” Serena said cheerfully. “His name’s Trashcat. I named him on account of I found him in a dumpster.” Trashcat, keeping an eye on Vas, began licking one paw.

“What is that?” Vas pointed an accusing finger at his so-called quote on quote roommate.

“Trashcat,” Serena repeated slowly, as if talking to an infant. “He’s a cat. You know. Meow?” Even Trashcat managed to look indignant, raising his hackles and hissing at the interloper.

“That's not a cat that a … some mutant hybrid of a wild animal and bad choices.” Vas said, waving a hand at it. “If it makes an attempt on my life? I will shoot it.” He said sizing up the beast.

“He is too a cat,” Serena defended, scooping up the mangy animal and holding it like a baby. “Technically, this is his home sorta, so you be nice to him. Cyd an’ Mathias won’t let me bring home strays so I can’t take you with me. Or Trashcat either.”

“That …” Vas pointed to the creature that might be a small but mangled bobcat. “... is barely a stray. I … am temporarily misplaced.” He clarified sagely.

“But you don’t know from where,” Serena reminded him. “Like Trashcat.”

“I know I'm from somewhere.” Vas pointed out. “Cat can't say that.”

“He didn’t just spawn like a video game character,” Serena shrugged. “Maybe he had a family. And maybe something happened to ‘em.”

“Maybe he ate ‘em.” Vas said, eyeing the cat who at the moment looked perfectly innocent in Serena's arms.

“Or someone stole ‘em and took ‘em to Blackridge,” Serena said quietly. “Are you hungry?”