Nick had been sulking all day; and of course that meant not only a long face but he had been complaining non stop, his whiny voice giving me the biggest headache.

“Jerk. I’m not a kid anymore,” he said while pulling things from his drawer and throwing them on his bed. I had no idea what he was looking for, although I suspected it was probably nothing more than a way to release his stress. “He can’t tell me what to do.”

“He can and he did so shut up already Nick” I reminded him, wanting to shush him. I was lying on Brian’s bed and after shaking my head to him I put my right arm over my eyes, it was impossible to rest with that much light in the room.

“Did I ask your opinion? And what the hell are you doing in my room?”

I was waiting for Brian to finish getting ready since we were going out to eat something. Nevertheless, I didn’t tell him that, I had no intentions of explaining anything to him, except that he was being extremely annoying. “You are giving me a headache.”

“Sorry…NOT!” he almost yelled. “If you don’t like it, you can leave.”

I gave him the finger without bothering to look at him again, but he just ignored me this time.

“Are you fighting again?” Brian asked walking into the room, a towel wrapped around his waist. He had just taken a shower and was dripping water all over the floor. “The only thing you do these days is fight.”

“Hurry up Brian.” I said sitting up in the bed. “And no, we are not fighting, it’s just the baby here crying about something like always.”

“Who are you calling a baby?” Nick came swiftly towards me, jumping over his bed, hands balled into fists.

“Calm down Nick. He was just kidding.” Brian was faster and was now in between the two of us, his hands on Nick’s shoulders, trying to calm him down.

“Mind your own business Brian.”

“Look kid…”

“Shut up AJ!” Brian, aware of my darkening mood interrupted me before sparks began to fly. “Go back to do whatever you were doing Nick” he said to the kid in a very hard tone.

Nick glared at him, then at me, and finally turned around. Brian looked at me over his shoulder and went back to finish dressing himself.

“I think I better wait for you outside.” I said to Bri a couple of minutes later while walking to the door.

“Great idea” Nick murmured while putting all the things that were over his bed back into the drawers. “But outside the base, like in another planet.”

“That’s it.” I said turning around to face him. “What’s your problem?”

“My problem?” He grinned trying to irritate me even more.

“Yes, your problem. Start acting like a grown up Nick, you are not a baby anymore.”

“Look who’s talking. Just because I’m the one in a bad mood today.”

“Oh you are kidding me, right?”

“No, I’m not.” He raised his voice again. “You have been an ass lately.”

“You almost punched me a minute ago.”

“Yes, and you were being so nice.” He rolled his eyes.

“You know what?” I threw my hands up. “Just forget it.”

“No, I won’t.” He let the shirt he was folding and walked a couple of steps towards me. “You think we haven’t noticed that you have changed AJ. I don’t know what’s eating you, but I’ve about had my fill of it. You are looking for a fight with me every day.”

“I’m not looking for a fight. If I were, believe me, I would have changed your attitude long time ago.”

"Would you stop acting like idiots." Brian was practically yelling.

“Fuck you Brian,” my mouth opened before my brain could take command. Not even a second later I was already regretting it. After taking a deep breath I turned around to face him. “I’m sorry,” I whispered to him timidly but Brian just shook his head.

“I should let you kill each other. Maybe that’s what you need.” He said walking to the door. “I’m tired of you both.”

“Of me?” Nick protested. “AJ is the one talking crap all day.”

“Stop talking like that about me or you are going to regret it,” I said gritting my teeth.

“Oh I’m scared.” He mocked.

“I mean it.” I assured him.

“You know, maybe I should stop. Don’t want a fight with a Tracon.”

“Nick!” Brian yelled from his place next to the door.

“What was that?” I couldn’t believe what he had just said.

“What?” He laughed.

“Take that back, Nick.” I walked to him.

“That’s it, right? That’s why you are being an asshole lately?”

“Go to hell Nick.” I stopped. My heart was beating too fast and I could feel the vein of my neck throbbing.

“Oh let me guess. Did I hit a nerve?”

“Fuck you.” I turned my back to him again and faced Brian who was looking more than worried. His mouth was open and I saw disappointment in his eyes.

“Guys stop it now” he said in a last attempt to calm us down.

“Asshole.” Nick continued.

“Son of a bitch.” I replied to Brian’s dismay.

“Stupid Jerk.”

“Bastard.” I murmured and saw Brian walk towards me.

“Bastard? I’m not the bastard, remember?” I jerked around fearing what Nick was about to say. Brian put his hand in front of me not allowing me to take another step and we stood there, hearing our little brother finish the sentence. “Your father is not only a criminal but he didn’t even want you.”

I don’t know what went into me but by the time I realized what was happening it was too late. I had never used my powers against my family before and when I opened my eyes – I didn’t even remember closing them - I was shaking. When reality finally hit me I saw a terrible scene in front of me. Nick was hyperventilating on the floor and Brian was at his side covering him. I realized Brian had put Nick out of the way and there was smoke coming from the side of the room where Nick had been standing just a couple of seconds ago, the same place that I had just made explode. I couldn’t see Nick’s face but Brian was giving me the saddest look I had ever experienced; it was a mix of fear, pity and hate. My blood froze inside my veins, my head was spinning and my knees were weak. I tried to say something but I couldn’t, and after giving Nick a last glance I stormed off the room leaving Brian in awe and Nick crying.

I just wanted to go far from him, to disappear, to flee. I had ‘shot’ him, I had used my powers against my little brother. Part of me realized that I wouldn’t have deadly hurt him, not by the amount of energy I had used, but either way I could have hurt him. Oh God I really could have hurt the kid. If Brian hadn’t been there I would have hurt him. What I’m turning into? I wiped a tear away and kept walking the familiar path to the first floor, to the base of the mountain. I was shaking so bad and a glass of beer didn’t look like a bad idea at that moment, so I did what I had been doing a lot those last days and walked to the main gate.

The truth was that I had been smarter than Nick the whole time. During our first week in the headquarters I had left the base for an inspection of the planet without telling anyone, that was when I found about the little town out there, the one that Kevin had cleverly missed to mention. Later that day I found out that it was a little observation point and another way to keep the base away from being recognized by the Empire. Just a couple of bars and a fuel station, all managed by humans - rebels soldiers dressed as civilians - frequented by the worst scum of the universe, mostly ex-convicts. The rebels had been clever enough to create this town on the other side of the planet. People called the town Tarmei, which was Sargon for ‘weird world’ and it was definitely a place that the Empire soldiers didn’t like to visit. Of course it didn’t pass too much time until the rest of the family found about it. Brian heard about it from someone while Nick saw the lights when he was leaving the station in his first mission. Kevin told us about the place and gave us the typical “you can’t go there” lecture, but it came too late for me, I was already a frequent visitor. I was sure Kevin didn’t really imagine I could end up going there due to the ‘strict control’ in the base, but he couldn’t count with me becoming friends with one of the guards and finding the way. I asked Loui, the guard, about Tarmei before going there the second time and entering into one of the bars. He explained to me that I needed to tell the bartender, when no one was listening, that I was coming from the Headquarters and I wouldn’t have any problems after that.

Tarmei was the perfect place for me to spend my time. I never had problems making friends there, with the wrong people that is. The bartenders weren’t the only rebel soldiers around, I would recognize someone every day. Funny enough, they never told Kevin about my visits, I guessed they considered me old enough and of course they probably have heard about the weird group of half humans with super powers and they simple feared me like I have noticed some other soldiers did. The rest of the people weren’t locals so there wasn’t any risk of them recognizing me. Either way I couldn’t go there too much. Altogether I had gone to that place 4 or 5 times. Loui had warned me against going more. It was too dangerous to become a regular visitor because you could end up seeing the same faces and someone could end up wondering where you came from if they didn’t see you arrive in a ship. Aside from the rebel soldiers, sometimes I would bump into officers dressed as civilians too, but if they ever recognized me I never knew.

I arrived to one of the bars and didn’t even pay attention to the people there before asking for a drink. After the first one it was just one after another and soon enough I was no longer aware of the things surrounding me. I didn’t remember too much of the rest of that day except for people laughing and then someone fighting – maybe me –. The next thing I noticed were these guys practically carrying me and bringing me to our apartment. They knocked the door and Kevin was the one who answered.

“Major Littrell” one of them saluted and I started to laugh.

“What the hell…” Kevin walked to me and since he stood up between one of the soldiers and me he practically forced the guy to release me, probably thinking that I could stay on my feet. Of course he was wrong and he had to lift me up quickly from under my left arm to help me walk.

“I think we are reporting this one, Major Littrell. We are sorry. We didn’t say anything before about him frequenting Tarmei but this had gone out of hand and it’s too dangerous.”

Kevin nodded, or at least I think he nodded, and closed the door behind us. He was practically dragging me since I was dead on my feet.

“What happened?” Someone asked and I saw Howie walking to me “AJ?”

“He is wasted” Kevin replied.

“Eeew is that puke?” Puke? Where?

“Shut up Brian and help us here.”

Everything was moving around me and I felt like walking on clouds. They were pulling me in the direction of my room when I saw Nick open his door slowly and look at me through the gap.

“Nick” I cried.

Nick's eyes grew wide and he closed the door immediately. I tried to release myself from the boys’ grasp but they didn’t let me. After a second I simply gave up and let them carry me into my room.

“Where is my bed? I need a bed” I said suddenly noticing they were releasing me. “Or I guess I’ll just stay here,” I added deciding to throw myself to the floor.

“Get up!” Kevin put one arm around my waist and his other hand under my arm again, lifting me up easily.

“Kevin let him.”

“No” he said a little too loud yanking me into the bathroom. The bathroom?

“What the hell are you doing?” I asked trying to grab onto the door. I didn’t know what Kevin was planning but I knew I wouldn’t like it. I heard the shower running.

“No way.” I yelled but I was already inside the shower, cold water falling on me.

“It’s freezing.” I stuttered. “Do you wanna kill me?”

“Someone bring some laudean” Kevin ordered while I started to feel comfortable under the cold shower and closed my eyes for a second.



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