Grind Part 3

As I said before, we humans are creatures of habit. And with my years of experience watching the other Cons, there are times where they can let loose some information even if they're desperate to hide it. And if memory serves me, the last time that Ricochet tried to avoid us, it was due to some nightly activity.

So like any scientist before me, I decided to test my theory by waiting under cover of darkness. For once in my life, I waited not for certainty but opportunity as soon enough, I heard the desperate sound of impatiently running feet. The weight alone was enough for it to be a dead giveaway. So with all the quiet resolve in the world, I walked out to greet the man that may finally have the answer to my dilemma.

However, for once, my emotions got the better, not realizing the man I was talking with. Once I was within the range, I made my presence known in the form of a nearby knock on our living room round table. That one moment, though, caused Ricochet to spring back instinctively into an expert reverse somersault like a panicked feline.

Like pinball, his eyes darted around the room, only to find me. His mood then switched to his usual calm tone like a rubber band. Out of pure bruised ego or genuine sincerity, even I can't tell you.

"One of these days, someone needs to put a bell on you," he said in a joking yet truthful tone.

At that moment, I noticed his outfit, a typical tank top armed with long gray and frayed track pants with black stripes. Which wasn't exactly anything new, but the running shoes were a dead giveaway. With a simple motion, I pointed to his shoes. In tandem with that, I could visibly see Ricochet's shift through his limited options. History decided to repeat itself once again as Ricochet gave a large exasperated sigh.

"I guess excuses aren't going to work this time, right?"

In response, I quietly nodded yes.

"Fine, get dressed. I think we could both use the fresh air."

So following that, I followed his demands, pulling out my baggier clothing and mixing them into various layers; after that, two of us found ourselves on top of the Burrow's roof. Even with said clothes, I still felt plenty cold amid the turbulent mid-October air.

But I adapted soon enough, more so turning my attention to Ricochet's almost nostalgic look to the dimly lit rooftops we got packed in. Then, finally, after a comfortable amount of time passed, Ricochet broke the barrier of subtle silence as he explained his reasoning.

"Despite how much Eternus hates them. I think the guy is far similar to heroes than he'll ever give them credit for. The guy is always the first one in the fray and the first to take the first hit. And look, I get it he can heal, but that doesn't make him invincible, you know? Most days, I was fine with it; rule six meant I didn't exactly need to put the best foot forward. That I didn't owe anybody anything, but I think you can guess why Scarlett proved me wrong."

Understandably I nodded, urging him to continue.

"Back before I had you guys, I guess you can say that I was the Eternus of my crew. Except when shit hit the fan, they decided to give up on me, and I gave up on myself. So when I first joined, I thought it would be the same thing all over again. But, if Damage proved anything, it's that Eternus isn't going to give up. And frankly, I'm tired of owing him so much," he said in an unusually serious way.

Noticing the obvious question hanging in the air, I bit the proverbial bullet, moving my fingers fast enough to display a message.

"Why not tell him all that? Simple, because he still has a right to be mad at me, I don't want the near-death experience to change or have him forget all that. Give me something to work towards, and believe me, I have been working harder than I ever had in a while. Heck, I've even been sober for the first time in a while," he said gravely.

With that, my suspicions got finally confirmed, opening up a new potential pathway.

"So now that you know, can you just let this slide and let me do this? Let me make up for everything?" he said admirably while starting to get up.

However, my emotion guided my next decision, grabbing his arm and holding up two fingers again.

"This is a bit more of a solo act Frag; I promise I'm not going to-"

I interrupted him before continuing, elaborating my point further by pointing at myself, holding out my fingers in a running motion, and then pointing over to the horizon. Like a loading machine, Ricochet managed to figure it out.

"You want to run with me?"

With that, my excitement grew as I conveyed the following sentence for myself more than him.

"I'm going to get stronger. And this first choice of mine won't be the last."

So with that, Ricochet and I made a pact, hoping to solve our dilemmas together.