Buddies (Part One)

Kai

"Have you ever shot a gun before?" Vlad asks, his tone flat, hands stuffed in his pockets, and a general air of disinterest surrounding him. Clearly, this is Caden's doing—another attempt to make us more… let's say, friendly with each other. I saw Caden talking to Vlad after we got back from the rooftop, so this little exercise doesn't come as a surprise.

"Do I look like I've shot a gun before?" I reply, answering his question with my own.

Vlad doesn't miss a beat. "Okay, come here," he says, jerking his head toward the training ground.

We pass the sparring deck and head farther down, toward a wooden door tucked in the corner. As we walk, I can't help but wonder how they managed to build all of this without anyone noticing. And where exactly did the budget for it all come from?

…

When we enter the room, it's immediately clear what this place is—a shooting range. There are two booths, each with a small window looking out at a set of targets on the other side.

In the first booth, I spot Eugene. He's wearing his usual hoodie with that logo from a game called Turtle Blast and a pair of oversized headphones. He's focused, methodically firing at his target without so much as glancing our way.

The second booth is empty.

"Here," Vlad says, practically throwing a pistol at me. He follows it up by tossing me an identical pair of headphones. 

"Vlad! Drowner, DL at least five. Let's go!" Luna's voice echoes across the room, loud enough to make even Eugene glance up from his booth.

"Shit." Vlad mutters under his breath, clearly annoyed but oddly relieved to ditch babysitting me. "Headphones on. Shoot until you get better," he says curtly before walking off without so much as a second glance. That's straight-up irresponsible.

But I do as I'm told. I put the headphones on, grip the weapon in one hand like I've seen in movies, and take aim. I fire once. Then again. Both shots miss the target entirely.

"You're holding it wrong!" Eugene says, appearing at my side and tapping me on the shoulder. His sudden presence makes me flinch. "You're not in an action film. Hold it with two hands."

Right. Of course.

That's the first full sentence Eugene has said to me since I got here. And just like that, he's back to his own booth, completely ignoring me again. I watch him for a moment, feeling a spark of determination. I'm going to change that.

…

I think I'm the only person who learned how to reload a pistol from YouTube tutorials. After spending what feels like forever missing every shot at the target, I finally get bored and decide to stop. Shooting aimlessly has lost its charm.

Stepping out of the booth, I spot Eugene a few feet away. He's training with a sword, slicing through the air with precision. The sight catches me off guard. Why are they using swords when they have guns? That seems like a good way to start a conversation.

"Hey, Eugene," I call out, leaning against the wall. "Why do y'all use melee weapons when you've got guns?"

He pauses mid-swing and drops his stance, turning to face me. "Because some people can do what you did a few hours ago."

I blink, confused. "What did I do?"

He tilts his head, looking at me like I should already know the answer. "Dodging bullets." 

No way I did that. Before I can even ask him about that he goes back to his training.

He's exactly like I thought Luna was before getting to meet her. An asshole that thinks everyone is below him. I'm going to try one last time.

"Hey, I noticed you've got 'Turtle Blast' on the back of your hoodie. Do you actually play it, or was it just a random pick?" I ask casually.

Eugene freezes mid-motion, his sword clattering to the ground. That simple action alone makes my stomach twist. Then, without warning, he does something I've only seen Caden do—he dashes toward me at an alarming speed.

I blink, caught off guard. I just asked about a game. It's not that deep!

As he reaches me, I instinctively take a defensive stance. Before I can react further, he grabs me by the collar. My heart races, and I shut my eyes, bracing for the hit.

"Do you play?" he asks suddenly, his voice buzzing with excitement. "I've been playing for a long time now."

Confused, I crack one eye open. Instead of the punch I expected, I'm met with Eugene's face lit up in a wide grin.

Turtle Blast. It's a story-driven game you can play solo or with up to three players. I've played it a lot, mostly on my own, back when I lived with my great-grandparents after my father died.

"I actually do… or did, back in high school," I admit hesitantly.

Before I can say more, Eugene starts shaking me like I'm a winning lottery ticket. "That's amazing!" he exclaims.

He suddenly spins around and screams louder than Luna ever could. "Ethan! I've found our third player!"

From nowhere, Ethan appears, vaulting over the couch like a hyperactive kid, a remote in his hand. He lands in front of the TV on the opposite wall, switching it on in one swift motion. "Really? That's amazing!"

Eugene practically drags me to the couch and tosses me a controller before sitting down beside me. "I'm Eugene, by the way. Don't think we've had a proper introduction. So, what do you main?"

"I'm Ethan," Ethan chimes in, plopping down on the other side of me with a smug grin. "Father probably told you all about me. I main the purple one." He says it like he's announcing a championship title.

I barely manage to get a word in. "I'm Kai—"

Ethan cuts me off, waving a hand dismissively. "Don't worry, dude, we already know all about you—down to your shoe size. What we don't know is what you main."

I blink, taken aback, but can't help chuckling. "I main the red one."

As soon as I say it, both Eugene and Ethan exchange a glance. Their expressions shift like I've just declared myself an enemy combatant.

"What?" I ask, feeling slightly uneasy.

Eugene narrows his eyes, pointing at me with the controller. "I main the red one too."