The squad froze, staring in disbelief as Theon stood before them. His calm demeanor seemed surreal after the hours they'd spent searching through the zombie-infested wasteland. But something was off—Theon was completely naked. For a moment, silence hung in the air, broken only by the distant groan of zombies still lurking.
Hughes was the first to react. His wide grin split across his face, a raw, unrestrained joy blooming as he bellowed, "There he is! I knew you'd be fine, kid!" His voice, usually laced with humor, now carried a rich mixture of relief and pride—the kind reserved for reuniting with someone you'd thought lost forever.
With a flick of his wrist, he summoned a set of clothes from his spatial ring. Tossing them at Theon, he quipped, "Cover yourself up, will ya? We've seen enough."
Theon caught the clothes, a slight flush of embarrassment creeping up his neck as he quickly dressed. A ghost of a smile, carefully practiced, tugged at his lips. "Thanks, Uncle Hughes." he muttered, pulling on the worn but sturdy gear.
Luna's eyes widened with a mix of shock and relief, and without thinking, she sprinted toward Theon, throwing her arms around him in a tight hug. "You scared us half to death! Where the hell have you been?" Her voice trembled with emotion, betraying the fear she'd been holding in.
Theon, caught off guard by the sudden embrace, returned it briefly, his expression softening. "I'll explain everything back at headquarters." he said quietly, his voice steady. "For now, just know I'm fi—.
Before Theon could finish, Rufe barreled forward with his usual enthusiasm, piling on to the hug with a hearty laugh. "You're a sight for sore eyes, kid!" His massive arms nearly crushed both Theon and Luna as he joined in.
Jax let out an exasperated sigh, stepping in to peel Rufe away. "Rufe, let the kid breathe." he said, placing a hand on the larger man's shoulder. "He just got back. You'll flatten him before he can even tell us what happened."
Rufe pulled back, flashing a sheepish grin. "Sorry, sorry." His rough features softened with genuine relief, and with a friendly slap on Theon's back, he nearly knocked him off balance. "Just happy to have you in one piece."
Theon staggered but managed to stay upright, shooting Rufe an amused look. "Good to see you too, Rufe." he said, rubbing his shoulder where the larger man had hit him.
Hughes turned back to Theon, his grin unwavering. "You did good, kid. But next time, try not to give us a heart attack, alright?"
Theon smirked, pulling the cloak tighter around him. "No promises," he drawled, a glint in his eye that mirrored Hughes's own.
This time, Squad Alpha moved as one, a tight-knit unit honed by experience and camaraderie. They swiftly cleared out the remaining undead, their focus sharper now that their team was whole again. Every strike, every movement, was filled with purpose, as if they were fueled by the weight of the reunion.
Theon, walking slightly behind the group, watched them with a quiet appreciation. He could see the care in how they moved, how they looked out for each other even in the midst of combat. Though they were guarding him under the assumption that he was worn out, Theon's gaze was one of reflection—he wasn't just watching them fight; he was absorbing the way they fought.
'Huuuuu.'
He exhaled, a silent acknowledgment. A jigsaw puzzle piece, long lost, clicked into place. He hadn't been able to discern it before, but now, watching them, it was undeniable: They knew about Lu.
He had always found it strange, their reliance on medieval weapons when modern firearms were superior and their other various odd mannerisms. He'd always chalked it up to Veritas eccentricity combined with them being a top-tier squad, afterall not only was anyone at the top of their field bound to be a bit 'odd' but also everyone in Veritas was a bit special.
Now, he saw the truth: it was Lu.
Their comfort in this 'rift' environment, their lack of surprise at his sudden, inexplicable return—they knew. They knew about Lu. So he couldn't pretend pure luck had saved him. They'd expect an explanation.
Even before reuniting with them, Theon had drafted potential stories to cover what had truly happened. But the real problem wasn't a cover story, that was easy enough, the real challenge was navigating the landscape of Veritas itself. Though he trusted Ren, Theon wasn't sure about the stance of anyone else, let alone how many people knew about Lu.
'It's better,' he decided, 'to act as if I know the bare minimum.'
Soon, they reached the exit point of the rift.
"Recognise this ?" asked Hughes.
Theon nodded.
"These are rifts that take us between our world and these little zones. You got caught in the opening rift and the exit rift usually only opens when you finish the requirement of the rift."
"It's rough sometimes. Remember some time ago when we disappeared for a few months? Yeah, that was us getting stuck in a rift and having to survive in there until we recovered enough to clear it." A collective shiver ran through Squad Alpha, their expressions tightening as the mere thought of being stranded in such a place rekindled old nightmares.
But with that brief, somber moment, Hughes snapped back into his normal, boisterous self. "Anyway come on then, let's get you home." Hughes said while gesturing for Theon to follow him as he stepped through the rift.
The experience inside the rift was the same as the first time.
His body seemed to be eternally drifting as waves of energy hit him. Though this time, it was barely noticeable. Whereas last time he was on the verge of fainting, now he was completely fine.
Theon sunk into his thoughts as he thought about his future steps. How were the people on the other side of the rift expecting him to come out? When he first entered he had barely been conscious when he was spat out onto Serenera and now, according to his story, he was returning exhausted but stronger because he knew about Lu.
Just as his mind began to craft the finer details of his cover story, the waves of gravitational pressure that suddenly hit his shoulders. They were infinitely more manageable than the first time but still not exactly easy. 'Throwing up and passing out would be too much,' he thought, 'but I can't emerge entirely unscathed. What could I—'
Unfortunately he did not get much time to think as the blinding white lights hit him.
The harsh contrast with Serenera hit him like a physical blow. After a month of surviving under the planet's dull, smog-filled sky, the stark, clinical brightness of the training room felt like a spotlight aimed directly at his retinas. Though he exaggerated the current toll his body was under, it wasn't as if he wasn't under any toll. The sheer grind of constant survival, the minimal quality rest, the relentless fighting—it had taken its toll.
So, no matter what he thought or planned, Theon really had overestimated himself.
The moment his foot touched the floor, his knees involuntarily buckled and bent. And with them…. the rest of his body came down.
THUD
"Ehem."
Theon attempted to rise, forcing his arms to push him up.
Thud.
Only to fall down yet again as his muscles failed him.
…..
"Pfft."
Theon's eyes flicked toward Hughes, locking onto his amused expression. Hughes tried to stifle it, but within seconds, he broke into uncontrollable laughter.
"HAHHAHAHAHA"
"Hughes, don't bully the kid now" said Jax, though there was a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
Hughes straightened up, but it didn't last long. His grin reappeared as he turned to Jax with a wicked gleam in his eye.
"Hmmm, you're right Jax….. At least he didn't throw up and then pass out like you did."
Hughes doubled over, a booming laugh echoing through the sterile room as he laughed even harder, while Jax sputtered, trying to salvage his dignity. "Hey hey we already talked about how that wasn't under fair circumstances… my stomach was already feeling wrong and I didn't get much sleep and— "
But Hughes wasn't listening. He'd already found his next victim. Turning toward Rufe, his grin widened.
"Rufeeeeee, " Hughes teased. "That means the drinks are on you tonight, riiiiight ?"
Rufe grumbled, crossing his massive arms. "I thought for sure he'd at least throw up."
Luna looked down and let out a disappointed exhale, but even she couldn't stop the slow smile that was creeping onto her face.
Theon could only look up from the floor in silent disbelief.
Really?
This was the best unit the company had to offer?
Really?