[ chapter 9.2]
"FUCK THIS!" Scaros yelled. He slammed his fist onto the ground while hardly lifting his body up. His face was as red as a tomato.
" Lonny!" He grunted. His knees failed to lift the body up, making the scene even more pitiful.
Liones walked out behind Tinmas, she looked back to Tinmas then at Scaros. She waved her hands to Tinmas then ran towards Scaros to help him. Tinmas gave out a sigh as he looked to Trout.
The two exchanged looks, Tinmas pointed his thumb towards the bus to which Trout nodded and walked with him towards the bus.
Tinmas went first and Trout followed, the bus was empty. Only their group was on it, the seats were clean compared to the creaking bus Trout took earlier. The scent of old industrial leather covered the bus.
"Do you need me to do anything?" Trout asked, he stood next to Tinmas who seemed to be interacting with the tablets and levers at the driver seat.
"It's fine for now, do take your seat." Tinmas replied. He took out a small notebook and opened it.
Trout nodded and slowly walked towards a seat in the back row and sat down.
After a while, Tinmas' finger stopped on the tablet. He was looking up and down from the notebook multiple times.
Scaros who just barely sat down took the opportunity.
"Looks like you don't know what you're doing at all huh, old man." He said giggling and looked to his side. Liones stood next to him, she frowned.
"So I assume you can do it?" Tinmas asked before he looked up to Scaros who was now avoiding his look.
"AHG!" Scaros yelled. Trout got startled and immediately looked towards the source of the sound, though his body didn't flinch.
Liones punched Scaros in the face.
"We've made it this far. Why do you keep trying to make it worse!" She yelled, her eyes swelled up with tears. Scaros stopped with checking his jaw and hugged Liones.
"I'm sorry Lonny, it's my fault. I won't be like that again, please don't be mad..." He kept on going. Trout exchanged looks with Tinmas, sighed and looked out of the windows again while Tinmas rolled his eyes and went back on working on the tablet.
After a moment, a bell rang inside the bus.
The doors closed shut before the bus started to slowly heat up.
"Now boarding... confirming attendances....."
Slow ticking sound emanated from inside the bus. Tinmas closed his notebook and put it back inside of his sleeve. He took a sigh of relief and walked towards Trout and sat next to him.
The heating and the ticking sounds stopped after a click.
"Confirmed... moving soon. Location: Outer Zone 12" The mechanical voice once again echoed from inside the bus.
Scaros glanced up to loom at the panels and tablets that now disappeared but quickly went back to soothing Liones who was sobbing while refusing to look at him.
Tinmas gave them a glance, the corner of his mouth curved up to a smirk until he forced it down.
The bus slowly vibrated, the engine rumbled and the vehicle began to move quickly. Everyone got pressed down onto the seat by the acceleration, except for Trout who was looking out the window.
"So this is what it feels like to work with people other than Sal huh." Trout thought. He used his finger to wipe the stain on the glass before go back on staring at nothing.
"Trout... right?"
"Yes?" Trout replied. Tinmas who was sitting next to him at the back row tugged his shoulder.
"What are you thinking about?" Tinmas asked.
"Nothing."
"People don't look at the void and think of nothing you know."
Trout nodded and lean his back onto the seat.
"I don't look that old do I?" Tinmas asked another question.
Trout looked at him while the light on his helmet shifted to light Grey, Tinmas squinted his eyes but continued looking.
"No." Trout replied.
Tinmas nodded, he stood up and moved to a seat a few rows away from Trout and the other two before taking out his notebook and reading it carefully.
"Why is socializing tiresome." Trout thought. He gave out a sigh.
The feeling of sleepiness covered other senses as his consciousness driftrd away to take a rest from everything that happened.
[9.2 cut]