Chapter Text
Kel saw Basil emerge from the path five minutes later, just as he said.
His clothes were bloody and his hair was a mess, but it wasn't like Kel was any better, so he didn't say anything. They would change later, in a gas station's bathroom anyway. The bald guy he saw running towards the car was face down on the dirt, blood sluggishly seeping through the Earth. Even though Kel had already hardened himself to killing people, his stomach still felt a bit queasy at the sight, so he turned his attention to the suitcase he'd pried from the man's cold fingers instead. He didn't actually know what was inside, and didn't ask. He suspected Basil did know, but Kel's rank was still too low for him to be trusted with such delicate information.
"Hey" Kel grinned. Basil returned the smile with a shy one of his own as he climbed in the passenger seat.
"Hi"
"So, to Faraway?"
Basil opened his mouth to answer, when a shrill alarm made them both flinch. Basil's usually soft eyes sharpened, and he glanced at the bald guy, quickly putting the pieces together.
"Did you kill him in one try?"
"I–I had to shoot twice" Kel stammered, clenching his fists. "Damn it, do you think–"
Basil nodded. "He probably sounded the alarm before he died, maybe from that watch of his"
Kel felt his face burning with shame. It was such a rookie mistake to make...he'd only been part of the organization for two years, yeah, and he'd been on the field even less, but still, he should have known better!
"Damn it!" he repeated, running a hand through his hair. "Basil, I'm sorry–"
"It's okay, Kel" Basil clapped him on his shoulder gently. "Just drive"
"But–"
"Drive" Basil insisted, twisting around and rummaging around the backseat. Kel pressed the gas just when an engine roared to life in the distance. The car's tires rolled with mud, spraying the corpse next to them, and Kel got them out of there as fast as he could, decided to be useful to mend his mistake. He would not let them catch them.
Basil emerged with a small machine gun in his right hand and something that looked like small pebbles on the other. He rolled the window down.
"I'll try to end this quickly and shoot their tires" he said. "Do you think you can lose them in the meantime?"
Kel clenched his jaw, tense. "I can"
He would lose those men. He would get them safely home. He could do this.
Tires screeched as the two cars, their sleek, black one and the other a beat up Subaru, entered the roads. Basil wiggled his upper body out the window precariously and started firing, the shots echoing in Kel's head and pumping him with adrenaline. He twitched when the back window cracked slightly from the bullets the Subaru fired at them, but didn't let that deter him. Huffing, he turned the wheel violently to the side, making the car swerve quickly and saving them a few more shots. Basil gripped the roof handle tightly to avoid being flung of the vehicle with the speed at which Kel was driving.
Kel aimed to navigate through all of the spots the Subaru would have difficulty tracking them through. Alleyways, patches of grass, even parks. It was hard while he also tried not to hit anything or anyone, but he made do. Even so, the Subaru was still hot on their trail.
A stray shot made Basil duck down, the bullet bouncing off the roof of their car.
Oh, no you don't.
With a sudden idea in his head, Kel turned their car around as fast as he could, Basil yelping with the sudden movement and looking at him in surprise. He didn't pay him any mind, too absorbed in what he was doing. Their car was now facing the Subaru, and even though the tinted glass made it hard to see inside, he could still catch a glimpse of two people, a man and a woman at the wheel. Kel's shoe practically went through the gas pedal as he sped towards them, the Subaru immediately backing up, caught off guard.
"Now!" Kel shouted. Basil recovered in a split second and raised the machine gun, the angle now easier for him to shoot the tires. A loud pop let them know he'd reached his target. On top of that, Basil reached for the small pebble looking things–oh, those were bombs–and threw one with pristine accuracy so it bounced and rolled into the Subaru's windshield. Kel dodged the other car to avoid slamming into it now that it wasn't backing up anymore, and they drove away like hell itself was chasing them–which it kind of was, until a second ago.
A muffled explosion sounded in the distance. Kel panted and slumped back into the driver's seat, looking at Basil with wide eyes.
Basil returned the look, and slowly clasped on his seatbelt.
...
Somehow, the action was enough to break the tension, and they both burst out laughing, breathless and dizzy from the noise.
"Jesus" Kel snorted. "Jesus Christ, Basil"
"I left plenty of time on the bomb for them to get out of the car before it blew up!" Basil defended. "I should be saying that to you! What the heck, Kel?"
"I ran out of options!" Kel explained, forcing his hands to relax. "Plus, it worked, so it's okay, right?"
Basil shook his head, smiling in disbelief.
"You're amazing, Kel" he chuckled softly. "That was–I'm speechless!"
"The good kind of speechless, or the bad kind?"
"The good kind"
"Then my job here is done" Kel put on a fake deep voice, and just because, he reached into the glove compartment and fished out a pair of sunglasses he knew would be there, putting them on with a smooth flick of the wrist. Basil burst out in giggles.
"Man...I'm so tired" Kel sighed, when the laughing fit receded. "What time is it again?"
"3:45" Basil replied, shooting a quick text in his cellphone. "If we keep the pace, we should be in Faraway in time for the reunion"
"Right...wow, I can't believe Hero and Mari are coming home at last" he said dreamily. "It seems like too soon, don't you think?"
"It feels like that because we've been busy" Basil smiled kindly. "Time flies when you're on the job"
"You mean when you're running for your life" Kel countered, pouting. "I still haven't even finished my summer homework yet"
Basil chuckled.
"You're right. Even so," his friend put a warm hand on his shoulder. "You adapted really quickly, Kel. I'm proud of you!"
Kel laughed, a bit bashful. "Yeah, well. Only because I had you as a teacher!"
It was true. Basil was a kind but absolutely ruthless mentor, not sparing him a moment to breathe between classes and not shying away from beating him up in their spars. It was because of him that Kel had gotten to this point and survived.
He still remembered being escorted to the organization's main base, informally called 'The Garden' and being absolutely frozen when he spotted a familiar blonde passing through the halls with all the calm in the universe, as if he belonged there.
Huh, small world, he remembered thinking, with just the slightest bit of hysteria.
He'd just turned fifteen at that time, and had gotten mixed up with the wrong crowd one night. Hero hadn't been there to help him, freshly sent away to college, so Kel had been all alone. He didn't even understand what happened for the most part, only that a group of men had surrounded him, then tossed him in a van, and Kel had been absolutely sure he was being kidnapped and would die on a shady warehouse somewhere. But then the car stopped, and there was a commotion, and another group of men came and he lost consciousness somewhere along the line. When he woke up, he was in The Garden.
Basil had vouched for him since the beginning, looking nothing like the timid, meek boy the group had met all those years ago, standing straight and confident in front of his superiors. Apparently, he was a trusted member, so they looked at Kel with new eyes and recruited him instead. He didn't have much of a choice but to accept, and Kel had to admit, past all the initial terror and confusion, past the crushing guilt of having to keep this a secret from his family...he was actually pretty curious.
And it actually felt kind of...right. Like he was meant to do this all along.
Basil still surpassed him by a long shot though. Kel still wasn't sure about what circumstances brought Basil to The Garden exactly, but considering he was already a 'senior member' when he was fifteen, and they met when he was twelve, then...Kel didn't really want to know. Basil...Basil lived on his own, as long as he could remember, having moved to Faraway alongside a tall bearded man who claimed to be his uncle but looked more like a human mountain. That 'uncle' checked in now and again to keep up pretenses, and Kel had actually met him once or twice, since he became part of The Garden and all. His name was Ivan Morozov, and he had a killer right hook. Don't ask him how he knew that.
Aside from those visits though, Basil lived alone in the house with his garden and photos, his 'parents' sending him money now and again.
Kel was pretty sure those parents didn't actually exist, but he digressed. By the way Basil's eyes darkened whenever he tiptoed around the subject, he wouldn't open up about it anytime soon. The only thing Kel could do was be there for his friend if he ever needed to talk. It was the least he could do.
The pair arrived to their go-to gas station, a rundown establishment where food was cheap and the cashier never asked why they came bloody and exited with a different set of clothes every time. Kel went straight for the Orange Joe shelf while Basil changed in the bathroom. They left the car between some trees for The Garden to pick up later.
"Ah, sweet sweet Orange Joe..." Kel sighed, as he listened to the marvelous hiss the soda made when he opened it. "There isn't a better drink around"
Basil came out of the bathroom, now with an unsuspecting plaid jacket and jeans. He had a split lip, but no other injuries were visible, although Kel remembered Basil told him he probably had broken ribs. Now was Kel's turn, and he changed into his signature attire, long shorts and a long sleeved shirt. He usually would have dressed a bit more sporty, but he had scratches to hide, plus the reunion was kind of a big deal, and they had to look nice. Even Basil ditched his usual overalls for the new outfit.
He applied some first aid to the bullet graze wound and patched it up in a simple gauze. It would probably scar. Oh well. Hero knew Kel was passionate about sports–he had a whole collection of Captain Spaceboy themed band aids, and God knows he scraped his arms more than once while diving for the ball in volleyball matches–but if his brother still asked, he could just pass it up as a particularly nasty scratch.
Once Basil and him were fed and satiated, they were on their way, and on a stroke of luck, caught a passing pickup truck just as its owner was buying chips inside. And what a coincidence, the man commented to the cashier he was going to SunShore City! Not Faraway, but he still had to pass through town to get to his destination, so all they had to do was sneak into the back of the truck, lay down and let the guy drive them there.
They made idle chatter until they glimpsed the familiar wooden sign of 'Welcome to Faraway', and then jumped quickly out of the truck once they passed the bump on the road that had never been fixed for some reason. The driver didn't notice at all. From then, they only had to walk through town–with a few detours, since they had to buy food–to their designated place, where they would meet up with their friends.
Sure enough, there they were.
Sunny and Aubrey perked up once they saw them approaching, Sunny instantly latching to Basil's side. It was kinda funny. Kel knew Basil and Sunny were best friends, and yet...Kel and Basil had a unique bond, something born from countless missions together, that linked them closer than he imagined. He supposed the best way to put it was...Kel trusted Basil. A deep, unshakable trust, even stronger than the one he felt for his other friends, almost the same one he felt for Hero and his family.
It was a trust that told him that, if an unnamed guy suddenly sprang up and pointed a gun at Kel's head, Basil would undoubtedly have his back, and he knew he would do the same for Basil.
No matter what.
Aubrey bombarded him with questions next, flipping her pink hair to the side as she told him about her baseball club and how she could 'totally beat him in a match if he ever had the guts to face her'. Even though years had passed and Aubrey had gone through the loss of her father, she still retained that unique light that made her such a great friend.
Not that Kel would ever admit it, though.
Mari and Hero were there too, finally back from college, Mari with her dark purple hair in a braid, and Hero looking as perfect as ever. They were holding hands, looking at them with something akin to parental pride. Kel couldn't blame them. He could admit that, after all these years, the four of them might as well be Hero and Mari's unofficial children. Honestly, Kel was just waiting for the wedding at this point. He would be the best best man.
"Kel! Basil!" Hero walked up to them and engulfed them in a hug, Mari following suit. "It's been a pretty long time, huh?"
"We were starting to think you weren't coming!" Mari said. "Did you have trouble checking out?"
Kel laughed sheepishly. Basil and Kel's alibi was always training in the elite gym at the outskirts of town. Or, well, Kel played basketball and Basil assisted to arts and crafts lessons. Up until now, they hadn't had any problem with the excuse.
"Sorry, Mari! I lost track of time!" it always left a bad taste in his mouth, lying to his friends and brother, but he couldn't risk involving them in the world he was part of. It was too dangerous. Hell, Basil and him had been on an intense car chase just two hours ago!
"And I forgot to remind Kel to go" Basil added, scratching his cheek apologetically. "I was too concentrated in the match"
"It was intense" Kel agreed, flawlessly spinning the string of lies into Basil's with practiced ease. He wished it wasn't this way, but as he said, he would protect his friends. Always. "But we won in the end, so it's all good!"
"I'm glad to hear it!" Mari chirped.
"Oh, Basil, what happened?!" Aubrey cut in, leaning in closer to Basil's face. Kel suppressed a wince. Right. Split lip.
"Oh, haha...it's nothing, guys, don't worry" Basil waved them off, even as Sunny whispered something in his ear worriedly. "I'm fine!"
Aubrey didn't look convinced.
"Basil, if anyone is giving you any trouble, you have to tell us, okay?" she frowned, then bumped her fists together. "I'll beat them up for you, no problem!"
If Kel had the sports excuse for his injuries, then Basil had the bullying cover, even if his experience saved him from the nastier wounds most of the time.
Despite being part of The Garden, Basil still looked pretty fragile and soft to the unsuspecting eye, and while that was a part of his personality that they all loved, it also attracted bullies at school pretty frequently. Aubrey and Kel did what they could, but they didn't have all of their classes together, so they could never protect him from everything. Even so, Basil let himself be pushed around to help with the act, even if Kel knew for a fact they could both pulverize all the bullies to the ground in five seconds flat if they really wanted to.
"Yeah, don't be afraid to tell us, Basil!" but Kel had to play along, so he feigned a reassuring smile while he wrapped an arm around the same boy he'd seen hurl a grenade towards a car with zero hesitation a few hours ago. Basil smiled shyly, blood rushing to his cheeks at all the attention.
"I will. Thanks, guys"
"So, what do you all want to do now?" Hero asked, hands on his hips. "Should we eat somewhere?"
Kel smiled toothily and unwrapped the bag in his hands, revealing their secret package, the fruit for their efforts, their delicious reward for risking their lives on stupidly dangerous secret missions on a weekly basis.
The power. Of. Chinese food.
"We brought takeout!"