Trapped: Strife, Wolf, and Alex

"Rough start to the day, I totally get it." Wolf said, with a grin. "So what do you want?"

"Water," Alex answered for the both of them.

Strife just facepalmed. He wanted food. Just food.

"Okay." Wolf said and waved them off to the table as he went to the bar.

It didn't take long. Though he only got water for Alex. A beer for himself and strife. Cherry cokes for the kids.

Strife was happy for the beer. "This is better than water," he said. He wasn't sure if Alex would like it. He offered him a sip but the boy just shook his head.

Cameron thanked Wolf for the drinks. He liked beer but he was young enough to be denied it. Soda would definitely do.

"So I guess we owe you some kind of explanation," Strife said.

Wolf took a very long swig of his beer as everyone thanked him, Hikari included and then he looked at Strife. "You really do. We are listening."

Hikari didn't take a second to drink at least half of her soda. So thirsty.

Strife didn't answer them. He just looked at Alex and took a swig of his beer as well. "You better handle this," he said.

Alex looked forlornly at his glass of water. The straw helped him to drink. He wasn't very good at using hands yet. "I can't really tell you as much as you might like. A while back I helped to imprison a particularly nasty fire fiend. There is no redeeming him or the ones that choose to serve him. Recently his minions managed to bind me. They seek to strike me down so as to weaken the prison containing their master."

"Is this...apocalypse type stuff??" Wolf said, raising his eyebrows. Because Hello.. That was just... A lot.

"Um..." Alex looked a little uncomfortable.

"Yes," Strife said. "It pretty much is. You can back out if you want. That seems only fair now that you know."

"Nah, it's fine. I think that's just more reason to keep you safe." Wolf shrugged. He wasn't easily dissuaded.

Strife looked only mildly surprised. "Are you fine with this?" He was looking at Alex. He didn't really want to give one of his dad's much a choice. He wanted him safe. And today had not been safe.

Alex nodded. "Thank you," He said quietly.

"We will help, if we can?" Hikari offered, because you know that was her job. She was volunteering Cam too. Because helping others seemed to be helping him so far.

"I know you have connections, so I won't turn it down. Before either of you argue, she's the daughter of one of the best hunters. Her and her brother as a team are almost unstoppable and now they've got Cam too, which puts them on any bad guys scale from dear God, to Oh fuck. I'm good and I know I'm good, but they're better. And she's just a kid." Wolf said, because he could imagine they'd argue it. She didn't look very old and she certainly came off as older sometimes.

Hikari beamed, it was nice to hear their work being praised like that. "Thanks Wolf."

"No problem, it's just the truth. We can stay here, which is about as safe as any place will be. Surrounded by hunters, everyone is armed." Wolf said, he looked over to the door. He'd always picked the spot to sit which gave him the best view spot of the place.

"It's not a home. By any means. Not yet. But a little birdy told me all I have to do is wait and we will have somewhere better."

"Live here?" Alex asked. He looked around. It really wasn't a place that people lived. This is where Hunters gathered to rest, eat and connect with others for jobs or research.

"It's a little unconventional," Strife agreed. "But it can't be that bad. You'll definitely be safe. At least for a little while. No fiend is going to want to attack this place as brazenly as they did the temple."

Alex didn't answer. He was thinking. He looked at Strife's left arm, still burned from the fight. And he could feel all the bruises and pains on his body from earlier too. They'd have been in real trouble if not for the Hunters and the Steelheart.

"You're right," he said finally. "For now, this is the ideal."

"There are rooms. In the back." Wolf said, he only knew because he had a permanent one.

"They are quite comfortable I mean, in comparison to say... I don't know a motel. But I guess you're not really used to those either..." Hikari said. Which meant the fiend wouldn't appreciate the whole not a life of luxury thing.

"No, I'm not really used to rooms or beds," Alex said. "Or much of anything really..." The type of fiend he was, he lived in an alternate dimension, with the portal being inside his lake in Sinnoh. He did come to visit and give his blessing to those who were rather more intelligent than the rest. But he'd never been in a room or had a bed. This just wasn't how he lived.

"Oh well then these beds will be great." Wolf said, as he didn't really have a preference or know any better.

Hikari just sighed. "I'm sorry this is your first impression of humans. Not that there's anything wrong with what we do or how we live. It's not for everyone. And definitely not anyone who's important enough to protect."

"This isn't my first impression of humans," Alex said. "Don't worry about that. I know everything about humans. But knowing things and experiencing them are not quite the same..." And that's where he was struggling.

"Oh I know." Hikari said and smiled at him. "I'll bring you a care package. It will help. You'll love it."

" Yeah, don't look at me for that stuff. I physically can't." Wolf said, because he wasn't sure what comforts a person needed beyond a pillow.

"Care package?" Alex asked. "I know what they are but I also know that they can be filled with different things to fit the needs of care. What do you mean?"

Strife started laughing. "Human essentials probably. I can help you carry them," he said to Hikari. "But I have limited knowledge on what humans need."

"I've got you, don't worry." Hikari said with a grin, she would pamper him so bad. Give him tiny luxuries rather than a big fancy bed.

"I think we all need to help. Look at the look on her face. Am I going to have to rent a room just for this stuff?" Wolf asked laughing.

"Yes probably."

"Are the owners going to be okay with having him here?" Strife asked. "Before we go overboard with the shopping. We should probably find out what they will allow."

"That seems only polite," Alex said. He drank more of his water. He was utterly exhausted and it showed.

At that moment Ellen came over to take their orders. "Yo," Wolf said and gave her a grin. "you cool if Alex here stays with us for a bit? I'll pay."

Ellen looked Alex over. "That's what the rooms are there for, Wolf. Why the stupid question??"

"They were asking, not me. Now give me steak, mac and cheese, some sweet potato fries, a jacket potato with everything and... Three more beers." Wolf said, smiling as Ellen wrote it all down.

"for the rest of you?" She asked.

Hikari giggled, Wolf ate like a beast. "I'll have some mac and cheese, too with salad if possible."

"Sure thing, sweetie." Ellen said and then waited for the others.

Alex was surprised that they weren't warning the owner of the kind of trouble that will come from having Alex stay there. He felt like it was lying, not giving her all the information. She had the right not to want a fugitive in her establishment. He looked at Wolf, a little unsure, but then went quiet.

"Steak and mac n' cheese sound awesome," Cameron said. "I'll have that."

"Same," Strife said. He loved steak. The other bit was good comfort food and he needed the comfort.

But Alex looked at a complete loss. He didn't know what to eat when it came to human food. They had such a varied amount of food and well, he'd never really had to eat much of anything before. Just the occasional fiend type treats and berries that he found sweet.

Strife noticed how his little dad was struggling. "He'll have mac and cheese. And any sweet fruit, if you have any," he added, knowing that Alex did like fruit at least.

"Okay, it'll be like thirty minutes. I'll bring you all refills." Ellen said as she finished writing on her pad and then walked away.

"Look, everyone here brings trouble. All of them. Right to her door. Just because she's in her 40's, doesn't mean she can't used a sawn off. She's a damn fine Hunter herself. There's no point in trying to tell her, she will brush me off asking what's new." Wolf said with a shrug.

"If you're sure," Alex said. "I don't really want to make trouble for anyone."

"You already have and none of them seem to mind. They really shouldn't either, considering, so just accept the help and move on," Strife suggested. "Because Wolf is right. She's going to shrug you off."

"Okay..." Alex said. He still didn't seem fully comfortable but he accepted it.

Cameron remained quiet, deep in thought. He was almost positive he knew what, or close to what, Alex actually was. He sent his mother a text message under the table. Palkia, after all, was one of the original dragons that had helped to seal Heatran. They'd only had that ability because the Life Guardians had assisted them. If one of them had been compromised, she really needed to know.

"Good." Wolf said as if it was settled then. He wasn't really feeling arguing it. It was what it was.

Palkia replied asking if he would like her to visit and verify, who the person was.