Chapter 7

Moving to Vincent's side, Jason tried to get some kind of sense from him. After a couple of minutes Vincent began to recover. Once he was coherent, he looked around. Seeing the devastated attackers and none of the images, he shook his head. Turning and looking at Jason, he stated "We need to talk!"

"Huh?" was Jason's nearly unintelligible reply.

"I said, we need to talk!" was Vincent's nervous reply.

"Wait, you bailed out on the fight. I had to save your ass, and ALL YOU CAN SAY IS 'WE NEED TO TALK'?" Jason screamed. The wall that repressed all his emotions since the accident crumbled.

"You fucking piece of shit! You came here to spy on me for your Order! You fucking came here to kill me! Now, when the shit hits the fan, you... You..." he paused to breath and collect his thoughts. "Now you fucked up. In a fight for our lives, you pussied out!" Jason spat vehemently.

Vincent sat back, taking the abuse that spewed like venom from the boy's mouth. A part of him knew why he froze at the beginning of the fight. He almost didn't want to believe what was happening. Each phrase was a bite, loosing its venom into his body. He could feel the loss of control in Jason. The words he spoke were attached to mental feelings, and he could sense the younger man drawing that back into himself. As he began to feel sick to his stomach from the abuse the boy shoveled onto him, it suddenly stopped. He raised his head to look at his attacker, only to see Jason's face twisted and his hands holding his stomach.

"Oh shit." Jason mewled. Then he vomited all over the carpet. Vincent held the young man steady as he voided his guts onto the floor. The older man held Jason's shoulders and kept him upright. After he was done, Jason looked up at Vincent and stared as if he had never seen the man before.

"Why?" was the only word that escaped Jason's spittle covered lips.

Sighing, Vincent sank back into the couch, pulling Jason back with him. After Jason was seated and comfortable, he stated "You. I admit I froze. However, it wasn't because I was afraid. You. It was you. When you flashed into the room, I turned to look at you and you had these 'whips' or 'tendrils' of energy flashing about from your head. I was shocked to see a 'connection' from me to you. Also, you were draining me. I think the other stable connections are the ones that connect you to the ladies. Speaking of which, let me go check on them, then I will come back."

"You mean I had stuff coming out of my head?" Jason said, as if in a daze.

"I'll be right back. Hold that thought." Vincent tried to deflect the question.

"*SIT*" Vincent heard the command, but Jason hadn't moved his lips.

"Jason, please let me go check on your sister, mom and Jessica. I will be right back!" Vincent pleaded, meanwhile moving back onto the couch against his own volition.

Jason had started talking in a voice that reminded Vincent of a movie he had seen as a teenager "War Games". While the voice was obviously not computerized, it had that same tonal quality. He half expected to hear "Shall we play a game?" emit from Jason's mouth. Except, all that Jason said was, "Why Vincent? Why did you leave me to fight all of those assholes by myself?"