Page 18 of Vapor (BSC #32)
Two days
SOAR
Julius
It’s funny that I never used the word until I was in Bravo.
The Protector magic was chaos to me, the Alpha-Bits I had seen were always running and seemed chaotic to me in the middle of the Clubs or training.
The trainees I was in Badass classes took the chaos as normal which I found shocking.
Then I moved to Law with trainees learning law, the app, flight suits, the swirling eye’d Jinx, Pres and his weird Ops, old town with new technology, more people moving in every time I go to the old town or the new ones by the river, it all pales in comparison to this.
This, is utter chaos, everywhere I look and no one comments or thinks it’s odd, not even the Night Stalkers that are new to Badass crazy.
A boy that we rescued is yelling at the bikers, that he knows apparently.
I don’t know how since they just got let out of the bunker.
Kids are flying in suits but I don’t know them.
Night Stalkers are fighting with very little exertion.
It’s odd to see. I’m pretty sure they caused this whole shit show so maybe Night Stalkers have crazy already built in them.
“Julius!”
I turn and duck, pulling my gun when I do. The laser means I can hit him anywhere. Taking a crab step to the side I shoot his knee and stand straight. I’m far enough away that he doesn’t fall on me.
While my gun is out, I start shooting. The steps are higher than just about everyone else so I start with the other biker on the steps then just aim for civilian clothes. A deep laugh to my side has me turning fast with my gun following my line of sight. Bishop has his hands up and a smile on.
“Hey, Boss. I don’t know what happened but every person out here, including the older kids and an Alpha-Bit were fighting.”
“Who are they?” He points to the bikers from the bunker.
“Rival club that Pres locked in the bunker. Mase said the plan was protection money or whatever they could steal.”
A slap to my back has me turning fast. “VP Logan Done, this is Pres Bishop from Law at Veritable.”
VP smiles. “I’m honored, Bishop. I’ve heard a lot about you, mostly from Hannah and Chris and it was all good.”
I look around seeing the flying kids move to the stairs with the Alpha-Bit.
Mader and Shep, two big Night Stalkers that do ground Ops, drag bikers to a truck, Prospects load the truck like it’s a job they’ve done before.
Spotting my girl as of this morning I smile then freeze like she’s got hands on me.
Vapor slaps her hand on a biker’s balls and my head won’t turn away.
He freezes and tells the big dude beside him to step back.
The dude doesn’t have the chance. Vapor’s other hand is on his balls and by the high-pitched yell, she isn’t gentle.
Both men, who must outweigh her by at least a hundred-and-thirty-pounds drop.
I take a breath, not realizing I wasn’t breathing and turn away as soon as Shep pulls the bigger one away. Mader has the other guy. A girl running has my eyes drawn back to Vapor.
VP laughs. “She’s going to teach the girls how to stop men in their tracks. It’s good because men aren’t sharing that one.”
Bishop laughs. “I’ve never told anyone but Hannah tells the trainees. They’d use pressure points on us.”
I look at them wondering if they realize how crazy they are. “That girl is like twelve.”
They stop and stare at me. “Cort uses it, Kristos, Brinks, Hannah, Freedom and everywoman trained here gets that. Those kids were stolen back, that one you think is twelve was a slave. They need to know how to keep themselves safe. They’ve lived in hell, we teach them so they never go back to it.
” Bishop’s deep voice gives those words patiently but with an edge that says he’s all for teaching them himself.
“The girl isn’t from the rescue.”
VP turns me and I see Kristoff. “Guardian. Kristoff has Shay and a new Alpha-Bit Protector trainee. I didn’t know there was Alpha-Bit Protectors.”
I look and see Kristoff near an Alpha-Bit in a flight suit with the girl by Vapor. “I didn’t know there was a Shay. I met a couple of the kids. How many kids are there at Guardian?”
“Michaels and White Wave have ten now. Shay helps with the new ones.” Bishop gets his normal deep voice back.
I nod. “I’m usually at Veritable for PD law when the kids do their scheduled class. I only see them if they’re testing or I’m needed at the Club.”
“Why did you train at Veritable?” Bishop asks surprising me.
“Marli asked me to do the class in the big meeting room. I did and told her I can still do it since my time here is as a legal consult. Law trainees can go there or they watch it virtual.”
VP laughs. “He didn’t know. I’m sure you’ll both hear so I’ll give you the plan for me. I’m here for two months to help train Badass and our Bible to the new Club like the FBI boot camps. After that I'm in a different new Club and Julius is the VP here.”
“Are you kidding? I’m still learning Badass, just finished the flight suit.” My brain is stunned like a brick landed on it.
Bishop laughs. I hit his arm without taking my eyes off VP. His hands go up. “Justice said I’m here for two months, then I’m in the new Club. Mucimi said you step into VP.”
Mucimi appears because this isn't crazy enough. “I was telling him after I got the lists to the new security.”
VP nods. “What’s the list? I can’t read you.” This is not the question I want answered.
Mucimi answers without even a glance my way, but I know he reads everything. “I did businesses they can open and kid, Indian and vet needs. Mase had me get his for them, it’s the Clubs and what they train for. Pres Vapor had me give an SOP book. I didn’t read it, it said SOP on it.”
I smile. “Thanks. You put them in the bunker?”
“With tablets that have them uploaded. There are ten tablets. They’ll have to share.” Mucimi is a funny Brother that should answer my questions instead of talking like I don’t have any.
He raises up and kisses my head. “Glad you think so. Pres Falcon had me leave you the VP info you’re training in for High Officer. Next month you’re on a rotation of all the Clubs for perspective.” He disappears.
Bishop and VP laugh while my head spins.
I lean on the handrail. Complete and utter chaos is fuckin’ crazy.
~*~*~
SOAR
Vapor
“Mucimi got them the books?” I ask Logan.
“He did, Pres. The SOP from you, a list of what each Club’s specialty training is from Mase and two from him, one is group needs the other is businesses they can open easily.”
I walk toward command Ops. Those are good things to give them while they contemplate life choices. “What are the group needs. We’ll have time to help somewhere.”
“Kid, Indian and vet needs. We have services that can help. I made a list and gave it to Security to pass on with the food order. I ordered for three days.” He sounds unsure.
“That should work. I can order more if they need more time.”
He laughs. “Roger, Boss.”
“How was your day off? Did you really go cave diving?” I want to go cave diving.
We go up three steps before he starts talking.
“I went to school with the Princes. It was good to see so many again, but it was different. Some have kids, some are changed in ways I wouldn’t have guessed and some are the same.
It felt good to just relax and connect. The crew up there doesn’t do activities anymore.
Our crew was more for Club needs than Ops.
When Justice left, everything changed, some of it wasn’t good.
The problems weren’t with our crew, we didn’t live in the crew house like the Ops crews, ours was like dorms with only five of us.
” He doesn’t sound reminiscent, it sounds lonely.
I know the feeling and give him my experience, which is basically none.
“We had shipping containers with bunks on a carrier or tents on a base. For leave, I stayed at my mom’s in Pennsylvania or my grandparents when I was discharged.
” I was ready to jump out of my skin with the rudeness around me and no friendlies to be seen.
“You never lived alone?”
“For leave, half the team followed me home. When I was discharged, I was alone. It was eye opening. Life is different when you’re alone with no one on your six.”
He smiles and waves for me to go through the door first. “That’s what seeing the Princes was like.
We didn’t live together, but whenever shit was going down, Justice, Teller, Mucimi, Aylen, Mikey, Axe, hell, any of them really, but a Prince would show.
I missed it in Mass and their two crews were always busy and bonded in a way that didn’t automatically include Brothers like Princes.
I tried to plan shit but they were booked for months.
I went to Vermont and no one had my back.
It sucked. They got new Officers and offered me a job, but I didn’t want to stay up there.
It felt isolating. Meeting up with Princes was different but the feel, that safety in knowing they’re the same deep down where it matters felt good. ”
I smile. “You needed a Prince fix. I get it. I needed my Stalkers.” I sit at my desk and open the bunker feed on my computer. “Did you get the schedule for Badass done?”
“About that. I’m here temporarily. I have the schedule done for a boot camp we trained the FBI coming into Badass. It’s about six weeks. We can do ride time in there.” He stops without explaining.
I roll my eyes and hand. “Explain.”
He breathes deep. “I’m here for two months.
Justice told me yesterday. Julius will step into VP more comfortable after the boot camp and high Officer training.
He’s got it but Justice said he’ll be ready so he must be a Brother that needs all the intel before starting a job.
We have a lot of Brothers that want it all so they can prepare to adjust for surprises. ” He’s convincing me or him?
“You’re shitting me? Cort had planned on Julius being a second here, didn’t he?”