ѕнαттєя мє

[Unbreakable Justice]

ѕнαттєя мє
A VVanderlust & Unbreakable Justice roleplay

 

[Unbreakable Justice]

Fate lies ahead ☀
Like the sun will rise .·´ s
The light has been gone for too long
From your eyesxxxxxxxxxxx
But you never changed, xxxxxxxxx
never played your part xxxxxxxxxx
αη∂ уσυ нανє єяαѕє∂ αℓℓ тнє ƒєαя ƒяσм уσυя нєαят
And tried to forget xxxxxxxxxx

The moment his parents were killed was the moment Nick lost his faith in the world. While he had secretly been struggling with his own anxieties and depressions his entire life, losing his parents did him in. With Luke and Haley though, he at least had someone to branch out to. They were all that kept him from taking his own life as he felt like his world had been destroyed.

Having sensed their friend's distress, the brother and sister had invited him in to live with them for the rest of the high school year. Though they kept him alive, it felt almost as painful for him to have to wake up every day and pretend that he was okay. Because he had been the energetic friend their whole friendship, he felt the need to continue to veil his pain with that lie. But a veil can be so easily pulled back and is easily seen through. He hid what he did to himself with his long sleeves and never relished the idea of being out of his clothes again as he hid the marks of his personal tortures out of shame. Even with Luke there for him though, there was only so much that could be done for him. He was broken in his mind and refused to heal.

The moment he graduated from high school, Nick left. He joined up with the Army and vanished. Though he had talked to Luke about it before casually, he had never confirmed that he was leaving. So, without saying his goodbyes to anyone truly, he left. Both Luke and Haley simply woke up one morning to him no longer being home.

Nick didn't write a single letter for two years. Though he was put into combat - especially when the general found out his abilities - it helped to relax him. Out of fear that they would demand him home, he kept silent. Eventually the military started to tax him to the point where he was slipping again, but Luke nor Haley were there that time. He started writing for the last year heavily. Every day he wrote nearly four pages of retelling what he could of what had happened to him that day and continued to write his own stories in notebooks he bought. It kept him alive for the last year.

The day he was to be sent home, his plane was shot down.

While flying back from a layover in China, they crashed into the mountains. Out of pure mistaken identity, their passenger plane had been targeted instead of the supply plane that had been running late to the intelligence that the enemy had received. It wasn't luck though that meant Nick was the only survivor though. From the impact of the plane to the ground, everyone was killed instantly but him. Instead, he began the hardest trial for his life.

After being critically wounded by both the force and shrapnel, he was driven out of the mountains and into the forest to collect what he needed out of the fallen cargo. Due to his injuries though, he was unable to regroup at the crash site by the time the Army came to investigate. With the sound of helicopters slowly getting further and further away, Nick realized he was on his own. Right then he was tempted to tear his stitches and let himself bleed out. It would be the least painful death to him. If he would just allow himself to die, there would be no more pain, no more suffering...

Then he remembered the smiles of Haley and the harassment Luke always gave him. He realized that if he wasn't going to live for his own wellbeing, he would live for them. There was no way that he wasn't going to put them through him dying. They would not be going to his funeral. There was no way that Luke would have to hold Haley as she cried while clutching the American flag in her arms. It would not happen.

For four years he lived on his own. While he didn't thrive, he survived far better than a human would have in the mountains for so long. Upon seeing humans again though, he didn't hesitate to fight for his way back home. He talked his way into having some scientist to take him back to the city. It took longer to get back into the military though as he had ended up in the hospital for nearly a month after the numerous surgeries he had gone under from improperly treated wounds in the wild. In record time, he was on crutches and discharged to meet with someone to finally get him home.

With the help of one of the officers that had tried to send him home the first time, he was given a new uniform to ride home in among the other veterans who were too finally coming home. The officer had also helped him in making contact with Luke and Haley, informing them when the plane would be landing back in their home town.

After a nearly seven year and twenty six hour wait, the plane had finally safely touched down in O'Hare.

With the help of a few other soldiers, he managed to get his things slung over his shoulder and limp out of the plane into the airport. While he wasn't fast, he made his way through the chilly tunnel and into the airport where he stepped out into the comparably hot area. He gave a gentle shiver and adjusted his pack with his working arm while he hobbled on one foot. With himself readjusted, he leaned on his crutch and limped forward, looking for a familiar face in the crowd.

xxxxxxxxx{ DΛȠCΞR IȠ TӇΞ DΛRK }

 

[VVanderIust]

Ηɑɭеɣ & Lυҡе Νόѵɑҡ


The last seven years had been a whirlwind for the Novak siblings, a rollercoaster or emotions and decisions that had shaped their paths. Ever since their best friend had left them without much warning to join the army, Luke and Haley had been left on their own. Luke graduated high school at the same time as Nick and while Nick headed off to the army, Luke went away to college. Being a whopping five years younger, Haley was left home to deal with school by herself for the first time in her life. Although the two stayed in constant communication through those four years, their bond only growing stronger as they were apart, they had much different experiences.

Haley battled through high school, trying to find her place in the world and figure out where she belonged. She had grown up being best friends with two guys and now that she was making friends with new people, she was realizing just how much of a tom boy she had become over the years. High school was her time to realize her femininity and though it took until her junior year to do so, she transformed from the rugged tomboy to the girl that everyone was envious of. Of course she never lost her roots and remained the star player on the school's soccer and basketball teams, but she was also Prom Queen her senior year and learned what make up was and just how to use it.

While Haley was finding herself in high school, Luke was finding others like them. Apparently college opened a whole new world of opportunities and people and although the small high school that he, his sister, and Nick had attended knew nothing of their powers, he was finding that the real world did. And he was finding out that there were others out there like them. So while studying engineering, Luke found time to seek out those with powers. It was easier than one would imagine to find them, as he had a keen sense of who they were just by being near them. Maybe it was the same way that he and Nick had found each other, but at that time in their lives, neither of them had known why. Now that Luke was aware of it, he was using it to his advantage. He had only been giving his sister pieces of what he had learned however, not wanting to overwhelm her or distract her from her life by his discoveries. By the time his senior year came around though, he had formed a sizable group of people and they had talked of finding a way to protect themselves. An organization where they could all come together and feel safe, feel like they belonged.

So by the time Haley finished high school and Luke finished college, Luke already had a year of getting the new organization up on it's feet. Their friend Nick and his disappearance two years ago was always heavily weighing on their minds, but they had found a way to work through it. Luke by focusing on the future of finding others like them and Haley by burying herself in her diary and her journals. They were really the only thing that she didn't share with Luke. Despite this daily burden, they decided the best thing they could do was focus on building this new safe haven for people of their kind together. So as soon as Haley graduated high school, she moved out of home and into an apartment with Luke so that they could work hand in hand.

The next two years put them at their rightful spots as co-leaders of their new safe haven, Nightingale. They had established a safe house - an old warehouse of sorts that they had turned into a base of operations and housing for those who needed it. They had even moved out of their little apartment and into the safe house with the rest of their new friends and companions that they had met over the years. The building was use and with their combined salaries - since they still had to work normal jobs - they were able to keep everything running and up to date with good technology and furnished rooms, running water and a huge kitchen area. It was like a mini community where no one had to hide who or what they really were. There were people that could bend water like Haley or make the ground shake like Luke - even ones that could produce a flame from the palm of their hand like their old friend Nick.

And then one day they received an e-mail notification from the military that Nick was returning home. Nick was coming home. Without even questioning it, Luke and Haley left their safe haven in the trusted hands of some of it's longest running members and took off to the airport in O'Hare, only a half hour drive from their base, to pick up their best friend.

"Do you think he's going to be okay? What do you think happened to him?" Haley asked, tugging at her big brother's sleeve a little bit as she bounced on the balls of her feet. Nervous energy churned through her body and she tugged at the flowing white tank she wore, anxiously awaiting her brother's response. Luke wrapped an arm around his sister to calm her down, though his jaw was clenched with anticipation to see his long lost friend. He was worried that whatever ordeal Nick had faced would have changed him and hurt the man that he knew was so internally wounded more than he'd be able to face. He had to be strong for his little sis though, so instead of voicing this concern, he smiled slightly, looking down at her. "Yea, I'm sure he will be in time. And I don't know Hales, but we're not going to ask him that." he said calmly, hugging her close to him as they waited. Luke stood at 6'5", not much taller than he had been in high school, but he was much more built and the beard that decorated his strong jawline was much different than the weak attempt at a mustache he had in high school. Haley on the other hand looked like an entirely different girl. Though she never grew as tall as her brother, stopping at 5'8", she had grown from the scraggly 9th grade girl she had been when Nick left to a stunning young woman with curves to match. Her blonde hair tumbled over her shoulders effortlessly and she finally learned how to dress herself in a way that was actually feminine, but the same girl that Nick once knew was still there beneath her new and older features.

The pair waited for what felt like ages before Luke finally spotted him. He looked older and tired and wounded, but it was definitely Nick. Squeezing Haley's shoulder gently, he nodded in the direction he was looking, watching as her eyes fell on him. She smiled wide, releasing herself from her brother's grasp and practically running to meet the friend she thought she had lost. Luke was close behind, but he wasn't running like Haley was, just staying in close range. Haley skidded to a stop just before she reached Nick, tears welling up in her eyes as she examined the man before her - broken and so terribly different from what she remembered. "Nick.." she breathed out, wanting nothing more than to hug him, but staying where she was and clasping her hands together nervously instead. He was leaning on his crutches and she was afraid of unbalancing him. Luke strolled up moments later, squeezing his sister's shoulder before walking the rest of the distance to Nick and taking the bag from his shoulder without even asking. A warm smile graced his lips as he stuck out his hand to his missing friend, saying "Welcome home."

 

[Unbreakable Justice]

Fate lies ahead ☀
Like the sun will rise .·´ s
The light has been gone for too long
From your eyesxxxxxxxxxxx
But you never changed, xxxxxxxxx
never played your part xxxxxxxxxx
αη∂ уσυ нανє єяαѕє∂ αℓℓ тнє ƒєαя ƒяσм уσυя нєαят

Nick hadn't seen the pair as he hadn't thought to look for anyone older than he already knew. While he had remained clean shaven as always - especially now that he was in uniform - he didn't realize Luke had grown any facial hair. He had spotted Haley too, but she looked so different than before that he wasn't sure it was actually her at all. He was so use to that little girl wearing jeans that didn't fit right and a shirt from Luke's drawer that a white dress was extremely out of place. As were her curves and having actually having grown into her awkward body. However, the second they made eye contact and she practically sprinted to him.

Before she could reach him, but she stopped just short. He was nervous for a moment as she stopped, unsure as to why she would change her greeting at all. He tried to say something to her, anything at all, but he had no idea what to say. So, instead he gave a tired smile as tears started filling up in his eyes. As his bag was grabbed though, he lunged for whomever was taking it. It threw him off balance since he only had one fully working leg and he nearly fell. Seeing it was Luke though, he threw his arm around him and pulled him in tight.

He realized how short he was to his best friend again though. While she was six foot five, Nick was still only five foot ten. And while Luke had bulked up, the warrior had nothing but raw, lean muscle hiding under his uniform from having spent four years out in the wild. It felt strange to him that his best friend was now far bigger in him in height and muscle mass. Right now, he didn't question it, he actually didn't have much idea of what to say at all.

He pulled away and wiped his face with his arm that wasn't in the sling. He waved his hand for her to come to her hand to him side so he could hug her as well. "Would you guys be interested in food?" he asked, his voice a little rough from not speaking for so long. "I haven't gotten some shitty American food in forever."

xxxxxxxxx{ DΛȠCΞR IȠ TӇΞ DΛRK }

 

[VVanderIust]

Ηɑɭеɣ & Lυҡе Νόѵɑҡ


Haley watched as Nick's eyes filled with tears as well and she stepped forward slightly, wanting to comfort him. Luke had beaten her to it though and when her brother took the bag from their old friend's back, she could see the way he first lunged defensively, then seemed to realize who his friend was. A few tears escaped her eyes as the two met in an embrace that was far overdue.

Luke didn't flinch from Nick when he reached for his bag in an almost aggressive way, simply swinging the man's bag over his shoulders and meeting his embrace. He knew that even if he looked different, Nick would never mistake who he was. They had just been friends for too long. Luke held onto his friend for as long as he could manage, keeping tears from his own eyes for his sister's sake more than anyone else. He was surprised by just how much he towered over Nick now and how much stronger he felt than his old friend, but he let this pass. He'd always been taller, but he had also kind of expected Nick to hit a growth spurt at some point. And wasn't the army supposed to bulk you up? When their embrace was finally broken, Luke's eyes drifted from Nick to Haley, curious about why his sister was being so shy. She had always been the baby of the group, always a step behind the two despite how close they all were, so maybe it was something like that that was keeping her at bay?

When she was waved over by Nick, Haley stopped wringing her hands together and found her way to Nick in a few short strides. She wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly, smiling a little to herself at just how close to him she came in height now. She'd had a growth spurt of her own once she hit high school and Nick didn't tower over her the way he used to anymore. He was only a few inches taller. Tears escaped her as she breathed in the scent that was so familiar, yet so different from the man that stood before her and she waited a while before she finally pulled away, a soft smile playing across her lips. She hastily wiped away the tears and tucked her blonde locks behind her ears, trying to compose herself. She was just far too emotional over the idea of finally knowing that her friend was alright.

At the mention of shitty American food, the pair broke out in laughter, an identical grin breaking across their lips. Although they had always been close, it was remarkable how alike they were in their mannerisms and just how well they meshed together. "Yea, let's do it. Wana get something in the airport or on the way back.. are you coming back with us?" Haley said, spitting out her thoughts before she even formed them and smiling a little sheepishly between the two men. She felt kind of like the girl she used to be before Nick's disappearance off the army as they all stood here together. It was like she was that fifteen year old girl again without a care in the world and she liked the feeling. "It's up to you man, there's a couple good pizza joints only about ten minutes from here." Luke chimed in, glancing to his sister before his gaze rested on Nick. He didn't want to overwhelm the guy with where he would be staying and things like that, but he had kind of just assumed that he'd be coming back with them. His parents weren't around anymore and no one else seemed to be there to greet him, but this obviously wasn't something that they had discussed. This was the first time they had even seen each other in seven years.

 

[Unbreakable Justice]

Fate lies ahead ☀
Like the sun will rise .·´ s
The light has been gone for too long
From your eyesxxxxxxxxxxx
But you never changed, xxxxxxxxx
never played your part xxxxxxxxxx
αη∂ уσυ нανє єяαѕє∂ αℓℓ тнє ƒєαя ƒяσм уσυя нєαят
And tried to forget xxxxxxxxxx

Nick hugged Haley gently, his strength hidden from years of practice. As they laughed though, he smiled and gave a laugh that wasn't as hearty, but it was a lot more than he'd been able to lately. Hearing the question over if he was staying though, his smile dropped. He had forgotten about the reason why he had gone off into the Army was so he wasn't a burden anymore. To die. The question shouldn't have surprised him or even hurt, but it did. It hurt a lot to hear that his friends had thought of him as a maverick now.

Still, he gave a smile and nodded. "I was just going to stay in a hotel, but I can come back with you since that appears to be the consensus between the two of you. And pizza sounds fine, I just want to change. I don't want to wear this anymore..." he said, his voice dropping off in a more disdainful tone as he got to that point. He knelt down on his one leg and picked his crutch back up and tucked it under his good arm. He waited for them to start forward before he limped with them, taking a few hops to get back into stride. He'd been so use to limping for so long without a crutch that it felt even harder to use one now.

"So what have I missed since I fell off the grid? I feel like there should be a few things. Aside from the sketchy mustache being gone, I mean. And you figuring out makeup," he teased them.

xxxxxxxxx{ DΛȠCΞR IȠ TӇΞ DΛRK }

 

[VVanderIust]

Ηɑɭеɣ & Lυҡе Νόѵɑҡ


Haley and Luke were both pleased to hear a laugh pass over Nick's lips, a sound they both hadn't heard for ages. They knew it wasn't his full laugh however, probably suppressed by whatever trials he had been through since they had last seen each other. Haley was dying of curiosity and the desire to help Nick through whatever he had been battling, while Luke wasn't entirely sure if he wanted to know. He wanted Nick to be happy like he had been before his parents had died, but he was so worried that his friend was so far gone in his own sadness that he wouldn't know how to deal with it. The siblings pushed these thoughts from their minds however when Luke's smile returned his face. Luke had noticed the way it dropped at Haley's question about whether he was coming home with them or not - and though he knew it was innocent - he could tell the way Nick was feeling just by his expression.

Haley frowned slightly when Nick said that he had been planning on staying in a hotel, wondering why he hadn't thought to come back with them. Her and Luke had always been his best friends and would never turn him away from a place to stay. She didn't quite understand his feeling of being a maverick like Luke did. Luke just knew him better. They nodded at his idea of pizza and wanting to change, turning on their heels to walk once Nick had picked his crutch up again. "I've got some clothes you can change into when we get back, but I can't help you out to much until then. Think you can wait like half an hour plus time to eat?" Luke asked as they walked, glancing over at his friend and adjusting the weight of his bag over his shoulder. Haley tossed the keys to the car in her hand as they walked, it being her turn to drive once they got back to the car.

Laughter chimed almost in unison again as Nick mentioned Luke's old mustache and Haley's new look and the pair exchanged glances as if wondering what all they should tell him. He had definitely missed much more than better facial hair and eyeliner skills. "Actually, quite a lot. It's probably better for us to show you than explain." Haley started, glancing to Nick and then over to her brother. "We'll explain what we can in the car, but I'm sure you'll want to see it with your own eyes." Luke said quietly, his gaze shifting around the room before it settled before him again, watching where they were walking. There was a different sort of air about him, one of a leader. He'd always been the type of guy that people seemed to be drawn to and he had always been protective, but there was just something different about him now. He seemed more sure of himself, of who he was. Come to think of it, Haley had the same air about her, though she was obviously second in command to Luke. That wasn't anything new.

The trio made the rest of the trip to the car with Haley talking about prom queen and winning states for soccer and Luke chiming in a couple times about some fact he'd learned from engineering, but once the car doors shut, the mood seemed to shift. As Haley turned the key in the ignition and the car roared to life, Luke turned to face Alex who was settled in the back seat. "We found others like us." Luke said, a grin slipping across his lips as Haley slowly brought the car to a start, then gunned it out of the parking lot, the transition surprisingly smooth for such a shift in speed.

 

[Unbreakable Justice]

Fate lies ahead ☀
Like the sun will rise .·´ s
The light has been gone for too long
From your eyesxxxxxxxxxxx
But you never changed, xxxxxxxxx
never played your part xxxxxxxxxx
αη∂ уσυ нανє єяαѕє∂ αℓℓ тнє ƒєαя ƒяσм уσυя нєαят

Nick stopped when he was told that it would be easier to be shown what had happened while he was gone. It didn't make much sense to him, but he didn't push it or ask anymore. He just headed to the car with them, listening to them explain the basic things that had happened between the two of them. It made him smile a little more just to hear their voices again, that simple sound melody to him as he hadn't heard it in so long. And it felt good to be around them - except for it felt strange too. He was so use to having a notch in the group, but he had been gone for so long, he felt like his spot had vanished slightly. The tribulations that he had gone through also made his more spunky side die. He hoped though that it would just be a little fire that he had to restart and he would find his place.

When he got to the old car, he sunk down in the backseat. While he was use to riding shotgun, he made no complaints as it sat sideways in the back so he could have his leg up on the bench. He put his bag in his lap with his crutch and fastened the seatbelt to himself the best he could in the position. He had just snapped his buckle when he heard what Luke said and froze.

His whole body grew tense before he raised his head, a look of pure stun on his face. "Here, around Chicago?" he asked before sinking back against the window a little, still obviously tense. "You and I were the only ones in our school and we went to a huge school. How did you find more?"

xxxxxxxxx{ DΛȠCΞR IȠ TӇΞ DΛRK }

 

[VVanderIust]

Ηɑɭеɣ & Lυҡе Νόѵɑҡ


Haley whipped out the parking lot in an almost unnaturally smooth way, her speed almost out of tune with how smooth the drive was. Especially considering that last time she had seen Nick, she hadn't even been old enough to drive. She had long since learned and fallen in love with it though, her interest in cars being one of her guilty pleasures. Though Luke knew more than her because of studying engineering at school, she had learned a lot from him and just by working with cars herself. Her and Luke had even made the necessary repairs on their own to the old car they were riding in now to keep it in good condition over the years. It was much less expensive to be able to do it yourself when your full time job was running a safe house for people with powers and you were only able to work part time to keep it running.

While Haley focused on the road ahead, cranking the window down a bit to let the breeze flow in, she listened to the conversation between her boys. She had been expecting Nick to be shocked by Luke's revelation and could only imagine that look that was passing over his face about right now. Luke could only grin wider at the sight, excitement rising in him again though he knew his best friend was feeling tense. "College." Luke started, the wild grin on his face replaced with a more serious look. "Our school might not have been tiny, but damn Nick, I went to such a huge school. Thousands on thousands on people. And I could just sense them. And I think that they could tell what I was too. And soon enough we just started talking and realizing that there were more and more people like us." Luke stated, excitement clear in his voice as he started to explain how he had found more people with powers like them. Haley chimed in at that point though, not taking her eyes from the road, but also obviously excited by the conversation. "There's people that can manipulate water like me, Nick. And move the earth like Luke.. even make fire like you. It's incredible." she breathed out, smiling into the rearview mirror and stealing a glance at him before she refocused her attention on the road.

"It's amazing how easy it is to find people when you get a group started. Everyone like us finds out, but not anyone who isn't supposed to know. I don't even really know how it happened, it just did." Luke said, speaking the truth. He really wasn't quite sure how things had happened the way they had, but he wasn't complaining. People with abilities like their's seemed to be drawn to each other in an odd sort of way, but it had brought them together. And there was no way he would ever complain about the fact that he had been able to form Nightingale because of it. He glanced away from Nick for a moment to see where they were in relation to the pizza stop, wondering how much longer they had to go. It would only be a few minutes from now. "We formed an organization. It started out as just a group on campus, but there's a whole community of us now. A safe haven almost. But we can only really talk about it behind closed doors, we're not sure who to trust with the information." Luke said, hinting that once they got to the pizza shop, this conversation would have to be over for the time being. Just as these words left his mouth, Haley jumped off the highway and pulled into a little pizza shop just off an exit on the highway, pulling the car to a stop.

 

[Unbreakable Justice]

Fate lies ahead ☀
Like the sun will rise .·´ s
The light has been gone for too long
From your eyesxxxxxxxxxxx
But you never changed, xxxxxxxxx
never played your part xxxxxxxxxx
αη∂ уσυ нανє єяαѕє∂ αℓℓ тнє ƒєαя ƒяσм уσυя нєαят

He watched the two of them quietly as they went on about how they had found others like them and where. When Haley chimed in over their abilities, he gave a soft smile. It was good to find others like them, it was the reason he had such a hard time growing up. Without others like him around, he had such a hard time fitting in - even after he met Luke. It was just always so hard for him to be around humans and socialize as he always feared he would break them. They were so fragile in comparison to their trio. With more being out there though, he felt like maybe he could rebuild his home with someone whom he loved like he always wanted.

He opened his eyes back up as he continued, speaking about the group they had made and keeping quiet over it. "Luke, this is the first time I've even spoken in four years, I think I can keep a secret," he pointed out as he dug through his duffle for his cover. Upon finding it, he climbed out of the car and pulled it on. He fished his crutch out next and then followed them up into the pizza restaurant they had chosen. While it was just a pizza restaurant to the majority - even as good as he remembered it being - it was like heaven for him. After having lived off whatever he found for so long, being able to sit down and be brought mouthwateringly seasoned food, was perfect to him. And he planned to eat as much as his stomach could handle.

He walked to the restaurant, trying to put a little more weight on his busted leg as it was easier to walk with even just his toe tapping the ground. Nick hopped up on the curve then grabbed the door, making the other two go in first, no mater how much they pushed him to do otherwise. He pulled his cover back off and slipped inside with his hat held against his crutch. With the two finding a place to sit, he sunk into the chair and let out a moan as he sunk down a little. "I miss this place," he muttered while he tossed his hat on the table to the empty seat. "If the forest had at least the things to make pizza, I probably would have come back fat."

xxxxxxxxx{ DΛȠCΞR IȠ TӇΞ DΛRK }

 

[VVanderIust]

Ηɑɭеɣ & Lυҡе Νόѵɑҡ


The excitement between the siblings died down as Haley pulled into the parking lot, knowing very well that the conversation would have to switch gears at that point. She turned the key in the ignition to calm the roar of the old car and climbed out, shutting the door behind her carefully. One time she had been angry and slammed it so hard that she had dented it - ever since then she was more careful. Luke nodded and forced a slight grin at Nick when he said that he could keep a secret, trying to not allow himself to be bothered by the first part of the statement. The fact that his best friend had been on his own for four years nagged at the back of his mind heavily, but he wouldn't ask him about it.

Luke then climbed out of the car himself, shutting the door behind him and glancing over at Haley. She looked unsure and also excited about the return of their best friend and he could just tell that she was worried the same way he was. Sighing gently, he walked around to the side of the car and the trio made their way into the restaurant, but not without protests as Nick held the door open for them. The two ended up just rolling their eyes and laughing at their friend's chivalry despite his injuries, heading into the restaurant with grins on their faces.

They sat down at a table quickly and Luke scanned over the menu while Haley just watched Nick, already knowing what she wanted. A soft smile broke out across her lips at Nick's mention of missing this place and his attempted joke, but it through Luke for a loop. So he'd been abandoned in some sort of forest, at least he was beginning to let them in on what had happened. "Do you guys want to order the regular?" Haley said with a wide grin, thinking back to the times she used to tag along to this same pizza shop with these two when she was younger. Being the super humans they were, they had an uncanny knack for eating a lot of food. "Two large pies, one with pepperoni and one buffalo chicken pizza?" Luke chimed in, peeking out over his menu and grinning at Nick.

 

[Unbreakable Justice]

Fate lies ahead ☀
Like the sun will rise .·´ s
The light has been gone for too long
From your eyesxxxxxxxxxxx
But you never changed, xxxxxxxxx
never played your part xxxxxxxxxx
αη∂ уσυ нανє єяαѕє∂ αℓℓ тнє ƒєαя ƒяσм уσυя нєαят

It took Nick a while to remember exactly what the usual was. He bit his lip and thought about it, but thankfully Luke filled in his confusion with the information he was searching for. "Yeah, that sounds pretty good. And breadsticks," he added as he leaned on his elbow that rested on the table. He gave a smile back and then looked the two over with a sigh. Though he was doing a rather good job at holding it together in the moment, he was seriously struggling. While the two did their best to make him feel like he had never really been gone, he still felt out of place - especially being back in Chicago. Seeing all these people again gave him a new definition to the anxiety of crowds he had before. He shuttered lightly then rested his head in his hand, blankly staring at the back of the menu in Luke's hands.

"Just so we are clear on this," he started saying with a more serious tone. "While I don't want to relive every second of my life since I've been gone, don't sugar coat or hide questions from me, okay? I can manage to give you answers to what you ask, just realize there will be things I'll say no to. Some things I've done are on a need to know basis."

He let out a loud huff of air as he sunk back again, seeming to have struggled with just saying that to the pair of them. He had spent so much time on his own that he wasn't sure if he would even be getting to the point where he would have to sort his memories into things he could retell, things he couldn't yet, and what he wouldn't ever. He hadn't wanted to deal with it with Haley and Luke though, that was why he wanted his own space for at least the first night. Maybe this wouldn't be as horrible as he thought and he was simply over thinking it, but the anxiety he felt was very, very real.

When the waitress came over to ask for drinks and food, he asked for hot tea but ended up with coffee as they didn't have any. He let the other two order their drinks and food on their own as he wasn't entirely sure of that process anymore either. Everything felt foreign to him now and it was unsettling.

xxxxxxxxx{ DΛȠCΞR IȠ TӇΞ DΛRK }

 

[VVanderIust]

Ηɑɭеɣ & Lυҡе Νόѵɑҡ


Luke and Haley both grinned and nodded in agreement when Nick suggested they add breadsticks to the order. How could they forget that part of the order? It was always Nick's addition, so maybe that was why it had slipped their minds. It was tough because it was obvious that both her and Luke were trying to keep things as normal as possible, but what was normal for them was what they remembered of seven years ago. And they were not those same people anymore.

Once hearing what he had to say, Haley chewed her lip gently, glancing to her brother and then back to Nick. Luke gave his friend a soft smile, running a hand over his face as if he was trying to wipe away the look of concern that rested in his eyes. "Sorry man, this is just tough." Luke admitted, not sure what else to say to his life long friend. He and Hales had pretty much accepted that they wouldn't see Nick again since the military had been pretty convinced that he was dead. Though they had never received a notice of his death or had a funeral for him - despite the military's wishes - it was still hard to hold onto the hope that their friend was still alive. And to say that seeing him here now was tough was an understatement. Neither of the pair knew what to say or how to act, no matter how much they were trying to keep things normal. It felt like walking on eggshells.

They were snapped from their thoughts when the waitress came over to their table asking about drinks and food. Luke looked to Nick, who ordered his drink first. His eyes then fell on Haley, who smiled a bit at the waitress despite how distressed she was obviously feeling over the current situation. "Raspberry iced tea for me, please." Haley said gently, brushing a stray lock of blonde hair from her face. Her eyes then fell on Luke, who had redirected his attention to the waitress at hand. "Just water for me, miss. And we'll have one buffalo chicken pizza, one pepperoni, and an order of breadsticks." Luke said, ordering for the group. A cheeky grin rested across his lips as he ordered the massive amount of food for only three people, knowing very well that they would most likely eat every last bit of it.

Once the waitress was gone, the serious mood that had set over the table before her arrival seemed to settle back over them. "We're here for you no matter what, Nick. We just don't want to pry or bring up things that you don't want to relive. The important thing to us is that you're okay, that you're alive." Haley said, her lip quivering slightly on the word alive. She lowered her eyes to the table for only a moment to compose herself, not wanting to be emotional here and now. She lifted her crystal blue eyes back up to meet Nick's then, smiling a bit at the light shoulder squeeze her brother gave her. "It's just going to take some getting used to for all of us I think. But it has been a long time and a lot has happened. We'll just have to work through it." Luke said calmly, releasing his sister's shoulder and leaning against the table slightly. It was hard to find the right words to say and as desperately as he wished that he had those words, he wasn't sure he did. Nothing he said would make this any easier for any of the three of them. It was just going to take time for Nick to heal from what had happened to him and for the trio to become as close as they had once been again.

 

[Unbreakable Justice]

Fate lies ahead ☀
Like the sun will rise .·´ s
The light has been gone for too long
From your eyesxxxxxxxxxxx
But you never changed, xxxxxxxxx
never played your part xxxxxxxxxx
αη∂ уσυ нανє єяαѕє∂ αℓℓ тнє ƒєαя ƒяσм уσυя нєαят

Nick nodded to them at their statement, agreeing to it. With the expectations for all three of them for him not coming back alive, he understood fully. It wouldn't be easy. It wouldn't be quick. However, he was willing to see what he could do for them to make it easier for the group. Yet, it made him almost wish that he hadn't survived, then they could just go on hoping. They wouldn't have to deal with their friend coming home and being a wreck after, but it was too late to think about that now. Nick was home and he would have to learn how to adapt again.

"I know that it's hard and I know that it isn't easy with the circumstances I left you in. Then how I was before I left was a mess... I dunno, I just feel bad because I couldn't come back from the dead to be who I was before my parent's death. I really tried to figure it out on the plane ride back - both times - but I dunno. It just feels gone. Maybe being home will help me out get back to who I was, I think even just getting off these crutches will help with that," he noted, starting to just ramble as he wasn't sure how to put his words together to get his point across. What he really wanted to do was to apologize for trying to kill himself for so long then fight to get home. However, he didn't want to outright say that as he wasn't sure if Haley had been entirely aware over what Luke and he fought about before he left. If she hadn't been, he wanted it to stay that way.

When the waitress came back with the drinks, he took his and thanked her. He drank the coffee black, not thinking to put sweetener or cream in it as he had been without it for so long. "On a less serious note, I have a question. Would it be possible to see the new Spider-Man stuff? I was informed they came out with new movies and are way better than the Toby Maguire stuff."

xxxxxxxxx{ DΛȠCΞR IȠ TӇΞ DΛRK }

 

[VVanderIust]

Ηɑɭеɣ & Lυҡе Νόѵɑҡ


Haley and Luke sat in silence for a moment while Nick seemed to gather his thoughts, watching their friend with equally concerned looks. They both knew it probably wasn't easy for him to be looked at the way that they were looking at him or listening to the hurt in their voices, but it was hard not to show it. Especially for Luke, who knew the full extent of what Nick had been struggling with before he just up and left for the army. Luke had never shared those arguments with Haley because she had simply been too young at the time. So while Luke had a better understanding of what was going on in Nick's head, he had to stay tough for his little sister. It was something he had always done without really even thinking about it.

Nick's next words shook Luke's resolve a bit however and he ran a hand through his hair, pushing it off to the side and letting out a heavy sigh. The fact that Nick seemed to think that he had to fix himself before he came back and was sorry for the fact that he hadn't irked him a little bit. Neither sibling expected their friend to come back healed and brand new. They had actually expected much worse than this. "You don't have to feel bad about that, Nick. It's hard because we care about you and want to see you okay, not because you're not the same guy you used to be. None of us are the same as we were seven years ago." Luke said gently, wondering what exactly was going through his friend's head. He wondered if the memories of trying to take his own life were resurfacing as he finally faced Luke again, but Luke didn't say a word about it. That was something that would never be fully shared between all three of them unless Nick decided that Haley needed to know. Right now though, she didn't, and they weren't going to be bringing that hard part of the past back up.

"Luke's right Nick, you don't have to feel bad for any of that. We're your friends, so we'll be here for both the good and the bad, always." Haley added, glancing between her brother and Nick. She meant every single word with as much meaning as she could put behind it. None of them would ever abandon the others, no matter what happened. It was the reason they had never given up on Nick being alright after all these years after all.

They were once again pulled from their serious conversation when the waitress returned with drinks. Smiles and thank you's were exchanged as they all ended up with their respective drinks and before conversation could be drawn back to a serious note, Nick changed the mood. Laughter escaped Luke hearing the question and a smile played across Haley's lips. "Yea, I've actually got it on DVD back at home." Luke said, grinning at his friend before taking a sip of his water. "You'll love the new movie though, it really is so much better than the last version." Haley chimed in, a spark in her eyes as conversation seemed to return to normal between the three.