Radioactive - Book 1: Birth 🪼

Forty-Seven

"Where was the last time you saw Dad?"
"Where?"
"Yeah?"
"On the first floor when the RDC came in. He had been looking out the window and told Mom what was going on. She told me to hide in the bathroom and then I heard them... kill her..."
I put my hand on his shoulder to stop out walking and he moves his shoulder from my hand.
"Matt-"
"Don't worry about it. You couldn't help not being here and Mom did everything she could. That was the last time I heard Dad, when he was yelling about Mom and cursing the RDC for what was happening. Then I heard them taking him somewhere but I don't know exactly where. When they were trying to find me, I had overheard a couple of them say he was in the basement."
"Did you hear anything from the basement when you were trapped on the first floor?"
Matt shakes his head. "I was just trying to keep my breathing shallow enough so that I didn't get caught."
"Okay... This is going to sound weird, but let's check Dad's study first. We might be able to find something in there regarding why the RDC came and did this to us."
"Us? You weren't here for this. Don't act like you were a part of this." Matt growls.
"Matt, just because I wasn't here doesn't mean I haven't had my fair dealings with the RDC. Do you know that they're after me because they think I murdered Nalak's parents?"
"What?"
"Yeah! We went to Nalak's house right after here so he could pick up some stuff and found his parents... his parents had been brutally murdered there. Apparently someone finally figured out they got killed and they found my fingerprints around there and suspect me! We've had the RDC trying to find us since we left through cameras and hospitals and all sorts of stuff... Apparently, Dad and Mom had some of our older siblings on standby and they were maneuvering things so that me and Nalak wouldn't get caught. So yeah, I've had my dealings with the RDC too..."
"You're wanted for murder? Shit, R, if we ever did get out of here we would never be able to get to where you were before you got here! Every camera in the city would find us and every car would track us! I should have never relied on you! You just cause problems and you're not helpful!"
"Calm down before you turn into a swan again." I mumble, trying to keep his anger from hurting my feelings.
I understand he's scared and from his point of view, I can understand how hopeless this looks but still. As we descend the stairs, he's still yelling something mean at me and so I turn around and glare at him. He stops talking and leans back a little.
"Are you done running my rescue attempt into the ground? I risked my life for you, cameras or RDC or not because you were scared and you called me to save you. I know I'm not the best brother but damn it, Matthew, I'd do anything for you."
Matt stares at me for a moment and then narrows his mismatched eyes.
"What about Nalak? Isn't he your new little brother now? I mean, you seem to want to do anything for him as well. You'd rather run around going to the Badlands and causing problems than stay and make sure your actual family is okay."
"Stop it. That's not true."
"I heard you talking to Nalak before. He views you as a big brother and you told him that you could deal with that because you technically didn't have a little brother. So since I'm not your little brother anymore, what's the point in you coming? Now you're wanted for murder and you're no help at all."
"You're the one who hated me!" I growl, pointing at him.
"You forgot me! If you hadn't forgotten me then things would have been fine!"
"I didn't ask to have that happen, Matt! What makes you think that I would want that?! I've tried so hard to get along with you but you pushed me away every time! So yeah, when Nalak said he viewed me like a big brother, I was happy to view him a as a little brother because you couldn't have given two shits about me! You hated me and acted like I was an embarrassment to everything you ever did. Nalak didn't care and he was alone but he's not blood. You're my little brother whether I want you to be or not and whether you want to be or not. I never stopped caring about you but you stopped wanting me to. You brought this loneliness upon yourself."
I turn away from him but I feel him fall into my back from the top of the stairs as he wraps his arms around me, shaking.
"Don't! Don't... don't leave..."
"I'm just going down the stairs... Matt..."
"I'm... Please don't go..."
I turn around and pull his arms from me as he stares at me in fear. I lower his arms and sigh, pulling him into a hug.
"Matt, I'm not going anywhere."
"You always leave me! Physically, emotionally, mentally... it doesn't matter... You're always leaving me behind... When I need you you're never there and I just..."
"I'm sorry that that's happened. Now that I understand, I will try to be there for you as much as I can. Right now, we have to find Dad. I won't leave you behind and I won't leave without you. Even if I get arrested, I'll protect you. I won't let them catch you."
Matt just nods and follows me down the stairs to Dad's study.