Two hours… that was the duration of Zaire’s nap, and yet still, he felt rejuvenated like never before.

It could have been the start of a bright morning affecting his subconscious but whatever it was, he would enjoy the feeling nonetheless.

Zaire did the usual and since he was in the comforts of his home, he didn’t bother to move as space churned and he appeared, still lying down, in the tub.

His toes turned on the shower and a comfortable bath followed.

After the bath, Zaire hopped out of the tub, once again Jumping straight into the embrace of the towel in his bedroom – he dried himself off.

Next, he selected the yellow t-shirt with a large, purple brain on the chest alongside ripped jeans that may as well have been old basketball shorts.

It was torn from the leg to the knees.

Perhaps the only part of Zaire’s outfit that could have been considered worth something was his choice of shoes – his closet was lined with nine pairs of shoes.

There were Converse, Jordan, Nike, Vans, and a pair of heavy Timz.

Of course, he chose the Timz since it could double as a shoe compatible with any terrain – that was useful as a Jumper.

Zaire backed out of the yard in his Hummer a couple of minutes later.

--------------

Zaire watched the scenes pass by as he drove… the music, the wind, the rumbling beneath his hummer, and the general atmosphere relaxed him.

He couldn’t recall the last time he had been so relaxed…

“So comfortable…” Zaire murmured, his hand unconsciously loosening around the steering wheel of his Hummer. “Maybe…” he whispered, voice becoming ever-softer. “Maybe… just… a little… nap…”

BEEP

BEEP

Something in Zaire’s subconscious was triggered.

…………………………

SPLASH

He felt the cold embrace of Reston’s deepest lake and immediately, Zaire’s mind was jolted awake.

He glanced around, trying to piece together what happened… his mind was sluggish and he found himself thinking about pizza and fucking.

Pizza and fucking were always on his mind but never at critical moments and somehow, he knew, this was a critical moment but he was slow to recall why.

BEEP – BEEP

Zaire knew he was four feet beneath the surface – it was the best place to be in various circumstances, and one of those circumstances just happened to be related to low-yield explosions.

His mind may be jumbled but when it came to matters of survival, instincts were the best tool in the human arsenal.

As soon as Zaire heard the beeping and opened his eyes to the flashing red of a device, his body shifted in the water, instantly Jumping five feet deeper.

If he had the presence of mind, Zaire would have left the lake altogether but by some insane luck, his mind was clouded to the right degree to offer him the right solution.

Perhaps, some part of him recognize that the bomb was attached to his car but when he Jumped into the lake, the bombs followed him as well.

If not for the protection of the water and in such proximity to an explosion, even a Jumper of Zaire’s skill would not have made it.

BOOOOOOOOOOM – BOOOOOOOOM

The shockwave threw him deeper into the lake, disorienting a mind barely recovering from the previous anaesthetizing attempt through the vents of his hummer.

BOOOOOOOOOOM - BOOOOOOOOM

Four bombs… four low-yield bombs, more likely grenades, erupted in the lake.

Sadly, four feet was not the ideal depth to disperse the strength of an explosion so Zaire floundered at ten feet for a couple of seconds, just enough for his mind to clear.

Then… he swam to the surface, wanting nothing more than to intake a breath of fresh air.

COUGH

COUGH

Two loud coughs erupted from his breath-deprived lungs as he broke the surface and his mind instantly started to process the relevant information.

He was no genius but when it came to survival, Zaire would place himself amongst the top contenders in the world – he was, after all, a top contender in his previous world.

Though the stakes were never quite this high.

“The Hummer…” He realized.

Someone had either attached bombs to his hummer, or more likely, a Jumper had teleported the bomb into his car.

Somehow, probably for added assurance, they had inserted anaesthesia into the hummer’s vents, lulling him to sleep before the inevitable explosion.

This showed signs of mercy… a twisted sort of mercy.

When his subconscious reacted and Jumped him away on instinct, either The Jumper Jumped the bombs alongside Zaire using some sort of unique talent, or the bombs were designed in such a way that they followed Jumpers.

It didn’t matter which scenario was true, but Zaire preferred the scenario where the bomb followed him… after all, if there was a Jumper talented enough to shift the bombs with Zaire without getting close, he didn’t like his chances of surviving the next attack.

Of course, what happened after his Jump to the lake was obvious.

The Lake’s water was effective in reducing the impact and spread of the explosion but the four-feet depth was far too shallow, allowing some of the shockwave to still reach Zaire.

Zaire swam to the shore, the entire time keeping a vigilant gaze on his surroundings.

Then…

PEW – PEW

The forest flashed with a burst of orange and Zaire felt a strong burn on his right arm… There was no need to think, he imagined destruction and perhaps, the cold of the lake made him crave the heat even more.

WHOOOOOOSH

……………………………

Zaire appeared atop a ledge, surrounded by rocky terrain with a steep drop just in front of him.

His body leaned forward, moving with the newly-introduced gravity – he pushed both hands forward, stopping his body from tilting anymore to his death.

It was enough to keep him secured… as secured as he would get at Snæfellsjökull in Iceland.

Zaire could distinctly recognize where he was because it was one of the places he judged that bodies would never be found… it was a place he had used before.

The air sizzled and popped… it took Zaire a second to realize that it wasn’t the air but space, itself…

Then, men in silver, hazmat suits, clutching M14s, started to fall from the air – they manifested as if popcorns popping in a microwave.

Only, there was no ground beneath their feet.

Zaire froze – he heard short yells as the men in silver hazmat suits met their ends one after the next… they fell and continued to fall, their voices leaving behind only terror.

“They were… coming for me?” He realized.

It was at that time that he heard groans… Zaire leaned a little forward, peering over the ledge to meet one of the hazmat suits lucky enough to cling to a rock.

It kept him from falling to his demise.

“Hilfe... Hilf mir... Bitte,” The Man begged.

Zaire frowned, narrowing his eyes – the M14 still hung loosely from the man’s shoulders and right next to the strap was an insignia that confused Zaire as much as it shook him to his core.

“You’re a Nazi?” Zaire questioned, still incredulous.

“Bitte... Bitte... Wir waren gezwungen – wir wollten nicht,” The Man clung to the loose hold for dare life.

“People always say that before they die,” Zaire smoothly retorted, feeling uncomfortable but it would hardly be his first time determining someone’s life and death. “You should remain true to yourself even when you face death,” He commented.

“Bitte... Bitte...”

Zaire sighed and knelt, balancing on the corner of the ledge. “If you want your life to be worth something, tell me how you found me and what exactly is happening…”

Briefly, the man’s eyes flickered downward, to his belt where a gadget was attached.

Zaire quickly leaned over the ledge, snatching the gadget and quickly retreating… it was at that moment the man decided Zaire would not let him off and he tried to reach for his gun.

But the rock determining his fate was shaken loose by the exaggerated movements.

Another round of screaming followed by the inevitable splat of a Nazi life ended… this time, the noise didn’t seem as displeasing – after all, nobody would pity a Nazi.

Zaire stared at the device in his hands – it took him a second to realize he had to flip open the device.

“It’s emitting a signal…” He realized.

Nobody would recognize him as a genius but as a Jumper exploring his abilities and a previous life CIA Intelligence Analyst, Zaire would be remiss if he could not interpret the data on the console in his hands.

Without a second thought, he smashed the console into the ledge, stomped on the device for added assurance and tossed it into the frozen depths of the plains below.

“A fucking beacon…” Zaire complained.

There was no risk of further tracking, especially if what he understood from the data on the screen was factual, but…

WHOOOOOOSH

…………………………

The Tristan da Cunha Archipelago…

Zaire tumbled forward, not prepared for the sudden shift from rocky terrain to soft sands.

Then, he sat and ran through his options… but mostly, he was waiting to see if anyone else would fall from the skies.

The data he was able to glimpse was concerning…

“I guess I thought that I was a Reincarnator but I may be a Transmigrator…” He voiced and thought back to what the data stated. ‘Jumper #4041-SB, Designation: Core Engine Replacements, Status: Maturing, Urgency: Core levels critical – capture at all costs… Possible Substitutes: Henrietta Coles, Stephen Jameson, Kiera Cameron, Brian Finch…’

Zaire rubbed his head, feeling an emerging headache… the matter was larger than he had thought and though he had seen some weird things since being born anew, it was nothing compared to what the data revealed.

Still, it was a matter for another day – there was no way for The Nazi to intrude upon his peace in the near future given the critical status of their Jump Drive.

Now, all he needed to do was prepare.

WHOOOOOSH

Zaire was gone…

……………………………

The hummer was just as Zaire had left it – a quick inspection told him that there was nothing wrong with the car.

Of course, he had to replace the a/c canister and thankfully, Zaire was someone who had backup plans for his backup plans.

There were two spare tires in the car, alongside everything he would need for a quick exit to anywhere in the world.

All his identification papers were duplicated and stored in a dozen different places – in the seats, under the dashboard, and wherever else there was space.

So, it was no big deal to replace an a/c canister or two.

A couple of minutes after the inspection was completed, Zaire was already driving his car toward Henry’s, or more specifically, Thomas’s House.

He stopped the hummer just before the road leading into the years – now and again, his hand would unconsciously tremble on the steering wheel.

The conflict with Nazis was still fresh in his mind and it would be leaving no time soon.

Killing was not the problem… a past life as a CIA Intelligence Analyst got Zaire thrown into the most difficult situations… The Myanmar Coup, The Los Angeles Pre-School Bombings, and The attempted assassinations in Kurdistan.

The problem became the weight of the nightmares… nightmares that had already returned in this life; though, they had been mostly blocked.

Zaire was sure he could block them no more – but maybe, just maybe… Henry could help with that.

HONK - HONK

It took three honks before Henry darted out of the door.

Zaire would have liked to think that she was running so excitedly to get to him but he knew better – she was definitely running from something.

‘What now?’ He thought, his hands stopped shaking for the first time since the incident in the morning.

Henry slammed the door behind her as she entered… Zaire wanted to point out that her mother wouldn’t hear the act of rebellion from all the way inside.

She was only hurting his hummer – a hummer that had almost been destroyed a mere hour earlier.

“Drive, please…” Henry suggested, though, judging from the tone of her voice, it was more of a command.

Zaire shrugged his shoulders, ready to hit the gas but at that same moment, Jenna also exited the house – she didn’t slam the door but her footsteps were unnecessarily heavy.

The bright smiler with spotless white teeth was making her way to the car parked a couple of meters from the barn… Zaire felt a sense of freedom return that he didn’t know he had lost.

It was a profound shift in perspective, albeit a temporary one.

A lucky life-and-death battle against interdimensional Nazis had a way of letting someone appreciate life more… and Zaire wanted to enjoy that life to the fullest – that meant Jenna.

“I said drive…” Henry punched Zaire’s arm – her voice was demanding but also floaty.

He sniffed the air and immediately realized. “You were smoking in the morning?”

“Whaaaatt?” Henry pretended as if she was deaf or blind, perhaps a bit of both since her acting was all over the place. “Of course, I wouldn’t smoke weed in the house…”

“Henry!” Zaire growled in a low and intimidating voice. “You take your pills in the morning, smoking so early will just fuck with the pills in your system.”

“I swear… it wasn’t intentional,” Henry tried to argue but she could hardly stop the giggling. “Maybe… a little,” She admitted.

Zaire’s eyes flickered between Jenna entering her car and Henry’s high, but clear eyes – a decision was made.

‘Henry is the end-goal…’ He thought.

But Jenna was his soul food.

Zaire recalled the summer he spent with Jenna, their visits to the amusement park and the pranks they pulled together.

There was something there…

“Tangible…” He murmured.

“What?” Henry frowned, still waiting for the car to start.

“You can drive…” Zaire’s decision sounded abrupt but he had already tossed the keys into Henry’s hand as he slipped outside the car. “But you stay behind Jenna’s car at all times, is that understood?”

“Yes, sir!” Henry caught on quickly – she had already slid into the driver’s seat, locking the door just in case Zaire changed his mind. “What are you planning to do? Try and win Jenna again?”

There was no jealousy in her tone – on some levels, Henry was rooting for Zaire to succeed. ‘He needs someone to stick with him in Reston when I leave,’ She reasoned.

“Henry, I am super serious,” Zaire was reluctantly to leave his Hummer in Henry’s hands but Jenna was about to take off. “You know of your condition and I know you want to drive but it’s dangerous so… under no circumstances can you pass Jenna’s car on the road, okay?”

Henry slowly nodded, signalling she understood every word Zaire had just said.

Ironically, it was her rolling her eyes that convinced Zaire. “Her car is leaving; you know?” Henry pointed at Jenna’s car.

His head twisted and the only words to leave his mouth were… “Oh shit!” as he darted to meet Jenna’s car before it turned onto the road.

As soon as Zaire was gone, Henry adjusted the seat’s height and the mirror – driving after being kept under observation for so long was liberating.

“Ugh… too bad I have to drive slower than fucking Jenna!” Henry grumbled and then realized something. “But if she wants to get rid of Zaire quicker, that means she will have to drive faster. Thankfully those two are like ice and water – Zaire would never be caught dead in that car long enough for a serious conversation with a girl.”

……………………………

Earlier, Jenna stood on the stairs and stared at Henry as she entered Zaire’s car – he had always been a mystery to her.

To Jenna, Zaire was that one invisible person who just happened to be all around… they went to the same gym, ate at some of the same places, and even sat a couple of seats apart at the gym.

Jenna felt as if she knew Zaire for some strange reason, but it had always been a fact that they never spoke… their eyes always met but it was as if they saw through each other.

So, as she watched Henry hop into the hummer, Jenna couldn’t help but feel a bit incredulous, as if she had discovered a new side to an old friend.

Henry was a troublemaker… doesn’t that mean Zaire was a troublemaker as well?

“Every morning…” Jenna muttered.

She didn’t even notice when it had become a ritual – Zaire picking Henry up every morning.

Zaire had been in Reston for a while and apart from that one drunk night with Patty Yang and skinny dipping, Jenna had hardly felt his presence at all.

For some reason, Jenna got the sense that Zaire and Henry were peas in a pod – they were just there but never really present.

Jenna shook the thoughts from her head and made her way down the stairs, unlocking her car and hopping inside before any more thoughts could cause her to glance over.

Her 2008 Sedan was her haven so Jenna felt blessed that Zaire was around to take Henry to school - if she had to spend another week driving Henry around, she would rather walk.

Jenna pulled out of the yard and then…

THUD

She felt a flood of panic emerging from the pit of her stomach, but that panic disappeared in an instant when she saw the cause of the thudding.

It wasn’t a deer…

It wasn’t a pig…

It was a… person?

It was Zaire.

“Wait… wait… wait!” He yelled, clutching the rim of Jenna’s hood. “Do not run me over!” He pleaded.

‘No, not today!’ Jenna yelled in her mind, feeling a familiar panic emerging.

There was a reason she preferred to stay away from Zaire and it was because of this exact feeling – the feeling of deep familiarity that brought flashes of memories she would rather forget.

Though Henry didn’t know, Jenna was also forced to take pills once upon of time – it was her dark history and not a time she was eager to re-visit.

“Get off!” Jenna demanded.

The familiarity in her stomach turned into anger – she was pretty sure Zaire made all the girls at school feel this anger at one point or another.

“Wait… just drive me to school and I promise, I’ll leave…” Zaire pleaded.

Jenna frowned… she hesitated.

For one… Zaire had never lied to her, no matter the few words shared between them.

It wasn’t something Jenna noticed until the girls compared stories in the bathroom – apparently, every other word out of Zaire’s mouth was a lie of some sort.

He even once got a cheerleader to enter the wrong car for a naked surprise – needless to say, the professor was surprised at the gift he received.

Jenna pressed the gas, allowing the car to drift forward by a foot… it was a threat.

“WAIT!” Zaire yelled, hopping from the hood and darting to the passenger’s side door. “Jenna, let me in…” His voice was magnetic.

Luckily, she was quick enough to lean over and lock the door. “Jenna!” Zaire complained.

He could hear Henry’s snickering from a couple of feet away.

“No!” Jenna spoke with finality. “I will not let you into my car…” She searched for any excuse. “Henry can’t drive.”

Of course, her true reason was that she didn’t trust herself enough to not become another name on Zaire’s list of Eight-inches.

Or at least, that’s how the other girls called it.

“It’s fine,” Zaire pulled on the release but the door refused to open. “Henry will be trailing behind us. If you take too long, she might just get irritated and ram my hummer into yours.”

“She wouldn’t dare!” Jenna yelled, genuinely frightened since that was indeed something Henry-like. “ZAIRE!”

VROOOOM

The resounding engine of a Hummer came into focus as if answering – I would dare.

Jenna paled.

“Come on, Jenna!” Zaire smirked victoriously, knowing she would let him in. “What’s so wrong with a friend giving me a ride?”

‘Patty Yang and Brenda Gasser!’ Jenna’s mind roared – others may not know but she knew that Brenda Gasser was sleeping with Zaire and Patty Yang was thinking about getting back with him.

Jenna put her foot lightly on the gas causing the car to trudge forward at an uncertain speed that perfectly reflected her conflicting thoughts.

“You have your own car,” She argued weakly.

“Okay… wait! Wait!” Zaire spluttered, trying to find a good enough reason for Jenna to let him inside. “I have one undeniable reason I should ride in your car!” He stated.

Sometimes, girls needed a reason to convince themselves.

“What is it?” Jenna questioned, trying to hide the half-expectation in her tone.

A small part of her was hoping Zaire would give a compelling enough reason for her to let him into the car.

‘God, do I really want to let The Track Team’s Star, promiscuous to a fault, and full of bad intentions, into my car?’

Zaire found no convincing reason for a solid three seconds before a sound as if by divine intervention, made it to his ears.

“Do you hear that?” He inquired.

“What?” Jenna frowned, wondering if Zaire was making things up.

CLICK

CLICK

“The sound coming from your engine!” Zaire voiced with an expression of triumph. “That is the sound of a struggling alternator. That means it needs to be replaced. And that means you will spend five hundred dollars at the nearest mechanic to get it fixed while I can fix it for you, free of charge if you just drive me to school.”

He sighed…

As far as reasons went, it was the most compelling reason Jenna had ever heard, especially considering just how much she valued her car.

The car door was unlocked and Zaire threw himself into the seat before Jenna could change her mind.

…………………………

Five minutes passed – Jenna was a slow driver, made obvious by the fact that Henry kept honking behind them.

Zaire was just enjoying the small victory that came with convincing Jenna to drive him to school.

The silence was deafening… finally, Jenna could bear it no longer. “I thought we’d be talking about some things,” She mentioned.

“I am too nervous…”

“The Track Star, Zaire – is nervous?” Jenna snorted.

“I am human too…” He was defensive.

Jenna sunk into thought for a couple of seconds before inquiring. “What do you want to talk about?”

“Doesn’t matter – I know how you get when you drive,” Zaire commented, noting the way Jenna had both hands on the steering wheel and eyes strictly forward. “I wanted you to get comfortable before we started to chat.”

BEEP - BEEP

“You may want to drive faster since Henry is behind us,” Zaire voiced. “She is a little insane.”

“I can’t believe you allowed her to drive,” Jenna chuckled, her words not matching her expression. “If she has a breakdown at the wheel, your hummer will, literally, break down!”

“Why not?” Zaire shrugged, not caring the least. “I plan to make you girls true sisters so I don’t have to pick between the two of you,” He flirted.

“First, ewwww,” Jenna rolled her eyes and chuckled. “And second, Henry and I will never be true sisters…”

“is it too farfetched?”

“Definitely impossible…” Jenna smiled.

“Think about it…” Zaire broke into a daze. “Me, you and Henry in a threesome… that would be legendary.”

Jenna giggled, wincing a bit. “Well, we are all allowed to dream,” She commented.

Zaire took one of Jenna’s hands from the wheel and interlocked their fingers – she allowed him to since the motion was just too sudden to do anything about it.

“I mean what I say,” He reported, meeting Jenna’s questioning gaze. “Mediocrity does not befit me… or you.”

Jenna was speechless for a second – she came back to herself, retrieving her hand and placing it back on the wheel, focusing her gaze back on the road.

Her face was flushed as her heartbeat sped to insane levels.

“It’s going to be hard to explain to Patty why you’re in my car when we arrive,” Jenna changed the topic – this was actually her number one concern.

“You don’t have to worry,” Zaire snorted, thinking about Patty’s extra-long bathing habits. “Patty is gonna reach a couple of seconds after we do so there will be no questions. Besides, if there are questions, it only means she isn’t over me.”

“She is over you, you know?” Jenna pushed – it was not entirely true but also not entirely false.

“I know,” Zaire sighed, not thinking of himself as the person with the most charm in the world. “But I just wish everyone would stop thinking it’s because I did something wrong. Patty left me for Patty’s sake, not because I treated her badly.”

There was awkward silence for a couple of seconds.

Thankfully, Jenna was an expert at breaking through awkward silences since she had many of such moments in her short lifetime.

“Now I know,” She whispered and reiterated in a stronger voice. “Now I know!” she announced jokingly.

Zaire chuckled. “Well, the least we can do is play some music for the rest of the way,” His fingers switched the knob of the radio until something familiar played on the radio.

[I try my best not to open up my heart,

It’s been torn apart too many times…]

Zaire and Jenna turned to each other and smiled as they broke into chorus, singing and swaying to the music.

Coincidentally, it was the song they danced to at Brenda’s party a couple of weeks back.