Chapter Text
Martin was now in the Tortuga with Chris and they headed towards the living room of the Tortuga. He guessed that was where the others were and he hoped it went well.
Chris was still holding his hand and dragging him there. His grip on Martin's hand was tight. Almost like he was afraid Martin would disappear. As they rounded the corner and stepped into the living room Martin stopped. They all looked so different.
Aviva with her smile and charming personality now was looking so tired and maybe even mad? She, like Chris, had bags underneath her eyes. She sometimes did have bags under her eyes from staying up too late with her inventions but never this bad. It looked like they had been there forever. She still had a ponytail in her hair but her hair was going everywhere and was frizzy. It looked as if she did not care about how she looked. She just looked bone-dead tired.
Next was Koki. She almost always had a smile on her face but right now she did not. Her face and expression made her look bone dead tired like Aviva. With deep dark bags under her eyes that made it look like she had not slept in years. Her expression on her face made her look annoyed.
Then there was Jimmy. Jimmy looked the most different out of all of them. The chill and layback dude that he once knew was nowhere to be found. All that was before him was a tired dude who looked exhausted. Like he had spent several nights staying up and had the most prominent eyebags out of everyone. It was kind of ironic considering Jimmy was the one on the team who got the most sleep, or had. His expression on his face was just sad or pity full.
They were all sitting down on the couch and had yet to turn and look in his and Chris’s direction. When they heard the footsteps from Chris since he had stopped walking they began talking.
“We told you Chris, just give it up. He is gone now.” Aviva started. “CK we know how you feel but this needs to stop” Koki continued. “Sorry dude but he is not coming back. You need to accept that he is gone.” Jimmy ended with. They still had not looked in their direction and Martin was confused. They made it seem like a regular occurrence. Was it?
Chris tried to interrupt and say something but Aviva hearing him yelled. “Chris! It has been TEN years he is NOT coming back! We don’t know what happened to him but you need to stop this. Every year we visit here and every year you say you saw him. I don’t know if it is hallucinations or what but he is NOT there! You need to accept that he is gone!”.
“No guys you don’t get it! This time it is real, just turn around!” Chris then yelled back at them in what seemed like frustration.
Aviva turned around to finally look at Chris with an angry expression. Seemingly ready to yell again when she caught sight of Martin and stopped. She just stared at him and opened her mouth a few times before closing it. The other two finally noticing her lack of talking turned around as well and mirrored her shocked expression.
Martin was just shocked at what was happening. His brother had hallucinations! Of him coming back. He felt like crying but he didn’t. He had to be strong for Chris and the crew that was currently staring at him right now as if he was a ghost. In a way he supposes he is, he thought bitterly.
The silence and tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. That is before Chris shouted “Told you so!” In one of his happiest tones. Martin was used to hearing it. However the crew was not in the future as they continued to stare at Martin.
“Hi guys” Martin replied in a hesitant tone. He had no idea how he was supposed to react to them. Chris had said they wanted to see him but he doubted that it was true. The conversation they had most likely ended in a screaming match like it had just now.
Chris was still holding his hand and instead threw his arm over Martin's shoulder. He then proceeded to drag Martin forward towards the couch where they sat. “What” Aviva let out in a disbelieving tone as he came closer.
Chris just plopped down on the couch with Martin by his side while still smiling. “I told you I saw Martin,” he told them. “Martin is now going to explain to us where he has been,” he added on.
Aviva's shocked expression then formed into one of anger. “I doubt that this is even Martin. It’s probably one of Zack’s bots or something else” she said in an angry accusatory manner while going to stand up. The other two just were staring, not sure of what to think.
Chris’s smile dimmed just a bit as he turned to look at Martin. “What! No I'm not!” Martin was quick to defend himself. “Are you sure, because you don’t look to have aged a day since anyone has even seen Martin!” Aviva continued with anger laced into her voice.
“I’m not!” Martin replied trying to think of something that could convince them. Then he remembered something that there was no way that anyone else would know.
“Remember that time when it was Chris’s birthday and I attempted to bake a cake? We all swore we would never talk about it again from the disaster that it caused. Jimmy in the end had to just bake the cake and you all banned me from the kitchen.” He said hoping that they would know it was him. “We all didn’t know how I even had done it since we didn’t even have some of those ingredients in the kitchen” he continued, just rambling at this point trying to show that he was real. “The end disaster was a broken microwave, mixer, and ceiling light which I don’t know how it broke and couldn’t tell you even if I wanted to…” he started to trail off as he looked back up and around at the others who were watching with shocked expressions. Even Aviva had stopped.
“Martin?” a hopeful Jimmy whispered as he stopped talking. “Yes-“ he began before he was tackled further into the couch by Jimmy who had flung himself off the other side of the couch and into Martin. He hugged Martin.
Chris was just smiling brightly as he remembered the memory and hugged Martin from his other side since he was already sitting next to his brother.
Aviva and Koki had also stood up and went to hug Martin. It was kind of hard with them all but they were just glad he was there.
Chris had teared up again from the happiness that he felt. His brother was back with them again and he was not going to leave. He would make sure of that.
Martin had also teared up because he was sad by what
he had put them through. They had missed him so much and he had no idea what had even happened. Hopefully when he explained they would get what went wrong and they could maybe fix it.
The other crew members did not tear up but were happy. With Martin gone for so long they had never expected him to come back. They had long since given up on that. The only one that had kept hope was Chris.
Eventually they had to break up the hug and went back to sit down. The only one who stayed where they were was Chris who was by Martins side.
“So” Chris began “Where did you go?” the other crew members were listening and also looked at Martin questioning.
“To be honest, I have no idea.” He said and seeing the others disbelieving expressions quickly continued. “I told you guys that I was going on a walk and that is what I had did. I was walking through the forest when I saw a creature and decided to chase it. I eventually lost it after a while and then I saw a weird portal thing. I know this sounds completely fake and made up but follow with me. I saw it and that was when I decided to call you guys. I had just pressed dial when I fell back into the portal. I know this sounds like I’m making this up but you have to believe me.” He said. Upon seeing all of their sceptical looks he continued on. “If you don't believe me just look at me. I don't mean this in a mean way but you guys look older. As Aviva said earlier I look the same as I did when I left.”
He could see the gears turning in their heads as they started to look at him and consider what he was saying. He just continued on “Plus I still have the same clothes on with my creature power suit and gloves” he said making a motion at them. “If I had really been gone for ten years as Chris has said my suit and gloves would not look so clean and in the same condition.”.
“I’m not sure what else I could say to help convince you guys” he ended with as they just stared at him. He gave them a nervous smile as they all considered what he had said.
“I believe you bro” Chris said off to his side once he finished. He felt relief that he hadn’t known he needed since he had began to talk. Even if none else believed him, at least his brother did. “Thanks bro” he replied as he smiled at him.
Slowly the others began to answer as well. “I don’t know how it would be possible but I believe you MK” Aviva began slowly. “It just doesn’t make any sense, I mean really? A portal? It seems to defy all the laws of physics” The other two crew members just nodded in agreement to what Aviva said. At least they all believed him.
“I have no idea either Aviva. All I know is that it happened and I am here now. To me it seems like just this morning I left the Tortuga and now I am ten years in the future? It really makes no sense. I’m just glad you guys believe me.” He offered them all another smile and realized that no one seemed to smile that much anymore. The only person who had been smiling like him was Chris. Usually they all cracked a smile but now it was so different.
“It’s okay Martin. We believe you, it's just so hard to believe you know? It has no logical explanation after all”. Chris quickly said, trying to reassure his brother.
“Now that you all believe me can I ask a question?” Marin asked them all. “Of course,” Chris quickly replied.
“What happened while I was gone?”. His answer was met with silence as they all began to prepare to tell him the shit show that had happened while he was gone.