Surprisingly, or unsurprisingly if you think about it, Alex's walk to Jack's location is uneventful. Of course, he has to avoid roaming gang members, muggers, and pickpockets, but that's par for the course in Northern Rifield.
The creature doesn't make an appearance. But that doesn't mean it's decided to leave Alex alone. Instead, it's more likely that it's either setting up the next trial or is silently tailing Alex, waiting for the perfect opportunity to torment him.
Either way, that's not something Alex feels he should worry about right now. The trial will inevitably blindside him, leaving him with no chance to prepare. So there's no reason for him to work himself up over it in advance.
So, he savors the small amount of peace the creature is allowing him and focuses on his walk.
As he does, Alex tests and examines his legs. Due to his injuries, they definitely can't perform at peak performance, so he needs to know how well he can use them.
Luckily, aside from having to experience intense pain, his legs are mostly functional. While his wounds are deep and painful, they haven't inhibited his ability to walk or run. No major arteries or veins were destroyed, so he won't bleed out; none of his ligaments or tendons were severed either, so his legs also won't go limp, and most of his muscle mass is still intact.
The only major problem is the extreme pain that any action brings him. He hasn't patched or covered his wounds yet, so intense agony reverberates out of them whenever they make contact with something. Also, his adrenaline is starting to wear off, along with the numbing effect that comes with it.
But, in the end, Alex can still walk and run fairly well, as long as he bears with the pain that comes with it.
***
After fifteen minutes of walking, a faint, fluorescent glow illuminates Alex's weary face. About five feet in front of him are the automatic, glass doors that lead to every thief's favorite building: HMS Gas.
It's a small, short building with a flat roof and one large window completely plastered with posters and advertisements. In front of it is a line of gas pumps that have been heavily vandalized.
Stepping inside, Alex can see an interior with an unswept, stained tile floor and large fluorescent lights in the ceiling. Rows of shelves featuring chips, soda, candy, and other snacks fill the area. A soda fountain, slushie machine, and coffee dispenser are all lined against the wall, and a hot dog roller rests upon the counter next to them.
HMS Gas, or the Henry, Miller, Saul Gas Station, is by far the most plundered establishment in all of Rifield. It was originally a normal gas station, but once the housing crisis hit and people became desperate for money, it became a prime target for thieves.
This is because it has rather lax security measures. It doesn't have very good cameras, or any at all in some areas, and there are no guards. Not to mention, it is also the only gas station in this part of Northern Rifield. So, there's always an influx of customers, and therefore money to steal.
Nowadays, it's stolen from so often that the employees ignore most robberies. People tend to value their own safety over that of a corporation's profits. So, they look the other way when people shoplift and readily hand over cash to anyone who asks for it.
Jack, who works there part-time, will occasionally tell Alex about the interesting robberies that happen at HMS Gas. In fact, the two actually met when Alex robbed the place during Jack's first shift.
They were both younger back then, with Jack being sixteen and Alex being fourteen, so the event left a large impact on both of them. And, after Alex robbed HMS a few more times while Jack was on shift, it was inevitable that they would get to know each other. Eventually, they started talking and became friends soon after.
In fact, Jack also happens to be sitting in front of the register right now, his eyes glued to a magazine.
He's fairly tall, around six feet one inch, and is also considerably lanky, resembling a long weed. A pair of light blue jeans and a red, plain-colored t-shirt adorn him, making him seem fairly plain. His short, light brown hair barely covers his forehead and reminds Alex of sheep's wool. It also matches his eyes, which gleam in the fluorescent light.
Upon hearing the automatic, glass doors open and Alex's footsteps, Jack glances up briefly, just enough to recognize Alex's silhouette. His expression breaks out into a cheerful smile, revealing a chipped tooth, and he quickly turns his attention to the register, greeting Alex with a happy voice. "Hey Alex! You here for the register again?" Before Alex can respond, Jack presses a button on the register, and the cash drawer pops out.
"Jack-"
Then he reaches into it and starts pulling out bills of different values, still not taking a second look at Alex. "Unfortunately, you aren't the first person to rob us today, so there's not much left. He was actually a pretty interesti-"
"Jack!" Before he can get too carried away, Alex interrupts Jack's story with a firm tone. Jack tends to be overly cheerful and likes to talk, so it's best to stop him before he gains momentum.
Upon hearing Alex, Jack finally stops and turns to take an actual good look at him. His eyes scan Alex up and down, widening with worry as they do. Then his smile turns into a frown filled with worry and shock, and he immediately shouts, "Alex! Your legs look horrible! What happened!? Was there a fire!? Were you attacked!?"
Hearing Jack's concern, Alex's thoughts are brought back to his legs, and the pain seems to surge back up. He groans painfully and hurriedly kneels down to sit on the floor, ignoring the stains and dirt.
Through gritted teeth, he responds, "I got in a kickboxing match with a bonfire." He winces slightly as his wounds rub against the tile floor. "Please get some bandages."
Although slightly stunned, Jack quickly nods. "O-okay!" He swivels around and rushes into a backroom behind the counter and, after a few minutes, comes back carrying a small, red bag with a white cross on it. He dashes around the counter and quickly makes it to Alex. Then he kneels by his side and opens the red bag.
Inside, there are bandages, alcohol wipes, antibiotic ointment, scissors, and more. Jack hesitates for a moment before picking up a roll of white bandages. "T-they taught us basic first-aid during our training, since we get robbed so much. So I should know what I'm doing."
Alex chuckles slightly as Jack unrolls the bandages. He's learned a long time ago that conversation is the best distraction from pain, so he readily retorts, "You'd think they'd teach you self-defense instead." Then he winces as Jack starts wrapping them around his left ankle.
"No, they thought that would encourage us to stand up to the robbers. Apparently, there's a lot of money to be made in a lawsuit." Jack takes a few more moments to finish wrapping Alex's left leg, then he moves to the right. Unfortunately, this one is more severely injured, prompting Alex to hiss in pain.
"Shoot! Sorry!" Jack flinches back slightly, still tense from the situation. However, Alex chuckles through the pain.
"Shoot? You gotta learn some swears. What if you need to cuss someone out?"
Jack lets out a small, exasperated sigh and finally finishes wrapping Alex's right leg. "Is now really the time to tease me?"
"Well, I figure I'll be dead in a few hours, so I've got to fill the quota now."
In an instant, Jack somehow becomes even more surprised. He visibly recoils, and his brown eyes widen to the point of looking like saucers. "What! W-what do you mean!?"
Alex shakes his hand flippantly, as though his situation is merely an annoyance. Although he has come here for Jack's help, the temptation to tease is just too much. "Eh, I'm probably just gonna get my face melted off later tonight."
A particularly strong throb of pain emanates from his legs, causing Alex to wince inwardly. However, he keeps his nonchalant grin barely on. "By the way, you wouldn't happen to have any painkillers I could borrow, would you?"
Jack stares at him with a dumbfounded look on his face for a few moments before wisely ignoring Alex's first statement and getting up to look for painkillers.
After a minute or two, he returns with a small, plastic bottle of pills in his hand. He holds it out for Alex to take and speaks in a worried tone. "This is from my coworker's hidden stash, so it should be pretty strong. The bottle says to only take two at once."
Alex takes the bottle from his hand, unscrews the cap, and pours the pills into his open palm. "Good to know." Then he unceremoniously tosses three pills down his open gullet, swallowing without water.
He struggles for a moment to swallow the large pills, but eventually manages and lets out a relieved sigh. He puts the rest of the pills back in the bottle and stashes it in his raincoat's pocket. Then, turning his attention back to Jack, who is staring at him with disappointment, his grin grows even wider. "I suppose I owe you an explanation."