it's the end of the world as we know it and... (ifeelfine) wrote in immune_ic,
Gabe chuckled a little bit. "Comforts me to know that you're so willing to stay in a place that you think has dodgy security," he said with a wry grin, because he would expect no less from his brother and his crazy heroics. "I'm going to assume that they've fortified it? Because as much as I liked this lovely experience, I'd prefer not to repeat the incident, if it's cool with you," he made a face. They hadn't seen each other for so long, but Gabe still had the same sense of humor, and he could only hope that Lukas had missed that.
Pausing to think about it for a moment, Gabriel shrugged. "I think it was less about the place and more about the people. I got to know some of those people and I had to watch them die. That…" he shook his head and looked from Lukas to the ceiling of the bus, "that never gets easier, no matter how long I survive through this."
He had to chuckle when Luke commanded him not to even think about it. "I have to, man. It's my job. You know I'm fast. So I'm bait. I run them away and then find safe routes back. I'm fine, I'm fast and you know I can shoot, so don't think you need to protect me, please. I'm an adult now," he reminded his brother, though he was pretty sure it was a futile effort. It didn't matter. Luke couldn't stop him from doing what he had to do, and he had to run like he did. "I know you hate to hear it. But it's true."
"No," Gabriel said simply, "I haven't been bitten. And I know that it only takes one bite, which is why, unless you've been bitten, you're being pretty damned hypocritical," he insisted. He knew, though, that it was like talking to a wall and that he'd never get his brother to budge. Little did Lukas know, Gabriel had developed a little backbone of his own. Surviving the end of the world would do that to someone. And he wasn't going to back down here, simple as that.
"Enough of that. We'll deal with it later. How long have you been in the city?" he asked. Honestly, he wasn't sure exactly what answer he wanted to hear. If he'd just gotten here, it would probably mean that he'd been through an ordeal to get here, but if he'd been here, it definitely meant that they'd been in the same city for years and not encountered one another.