Chapter -2
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********
Authors Note: This is a sequel. Many of the characters and events referenced were originally introduced in Exodus: The Assassin's Path. If you didn't read the first story, you will absolutely be lost.
********
*Academy Martial Art Gym* QJ: 15 years old
Instructor Kora walked between the mats of the Academy martial arts gym. Her signature spiked hair hadn't changed since her Exodus days. Her avatar was quite striking, a pale blonde woman with incredible flexibility and whipcord like strength. QJ sat on one of the mats by himself ready to assist. His father had been in this position for about ten years before Kora had run him off. Q's popularity was so high in the Academy, that his presence had become a distraction. Quinn had gladly stepped down, but he pushed Kora into having QJ replace him.
Kora nudged an unconscious student. "Lexa!! You were choked out by a triangle again? Lean toward the weak side, snake your arm in at the knee joint and place your hand on the side of your head. They can squeeze all day and it wouldn't bother you. She motioned toward QJ to approach.
"Watch QJ carefully." Kora put her arm on the teen's shoulder when he arrived and lowered her voice. "Peni doesn't ease up when her opponent taps, teach her a lesson."
They started in the triangle position, QJ let her lock it in tight. He felt the blood being constricted to his head but he didn't panic. He rotated his body to the right and then reversed direction and slammed Peni's hip on the mat, the sudden impact created the space for QJ to snake his arm between his neck and her knee joint.
"Watch Lexa! Do you see? She knew what he was going to do, but she still couldn't defend it." Kora had to bite her lip to keep the smile off her face, she had taught QJ since he was a toddler, he was a grapplers nightmare.
He powered the rest of his arm through and then rotated toward the lock, the hold broke immediately. QJ kept his hold on the knee and then postured up for top control, when she used her hand to try and push his head down he grabbed the wrist instead and rolled into an armbar. A moment later Peni was tapping on the mat. QJ let go of the armbar, he felt his opponent relax so he pulled her arm toward him, forcing her head down and locked in a triangle.
"Now defend Peni!" Kora didn't bother to hide her smile this time, it was a slick transition. QJ deliberately rolled so that Peni's free hand was pinned. It was a move she had been using on her classmates so they couldn't tap, she liked to choke people out.
QJ released the hold when she went limp, he rolled quickly to his feet as Kora bent to sit her student up.
Peni woke up almost instantly, Kora's face was right next to her, the instructor spoke in a whisper. "I see what you've been doing, I'll wash you out of the Academy if you don't mend your ways." She patted the student on the shoulder and nodded at QJ to move back to his mat in front of the class.
"Lexa, you work with QJ for the next few days. Pay attention when he speaks, he may only be fifteen, but he's by far the best grappler in the academy."
QJ watched as Lexa approached his mat. She was a twenty-year-old engineering student, she had the pink hair that QJ referred to as Remmite hair. Many of the engineering students had dyed their hair after Remmy had been accepted into the Exodus Engineering program. Remmy would occasionally drop by the academy, she was very popular with both male and female students.
Lexa bowed low, "please take care of me QJ."
QJ smiled pleasantly, "no worries, we will strengthen your grappling techniques."
*********
*Academy Gun Range* QJ: 17 years old
Instructor Talia watched the scores from each lane. "Jones you are hitting eighty percent, that's really good but I feel like you have a bit more."
Shoni Jones blushed at the compliment, she had taken the class as an elective and hadn't known anything about gun safety or shooting. "Okay Instructor Riley."
Talia motioned for the range assistant to give Jones a hand. She smiled as her son nodded and walked toward lane seventeen. She had been teaching QJ gun safety and how to shoot properly since he was old enough to hold a rifle in both TAP and irl.
"Hey Jonesie, would you mind shooting a few targets so I can watch you?" QJ knelt beside the young woman.
"Sure QJ!" It was generally accepted by her Academy classmates that QJ would be the perfect boyfriend... if only he was a few years older.
QJ watched her shoot off a few rounds, "hmm.. I like what I see Jonesie." He took out a coin from his pocket and balanced it on the end of the rifle barrel. "Unload now, no rounds this time, dry fire only."
She pulled the trigger and the coin fell off, QJ stopped her and had her try again. "You are jerking the trigger instead of squeezing I think. The coin shouldn't fall off when you dry fire."
"Thanks, QJ," she tried a few more times and started to get the hang of it. She sighed heavily as he walked away. "Damn those blue eyes of yours."
The two girls in the lane next to her both laughed at the comment.
*********
The two Quinn's stared at each other across the kitchen Island.
Quinn scowled menacingly."Pfft... this is it, son. I'm so tired of those good looks, the sky blue eyes, and the super brain."
QJ frowned, "you've had this coming for a long time Dad. So tall and famous, the great Q Assassin. It's time someone put you in your place."
The older Quinn nodded. "L4."
QJ hung his head in despair, "dang it... you've sunk my battleship."
Ren materialized by the front door, causing them both to look up. She was using her Rogue Avatar which looked around 14, her real age was 31. She had blossomed into a stunning beauty. She was a slender and shorter version of her mom.
Ren smiled at her two favorite men. "QJ, don't play Battleship with glasses on. Your dad can see the pieces reflected in the lenses."
QJ crossed his arms in front of him and scowled at his dad, "oh I see... you are cheating your only son!"
Quinn threw a gray battleship at Ren, it passed through her since it was her virtual avatar, "you turncoat!"
She walked over and mimicked kissing the older Quinn on the cheek. "QJ can see your ships from the reflection on the fridge HUD screen."
Quinn shot his son a disgusted look, "come to challenge the older generation with sneaky tricks?"
"Ren! Gutted by my big sister..." QJ made a run for the stairs, he was tackled onto the carpet by his dad. Ren laughed as the two wrestled on the floor. "Mom's coming!!"
Both men stopped what they were doing and quickly assumed sitting positions on the couch while looking up the stairs. After a minute they both stared at Ren who gave them an innocent look.
"Hey... I thought I heard mom," she smirked at the pair, "Robin says hello QJ." Ren waved as she logged back into Exodus and disappeared.
Quinn threw an arm around his son's shoulder, "so... Robin pretty much says hi every time Ren comes to the house."
QJ pursed his lips, "yeah... she's a bit older, nothing wrong with that though."
*Ravenwood Stables* QJ: 19 years old
QJ sat on the top rail of the corral watching as Jacob rubbed down one of the workhorses. Jacob's long curly hair fell into his face as he worked. "Aren't you bored watched me QJ?"
QJ shook his head, "wanna go watch the horse races at Bizzaro's when you get done?"
Jacob's face broke into a sly grin as he wiped his forehead with the back of his sleeve, "can you get some of the Silverleaf girls to go with us?"
QJ gave him a depressed look, "last time I went over there, they wouldn't let me leave."
"Should I feel sorry for you? I want your life!" Jacob laughed at his friend.
Qj nodded reluctantly, "I"ll set it up, hey how's Old Mo doing?" Mo was the Stablemaster in Talon, he was also Jacob's Grandfather.
"Same as always. I'll get cleaned up and meet you at the Songbird later."
**********
QJ walked out of his room and into the kitchen. He had taken over Ren's room when she had moved in with Em next door.
"Hey hun, lunch will be ready in a bit, want something to eat?" Tal had an engineering book out and was paging through it, unlike the rest of the world, she still used real books.
"No thanks, I already ate." QJ took the chair next to hers and activated the table hud.
Tal's pretty blue eyes were sympathetic, "still can't find it?"
QJ shook his head, the resemblance to his father was uncanny. "Does dad really know?"
Tal nodded, "he knows."
In order for a horse to race in Exodus, it had to be in compliance with the rules. Super horses weren't allowed, each horse had to be based on a real horse, an exact match right down to the digital DNA. Quinn had promised his son that he'd give him Scorch to take to the Exodus Academy if he could figure out who he was based on.
"There just aren't any big red stallions in the past 50 years that were anything special."
Tal glanced casually toward the upstairs bedroom, "go back a bit further hun."
"Further? Oh god... I don't want some caveman's horse. Is Scorch even fast?" QJ gave his mom a quick kiss on the cheek and then walked back toward his room.
Tal's lips curved in a smile as she watched him leave, "oh, he's fast hun."
Quinn slid down the railing and skidded across the floor. He looked up at his wife who was shaking her head. "Not my best effort."
Anna trotted down the stairs behind him, her short black hair was sticking straight up. She had returned really late from a trip to see her family and had been gone for three weeks. She hugged Quinn from behind. "Did you miss me?"
Quinn shot Tal a deadpan look, "did Nanna go somewhere?"
"Attack!" Anna jumped on Quinn's back, causing Tal to laugh from the island.
"After the third day, he started asking, "When's Nanna coming back?" Tal ignored the frown that Quinn gave her.
"You did?" Anna mumbled against his back. She happily accepted a ride to the island and then jumped down. "I missed you guys too!"
Anna helped Tal with lunch while Quinn poured them ice tea. The three of them sat down together.
Quinn glanced at QJ's room, "QJ not eating?"
Tal shook her head as they joined hands, "he already ate."
"Thank you for the meal."
"And God bless Quinn," Tal added softly.
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
********
Authors Note: This is a sequel. Many of the characters and events referenced were originally introduced in Exodus: The Assassin's Path. If you didn't read the first story, you will absolutely be lost.
********
*Academy Martial Art Gym* QJ: 15 years old
Instructor Kora walked between the mats of the Academy martial arts gym. Her signature spiked hair hadn't changed since her Exodus days. Her avatar was quite striking, a pale blonde woman with incredible flexibility and whipcord like strength. QJ sat on one of the mats by himself ready to assist. His father had been in this position for about ten years before Kora had run him off. Q's popularity was so high in the Academy, that his presence had become a distraction. Quinn had gladly stepped down, but he pushed Kora into having QJ replace him.
Kora nudged an unconscious student. "Lexa!! You were choked out by a triangle again? Lean toward the weak side, snake your arm in at the knee joint and place your hand on the side of your head. They can squeeze all day and it wouldn't bother you. She motioned toward QJ to approach.
"Watch QJ carefully." Kora put her arm on the teen's shoulder when he arrived and lowered her voice. "Peni doesn't ease up when her opponent taps, teach her a lesson."
They started in the triangle position, QJ let her lock it in tight. He felt the blood being constricted to his head but he didn't panic. He rotated his body to the right and then reversed direction and slammed Peni's hip on the mat, the sudden impact created the space for QJ to snake his arm between his neck and her knee joint.
"Watch Lexa! Do you see? She knew what he was going to do, but she still couldn't defend it." Kora had to bite her lip to keep the smile off her face, she had taught QJ since he was a toddler, he was a grapplers nightmare.
He powered the rest of his arm through and then rotated toward the lock, the hold broke immediately. QJ kept his hold on the knee and then postured up for top control, when she used her hand to try and push his head down he grabbed the wrist instead and rolled into an armbar. A moment later Peni was tapping on the mat. QJ let go of the armbar, he felt his opponent relax so he pulled her arm toward him, forcing her head down and locked in a triangle.
"Now defend Peni!" Kora didn't bother to hide her smile this time, it was a slick transition. QJ deliberately rolled so that Peni's free hand was pinned. It was a move she had been using on her classmates so they couldn't tap, she liked to choke people out.
QJ released the hold when she went limp, he rolled quickly to his feet as Kora bent to sit her student up.
Peni woke up almost instantly, Kora's face was right next to her, the instructor spoke in a whisper. "I see what you've been doing, I'll wash you out of the Academy if you don't mend your ways." She patted the student on the shoulder and nodded at QJ to move back to his mat in front of the class.
"Lexa, you work with QJ for the next few days. Pay attention when he speaks, he may only be fifteen, but he's by far the best grappler in the academy."
QJ watched as Lexa approached his mat. She was a twenty-year-old engineering student, she had the pink hair that QJ referred to as Remmite hair. Many of the engineering students had dyed their hair after Remmy had been accepted into the Exodus Engineering program. Remmy would occasionally drop by the academy, she was very popular with both male and female students.
Lexa bowed low, "please take care of me QJ."
QJ smiled pleasantly, "no worries, we will strengthen your grappling techniques."
*********
*Academy Gun Range* QJ: 17 years old
Instructor Talia watched the scores from each lane. "Jones you are hitting eighty percent, that's really good but I feel like you have a bit more."
Shoni Jones blushed at the compliment, she had taken the class as an elective and hadn't known anything about gun safety or shooting. "Okay Instructor Riley."
Talia motioned for the range assistant to give Jones a hand. She smiled as her son nodded and walked toward lane seventeen. She had been teaching QJ gun safety and how to shoot properly since he was old enough to hold a rifle in both TAP and irl.
"Hey Jonesie, would you mind shooting a few targets so I can watch you?" QJ knelt beside the young woman.
"Sure QJ!" It was generally accepted by her Academy classmates that QJ would be the perfect boyfriend... if only he was a few years older.
QJ watched her shoot off a few rounds, "hmm.. I like what I see Jonesie." He took out a coin from his pocket and balanced it on the end of the rifle barrel. "Unload now, no rounds this time, dry fire only."
She pulled the trigger and the coin fell off, QJ stopped her and had her try again. "You are jerking the trigger instead of squeezing I think. The coin shouldn't fall off when you dry fire."
"Thanks, QJ," she tried a few more times and started to get the hang of it. She sighed heavily as he walked away. "Damn those blue eyes of yours."
The two girls in the lane next to her both laughed at the comment.
*********
The two Quinn's stared at each other across the kitchen Island.
Quinn scowled menacingly."Pfft... this is it, son. I'm so tired of those good looks, the sky blue eyes, and the super brain."
QJ frowned, "you've had this coming for a long time Dad. So tall and famous, the great Q Assassin. It's time someone put you in your place."
The older Quinn nodded. "L4."
QJ hung his head in despair, "dang it... you've sunk my battleship."
Ren materialized by the front door, causing them both to look up. She was using her Rogue Avatar which looked around 14, her real age was 31. She had blossomed into a stunning beauty. She was a slender and shorter version of her mom.
Ren smiled at her two favorite men. "QJ, don't play Battleship with glasses on. Your dad can see the pieces reflected in the lenses."
QJ crossed his arms in front of him and scowled at his dad, "oh I see... you are cheating your only son!"
Quinn threw a gray battleship at Ren, it passed through her since it was her virtual avatar, "you turncoat!"
She walked over and mimicked kissing the older Quinn on the cheek. "QJ can see your ships from the reflection on the fridge HUD screen."
Quinn shot his son a disgusted look, "come to challenge the older generation with sneaky tricks?"
"Ren! Gutted by my big sister..." QJ made a run for the stairs, he was tackled onto the carpet by his dad. Ren laughed as the two wrestled on the floor. "Mom's coming!!"
Both men stopped what they were doing and quickly assumed sitting positions on the couch while looking up the stairs. After a minute they both stared at Ren who gave them an innocent look.
"Hey... I thought I heard mom," she smirked at the pair, "Robin says hello QJ." Ren waved as she logged back into Exodus and disappeared.
Quinn threw an arm around his son's shoulder, "so... Robin pretty much says hi every time Ren comes to the house."
QJ pursed his lips, "yeah... she's a bit older, nothing wrong with that though."
*Ravenwood Stables* QJ: 19 years old
QJ sat on the top rail of the corral watching as Jacob rubbed down one of the workhorses. Jacob's long curly hair fell into his face as he worked. "Aren't you bored watched me QJ?"
QJ shook his head, "wanna go watch the horse races at Bizzaro's when you get done?"
Jacob's face broke into a sly grin as he wiped his forehead with the back of his sleeve, "can you get some of the Silverleaf girls to go with us?"
QJ gave him a depressed look, "last time I went over there, they wouldn't let me leave."
"Should I feel sorry for you? I want your life!" Jacob laughed at his friend.
Qj nodded reluctantly, "I"ll set it up, hey how's Old Mo doing?" Mo was the Stablemaster in Talon, he was also Jacob's Grandfather.
"Same as always. I'll get cleaned up and meet you at the Songbird later."
**********
QJ walked out of his room and into the kitchen. He had taken over Ren's room when she had moved in with Em next door.
"Hey hun, lunch will be ready in a bit, want something to eat?" Tal had an engineering book out and was paging through it, unlike the rest of the world, she still used real books.
"No thanks, I already ate." QJ took the chair next to hers and activated the table hud.
Tal's pretty blue eyes were sympathetic, "still can't find it?"
QJ shook his head, the resemblance to his father was uncanny. "Does dad really know?"
Tal nodded, "he knows."
In order for a horse to race in Exodus, it had to be in compliance with the rules. Super horses weren't allowed, each horse had to be based on a real horse, an exact match right down to the digital DNA. Quinn had promised his son that he'd give him Scorch to take to the Exodus Academy if he could figure out who he was based on.
"There just aren't any big red stallions in the past 50 years that were anything special."
Tal glanced casually toward the upstairs bedroom, "go back a bit further hun."
"Further? Oh god... I don't want some caveman's horse. Is Scorch even fast?" QJ gave his mom a quick kiss on the cheek and then walked back toward his room.
Tal's lips curved in a smile as she watched him leave, "oh, he's fast hun."
Quinn slid down the railing and skidded across the floor. He looked up at his wife who was shaking her head. "Not my best effort."
Anna trotted down the stairs behind him, her short black hair was sticking straight up. She had returned really late from a trip to see her family and had been gone for three weeks. She hugged Quinn from behind. "Did you miss me?"
Quinn shot Tal a deadpan look, "did Nanna go somewhere?"
"Attack!" Anna jumped on Quinn's back, causing Tal to laugh from the island.
"After the third day, he started asking, "When's Nanna coming back?" Tal ignored the frown that Quinn gave her.
"You did?" Anna mumbled against his back. She happily accepted a ride to the island and then jumped down. "I missed you guys too!"
Anna helped Tal with lunch while Quinn poured them ice tea. The three of them sat down together.
Quinn glanced at QJ's room, "QJ not eating?"
Tal shook her head as they joined hands, "he already ate."
"Thank you for the meal."
"And God bless Quinn," Tal added softly.
********Authors Note: This is a sequel. Many of the characters and events referenced were originally introduced in Exodus: The Assassin's Path. If you didn't read the first story, you will absolutely be lost.*********Academy Martial Art Gym* QJ: 15 years oldInstructor Kora walked between the mats of the Academy martial arts gym. Her signature spiked hair hadn't changed since her Exodus days. Her avatar was quite striking, a pale blonde woman with incredible flexibility and whipcord like strength. QJ sat on one of the mats by himself ready to assist. His father had been in this position for about ten years before Kora had run him off. Q's popularity was so high in the Academy, that his presence had become a distraction. Quinn had gladly stepped down, but he pushed Kora into having QJ replace him.Kora nudged an unconscious student. "Lexa!! You were choked out by a triangle again? Lean toward the weak side, snake your arm in at the knee joint and place your hand on the side of your head. They can squeeze all day and it wouldn't bother you. She motioned toward QJ to approach."Watch QJ carefully." Kora put her arm on the teen's shoulder when he arrived and lowered her voice. "Peni doesn't ease up when her opponent taps, teach her a lesson."They started in the triangle position, QJ let her lock it in tight. He felt the blood being constricted to his head but he didn't panic. He rotated his body to the right and then reversed direction and slammed Peni's hip on the mat, the sudden impact created the space for QJ to snake his arm between his neck and her knee joint."Watch Lexa! Do you see? She knew what he was going to do, but she still couldn't defend it." Kora had to bite her lip to keep the smile off her face, she had taught QJ since he was a toddler, he was a grapplers nightmare.He powered the rest of his arm through and then rotated toward the lock, the hold broke immediately. QJ kept his hold on the knee and then postured up for top control, when she used her hand to try and push his head down he grabbed the wrist instead and rolled into an armbar. A moment later Peni was tapping on the mat. QJ let go of the armbar, he felt his opponent relax so he pulled her arm toward him, forcing her head down and locked in a triangle."Now defend Peni!" Kora didn't bother to hide her smile this time, it was a slick transition. QJ deliberately rolled so that Peni's free hand was pinned. It was a move she had been using on her classmates so they couldn't tap, she liked to choke people out.QJ released the hold when she went limp, he rolled quickly to his feet as Kora bent to sit her student up.Peni woke up almost instantly, Kora's face was right next to her, the instructor spoke in a whisper. "I see what you've been doing, I'll wash you out of the Academy if you don't mend your ways." She patted the student on the shoulder and nodded at QJ to move back to his mat in front of the class."Lexa, you work with QJ for the next few days. Pay attention when he speaks, he may only be fifteen, but he's by far the best grappler in the academy."QJ watched as Lexa approached his mat. She was a twenty-year-old engineering student, she had the pink hair that QJ referred to as Remmite hair. Many of the engineering students had dyed their hair after Remmy had been accepted into the Exodus Engineering program. Remmy would occasionally drop by the academy, she was very popular with both male and female students.Lexa bowed low, "please take care of me QJ."QJ smiled pleasantly, "no worries, we will strengthen your grappling techniques."**********Academy Gun Range* QJ: 17 years oldInstructor Talia watched the scores from each lane. "Jones you are hitting eighty percent, that's really good but I feel like you have a bit more."Shoni Jones blushed at the compliment, she had taken the class as an elective and hadn't known anything about gun safety or shooting. "Okay Instructor Riley."Talia motioned for the range assistant to give Jones a hand. She smiled as her son nodded and walked toward lane seventeen. She had been teaching QJ gun safety and how to shoot properly since he was old enough to hold a rifle in both TAP and irl."Hey Jonesie, would you mind shooting a few targets so I can watch you?" QJ knelt beside the young woman."Sure QJ!" It was generally accepted by her Academy classmates that QJ would be the perfect boyfriend... if only he was a few years older.QJ watched her shoot off a few rounds, "hmm.. I like what I see Jonesie." He took out a coin from his pocket and balanced it on the end of the rifle barrel. "Unload now, no rounds this time, dry fire only."She pulled the trigger and the coin fell off, QJ stopped her and had her try again. "You are jerking the trigger instead of squeezing I think. The coin shouldn't fall off when you dry fire.""Thanks, QJ," she tried a few more times and started to get the hang of it. She sighed heavily as he walked away. "Damn those blue eyes of yours."The two girls in the lane next to her both laughed at the comment.*********The two Quinn's stared at each other across the kitchen Island.Quinn scowled menacingly."Pfft... this is it, son. I'm so tired of those good looks, the sky blue eyes, and the super brain."QJ frowned, "you've had this coming for a long time Dad. So tall and famous, the great Q Assassin. It's time someone put you in your place."The older Quinn nodded. "L4."QJ hung his head in despair, "dang it... you've sunk my battleship."Ren materialized by the front door, causing them both to look up. She was using her Rogue Avatar which looked around 14, her real age was 31. She had blossomed into a stunning beauty. She was a slender and shorter version of her mom.Ren smiled at her two favorite men. "QJ, don't play Battleship with glasses on. Your dad can see the pieces reflected in the lenses."QJ crossed his arms in front of him and scowled at his dad, "oh I see... you are cheating your only son!"Quinn threw a gray battleship at Ren, it passed through her since it was her virtual avatar, "you turncoat!"She walked over and mimicked kissing the older Quinn on the cheek. "QJ can see your ships from the reflection on the fridge HUD screen."Quinn shot his son a disgusted look, "come to challenge the older generation with sneaky tricks?""Ren! Gutted by my big sister..." QJ made a run for the stairs, he was tackled onto the carpet by his dad. Ren laughed as the two wrestled on the floor. "Mom's coming!!"Both men stopped what they were doing and quickly assumed sitting positions on the couch while looking up the stairs. After a minute they both stared at Ren who gave them an innocent look."Hey... I thought I heard mom," she smirked at the pair, "Robin says hello QJ." Ren waved as she logged back into Exodus and disappeared.Quinn threw an arm around his son's shoulder, "so... Robin pretty much says hi every time Ren comes to the house."QJ pursed his lips, "yeah... she's a bit older, nothing wrong with that though."*Ravenwood Stables* QJ: 19 years oldQJ sat on the top rail of the corral watching as Jacob rubbed down one of the workhorses. Jacob's long curly hair fell into his face as he worked. "Aren't you bored watched me QJ?"QJ shook his head, "wanna go watch the horse races at Bizzaro's when you get done?"Jacob's face broke into a sly grin as he wiped his forehead with the back of his sleeve, "can you get some of the Silverleaf girls to go with us?"QJ gave him a depressed look, "last time I went over there, they wouldn't let me leave.""Should I feel sorry for you? I want your life!" Jacob laughed at his friend.Qj nodded reluctantly, "I"ll set it up, hey how's Old Mo doing?" Mo was the Stablemaster in Talon, he was also Jacob's Grandfather."Same as always. I'll get cleaned up and meet you at the Songbird later."**********QJ walked out of his room and into the kitchen. He had taken over Ren's room when she had moved in with Em next door."Hey hun, lunch will be ready in a bit, want something to eat?" Tal had an engineering book out and was paging through it, unlike the rest of the world, she still used real books."No thanks, I already ate." QJ took the chair next to hers and activated the table hud.Tal's pretty blue eyes were sympathetic, "still can't find it?"QJ shook his head, the resemblance to his father was uncanny. "Does dad really know?"Tal nodded, "he knows."In order for a horse to race in Exodus, it had to be in compliance with the rules. Super horses weren't allowed, each horse had to be based on a real horse, an exact match right down to the digital DNA. Quinn had promised his son that he'd give him Scorch to take to the Exodus Academy if he could figure out who he was based on."There just aren't any big red stallions in the past 50 years that were anything special."Tal glanced casually toward the upstairs bedroom, "go back a bit further hun.""Further? Oh god... I don't want some caveman's horse. Is Scorch even fast?" QJ gave his mom a quick kiss on the cheek and then walked back toward his room.Tal's lips curved in a smile as she watched him leave, "oh, he's fast hun."Quinn slid down the railing and skidded across the floor. He looked up at his wife who was shaking her head. "Not my best effort."Anna trotted down the stairs behind him, her short black hair was sticking straight up. She had returned really late from a trip to see her family and had been gone for three weeks. She hugged Quinn from behind. "Did you miss me?"Quinn shot Tal a deadpan look, "did Nanna go somewhere?""Attack!" Anna jumped on Quinn's back, causing Tal to laugh from the island."After the third day, he started asking, "When's Nanna coming back?" Tal ignored the frown that Quinn gave her."You did?" Anna mumbled against his back. She happily accepted a ride to the island and then jumped down. "I missed you guys too!"Anna helped Tal with lunch while Quinn poured them ice tea. The three of them sat down together.Quinn glanced at QJ's room, "QJ not eating?"Tal shook her head as they joined hands, "he already ate.""Thank you for the meal.""And God bless Quinn," Tal added softly.
