(( Wednesday evening. Berkeley, California. The sun is still on the horizon, and people are busily walking the streets, getting their shopping and errands done so they do not have to be out late after dark.

        Off of Gilman street, placed inbetween a junkyard and a cheap motel, are where the Gilman apartments are located. There are 3 levels to the building, with small apartments setup 10 to a row. In apartment number 13, Zero is setting up his new home.

        For weeks now, he has been living in motels, traveling to the HEW shows. He had decided against getting anywhere permanent to live at the moment. He was unsure how long this tenure in HEW would last. Wondering if the cops would come calling again. But nothing, other than the HEW Headquarters incident, had invloved any run-in with the law. Therefore, Zero decided it was time to settle on somewhere permanent to live.

        There is nothing flashy about the Gilman apartments. Basic, motel-like rooms, stacked one on the other, and side-by-side. Zero was satisfied with this, though. He never has liked anything extremely flashy anyways. And plus, Zero's pay-checks were not up to the level to where he could just buy anything that he wanted.

        He had come home to this apartment after last night's "Hell Of A Show". He was in a brutal match, but easily defeated Semper Fi. Blade's appearance had shed some mystery on the whole situation, but Zero wasn't thinking too hard about what could be going on there. At the present moment, though, he is still trying to get situated into his new apartment.

        In the corner, a cd player plays "5 Minutes Ago" by Fast To Nowhere. As Zero unfolds luggage, he starts to take his collection of t-shirts from various concerts, such as Bad Religion, Pennywise, and Fast To Nowhere, and hangs the shirts in his closet like how someone would hang their suits. But, then again, his t-shirts are his 'suit'. He unfolds all of his pants, and arranges them into the closet. Cargo's first, then blue jeans. After that, arranged by color.

        Zero takes all of the laudry that needs to be washed, and throws it into a pile in the center of his floor. He then notices that the t-shirt that he has on, his Anarchy t-shirt, has a huge stain on the sleeve. So, he takes that shirt off, and tosses it into the floor. He walks to the back of the apartment, to the bathroom, and glances into the mirror. He looks at the reflection of the tattoos that run from his shoulder to his elbow on his right arm, thinking of how he should get some new tattoos, but not quite sure what to get. The tattoos he has presently are a clouded circle on the curve of his shoulder, followed by an interlocking tribal barbwire tattoo. Below that, a string of static lines run about, which are right above an uncomplete band, yet another tribal tattoo. Below that are an assortment of stars, which surround the arm, varying in size. Two lines go around his arm under the stars, and the tattoos are completed with a spider-web tattooed on Zero's elbow. But, is that enough tattoos? Zero looked over them, giving it a thought.

        Coming out of the bathroom, Zero notices that some mail has been delivered to his apartment through the slit in the door. As the mail lays on the floor, he is amazed that he is already getting mail. He walks over, and picks it up.

        There were 3 pieces of mail. One was from the Army, wanting new recruits. In Zero's opinion, asking anyone if they're willing to die without a cause. Zero tears that in two, and tosses it to the side. The other is a note from the HEW, reporting damages done to the HEW Headquarters. Zero pauses, but then tears that up, too. If they want their money bad enough, they'll ask him in person for it. Besides, it wasn't his fault.

        The last piece of mail, though, was an unusual one. It was a forwarded letter. Addressed to Lint Douglas, in care of the HEW. The date of the letter had been sent almost 2 weeks ago. Zero looked at the return address. Simon Kit, of Shreveport, Louisiana. Zero cocked an eyebrow, wondering if it could be possible...could this be the Simon he used to know? It couldn't be possible.

        Curious, though, Zero slowly cut the seal to the letter. He opened the envelope, and pulled the folded piece of paper out. Zero took a deep breath, and slowly unfolded the paper. . . . . . .

Lint,         How's it going man! It's been forever. I was flipping through the TV about a month ago, and you were on the news man! Something about the cops chasing you, but still, Lint, my bud from back in Berkeley, on TV, nationwide! That's crazy man.         Man, ever since I moved from Berkeley, things have been downhill with my parents. It was ok when we were in Berkeley, but when we moved to Shreveport, everything just fell apart. They started acted crazy man. I left from there when I was 18. They were just coming down on everything that I done. But, what, that was like 6 years ago now, I think.         Anyways, how's life been treating you? I see you're now a wrestler, even a former champion! I get into fights with the jocks, but never stepped into a wrestling ring. How did that come about, anyway? At least you're keeping the punk ways going there. Remember when we first started listening to the music?         Are you still living in Berkeley? I still wish I was man. Money is stopping me from moving back out there, though. It sucks here in Shreveport. The scene here is so dead compared to Berkeley.         Ok, tell me if you remember this. Back when we were, I think, 12, this kid, Billy James, I think that was his name, attacked you because he said he didn't like your mohawk. Remember that? Man, I remember it as clear as day. I'd never seen you like that before. You turned, and tried to shrug him off, but he grabbbed your shoulder, and whipped you around. He then took your hair, and messed it up. I think some people were around, too. They all had started laughing. So, he started teasing you, and the more he did, the more people laughed. Man, but then, out of nowhere, you just whacked him! Hit him right in the nose! I couldn't believe it. He started bleeding, and then he saw that he was bleeding. He started getting all mad, and swung at you. I thought he was going to kill you, but you ducked, and kicked him in the stomach. He grunted, but didn't go down. Then, you hit him in the face with your elbow. Man, his face got all bloody, and he fell down crying! I was shocked, amazed, and couldn't believe what had happened. Do you remember all that?         So, I still see that you go by "Zero". I understood why you wanted to be called that, but I always found it hard to call you that. I mean, all the kids that picked on you called you Zero, but I was a friend, and I never could call you that. After calling you Lint for so long....         Hey man, since it's been such a long time, do you want to meet up sometime? To see how each other's been? It's been 10 years since I left Berkeley. We're 24 now. We've got a lot of catching up to do. So much time has been lost. I see you on TV, and I'm like "Hey, I know that guy!". Or I used to, I'm not sure.         Write back man, or give a call sometime. 555-1234.         Later? Simon

        Zero read the last lines again. And then, he put the letter down. But he was still thinking hard on the letter. A friend from his past. His only friend from his past. Simon Kit. He never would of thought he would of heard from him again. Not after what had happened. How strange it was.

        Zero went back to his luggage, and started unfolding more shirts and hanging them up. He put his Chuck Taylor's under a table. But still, his mind was concentrating and thinking on that letter. Would Simon be trying to undo bad endings? Was he trying to fix burned bridges? Zero wan't sure........he continued to put away clothes.

midi: "Infected" by Bad Religion