A tall young woman with Chestnut brown hair to her shoulders staired down,
with a tired smile at her new infant.
Blue/Violet eyes staired into her own dark green.
Her husband a tall man with black hair and eye's identical to his son's
looked over them.
"He's beautiful isn't he,Reeves?", The woman cradled her son lovingly.
"Yeah...He's a handsome devil."He grinned and stroked the infants cheek
with a soft finger. He looked back up to his wife. "I'm really proud of
you, Destiny." He kissed her forehead softly.
The mother, Destiny, yawned. "Giving birht sure takes a lot outta you."
Reeves smiled. "I'd imagine.", he squeezed her hand. "Get some sleep. I'll
take him for a little while." Reeves took his son in his arms and sat down
in the rocking chair beside the bed.
The baby yawned and cooed, it's eyes smiling up at his father. Reeves
alowed the baby to take his finger in a tight grip.
Reeves Chuckled, "You have your mothers grip, Jace."
The baby cooed again. Reeves stroked the chestnut brown hair of the babys.
He was so soft. Reeves grinned. "Your gonna do great things kid."

**1 year later**

"Okay we are packed.", Destiny sighed closing her suitcase.
Jace looked up at her from the bed he sat upon. Destiny stroked his hair.
"Hey, Handsom...ready to go on your trip?"
The baby smiled up and clapped it hands. Destiny chuckled. "Come on." she
picked up her son in one arm and the suit case in the other.

Strapped in his car seat Jace had fallen asleep.
Reeves staired out the window. His Round heartshaped face rested on his
right hand.
"Reeves?...Is something wrong?", Destiny questioned.
Reeves snapped out of it. "Sorry...I just...Umm...Tired I guess."
"Well we'll be at the airport in a few. YOu can sleep on the plane", She
assured him.
"I dunno...I just...I have a really funny feeling that something is gonna
happen", Reeves sighed.
"It's just your fear of hights kicking in, hon. We'll be fine. See we're at
the air port now."
Destiny turned into the parking lot. There they all unloaded and got out.
Reeve's Got the car seat out of the car, after giving Jace to his mother.
Soon enough the car was in safe keeping, the bags in the plane and the
family seated in thier seats.

A short strong built man with a squared off jaw and a bushy gray mustache
boarded the plane. There he sat down behind the family. Reeves saw the
reflection of the man in his wife's mirror. Sighlently he cursed to
himself. Oz was on to him and this time...they may just hurt more than
himself.
 
 
 

The plane had FINALLY landed. Reeves quickly got up. And grabbed his wifes
arm forcefully. She looked at him. "Get up. And Go.", he muttered.
Destiny looked at her husband strangly. "Why? I thought we wouldn't be in
such a hurr-"
"Listen to me! Take Jace and LEAVE!", he whispered. At this time the man
with the gray mustache was approaching them.
"Quickly!", Reeves Stated.
Destiny quickly got Jace and took him in her arms. Reeves looked back at
the man and put an arm behind Destiny, leading her away. "Reeves the car
se-"
"Go."
Destiny had no idea what was going on. She was lost. But she trusted her
husband and went on. Reeves Followed behind her. "When I tell you to run.
You run as fast as you can and don't stop. you make sure that you are
insite of people at all times and that you get yourself and Jace outta
here. Do you understand? Nod."
Destieny nodded. "What's going on?"
"Nothing you need to worry about."Hurry up. I love you, angel. Now Run. And
don't stop."
Desteny didn't know what to do but obey him. "I love you too Reeves, bt why
the sudden ch-"
"RUN!", Reeves yelled.
Destieny startled ran a s fast as her legs could carry her.
Through the bustling people, with Jace tightly held in her arms. He started
to cry, and sob. Destiny tried to sush him and comfort him while she
continued to run but it was very akward.
She sudden;y heard footstepps behind her. Looking back she saw the man with
the mustache. It was then that she realised, no one was around. She had ran
into one of the carrier rooms. The man pulled out a gun, and quickly fired.
The gun had a scilencer on it, no gun fire was heard.
Destiny felt nothing. No pain, she couldn't feel her breath, the warmth of
Jace's body against hers. Nothing. The last thing she did hear was Jace's
cry.

The man sighed puting his gun back into his jacket. "God, I hate my job."
he muttered. The baby was still wailing and would cause a commotion if
heard.
The man quickly took the baby from the breast of his mother and into his
arms. "Come on kid...shhhh..."
Jace looked down at his mother. The woman was lying on her side, her shirt
stained wth boold pumping from her temple, and onto the floor.
The man pulled out a walkie talkie. "Goven get over here on clean up."
"Will do. Is that a kid I hear crying?", "Goven asked over the talkie.
"Yeah. Now shut up and get the guys out here!"
"Okay.Geez Bill, don't have a cow."
Bill put his talkie up. And Walked out leaving behind Destiny's cold body,
and taking the baby with himself.
"Sorry kid...", Bill looked down at the back of the baby's head. It was
sobing onto his shoulder.
He put a hand on it's back and rubbed it. "Come on now...Shhhh...I know...I
know...I'm So sorry."
Bill's voice cracked. "God, I HATE this fuckin job."
The baby continued to cry. Bill held him tight. Tears streaming down his
own face as he quietly walked out to a near by car out side.
He Climbed in. "Bill...the Hell?", a man with light brown hair and dark
black eyes stared at them.
"Goven shut the hell up and drive.", Bill's voice was cracked.
Goven gulped and hit the gas pedal. "What are you gonna do with him?", he
finally said.
"I can't...", Bill stated. "I can't do it again! This is the youngest I've
had to do in! and I refuse to do it!"
Goven sighed heavly. "But Bill you got too."
"I can't...Come on buddy...quiet down...Shhhh", He bounced the baby a
little.
Goven pulled over to the side of the road. "Here let me take him. You
drive."
Bill nodded and Handed the baby over, and switched seats with Goven. Goven
cradled and rocked the baby boy, soon enough it was asleep. "So ....what
are you gonna do with it?"
"I don't know. I don't even know the kids name."
Goven stared down at the sleeping baby. "You could put it in an orphanage.
Say you found him. With a note."
Bill chuckled. "Yeah. I guess." They pulled into a long dirt road and
bouced for about half a mile to an old Brick house.
Both men Got out of the car. "I was hoping to keep it...It's the least I
can do." Bill muttered.
Goven stared at him with a surprised expression. "What? Bill you ca-"
"I know...I'd only screw him up. But let me be a father for a bit,
eh?...Will take him to the orpahnage after they've delt with everything."
Goven nodded. "What'll you call him?"
"For now...lets just call him Bob."
Goven chuckled. "You can't call a kid Bob."
Bill chuckled at this as well. "Then you pick a name Goven.", he said
unlocking the door.
"Okay...Ummm...", Goven carried the small child inside. Bill follwed
shutting the door and turning on a few lights. "What about...Autry? After
Autry Goldsmith? You know...the Passafist? Maybe he'll help us bring peace
when he get's older. Become a soldier."
Bill smiled. "I like it."

The phone rang where the two men lived, with the new baby now so called
"Autry".
For the past two moths both men had been taking care of the little boy, and
finding he was an incredibly fast learner. Learning by copying both men.
Right now Goven was playing a game with him. Goven whould bring one
flashcard with a colored shape out of a pile and show it to Autry. Then put
it on the floor face down, put three more cards down mix them up and flip
them over. The flash cards they had made themselves.
Autry whould know which card he saw by the shape and the color and identify
it by pointing. Goven would then say the shapes name. "Blue Square."
Autry Would then repeat or...try to at least. Because his speach wasn't too
good he always ended up calling a blue square, "Bu Squar!"
Bill Picked up the phone and walked into another room.
"Hey Bill How's it hangin?"
"Yuser? They cleared?"
"Yup. Finally. We had a bit of trouble over Reeves kid though. Good thing
you delt with him."
"Yeah...One shot killed him.", Bill said sadly.
"The head?"
"Yeah."
"I know it's tough Bill. Just...hope to god that your doing the right
thing. And on the right side."
"I know."
"Well I'll talk to you later okay?"
"Right, See you."
"Bye." Yuser hung up the phone with a distant, 'click'. Bill heaved a heavy
sigh, and walked out. "You know...I don't think he'll even remeber us or
his real parents."
Goven turned around. "Yeah.", he scrambled the cards again and turned them
over. Autry pointed.
"Red Circle", Goven stated.
"Ed Kerkil!", Autry laughed.
Goven sighed. And put the cards up. Autry looked up at him, with a
questionable face. Goven Pciked him up and handed him to Bill. "I'll drive."
Bill nodded. "Come on Buddy."

"Name?" a red haired lady looked at them smacking her gum.
"We called him Autry.", Bill sighed.
The lady clicked at her computer. "Last names aren't improtant here. Don't
bother."., She said.
"Okay..here are your papers. Both of you sign here and here." She pointed
to the dotted lines on both pages. Bill read all the fine print and
details, clicked his pen and signed, then handed the pen to Goven, who
signed as well.
Bill looked at the litte boy in his arms. "I'm sorry tyke.", he brushed the
kids hair back. "Do us proud...you hear?"
Goven kissed "Autry's" forehead. " Yeah. We'll miss you kid." He handed the
red haired lady the flash cards. "Here....ummm it's a game he plays. The
instuctions are on the back of the blue circle."
The red haired lady nodded, "I'll take him now. Come on Autry, boy." Bill
handed him over, and watched as the lady left to put him down for a nap.
Goven wiped a tear. "You did the right thing...not doin him in."
Bill sighed and took off his mustache and wig revaling dark brown locks.
"Come on Goven...I say let's retire early."
Goven Grinned. "Yes sir."

**6 years later**

"Happy birthday dear me...happpy birth day to me..." A now 7 year old Autry
sighed. His birthday...and no one even acknowleged he was even there. His
long hair fell over his shoulders. He haden't cut it at all. Only trimmed.
Now it was long and silky and hung down to his lower back, in a castcade.
All the girls envied him and loved to play with it. The boys picked on him
saying he looked like a girl and his name even matched it. Anyone who ever
said that payed for it.
Truthfully he DISPISED his name. Wishing he could change it, but the head
caretaker wouldn't let him.
He sighed and Lay on his back, stairing up at the ceiling. Wondering about
himself like he normally did, where he came from...if he had a REAL name
once...his parent's....if they brought him here...did they love him. Why he
was here. Why he had that god forsaken name!
He rolled over on to his stomach. Meeting a pair of soft blue grey eyes.
"Hi Autry..." It was a little girl that he knew. Letting his heart speed
down he sighed.
"Hi Myra...what's up?"
"Nothing...really...ummm I brought you something..."
Myra was short for her age of six. Had blonde hair that never failed to be
in a ponytail, held by a crimson red scrunchie. She wore a white summer
dress today, and smiled at him.
Autry sat up. "You didn't have to My.."
"No..I wanted to.", she said in her soft sweet voice. And brought out a box
that looked some what like an eyeglass case.
Autry took it. "Thanks.", he helped her sit on the bed with him and opened
it. Inside brown rubberbands where inclosed.
"It's not much...but...I thought maybe you could use them one day with your
hair.", She ran her fingers through his hair.
Autry closed his eyes. That felt so oddly framilier. Myra was his only
freind here at this place and was the only thing that kept him from running
off. She was too scared to run off with him. So he stayed.
Autry smiled. "I like them! I promise to use them later on."
Myra grinned. "I'm glad you like them."
Autry sighed and put them in his side table drawer.
The moon shine outside lingered over both children. Both sat and talked for
a bit. Untill the bell rang for bed.
Autry quickly pecked her on the lips. Myra giggled and did the same back.
She then waved and ran out of the boys quarters, giggling.
Autry grinned. Not even the older boys could've spoiled that rush he had
just felt. And soon he fell asleep.

"Autry WAKE UP!" an older boy fo 13 yelled at him.
"'Scuse me.", Autry grumbled and pulled a shirt over his head and ran onto
the black top to find Myra.
When he got there...she never showed up. He asked around but no one had
seen her. Finally after 2 days he aproached the caretaker.
"Have you seen Myra, today?" he asked her looking up.
"She was taken early friday to the 4-h club thing by a menotr of her's we
haven't seen her scence.", The caretaker looked down at him. Acting like
this was a normal thing that happened every Day! Autry was enraged. "Well
what's wrong?! where is SHE?!" he yelled.
The care taker grabbed his face with a hard grip. And took a letter from
her desk. "Do you see this letter? This is from the police. Can you read?!
No! So why do you want to know? YOu wnat to know fine! Read it!"
She let go and shoved the letter into his hands.
Autry opened the letter...fact was he couldn't read all too well...he
needed help. Some of the words he didn't know. They looked like just
symobls to him. Autry folded up the letter and looked at the caretaker. Her
expresion was the same as it always was, annoyed and wrinkled.
Autry quickly ran the letter in his hand and out the door to the black top.
The Caretaker couldn't do anything outside in the public's eye.
Quickly he ran to a 16 year old named Abby. She knew how to read. She was
reading all the time!
"Abby! Abby!", he yelled to her. Abby an african american with light brown
skin a dark black hair put in a bun looked up from a novel she was reading.
"Autry..what's the matter boy.", she asked.
"I need you to read this to me please! I beg you! It's reallky
improtant...Myra...somthing about Myra..and the Police and the-" he rambled
but she cut him off.
"Give it here son!", She took it from him. He plopped down next to her. Her
expression saddened. She cleared her throat. "...we regret to inform you
that Myra, as you call her has been raped and was found in a ditch outside
town. She was deceiced when we found her."
"Is there more?", Autry asked.
"Yes but it's all legal things. Do you understand what this letter is
syaing Autry?"
He shook his head. "No ma'am." he always addressed her like that.
Abby sighed. "Do you know what rape is?"
"No ma'am"
"Rape is when some one forces you to have carnal actions against your will.
In other words...he had sex with her against her will."
Autry knew what sex was...the older boys talked about it all the time. It
sickened him.
"Is she okay?"
"Autry...honey, Myra is dead. That's what deciced means...she's dead.",
Abby placed a hand on his shoulder.
He backed up shocked and enraged and upset at the same time. "No...she..she
can't..she...no...NOOO!!", he snatched the letter from Abby and ripped it
to shreds. "She can't be! It's not true!", this he had screamed. By now the
entire playing on the balkc top had stopped.
"It's not true!", he bellowed again, and ran back inside. He didn't cry.
Boys don't cry. He was just angery. If Myra wasn't here anymore he had no
reason to be here. Quickly he grabbed a back pack from the older boys side
of the room and packed it with clothes, Myra's present to him, a blanket
and stormed into the kichen to steal some food. There he took a laof of
bred and a jar of peanut butter and just left.
He wasn't surprised noe stopped him. He was going away from this place.
Walking out the back way he thought about where he could go. He saw a
poster on the back allys wall. It was an ad for a movie. Only one word
stood out..that he could read. SPACE.

Autry looked around...No one seemed to be there.
The place was dark...and dank...and a bit too cold for him.
He had snuck (quite easily) onto the air ports runway, and onto a shuttle.
Now he was in the "cargo area".
Surrounded and incased in nothing but steel seperating him from the space
the shuttle would soon be in.
He wiped his sweaty hands on his dark blue jeans,and unzipped his pack.
Pulling out a flashlight he had stole from a police officer. He clicked it
on. Stairs...leading up to a trap door of some sort and swirled down.
*I'll be able to breath here...* he thought noticing some pet carriers in
the dank cold that engulfed him. *The owners of those pets wouldn't be too
happy if they're pets died bacause of no air. Now I gotta hide.*
He looked around. His eyes adjusting to the darkness beyond the light of
the burning blulb, he could just make out some crates and the pet carriers.
He sighed and walked over to the pet crates. Looking in each he noticed all
the dog's and cat's that he saw where asleep and in small cages that he was
to big to get into.
All except for one cage. the flash light swivled, eyes that met his glowed
slightly. Sorta like a cats, but not quite.
Autry Jumped a little, it had scared him at first. He turned the Flashlight
onto the place where the eyes where.
There in a cage big enough for him to crawl in, was a big Black great dane.
The dane's Mussle was brown. Brown on his paws going up his front legs made
him look like he was wearing socks. The dog was HUGE! as tall as he was!
He smiled at his find. The cage was enclosed, all around except for the
front which had the metal bars on it.
He took a peice of bread from his pack and trotted over. The Dane looked at
him with a curious expression.
Autry held out the bread. The dane sniffed it, and then took it from his
hand, wolfing it down, then looked back at Autry and whined.
Autry reached his hand out and patted the dog's nose. The dog licked it.
Autry Quickly approached closer and fiddled with the cages lock.
The dane coked his head, looking at him strangly. as if to ask, "What are
you DOING?"
Autry grinned at the dog. The latch unlocked.
The Dog stayed where he was.Autry quietly slid his bag inside the cage. The
dog again looked at him like he was nuts, but his tail thumped loudly.
"SHHHH!", Autry shushed him, and clibed in tying a shoelace to close the
cages door so he could get out quicker and easier.
The Dane licked his face as he turned back. Autry scrunched up his nose.
"What's your name." He took the collar's tags into is hands and lifted the
flashlight to them.
"D..U..K..E...Du..ke...Duke!"
THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP The dogs tail swatted against the back of the
carrier. Autry snuggled his back into the dogs side, and opened his pack
Bringing out the peanut buter and the bread.
Duke tried to take some from him but Autry quickly snapped the plastic
knife at his nose, and gave him his own slice of bread to eat.
Duke wolfed it down. Autry did the same to his sandwhich.
After eating he put the bread and peanut butter up, and turned off the
flash light with a 'click' of the button.
He snuggled into Dukes side for warmth. The dog was better than a blanket!
Autry soon fell to the sound of the dane's heart thumping, his side rising
and falling and his muscles flenching every now and then.
And in the darkness he slept, beside the enormus Dog as big as he was. Well
hidden and a feeling of protection, for the 1st time that he could
remeber...he felt calm, and serine, and most of all protected.

 Autry woke up to being bounced, and jerked around like a rag doll. He felt
as if he were traveling down the worst road ever built!
 Duke was looking out the cage door, his huge body hiding Autry's small
sized one.
 Sounds of roaring engines that where so loud Autry held his ears and
pressed himself against Duke. Duke put his head and massive neck over the
small boy.
 Smells of fuel and oil where so strong it was sicking! Autry kept as still
as he coul while being moved and shaken around in the dog carrier.
 "Hey Jack!", a mans voice was heard distant over the sound of the engines.
"Those the animals?"
 "YEAH!" another voice this one closer yelled back.
 Autry's breath went rigid...what if he got caught? Whould they send him
back down to earth?...Would they take him back to that horrible orphanage?
 Duke growled. They where coming into some sort of storage room. The sounds
of engines died away. And the smells where switched to the smell of dust,
mold, leather, and cloth.
 *We must be where everyone picks up there lugage...*, he looked up at
Duke. *Or pets...*
 He quickly grabbed his pack. He'd half to be ready to spring out and run
like hell, if he didn't want to be caught by anyone.
 The cage was suddenly ingulfed in a blinding light, and voices of crowds
came into his ears. The roar of people bussling to get to business trips,
family, ect.
 "DUKE!", A young man came up to the cage. Duke thumped his tail.
 *CRAP! Crap, crap, crap, crap!*, Autry thought. *This is NOT good!*
 A had reached inside the cage and patted Duke's nose. The dane thumped his
tail again.
 Autry tensed, it was now..or never.
 In a flash of movement  Autry, snapped the string from the cage grabbed
his pack and bolted out!
 The young man standing next to Duke's cage jumped and yelled, "WHAT THE
HELL!? HEY! That KID WAS IN MY DOG'S CAGE!"
 Duke ran out of the cage as well and bounded around his master braking as
if to say, "GO Autry! GO! COme on boy! RUN your little ass off! Be
FREHEHEEEEEEE!!!"
 Ladies screamed seeing the HUGE dog, and grabbed there children, Men
yelled, lugage flew open and bagage went EVERYwhere because Duke had
knocked them over. Operaters shouted,  officer's cursed and along with a
few stray piolets ran after the kid.
 Autry laughed and started toward a crowd of bussling people. By this time
Duke's barkings where faded. But the men where still on his tail.
 But  Autry was fast...Autry small, and Autry could do things those grown
men couldn't.
 Laughing he ran onto a baggage claim belt that was empty and ran up into
the crawl space where the baggage would be dropped down. Several of the men
started up too.
 Autry began droping some of the baggage down the shoot. "See yuh guys!" he
laughed and ran past some more adults, that where in the "baggage claim"
departmet.
 Running as fast as his little legs could carry him Autry zoomed out onto
the matalic runways and towards the fence seperating  the port from every
where else.
  He threw his pack over and began to climb. Sirens he could here. *CRAP!
They've spotted me!*
 He began to climb faster, and soon reached the top, but not with out
several bad cuts to his torso, legs and arms. The side of his shirt had
been ripped on a pointed part of the fence. He gulped looking down...he
never did like hight's all too much. Looking over his shoulder the officers
had parked and were running toward him.
 Autry sighed deeply..."Here goes nothing."
 And Autry jumped, amazingly landing on his feet, but he fell over.
Scratching his knee's and getting a stray piece of glass in his hand.
 He winced, it REALLY hurt...but he couldn't worry about that now. He had
to run!
Getting back to his feet he ran, and ran, and ran, and ran...untill he
could run no more.
 He just dropped where he stood, not caring where he was...or who was
around. He was tired and exausted.

But...in the shadows of an alley, unknown to Autry, four pairs of eyes
where watching him.
"Is it dead?", A small boy looking about the age of 4 kneeled over Autry,
who by this time wa passed out from running so much. The boy poked his
shoulder with a finger.
 "I dunno...", another boy shrugged. "Maybe we should go get Solo."
 A girl stomped her foot hard on the concreate of the ally. "WE are suposed
to be getting FOOD! Not getting another mouth TO FEED!" Her short red,
unwashed hair came into her face.
 " I don't see a problem with it..the more people we have to get food...the
more food we get right?", another boy stepped out of the shadows.
 The little red head glared at him, "Shut up, Ray!", she glowered at him.
 "Hey Frankie, you don't have to go yellin'.". Ray put his hands up to the
girl showing he was defeted.
 "Frankie! Ray! Claude! Joe!", a sharp voice barked at them. That was
enough to get the kids moving as fast as they could and away from the
sharp, bronx accented bark. They tore off down the street not thinking
twice about the 'kid' lying halfway in and half way out of the ally.
 A sterned faced boy looking around the age of 15. Black hair that came to
down to his shoulders, russled in the slight breeze. His green eyes
wandered down to the form on the ground.
 "What in the-?", the adolecent bent down beside him, checked his pulse,
and looked him over. He bit his lip. from the back side this kid looked
like a girl...then again. He flipped the kid over gently. *A boy.*
 He checked for anything that was broken. Nothing was, as far as he could
tell. He narrowed his eyes and set his rounded jaw to the side. "How the
hell did you get all the way out here?" the boy asked particualy no one.
 He sighed. "Okay kid..." Picking the brown headed boy up with strong arms,
he carried him out of the ally.

 "Hope?"
 A young lady with bright blue hair stood up and walked into the abandoned
buildings kitchen. "Solo? Is that you?" the skirt to her unwashed, ripped,
green dress swished.
 "Yeah it's me.", he walked toward her.
 "Solo-What?!", Hope widened her eyes seeing the child with long hair lying
in his arms, and a back hanging from his left shoulder. "What did you DO to
her?!" she rushed over and looked the kid over.
 "Him...he's just got long hair.", Solo stated. "Clear the table of the
stuff, would you?"
 Hope did as asked, and cleared the dusty table of a few stolen wallets,
screwdrivers and apliances that where being taken apart.
 Solo lay the boy down on the table. Hope glared at him ernistly. "What did
you DO?!"
 "I didn't do ANYTHING! I saw, Ray, Frankie, Joe, and claude just standing
around while I was looking for some stash. They were standing around him,
but I yelled at them before I even noticed he was lying there.", he stated
in his heavy bronx accent.
 Hope began to take off Audry's shirt. "Get the sewing kit and patch this
up best you can.", she tossed the shirt to Solo.
 "Ey! I'm no semstriss!"
 "Yeah and your no nurse either." Hope had a point. Solo sighed. Just
because she was the oldest girl, didn't mean anything...she wasn't even
older than him! He sighed yet again. *Oh well. I'll just do as best I can.*
 Hope started to rip a strip of a sheet. She then tied it around the
bleeding scratch on Autry's side.
 She cleaned the rest of his scratches with a rag wetted with her own
siliva. Water was barly obtainable...so she had to use what she could.
 Next she took out the pice of glass embedded into Autry's hand, when she
started to get the thread and needle to sew up the gash...Audry's deep
blue/violet eyes came open.
 He groaned from the table. His whole body ached and his legs where
screaming. His hand hurt the worst. He groaned again and closed his eyes.
*Where am I?* he thought opening his eyes again.
 He was greeted with the smell of must, and the smell of things that are
old. He reclosed them still tired.
 "Hey Hope, I fixed his shirt best I could.", a male bronx accent flowed
into his ears.
 A deep sigh. "It'll do for now...don't want him getting a cold or
anything.", a sweet but agitated female voice came.
 "I told you I can't sew.", the male voice stated.
 "I know you can't sew. But you did well enough.", her voice sounded less
than satisfied.
 Footstepps drew nearer.
 "Hey, I think he's awake.". The male  said in a low whisper.
 "Oh no..."
 "What?"
 Hope held up the needle and medical thread. Solo winced. "Ouch..."
 "You help. Try to keep him calm and his mind off of it."
 The males voice didn't sound to thrilled. "oh wee."
 The female seemed to chuckle. Autry opened his eyes meeting two people
staring at him from above.
 A boy with jet black hair to his shoulders and green eyes, and girl with
blue hair and drak blue eyes. Both where in thier early adolecent years.
 "Hey kid...How yuh doin?", the guy brushed Autry's bangs back.
 "W-who are you?"
 the girl spoke up. "Questions are for later kid. Solo try to sooth him
okay?"
 *Sooth?*, Autry thought.
 He felt his hand being tied down to something and a pair of muscular arms
wrap around him. "Open your mouth kid."
 "What?", Autry was confused. Then again...he wasn't all there in the head.
 "Open your mouth and bite down.", the guy commanded.
 "What are you doing to me?", Autry was starting to get worried.
 The girl spoke, "Do as he says. It'll help."
 Autry did as told. He felt the guy take his other hand in a tight hold,
and something made of wood go between his jaws. Autry clamped down on it.
 "When ever you feel pain, sqeese my hand, bite down on the block, and yell
if you half to."
 "Pain?", Autry stated with the wood block in his mouth.
 "Just don't move your hand.", the woman said. She was wiping something wet
on his other hand... the one that hurt.
 "Okay. Now I'm about to start. Just to give you a warning.", the girl
stated. Autry couldn't see what she was doing. His vision was too blurred.
 But he felt something jab into his hand and come out again, jab, and come
out, jab and out, jab and out.
 He screamed. The block muffling his cries.
 The guy behind him took him into a tight hold to comfort and rocked him
slightly. Tried to talk but Autry couldn't hear him. After about five
minutes Autry felt the girl's cheek brush against his hand, heard a snap
and the jabing stopped.
 "Ooo! Boy...18 stiches! you hold a record kid.", the girls voice smiled.
 "Heh...no tears either. Hey kid you did good.", the guy still held him
tight. Autry's breath was ragged.
 "Here.", the girl put something like a glass to his lips. "It some of the
last bit of water. Go on drink."
 Autry drank. His hand was still throbing.
 "Hey kid what's your name?", the guy asked.
 "I don't like my name.", Autry said softly, closing his eyes.
 "Heh...don't we all? Come on your tired. You can take my pallet.", he felt
himself being lifted up then placed down and covered up with a blanket.

 Solo rubbed the back of his neck. "That looked like it hurt. Why didn't
you use any of the pain stuff Hope?"
 Hope sighed. "We're out. Infact we're out of more than just food."
 Solo sighed "Yeah. I'll probably break into the Hospital tonight if you
want."
 "Don't you go getting cought Mr. Solo!", she waved a finger in his face.
 "Hey! I'll be fine. you know i never get caught."
 "You'll be taking those words back one of these days when you do!" Hope
sighed.
 "We'll I best be goin.", Solo turned. "Geez..he's already asleep...we just
put him down!"
 "Hey...he's probably had it rough."
 "Yeah...I guess.", Solo streched and got up. "Well I'll be back later." he
grabbed Autry's pack, and put some of his things on the table.
 "Hungery Miss Hope?", he teased, bringing out the peanut butter and bread.
 "Oh my lord! I'll put it up! We'll give it to the younger ones tonight!",
she quickly put te food up in one of the cuboards. "You be careful now
Solo. I don't want my best guy gettin caught."
 "Hope you worry too much.", Solo laughed.
 "Hn...Well...just be careful?"
 "I will." Solo headed out the door.
 Hope looked down at the sleeping boy. "Well kid...I guess you could say
your in."

 "So...how did I get here?" Autry looked at Hope.
"Solo brought you."
"Solo?"
Autry had now woken up and was hammering Hope with questions. His hand felt
better, but it still hurt to flex his fingers.
Hope sighed with a smile looking at the ceiling. "Your just full of
questions aren't you?"
"Who's Solo?"
"He's the oldest and the leader of us."
"Us?"
"Yes boy...us. Other's live here too."
"Others?"
"Yes...tell me are you an orphan?"
"How did you know!?"
"Lucky guess." She shrugged. "Well Solo and I are the eldest of our group.
We go around stealing what we can so we can survive. This place is our
home." She motioned around her. pallets where everywhere, windows where
boreded up and a few doors where off thier hinges that where inside the
house.
"How many do you have?"
"Well including me and Solo, and excluding you, 16."
"16 kids?!"
"Yeah."
"They're all your kids?!"
Hope had to laugh at that. "No! they aren't mine. They're just...well Solo
took us all in. Just like he took in you.", she tapped his nose with a
finger.
Autry looked at her. "Where am I? I'm I still on earth?"
"Your on the colony L2."
"L2?....a COLONY!? WOW!! I never knew I would make it this far!"
Hope looked at him. "You from earth?"
Autry nodded.
"What country?"
" 'merica." Hope looked at him. "How?...Did YOU...get ALL the way out here?"
The boy shrugged. "I just soadeaway on a ship, and-"
Hope cut him off. "Share your story later. Solo will probably need to talk
to you about it."
"Okay."
Hope sighed and brushed his bangs back, she had that motherly, sisterly
touch. "Well you still tired or do you want me to take you to Solo myself?"
"No need to Hope. I'm back.", Solo's bronx accent flooded the empty room.
"The kids still out?", Hope stood up from her sitting position on the floor.
"Yeah. I brought back some things." He handed her Autry's pack. She looked
inside. "Solo...you've done it again. I'll go put them in the first aid."
She leaned in to whisper something in his ear. Solo glanced at Autry, then
back to the other wall listening to Hope. He nodded. "Okay."
Autry looked at him. "Hi.", he said.
"Hey.", Solo sat down indian style and looked Aurty square in the face. "My
names Solo."
"I don't like my name. But Hi."
"You told me that. Don't repeat yourself kid."
Autry looked down, "Sorry."
"Can you tell me how you got out here?", Solo looked extreamly serious.
"I sowawayed. I sunck on a ship...in the cargo area, there I wnet into a
pet carrier with a big dog named Duke and stayed there the flight.Then I
come here and I got chased by officers and other people at the port.I
jumped the fence, and then I ran away. next thing I know I'm awake and
being torchered...My hand hurting like..." <Autry searched for an
appropriate word. "Heck!"
"First things first..you gonna stay here you don't need to hold back your
foul laungage. Say what you feel..not what your taught. These are the
streets, kid use it. You'll use it if you join our group. Just don't over
do it."
"Okay.", Autry agreed.
"Now what are you doing here? Where'd you come from?" Solo sat his elbow on
his knee and placed his chim on his fist.
"I'm from earth. Californa, America."
"Why did you leave?"
"'Cause I had no life there. I didn't like it."
"You have parent's. If I do..then I dunno where they are."
"So your an orphan?"
"Yup.", Autry's brown hair russled a bit as he nodded his head.
"You don't know what you've done kid. You had it made down there on earth."
"Nu-uh. I hated it."
"Well...If you don't like your name. I'll just call you 'kid'. Okay?"
Autry nodded again.

**two weeks later**

"Okay Kid. All you have to do, is go up and get that man's wallet."
Autry, now known as "Kid", looked at a man looking rather repectible. He
wore a black over coat and black slacks.
"Go.", Solo pushed him forward gently.
Autry sighed. Ducked behind a pushcart and kneeled down beside the wheel.
He looked back at Solo. Solo looked back at him, his eyes expecting and his
arms crosses he was leaned against the wall.
Ever so quietly, Autry waited for the man to come closer.
*What is that kid waiting for? He hasn't got all day!*, Solo thought.
Autry got up and bolted over to the man. He pulle his jacket a little. The
man turned and hiked an eyebrown at him. "Yeah?", he growled.
"have you seen my mom? She's,", He spotted a woman off in adistance.
"...tall with blone hair and is wearing a white shirt and blue jeans."
While he said the he obviously had the man's attention. The man looked
around and turned. Autry quickly grabbed the man wallet from his jacket
while he was turned.
"Is that her?", he pointed to the woman.
Autry hid the wallet in his pocket and followed the man's finger. "YEAH!
Hey! Thanks Mister!" He bolted after the woman.
Solo smiled. *I think...we may just get somewhere with this kid.*

Autry came skipping over. "Here!", he grinned happily handing the wallet
over.
Solo looked inside. "Credit cards, Id, AH! Money!" Solo pulled out three 20
dollar bills and looked sown at Autry with a grin. "Kid...your are WELCOME
to stay with us!"
Autry's grin grew bigger.

**4 months later**

Autry walked into the room where Solo normally slept. "Hey Solo?" He stuck
his head in the door way looking in.
A lump under the covers moved, signifying that Solo was still there.
"Solo? Hey Bro..get up!"
Solo groaned. "Let me sleep Kid...I don't feel so hot."
Autry walked in. "Solo? Come on...Hope needs you."
Solo sighed and yawned. "Oh all right." he got up but felt unsteady in
getting up. Autry had to grab his arm to keep him from fallng over.
"Are you okay, bro?"
Solo shook his head and looked down at him, "Yeah kid I'm fine...probably
just a slight cold or something."
Autry grinned. "Come on. Hope fixed breakfast."
"Breakfast?", Solo asked.
"Yup! I stole a wallet last night before I cam e home. It had about 100
dollars in it! So Hope got us breakfast."
"You amaze me kid."
Autry smiled,"It my job."
Solo chuckled, putting his arm around Autry. "Come on."
Autry couldn't help but notice Solo's hads felt cold, and sweaty, he looked
up at his closest freind here. His face usually a dark peach, with rosy
cheeks was now unusually pale.
"Are you sure your okay?", Autry asked.
"Yeah kid why?"
"You look kinda...sick."
"I told you..bug. I get them sometimes. Anyway..it's the winter. Go figure."
Autry sighed. "Yeah your right." But the thought kept nagging him. "Maybe
you should take it easy today Solo?"
Solo looked surprised walking into the kitchen. "What? Never!"
The fresh smell of muffins stopped thier convorsation for the time being.
All the kids thanked Autry for a good breakfast that he had provided with
the stolen money. Autry just shrugged, saying, "It's only my job. I just
got lucky."
For the past few months he hadn't been anything BUT lucky. Stealing was a
specialty, and now, Solo was teaching him how to fight! Aurty couln't've
been happier ashe bit into a blueberry muffin.
Hope put a muffin infront of Solo. "Eat up!", she grinned. Solo took a
bite. "haven't tasted anything so good scence christmas last year." he said
to her.
Hope smiled. "I'm glad you aprove."
"Your coming out with us taday right Hope?", one of the kids named Marty
asked.
"Sorry hon...I'm gonna clean a bit."
"Okay!", soon enough the entire room was left with only Hope, Solo and
Autry. Solo and Aurty where about to head out the door when Hope stopped
them.
"Solo? Can I talk to you for a minute?", she asked.
Solo stopped at the door and looked back at her. "Stay here." he ordered
Autry and alked into the next room with Hope.
Autry new better than to stay put. He wanted to know what was going on. He
snuck up to the door and looked inside, Solo and Hope where locked in a
hug.
"...I don't want you going out there in your condition. You could go at
anytime!"
Autry noted her voice was cracking.
He watched as Solo patted her back. "Hey..come on Hope. Pull yourself
together. I'll be fine."
She only seemed to hug him tighter. He sighed. "Come on Hope. I'm not goin
anywherez and no fuckin' virus is gonna stop me from livin my life."
Hope let go and looked him sternly in the face. "You becareful and Don't
over tire yourself."
Solo put his hands up in defeat. "I won't, I wont! I promise."
"You better.", Hope sighed, and gave Solo a peck on the cheek.
Autry thought he'd seen enough. trotting back to the door he thought about
what he had heard. *Condition?...Virus?...what are they talkin