Justin looks behind him as the kids in the cloak disappear after the young man is taken from them. He takes in a deep breath and breaks into a run down the street. He throws off his jacket in the process that is too small to let his arms pump as much as he wants them too. He turns the corner quickly and heads down the street towards the apartment where he was staying. He skids to a halt outside the apartment entrance and runs into the lobby before heading over to the one of the elevators that works. He waits impatiently as the five seconds go by that take the elevator to get to the twentieth floor. He slips in between the small opening in the doors before they opening the whole way and dashes down the hallway to the door to his and JC’s dwelling. He throws open the door and JC stares at him with wide eyes.
“What’s wrong?” he asks Justin who is breathing heavily from his running, “what happened?”
“Pack,” Justin says firmly as he walks through the living room, down the hall and into his room.
“What?” JC asks following him as Justin starts to throw the few clothing articles he has into a bag.
“Pack…now,” Justin says turning to look at JC.
“Why?”
“Then don’t…” Justin says zipping up the bag and throwing it over his shoulder, “…and then you’ll die.”
JC stares at him before nodding, “Ok,” he says before backing away from Justin and heading to his own room.
“Was anyone else in here?” Justin asks JC yelling down the hall.
“No…not that I know of,” JC says.
Justin looks around the living room before dropping on his stomach and reaching under the couch. He feels around with his hand for a second before grasping onto a piece of material and pulling it out. He sits up and stares at the piece of clothing carefully. He stares down at the small white tank top before shaking his head quickly a the image of the girl with the green eyes appears wearing it walking down the street, “Someone else was here before us,” Justin says to himself as JC walks up behind him.
“What’s that?” JC asks Justin as Justin turns to look up at him.
“A girl’s shirt,” Justin says calmly, “We need to leave now,” he says standing up and stuffing the shirt into his bag.
“Whose is it?” JC asks.
“Don’t know,” Justin says as he makes his way over to the door, “Get the scroll,” he says back to JC.
“The scroll,” JC says running back over to the kitchen table and grabbing the scroll before taking off back after Justin, “Where exactly are we going, Justin?”
Justin shrugs, “Not here,” he says as the two make their way down the hallway.
“Why the sudden vanishing act?” JC asks him.
“People are after me,” Justin says calmly as they wait for the elevator.
“People?” JC asks looking at him stepping into the elevator that appears.
Justin nods, “I’ll explain later.”
“Ok,” JC sighs.
“Just trust me,” Justin says to him.
“Ok,” JC says looking at him hard.
“Just…” Justin starts to say as the elevator doors open and he sees a group of young people in black cloaks walk into the lobby, “Shittt,” he hisses.
“What?” JC asks looking at the group.
“Do you have a back exit?” Justin asks.
“Yeah,” JC says.
“Then take us out that way,” Justin says still staring at the group, as JC and him remain unnoticed, “Now…run,” Justin hisses at him as two of them break into a run down the hall.
“There they go,” a voice yells behind them and Justin hears the sound of many footsteps chasing after them.
“RUN!” he yells at JC as the two start to sprint down the halls.
“Shoot the tall one,” someone yells behind him as Justin sees a bullet fly over his shoulder.
“I can’t shoot while I run,” someone else yells.
JC turns around and stares at them as Justin sees the door approaching on a far wall.
“Keep going!” Justin yells grabbing onto JC’s shirt as he kicks the door open and the two of them head out into the streets of New York.
“They’re getting closer,” JC says to Justin.
“They do that,” Justin says as the two of them continue to run down the streets and two cycles pass them going in the opposite way.
“Eat shit and die!” he hears some yell over his shoulder and he turns around to see the cycles stopping beside the group of cloaked figures unloading a round a bullets from the two guns they have sending the group falling to the ground one bye one.
JC turns away from the sight as two other cycles glowing with green on the bottom drive by staring at the site slightly before driving on past.
“Let’s go,” Justin says pulling on JC’s sleeve as the two continue to run down the street, “We need to get out of here…we need to get out of this city.”
Jordan looks at the two cyclists as they let a round of bullets out onto a group of cloaked people, “Fucking war zone,” he mutters as he flies by on his cycle.
“The whole world is a war zone,” AJ says into the mic in his helmet as he flies beside Jordan.
Jordan smirks, “True.”
“Wait!” AJ yells hitting his breaks.
“What?” Jordan asks stopping beside him quickly.
“That…that was the guy,” AJ yells as he turns his cycle around and heads back down the street with Jordan close behind.
“What?” Jordan asks, “What guy? Why does no one tell me these thing?”
“Because you’re redundant,” AJ says as he flies up to Justin and JC who are running and his helmet folds back and Justin and JC turn to look at him.
“Rooks,” JC says as he stops and stares at Jordan as his helmet folds back.
Jordan looks at him and nods as his green eyes glow brightly, “What are you running from?”
“Them,” Justin says motioning with his head back towards the slain group of people in cloaks.
Jordan looks over his shoulder and cringes slightly, “Why do they have a problem with you?”
“Why is it any of your business?” Justin asks.
Jordan stares at him from behind green eyes as he goes to say something.
“Do I know you?” AJ asks JC.
“Me? No I don’t think so,” JC says.
AJ nods, “Thought I did for a second.”
JC stares at AJ oddly and nods.
“It’s not a good idea to be roaming the streets without protection,” Jordan says to them both leaning on the handlebars of his cycle.
“Why should I listen to you you’re no older then me,” Justin says to him.
“You’re no older then me,” Jordan repeats mocking Justin.
JC looks at Justin and elbows him slightly.
“Ow. What?” Justin asks JC lowly.
“It’s not safe on these streets,” AJ says calmly.
JC nods, “We know.”
“You sure I don’t know you?” AJ asks JC.
JC stares at AJ, “I’m Jos…”
“What the hell was that?” Jordan asks as they hear a loud boom and he looks over his shoulder as a truck comes flying down the road toward them, “Fuck!” he says as the helmet forms around his head again, “Skin heads lets go,” he says motioning to AJ as the truck gets closer.
AJ looks at him then at JC.
“Let’s go,” Jordan says as he kicks his cycle into gear and takes off down the street as AJ follows close behind him the helmet still forming around his head.
“Who was that?” Justin asks Josh as a truck goes flying past them after the two cycles.
Jordan takes off down the street with AJ close behind him and the truck closing in on them both.
AJ looks over his should quickly as the truck full of young men begins to catch up to them. Skinheads…that was all they needed now. They had been showing up all over the place too. They seemed to hate everyone…well everyone that just happened to be a Halfling. Xander had been having a fit back at the Brower’s place because of the number of skinheads in the city and at how fast the number was growing.
“Jesus Christ,” Jordan says as a car comes around a corner about a block ahead of them. AJ strains his eyes to see as another smaller figure comes flying out behind the car. The smaller figure gets whipped across the street almost hitting the building on the other side as the driver in the car swerves on the street, “It’s a person,” Jordan says before pulling out his gun and going after the car as his cycle climbs to 140 mph.
AJ quickly follows behind him as the thought of the truck following them is soon forgotten.
“I need you to grab onto my cycle,” Jordan says to AJ.
“What?” AJ asks as his cycle moves to the right side of Jordan’s cycle.
“I need to you grab onto my cycle. I gotta get off it and I don’t wanna lose it,” Jordan says as the two cycles near the car.
“Al…alright,” AJ says as they come close enough to the car so that the person is level with them. AJ looks down quickly as a set of bright red eyes like his own look up at him. The young man looked around his own age and his bright red eyes were becoming blood shot from the lack of oxygen. His blond hair was flying into his face and his hands were clawing at the rope around his neck.
“AJ!” Jordan yells as AJ looks up at him and flies up to where he is closer to the car, “Grab one of the handles!” he yells at him as he stands up on the cycle gun in his right hand.
AJ looks at him before reaching over and grabbing onto the handle bar to his left. Jordan nods at him before jumping off the cycle quickly and landing on the roof of the car with a loud thud sending the car swerving slightly. AJ looks over at Jordan as a bullet flies through the roof of the car barely missing him sending him jumping slightly and tumbling over onto the roof of the car clinging on for dear life. A number of bullets fly through the windshield of the car shattering it as Jordan whips across the side and slams onto the right side of the car still clinging onto the metal for dear life. AJ looks back at the blond boy being dragged across the street and then back at Jordan…shit. Where was Stanton when you needed him? He looks over to his right quickly as a plain deep blue cycle begins to catch up to them. The driver looks over at him and nods as AJ sees the face of the young man he had been arguing with just minutes ago. The other young man seated on the cycle behind him reaches over and grabs the handles as the young blue-eyed man jumps from his spot of the bike onto the roof of the car where Jordan is still hanging on. The young brunette male banks back slightly and heads over to the young male being dragged behind the car. AJ looks back at him as he lifts the young male from the free air and starts to strain with the rope. AJ reaches down quickly and picks up the gun with his right hand as his cycle swerves slightly form not being steered. He takes aim quickly and cuts the rope loose from the car as the young brunette holds onto the Halfling. AJ looks back suddenly as he hears the sound of a deep scream as Jordan is finally ripped by the wind from the side of the car as a round of bullets go through it. The young blue-eyed man goes lunging across the roof of the car and grabs onto one of Jordan’s hands holding onto him and the car at the same time as the car begins to swerve trying to shake them off.
“AJ the cycle!” Jordan yells into the microphone in his helmet and AJ flies over trying to control both cycles. Jordan looks back up at the young man as his helmet begins to fold back slightly, “Let me go,” he yells at him.
“What!” the man yells.
“Justin let him go,” the young brunette male yells up to him.
Justin looks up at the other male and nods before letting Jordan go into the wind and Jordan grabs onto the handlebars of his cycle before he goes past it.
AJ looks over and lets go of Jordan’s cycle as he gets situated on it finally.
Jordan takes aim with his gun and goes to send a bullet through the back windshield as Justin lets out scream as another bullet flies up through the hood piercing his leg and sending him flying off his balance and off of the car into the air.
AJ looks over and goes flying after him as his body lands onto of him and his cycle before hitting the ground. He looks back over as Jordan lets three bullets fly through the back windshield sending the car swerving again.
“Drive!” one of the people inside the car yells as three cycles come flying out from around the corner as a familiar glow of green came from them.
“Oh you picked the wrong day to piss us off,” AJ hears a voice say in his speakers as one the three cyclists let off a round of bullets into the hood of the car to the engine.
“Move!” he hears another voice say as the three cycles turn around and begin flying away from the car and Jordan follows close behind.
AJ turns around and begins to follow them as he waves for the young brunette to follow them.
The last thing AJ heard was the sound of a loud explosion as the six cycles turned the corner back in the direction of the Browers’ house.
“What happened here?” Nails says as the three jets fly over the New York skyline.
“Savagery,” Nick says as he banks to the left towards the docks and where he took off.
“Looks a lot worse then that,” Tacks says as his brother and him follow Nick towards the docks.
“Where we landing?” Nails ask Nick.
“Just follow me,” Nick says as he takes his jet in slowly towards the water and over towards entrance to Falco’s docking area.
“The…the doors,” Eli says as Nick gets closer to the closed doors.
“They’ll open,” Nick says as he gets closer, “I hope they open…ah there ya go see,” Nick says as the doors finally open and the jets fly in gracefully.
The three engines are shut off quickly and the tops of the jets fold back as the four young men emerge from them and begin to climb down the ladders back to solid ground.
“Where is everyone?” Nails asks walking up to Nick and Eli with his brother.
“I don’t know,” Nick says looking around quickly, “Falco. Falco! FALCO!" he yells getting louder each time.
“WHAT! Jesus stop yelling,” a voice says as the young blue haired man appears before them.
“Falco,” Nails says to him.
“Cal,” Falco says back to him as he walks up to Nick.
“Where are Jackson and Pilar?” Nick asks as Eli goes to say the same thing.
Falco shrugs, “Haven’t seen them.”
“Were they supposed to be here?” Tacks asks.
Falco nods.
“Something happened,” Eli says as the others look at him.
“What do you mean something happened?” Nick asks.
“I can feel it,” Eli says, “I can feel it in my stomach.”
“We need to find them,” Nails says.
“Alright…lets go,” Nick says.
“I wouldn’t go out there with three Halflings if I were you,” Falco says to Nick as Nails, Tacks and Eli glare at him, “No offense to you three, but there has been a lot of blood spilled since you were gone. Skinheads popping up all over. Find a car before you go anywhere and drive that.”
Nick nods, “Thanks.”
“You can hot wire one of the ones out front,” Falco offers, “Cal knows how to.”
Cal nods.
“Alright lets go then,” Eli says as he begins to walk to the door with Tacks and Nails close behind him.
Nick stares at Falco, “Wanna come?”
Falco shakes his head no, “I better check up on these jets. I hope you didn’t blow anything inside.”
Nick nods, “Thanks Falco,” he says before turning around and walking away slowly.
“Hey Carter,” Falco yells.
“Yeah?” Nick asks turning around.
“That…that girl…the Halfling,” Falco says.
Nick nods, “Yeah.”
“I…I think they got her,” Falco says.
“What?”
“These kids in cloaks…they’ve been running all over the city killing people and shit and well I think they took her. I saw that taller guy walking around earlier with one of the Rooks looking for her.”
Nick stares at him, “We’ll find her,” he says to Snap.
Falco nods, “Stay away from those kids though Nick.”
Nick nods again, “Thanks Falco. I mean it,” he says before turning around and running off outside to where Nails is bent inside a car hotwiring it as Tacks and Eli watch.
“That should do it,” Nails says as the car roars to life and begins to hover above the ground again, “Ok lets go then,” Nails says hopping into the drivers seat.
Tacks and Eli hop into the back seat as Nick gets into the passenger’s seat.
“Where do we start?” Tacks asks.
“The Rooks,” Nick says.
Eli shakes his head, “You can’t just go waltzing into the Rooks place. First off no one has ever survived getting into the Rooks home unless with a Rook. Second if we did do that we would be shot since none of them know us. Trust me I’ve heard of the Rooks al my life. Every Halfling has. The security stepped up after Adam was killed. There is no way we can get in there. We need to find one first and try to talk to him.”
“Ok,” Nick nods, “Let’s find ourselves a Rook.”
“That doesn’t look like how you would spell Evie,” Cole says looking at the dirt as the young blond haired girl writes her name in it with a stick.
“Evie,” she says, “E. V. I. E.”
Stanton roles his eyes and walks over to where Brian is sitting down on a small patch of grass, “I swear he never has his priorities straight,” Stanton says before sitting down next to Brian.
Brian looks up at him and smiles, “You wouldn’t know it even happened out here.”
“Huh?”
“The pain. The destruction,” Brian says looking around at the trees and sunshine, “Nothing touched anything out here.”
Stanton nods, “You sure you only want to rest here for a little?”
Brian nods, “That’s all we need.”
Stanton shrugs, “What do you think made all those people kill?”
Brian shrugs, “Misused leadership.”
“By who?”
“I don’t know yet,” Brian says looking up at the sky before shutting his eyes slowly.
“Where are we going Brian?” Stanton asks.
“I don’t know,” Brian says shaking his head, “I wish I knew. Worried about your brothers?”
Stanton nods, “There is too much shit happening.”
“You know it makes you wonder,” Brian starts to say, “They say that humans as a species has evolved so much and that we are so superior, but you know what I think. I think that humans are only civilized because we are forced to be. We didn’t steal or kill because of consequences, but now there are no consequences. We loose inhibitions and once again become the animals we are. The only reason we were ever civilized was because we had to be.”
Stanton stares at Brian and nods, “You’re defiantly right, so what do you think this all is? A way to start over?”
Brian shrugs, “Or a way to end it all.”
Justin looks around himself at the familiar cabin scene and starts to shake his head. Shit. Shit. Shit. No, not this again. He turns around quickly and smacks into JC who is standing behind him.
“Well?” JC asks him.
“Well? Well what?” Justin asks panicking.
“What’s wrong with you?” JC asks him.
“What…where am I?” Justin asks looking around the cabin.
“What are you talking about?” JC asks him, “Shit you’re not getting sick are you?”
“I…I” Justin says turning around and staring at the green eyed girl huddled in the corner, “What is she doing here?” he asks staring at her.
“Pilar?” JC asks Justin, “She’s staying with us still remember?”
Justin shakes his head no as a loud boom is heard in the distance, “No…no, not again!” he yells running over to the girl and pulling her to her feet, “We need to get out of here. We need to leave,” he says waling over to the door pulling the girl by the hand.
“What’s wrong Justin?” JC asks as he stares at Justin pounding on the door.
“Why won’t this damned thing open?” Justin yells kicking the door.
Pilar looks up at him with her green eyes and blinks a few times.
Justin stares down at her before running over to the corner and picking up a wooden chair, “Move,” he says to JC as he runs toward the window and throws the chair through it shattering the glass, “C’mon!” he yells waling towards the window and looks over his shoulder as JC and Pilar remain in their spots, “What are you doing? Let’s go!”
“It’s too late Justin,” Pilar says looking at him.
“What?” Justin asks as a wave of water suddenly pours into the cabin slamming him into a wall and knocking JC and Pilar off their feet. It’s rising faster, Justin thinks panicking as the water reaches his neck, “JC!” he yells out as he presses his face against the ceiling taking in the last bit of oxygen before going under completely. He looks around quickly as he sees JC and Pilar under the water. The darkness, he could feel it. He could feel his blood becoming cold and his heart ached. He swims over to Pilar quickly and grabs onto her waist. He looks over as the trail of darkness begins to make its way through the water again. He pulls her closer as the darkness begins to take shape into a person. Justin stares at the young man before taking in a breath as he panics and the water burns his lungs.
“Justin. Justin. Justin,” Lance’s voice says in his mind as he walks through the water gracefully, “What have you done? We trusted you. We believed in you. Now look at you. I guess we know where you stand then. And you are going to die like this. Drowning in water. Pathetic,” he says as Justin begins to swim backwards holding onto to Pilar, “Have a nice day Justin,” Lance says as Justin feels his chest burn and his head spin before he plummets into darkness.
JC stares at Justin as he eyes pop open suddenly and he stares at the ceiling. Justin’s eyes move back and forth rapidly as he stares into space.
“Help me!” Justin yells out suddenly as the others back away form him.
“What’s wrong with him?” JC asks panicking.
“I…I don’t know,” Xander says looking down at him.
“He’ll come out of it,” Kevin says, “Just let it work its path.”
Justin stares up at the scenes that flash before his eyes. Him standing on a cliff as his black cloak blows in the wind. The city of Israel in ruins. A flash of JC standing on the boat deck. The flash of the ocean as the blood rains falls into it. The streets of New York. A flash of the girl with the green eyes. A flash of the cabin. A flash of a young human man with blond hair as he walks through the halls of a drifter colony followed by two other dark haired Halflings. A flash of the moon being eclipsed. A flash of the fire as it rains down from the sky. A flash of an older man with bright purple eyes as he stares at Lance from across a street. A flash of six young blond Halflings with bright green eyes. A flash of a young human as he stares up at the sky behind blue eyes. A flash of the earth shaking. A flash New York City as the lights go out one by one and the city plummets into darkness. A flash of a cliff. A flash of a young lanky man with red eyes as he stares down from the cliff. A flash of the girl with the green eyes smiling. A flash of the ocean as it churns with foam. A flash of him standing outside in the snow as it falls softly. A flash of a baby in his arms. A flash of him standing in the snow again.
“You know what you need to do,” a voice says as Justin turns around and looks at a shorter human male with a bright smile and twinkling blue eyes as his dirty blond hair catches snowflakes.
“Who are you?” Justin asks staring at him.
“Brian,” Brian says smiling.
“What do you mean I know what to do?” Justin asks as his eyelashes catch a snowflake.
“You know what to do,” Brian says again, “You know where to go. Follow your gut.”
“I’ll be killed,” Justin says.
Brian nods, “We all will be killed if you don’t help us.”
“I’m not one of you.”
“Yes…yes you are.”
Justin shakes his head no.
“Then she dies,” Brian says flatly as he frowns suddenly.
“You’re outnumbered.”
Brian shakes his head no.
“You’re over powered.”
Brian shakes his head no, “We will rise as one.”
Justin stares at him and nods his head, “I need to leave New York.”
Brian nods, “Take Josh with you. Take the scroll.”
“Are you real?” Justin asks walking closer.
“I am as real as her,” Brian says smiling before the scene fades into darkness.
Justin shakes his head and stares at the people gathered around him. “Jesus are you ok Justin?” JC asks.
“I need to find her,” Just says standing up.
“Whoa hold on,” Kevin says as he grabs onto his shoulder.
Justin stares at him and shakes his head. The man with the purple eyes. He stares around the room. The blond green eyed Halflings. The red-eyed lanky young man, “I need to find her.”
“Who?” JC asks.
“I need to find Pilar,” Justin says as Kevin stares at him.
Jackson stares at him from across the room on a couch, “Take a number.”
