“So tell me what brings you here,” Nails says throwing himself down into a leather chair once they are his room. It was more of a small apartment crammed into one room though t with a small kitchen, one bed, a few dressers, a desk and a bathroom connected to it.
“Nothing weird has happened up here?” Eli asks him walking over to a stool and sitting down.
“Notttt that I know of,” Nails says looking at him oddly, “What are you doing hanging out with Nick Carter by the way?”
Eli looks at Nick.
“I thought he hated Halflings,” Nails says acting as if Nick wasn’t in the room with him.
“I don’t hate Halflings,” Nick snaps.
“You always acted like you did,” Nails says staring at him with bright blue eyes, “You and Griffin Anderson along with all those other new age Nazis.”
“I never did anything like them.”
“You never stopped them,” Nails says staring at him coldly.
“I never did anything to anyone.”
“Oh ha,” Nails says, “You caused more pain in people’s lives then you will ever realize Carter.”
“What does that mean?” Nick asks.
“Oh you know what it means…” Nails snaps.
“Stop it,” Eli yells, “Drop the subject!”
Nails and Nick look at him before both looking down at the floor.
“We are here for a reason Nick,” Eli says looking at him harshly, “and would you just drop the past,” he snaps at Nails, “The world down there, Nails, is shit. All hell has broken out.”
“What a war?” Nails asks looking at them hard.
“No,” Eli says, “We don’t know what it is. The only people down there are between the ages of thirteen and thirty…”
“The only people left?” Nails says sarcastically.
“Yes,” Eli says.
“What are you on?” Nails smiles.
“I’m serious Nails,” Eli says as Nick stares at the two of them.
“Jackson and Pilar sent us up here,” Nick adds.
“Jaxs and Pilar?” Nails asks.
Eli and Nick nod.
Nails face takes on a serious expression, “Then why haven’t we heard about it up here?”
“Do you know anyone between thirteen and thirty who can operate communication equipment like that?” Nick asks.
“I dunno you guys…” Nails says trailing off as his door slams open and another younger male walks in.
“What the hell is going on on earth?” the young man asks. His appearance mirrored Nails, but he looked slightly younger and his face had a more round shape to it.
“What do you mean Hayden?” Nails asks him.
Hayden throws a paper at him, “Eli?” he asks looking at Eli.
“Hey Tacks,” Eli nods at him.
“Nick Carter?” Tacks says looking at Nick, “What the hell is going on?”
Nails stands up, “We’re going home.”
“What?” Tacks asks looking at him as Eli and Nick stand.
“Get your gear together,” Nails says walking over to a dresser and pulling out the drawers grabbing a hand full of clothes.
“Are you insane?” Tacks asks him as his brother grabs a duffel bag from under his bed and throws the clothes into it.
“Go get your stuff,” Nails says to him walking over to his desk and picking up various pictures then walking over and shoving them into his bag, “Now!”
“Ok,” his brother says walking out of the room quickly.
“You’re coming back?” Nick asks him.
Nails nods walking around his room and picking up various trinkets then shoving them into his bag until it is filled to capacity.
“You have ships?” Eli asks.
“We got two 2689 Flyers,” Nails says closing his bag and throwing it over one shoulder, “You guys have a jet right?” he asks walking out of his room as Nick and Eli follow close behind.
“Yeah,” Nick says as the three of them walk down the hall quickly.
“Lets go Tacks,” Nails yells loudly as his younger brother comes stumbling out of another room zipping up his duffel bag in the process. Nails was only three years older then Tacks and they hardly ever called each other by their nicknames unless they were in a hurry.
“You sure you can keep up with us?” Nails asks Nick as they approach the docking bay.
“Yeah…just make sure you can keep up with me,” Nick says to them as they break off and go to their separate jets.
Nick gets into his jet quickly hopping into the drivers seat as Eli hops in behind him. The roof closes in over them and Nick slips on his gloves as the screen before him begins to come alive with the transparent buttons again. He slips on his microphone head set and hears Nails and Tacks messing around in their jets a few rows down from him. He hears an all clear and then hits the ignition switch on his screen as his jet roars to life. He sees two blurs of silver go rushing forward out a hatch that opens up quickly before them as he puts the Toxemic into full gear and rushes forward after them.
“You know they were some of the best flyers in school,” Eli says to him as he begins to catch up on the Simmers brothers.
“You know that I was the best,” Nick says as he pushes his Toxemic past the two silver Flyers containing Tacks and Nails.
“Ok you wanna play then,” Nails voice says into his ears as the two Flyers soar up on either side of him, “Follow me,” Nails says banking to the right into a large cloud of dust and rocks as Tacks follows.
“Where you going?” Nick asks following.
“You’ll see,” Nails says and Nick could tell he was smiling as the three jets head into the cloud.
“What the hell was that!” Nick yells out as a streak of white flies by the side of his jet.
“That,” Nails says as another one flies by quickly, “Is a Wake Angel. Best flyers around. They’re some sort of thing made up of energy. It feeds off of the energy coming from the jets. They’ll follow you all the way through this cloud. You think you’re that good. Try and shake them.”
“Watch me,” Nick says pushing the jet to go faster as flashes of white appear beside his jet.
“They look like birds,” Eli says looking out the window at the glowing white bird shaped things with long tails snaking behind them.
Nick looks beside him as the two silver Flyers cross each other’s paths and barrel roll over each other sending the Wake Angels scattering before catching up to them. Nick smiles slightly as he steers around various rocks banking left and right sharply adding in a roll every once and a while.
“What did I tell you about refraining again,” Eli says to him.
Nick smiles brightly as the three jets come out of the cloud at the same time and the Wake Angels disappear turning back into the cloud.
Back to Earth.
Justin stares down at the streets below him from the balcony again as a black cloak figure walks towards another figure, a young male. The cloaked figure stops a few feet away from him and raises a gun in its right hand. The young male goes to run, but it’s too late. A shot rings out and strike the young man in the head sending him flying to the ground. Justin winces as the young man falls to the ground and shuts his eyes tightly. His head hurt and his stomach turns violently. He was going to throw up. Justin covers his mouth quickly and makes his way to the bathroom quickly.
“Justin you ok?” JC asks from down the hall with only sounds of Justin throwing up in reply, “Justin?” JC says walking into the bathroom and stopping in the doorway, “Jesus are you ok?” he asks Justin as he sees him bent over the toilet
Justin pulls his head back from the toilet and stays slumped over on the ground.
“What’s wrong?” JC asks him.
Justin just shakes his head no in reply not answering the question.
“Are you sick?”
Justin shakes his head no.
“Do you want anything?”
“No,” Justin says standing up suddenly and stumbling slightly, “No,” he says to JC as he goes to help him, “I…I just need to go out for some air ok,” he says as he walks out of the bathroom quickly and back down the hall towards the apartment door.
“Justin it’s not safe out there,” JC yells after him.
“It’s not safe in here,” Justin mumbles throwing the door open and walking out into the hallway of the apartment building.
It took him long enough to get down all the flights of steps and was ready to turn back after finally getting to the bottom floor, but decides against it and heads back out to the New York City streets. He stuffs his hands into the pockets of his jeans as he makes his way down the sidewalk. He could see the fallen body of the young man across the street from him and speeds up his stride as the young man’s dead eyes stare at him unblinking from his position. There was a strange smell to the air now and it made him gag slightly. He still felt a little lightheaded and all he wanted to do was smell clean air once again.
He had walked a good five blocks before deciding to turn around and go back to the apartment when he heard a familiar voice behind his back, “Justin. Justin. Justin what are you doing?” the voice asks as Justin spins around to look.
“Lance,” he says as he stares into the green eyes of the hooded figure that stood shorter then himself.
“Justin,” Lance smiles, “How is your job going?”
“Fine,” Justin says.
“How is the Prophet?” Lance asks walking closer.
“Fine,” Justin answers again.
“Really…” Lance says walking closer, “THEN WHY AREN”T YOU WATCHING HIM NOW!”
“I…I…I needed some air,” Justin says stumbling over the words.
Lance’s eyes seemed to spark green flames at Justin as his anger boiled, “Your job is to watch the prophet and get the scroll, but yet you’re out here.”
“He has the scroll,” Justin says, “I can get it.”
Lance stares at him, “By when?”
“When do you need it?” Justin asks.
“As soon as possible,” Lance says.
“Ok,” Justin says.
“I’m counting on you Justin,” Lance says calmly.
Justin nods.
“Have it here by tomorrow.”
“Ok.”
“What’s this I hear about these dreams?” Lance asks.
“They’re nothing,” Justin says, “Really.”
“They seem like they mean something to you.”
“No really,” Justin says.
“Justin you haven’t read the scroll have you?” Lance asks staring at him hard, “You know you weren’t supposed to read it.”
Justin nods, “I know.”
Lance nods, “You’ll have it by tomorrow?”
Justin nods again.
“Very well go ahead,” Lance says stepping aside making room for Justin to pass him by on the sidewalk and Justin Gladly does so, “Oh and Justin,” Lance says as Justin stops walking, “If you fail…you know you will be killed.”
A shiver is sent up Justin’s spine as he swallows hard, “I know,” he chokes out before continuing to walk down the street.
Lance stares at him as he walks off before frowning deeply.
“What’s wrong?” a young girl asks in a British accent walking up to him.
“Him,” Lance says nodding towards Justin.
“You don’t think he’ll make it?”
“He read the scroll. I can see it in his eyes. He’s afraid of something.”
“What does it matter if he read the scroll though,” the girl asks.
Lance looks at her harshly, “What does it matter to you,” he snaps.
“Sorry,” the girl says.
“I want you to go to the apartment he is staying at tonight and get the scroll.”
“And the Prophet?”
“Dispose of him.”
“And Justin?”
“Kill him,” Lance says strictly.
Justin continues to walk down the street quickly as his stride turns to a quick jog. He just wanted to get as far away from Lance as possible. Something about him scared him now. Something wasn’t right. He looks across the street quickly as a group of hooded figures gathered around something. There was yelling going on amongst the cloaked figures as something fought in the center of them all. Justin stops suddenly and stares as a young lanky brunette man sticks his head out of the group. He begins to yell out and curse as they grab at him strongly. Justin stares at him quickly as he somehow frees his arms and begins to fight back at the group. It had to be six to one by what Justin could see. He didn’t understand why the young man just didn’t run off. Then he heard the scream…the female scream from inside the group of people. And then it all clicked. The young man was the young man who he saw with the girl the other day and that meant that the girl was somewhere within the group of cloaked figures.
The sound of engines is heard though as a car flies down the street towards them and stops only a foot a way from the group. Four of the six-cloaked figures grab onto the young man as the two others pick up the girl suddenly. Justin could see her fighting squirming to get free from their grip as they walk quickly towards the car and throw her into the back seat shutting the door quickly behind her locking her in. She was screaming madly at the top of her lungs as the car drove off quickly from the scene and the young male started to panic. He started scream and thrash his body around trying to get free. Justin watches with wide eyes as a cycle comes screaming down the street towards the group then. The same green glow illuminates the bottom as the cycle drives towards the group not slowing down as it sideswipes a few of the young people. That was enough for the young man to get free and he went racing off down the street in the direction the car went. The cycle goes flying after him and catches up to him easily as the driver throws him onto the cycle.
Justin shakes his head and tears his eyes away from the scene as he makes his way back down the sidewalk once again. He needed to get back to the apartment and fast. Everything inside his body was telling him to. Something was wrong…every very wrong.
“They took her. They took her!” Jackson yells out as tears stream down his face and the Brower’s stare at him with sad expressions on their faces.
“Calm down Jackson,” Kevin says softly.
“THEY TOOK HER!” Jackson yells at Kevin falling back onto the couch and covering his face with his hands sobbing quietly.
AJ stares at him and shakes his head.
“Let him calm down,” Kevin says to the others as he walks away from Jackson, “Make sure he doesn’t leave. He’ll try too,” he says quietly to Xander as he walks by him as Xander nods in reply.
“Poor kid,” AJ says following after Kevin into the kitchen.
Kevin nods in reply sighing, “I don’t know what’s running through his head now.”
“He’ll try and go after her?”
“I guarantee it,” Kevin says to him.
AJ shakes his head, “You saw him on the street after it happened?”
Kevin nods, “I got there after they took her. Seconds too late.”
“They would have gotten her anyway,” AJ says.
Kevin shakes his head, “She still would have had a chance.”
“You can’t do anything about it now can you?”
Kevin shakes his head, “I don’t even know who they were only they were all in black cloaks.”
“Those kids in cloaks are everywhere,” AJ says, “They’re killing everyone in sight too. It’s not just Halfling against Human now.”
“Something worse?” Kevin asks as his purple eyes flash.
AJ nods.
“He’s going to try something stupid,” Kevin says in reference to Jackson, “I know it.”
“He loves her,” AJ says shrugging.
“He won’t be able to get her back if he’s dead.”
AJ nods.
Kevin shakes his head though thinking about it.
“Why would they take her though?” AJ asks looking at him intently as his red eyes burn brightly.
“They know something we didn’t,” Kevin sighs.
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know. I just know that Pilar saw things when she slept and I’m guessing they had a valuable meaning.”
“But doesn’t he see things too?” AJ asks.
Kevin nods.
“Then why only take her?”
“I don’t know,” Kevin says shaking his head.
“Are you going to look for her?”
Kevin nods, “Once he comes down we will.”
AJ nods in agreement.
“I’m just wondering where Eli is,” Kevin says puzzled, “He is always with Jackson and Pilar and now he isn’t.”
“You don’t think he’s…”
“Dead…no.”
“You sure?”
“Yes,” Kevin says, “That much I’m sure of. I just need to ask Jackson once he calms down to be completely sure.”
“KEVIN!” Jordan yells running in.
“What?” Kevin asks.
“There…there…it’s raining fire,” Jordan says.
“What?” Kevin says walking out of the kitchen quickly followed by AJ and Jordan. Kevin looks at one of the television screens that showed the surface above them as small clumps of fire and stone strike the ground and buildings.
“My God,” AJ says.
“Jesus Stanton and Cole are out in that,” Xander says.
“Look at that,” Stanton says sticking his head out of the window of the abandoned 7-11 and watching the fire fall from the skies.
Brian stares at it with wide eyes along with Cole beside him and the girl whose name was Evie.
“This is insane,” Cole says watching it then walking over to his cycle that was sitting in the middle of the store next to Stanton’s where they had cleared room for them.
Only minutes before the fire stared to fall did they come across the 7-11 and decided to stop and rest. They had been going on for too long now and decided to stop for something to eat and possibly take a nap if they could get comfortable. Call it a clairvoyant perception from Brian who had asked them to stop if you want. He had been making enough of them already. Now though…now they were staring up at the heavens as it spit fire down onto the earth. The only thing was that nothing was catching on fire. Not one single thing was burning from the flames falling onto it. To though it didn’t make them wonder much now. They had come to expect strange things since this had all started. Blood rain, hail and then falling fire. When were the locusts and gnats going arrive?
