(Quintiles 29, 59 / 5:21PM)

(Gwen) Finally, we reached the bar! Why do you always get lost in terms of driving? I know you’re a good driver, but tell me.

(Jack) I don’t know, every building seems the same to me…

A brown van parked near the front of a rundown bar.

The bar was brown and wooden, with the windows having a yellowish tint and some breaks in between the glass.

Jack, Benn, and Gwen got out from the front, their eyes peering at the old building from top to bottom. Benn, his nose sniffing the air that came from the bar, pinched his nose with his right hand.

Jack stood next to Benn, his eyes sharpening towards Benn as he folded his arms.

(Jack) Stop overreacting man, it’s just alcohol!

(Benn) I hate alcohol.

(Jack) Then why did you come here in the first place?

(Benn) You guys forced me.

(Gwen) Haha … nobody didn’t force you, Benn.

Gwen walked towards the back of the van, having a little hop in between trying to get to the door. Punching the numbers of the lock, Gwen heard a little unlock sound from the back, giving her a chance to open the back of the van.

Turning her head towards Benn as she opened the back of the van, she straightened her back as she pulled out the door.

(Gwen) You just went with us because you didn’t want to be all alone.

And out the back, four dark angels and four behind-the-scenes soldiers piled out. On the left side from first to last were Miles, Hope, Luke, and Luna. And on the right side was Stan, Gary, Diego, and Fred.

(Gwen) Alright little maggots, time to party!

With the big group of young adults walking towards the old bar, Gwen was the first of the group that was leading the charge.

The rest of the young adults noticed the geriatric building in front of them, its age showing the paint dissolving and the outside walls slowly crumbling. Gary let out a loud sigh, putting his right hand behind his head as he rubbed it back and forth.

(Gary) This is the place? It looks old and rundown.

(Diego) Hey, don’t judge a book by its cover. Maybe the inside isn’t that bad…

Reaching the old door, the dark angels noticed the hinges on the verge of letting loose, the rustiness of the screws on the corners of the woodwork. Gwen gently pushed the door, easily swinging it open as she held the door for the others.

(Gwen) Be careful when opening the door, it’s a little loose. The owner will have a cow if it breaks.

As the dark angels moved their way toward the inside of the bar, they took in the smell of beer and whiskey roaming the air around them.

(Gary) Don’t judge a book by its cover my ass.

Many beer bottles were riddling the wooden floors, with many of the beers causing permanent damage to the wood. The tables were filled with trash and garbage that hadn’t been picked up, crumbs upon crumbs of bread found on every table.

Chairs were turned upside down, with some of their legs about to break open as the wood from them looked as if it might break if a feather was on top of it.

Everyone besides Gwen pushed back their faces, taking a couple of steps back as the ugly sight of pure trash roamed every corner of the bar.

(Miles) Isn’t there another bar we could go to?

(Gwen) Most of the bars in this hour of the day are jam-packed with businessmen. It would take forever to get a seat, and you know how angry businessmen get when they’re drunk.

(Stan) True … but at this rate, I’ll take the angry businessmen. Most of them couldn’t punch to save their lives.

Finding 12 bar stools that seemed the most operable compared to the wooden chairs, the dark angels settled themselves onto them, facing the cocktail table in front of them. Noticing that the bar owner hadn’t made an appearance yet, Benn looked towards Gwen, his face turning much bluer than it already was.

(Gwen) What’s wrong Benn? Feeling blue? I mean, you are kind of blue, to begin with.

(Benn) I feel like throwing up.

(Gwen) Come on…. Just please suck it up for once? You kind of need to get used to the smell

(Benn) sighs … I’ll try.

The dark angels farthest from the front entrance were Gwen, followed by Benn, Hope, Luke, Luna, Jack, Miles, Stan, Fred, Gary, and Diego, all in respective order.

While Luke was sitting in between Hope and Luna, he heard a little knocking down near his feet, the wood being stepped on by something tiny. Looking down, he searched for the source of the little light taps, his face starting to be coated with sweat.

Until he noticed a small insect right next to his right foot.

Letting out a yelp, Luke instantly fell out of his barstool, crawling backward rapidly on the alcohol-ridden wooden floor. Despite his tailbone aching from the pain of falling, he put his entire body weight on it, ignoring the pain as he focused his undivided attention on the foul creature.

Everybody turned toward where Luke was, with most of the men starting to laugh as they held their stomachs, slapped their knees, or even both.

(Jack) Haha… I guess cockroaches beat you 14 to 0.

(Miles) hehe … Don’t worry, cockroaches are more afraid of you than you are afraid of them.

(Fred’s thoughts) I guess being a soldier doesn’t make you immune to past phobias…

Hope stood up from her seat, walking towards Luke who was drenched in cold sweat. Turning around to get to his back, she crouched down, her legs keeping in place as she put her body close to Luke. Putting her hands on his lower back, a yellowish light came from her hands.

This yellowish light, caused a sense of relief and contentment in Luke, making his hands lay flat on the ground. His legs were quivering and seemed to lay motionless, his breathing that became irregular turned to normal, and his heart that wanted to pump out of his chest remained solid in its pleasant state.

Turning his head towards Hope, he gave her a shy nod as he looked down onto the ground, not making eye contact as his cheeks flustered a bright red.

(Luke) T-thanks…

Hope then pulled back her hands, standing up as she gently looked at Luke. Extending her hand, she made sure her hand was within reach of Luke’s, her face making a warm smile as her blue eyes looked at his red eyes.

Taking her hand, Luke stood up, wiping off the dirt and groin from his back legs and bottom. Seeing that Luke was calm yet nervous, Hope as well avoided eye contact, looking down as her cheeks as well started to fluster.

(Hope) No problem…

Meanwhile, Luna eyed the cockroach with malicious intent, her eyes bloodshot as she eyed the creature. Using her left leg to steady herself, she lifted her right leg to perform a brutal curb stomp.

(Luna) Eat boot!

Putting all the strength in her body onto her right leg thigh and foot, she then pushed her foot onto the cockroach, creating an immense stomp as her foot hit the wooden floor.

The shockwave of the stomp caused the entire bar to shake quietly, as the beer bottles from the other side of the cocktail table gently shook. From the epicenter, Luna’s stomp seemed as if the wind was bending towards Luna’s will.

Taking her foot out, she noticed that she created a big hole in the wooden floor, the hole leading to a patch of infertile dirt.

(Gwen) Aww Luna… you know you’re going to have to pay for the damages right?

(Luna) Don’t care. That stupid bartender should’ve taken better pest control.

With a giant hole underneath Luke’s seat, he made his way towards his barstool. As his breath started to slow more, Luke sat on the barstool in between both Luna and Hope again.

Gwen then noticed that despite the commotion Luna created, the bar owner was nowhere to be seen. Putting a hand on her cheek, she stood up from her barstool and pushed in her seat. Putting her hand in the air, she clenched her hand into a fist, looking at everyone as they continued to talk.

(Gwen) Hello! Can I make an announcement?!

Everyone turned their heads towards Gwen, their ears perking up as their bodies leaned into the cocktail table. Seeing that they were awaiting her announcement, Gwen cleared her throat and placed both hands together behind her back.

(Gwen) I’ll be the one making drinks! I hope I can make some killer beer for you guys!

(Everyone) Oh no…

______________________________________________________________________________

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(Quintiles 29, 59 / 5:54PM)

(Gwen) Ahahaha … hiccup … So how's the alcohol…?

(Miles) Oh man … I feel heavy…

(Jack) Damn … what did Gwen put in this stuff…?

(Stan) Yeah … I’m going to take a break.

(Gary) Oh shit … oh my head …

(Diego) hiccup … I’m a pony!

(Fred) Ahahaha … Gemma? Gemma I’m sorry … I’m sorry—whoop—ow!

(Luna) Can you all … hiccup … shut up! I’m going to sleep…

(Hope) snores…

Both Benn and Luke looked at one another, giving each other a silent nod as Benn pinched his nostrils shut. Meanwhile, Luke gulped as he had his right hand on a bottle of beer, a beer that Gwen brewed by herself.

Silently, Luke’s temples started to roll down a couple of drops of sweat, his hand cupping the bottle tightly. Looking back to his drink, he licked his lips to make them moist, his hand gently shaking the bottle as his eyes remained focused on the drink.

(Luke’s thoughts) I know it’s been a year ago, but I think I could take a shot … nah … I can’t do it…

Putting the bottle down, he folded his arms as he crouched down to where his elbows were resting upon the cocktail table. Benn, who continued to watch Luke try and fail to drink the bottle, looked toward the bottles of beer that rested on the back wall.

(Benn) Don’t worry Fenix. There’s nothing wrong with being sober.

(Luke) F-Fenix?

(Benn) That’s your last name.

(Luke) But usually, everybody calls me Luke though.

(Benn) I call kids by their last name, and my superiors by their first.

(Luke) Oh… w-why?

(Benn) Sometimes, kids can be level-headed. Sometimes, adults can act childish.

Gwen kept on clutching her hand to her stomach, her lungs coughing out laughter as she continued to slap her knee with her other hand. With Gwen being drunk, Luke stood up to check on her, tears coming down her face as her smile reached the tips of her ears.

(Luke) Hey Gwen. Gwen!

Tugging her shoulder with his right hand, Gwen looked up to see Luke, her laughing position continuing to remain on her face as her eyes grazed upon Luke’s.

(Gwen) What is it, soldier? Pfft … soldier … hahahaha … oh man … hiccup … you know, if you weren’t as young as my brother, I would’ve been all over you … but I ain’t no cougar, nope, nada, unlike a certain someone … hiccup.

(Luna) Shut up! Burp … I ain’t a cougar … it’s just-just-just a preference…

(Luke) Here, let me help you, Gwen.

Both women being drunk, Luke then put both of his hands on Gwen’s arms, trying to hold her up as her knees began to buckle. Despite being drunk, Gwen took a couple of steps back, her eyes focusing on Luke’s face as she made a smug grin.

(Gwen) At ease soldier! Say soldier … no … L-L-Luke! What’s your dream?

(Luke) D-Dream?

(Gwen) Your goal?

Her legs still being buckled, Gwen used Luke’s arms as a way to not fall.

Luke, still having his hands on her, looked towards the bottles of alcohol and beer, his face putting on a frown as he pushed his face down.

(Luke’s thoughts) Come to think of it, what have I been doing all this time? I promised mom that I’d live. I promised myself to get stronger and become a soldier, so what other goal or promise will I take upon…?

Luke looked back toward Gwen, his eyes sharpened as he held a firm grip on Gwen’s forearms.

(Luke) I don’t know, but all I could do was be the best soldier that you could have.

As if Gwen woke up from her drunken state, her knees began to unbuckle as she heard Luke’s goal. Letting go of Luke’s hands, she put them down towards her hips, her eyes looking down at the ground as her hands began to shake firmly.

(Gwen) But why that goal?

(Luke) I want to be a soldier through and through. I’m not strong, I don’t have the best blessing in terms of attack, and I’m pretty sure I’m the weakest in terms of strength. So, being your best soldier is my only choice.

The only one who overheard Luke and Gwen’s conversation was Jack, his ears perking up as his face narrowed at the two of them.

(Gwen) Why just be a soldier? Lazing around and waiting for another raid to drop by? Why can’t you just be a—

(Jack) I know this may sound stupid, but do you want to know my goal?

Jack then stood up, barely keeping his legs straight as he wobbled gently. Looking around to see that everyone was groggily looking at him, except for Luke and Benn, he then patted his chest two times.

(Jack) I plan to just laze around and be a soldier. I mean, I don’t like working, so being a normal soldier would be good enough for a person like me.

Upon hearing Jack’s goal, everyone let off a chuckle. Luke and Gwen, who were inside the bar area, held each other as they let off a light chuckle, her right arm wrapped around Luke’s nape.

Jack, however, wasn’t too pleased by this, as he clenched his fists with his face flustering like a tomato.

(Jack) S-Shut up! Being a soldier is all I’m good for!

Jack then sat back down towards his barstool, putting his head beneath his arms as he pretended to fall asleep.

Stan and his friends looked at one another, their eyes pungy and red as the alcohol still affected them. Putting their forearms on the cocktail table, the men lifted their faces towards Jack and the others, turning their whole bodies so that their backs were leaning on the edge of the table.

(Stan) Well, if we’re talking about goals, then I guess mine’s pretty simple too. What I want is for Fred, Gary, and Diego to keep on making inventions.

(Gary) Same. For me, I just want to build the biggest and most baddest bomb. It wouldn’t hurt me, would it?

(Diego) I’m not really into inventions, but I’m more of an engines type of guy. I want to create the best engine this world has ever seen!

(Fred) This may sound cheesy but, I want to perfect the best weapon, by using both my fighting style and also Gemmas…

Miles, who was next to them, also stood up. Clearing his throat, like Jack, he thumped his chest twice, noticing everyone’s eyes on him as he straightened his back similar to Jack.

(Miles) Same as Stan and it may sound cheesy too, but what I want is to make sure that everyone is alive and well, that includes Stan’s group too.

(Stan) Thanks.

Miles turned his attention towards Benn, who still had his nostrils closed as he made eye contact with him. Gesturing for Benn to come up, he shook his head no, keeping his mouth shut as he didn’t want the spotlight on him.

Miles let out a rough sigh, putting his hands to his waist as he turned his attention towards Luna.

(Miles) Hey Luna, what’s your goal?

Despite laying on the wooden floor wanting to take an evening nap, she opened her eyes as Miles directed the floor to her. Having a couple of veins sprouting out of her forehead, she started to deathly glare at him.

(Luna) My goal? Why do you want to know?

(Miles) There’s nothing wrong with explaining your goals. At least something that you’re striving to get to.

Putting her right hand on her chin, she looked towards the ceiling as her left hand formed a fist and she started to clench tightly. Soon enough, more bulging veins started to form on her forehead and neck, her eyes glaring at the wooden ceiling.

Noticing this, Miles took a step back as a single drop of sweat leaked out of his right template.

(Luna) All I want is to find the bastard that killed my father and brothers. I know … I know he’s out there somewhere, and when I find him … and when I kill him … I’ll be whole again.

Silence fell upon the room.

Not even Gwen let out a muffled voice, her eyes looking down towards the semi-drunken Luna who lay on the dirty wooden floor.

Hope, who woke up when Jack delivered his goal, stood up from her barstool and looked towards Luna with pathetic eyes. Steadying herself from her tired state, she looked around the room.

(Hope) To me, all I want is to help people in need. With my power, I can give out miracles to people, but I know I can’t just heal everyone, otherwise, I’ll deplete my stamina… So I'll help in whatever way I can!

Putting her arms and fists upwards, her face had a sense of determination as her face sharpened towards Luke, despite barely waking up from her little nap. Luke, who felt as if her words were directed towards him, looked away nervously.

Meanwhile, Gwen walked towards the center of the bar, her walk childish as she was then surrounded by all of her soldiers and other combatants.

(Gwen) Guess it’s my turn huh? Well, my goal is sort of weird.

Straightening her back, she thumped her chest twice, looking around the room to see that everyone had their eyes peeled on her.

(Gwen) All I want in life … is to go to Paradise.

(Everyone) What?

Everyone tilted their heads, with many of them putting their hands towards their chins or their hands rubbing the back of their heads. Seeing that they were all still lost, Gwen slightly crouched as she stood.

(Gwen) In terms of Paradise, I want a place where we can have fun together without the supervision of Boris and the other adults. Think about it, we’re strong, we’re fighters, we’re soldiers! We could handle anything! But don’t you all want to just escape from it all?!

A reverb service bell sounded within Luke’s heart.

(Luke’s thoughts) Wait, wait, wait … something isn’t right…

With his blessing activated, he looked around the room with sweat-drenched all across his face.

(Gwen) So once we have enough money, we could all just move elsewhere and make ourselves our community. A community with just us, and if we managed to bump into other people, they could join in as well.

Luke continued to look around for anything suspicious, his eyes wandering the old bar as his breathing became more frigid. Putting his hand to his heart, he kept on looking and looking until…

Another reverb service bell rang again.

(Luke’s thoughts) What’s going on? Where is the threat coming from?

Luke then turned his head towards where the door to the back was, a dark figure peeking its head out the door. Squinting his eyes through the dimly lit bar, he saw bony hands clinging to the door frame as the person popped out its face.

It had no eyes, and it smiled, with steam escaping out of its body.

(Luke) DUCK!!

Unfortunately, not everyone was quick enough to sense the coming danger.

The entire bar exploded upon itself, with the debris of wood and stone raining down on the dark angels.