(Quintiles 29, 59 / 6:32PM)

(The Destroyed Bar)

In the remnants of a bar, 11 people sat and rested on the debris-ridden floor, their body odor ever-present as they all looked up at the evening sky.

While the background far in the distance contained many explosions and gunshots, screams and shouts were heard not too far from their location. Perking their ears up, they had no choice but to endure the sounds of people’s tears and desperation, their eyes closing at the lives they let go of.

(Gwen) sniff sniff…

(Miles) Are you still sad about us going off on you? It was your fault that you let them get away.

(Gwen) But … sniff … I said I was sorry…

Sitting on top of the rubble, Gwen had her knees tucked in as her arms wrapped around her legs, putting her head on her knees. While in that position, Gwen sniffed in intervals, the running water from her nose dripping onto her black pants.

Squinting their eyes, everyone else saw this embarrassing display, as Gwen looked around with her eyes and nose bright red. Benn, folding his arms, walked towards the freckled woman who looked up towards him.

(Benn) You’re acting childish. Stop acting like a little kid.

Gwen turned her head to her right side, pouting as her eyes remained closed. Clenching her stomach and chest, she slightly leaned back as the center of focus of sitting was now onto her tailbone.

(Gwen) I-I’m not a little kid…

(Benn) Yet you always act like this.

(Luna) Can you just get her ass up? She’s being annoying.

Luna remained halfway between the others and Miles and Stan, her hands on her hips as she focused her glare on Gwen. As her chest continued to heave heavy breaths, Luna managed to stand normally, her feet steady on the unbalanced floor.

Gwen, looking towards her direction, stopped her pouting as her eyes started to swell up with tears again, her nose sniffling more as she hugged her legs tightly.

(Gwen) Stop being mean to me! Why do you act like this?

(Luna) Cause you’re a pain in the ass! Just get up and give us orders, you idiot! Why do we have to clean up your messes that you failed to clean up?

(Luke) Luna.

Luke put his hand on Luna’s left shoulder, his smooth palms rubbing the material of Luna’s leather jacket. His voice is as gentle as a Tician black bear, he looked towards Luna who had her face turned towards him, his fingertips etched onto her shoulder.

(Luke) Please calm down. Let me talk to her.

Feeling Luke’s hand, her eyes narrowed toward Luke’s pushed-down face. Quickly, she put her hands into her jacket’s pockets and turned her head the other way as she avoided making eye contact.

(Luna) W-Whatever… just get her up…

Letting go of her shoulder, Luke had both of his hands down as he walked across the debris-ridden wooden floor. He took note of the amount of wood and dust that scattered in his way, his boots having tiny scrapes as the shards of wood cut through the black leather.

Steadily, he reached towards Miles and Benn who were right in front of the childish freckled woman, their hands folded as they looked down at her. Placing himself in between them, Luke crouched down to where both his and her eyes were at the same eye level.

(Luke) Don’t worry, they don’t mean nothing by it. It’s not your fault, sometimes people can get caught up in the moment.

Gwen decreased her sniffling as her body began to loosen. Swiping away her bodily fluids from her nose with her right arm, she brought it back towards her knees, continuing to cradle herself.

(Gwen) But why are they being mean? I saved them but they treated me like some idiot.

(Luke) Hey…

Putting his hands on her shoulders, he gently rubbed his thumb across the black leather on her jacket, his touch causing her body to relax as her stomach and chest were uncontracted.

(Luke) You’re not an idiot. You may be slow but you’re not that. They’re just cranky that you let the enemies get away, enemies that could’ve killed them easily.

Gwen looked up to see Benn and Miles continuing to fold their arms.

Turning away from Miles and Benn, she saw the other Dark Angel members and Stan’s group continuing to rest as they either looked up towards the sky or looked down towards the floor full of debris.

Yet Gwen still held onto her knees tightly.

(Gwen) But I saved them, Luke… Aren’t I strong?

Luke then stood up steadily as the debris caused his feet to unbalance himself. Making his way towards Gwen’s back, Luke slightly tread the rubble of debris as he managed to reach Gwen’s back.

Meanwhile, Gwen turned her gaze onto her hands, looking at the rough scales of her palms as she ignored the razor blade scars on her wrist.

(Gwen) I’m a leader, but I’m slow. I’m slow yet I give orders. Strength is the only thing I have but people—

Luke crouched down near her back, placing his knees onto the ground as his arms were down, his knuckles feeling the hardness of the wooden debris. Despite the debris causing his knees to shiver from the unconformity, Luke extended his arms.

(Gwen) Huh?

Luke wrapped his arms gently around Gwen, his hands reaching her knees as his muscular yet slim chest gave her back a sense of comfort.

Turning her head to where her head was inches away from his, Gwen’s eyes started to twitch as water started to form within them. Being hugged tightly, his arms giving her a sense of comfort, led Gwen to…

Roll down a single tear from her right eye.

(Luke) You are strong. Much stronger than anyone else in this room. You may be the slowest in brain power, the most careless fighter, but…

Placing his hands onto Gwen’s hands, he slowly rubbed them as he gently looked at her face with a warm smile.

(Luke) You saved my life, so in my book, I guess that makes you my hero.

Gwen let go of her knees that she cuddled with, her hands being placed onto the debris-ridden floor. As her legs lay across the debris, with wooden shards pinching her legs, Gwen looked down at the ground, her eyes barely containing tears that she wanted to let out.

Luke slowly placed his hands on Gwen’s lower neck, not putting his arms on her chest as his breathing remained calm.

(Gwen) I understand…

Gwen put her right knee on the ground, using her left leg to stabilize her body. With the push of her other leg, she got both feet on the unstable ground as she straightened her back and head. Cupping her hands on her mouth, she spread her feet a couple of inches from the sides.

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(Gwen) Attention everyone! Please gather around me!

Both Miles and Benn turned their backs as they saw the other seven adults walking towards her. With their feet barely able to cover the uncharted debris around them, they all managed to move in a crowd as they were all right in front of her.

Their eyes focused on Gwen, who still had red eyes and a red nose ever present on her face, they all folded their arms and perked up their ears as their bodies slightly leaned towards her.

(Gwen’s thoughts) I guess that works too…

(Gwen) Sorry if I acted childish. I guess I should’ve known you guys aren’t as strong as me in terms of dealing with those monsters. And I guess I have been careless in terms of fighting, so…

Gwen then placed her left hand onto Luke’s back, her rough hand scaling the contents of the same fabric that she and the Dark Angels wore. With a small thrust, Gwen pushed her arm with little strength, his body almost collapsing as he slowly steadied his feet again.

(Gwen) This young man here, you know him, you love him, is going to be our little planner as we track down those four liches. Any questions?

Fred, who was in the back of the small crowd, raised his hand high, his smooth palms gleaming in the evening light. Because of this, everyone’s eyes remained focused on the young man with silver hair, making Gwen squint her eyes as Fred was in the back of everyone.

(Gwen) What do you need, Freddy?

(Fred) Can I … can I …

Fred’s left hand trembled as he looked down onto the debris-ridden floor, causing Gwen to tilt her head to her right.

But Fred put down his left hand, with both of his hands forming well-tightened fists that slowly turned his hands white.

(Fred) May I plan with Luke too ma’am!

Bowing down at a 90-degree angle, Fred placed both of his fists on his thighs as he displayed the Clastine bow.

Everyone made room for him as he did his gesture, their eyes turning towards Gwen as she put her hands onto her hips. The corners of her lips made a warm smile, similar to the one that Luke used with her, bobbing her head down to gesture a simple nod.

(Gwen) Sure, you all could plan out the details, but Fred…

Gwen then walked towards Fred, her boots dragging on the wooden floor as she made her way towards him. Still having her hands on her hips, she placed her right hand on his left shoulder.

(Gwen) Can I borrow something for a second?

______________________________________________________________________________

(The Adult Lounge)

The room was filled with the moisture of two fights that lay there, the humidity making the crevices of the walls and even the ceiling start to sweat.

Papers, wood pieces, glass shards, and a couple of chairs were out of place as four people remained in that room.

Two people were on opposite sides, with the ones near the front door both an adult male and an adult female, while the other ones in the back were an adult male elf and a girl.

Jerry continued to wither on the ground, clutching his cheek as his body twitched from the overload of his nervous system.

(Jerry’s thoughts) I can’t move my mouth…

Both of his hands occupied the bruised area, feeling the squishiness of his right cheek as his legs flailed, hitting the ground many times with his feet.

(Jerry’s thoughts) Hope…

He placed the left side of his face on the ground, caressing the rich wood as it caused him to relax his body more. Yet still, the deeply bruised area continued agonizing him as his fingers dug deep into the outer layers of the bruise.

(Jerry’s thoughts) I need Hope …

A small girl came by, her footsteps slow and quiet.

Looking upwards at the small figure looking down at him, Jerry’s eyes squinted as he took note of the pigtails of the girl followed by her youthful face.

(Jerry’s thoughts) Loraine…

Loraine’s chest thumped loudly as her breathing was irregular, as well as her arms remained motionless as they quivered under the immense strain. Oxygen on her legs was low, causing them to shake as her knees were on the verge of buckling.

But Loraine crouched down towards Jerry, her eyes remaining up as her breath was hot and sticky. Still having marks of saliva and spit on her mouth, Jerry narrowed his eyes more as Loraine’s eyes were on the verge of rolling back, her forehead coated with hot sweat that rolled down to her cheeks.

(Jerry’s thoughts) What does she want—Aah!

Jerry clutched his right cheek again as another bolt of pain flinched his nerves, causing him to grind his teeth together.

Loraine slowly placed her hand into her jacket pocket, her little hand moving through the abundance of junk and objects as her eyes slightly opened wide. Feeling the abundance of glass and metal coming together, Loraine slowly pulled out her hand as she firmly held the object tightly.

(Loraine) H-Here … pants … is your medicine… pants.

Slightly squinting his eyes, he took note of a glass bottle with a metal cap. Looking more into the bottle, Jerry focused his eyes as he noticed the symbol of the bottle.

(Jerry’s thoughts) Oh shit! Not that medicine! Anything but that!

Jerry leaned his body away from the bottle, his right cheek still throbbing from pain that felt like someone was stabbing a burning knife into it.

Loraine, who noticed that Jerry didn’t want the medicine, rapidly turned the bottle cap clockwise, opening the lid as her face backed away from the smell. Smelling the foul and acidic odor coming from the bottle, the liquid started to bubble as it was exposed to oxygen.

(Loraine) You need this so the pain will stop.

(Jerry) Like hell! Ow!

(Loraine) Hehe.

With her left hand, Loraine grabbed Jerry’s hair as she held the bottle with her right hand. Bringing his head closer, she made sure that his cheek was wide open, and with the thrust of her right hand.

(Loraine) Clear!

Dumped the entire load of the bubbly and acidic liquid onto Jerry’s right cheek, the area of the bruised area starting to sizzle with steam coming out of it.

(Jerry) AAAAAAAHHH!!!!

His body twitched as if he was dying, his feet pounding the floor with pure strength, creating many wooden dents on the rich wood.

His throat pushed itself to the limit as he let out a frantic yell. Followed by his body being coated with an abundance of hot and cold sweat, his breathing intensified as his chest and stomach clenched from the medicine’s doings.

(Loraine) Stop being a baby.

Jerry continued to tear his vocal cords from his overbearing yelling, his right cheek still steaming as the bruised area slowly started to turn back to normal.

Feeling the burning sensation of his cheek slowly dissipating, Jerry frantically put both his hands on his cheek, his cheek returned to its normal state.

Noticing that the acidic burn also went away, Jerry put his hands to the ground as his face looked towards Loraine.

(Jerry) You didn’t have to put in the whole bottle!

(Loraine) But you’re now better.

His hands started to shake, his eyes twitching as veins started to form on his elf ears. Seeing Jerry steaming not from the bottle but from himself, Loraine got up and she let out a goofy smile, the corner of her lips reaching her ears as she opened her eyes wide.

(Loraine) Baby!

(Jerry) strained … Lorraine …!

Holding back himself, he slowly inhaled in and out, his lungs feeling the breath of more fresh air.

As his eyes started to expand more, leading him to see more clearly, Jerry saw from his peripheral vision David and Jenny, the two gently resting on the other side of the room.

(Jerry’s thoughts) Oh good, they’re both still alive.

Standing up slowly, he put his right hand on his cheek, rubbing his sweaty and stick palms on it despite the pain being long gone. Moving his legs forward, he slowly made his way toward the one nearest to him, a woman with glasses and monolid eyes.

Seeing some of the wooden floor being cut up by chains, Jerry took note of the many slashing of objects such as a dresser, followed by the cuts of a metal chair in the middle of the room.

(Jerry’s thoughts) I wonder what happened during their fight.

Jerry stood in front of Jenny, his arms remaining in place as he moved his face downwards onto the ponytailed beauty. Crouching down, his face was on the same level as hers as he extended his hands towards Jenny’s shoulders.

Jenny only stared as her mouth was agape.

(Jerry) Jenny … are you ok? What happened to that man? Did he hurt you?

Jenny’s eyes were soulless as her arms and legs laid on the floor. With a sigh, Jerry slightly tugged her shoulders to get her head in a straight position.

(Jerry) Please, Jenny, I need to know. Whatever he is, we’ll get him for sure.

(David) You don’t want to know Jerry, nor will you ever get to him.

David got behind Jerry, his eyes on the back of Jerry’s head as he had his hands and arms motionless like Jenny. Turning his head, Jerry’s eyes locked onto David’s, causing Jerry’s mouth to quiver.

(Jerry) What do you mean I don’t want to know? He hurt Jenny so I’m not going to sit back and watch! Even if he overpowered you of all—

(David) You’ll get slaughtered the moment he gets serious. Trust me, he’s not as weak as he looks…

Jerry stood up instantly, his hands forming into fists. Despite David being the shorter man, David remained calm, with his breathing regular and his hands continuing to remain still.

(David) You’re not thinking straight Jerry. You never beat me in hand-to-hand combat, hell, you never beat me when it comes to gun accuracy or speed.

(Jerry) So!?

(David) Even if I go with you, I doubt we’ll be able to get him fairly.

Jerry continued to tower over David, his fists shaking. His breathing became more irregular, followed by the way Jerry’s eyes started to turn bloodshot red.

(Jerry) Does it look like I give a rat’s ass if he’s stronger!? I’m facing him whether you like it or not!

(Jenny) Jerry…

Jerry instantly looked towards where Jenny was, his furious stance still on him as he gazed upon Jenny’s face. Her face was tattered with cold tears, her cheeks strawberry red.

(Jenny) Please don’t go…

From those words, Jerry’s ears that were turning a deep crimson red ceased to go back to normal, and his mouth slightly opened as he took a step back. Followed by his hands allowing the gravity to be pulled to the ground, Jerry looked down as his entire body felt as if an anvil was weighing down on him.

Avoiding David’s eyes combined with Jenny’s, Jerry looked towards the broken window.

(Jerry) Pedro got Boris…

Both David’s eyes and Jenny’s lit up, their eyes wide as beads of sweat started to drip down from their temples.

David walked closer to where Jerry was, his breathing more out of pace as he put his hand on Jerry’s right shoulder.

(David) Say what?

(Jerry) Boris got kidnapped.

David glanced around the room as there was no sign of Boris, the dark room starting to deeply settle in. As his face started to be coated with sweat, David tightened his grip on Jerry, his eyes peering behind Jerry’s head.

(David) So how do we find him?

The phone from the back of the room rang.

Everyone, including Jenny and Loraine, turned to see the black phone that was hanging on a wall vibrating.