The months flew by; their way of life had become second nature. Around a low wooden table, as they ate, sat Nathan, Hailey, Elaine, Warden, Drake, Josh, and Oren.

The months had seen them each grow on the other; they'd become much like family, especially for the ones who had none.

"Hey, where'd you get this?" Warden inquires, shooting Nathan a glance,

"Carpentry class"

"You actually attended that thing?" Warden inquires with surprise,

"Why not? I get to make free furniture and get grades." Nathan replies

"Well, when you put it that way...."

"How come you two are always here, by the way?" Elaine inquires about looting to Oren and Hailey.

"I'm here for Nathan," Oren replies.

"I'm here for, well,..." Hailey stutters, shooting Nathan, whose attention was far from present, several glances.

Quickly picking up on her wordless answer, she concedes, "Evening is quick to fall, and Warden Nathan and Elaine find themselves in Nathan's room.

"So why'd you call us here?" Elaine inquires, looking to Warden,

"You've been eating less, haven't you?" He questions

"I'm on a di..."

"I'll get a job," he interjects, cutting her off.

"Here," Nathan states nonchalantly, pulling out a heavy bundle of cash,

"Where the hell did you get this?" The two shout in unison,

"You don't have to worry about that, just take it and think of it as my rent."

"I..i..thank you," Elaine replies, "but how did you do it?" She begins only to be interrupted as Nathan yawns loudly and lays down on his sleeping mat,

"This prick!" Warden grins, "C'mon, Elly!"

"Don't call me that prison guard," she quips, causing the two to burst into a fit of laughter.

Midnight approaches quickly and just before it does Nathan, who'd made sure the rest were asleep, stealthily exits the building with a bag in hand. He arrives at the deeper ends of the city's rural area, keeping keen watch over his surroundings as he walks up to an old truck before dropping to his knee and opening the bag; in it is a pick set he'd stolen from an engineer recently, and within the set is a rather recent master key picker. Pulling the key with a contraption the rough length of his forearm behind it, he gets to picking the lock and after several minutes hearing his desired click, he drives off as quietly as the noise of the truck allows, he a, he a, he a, he a, he is a, he is a, he is a, he hast, he gets to he gets to he gets to he gets to, he is, and after, he is

(Something's not right.) For a man who'd spent years in the wilderness and survived the life he'd lived, he had absolute belief in his instincts and believed it was better to overreact than be caught lacking.

Nathan reignites his truck much to the mild surprise of the other waiting jackers and the few who'd stayed inside their respective vehicles, pulling out, he reverses and zooms into the distance, glancing at his side mirror, when a number of undercover agents start subduing the other jackers, knowing they'd have police cars on him. Nathan accelerates into the nearest cluster of buildings before killing the engine and, as per his employer's orders, wiping down the steering and any contacted areas.

(There's nothing to worry about; I'm not a part of their organization; all I did was steal cars for them, and since I never got out of the car, I'm sure they didn't see me),

He takes another turn, leading him to the main road, when several police horns blare. Recalling that he still had his bag on him, he stiffens before flagging down the only cab on the now empty streets.

"What's a young man like you doing out at this hour?" The old taxi driver inquires, Nathan notices his poorly hidden suspicious gaze, and coupled with the blaring police horns, things were not looking good. Nathan met the driver's eyes through the rearview mirror, shooting him a sad smile while speaking.

"Girlfriend," he states, causing the man's hard gaze to soften.

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"Well... I don't want to pry, but I'm sure this old man can say at least this."

"Please," Nathan replies.

"Who's fault was it?"

"Mine"

"Is she worth it?"

"Yes"

"Then don't give up, but give her space."

The two conversed lightly until Nathan finally reaches his destination, a mile away from his home and within minutes he arrives at his home.

Morning comes quick, Oren and Hailey arrive at the complex before they made their way to school together as always, the girls seemed to be getting delayed by something leaving the guys to their own devices, Warden calls up Nathan's attention intent on questioning him on how he'd gotten so much money,

"We should be good for a few weeks but how the hell did you get so much money?!"

"It was a one time thing" Nathan replies stoically, "we need to start making money before it runs out" he states drawing their attention away from the main topic,

"Well i've been thinking of getting a job, part-time actually, so have the guys" Warden concludes as Drake and Josh concur,

"I...i have an idea" Oren calls,

"What's on your mind?" Warden inquires,

"Let's just skip school, it's easier to show you", Oren states looking to Nathan instinctively as the rest do the same, Nathan nods in acceptance before having Drake and Josh escort the girls safely, Oren leads the remaining two till they arrive at a relatively new apartment complex, after several flights of stairs they pause before a door,

"This is it" Oren turns towards them shooting his usual maniacal grin,

"This is what?" Warden calls now frowning

"How we get money"

"What the hell are you trying to say!, Did you just bring us here to fucking waste our time?!" Warden shouts grabbing Oren by his collar,

"I'm in"

"Nathan, what the hell is wrong with you!"

"I've lived a different life than you guys have, i know what starving is, i know what hunger, real hunger is, we don't need much except for clothes food and our fees doing this should be enough for us for months, look you don't have to do this if you don't want to" Warden froze weighing the possible alternatives, there was none.

"Fuck!, I'm in, how do we get inside?" He questions, Oren grins before sticking his hand in his pocket and pulling out a key, "got this from behind the exstiguisher",

Putting in the key he turns it smiling as the door clicks open, they file into the big appartment obviously holding several rooms and begin their search,

(What the hell am i even doing?, If i don't Elaine's going to starve if i do I'm no better than what those bastards always said i'd be), Warden grabs the door to step out but two incoming voices prompts him to dash to the guys, he opens his mouth to speak before staring momentarily at the box filled with bundles of cash,

"Well done Orem, you've got potential" Nathan states much to Oren's delight. The door's handle creaks and the guys bolt towards the guest toilet cramming themselves in as Warden leaves the door slightly open to survey the situation. A middle aged couple step through the door guardedly, as they survey the house,

"Honey call the cops!" The man states before slowly going over to pick up a long mop stick

"Shit!, We need to get out of here now!" Warden whispers harshly, Oren frowns before barging out of the toilet startling everyone present, he forces the door close as Warden attempts to follow,

"Hi Mom hi Dad" he calls as Nathan and the rest exclaim,

"What!, It was just you son?, You scared the shit out of us!" The middle aged man laughed as his mother's tense face visibly softens,

"Let me get you two something to eat" she calls before heading into.the kitchen while is father went inside to change, Oren races to the toilet door before ushering the shocked boys outside,

"Oren!" His father called seemingly having noticed his missing box, Oren who now had hold of it attempts to follow after Warden who's conscience prevents him from allowing that, Warden prevents Oren from making his exit trying to wrestle the box away from the tenacious boys hands,

"This.....is.... Nathan's....will!!" He shouts fanatically, his father comes into view shouting as he races towards the two mop stick in hand,

"Oren!" He shouts smacking the stick against and Warden who for some reason assumed Oren was the target, Oren exclaims in triumph as he finally reclaims the box, his father's assault on Warden did not stop but a well timed hit with the box to the skull drops the man unconscious, Wardens eyes shook as his breath ragged at the sight of the man laid unconscious with blood matting his tinned hair as his wife Oren's mother screamed as she ran to his feet,

"C'mon!" Oren shouts as Warden hesitantly makes his way out behind him, laughing maniacally as he and Warden meet up at an ally Wardens fist crashes against Oren who stares at him in with apperant confusion,

"What's wrong?, Aren't you happy?, With this we'll all be able to eat for the next year!" He states with pride,

"I knew you where sick in the head from the moment i met you, you might have just killed your own father and you don't even care!"

"Who the hell are you to judge me?, What have you done for Elaine who you 'like' so deeply?, You eat her food, sleep in her home, claim your some kind of protector son of the fucking avengers and sleep all day, have you ever experienced a day in my life?, Do you know what it's like being a pet? Doing everything things your asked if and it still not being enough?, Doing more than your asked for and it still not being enough?, Do you think physical abuse is the only kind of abuse there is?, I've done what i've done simply because I'm tired of being a pet, being'THERE' pet, I've never been their son!, I wish...i wish i was like you guys!, An orphan!",

"YOU BASTARD!!!" Warden screamed,

"That's enough Oren, i can't claim to understand how you feel" Nathan says interjecting, "And i understand the fact that you can't feel" Nathan continues

"What?" Warden interjects

"Alexithymia and Congenital insensitivity if i recall, right Oren?, Anyway i understand you, i do, but i think it's time you go home" Nathan concludes

"What?!" he shouts, "i can't go back there!, I don't have anywhere else to go!, please!, I'm just like you now!, I'll kill my mother too if i have to!" He shouts, Wardens fist crashes into his jaw nocking him out cold,

"Fucking piece of shit, you didn't deserve to be born, and you certainly don't deserve to have been raised with parents" Warden spat in disgust as the guys made their way away leaving Oren behind with the box amidst the nights freezing cold.