Causiously the group peddled onward.

The street beyond the tractor trailer was surprisingly free of refuse. Someone had spent a lot of effort to get the last 150 feet to the wall returned to relative norm. Things were not pushed aside as would be expected, someone actually took the time to remove everything. Even the normal trash you would expect was gone.

Getting closer, Jack sensed something move on the wall. He could see the siloette of a man. The aura was weird though. It wasn’t like any of his companions. It seemed... suppressed. The closer they got, the more detail he could see. It was a middle aged man, grey hair peeked in on his temples while the rest of his hair looked like he had had a few rough nights. The look on his face said the same. When Jack was close enough he could swear the look on the mans face was one of sadness, or maybe regret.

”Hello the wall!” Jack yelled to the man.

Bryan just looked to Jack with uncertainty. Something about this just didn’t feel right to him.

The man on the wall looked down at the four. The corners of his mouth dipped down, his eyes filled with what Jack could now see was apprehension and fear. With a frantic look at his surroundings on the wall he laid down on the wall and stuck his head over the edge as the four came right up the the wall.

”You must leave!” The man called down in hushed tones. “It isn’t safe here, just turn around and go!”

The others all looked to Jack. If the man guarding the place was warning them off, what ever was scaring him could not mean good things for them.

”Maybe we should go Jack,” Sara whispered. Fear plain on her face.

Jack looked at his companions concerned faces then closed his eyes. He activated his overdrive and tried to imagine where this was going.

What could scare this guy so bad, he thought. He’s got walls to keep people out that were obviously made by powerful people. To clean the street like that? Jack was sure had taken quite the man power behind the walls. Especially if every side street was cleared the same. It has got to be a ton of people. Or maybe it was just someone with very strong powers...

“Time to go,” Jack quickly and quietly exhaled. “Go, go, go now,” the urgency in Jacks voice was clear. They all started waddling the bikes, trying get them turned around from a stand still. The girls waited while Jack and Bryan struggled to turn the carriages. Right as they went for the peddles, they heard a voice that stopped them in their tracks.

”Ah! We have Visiters! Garret, why didn’t you signal? This is no way to treat guests!” The voice sounded like a sleezy salesman, dripping with deceit and showmanship. It reminded Jack of a late night infomercial anouncer that obviously knew the product was a sham. But it also held a certain chill that put Jack on edge. “Where are you off to?”

The girls and Bryan all looked up to see that the voice matched the man. He looked to be in his early 30s, wrinkles had started to form on his forehead and around his eyes. His long dark hair was pulled back in a pony tail, which didn’t stop him from putting something in it to make it shiny in the afternoon light. He was a skinny man, not malnourished but there definitly was a lack of muscle. He wore a black sport coat with dark red trim with a matching pocket square. His black slacks were pressed and clean, his crimson dress shirt was unbuttoned almost a quarter of the way down the shirt, spotty chest hair peeked out in patches. Black and that dark crimson red seemed to be to color scheme of his entire get up actually.

Jack glanced up and opened his mouth to respond, but Bryan beat him to it. “Oh, us? We are just out for a stroll and saw your nice wall. We came to admire it, but we’re done. Sorry to disturb you!” Catching Jacks eye, he nodded away from the wall and started peddleing away with the girls.

The others all did their best to hide their confusion at Bryan’s very out of character comment. Jack was beyond confused at his behavior but quickly understood what he was doing. He jerked the bike the last little bit around in a hurry, and started to peddle away with the others. The fact that he couldn’t sense the stranger coming made his blood run cold. He was in such a rush he didn’t even get a good look at the man with his sight.

”And where do you think you are going now?” The voice came again, the chill more prevalent then before.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Jack turned his head back towards the voice. He wanted to get a look at him with his sight and thought he could hide it in a wave goodbye. If he haven’t been attached to the carriage he would have fallen over with shock at what he saw. Black. The aura around the man was a smokey pitch black, only broken with silver threads that whipped around the core like tentacles reaching for more darkness. Jack couldn’t pull his eyes away, he was trying to comprehend what it all ment. Jack turned off his sight, not wanting to see the horrors that surrounded the man anymore. He took a second and really looked this time at his sharp angled face, something about him seemed familiar. He just couldn’t place it.

”Jack!” Rachel cried.

Jack had not been paying attention as he road and ran right into the back of Rachel’s bike. It was just the right angle to manage to knock her off the bike to the ground. She tumbled twice then quickly came to a stop, her shoulder cracked hard against the curb. There was a loud snap that could even be heard from the wall. It was quickly followed by the ear piercing scream of pain that Rachel bellowed out. Sara stopped in her tracks, dropped her bike and ran to her side, Bryan followed close behind.

Jack inwardly cursed at himself for not paying attention. Now Rachel was hurt and they hadn’t gotten fifty feet from the wall. Or from the stranger.

”Ouch that looks terrible! Here, why don’t you all come on in. I don’t know if you know this, but our world has changed. I have a friend inside that can help heal that shoulder.” The strange man just smiled, watch everything play out right into his hands. “Besides you must be exhausted after pulling such heavy carriages all day.”

Jack turned to respond and was mortified the the stranger was now casually standing in front of there group.

How did he get down here that quick? This is bad news.

“It’s ok, I c....” Sara didn’t get to finish her sentence.

“That would be great!” Jack chimed in. The last thing he wanted was for this creep to know about their powers.

Sara looked to him with confusion in here eyes. Jack just suddely shook his head.

”Ah, wonderful, wonderful!” The grin on the strangers face was ear to ear. He even bounced on the balls of his feet ever so slightly, hands folded in front of his chest. Jack could only imagine his thoughts. With his mind in overdrive there were many things that this over the top showman could want from them. What scared him more was the fact the stranger didn’t seem to be bothered by them all being armed to the teeth. He hasn't even acknowledged it even.

He is either very confident or very stupid.

Bryan put his smile back on and approached the stranger, leaving Sara and Jack to tend to Rachel. Her screaming had stopped but the pain was so terrible she was wailing, tears streaming down he face. Reaching out a hand Bryan introduced himself, “Thank you sir, I’m Bryan.”

”You may call me Gorduck,” the strander proudly proclaimed. “Lord Gorduck.”

Bryan had to physically restrain himself from making fun of the man. If Jack had said something like that he would never in a million years let him live it down. Gathering himself Bryan shook his hand, “Nice to meet you Gorduck, and thank you for letting us in your..” Bryan paused no knowing what to call it. This was Jacks thing but Bryan didn’t want Gordy interacting with his brother at all. Besides, he wouldn’t have to explain why his little brother was basically their leader. The less they had to tell this man the better.

”It’s LORD Gorduck, and this is my Fort.” Gorducks condecending attitude shown through clear as a bell in his words. “Well, a Fort for now at least. We will be expanding soon. Maybe if you stick around you will see.” His eyes glazed over as he said it, you could almost see him imagining what had to be his own kingdom in his head.

”Probably not, we are just passing through. We will be out of your hair in no time.” Bryan did his best to deflect Gordys comments.

”Sorry to interrupt here, but we really have to get Rachel to that healer. She’s in some serious pain here.” Jack called out. He and Sara had gotten her upright and standing, Jack even made her a sling from one of his extra shirts.

Lord Gorduck turned to Jack, irritation plain on his face. “And who are you?”

”His brother,” Jack blurted, “But we either need to leave or get her to your healer quickly. How do we get passed that wall? How far is the healer from here?”

It was clearly visible that Lord Gorduck held contempt for Jack, he was careful to smile but his sneer still came through.

“Why right this way of course, and why don’t you put her in one of your carriages there and we can all go together to the healer.” Lord Gorduck’s eyes grew Black, instead of a glow it was like a black fog had filled his eyes and was just barely leaking through. Black smoke surrounded both carriages, bikes still attached, and rose in the air. Slowly they turned to face the wall. Gently they came back to the ground, landing with barely a sound. Gorduck shot a Cheshire Cat smile at Jack and strode over to Bryan’s carriage. Looking back to the wall he climbed up 5e carriage and perched himself on the top.

Jack quickly loaded Rachel on his carriage and Sara grabbed her bike. Heading toward what looked like a solid wall of cars and scrap, Jack remembered that they left Rachel’s Bike behind.

Lord Gorduck stood on his carriage and opened his arms, “Welcome to my home. Open seasame!”

Really? Jack though, you couldn’t be the least bit original?

With a lift of his hands, the entire section of wall slid up ten feet in the air. The screeching of metal on metal and clamor of small bits of metal shifting on the wall assaulted their ears.

Dam, Jack thought, We are so fucking screwed.

It seemed that Rachel’s bike had now become the least of his worries.