She darted quickly straight to the gostik like a bullet.

It took a strong step forward. The ground shakes, and I'm turned to face my other side.

I couldn't see anything that's going on.

I could only feel the cold, hard, stone railing against my face. Something sounding like a sword being pulled out of its sheath echoes in my ears.

Crash.

'Dammit,' I hear Rogue in my head. 'It cut me! C'mon, scepter, c'mon! Red. Okay then.'

A whip in the air, then a thump behind me.

All I could do is hear, smell, and feel. There is no scent besides the city air and dust.

All I heard and felt are crashes...and I couldn't do anything about it.

Something was struck at my back. I choked up blood, and it dripped out my panting mouth.

"Stop it!" Rogue yelled at the thing. "Stop hurting him! I'm your enemy. I'm the one your up against! Stop!"

I struggle as I'm trying to keep that softly pounding rhythm inside my chest that seems to grow faster everytime I choke.

Trying to keep the air in.

The blood in.

I feel like I'm sick.

Attempting to stand, my legs wobble below me and I fall back onto the ground. My face slams into the cold concrete. Looking up, I see her. She holds her ground against the enemy as dark red blood trickles down her arm from her shoulder. Despite that and her head's blood tainting her orangey-golden hair, she keeps a tight grip on the scepter. The staff.

I feel the horrible aching throb beat against my temple. Doing my best to stand at least one more time, my weak knees tremble below me. I grasp onto the wall. Bringing myself higher, I look above her shoulder to get a good look at what we're facing.

The dark shadows aren't enough to hide the loose, skin-covered form. An open zipper runs along half of the face down to its bloody neck, chest, and stops at its left heel. Guts, bones, and muscles seem to be the stuffing that escapes through the open stitches. Through the torn up skin, ligaments, and sinew. Parts of it look burned off or ripped apart. It seems that out of all of that, though, the only thing I could stare at were the eyes. One was completely white except for the small, black pupil. The other looked like multiple eyes that were cut and sewn together.

In fact, the whole thing looked as if it were cut and sewn together.

Her desperate face turned to me as she had a double-take. "What? How? How are you standing?"

I limped towards her. "Stay...focused." I breathed out.

I ran my hand across my chest where my messanger bag was the same way Rogue had done before. The strap disappeared as my palm smoothy came across it. On the other side of my hand, a dark, chained, heavy great-sword extended out.

I grabbed onto the spada-da-lato hilt with both of my hands.

I sped off to the gostik. My hands pulled the the sword along my side. On the other side of the gostik, Rogue mirrors me. Closing in on the gostik, we let out loud, sharp battle cries. Jumping and swinging at the beast, we sliced through it with our blades.

The gostik broke down into evaporating shards of what is now air.

My hilt and blade drooped down back into my bag. Panting, I swung it back around my body.

Rogue switched her weapon into her staff and pierced the ground. "Reconstructive Attributes," she mumbled.

The roof patched itself up.

The cracks, blocks, pebbles, and concrete mended with ease. Everything went back in its place and cleared up.

After the clean up, she smiled at me.

Partially jumping on me, she gave me a koala-hug. "Great job! I don't know how you did it! I don't know how beat paralysis!" She climbed off of me, "Alright! Let's go. Your family might be worried!"

I nodded my head in agreement.

After she escorted me down to the ground by jumping off of nearby buildings, I took the lead.

She followed me as we strolled into my neighborhood. I just realized that I was dirty, my clothes were ripped up, and I still had dried blood everywhere.

I pointed to my shirt. "What do I say to not be in trouble?"

"Oh, um... You wrestled a bear...?" She laughed.

"Oh, come on! I'm serious!"

"Well, how would I know? My family already knows that I'm a Morphix! I don't have to hide anything. Why do you?"

"'Cause the landlord will think I'm dangerous!"

"Your landlord lives with you?"

"No, but she's next door."

"Is there a way for you to get in without anyone knowing?"

I pondered the idea, but then I remembered that I broke into my own house before. In the fourth grade...

"Yes. Let's go."

We walked the rest of the way to my house, and I opened the backyard fence. I held it open for Rogue.

"Why do I have to go?"

"'Cause you brought me into this mess."

"That doesn't mean I have to get you out of it. Plus, if I'm caught, you'll be in more trouble."

"Oh, just... Ugh. Just come!"

She whispered an 'okay' before walking into the yard. Closing the door behind me, I led her to one of the windows.

"This one never locks. We just keep it covered with a curtain."

"Okay."

I started climbing up the window. "Wait here," I told her, and I climbed the rest of the way in.

I landed on the ground with my hands and legs. I look up.

"What are you doing, sir?"

"Al?"

"Amus? Is that that you?"

I stood up and walked over to my little brother. "Don't tell Mom, okay? Don't tell the landlady either. We'll be in trouble if they know. Got it?"

Allois nodded. "Don't worry. I won't tell. Do you want a Hot Pocket? Mom just brought a box home and left for her shift."

"I'll heat one up later. I'm gonna go shower."

"Okay. What about your friend? She could come in. I won't bite."

I gave a surprised look at him. "How did you..."

"You're really loud when you talk." He strolled up to the window and looked down. "Hello," he greeted. "Would you like to come inside?"

She stood up. "Yes, please."

"What?" I protested, "What are you doing letting her in?"

"Well, Amus, your brother is a gentleman," Rogue said, climbing in through the window.

So, Rogue accompanied my brother as I fixed up. When I came over to them after showering, they were eating neopolitan ice cream and playing with our remote-control racecars and helicopters. In the span of eight minutes, they've made an entire Lego city, set a wind-up dinosaur loose to destroy it, and pretended to stop it with the controlled vehicles.

"Go, go, go! I'm gonna set the fire," yelled my brother.

"Fire?! You guys have fake fire?" Rogue questioned him.

"......Good call! We'll have to settle for snow!"

Allois ran off into the garage. I walked into the living room and sat beside Rogue. Her eyes were dead-set on her bowl of ice cream and she sucked it in like a vacuum cleaner.

"Are you just hungry or in love with frozen milk," I asked.

"...Is there an option for both?"

I laughed. "I guess so."

"Hey, when did you get here?" It was Allois. "You already had her. She's mine for now."

"I haven't the slightest idea of what you're talking about, but okay."

I sat on the couch and watched them attack the giant wind-up dinosaur.

Rogue played many roles:

The Lego citizens screaming, the attack jet, the tank with a built-in Nerf gun, and even the 'Godzilla' that powered down on some occasions.

I stared at her big mouth as it let out a giant roar. Her curls bouncing along to the wide movements of her arms. The expressions she makes as she pretends to be an attacked pedestrian.

I chuckled.

My brother kept crashing his helicopter into the Empire State Building as the monster walks up to it.

"Now! Now!" He yelled and signalled to Rogue.

"On it, Chief!" She sunk to the level of the Lego people. "Pardon me." Grabbing onto the Nerf-tank, she continuously shot at the beast. She let out a battle cry as it toppled over.

Allois reached into a box and threw small pieces of styrofoam into the air. "It is done! The monster is defeated! Yay!!!"

They had a mini award ceremony for a Lego person that looked fairly relative to Rogue, and started cleaning up. By the time they were halfway through, the doorbell rang.

I walked up to the door and looked through the peep-hole. A tall, burly man stared back through it.

I opened the door, but kept the chain lock on it.

"Hello?" His voice was deep, but it had a hint of calmness and patience. "I believe my daughter is here. I've come to take her home."

"Um... Mr. Fraine?"

"Correct."

I called for her, "Rogue?" I turned around, but she was gone. Panicked, my eyes search the room. "Allois?! Where's Rogue?"

"She said that she had to go to the bathroom."

I ran over to the bathroom and hurriedly knocked in a quick beat.

"Rogue?!" I tried calling for her. "Rogue?!"

Stepping back, I kicked the door. It busted open with a loud slam against the wall behind it.

Nothing.

I sped off to the bedroom. The window was wide open, and the curtains waved with the wind.

I took my time walking back to the door.

"I'm sorry, sir. Your daughter ran off."

Anger passed his face, but he quickly calmed down.

"Please. Try. If you will, please try to find her."

I nodded. "Y-yes, sir. I will."

He left quickly, and Mom came back shortly after.

She was stunned at the sight of Allois with his bright eyes. "What are you doing? It's late! Get to bed! Why are you up?! Go! Go!"

Allois reacted calmly and obeyed, but I could see the pain inside of him.

Mother has brown hair and reddish-brown eyes like me. Al has black hair and hazel eyes.

He looks like our father.

Mom is cold towards Al because of that. Al is a different person entirely, though.

She never tried to talk to him. She never tried to like him. On the other hand, Al likes her. Al listens, loves, respects, cares for, and pities her.

No one should be treated this way. Especially if that someone is a nine-year-old that's waiting for his mom's acceptance. He's patient and understands why Mom doesn't like him, but he doesn't blame her.

He puts it on himself to change into a more respectable person. To work hard for her to realize that he and Dad are two different people.

I've tried, but she doesn't listen to me when I confront her about it. Al is strong, loyal, caring, and able to withstand anger and sadness.

I gave her a quick, scornful glare. "Goodnight," I told both of them.

I brushed my teeth and went to bed. There was hardly any need for getting on my bed because I lost all my sleep thinking about Rogue Ellis Fraine. REFrain.

School was tomorrow and I have to reunite her with her father. There's a possibility that she won't be there. If not, then I don't know what her dad will do to me.

Skin me? No, I think I'll be burned first. Maybe buried. The fastest way is with a gun or a sword to my neck, and I have a clear understanding that they know very well how to use a blade.

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Thank you for reading! I have nothing to say, but the picture is Allois~!

        -!Ri$