This is gonna be a loooong night.

Jessie thought as he brushed off smoke from his shoulder. He stared at the others as they roamed the street looking to commit another felony. They stood arguing over a Honda as Toby turned and theirs eyes met. He smiled as he ran over to Jessie.

"Hey how you feeling bud?" Toby asked as he nudged Jessie's shoulder once he arrived. "Are you still upset about what Akita said. He tends to say things before thinking so don't take it to heart."

"I'm not upset anymore, am I a little annoyed yes but that doesn't make what he said any less true." Jessie said as he rubbed his neck. He shivered due to the rain beating down on them and sighed.

"I just wish I could have done something for the people in the bar."

"We did what we could. We tried our best." Toby said placing his hand on Jessie's shoulder.

My best wasn't enough.

"Look Jessie, your still a kid you don't have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. We're here as well let us help you." Toby said squeezing his shoulder. "You don't have to tell me now what's really bothering you but I do expect you to confide in me. After all we're friends now." He said with a smile.

Jessie felt his shoulders loosened and smiled.

"Yeah being your friend sounds nice, thanks for the pep talk." He said as pushed his wet hair back.

"Hey are you guys gonna help us steal a car or what?" Jessie heard Lucas yell from across the street.

Well there goes our deniability.

"We should go before he incriminates us for more crimes." Jessie as he stepped onto the street. Toby followed behind him handing Jessie Akita's jacket.

"Your gonna get sick from this rain if your not careful."

"I actually don't know if I can get sick anymore. Actually in the past two days I've healed broken ribs, two holes in both ears, and a broken jaw." Jessie said as he rubbed the spot on his ear where the hole used to be.

"Wow that black smoke of yours sure is helpful." Toby said concerned.

Jessie watched as Lucas and Akita bickered over the Honda as they approached. The window had been smashed and akitas sword had been unhooked from his belt.

"You can't just go breaking windows man!" Lucas argued as he gestured to the broken window.

"Who cares we're taking it anyways so why does it matter?" Akita said hooking his sword back into his belt.

"We are so not driving around in this Honda." Toby said giving a dramatic look at the car. Akita sighed.

"Look it's either this or nothing so make your choice."

"Behind you."

Jessie turned as a chill ran down his spine. He grabbed his neck and felt the hair on his neck standing up.

Who said that?

He scanned the street behind him, not seeing anyone he sighed.

Your going crazy Cruz.

His eyes stopped on the car they tried to steal earlier to see an empty dented roof. The woman who laid there was now gone.

"Guys we might have a problem." Jessie said as he pointed to the car. The others turned to face where he was pointing and Toby gasped.

"Where did she go?" Toby asked taking a step forward.

"How did she get back up from that?" Akita said scratching his mask. "She looked burnt to a crisp."

Jessie felt a chill down his spine and a small stream of black smoke escaped from his mouth. He scanned the street only to see the mess they had left behind.

"Did you guys hear a voice just now?" Jessie asked as pulled on Akita's jacket.

"No, why?" Lucas asked confused.

"I don't know I thought I heard someone- you know what never mind let's just get out of here." Jessie said as the street lights flickered.

"Lucas tell me that was you." Toby said his voice shook.

"Toby I can shoot lightning not make lights flicker, I didn't do that."

A creaking behind them filled them with dread. A soft clicking could be heard as Jessie turned slowly to face the Honda. His knees began to shake as a sweet melody played from the monsters mouth in front of him. The calm song filled Jessie with panic as he took a step back watching as the woman stared directly at him with her many eyes.

"Holy shit." Toby said as the monster stopped playing her song. Her teeth stopped in place as her gaze turned to Toby. His face drained of all color as she reared back and clicked her teeth with excitement.

"What a nice lullaby, Ms. Monster lady." Toby said as he took another step back. The monster watched, its teeth clicking faster as he started to back away.  As Toby walked backwards he bumped into a trash can knocking it over, his eyes shifted to the noise and the monsters teeth furiously clicked as he lunged at Toby.

"Nooo!" Jessie screamed as a tendril burst from his hand wrapping itself around Toby's waist. As Jessie pulled he watched as Akita unsheathed his sword and in one fluid motion decapitated the monster sending its head flying into the knocked over trash bin.

"Holy shit." Jessie said as he his tendril let go of Toby's waist disappearing into a cloud of smoke. Akita exhaled slowly as he sheathed his sword with a solid click.

"Now that's how you kill one those monsters Lucas." Akita said smugly.

"Yeah yeah, don't get a big head Akita we both got one under our belts now. We'll see who ends up with more by the end of this." Lucas said as he stared at the head in the trash.

"How did she turn into this...thing?" Toby said as he nudged the head with his foot. It's eyes lolled around as Toby moved it and Jessie gagged.

Oh god that's so gross.

"Must have been the gas the first one spewed into the room." Akita said as he nudged the body on the floor. "Which begs the question, what happens to us since we were exposed as well."

"I-I can't turn into one of these things guys, think of what that would do to my image! There goes my career." Toby said as he bit his nails nervously.

"They'll be fine, they're chosen."

"You'll be fine, you're chosen." Jessie said surprising himself.

Uh hello?  Jessie thought to himself, silence answered.

"How do you know that Jessie?" Lucas asked confused.

"J-just a feeling." Jessie said feeling all eyes on him. He lowered his eyes in embarrassment feeling his face flush.

I can't tell them a voice in my head told me, they'll think I'm crazy! Then again maybe I am?

"Against my better judgment I'm gonna go with the kid on this one, this woman wasn't one of us and the process was pretty quick to turn her into this." Akita said nudging the body again.

"If we were gonna fall victim to this we would already be tearing each other apart. At least that's what my gut is saying." He said as he patted his stomach.

The fellow band mates nodded as Jessie sighed.

What have I got myself into.

A clattering in the alley next to them brought them back to reality as they watched as two more armor clad monsters inched closer playing their sick lullaby.

"Guys I think it's time we get out of here." Jessie said taking a step back.

"I second that." Lucas said.

Jessie turned to the Honda and watched as another monster landed on the roof denting it. Toby fell to the floor.

"We need another car." Akita said helping Toby up.

"I told you the Honda was bad luck, but noooo no one ever listens to Toby he's only right every single time!" Toby yelled as more monsters appeared from the burning bar behind them.

"Everyone run!" Lucas screamed as he turned on his heel and sprinted down the street. Caught off guard Jessie watched as the others followed leaving him scrambling as a monster lunged at him barely missing his leg.

"A little warning next time man!" Jessie yelled as he caught up with the others. The monsters pursued on all fours slowly as they got used to their new bodies.

"You need a better warning than run!?" Lucas said as they rounded the street corner and ran towards downtown. Pumping his legs Jessie could feel his lungs burn.

I swear to god the if I live through this I'm getting a gym membership!

"Someone find a car fast!" Toby said as he turned back to see the monsters catching up. Jessie scanned the street only to see cars left strewn about windows broken and smoke rising from a few.

"What the fuck happened here?!" Akita said jumping over a street bench.

"God damn soldiers it has to be them who else would be crazy enough to do this!" Lucas said his voice strained.

He's already tired from taking one of them on, we need a car fast!

"Guys look!" Toby said grabbing everyone's attention. Jessie's heart sank as he looked at what Toby pointed towards.

"A fucking bus?!" Jessie said as a monster lunged towards him grazing his arm with its claws. He grabbed him arm and winced as a steady stream of blood flowed.

"A bus is great, let's get on the bus." Jessie said as he pumped his legs harder creating some distance between him and his attackers.

He past Lucas watching as he struggled to run, he fell dangerously behind them and closer to the horde.

"God damn it!" Jessie said as he spun on his heel running straight towards Lucas. He grabbed Lucas by the waist and hoisted him onto his shoulder. 

Huh easier than I thought, how much does this guy weigh?

Turning on his heel he was caught again by another monster this time his calf was torn up as he cried out in pain.

He sprinted as fast as he could with a gash in his leg and watched as the other two waved for him to join them on the bus. Toby honked the horn frantically with fear on his face.

"Start the bus!" Jessie screamed as he ran closer feeling his legs about to give up he pumped harder. A chill ran down his spine and he watched as another monster lunged at him, his claws inches from his face.

Oh crap.

Suddenly Akita appeared severing the monsters hand from his body, as the monster fell to the ground in pain Akita pushed Jessie onto the bus.

"Hit the gas babe!" Akita screamed as he kicked a monster from the bus doors. Toby slammed his foot onto the pedal and the bus's wheels skidded against the wet road as they took off down the road. Jessie could hear thumps against the side of the bus and watched as the monsters climbed onto the roof through the windows.

Jessie laid Lucas down on one of the seats and fastened his seatbelt.

"Just stay here we got this." Jessie said as he turned to help Akita. Jessie felt Lucas grab his hand and turned to see him smiling.

"Thank you kid."

Jessie smiled back as glass shattered to his left sending shards into the side of his face. As he clutched his face he saw through the blood as a monster lunged through the window straight at him. He screamed as he held out his hand shooting a tendril straight through the things chest.

No more holding back.

It slumped over and Jessie saw as his tendril grew in size. He waved his hand sending the body back through the window it came through. He winced as he pulled the shards of glass from his face feeling the sting of each piece.

Oh I'm so over this.

"Everyone get down!" Jessie screamed as he raised his hands in the air. A family of tendrils burst from his palms piercing through the roof and windows of the bus searching for the monsters. Akita jumped towards the ground covering his head as glass landed on him.

A tendril shot past Toby and he swerved sending Jessie into a pole.

"Watch your driving!" Jessie yelled as he felt one of his tendrils pierce another monster.

"Watch your weird tentacle things!" Toby screamed.

"I'm saving our lives here." Jessie said feeling another tendril find its mark.

"You guys are gonna want to hold on to something!" Toby screamed as Jessie looked out the windshield to see a giant fissure in the ground.

"Oh shi-"

The bus slammed into the hole sending him flying into the roof and he heard a snap as him arm bent awkwardly. He screamed as he watched his world turn upside down as glass flew around. He felt the bus land on its roof and he lay there as his tendrils disappeared.