Songs for this chapter:
Depeche Mode - Dream On
Imagine Dragons - Believer

Briefly NSFW.

------

"Will you just listen to me?" Murphy pleaded with her best friend but Langley wasn't having it.

"I have been listening to you. You're the one that needs to listen to me. I trust him. You weren't there and you don't know what happened. I do. You need to lay off this because I've said all I'm going to say." Langley stated with finality and crossed her arms waiting for a retaliation but Murphy just have her a disbelieving look before she turned and left the lobby. Lui took off after her and the lobby fell back into it's normal mood of quiet conversation and weapon cleaning.

Arlan felt like a fish out of water with the stares he kept receiving, but he didn't expect anything less. It had only been a day and it was just starting. These people had a good routine and strong defenses. He was grateful for that because that's all he wanted for his friends; a safe place to stay.

"Langley, this is Cody and Anthony." He introduced her to two of his group when she walked over, still looking beyond tired. But there she was, strong as ever, doing her best to get back to normal.

She smiled and offered her hand to them which they shook in greeting. "Nice to meet you."

"Cody here is fantastic with tech, any tech and he's happy to help you guys with anything you need. Anthony is pretty good with medicine, science, whatever you need, really." Arlan grinned back at them when they tried to be humble about it. "This is why I wanted to keep them safe. The boss never knew about their skills. I told them to play dumb so he wouldn't exploit them for his own gain."

"That's extremely smart of you. Most of the group here doesn't mind you and I know they'll warm up eventually or I'll kick their asses. Murphy is a different story but I don't know what to do about it yet."

Arlan rubbed his lips together, "She's probably a little hurt that her best friend is spending more time down here with me, an untrusted outsider, rather than confiding in her."

"I do confide in her, she's just a hothead and sometimes there's no reasoning with her. She'll come around after a bit, I'm sure."

Arlan tilted his head, "Are you?"

Langley sighed, "No."

"Go talk to her. We'll still be here." Arlan gave her arm a reassuring squeeze and watched her leave.

Langley rode the elevator to the mess hall where she knew Murphy would be somewhere in the kitchen searching for some sort of food. They both liked to sneak up there at night and eat something and make sweet tea. She could hear Lui doing his best to calm her down but she kept on rummaging through the shelves for something to stress eat on.

"Murphy, stop." Langley made her presence known and she and Lui both turned to look at her.

"What? You're not down there with your knew friend?" Murphy rolled her eyes and kept digging.

"No, I'm right here with my best friend who's being extremely emotional and dramatic, as usual." Langley crossed her arms and gave Lui an apologetic look when he left the kitchen to the two of them.

"Murphy, he's not taking me away from you. You are still my best friend and we are family. You are the only person I can ever be myself with, we know all of each other's nasty secrets. This isn't coming between us."

Murphy found some teabags and slammed a kettle on a burner, flicking the heat on. Langley immediately turned it down a bit like she always did, "Too high."

"Listen, if you want to go be with him and talk your heads off, be my guest. I'll just be here keeping myself busy. I'll stay out of your way." Murphy said with too much bite.

"Enough!" Langley raised her voice. "I can't handle all of them downstairs and handle you when you're like this at the same fucking time!"

"Then don't! Not like you tell me anything anymore anyway!" Murphy let herself tear up. "Fuck!"

Langley brushed her hair away from her face and tried to calm down, "You're on your period."

She didn't mean it as a sexist remark, she could just always tell. Murphy's emotions always got out of hand when it was that time.

Murphy rubbed at her face, "Yes and I want to die."

"No, you don't. You just want me to talk to you about what happened to me. You want me to rely on you to tell me that it's okay. But it's not. I don't know how to tell you that I can't fucking sleep because I can't stop seeing myself in the dirt, hands tied behind my back, while Criag was getting the life knocked out of him. I don't know how to tell anyone that the reason he died was because he told them he was valuable, the last tech we had. He got his brains blown out because I couldn't get him to stop talking, it was like he wanted them to do it. Like he knew they wouldn't let me go if they didn't kill someone that we needed as payback for not getting David. I don't know how to tell everyone that I wished it was me instead because I was such an asshole to him from the beginning and he died for me. He told me I was worth it, that you all needed me more than they needed him and I was worth saving. He died for me and I don't know how to live up to that. I can't because I'm not important enough to . . ."

Langley sucked in a lung full of air and cried and that's all it took for Murphy to come down from her angry state and forget it all. She wrapped her up in a hug and followed her to the floor when she slid down. "You are important. You have no idea what it was like without you here. Everyone was so quiet, didn't know what to do without you telling them to get their asses out of bed. I didn't know what to do. I had no one to talk to about how gay Evan and Jonathan are, no one to share my sweet tea with. I can't even make it right, it was awful. So, don't think you're not important because we needed you. Craig was a fucking hero and yeah we were assholes, but that was how it was. He made it right in the end and that's all that matters."

They sat in silence until they stopped sniffling and the kettle started whistling. Murphy stood and pulled Langley to her feet, cutting the heat off and letting the tea steep.

"Lui seems to handle you well."

Murphy grinned, "Yeah, he's about the only one. His dimples are fucking adorable. I was pissed at Jonathan for the longest time."

Langley laughed but jumped when Murphy gasped and grabbed her shoulders, "Oh my God! I forgot!"

"Forgot what?"

"Jonathan!" Murphy threw her head back and laughed, it was almost sinister. "And Evan. I've got some serious gossip. Holy shit."

"Then let's discuss it over this tea. Get the sugar." Langley wiggled her brows and they fell back into their normal ways of spilling tower secrets to each other. "Besides, if you're on your period that means I'll start in a day or two and no one is ever ready for both of us in beast mode. So let's cheer ourselves up shall we?"

Langley knew their friendship wouldn't falter. It never did no matter how many times they fought. But still, Langley was haunted and she couldn't shake the feeling she had when she was alone. Just ten seconds of silence was all she needed for an anxiety attack to settle in, for her breath to fall short as she headed down the empty hall toward the showers. Ten seconds for her chest to ache and fingers to waver. She couldn't get the shirt off her shoulders fast enough, it felt like it was suffocating her. She sat on the bench, head in her hands and cried as she hyperventilated in the room that actually felt cold for once.

------

"Craig . . . stop talking!"

"I'm the last technician they have. Figured I could sabotage you fucks somehow, but low and behold; a bear trap." Craig laughed.

Langley was about to choke. It was a lie, he was working them up. Stirring the flames, trying to make her seem less valuable than he was.

"Craig! Shut up!"

The man in charge lifted her face up by her chin roughly, "Wouldn't that be unfortunate? If the last good pair of working hands your friends had suddenly disappeared?"

Langley couldn't speak, just breathed trying not to let her heart jump from her chest. "Don't . . ."

He pulled Craig to his knees and she looked over when she heard the cock of a pistol. Her pistol that they'd taken and she couldn't look away when Criag caught her eye and grinned. Like he was saying, "It's okay, this was the plan."

She couldn't look away when he pulled the trigger and the spray of blood rained on the side of her face. Everything felt numb after that moment, her legs, her fingers, and her mind.

This was her fault.

------

"Hey."

She opened her eyes and Arlan was crouched in front of her, "Deep breaths. Through your nose. You're okay."

Langley shut her eyes tight and breathed, her hands over his when he put them on either side of her face.

"That's good, keep breathing." He said softly and sat there with her until she wasn't choking on the air any longer.

She sighed heavily and gave a short laugh, "Sorry."

"Anxiety is nothing to be sorry for. I deal with it, too. It's been a while. I had to swallow it when all this shit started. I don't know how I haven't given in yet. I'm close all the time."

She pulled his hands away and pushed his hood down. "Because you are strong and a leader to your people."

Arlan grinned, "So are you. I didn't mean to interrupt your shower. Marcel told us to come up and get one if we wanted. I have to say, I don't even remember what a hot shower feels like."

"Well, you're in luck. We have plenty to go around." She smiled and showed him to the towels, rags, soap, and told him to help himself while she undressed and started her own shower.

He walked past and turned away, "Do you always strip in front of strangers?"

Langley almost snorted just as soon as he let his friends in the room, "We've all seen each other naked. We don't even care anymore. Scotty has a mole on his left ass cheek and Lui has a heart tattoo that probably says 'Mom'."

Arlan's friend Anthony burst into laughter and everyone else joined him. It was the funniest thing she'd ever heard.

------

The sun was completely up by the time they were done and getting dressed. It was in that moment while they were all chatting and laughing with each other that Langley realized she couldn't stand there and wait for the next day or the next. She had to do something because now they had more people to protect.

"What are you doing?" Scotty questioned Langley as soon as she grabbed a gun off the wall and tucked a pistol into her waist.

Marcel stepped up beside him, "And where are you going?"

"I'm going back. We have guns, they only have two. Take these fuckers out before they come up with another brilliant idea." Langley checked the safety and slung the rifle over her shoulder and headed through the lobby.

"I'm down." Murphy loaded up next to her at the same time Arlan blocked the door.

"He's smart and he's probably waiting for this. More than likely planned on it." He said even though he knew she wouldn't stop.

"Good. Then he'll be disappointed when I kill him." She pushed her way out the door with Murphy, Lui, and four other volunteers behind her.

"Fine. I'm coming with you." Arlan fell into step beside her. She pulled the pistol from her waist and handed it to him without hesitation. But Murphy was in his ear in a split second.

"If you end up turning on us, or on her, I'll personally rip your balls off. Got it?" She whispered the threat and smiled sweetly when he turned to look at her.

He chuckled and shook his head as they kept walking through the gate, "Got it, boss lady."

Their march was one of determination. Langley turned and saw Scotty and Marcel jogging to catch up, guns in hand. A grin spread across her face but fell as soon as she saw a guy walk from an alley just ahead.

"Not so fast, sweetheart." He said smugly, decked out in military garb, sporting two pistols, each pressed to the side of two people's heads. Bryce and Ryan, both of which had been gone ever since she was taken herself.

She stopped and sighed, "Fuck me."

He smirked, "Maybe later."

"I'd rather blow a screamer, asshat." She remarked and heard Murphy snort behind her. "What do you want?"

"I want to know where your two leaders are. Then we'll talk. And if you think of gunning me down with that cute powder puff army of yours, I'll toast your two friends right here who have kept us company for quite a while now. I'd miss them." The man smiled and watched Langley roll her eyes.

"One day at a time." She said to herself and then turned. "Everybody back to the tower. Lui try to get the boys on the radio, please. Can't catch a goddamn break around here."

Reluctantly they all headed back and shut the gate, leaving the military guy, Bryce, and Ryan on the other side until Jonathan and Evan showed.

"They're close by and on their way." Lui told Langley as she stood by the fence waiting.

She looked over and caught Bryce's tired eyes. "Are you two okay?"

He looked disheveled and weak when she was so used to seeing his mile-wide smile. "We're alive. Ryan needs a doctor. His leg is infected from a break and they wouldn't patch it up."

She looked over at Ryan who was trying to grin through the pain to make it seem like it wasn't so bad, but he was pale and favoring one leg. "We're gonna fix you up, just be patient okay? They're coming."

He nodded and the three of them turned when they heard footsteps approaching from behind. Evan and Jonathan slowed to a walk beside each other, looking weary and completely tired of this shit like everyone else.

"Well, well, well. Looks like the calvary finally arrived. Now that the boys in charge are present, shall we begin?"

Evan cracked his fingers, "Sure thing, Major Payne. Anything we can help you with?"

"I'm Sergeant Major Luke Patterson. You boys can call me Luke since I know we'll be the best of friends. I'm here to balance the playing field to my liking." Patterson smirked and let it settle.

Evan moved forward, "So, what's to stop us from mowing you down at this very moment?"

Luke grinned, "You boys so much as accidentally fire your weapon at me and this whole tower goes up in a gorgeous display of smoke and fireworks; a blaze of glory. That's what's gonna stop you."

He holstered his two pistols and brushed his hands together, "So, this is how it goes. You will give up half of your weapons to your best friend the boss man who has a knack for kidnapping some of you, or poor Ryan here can stay with me and will more than likely die from infection. I'm sure Bryce would be pure heartbroken if that were to happen. You wouldn't rid him of his best friend now would you? I think we all know how that goes, don't we?"

Evan could feel the heat coming off Jonathan when he moved past him. He stepped up to Patterson and didn't flinch. "How about we lower the request? Give them as many guns as they have men and then you can fuck off. Sounds a bit more fair to me."

"Hm." Luke gave a small laugh. "Well, seeing as they have two arms, let's give 'em one pistol and a rifle each. In total, that's fifteen pistols, fourteen rifles. Mix it up and give one of 'em a shotgun. My favorite."

"So this is all a game for you, huh?" Jonathan inquired, still not backing down from him.

"For some." Luke rubbed his beard. "This is just the day shift for me. So get your weapons, my men will deliver them, and I'll go on my lunch break."

Luke turned and walked toward the gate and snapped his fingers at Langley, "Open up, gorgeous."

She rolled her eyes but unlocked the gate when Jonathan gave her the go ahead. Patterson gave her a wink as he walked in and took a seat at the steps.

Langley stepped past him and sneered. "Suck my ass, fuckboy."

"I'd suck that ass any day, babe."

Langley clenched her fist but Jonathan turned around and shook his head. She pouted, "Just let me hit him one good time, pleaaase?"

"You have no idea how fucking bad I want you to, but we can't risk anything. Help Ryan up to the clinic. He needs to be treated as soon as possible." Jonathan walked over to her and kissed her forehead. "When the time is right, you can knock the fuck out of him, but now isn't the time."

"Okay, Dad." She groaned and headed for the elevator, helping Bryce hold Ryan up as he limped, grimacing with each step he took.

"Let's get these guns and get this over with." Jonathan wiped the sweat from his brow and opened the door to the stairs with Evan, Lui, and Marcel behind him.

Marcel spoke up, "So, there's no other option here?"

"No." Evan shook his head and held open the door to the second floor for them. "It's, give them the guns or they keep Ryan and Bryce, which Ryan is in bad shape and would probably die without us. Also can't just shoot the guy and run because he's military, high ranking, and says if he goes the tower goes and all of us in it. So, he tried to make it sound like we had options but we didn't really have options."

"Dick move." Lui commented. "Also, I was totally right. We must be some kind of experiment if he's trying to even out the gun count between our group and the other guys."

Jonathan rubbed his eyes, "Yeah, but I still don't understand the purpose of the screamers. They could've just abandoned us here and closed us in to fight each other off, but they dropped the bombs. What do they want out of this?"

"Maybe it just adds to the suspense for them, wondering who's gonna be eaten next." Marcel noted.

Evan huffed, "Doesn't matter now. Either way I'd love to put a hole in his head."

"Why?" Jonathan looked back at him.

"He's part of the reason all those people are dead, running around eating things and screaming at night. He's part of the reason your best friend is dead and Brock's, Craig. That's good enough reason for me."

Jonathan motioned Marcel and Lui into the room, "There's some bags hanging in there somewhere. Fifteen pistols, fourteen rifles, one shotgun."

Then he turned and stopped Evan in the hall, "Don't try anything stupid, please. I know how you are."

"I won't." Evan sighed, "I'm just . . . pissed. He shows up like a fucking warlord and tells us what to do and we have to do it or else. That's bullshit. We've been surviving here for fucking I don't even know how long anymore. You'd think we would've earned the right to say no to the people that got us stuck here to begin with."

Jonathan cupped his face and pulled him close, "It doesn't matter. We can do this. We still have more people, more weapons, and now we know they only have fifteen. We can work around it."

Evan shook his head, "That's fifteen people out there that will now have guns, probably watching us, waiting for their chance. I don't want to wake up one day with a gun to my head or yours. I can't do that-"

"Stop." Jonathan pressed their foreheads together. "We're careful and we're damn good runners. I've got your back and you've got mine."

Evan grabbed Jonathan's shirt in his hands and kissed him right there in the hallway.

------

They watched Luke hand the bags of guns off to his men and he stopped just at the gate, turning with a wicked grin on his face. He had something else up his sleeve. Jonathan was clenching his jaw so hard it hurt. Evan was holding two of his fingers, squeezing to keep them both calm.

Luke smiled, "One more thing. Now that the playing field is even . . . you have six months."

Jonathan grabbed Evan's hand, "For what?"

"To find a cure." Luke crossed his arms, "Just like I told the other group. Six months. You find a cure, we might let you go."

"Might?!" Evan yelled in disbelief, "You piece of-"

He moved forward but Jonathan held him there by his waist. "Evan."

Anthony held his hand up like he was in class, "Excuse me, but six months isn't enough time to develop anything, dude."

"Alright," Luke cocked his head. "Nine. That's final. Good day, boys and girls. Happy hunting."

He gave them a small salute and disappeared down the road, leaving them with a million thoughts running through their heads.

"Well, shit has officially hit the fan." Lui commented. "Let's go. We should talk to David and Brock."

Jonathan stood there for a minute and Evan was still pressed against him, breathing hard and heart racing. Then he pulled away and stormed inside, leaving him alone to stare out at the stacked houses laid out before them. New obstacles were placed, opportunities, and potential traps. Nothing good was going to happen from this day forward, that much he could tell.

Jonathan went inside and Murphy was standing there. She looked a little sick when she shook her head, "Ryan's not doing so good."

"How bad is it?" He asked as he pulled her along to the stairs. He tried to calm his thoughts as they ascended to the clinic's floor.

"You'll see."

And he did see when he walked in the room. Ryan was broke out in a cold sweat, ridden pale with infection. His left leg had been broken for weeks with no treatment.

David looked up at him and shook his head and led him out into the hallway, "It's bad. The bones in his leg have tried to heal crookedly, it's been digging into his muscle, ruining his nerve endings. I could try to rebreak it and fix it, but the infection has spread too far."

Jonathan felt Evan behind him listening. He spoke over his shoulder, "Are you saying you're gonna have to chop it off?"

The doctor just blinked, not wanting to say it out loud. Evan was fiddling anxiously with the end of Jonathan's shirt, "Jesus fucking Christ."

"We need to do it now, before it kills him." Brock said as he came out of the room. "He's only getting worse by the minute. David?"

He nodded, "Okay. Go get the anesthesia and I'll sterilize the tools."

Brock have a quick nod and hurried away to their supplies. No one knew what to do but stand there as the doctors got to it. Jonathan leaned against the wall and Evan was there in front of him, taking a deep breath before he leaned in and pressed his forehead to Jonathan's chest. His hands were on his sides, balling his shirt into his fists.

Jonathan brought his hands up and ran his fingers through Evan's hair, "What's wrong?"

"What isn't?"

"You." Jonathan sighed, "And me. Lot's of things."

"This is so fucked up. One thing after another." Evan shook his head against him.

"And we'll figure it out one thing at a time. Look at me, Evan." Jonathan pulled his face up and he could see the rage in his eyes. "No, it's not going to be easy, but it's going to be okay."

Evan closed his eyes and exhaled an exhausted breath. He whispered, "I want to believe you."

Jonathan leaned forward and pressed his lips on his for a brief second and the fire in Evan's eyes retreated when he opened them again. He had words on the tip of his tongue but Brock interrupted them.

"We're about to start. Somebody may want to let Bryce know what's going on." Brock went into Ryan's room and shut the door behind him, leaving a silence crawling ominously through the hall. The elevator door opened and Lui came off looking shocked for a split second at them standing there together, but it turned into a grin.

"About time." He smiled, but it fell at the look on both of their faces. "What is it?"

Jonathan shook his head, "Nothing good. They have to take his leg off from the knee down."

Lui's eyes grew wide and he ran a hand through his hair, "Fuck. Has anyone told Bryce yet?"

"No." Jonathan sighed and ran his hand up Evan's back when he pressed his face into his chest again.

Lui gave a small nod and walked past them, "I'll do it."

They didn't stop him because they were both mentally exhausted and overwhelmed and Evan was so quiet which was very uncharacteristic of him. It worried Jonathan so he took him to the roof and made him paint with him until he was well and truly distracted from the day's events.

Evan had painted zombie stick figures at the base of the mural with little green eyes and bloody frowns. They had speech bubbles with various words like 'Ahh!', 'Die!', and 'Eat! Eat!".

Jonathan knew he was going to be okay when he heard him giggling to himself. He pulled the camera from Evan's case and brought it up to his eye, focusing on him as he smiled to himself with paint on his fingers

Jonathan grinned, "Hey."

As soon as Evan looked his way he snapped the picture. He pulled the camera down, "You know, it's always nice to see the man behind the camera. People see all these amazing pictures but never see who takes them. I should do this more often, you look amazing in black and white."

Evan smiled, "So do you. Especially when you're sleeping and the light is coming in just right. It's my aesthetic."

Jonathan raised a brow, "You take pictures of me when I sleep?"

Evan bit at his lip, "Yeah and when you're taking your shirt off. Ten outta ten."

"I knew you were a creep." Jonathan joked and sat the camera down, pulling Evan over by his shirt until their lips were locked in soft short kiss.

Jonathan sat back and motioned to the mural, "Keep going."

"Why?" Evan rubbed at the paint on his fingers distractedly.

"I like watching you." Jonathan grinned when Evan looked him up and down and smirked.

"Creep."

------

"So, what happened?" Lui asked the tall blonde that was laid up in a hospital bed resting. Murphy licked her thumb and rubbed a smudge of dirt from Bryce's cheekbone.

He shrugged, "When the radio tower fell, we jumped. That's when Ryan's leg broke. It wasn't a full break, but when we jumped down to the ground from the building, it broke all the way. We tried to run, I picked him up over my shoulder, but they fired a shot and had us surrounded. From there they took us to their little headquarters and put us in a room. Kept us fed barely, gave us water. But they wouldn't help Ryan. Luke said that would be helping the indigenous and that wasn't in the job description, whatever that means. There's a lot of them, just watching us. It's messed up."

Murphy glanced at Lui and he swallowed, "Well, Ryan's leg isn't gonna make it. I'm sorry."

Bryce sighed, "Yeah, I know. He kept joking that he never saw himself being a pegleg. Told him I'd dress like a pirate if it made him feel better about it."

Murphy giggled to herself, "He'll be fine. You both will. We're glad you're home."

"Me, too. Let me know if there's anything I can do."

Lui gave him a pat on the leg, "All you need to do is rest and get your strength back for now."

"Yes sir." Bryce grinned and then let his eyes close, pulling the sheet up over himself.

They left him to it and found their way back into the empty hallway. Murphy was growing restless, Lui could tell by the way she kept cracking her knuckles and sighing.

"I'd kill for some tacos right now." She said as they headed for the elevator together.

He took her hand when she wouldn't stop tapping her fingers against her leg. "Your wish is my command. Everything is going to be fine even though this is the most ridiculous set of circumstances. We just have to keep kicking ass."

Murphy grinned, "Don't end up dying, okay? I like your company."

"I'll do my best." Lui squeezed her fingers, "But that's the life of a warrior, ya know? Danger lurking around every corner-"

Murphy burst into the laughter alongside him when he couldn't keep a straight face.

------

For two days it was a waiting game as Ryan's fever retreated and his health improved. Bryce had snuck into his room and refused to leave the chair beside his bed. So when Ryan finally woke that's the first thing he saw, Bryce sitting there with his head his hands, waiting.

"Hey, man." Ryan whispered roughly as he tried to move. He knew his leg was gone before he even looked down at the thickly bandaged nub that was at his knee. He could still feel his toes that weren't there, could feel his foot move if he thought about it.

Ryan flopped his head back on the pillow, "It's official now, huh?"

Bryce grinned, "Yep. You're a pirate."

Ryan chuckled and tried to move it and looked back down at his leg that weighed so much less, "Oh shit, that's so weird."

"You'll get used to it. I think they're looking for some crutches right now. Maybe a prosthetic. Evan and Jonathan said they'd keep an eye out for anything."

Ryan pulled his brows together, "Who's Jonathan?"

"Oh," Bryce smiled and rubbed his eyes. "Anjo. His name is Jonathan and he and Evan are definitely together now."

"Wow. We missed everything didn't we?" Ryan looked at the ceiling and felt it all starting to catch up to him. "Do you think we even got a partial signal out that night?"

He knew by the look on Bryce's face that he didn't believe anyone stood a chance that night. "No. I won't lie but that doesn't mean we should stop trying. There are some new rules now. Luke gave us nine months to find a cure for all of this."

Ryan was looking at him like he was waiting for the punchline to a joke. His face fell when Bryce wouldn't even grin at him.

"Okay."

"What do you mean, 'okay'?"

Ryan shrugged, "Then we find a cure. There's nothing else we can do but play by the rules. We're an experiment and I don't know about you but I don't plan on being a failed one."

He tried to sit up, swinging his one leg over the side of the bed. "I don't want to be stuck here forever, Bryce. I want to go home one day and see my dog. So, if Luke told us to find a cure it's because there's probably a way. They just don't know how, so they're putting us in extreme situations underneath crippling pressure to get it done faster. It's sloppy, but a good tactic."

Bryce nodded, "Yeah, you're right. There's got to be a way."

The door opened and Jonathan came in maskless with a set of crutches. Ryan was staring at him so hard Bryce had to hit his arm to snap him out of it.

"Found some." Jonathan propped the crutches against the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Legless." Ryan chuckled to himself. "Nice face, man."

Jonathan smiled and shook his head, "Thanks. Listen, I'm sorry things happened the way it did. I just wish we had known about this whole experiment thing from the beginning. Maybe you wouldn't be-"

"No, it's fine. There were sacrifices and there will be more I'm sure. We're getting no help from the military. The only reason they intervened was because we went over the line. If we had been faster, if they hadn't been watching that night, we would've got that signal out. But that's not how it's supposed to go according to Patterson. We find a cure or we fight to the death. That's the bottom line. We need to get started. I lost my leg and we learned our limits, so it wasn't for nothing."

"Alright." Jonathan nodded and Evan came in behind him.

"Hey. We're all down in the lobby ready to talk about all of this whenever you are." Evan caught Ryan's eye about to ask the same questions.

Ryan grinned and rubbed his face, "I'm alright. Legless, but alright."

Evan rubbed his lips together and tried not to laugh. Jonathan glanced over at him, doing a double take when he saw Evan holding it back.

Jonathan shook his head, "Don't you even dare say it."

Evan smiled, "Come on, it's funny."

Bryce looked around in confusion when Ryan started to laugh. "I don't get it. What's funny?"

Jonathan sighed, "He's legless."

Evan tried his best not to laugh, "Legless. Legolas."

"Jesus Christ." Bryce shook his head, but he grinned. "You guys are horrible."

Jonathan pointed to himself. "Wasn't me."

Evan shoved him, "You knew what I was thinking though."

"I always know what you're thinking." He rolled his eyes and turned to leave with Evan trailing behind him giggling like an idiot.

Bryce was still grinning when he looked over Ryan trying to adjust the crutches beneath his arms. He jumped to his feet to help.

"Are you sure you want to get up right now?"

"Yes. I want to be down there helping." Ryan pushed himself to his one foot and almost lost his balance but Bryce was there to steady him.

"Got it?"

Ryan looked up and smiled, "Yeah. I've got it."

------

"First things first." Jonathan started once they were all in the lobby, sitting in random chairs strewn around the floor. "Arlan. Why'd you come here?"

Arlan took a deep breath and shoved his hands into his jacket pockets. "I was tired of being used for things that I didn't have the heart for. Beating you was the first straw for me. I'd never hit another human being before that day and I never wanted to do it again. When I was told to take Langley out on the roof, I did it but I never hurt her again. She's strong and she saw right through me, she knew I didn't want to be there. I did what I could to keep her from being hurt anymore than I knew she would be. She convinced me to leave, I just had to find the opportunity. After the boss forced her to leave and drag Criag back with her, I knew I had to go. My friends here wouldn't last without me so we snuck out after most of the group went out into the city one evening. Waited for an opening and then disappeared."

Everyone was silent for a moment so he shuffled his feet, "You should know that he still has plenty of men and they're all smart, loyal, and precise. They've been working on a sort of cure since the beginning. But it's not a cure, more of a controlling agent. He wanted to tame the dead instead of saving them. Because if he has them at his command, he could take over this entire city, maybe even more."

Evan sat back, "So, is that what the traps were for? Catching screamers for experiments?"

Arlan nodded and leaned back against the pillar next to him. "But now that we've all been told to find a cure, he's probably already halfway there. I don't know if he has a base for an antidote yet, but I wouldn't be surprised. As for an actual formula, your guess is as good as mine."

"Even if he does have a base for it, he has nowhere to run tests properly. A facility." Brock offered up.

"He has a doctor in the city that's been working under threat night and day for months. Just one. That's why he wanted David. He settled for Langley because he knew if he broke her down, you would all become disoriented and unstable. Or so he hoped. That didn't exactly happen." Arlan caught Langley's stare and grinned when she did.

"So, point is he's watching us and he's already two steps ahead?" Marcel questioned and huffed when Arlan gave a short nod. "Awesome."

Evan took a breath, "That brings us back to the task at hand. Who here is capable of creating medicine or an antidote or anything like that?"

David shuffled his feet and glanced at Brock, "We've been trying the whole time if I'm being honest. That's why I like the quiet. Supplies are limited here and the lab we have is very small. I can create shots for common colds here with scarce ingredients but to create a cure for a disease or virus that the screamers carry is something else entirely. That takes a lot of trial and error and subjects that wouldn't be very willing to come in and give up their viral DNA, if you see what I'm getting at."

Evan huffed sarcastically, "Yeah, I wasn't planning on dragging screamers back here, as fun as that sounds."

Lui bounced his leg, "What other options are there?"

"The source of the virus would be ideal. If we could get a sample of the original virus, we could break it down and see how it works and what it's made of." Anthony offered up. "You know, before it mixed with human DNA."

"Where would we find a source?" Marcel inquired, twisting his small knife in his hands anxiously.

Jonathan stood and pulled his map out, spreading it out on a table in the middle of them all. "Three bombs fell that day. Here, at the stadium. That was the first. The second, here to the East and the last fell here."

Evan watched a dark, far away look fall over Jonathan's face as his finger ran over the last bomb site. The one that was just buildings away from the garage he and Tyler had been in. He wanted to wrap him up and kiss the look away and make him forget, because knew that every time he thought of Tyler, Jonathan fell back a step. He retreated just a bit into his mind and it always reminded Evan of their first few months together. Reminded him of all the torture he put himself through. It took him back to the night they fought and kissed for the first time. Jonathan was so full of rage and guilt and he'd let it eat him up inside and Evan prayed to the stars that he would never be like that again. He hated to see him in pain and in that moment, staring down at that map . . . Jonathan was hurting.

Evan stood and took his place by his side. He grabbed Jonathan's hand and moved it away from those memories and let it settle on the first bomb site instead. He met his eyes and Jonathan was silently thanking him, speaking without words.

Evan let him go, "The stadium was the initial site, the first contamination, the most affected area. That's where this started, so that's where we should look."

Murphy joined them at the table, "Has anyone ever been that far?"

Jonathan shook his head, "No, we still don't know if it's even safe to go near it."

"Well, considering that no one turns unless bitten or ravaged by these things, I think you're safe. It's bacterial at most, not airborne. If you find anything, use gloves, don't come into contact with it." David said and everyone fell silent as they looked to their feet, thinking about what they were about to do. It was a new mission, a new purpose. They weren't just running for food and supplies anymore, they were running for a cure along with fifteen other people. Fifteen enemies who were armed and had just as much of a reason for finding it first.

"When are we doing this?" Marcel asked and Evan looked over at Jonathan, who was already waiting to catch his gaze, trying to come up with a plan silently in his head.

"Now?" Jonathan asked him and Evan shrugged.

"Now or never."

"Then let's go."

"Who's going?" Murphy was anxious on her feet.

Jonathan looked over them all, "I want you and Langley on the rooftops just outside the gate on lookout. Lui and Marcel, I want you with me and Evan to watch our backs once we get there. If we're lucky, they won't be there looking, too."

Arlan walked to their beds in the corner and brought back a bag that he sat on the table, "Here. I brought some radios. They're long range, so we can all keep in touch."

Jonathan nodded and handed one to Langley, Lui, and Evan. "Let's get some gear and head out as soon as we can. Pack some extra food and bullets. Come on."

Everyone dispersed and the six that were going out got on the elevator and headed up for supplies. They were quiet and focused. Langley and Murphy got off on the mess hall to pack them all some food, Lui and Marcel got the weapons, Evan and Jonathan went up to the clinic for gloves and masks.

Brock was helping them rummage and handed them two pairs of rubber gloves when they came tumbling down out of a closet. Evan found some medical masks in a drawer in the x-ray room where they'd taken Lucah all those months ago. When he found Brock and Jonathan again they were talking low. Jonathan heard him coming and turned.

"Go ahead and head back down, I'll be there in a minute." He said and turned back to the nurse. Evan wanted to question him but there was a look in his eyes that told him not to. At least not right then. So he left them to their conversation and got back on the elevator, picking up the rest of their crew on the way to the lobby.

Brock waited until Evan was gone before he said, "I need to show you something. But it needs to stay between me, you, and David. You'll see why."

He called the elevator and Jonathan got more worried about it when Brock hit the button for the twentieth floor, the only floor that had a sticker beside the button that said 'Restricted'.

No one had ever questioned it, but now it was putting a feeling in his gut that he didn't like. The door opened to a dark hallway, pitch black until Brock stepped out and flipped a switch, illuminating the dreary white walls. Something smelled off about the place as they walked in silence. Brock led him down the hall and then took a right, leading him to the room furthest away from the elevator. When they reached the door, Jonathan heard shuffling and met Brock's eye with a concerned and genuinely nervous look.

Brock hesitated with his hand on the door, taking a deep breath. "Just stay calm, alright?"

Jonathan didn't respond, just stared at the door as Brock opened it slowly. The anticipation was killing him and for good reason. He felt the hairs stand on the back of his neck when the light from the hall slightly illumated the walls inside the room. They were covered in cardboard and thick blankets; soundproofing. The light crept across the room until it revealed a figure curled up in the corner, twitching and shivering. But it wasn't from the cold . . . it was it's nature.

A screamer's nature.

It turned it's head and let out a guttural growl at the light that was shining in it's eyes. It had chains around each limb that was fastened into the walls to keep it from running around.

Jonathan's heart was pounding in his ears, "How long have you had it here?"

Brock sighed, "Three months."

"What does it eat?"

"Meat scraps from the kitchen and any rodents that are found around here. He doesn't require a lot, so it's not cutting into our food supply by much." Brock shifted nervously on his feet. "There's something else you should know."

Jonathan blinked, waiting as the screamer tried to go impossibly further into the corner, away from the light. "Tell me."

"This isn't just a screamer." Brock whispered and Jonathan knew that look all too well when it fell across his face. Sadness and guilt; a look and feeling he had been stuck in himself for months before someone helped him out of it.

Jonathan took a breath when he realized. He looked back in the room at the figure that wasn't just a reanimated human. It was Brock's best friend.

"Brian?"

Brock gave a small nod and Jonathan saw his eyes starting to shine. "I didn't plan on bringing him in here or running into him at all. Everyone was sleeping and I went outside for some fresh air. It was quiet that night and I never liked to be out there because it happened just outside the gate when he was killed. It was dark and I saw one pair of eyes walking around and when he came into the moonlight, I could tell it was him by the shirt he was wearing. I was frozen for a moment when he ran at the gate once he spotted me. So I made a decision and sedated him, brought him in around the back and locked him in here. David knows, but I think you should know, too. If we develop any sort of remedy, he'll be here for us to test it. I owe him that much, even if it doesn't work."

Jonathan stood there in thought for a moment, but he knew he could never object to the idea. If it was Tyler, he would've done the same thing. "I understand and I support your decision. Thank you for telling me. We'll keep this between us, no one else needs to know for now. I'm sure someone has a different opinion and objections. I'll keep an eye out for animals out there."

Brock let out a breath of relief and grinned, "Thank you."

"Don't mention it. I need to get going." Jonathan clapped him on the shoulder and he left him there looking in on his best friend that was long gone. If there was a chance they could get him back, he'd try for him.

------

There were clouds on the horizon when they set out on their journey through the small winding roads of the favela. The stadium was a good distance away and all Jonathan could think about was Brian and how that could very well be Tyler, too. He liked to think that he was still in the garage, dead and not running around feeding off of stray animals and other unlucky stranded humans. He kept telling himself that none of those things had crawled their way in and found him, that he had went quick and not . . .

"Here." Evan said and snapped him out of his heavy thoughts. He watched him hand his map off to Marcel and Lui, that way they knew where they were going once they split up down the road.

"Scout ahead and radio us when you get the point I marked on the map. We'll go the other way around." Evan waved them off and looked over at Jonathan looking tortured as hell with his hands curled into fists.

"You okay?"

Jonathan simply breathed and focused on the sound of his voice and not the screams that echoed in his mind. He focused on the fact that he was there, feet away, and not dead like he feared one day he would be.

"Yeah." He let out a breath even though he knew he wasn't fine and felt like the world was trying to sit on his shoulders again.

Evan's fingers ran up his arm and Jonathan caught his eye before he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around him tightly in a desperate embrace. He sighed against his neck and Evan was tense with worry before he relaxed and curled his arms around him.

Evan waited but Jonathan never moved, just continued to stand there hugging him, breathing, tucking his face into his neck. It wasn't like him and Evan all of a sudden felt like they'd switched places. He grinned to himself, running his fingers up Jonathan's back, hearing him sigh.

"Weren't you the one that was reassuring me just two days ago? Did something happen?" Evan pried and his hands settled on his waist when they pulled apart.

Jonathan searched his eyes for the comfort he needed and found it there in the look Evan gave him as he touched his hand to his face. Evan let his hand slip to the back of his neck as a breeze blew past them, then he leaned in just as Jonathan did, kissing him carefully because he didn't know what he needed right then. He didn't know if he needed reassurance or a distraction, maybe both.

Jonathan brought his hands up and gripped his face, angling his head and taking it deeper, slipping his tongue past his smoothly. He let out a deep breath and licked his lips before he went back for more. Evan's hand was sliding down his stomach, fingers slipping down into his pants making his breath hitch.

Evan grabbed the walkie from his side, "We'll be a few minutes late. Taking a detour."

"Alright, see you then."

He clipped it to his strap and observed the dark look in Jonathan's otherwise bright eyes and shoved him backwards through an open doorway just behind him. Evan kept walking him back until Jonathan's legs hit a chair and he fell onto it. Evan followed him down, settling on his knees and running his hands up Jonathan's thighs already witnessing the heat collecting in his groin. He was breathing harder as Evan grabbed at his waistband and pulled his running pants down his legs. He moved closer and kissed at the crease of his thigh, running his hands up his shirt as Jonathan sighed into it.

Evan caught his heavy gaze and slipped his mouth over his cock and started a torturous slide that had Jonathan wanting to grab his head and roll his hips further into the heat of his hot lips. Lips that he used to loathe each time they moved. Lips that he now loved, especially when they pulled back to show a pretty smile, more so when they were red and slipping over the hard length between his thighs.

"Mm." He let a soft sound escape and his head fell back against the worn chair when he felt himself running along the back of Evan's throat. His fingers found his hair, his jet black, softer than humanly possible hair and he pulled. Jonathan did his best not to roll his hips, tried not to make him choke but his mouth was so hot and the way he hollowed his cheeks as he moved made it feel tighter. His mouth was perfect.

He looked down in time to see him pull away painfully slow. Spit dripped to his fingers and Jonathan gasped when Evan swallowed him down again and slipped a finger inside of him at the same time. It sent a hard line of pleasure down his back and he arched uncontrollably. Evan found the right spot on the first try, feeling him clench each time he moved his finger.

Jonathan's leg came up and Evan pushed it back down with his free hand before letting it join his mouth that was working Jonathan to his limit. Evan rubbed that spot again until he made a small rhythm and Jonathan was arching, rolling his hips, breathing harder and harder, pulling Evan's hair.

"Oooh my fucking God!" Jonathan threw his head back and bucked his hips one last time before came in Evan's mouth.

He swallowed it down easily and pulled off with a loud pop, lips red as he let his hand stroke Jonathan until he was flinching away. "Fuck!"

"Shhh, Angel Boy, you'll wake the neighbors." Evan smiled wide when Jonathan looked down at him, grinning. He was still breathing a little hard when he yanked him up for a filthy kiss that lasted so long Evan was gasping for air when Jonathan let him go.

"That's the fastest I've ever got off in my entire life." Jonathan sighed and let his head fall back again before he giggled.

"I don't know, man. You were pretty fast the first night we fucked." Evan smirked and grabbed his arms when Jonathan held them up for him. He pulled him to his feet and he was a little unsteady.

"This was a close second then." Jonathan pulled his pants up and reached for Evan's face again. "I think it's just you, though."

"You sure know how to make a boy feel special, don't you?" Evan grinned and caught his lips when he leaned in.

Jonathan stepped back and readjusted his clothes, "I try. You, uh, wanna take another detour later?"

Evan laughed and placed his hand on his chest as he back out of the door they came in, "Ooh, a man after my own ass. I mean, heart."

Jonathan licked his lips as he followed him out, "Nah, I'm definitely after your ass."

Evan faked offense, "Bro."

"I had your heart a long time ago." Jonathan smirked, "Didn't I?"

Evan shoved him with a laugh, "Cocky bastard."

"Come on, we need to catch up." Jonathan planted a quick kiss on the side of his face and ran, hearing Evan's feet rushing to catch up behind him as he weaved through the streets and alleyways.

Jonathan had completely forgotten about the things he was thinking about earlier and all that was on his mind now was the mission ahead and Evan's jokes. The more he told, the more ridiculous they got.

"Hey, where do you think most of the screamers live?"

For just a split second, Jonathan thought it was a genuine serious question until he heard him snicker.

"On a dead-end street."

"Oh my God, Evan. Shut the fuck up."

Evan's laughter echoed between the buildings as they arrived at their destination.

"Oh! What's a screamer's favorite meal?" Evan asked and Jonathan rolled his eyes. "A manwich! Wait, that's my favorite, too. Shit. More like a Jonwich."

"Are you done?"

------

What was left of the stadium loomed ahead of them as they slowed to a stop. Jonathan remembered the day he walked into it; the bustling cluster of excited fans, his jersey Tyler almost spilled beer on, and the rush of the sport as the game was underway. It was one of the most memorable days of his life until it turned into a nightmare that he didn't know whether or not they could get out of.

"Who won?"

Jonathan grinned, "Brazil. My throat was sore from yelling so much. It was unforgettable."

He brought the radio to his lips, "Guys, we're going in."

"We see you. Stay safe." Marcel replied from his lookout to the east.

"Langley, check in."

The radio crackled, "Here. Tower is all clear. Storm's rolling in. Be careful out there."

"Will do."

Jonathan started climbing through the rubble with Evan on his six. They stirred up dust that blew away with the breeze that started to pick up around them. Clouds were beginning to block the sun and cool them off as they found a way through. Evan looked up, seeing metal bars and bleachers hanging haphazardly high above them, some swaying. It was quiet except for the occasional groan of metal and popping of loose beams.

Jonathan crawled his way through a small opening and on the other side was the playing field, destroyed mounds of dirt and dead grass laid out before them. It looked like a warzone, but what disturbed him was the lack of bodies. There were none. The blast radius was contained within the stadium and had clearly turned everyone that had been in it.

He kicked a ruined soccer ball out of his way and moved toward the center of the field, putting on the mask Evan handed him and a pair of gloves. The point of impact was clear as day; a gaping crater amidst all the dirt.

They walked to the edge and at the bottom were pieces of broken metal and a small pool of glowing green fluorescent liquid. It wasn't much but it would be enough. Jonathan pulled a rope from his pack and tied it around himself, handing the slack to Evan along with the radio.

Just as he was about to descend, Evan grabbed his shirt and pulled him back, kissing him hard. He was an inch away, staring into him when he let go. "Come back, okay?"

"I planned on it." Jonathan ran his thumb over Evan's lips and walked back until he was moving down the semi-steep incline. It wasn't far but if he fell into even the smallest amount of the virus . . . well, he didn't want to know what would happen.

Jonathan was leaning over the liquid when he felt the raindrops soaking into his shirt. Evan had a tight grip on the rope and he grinned at the fact that he worried over such a simple thing. The wind blew up above as he dipped a small jar into the substance and then secured the lid, wiping it clean with a rag. He tossed it then tied the jar up safely into three layered bags before placing it in his pack.

------

Evan heard the metal bleachers creaking again and when he felt the rain slowly coming down he looked up and there he saw a figure in the stands to his left. He kept his grip on the rope and pulled the radio up.

"Marcel."

"Yeah?"

"Where's Lui?"

"He said he was gonna scout the stadium."

Evan let out a breath but his heart took longer to calm down. He felt a tug on the rope and looked down at Jonathan as he started to climb back up. He gave him a smile and then looked back up at Lui who was still in the same spot in the stands. He gave him a wave that he didn't return. Evan's grin faded.

"Lui!" His call echoed around them until another voice called back.

"Over here!"

Evan's head snapped around to his right and there was Lui on the other side. Then he saw him waving frantically.

"Get out of there! There's more than one!" His voice echoed and Evan felt the blood rushing past his ears.

"Jonathan! Move faster, we've got company!" Just as the plea left his mouth he felt the sting of a bullet grazing his arm. He immediately hit the ground for cover. "Fuck! Move those fine ass legs of yours or I'll be taking bullets for you before we even solidify our relationship!"

Jokes aside, Jonathan moved as fast as he could and Evan pulled him over the top and forced him to his stomach. "Stay down. We're hidden behind rubble of we stay low."

"How many?"

"No idea. There's one on the left, Lui's on the right. Think we can make a break for it?" Evan talked low with his face nearly touching the ground. Jonathan's fingers found the gash on his arm that left blood trailing down his arm, but it was starting to clot.

Evan shook his head, "It's fine. Which way should we go?"

Jonathan glanced around, they couldn't go back the way they came, it was too open. The other side of the stadium was mostly still intact and there was a door that led to the inside. It was their best bet.

"We make a break for that door, stay low, behind cover unless you see someone else, then just fucking run." Jonathan instructed and Evan nodded.

"This is fucking ridiculous. You actually came back and now we're being shot at." He huffed, "I'm trying to figure out which one of us is the bad luck charm."

"Well, I didn't have horrible luck until you came along, so it's definitely you, Princess." Jonathan grinned in the rain as it came down harder.

Evan broke into a smile then the radio came on, "Guys, I'm close by. Lui's taking cover. I see two guys on the left, maybe another in the middle of the stands, I can't tell. I'll draw their attention and you guys run for it."

Jonathan took the radio, "We're headed for the door that leads inside. You and Lui find a way out to the rendezvous point we marked and we'll meet you there."

"You got it. Wait for my gunfire." Marcel went silent and ten seconds later his rifle went off, firing into the stands. The bullets bounced off of metal seats leaving a sharp piercing echo in the air around them. Evan and Jonathan pushed themselves to their feet and crouched as they ran, trying to stay as low as they could behind cover. Their feet slipped on the mud and they slid in front of the doors. Jonathan barreled into them and they fell to the floor when they gave way to a dark empty hallway.

"Marcel we're clear, get out of there."

"Going."

Jonathan found Evan's fingers in the dark, "Now we can solidify our relationship. You're mine and I'm yours. Is that cool with you?"

"Um . . . yeah. Don't make me cry, dude." Evan pretended to wipe the tears away that were actually raindrops on his face.

Jonathan pulled him along the dark hallway that eventually opened up into a huge room that circled the entire stadium. He turned his hat around and clicked on his flashlight that was attached to the bill.

"Think they got some peanuts around here?" Evan whispered and Jonathan squeezed his fingers silently telling him to shut up. The rain was pounding down on the outside and creating a steady hum throughout the place.

"It's too dark in here." Jonathan glanced around for an exit to the outskirts of the stadium. "Dark isn't good."

"Yeah, I'm waiting for that spine-tingling growling to start." As soon as Evan said it, they heard it. "Ah, there it is."

"Exit, look for a fucking exit!" Jonathan hissed as they walked faster hand in hand, looking for a door or anything that would put them on the other side. Evan turned his flashlight on and looked behind them, but he didn't really need it to see the those nightmarish eyes looking back.

"We, uh, should probably start running." But Jonathan was already yanking him forward into a sprint when he spotted a door just around the bend. A scream rang out and Jonathan let his hand go as he burst through the door and into the rain where he ran into a body and fell to the ground. That body was tall, heavy, and alive. It also had a gun.

He pushed himself to his feet and kept running behind Evan who was doing his best not to slip on the wet ground. "Keep running! Split up!"

Evan turned left and weaved in and out of abandobed cars. Thunder cracked above that was joined by the shot of a gun. Jonathan ducked his head and headed off into alley between a row of houses. He slammed through a door and out of the rain, catching his breath while he checked his pistol. He made sure the jar of death hadn't broke and then peered out of a window. He ducked down when he heard wet footsteps go by, then it got eerily quiet. The rain dripped down the glass and he heard more gunfire.

------

Evan peeked around the corner of a building aiming down the sights of his gun as he continued through the winding roads at a cautious pace. If he knew Jonathan, he was out of sight, laying low in a house until he assessed the situation. Evan tried to do the same. He ducked into a doorway of a shop and was met with gunshots just as he turned down an aisle. He ducked around the corner and made sure his safety was off. He looked down at his arm to find another fresh bleeding graze just beneath his first one.

"We can be friends, right?" An smooth, calm, ominous voice asked in the quiet store.

"You just ruined my tattoo, I seriously doubt that." Evan replied and rolled away when more bullets sprayed around him. When he got to his feet he rounded another aisle and came face to face with the guy, wearing the same hoodie he always wore, same white face mask. But this time he saw his eyes, piercing and impossibly more intimidating than Jonathan's could ever be. Evan lunged straight into his stomach, tackling him to the floor, their guns slid off in either direction as they tumbled. His mask came down, revealing an equally intimidating face that he wouldn't be forgetting any time soon. Even in a struggle of fists and strength he was calm. His fist met Evan's jaw and he kicked him off, reaching for his gun that had got away. But Evan was faster, finding his gun near the end of the aisle at the same time the other man did. Evan turned and shot, hearing the other gun fire a split second later. He saw the blood spreading through the fabric of the guy's pants on his thigh and he heard two other people enter the store from the back.

Evan took the opportunity and ran into the street, turning right, not knowing where he was going. It didn't matter. He heard them coming.

"After him." That calm voice ordered and Evan had no fucking idea how he was up and moving when he'd just shot him in the leg.

He was hauling ass down another alley when a hand reached out and grabbed him, pulling him inside a dark house. Jonathan clamped a hand over his mouth and they listened to the men run by, one limping, until they were out of earshot.

"We need to meet back up with Marcel and Lui." He whispered in his ear and took his hand back. "You're bleeding again."

"That fucker grazed me again, the boss. I shot him in the leg though and he got up and ran. He's gotta be a fucking terminator or something." Evan wiped at his face and he didn't realize his face was cover in blood until he smelled it. "Fuck."

Jonathan pulled Evan's shirt off and ripped it. Evan held his hands up, "I'm fine. It was just a graze."

"Yeah, but he also put a bullet in your arm that you clearly can't feel because of the adrenaline." Jonathan stated calmly as he pulled Evan's arm out in front of him.

Evan looked down at the hole in his arm and sighed, "What. An. Asshole."

"At least it went through and didn't hit a bone." Jonathan remarked and began wrapping it tightly.

Evan grinned, "I'm holy now. The Lord has obsolved me of all my sins. Or at least one of them, because there's a whole fucking lot."

"Evan, enough jokes! My heart is in my throat right now, can you be serious for five fucking seconds?!" Jonathan ran his hand over his face and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry."

Evan grabbed his arm, "Hey, I'm okay. I'm sure I'll be bitching about it in ten minutes, but I'm okay. I'll heal. Now let's go before they find their way back."

The rain had eased up to light drizzle as they stepped quietly through the streets, hiding when they heard footsteps, then taking off again when it was clear. Evan was right on the money, because ten minutes later his arm felt like it was on fire, throbbing with pain.

"Shit, shit, shit." He said with every step as they neared the rendezvous point, a safehouse on the outskirts of town.

"Hey, hey, hey." Jonathan slowed him to a stop and opened the door to the bottom floor of the house. He put an arm around his waist and helped him up the stairs where Marcel and Lui were waiting to help.

"Medkit?" Marcel asked as he rummaged through random cabinets.

Jonathan pointed to a table on the other side of the room, "Top drawer."

Jonathan sat Evan on the couch and caught the kit when it was tossed his way. It didn't take long for him to patch him up and clean the wound. It didn't make Evan hurt any less. He found a bottle of water and gave him some pain pills and then he sat beside him pulling him close until Evan's breathing evened out and he was laying in his lap.

Jonathan ran his hand through his hair for hours, until it was dark outside and the screamers were running loose. Lui kept a lookout on the roof while Marcel opened a can of soup for them to pass around while they waited for daylight.

"You okay, man?" Marcel asked as he passed him a spoon along with the can.

"Yeah, I'm good." He looked down at Evan who had fallen asleep with a tense look on his face. "As long as he's okay, I'll be fine."

Marcel gave him a sweet grin and took the soup back after Jonathan had a bite. "You remember when you hated him and came back all pissed at me and Lui because we let him run?"

Jonathan sighed softly with a grin, "I remember."

"And now?"

"Now . . ." Jonathan wiped the sweat from Evan's forehead, "Now I can't stand to be without him and one day that might be the death of me."

------

Evan stirred in the middle of the night while the crickets outside were screaming louder than the dead. His arm was back to burning so he took more medicine, trying not to disturb Jonathan. But he woke anyway when Evan moved.

Evan grinned up at him with his head still in his lap. "Miss me?"

Jonathan didn't say anything, just leaned down and kissed him until Evan couldn't feel a thing other than his heavy hand on his chest and his lips that left his and left a small peck on his forehead.

"I'll take that as a yes." He whispered and moved when Jonathan pulled his legs up to lay down beside him. He pulled him close and got comfortable, his chin resting on top of his head.

"Yes, I missed you. Next time, don't fall asleep without me."

Evan curled around him tighter and breathed against his chest that was salty and almost sticky from rain and sweat. He laid awake listening to him breathe, thinking about the sound of his voice and the way he'd said his last sentence.

Don't fall asleep without me.

It was tender and sweet and if Evan thought about it too much it almost sounded like another form of 'I love you'. He shut his eyes tight and convinced himself to fall asleep before the sun came up and he felt lips pressing softly against his.

It was so sudden and he still felt half asleep, maybe he was dreaming because Jonathan pulled away and looked down at him with a look he'd never seen before. His eyes were catching the morning light just right and his hand ran over his face so gently he didn't know what to think.

Evan just stared and watched his lips move when he said, "I don't want to wake up without you either."