Songs: My Blood by Twenty-Øne Piløts
Nightcrawling by Saint Raymond

Also, I want to apologize for the wait and apologize for this whole chapter in general. But I hope you enjoy. -walk

------

Waves.

Everything came in soft crashes of ivory and seafoam.

One moment his life would be laid out before him like the ocean water spreading across the shore, soaking into the sand, memories etching their way into the earth.

Then the next moment it was gone, pulled away by the same sea of waves back into the ocean of his mind that refused to remember.

You're Tyler.

"I'm Tyler." He said to himself as he sat on the edge of a rooftop overlooking the sea. The name still didn't feel right on his tongue, but the man's voice was nagging at his memory. Like an old classmate you saw in the grocery store fifteen years later and you know that you knew them at one point in time but you just can't seem to place their face. Not until two in the morning and by then it doesn't even matter because then you can't recall their name.

"Tyler." Would the name ever feel right? Was it really his?

He squinted against the sun in the distance as it crawled it's way upward over the horizon. Perhaps in the end his name didn't really matter. Who he was didn't change the fact that Patterson would probably have them killed if they didn't find a cure.

An antidote, one that was impossible to obtain now with no doctor. There were other methods of course. Kidnapping, threats, warfare. These were all things he'd already contemplated thoroughly. Two of which they'd already tried, so the third option was all that was left. Neither his group or the other had much time left, but he wasn't going to sit there and let them find a cure and keep it for themselves.

"Hey, Boss."

He turned his head at the sound to find Max waiting at the ladder of the roof, gun draped over his shoulder.

"What is it?"

Max rubbed at the back of his neck nervously, "They uh, they spotted the other group dragging a live corpse inside last night. We think they're close to making the cure. Everyone's waiting on your orders."

He gave Max a firm nod and watched the sun rise a bit longer before he let his mind go blank once again. The cold crept into his skin and he gave the white tiger tattoo on his inner wrist one last glance before he pulled his sleeve down and pushed himself to his feet.

------

Lui was playing with a strand of Murphy's hair as they sat in the otherwise empty waiting area just down the hall from the doctors' experiments that were echoing steadily off the walls as they worked.

It was all they'd done for days after Anthony came out of their office looking particularly giddy. They had a base for the antidote, but needed to test it on a subject to work out the finer details and reversion. If it could be done at all.

Langley was a pacer. She'd walked an entire circle around the halls, stopping only when Arlan would catch her hand and pull her down to rub his thumbs into her tense shoulders. Then he'd let her go to do it all over again.

Patience was hard to find, but they did their best when time after time Brock would come out with a small shake of his head.

------

"How many days do we have left?" Langley asked as she stood by the window staring out at the dead empty city below.

"We have two weeks." Arlan shrugged, "There's still time."

"We're already out of time. Something is going to happen. I can feel it." She chewed at her nail until Arlan pulled her hand away from her mouth.

He caught her eye and spoke firmly, "Everything is going to be okay. I won't let anything happen to you."

Langley shook her head, "I don't give a shit about what happens to me. It's everyone else I'm worried about."

"Well I give a shit, Langley." Arlan squeezed her fingers gently, "We'll get everyone out safe and sound together, no matter what happens. Alright?"

"You sound like Jonathan."

"Is that a bad thing?"

Langley huffed and looked back down at the buildings, "No. I just don't believe we're all getting out of here alive and I'm perfectly fine if I'm one of those people. Just promise me something?"

"Anything."

Langley hooked him with a serious stare and he knew he couldn't refuse her when she said, "Make sure Murphy gets out. She deserves to."

But he couldn't hold his tongue either, "And you think you don't?"

Arlan saw the ever present guilt etched into her eyes, the guilt over Craig. "Langley, you had no control over what Tyler did to him. You were a prisoner and if it's anyone's fault, it's mine. I was the one that took you down."

Langley snapped, "You did what you had to. You're not to blame!"

"And neither are you! Shit happens, people die, life goes on! Stop trying to punish yourself just because you think you deserve it. People need you here, I need you here and in your right mind. Because you are smart and strong and keep everyone organized, encouraged, and moving forward in this fucking hell hole. You're important, Langley, to our survival. I'd still be stuck with Tyler, probably dead, if it weren't for you. So get it out of your stubborn head that you're a sacrifice, because I will fight you until understand."

Langley blinked and felt a hot tear run down her tired face. She still didn't feel like she deserved anything close to appreciation or admiration. She didn't feel as if anyone should look to her for answers, or for anything. "Why? Why do you care about me? I'm nothing."

Arlan smiled sadly at her, "I don't really have an answer. All I know is that I had nothing before all of this, but I met people here, found friends, lost some, and came across you. You, Langley, the woman who convinced me to make a life-altering decision and I'll always owe you for that. That's why I care. Because I want to save your life in return. Is that so much to ask?"

Langley huffed and shook her head, "No . . . I suppose it's not."

"There's nothing you should be crying about. You aren't at fault. You have been there for everyone and they've all been there for you. No one blames you so stop blaming yourself. Keep picking yourself up, keep thinking of a solution because we're going to need one if this goes south." Arlan ducked his head to catch her eyes again after she wiped her face. "Okay?"

Langley finally grinned, "Yeah, okay."

Arlan let his hand brush her face, "I don't care how many times you break, Langley. I won't let you stay in peices."

"Stop." She rolled her eyes and laughed, pushing him away. "I didn't think you were so cheesy."

He smiled with a small giggle, "I thought you liked cheese."

"Yeah, pepper-jack and provolone."

Arlan grabbed her hand and pulled her down the hall, "I'm hungry now. Let's go make mini pizzas."

Langley walked a little faster.

"They're so gross." Murphy picked at her nails while Lui continued to twist her hair into tiny braids on the side of her head.

"You say that like you don't like to hold hands or be the little spoon." Lui mused and caught the side of her menacing eye.

"Of course I like it. I just don't want you to expect anything out of me because of it. Some people need affection without the baggage." She shrugged.

"Are you calling me baggage? Because I was under the impression we were just good friends, like most everyone else here." Lui tugged her hair and kept braiding, "I know what you need just like I know what most people need and I'm happy to provide it for you, no strings attached, even though I've thought about kissing your smartass mouth on more than one occasion."

Murphy snorted and turned on her knees, looking up at him and his prominent dimples that were always present no matter what expression he made. "You're kind of obnoxious. But, Murphy Calibre sounds like the most badass name."

Lui smiled, flashing bright white teeth, eyes crinkling, "I said I wanted to kiss you, not marry you."

Murphy worked her way closer, slyly grinning, "We can get divorced just as easily. I just want that sweet last name. Do you still want to kiss me?"

Lui grinned passively right before he leaned in, but as always, he waited for her to start it. There was never a moment where he pressured her, just let her in at her own pace. Because contrary to popular belief, friendships were respectful two-way streets, not 'zones'.

------

"Brian."

Brock was kneeling just out of his reach as he watched for any effect the solution he'd injected him with had. But there was nothing, no change. His eyes still glowed in the dark while he snarled in the corner. A shrill scream ached in his ears and he left the room reluctantly, defeated once more.

Their secondary screamer was just as immune to any antidote they tried. They weren't making progress even though they had all been so sure of their cure.

The problem was that it was reacting negatively with what blood was left in their system. So they were faced with finding a positive carrier that wouldn't diminish as soon as it ran through their veins with only two weeks to figure it out.

At that point, Brock had accepted what the outcome would be and like he'd told Jonathan before, he was okay with it. Credit wouldn't be given to them for trying and failing, but amongst themselves they were proud of coming as far as they had.

"Anything new?" Anthony inquired, knowing the answer before Brock grinned solemnly and shook his head.

"Nothing."

Adam rubbed at his eyes, "Well then, let's get back to it. There is a solution, we just have to keep looking."

"What if there isn't one? The military obviously didn't have one and have been using this entire city to coax one out of hiding." David crossed his arms after he pulled his safety goggles down. "I'm intelligent, we all are. If there was anything, we'd have found it by now."

Anthony turned back to the slides beneath his microscope, "Well, I'm not about to waltz out there and say we have nothing and that it's all pointless. I'd rather try and say we did all we could instead of saying we quit."

Brock clenched his jaw and no one said anything else. They simply went back to tireless, endless, unfruitful work. They'd be willingly condemning everyone if they didn't and none of them could live with that no matter how much time left on Earth they had.

------

Evan's astonished gasp rang throughout the nursery when Oliver practically ran across the room and stumbled into his outstretched arms, "Look at you go! You speed demon!"

He laughed as the boy let out a wet chuckle. Maria smiled gently down at them as they played on the floor amidst the unseen chaos. "Do you like children?"

"Never gave kids much thought. I didn't have young siblings or cousins, so I never got to spend time with any." Evan contemplated, "But I love this kid, I love all of these little brats. So full of energy and imagination. It's pure, you know?"

Maria smiled, "Yes. I know."

There was a statement lingering and Maria wasn't one to keep her thoughts or opinions to herself, but with this, she hesitated. "Evan, my dear."

He glanced up at her kind face, eyes wrinkled with age, "Yeah?"

"I want you to be his godfather. You and Anjo both."

Evan sat on the floor in a stunned silence for a moment watching the boy walk in uneven circles across the carpeted floor, "I've never even watched that movie. But, as long as it doesn't involve me being a mafia member, I'd be honored to be his godfather."

"Jonathan said just as much." Maria rested her head on her hand.

"Really? He's never seen The Godfather either?"

Maria chuckled, "You two have done wonders for each other."

Evan slowly smiled and caught Oliver in his arms. The boy smiled toothlessly, "Ba-ba!"

Evan felt his eyes water just a bit. He brushed the boys dark shiny hair back on his soft head and grinned, "I don't know what Ba-ba means, but yeah little buddy, I'll be your Ba-ba."

------

Jonathan was walking the halls of the civilian quarters checking up on everyone and asking around to see if anyone needed anything in particular. They didn't ask for much, just shoes mostly for the growing younger teens and toothbrushes for others that were slowly wearing out, the bristles fraying.

He sat with Marzia for a while just to talk and she listened intently. Then she explained all the minor hiccups they'd run into like false pregnancies, missed periods, migraines, and vitamin-d deficiencies.

"We'll be needing more tampons and pads, whatever you can get your hands on really. Other than that everyone has been okay. Some are still homesick and a bit antsy, but I can handle it." She grinned and rubbed at his forearm when he couldn't stop bouncing his leg.

"Sorry. I just can't stand all this waiting and hoping that things will work out. It's been so long, you know? And I'm just so anxious, something is going to go wrong and I won't be able to help anyone."

"That's a rational thing to worry about, but not everything can be controlled. There isn't always a happy ending although we try. But at least we can say we were all comfortable and safe, even if it comes to an unlikely end. We are grateful for that, Jonathan." Maria gave his face a gentle brush of her fingers and it made Jonathan sick for his mother.

He still felt flighty and emotionally reckless even after setting ground rules with Evan to never run off again without explanation or forewarning. But things were boiling to a head and it had always been a waiting game, but it was harder than ever with only days left.

Jonathan had tried to be prepared for an unfortunate outcome, but he'd been running for so long with the weight of keeping everyone alive and safe on his shoulders that it was crippling to know that a horrible ending was a more likely scenario.

What was he supposed to do when it came down to it?

He made his way up above to the roof where Desmond was perched with binoculars and a rifle on watch. The wind was once again colder now and it had to be closer to the end of another year, or it could've been March or August. Time was a mystery. They never did keep up with the months, they were just counting down days and he didn't care much to know just how long they'd actually been there because it already felt like a lifetime.

"Seen anything?"

Desmond relaxed when he saw him walking over, "No, nothing. It's been quiet. I've seen lights in the distance, but they never get any closer. They stay in their territory for the most part."

"What about the military?"

"They come and go, but it looks like they're getting restless, maybe preparing for something." Desmond handed him the specs and pointed behind them further inland. "I may have found an escape route if worst comes to worst. The trees are pretty thick in that area and I don't see many soldiers that way."

Jonathan eyed the area through the lenses, "Could be more dead that way, maybe that's why they don't tread too close. It's one of the only options though. If we can clear it out we could start moving people past the quarantine and into safer territory."

"Sounds good to me." Desmond grinned with a small salute. "It's getting close now isn't it?"

Jonathan let the chills run over his arms when the wind brushed by again, "Yeah, it's close. Radio me if anything happens out there."

"I will." Desmond gave him a nod and waved him off when he headed back inside.

------

Five days.

Five days could be long and tiring, but with a deadline, they were passing like waves on the shore. Too quickly to see what was happening before it faded and transitioned into a new one.

Jonathan, Evan, Murphy, and Langley had been running for three days now collecting what was left in the abandoned stores. Feminine products, vitamins, food that wasn't too far past expiration just yet. Supplies were running thin all together. Blood was scarce in the hospital, ten packs left at most but luckily they never needed to use any after the initial bombing victims were healed and ready to go. Ryan was the last to use any when they amputated his leg.

The main struggle was food and they were fortunate to have lasted for so long with the rationing system. It was kind of fitting that just as things were coming to an end, so were their resources. Nothing lasted forever.

"That's the last of it." Langley wiped the subtle sweat from her brow and sighed when she walked out into the cold air. "Dude, think of how nice a pool or hot tub would feel right about now."

"Ugh, shut up. The one on our back patio still calls to me." Murphy let her head fall back with a groan.

Evan poked her shoulder, "Well, one day we will all squeeze in it and enjoy a nice cocktail and share embarrassing sex stories."

"Or you could share them now if you want." Murphy winked, "Like, have you called him Daddy yet?"

Evan opened his mouth, but shut it with a smirk when Jonathan tossed a granola bar with a frown, hitting him square in the chest, "Save it for the hot tub."

Evan grinned slyly, "Yes, sir."

Jonathan hid a smile by biting his lip and Langley was laughing at Evan when he shut his eyes tight and shooed him away, "Go away with your stupid lip biting! Unless you want them to see me do things to you that even Satan would turn me away for."

"We are so willing to bare witness." Langley wiggled her eyebrows, shrugging at Jonathan's disapproving face, "What? Sex is like, the only entertaining thing left in this world. Unless you don't like sex, then it's just bracelet-making and hugs."

Evan perked up and stuck his arm out, "Cody made me three bracelets!"

"You are so adorable, I hate it." Jonathan mumbled and urged them all to join him in a light jog back to the tower before the sun went down any further.

Compared to the first few months of being in Rio, it was so quiet. He'd speculated with the docs that the screamers couldn't sustain their high energy once they ran out of food to eat, so it had slowed them down considerably since he didn't see many abnormally fast running ones anymore. But they were still moving, still alive/dead, looking for something to ravage.

Their food supply ran out ages ago, so it was difficult to say how long they could survive or if they actually needed anything to eat to begin with or if it was just a carnal instinct that the virus had created that simply wired their brain to believe.

Always so many questions with little to no answers and so little time left.

------

They waited until dark each night before they quietly made their way uphill into the forest unseen in an attempt to make a pathway for an escape route.

Desmond seemed to have hit the nail on the head because the trees were thick and so were the amount of screamers. But they were lucky and they were right about one thing; they were much slower now and much easier to kill. They barely even screamed anymore.

Their small gang spread out, twenty steps between each of them before they moved in silently and started picking them off one by one. This in itself took them three nights to accomplish, another day to move the bodies to make a clear path.

"I'm going to scout ahead and make sure we won't be running into another boundary line. You wouldn't want anymore holes in your cat shirt, would you?" Jonathan grinned over at Evan who stuck a finger into one of the many holes that adorned his precious shirt.

Evan sighed dramatically, "That would be a shame. Let's go, Angel Boy."

------

It was a lengthy walk through more trees and the moon was full, slipping through branches and lighting the foliage up like a dream. But a beautiful one, not like the common nightmares everyone had become accustomed to. Jonathan half expected to see a deer, but he wasn't sure if they were even native to Brazil or if there were any left. More than likely anything that couldn't fly or live in the trees had already been eaten.

Jonathan imagined that they were in North Carolina, hiking through the woods to find his treehouse that he'd lived in more than his own home. Sticks crunched beneath their feet, echoing in the quiet night and he wondered if they'd ever get to lie on the wood and stare up at the stars with nothing to worry them, nothing to plague their dreams.

Jonathan wondered what life would be like outside of Brazil, what Evan would be like to squeeze into a tub with. They'd have to stretch their long legs up on the sides for sure.

He smiled to himself in the dark as they walked on, climbing the steep hill and coming to a stop once they reached level ground. The forest dropped on a steep incline below and beyond that was a darkened city in the distance. Even further were faint lights of the outside world.

This was their only hope and it would be a long trek, but they were out of options.

"How long do you think it'll take to get everyone out here?" Evan squinted at the view before them, barely illuminated. "Should we start now? I mean, this is all going to go down tomorrow regardless."

Jonathan licked his dry lips and shrugged, "I don't know, maybe we should. I don't see them getting the cure working by morning."

Evan sighed and stepped closer, "Hey. Whatever happens . . ."

"Are we doing this now?"

Evan grinned, "Yeah. What better way to say goodbye than in a romantic moonlit forest?"

Jonathan found Evan's fingers, "There are so many things I wanted to show you. But if I never get to, just know that what we did experience together here was worth it and I don't regret it."

Evan smiled to hide the fact that he was withering on the inside, wanting to scream and fight everyone that was trying to prematurely end the best thing he'd ever had in his life. This was not something he was ready to give up. Jonathan wasn't something he wouldn't go down in a fight for.

Evan would gladly die in his place before something took him away from him first. Screw the promise he'd made.

For a moment they were just two people alone in a forest, moonlight draping over their tired faces and for a moment they were just two people in love trying to find a way to be together even though it grew more impossible by the minute.

He felt Jonathan's fingers slip behind his neck and pull him forward into a warm heavy kiss that they cut off at the sound of the radio on his hip.

"Fuck!"

Jonathan pulled Evan back with him toward the tower at a sprint as he pulled the radio to his lips, "What is it?!"

"Fuck, fuck!" Marcel was running by the sound of it and that only made the two of them run even faster.

------

Ryan stumbled down the hall in a stupor, moving as quickly as he could when he heard muffled gunshots coming from the floors below. Shouts echoed up the elevator shaft when he made it to the metal doors and rode it down to the lobby only to find it empty. So he went further.

The metal doors slid open to the basement level where the voices were louder still, blood painted the pale concrete floors in front of him. His heart stuttered.

"RYAN!" Langley bolted and pushed him back into the elevator. She mashed the button for the civilian floor, out of breath. A deep shade of burgundy stained her white tank-top. It was smeared across her face and he noticed in the few seconds it all happened that her leg was bleeding profusely. "Get up there and push the emergency stop! Don't let this elevator come back down!"

"What the fuck is going on?!"

She reloaded the pistol in her hand and stepped backward into the basement. "They got in."

"Who?!"

"The others."

The doors shut just as he heard more gunshots.

------

Jonathan was barreling downhill toward the tower, Evan was hot on his heels. A figure was running uphill meeting them halfway in the form of a wrecked, breathless man. Arlan sucked in a breath and turned on the spot, pulling them along.

"It's Tyler!" He sucked in another ragged breath as he ran, "They got in the tower - the basement!"

"What happened?!" Jonathan pulled the gun from his side as they neared the gate. But instead of opening it, Arlan ran past it and down the road into the winding roads of the favela. It was dark, the only sound was their feet sliding on the dirt as they came to a halt at a corner. Arlan peered around it, gunshots popped continuously throughout the streets. A human scream rang out in the distance followed by shouts. What was left of the screamers in the city would more than likely be disturbed.

Arlan caught his breath and looked back, "We were in the lobby and Anthony came down bleeding from his shoulder, said some men came in with guns and took the vial they had just made up for another test on the screamers. He followed them down into the basement and that's when he got shot. We ran down and caught a few of them off guard. Marcel and Murphy went after the others while the rest of us got pinned down in the basement picking off the ones that were still there. There must've been a passage from the sewers that led into the drainage system under the hospital that I didn't know about. Tyler may have known and kept it from us so we wouldn't get ideas and desert the group. He was saving this card to play."

Evan licked his dry lips and let his head fall back to stare at the stars, "And now they have what could possibly be the cure since they didn't even get to test it before it was taken."

Jonathan tried to keep his cool, checking his weapon again for good measure before they began jogging down further into the winding streets, "Where is everyone else?"

"Once we took care of the basement, we sent the elevator up and had Ryan shut it down. Desmond and a few others are guarding the stairwell from above. Everyone else is on a chase and it sounds like they're in a stand off or still running and taking shots where they can. I don't know who's alive and who's not. Langley has a bullet in her leg but I couldn't stop her and she won't as long as Murphy is out there."

Evan paced his breathing as he checked his own gun, "Alright, let's just get down there. We have to get that vial back no matter what. That's the only thing that's gonna get us out of here . . . if it works at all."

Arlan glanced his way, "And if it doesn't?"

"Doesn't matter. Our people are out here, I'd rather we die tomorrow than die today." Jonathan took off sprinting toward the sounds that only grew louder in the night.

------

Langley knew it was bad because she couldn't feel it. She owed it all to the adrenaline pumping through her veins and she prayed it kept flowing a little longer because Murphy was so fucking close, but still out of reach locked in a stand-off with a giant twice her size. His beard was shining under the moonlight with rich blood. It didn't deter him and didn't slow his fists down just because Murphy was a foot and a half shorter and twice as fast.

Her blade glinted each time she dodged his arms and ducked in for a quick jab to his side, piercing flesh with one of Marcel's razor sharp knives.

"You bitch!" The guy spat and stepped away for a moment and sneered as they circled each other. "I've waited for this ever since you blew a hole in my leg. Think you can take me?"

Murphy huffed, "Boys and their mouths. Let me guess, you got a big pick-up truck back home to compensate for that pathetic dick between your thighs."

He lunged just as a bullet whizzed past his head, stopping him mid stride. Someone else fell to the ground to his left and his eyes went wide. "Adam!"

Max stumbled over and reached for his face, finding a bullet hole just above his eye.

Murphy took the moment to catch her breath and press against the gash in her side. Langley finally reached her, sliding up against her side as she favored one leg. "Come on, we gotta move. We're too scattered."

"No chance. Lui is still out there." Murphy shook her head and took a breath that stung more than it relieved. "Fuck, he stuck me good."

The man was on his feet again, red with rage. He bolted at the both of them only to be blind-sided by Arlan who tackled him to the ground just as Langley lost the ability to hold herself up. She heard a faint gurgling as Arlan pulled a blade from the man's throat and shuffled their way.

"Hey! Stay awake!" Murphy slapped her face one good time. "You bitch, you're bleeding to death!"

"It's all good." Langley slurred.

"God, you're dumb."

Langley pushed at her face weakly, "Whatever. I know for a fact you thought of that meme as soon as that guy yelled Adam."

Murphy snorted even though her eyes were about to drown in hot tears, "Yeah, I did."

Arlan gripped her beneath her arms and hauled her up over his shoulder, "No more talking. We passed Lui on the way here. Scott has a busted jaw, Marcel is hauling him back. I'm taking you both back before you die and haunt me from the afterlife. Just stay awake for me okay?"

Murphy was moving slower than she though she would, but she trudged behind them nonetheless, stopping only to grip Jonathan's shirt in her hand as he passed, "Something you should know."

Jonathan waited, brushing her sweaty hair off her forehead.

"They got in because someone let them in. That hatch was locked from our side."

His stomach dropped. Murphy touched her hand to his face before she kept moving, leaving him standing there. Things seemed to blur as his feet moved for him, but soon Evan was pulling him to a stop in the middle of the road. He yanked him to the edge of a building as things got quiet, almost too quiet. The shooting had stopped, but their hearts were still firing in their chests.

"You still with me?" Evan let his hand slide up his neck, searching for anything in his blank eyes.

He gave an equally blank response, "Hn."

Evan nudged his face, "Listen, Jonathan, this isn't over even if someone turned on us. We can still get it under control. If you don't snap out of it, you're leaving me no choice."

Evan blinked, waiting, heart breaking a little more the longer Jonathan stared over his shoulder in the dark.

He yanked his arm and led him into a building, finding a chair and forcing him to sit, "When you come back to Earth you're going to fucking hate me for this, but I'm not risking your life anymore than I have to."

Evan pulled out a ziptie and anchored Jonathan's hand to the arm of the wooden seat, "I know we said we would run together, never leave the other behind again, but I love you, Jon. Please remember that when this is all over. Because it's almost over. Our people are headed back to safety, but the possible cure is still out there and I'm going to get it back."

Evan secured his other arm and stood back. Jonathan finally blinked, coming back from his thoughts and looked around at where he was, down at his restrained hands just as Evan backed out of the doorway and into the street.

"What - wait!"

But Evan didn't wait, he gave him one last grin and ran, leaving Jonathan with a foggy head trying to understand anything that had just happened. Evan's words were muffled in his head but he understood nonetheless. The ties on his arms weren't coming off and that was a fact, there was nothing he could do but listen as footsteps faded in the distance and his heart pounded in his head.

------

Tyler was limping again, the bullet wound was still sore after all this time and he knew it'd probably be permanent. A part of him knew the doctor hadn't done a proper job and deep down he knew he deserved it but he didn't know why.

It was that blurry part of his brain that was telling him it was his fault, that this wasn't the right way. But the other half, the half that always won him over, was telling him that this was the only way. This was how he survived, fuck everyone else.

But why did he want to survive? He couldn't even remember his home, his family, or friends. Only his name, but he still wasn't sure it was really his.

"Tyler!"

He stopped dead in his tracks, turning at the sound to find an enemy, the leader's lover.

"We can work this out together!"

Tyler grinned and held his arms out, the glowing vial in his left hand, "Now, we both know that's not true."

Evan's shoulders sagged with a sigh, "I know, but I figured I'd try at least."

The air was stagnate between them, echoes of screams running off in the distance like their own personal background music.

"Jonathan loves you, you have to know that."

Jonathan. That didn't quite sound right. Maybe it was Jon?

"I don't know who that is." Tyler moved to an open door, "So, if you'll excuse me."

------

Jonathan's wrist were bloody by the time he finally gave up trying to break free from the plastic zip ties. The atmosphere was stuffy around him and his only thought was that he was a complete idiot, letting himself get lost in his own head at the wrong time.

It wasn't out of the ordinary for him to disassociate, but it just had to be when everything important was happening. It had to happen when Tyler was running away with the vial, when Evan was focused and dead set on getting it back, when Langley was shot, and half of the crew were injured and fighting for their lives.

It had to be now and that was the story of his life.

He had always zoned out at the most inappropriate times, like when he was ten and his mother announced another pregnancy and he was the only one sitting there on their patio staring out at the stars thinking about a scene in a movie from three months ago. His mother thought he was upset about having another sibling and he had done his best to reassure her that he wasn't.

In school, it was worse. They diagnosed him with a mental illness but he had refused to take the medicine, instead electing to stay lost in his head. It was the only place he could be himself. But now, tied to a chair in the middle of the night when all hell was breaking loose and his soulmate was risking his life and saving his, it was the worst possible timing and he was going to hate himself for the rest of his life for it however long or short-lived it was going to be.

The walls in the shabby building were creaking and he figured he would deserve it if there happened to be a screamer sniffing around upstairs. His heart was in his throat just as the front door handle wiggled. Jonathan held his breath, the handle fell silent. He exhaled, then nearly broke the wood chair he was in when the door slammed open under the weight of a heavy kick.

Jonathan swallowed thickly as Tyler stepped in, footsteps heavy from his boots as he walked around Jonathan's helpless form.

"A little birdie told me that you love me." Tyler stopped behind him, making his senses hum, the hairs on his neck stood tall. "Is that true?"

Jonathan sighed through his nose, sweat beading on his upper lip despite the slight chill in the air, "Yeah. That's very true."

"And why is that?"

"Because once upon a time you were my best friend. We practically grew up attached at the hip." Jonathan closed his eyes, his childhood playing out in his head making his chest ache. "Tyler . . . you need to believe me. You need to remember."

Tyler snorted and piddled with the trinkets that lined a countertop, "I've tried to, but it's no use if it hasn't come back to me after all this time. So, still, I don't know you and you mean nothing to me."

Jonathan closed his eyes, "I know. But you still mean the world to me. You always wanted to see Brazil play in person and this trip was a birthday present from me to you. We ate the best food I've ever tasted afterward, wandered through shops, had the best fucking time until our world ended. You always wanted the best for me, even when we were just kids. You kept me stable and I kept you sane. Tyler, please . . ."

Tyler blinked absently and for that small moment Jonathan thought maybe it was working but then he grinned wickedly, "I ran into your boy not too long ago, but I managed to ditch him in the favela. I'm sure he'll be back for you shortly, so you shouldn't be too upset if I leave you here all by your lonesome for a little while longer, right?"

Jonathan stared up at him, heart roaring while desperation curled his fingertips, "Your favorite color is white and you love your dogs more than you love yourself."

Tyler was still unfazed.

"You have a white tiger tattooed on the inside of your wrist, said it was the only animal you liked and it was badass and you figured girls would dig it. I drew it for you on a really cold and rainy day while you sat next to me and played Call of Duty for five straight hours. Then you tried to see how high you could stack the cans of Mountain Dew before they fell."

Tyler moved to the door, propping it open with a sliver of wood, "I've enjoyed our little chat, but I need to go stir the bees and by bees I mean the dead. I have faith we won't be seeing each other after this. It's been fun."

His tone was empty and Jonathan felt tears gathering, "I'm sorry. I was supposed figure all of this out, like you said I would. I'm sorry I left you there under the car, Tyler. I'm sorry that I ever brought you here."

"There's no need for apologies when I have no doubt you'll all be dead soon enough." Tyler stepped out into the street and disappeared.

Jonathan let his tears fall hot and heavy down his tired face. He whispered into the night, "I'll see you on the other side."

Footsteps faded and he was engulfed in silence once again, his ears ringing as he waited for something to happen, waiting for something to come and end the hell he was living in. He didn't - couldn't do it anymore. It was like a bad dream, one in which he screamed and pleaded at the top of his lungs but no one could hear and no one would listen, no one survived. A bad dream that he relived over and over, watching his family die repeatedly, leaving him heaving in air, drenched in his own sweat and tears.

Jonathan heard more feet pounding on sandy pavement, grains crunching beneath fast-moving well-worn shoes that needed to be replaced because the man that wore them always had a bad habit of running until there were holes in the soles and Jonathan was berating him for being reckless.

He snapped his head up and stared out through the open doorway, "Evan!"

Evan slid into the door frame out of breath and not looking sorry at all for leaving him there. "Hey, have you seen Tyler? I lost him a while back, son of a bitch moves faster than a six-legged cat. Dude has giraffe legs."

Jonathan lost all remaining patience and snapped, "EVAN! Get me out of this goddamn chair!"

Evan wiped his brow, glancing back down the street distractedly, "No can do."

"Evan, I swear to God."

"He was here, wasn't he?" Evan kicked at the piece of wood holding the door open. "Because I didn't leave this here and you can't move. Which way did he go?"

"I'm not saying a fucking word until you let me out of the chair, Evan Fong."

Evan put a dramatic hand on his hip, "And I said I wasn't going to, Jonathan Reyes." Evan grinned around his last name and stood in front of him. "In any other situation, this would be incredibly sexy with you tied down, but this is the worst case scenario and I really, really, really need you to tell me which way he went. I already told you why I left you here and I'm not letting you go. Two of us don't need to go down for this when one is all it will take. You have way more going for you and I'm expendable and I'm pretty sure my dog loves you more than she loves me now, so no harm done there."

Jonathan glared up at him in disbelief, "And I love you, you fucking unbelievable, obnoxious Canadian! TAKE THESE FUCKING TIES OFF OF ME!"

Evan clenched his jaw and stepped back to kick the wood out from beneath the door, "I'll find him on my own then and you can stay here safe and sound and beautiful."

"IF YOU DIE, I DIE! REMEMBER?!" Jonathan felt his throat going raw from exertion, "Why won't anyone fucking listen to me?! You are the one that said it in the first place, or did that mean nothing to you?!"

"Yes, I said that. I would die for you in a heartbeat, Jon and you've almost died too many times for me to fucking count, so let me do this. Who knows? I might even make it out alive and you can make me empanadas and teach me how to dance -"

"Stop! Evan, please -" Jonathan sucked in a breath, more tears falling, but these were angry tears just like in the nightmares that he couldn't wake up from. He couldn't remember how many times he'd woke up in the tower or a safe house and wished he had woken up in his bed in the Carolinas instead, free from the agony of his mistakes and the emptiness that surrounded him in the ghost world he now lived in. But he could remember the very moment when he stopped wishing to wake up alone at home, instead he wanted to wake up next to Evan each and every day. Now that was about to be taken from him, too.

"Hey," Evan called to him softly like what he was about to do was little more than a mission on Recruit difficulty when in reality it was set to Veteran and respawns were disabled, "I'm doing this because I love you and you deserve to get out of here alive."

Jonathan sobbed angrily, shaking his head, salty tears dripping from his nose, "My life is nothing . . . if you aren't in it. Why can't you understand that? Why can't you just stay with me?"

Evan smiled and it was beautiful, solemn, and filled with an apparent goodbye as he let it fall away from his face, "Because . . . that's not how this story goes, Angel Boy."

Jonathan opened his mouth to retaliate, but he choked back his words and watched the door fall shut in the dark. He swallowed, feeling the scratchiness burning in his throat, welcoming the feeling of something other than nothing as his ears rang louder and louder with each passing second. I was one of his least favorite things alongside the shrill wailing of the dead and the hollow ominous echo that followed.

His heart was still beating wildly, his head still foggy, and like so many times before he had no idea what came next. There was no plan, no exit strategy, no time. The muscles in his leg twitched and his foot moved, making the chair budge and it was then and only then that he realized how fragile the wood beneath him was.

Jonathan inhaled a warm breath, determination swelling inside of him as he pushed himself to his feet, immediately slamming himself back down onto the floor. The chair splintered beneath his solid weight, the arms dug into his flesh but it spurred him on. He pushed himself up again, the suspicious sounds in the distance that were growing louder made him work quicker, the chair falling into more pieces with each fall he purposefully took.

------

Langley was unconscious by the time Arlan had hauled her into the tower and up the flights of stairs to the doctors who were still recovering from the previous assault. Everything was in disarray, medical equipment littered haphazardly across the floors.

"I hate to bother you guys, but shit is still going down out there. Langley got a bullet in the leg and Murphy got a knife to her side. I know we may all be dead by daylight (I am so fucking hilarious, I know. - walk) but I can't watch her die tonight. Please." Arlan was losing his grip on her but Brock being Brock grinned sympathetically and took her from him. Cody came up behind them and guided Murphy along to a room.

"Don't worry, we'll take care of them. Are you okay?" Brock raised a concerned brow but Arlan waved him off.

"I'm fine. Just a few scrapes and bruises." He took a deep breath and winced at the pain in his ribs from an impressive kick he'd taken head on. "I'll survive."

When the hallway was empty he sagged against the wall and put his head on his knees, trying to find the will to move again. They had guys that were still out there and the potential cure was still in the hands of their enemy, their only negotiation. It was up in the air whether or not tomorrow brought an escape or their sudden end. Arlan took another deep painful breath and pushed himself to his feet, pushing his way into the stairwell. He glanced up at the flights and was exhausted just knowing this trek was going to be the death of him, but there were civilians that he could help in the meantime.

So, he pushed himself up the steps as quickly as possible so he could help get them out while they still had the opportunity.

Marcel was three steps ahead of him once he made it to the civilian floors, Lui was helping people pack bags and handing out small rations for the journey inland and hopefully to safer ground. Marcel was about to lose it, Arlan could tell, but Lui beat him to the punch when he pulled him to the side and hugged the life out of him and the man burst into tears.

Lui rubbed a circle into his back, "Hey, man. He'll be okay. They're setting his jaw straight right now and we'll get him out of here with everyone else."

Marcel cleared his throat and pulled away from his oldest friend, "Yeah, I just . . . I hate seeing him in pain."

Lui smiled up at him, "Well, marry the fucker when we go home and you'll both be in pain for the rest of your lives."

Marcel wiped at his face and chuckled warmly, "I plan on it. Come on, we still have a lot to do up here."

------

The sewer was as dark and damp as always, a factor that had never changed. Tyler pulled open manhole after manhole until the entire street was vulnerable to what was about to be unleashed; a small hoard of ravenous well-fed reanimated corpses that he kept locked away deep below for this exact moment. It was the last check on his to-do list; let the last of the dead run rampant and take out what was left of his enemies while they were weak and confused.

Luck was on his side for months on end once he had taken over his group. He had hunters, men who could round up what meat was left on the coast, a doctor, loyal followers that knelt at his feet for instructions. Tyler didn't know where his survival instincts came from or how he knew which direction to take when it came to a tough decision. He didn't know where his lack of compassion or empathy spawned from either. His emotions had been cut off entirely at some point and it never occurred to him that maybe he wasn't who he thought he was, which wasn't so hard to imagine considering he couldn't remember his life before the tons of concrete he woke up in.

Maybe he was a nice guy before all of this, maybe he knew how to laugh, or how to cry, or how to give a fuck about anyone but himself or anything other than being the one that survived in the end. At one point his memories tried to surface, blurry muffled flashes of images that seemed so far away and hidden beyond a thick wall of frosted glass. Nothing ever came and his desire to know left him quickly. The military told them what they wanted and Tyler had squared his shoulders, planning and plotting like it was his sole purpose in life.

He may have known Jonathan once upon a time, in another life, before. But like he kept telling himself, there was no before, only now.

The dark tunnel that stretched out before him echoed with steady drops of water and the low guttural growls of dormant dead. He approached the gate that kept them guarded, finding the key to the lock in his back pocket. Tyler lit a blazing red flare to fend them off as he let the chains fall to the ground and the gate swing open. Backing away slowly, he waited until his legs hit the ladder he'd come down on and he tossed the flare in the water below before he bolted up into the street.

The demons were set loose, their screams pierced the night as they had the very first night they were born. Tyler had made sure these weren't the slow energy-deprived dead that unenthusiastically roamed the town. These were still as hungry as the day they first bit into warm bleeding flesh. These were hungry for more and would do anything to get it.

------

Evan couldn't feel the burn of his legs anymore, he'd been sprinting for so long. Tyler was still nowhere to be found. Occasionally he had to hide in an alley to avoid rogue men from the other group that were still searching for their wounded party.

He peeled himself away from a building and turned the corner and almost walked straight into another person. But Evan didn't hesitate, whipping his gun out and pulling the trigger. The guy slumped to the ground and Evan, or anyone for that matter, hadn't thought to attach silencers to their weapons. The dead were too slow for them to worry about attracting them with the sound and it had been so long since they had fired a weapon, it didn't even cross their minds any longer.

Their carelessness backfired and he felt the fear crawl up his spine for the first time in a long time at the scream that rang out almost immediately after he'd fired his gun. It wasn't the weary exhausted yells they'd grown accustomed to as of late. No, this was just like the first night, the wild hungry cry was pure and hair-raising.

He stumbled back unpreparedly when a cluster of eyes appeared at the end of the road that forked off. They bolted and he stepped back only to bump into an immovable force, a body made of brick and height. Evan spun and Tyler's fist met his face, throwing off his equilibrium instantly. He tried desperately to catch himself yet there was nothing within arms reach only air as he failed and eventually hit the ground with his world spinning.

So much for his brave attempt to right this huge wrong. Tyler was walking away while he looked on from where his face was pressed into the dirt, his disabled flesh waiting to be taken by the dead that he could hear approaching from afar.

Evan let out a tired chuckle, stirring up dust in front of his face. At least he had tried. At least Jonathan was still breathing. That was enough, he kept telling himself that this wasn't a mistake. It was never a mistake protecting things that were bigger and more important than himself. Just like when he was so much younger and he always let his sister have the better things in life even if he'd wanted or needed it himself. He didn't care, he just wanted her to have the greater opportunities, the better option even if she got his last nerve every second of every day. He wanted her to have a rich and spoiled life because he never would, too caught up in wanting to be who he was and the fake image of what his parents wanted him to be.

He was always too busy trying to end it all. Over and over again, time after time.

But there was a voice in the back of his mind still saying get up. Just like the voice that had told him to stop and look around when he'd first landed in Indonesia after he ran away from California with a bandage on his wrist.

Get up.

But there was always that one question that nagged; what is the point?

He had never found a definitive answer, just small pieces of a much wider picture made like a puzzle, comprised of everything he'd every wanted, everything he'd ever searched for in his empty world. Pieces that slowly fell together in the form of a dog, random strangers, beautiful oceans, vast forests, tall waterfalls, and a man. An amazing man that saved Evan by letting Evan save him first.

Get up.

He'd probably fall right back down if he tried but the sudden pressure and grip under his arms made sure he didn't.

"Get up!" Jonathan yelled into his ear, forcing his senses to clear as his feet began working. The puzzle pieces fell into place once more and deep down he knew he shouldn't have tried to pull them apart knowing they'd been glued down. He shook away the existentialism and picked up his pace. They ran and it felt almost symbolic, sprinting side by side just like they had started out together, in sync and out of breath, hearts beating wildly with death following closely behind.

For Evan, it was exactly like that night, the first night. He was scared, nearly stumbling down the road looking for an escape but this time they found none. Just endless twists and turns deeper into the abandoned streets that held no shelter.

Jonathan was the only one thinking because he yanked Evan into a small shack and barricaded the door with a shelf that wouldn't hold. Screamers were already ramming against it with their weight, prying it open all the while screeching so loud it hurt their eardrums.

Evan was shaking with exhaustion. Jonathan pulled him up the rickety steps to the second floor and shoved him against a wall near a broken window and pressed their lips together quickly and roughly.

He pulled away just as fast and knocked the loose shards of glass from the window, "Climb."

Evan steadied his breathing, relaxing so his trembling would dissipate before he crawled out of the window and made his way to the rooftop with Jonathan behind him. The time ticked away, midnight growing closer and a figure in the distance made Jonathan bolt onto the next building leaving Evan no option but the follow in his wake.

Evan's ankles were sore, a sharp pain stabbing at his tendons each time he landing on the next building then the next, but stopping was out of the question. Until Jonathan turned back with a hand held out, "Give me the radio!"

Evan tossed it to him and they kept moving after Tyler who wasn't moving as quickly anymore, not with his injured leg that left him limping.

Jonathan talked in between jumps, "Marcel!"

"I'm here! Are you guys alright out there? What's going on?"

Jonathan sucked in a breath, "Don't worry about us, just start moving everyone out through the path we cleared!"

"But -"

"No questions! Just get it done!"

He cut the radio off and kept moving. Just as they were closing the distance Jonathan realized where Tyler was headed. They were skimming the perimeter on the edge of town.

"He's trying to get to Patterson!"

Evan thought they would slow to a stop when they reached the limit, but didn't hesitate to follow when Tyler jumped to the next building and over the red line.

"Tyler, stop!" Jonathan yelled knowing it wouldn't even make him flinch. "Tyler! We don't even know if it works!"

Just ahead was a worn wooden landing with a footbridge that stretched across a lengthy gap leading into the forest on the other side, not far off from Christ the Redeemer that stood tall like a beacon in the night. The landscape dropped beneath it deep below, a small cliffside tucked away in the hills. Tyler's heavy steps made the beams on the landing buckle and crack, Jonathan's added weight made it splinter.

Evan's weight made it fall.

A loud crack burst into the night as the roof of the landing dropped as the small rickety pillars gave way under the sudden motion of the three heavy men running at full speed. Jonathan ducked beneath the falling debris but Tyler wasn't as quick and fell beneath the rubble that was beginning to topple over the edge to the depth of deep black below.

Evan dove after Jonathan's feet just as Jonathan dove for Tyler's arms when he starting slipping down the rocks. A moment passed in silence as the air stilled and all they could hear was the faint echo of the demolished bridge and landing shattering into pieces below on the cliffside.

"Tyler!" Jonathan held firm to his forearms but he was unresponsive. Evan was cutting the circulation off to his feet from where he was gripping his ankles as they hanged precariously on the cusp. "Tyler, wake up!"

Evan felt every inch of his being fighting the pure exhaustion. All he could do was hang on and breathe through it. "Pull him up, Jon!"

Jonathan groaned as he tried but failed to lift the deadweight in his arms, "Ty - fuck - Tyler, please!"

Tyler drew in a sudden breath and his eyes cracked open, heart hammering at the weightlessness that had engulfed his senses and his best friend that held his life in his hands. Then there were waves. Memories so vivid, bathed in shades of ivory and seafoam and the smell of fireworks when he remembered setting off more than a few in a park bathroom with Jonathan.

No, not Jonathan.

Jon?

Tyler cracked a smile, tears burning at the corners of his eyes, "Jay."

Jonathan squeezed his arms even harder, a sob wracking his lungs, "Tyler?"

"Yeah." Tyler chuckled, "It's Tyler."

"Can you pull yourself up?"

Tyler sighed, content, "We both know that's not gonna happen."

"Shut the fuck up!"

Tyler smiled up at him again, "The deja vu is giving me whiplash."

"Tyler! Pull yourself up, god dammit!"

"I can't."

"Don't do this to me again!" Jonathan watched his tears fall past Tyler and into the abyss. "I just got you back . . ."

Tyler was still as calm and complacent as the day he lay in the dust of the parking garage, so accepting of his death. "I know, but you know I can't pull myself up and neither can your boy. We're all spent, Jay. We're all ready for this to be over and I told you that if anyone could get out of here alive, it'd be you. I was right."

"Stop acting like this is it! We can all get out of here!"

"Jay -"

"Don't Jay me!"

Tyler faltered, his guilt rising with each slip of the hands holding him, "Jay, look at me. You know I can't live with what I've done. That wasn't me, the real me. But it was me, nonetheless. I murdered my own people, your people, and there is nothing I can do to make up for that in this life except for taking myself out of the equation."

"No! I know you can pull yourself up! So stop lying to me!"

"You're right." Tyler stared up at him, "I can. But I won't and you know why. I'm weighing you down and I won't take you away from him. That's all I ever wanted was for you to find your person and you did. I had to die for you to be happy and I think it should stay that way and if you don't let me go right now, then we all die. You're losing your grip and I ran him to death earlier so I know he can't hold out much longer."

Jonathan was gripping him harder and harder, digging bruises into his skin, but his palms were sweating and he knew. He fucking knew when Tyler snatched one of his arms away, leaving himself dangling like bait to the silence below. Jonathan gripped his one arm and watched in horror as Tyler pulled the vial from his pocket, full of glowing green serum, unused and untainted before he tossed it up and over them all. It made a small thud as it landing somewhere behind Evan in the dirt.

"Now . . . Jonathan Reyes, my brother, everything I could've asked for in a best friend. Let me go. Let me go and get out of this shithole and don't ever look back. I want you to be happy and live a life full of stupid adventures doing parkour shit with your soulmate back there, because I've watched you. He makes you laugh and he makes you smile and you don't need me anymore. We had our time and I wouldn't change a damn thing. Your pancakes are still the best thing to grace this planet."

"Tyler, don't!" Jonathan screamed, tearing his throat to ribbons while Tyler pried Jonathan's fingers from his arm. "God, please don't!"

Tyler grinned serenely, "Hey. It's gonna be okay. Just remember that I love you and I'll see you on the other side."

"I love you. " Jonathan was breathless, his heart in his throat as Tyler slipped further until their palms met and he dropped like a rock into the ocean.

The world lost it's color and his body felt numb as Evan struggled to pull him up by the waist of his pants and the ragged edge of his shirt. He was tugged against his chest and vaguely felt himself being swayed and rocked like a child. A child who didn't understand, couldn't comprehend the true reality of things. A child who just wanted to go to sleep and never wake up.

Evan was damn near sobbing into his hair, muttering words that sounded like the ramblings of a madman, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Come back to me, I'm right here, and I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Jon."

Jonathan pushed himself back, slouched over and in a daze he hadn't been in since his father died. He felt suspended in space, looking far an answer that didn't exist.

"Why?" He wondered out loud in a hushed overused voice, expecting the silence that followed and the small hot puffs of air that rushed against his cheek. "Why the fuck are we even here?"

Evan sniffed and let out a sardonic laugh, "Because apparently the universe likes to fuck us both in the ass when we're not expecting it."

Jonathan tried to rub some feeling back into his face and it worked to and extent, but he still just wanted to sit there until the sun came up and they were put out of their misery. But Evan was there, he was always there, a smudge of vibrant color in his colorless world. Jonathan knew he still couldn't give up even though he wanted to.

Jonathan pushed himself to his feet and made his way over to the vial that was sitting alone in the dust, either holding a solution or just another failed attempt at a cure.

He looked over at Evan who was still sitting by the rubble, a complete mess with tear stains on his face. Jonathan still thought he was the most beautiful thing. Evan was looking up at him as he walked back over and held his hand out for him.

"Come on, maybe we can still save something."

Evan let him pull him up and he stumbled on weak knees but Jonathan held him by his shoulders.

Evan gripped his side, "Are you going to be okay?"

The wind picked up and tossed their hair around as they stood mere inches from one another on what could be their last night on Earth and he was okay with that. Jonathan showed no emotion but he brushed Evan's hair away from his face and said, "I don't know if I'll ever be okay, but I'll always make sure that you'll be."

Evan huffed, "Seriously, why are we still trying to sacrifice ourselves? I made that mistake of thinking I could tie you down and that you wouldn't come after me and maybe none of this would've happened if I hadn't and I'm sorry -"

"It's not your fault, Evan." Jonathan cut him off quietly, and turned around, "Let's get back to the tower and help them get everyone out."

Evan was torn between wanting to cry again and fall at Jonathan's feet for forgiveness, even though he knew Jonathan didn't blame him. The other half wanted to turn around and run and take a nosedive off the cliff.

"Can you run?"

Evan shook his head and forced his legs to put one foot in front of the other, trembling and buckling against his will. "You could just leave me on a roof and come back for me later."

Jonathan cut him a look, "No can do."

Evan cracked a grin, "Yeah, I figured as much."

His grin fell, his breathing became labored and his heart knocked at his chest like his grandmother at the door on Thanksgiving morning and holy shit wouldn't a hot fried piece of turkey be amazing right then and there?

"Hey." Jonathan was beside him, gripping his face and shaking him awake. "Stay awake for me, we're almost there."

Evan mumbled something incoherent about how he couldn't remember walking for the last twenty minutes and Jonathan was half-dragging half-carrying him and his arms were starting to burn.

Ten minutes later in the dark and silent streets, he pulled him to a chair on someone's tiny front porch and let them both rest. It was a porch that seemed to hold memories of a close family and many children. Hanging off the awning all the way around were strings with homemade crafts and beads left to sway in the wind. Paper chimes and school projects, vibrant colors, and childhood innocence. Jonathan dared to let himself wonder if they were still alive and if one of the kids in the tower that painted him pictures had lived here before it all ended.

It made him think of home.

A distant scream shattered the silence and Evan rubbed his eyes as hard as he could without making himself go blind, "I can walk, so let's -"

Jonathan pushed him back on the chair, "Just wait, let me scout up ahead first and then we'll move."

Evan sighed and let his head drop back on the cushion, "No time."

"We'll make time. Just stay put." Jonathan leaned down and brushed his lips against Evan's briefly, knowing that if Evan had anymore energy he'd be wrapping his fingers around his neck trying to kiss more apologies against his mouth.

Jonathan stepped away from the dazed man and took the small step down into the road before he set off at a jog until he reached the large intersection that led to the tower. It was quieter than he expected but in the distance he could see a small steady line of people filtering out of the tower and being veered off into the night, to safety.

He sighed in relief if only for a moment and he knew that the reality of what had happened no more than half an hour before would take hold of him and rip his mind to shreds. A new image of Tyler would haunt him for the rest of his life, a new ghost would chase him through the dark.

The tiny rocks crunched beneath his worn shoes as he turned and began his jog back and nearly lost his balance when he slid to a stop at the problem before him.

At the other end of the road, an equal distance from Evan as he was, was a screamer, poised and evaluating the prey laid out before him. It bolted at the same moment he did and Jonathan knew that it was twice as fast and would get there before he did and he didn't have any other option but to scream.

"EVAN, RUN!"

But Evan was already trying to move away, stepping off the porch and making it only five feet before his legs gave way and he was on his hands and knees in the street, crawling but going nowhere.

Jonathan reached for his gun, finding nothing, knowing he must have lost it on the landing. It was moving too fast and he wasn't moving fast enough, but he was almost there. He watched Evan look back at it, then drop flat to the ground as it lunged through the air, mouth wet with blood and drool.

The dull thud of two bodies meeting mid air breached the still night air and a second later Evan was being pulled up like he weighed nothing and he met Jonathan's eyes as he ran onto the porch and threw him backwards straight through the screen door.

Evan was dizzy on the dusty floor but it all became very vivid, very fast when he looked up at Jonathan in the doorway, arms on either side of the frame, shielding him with his body. His breath staggered and Evan couldn't find his voice when his eyes locked onto the screamer that was latched onto Jonathan's shoulder.

Evan was frozen solid, paralyzed as he watched the striking blue slowly fading from Jonathan's eyes, being replaced by a glowing shade of yellow that had haunted them both for over a year. A yellow that had chased them like they had chased the sunset.

He watched his life fade before him and a scream pierced the air, a sound he'd never heard before that shook him too his core.

But it wasn't Jonathan's scream or the dead that slowly slipped off of his strong frame, no.

His throat burned and he realized it was his own.