Suspense.

That was the only word that could describe that very moment. Though China never shown any real sign of fear and Ezra remained on the ground while staring at the creature in complete horror.

China swiftly raised the gun and had began to fire, the outsider simply raised itself by its tentacles and dodged the bullet, using them for support to move down the stairs at a faster rate. Before China could move, she was shoved back into the wall on her left in such a force, several cracks emerged on the wall from the impact. A short but pained yelp escaped her lips as she slumped further down into the ground. Ezra stared in horror as the monster soon revealed itself. Everything had happened within a matter of seconds, the bookshelf, China running over to shoot at the alien, and her body getting violently slammed against the side of the wall. It was all too much, k0+too soon.

The lanky figure lowered itself, the tentacles no longer planted on the ground but instead, hovering over China. Ezra quickly rose to his feet and ran toward the monster without a second thought. The outsider picked up on the noise of Ezra's footsteps, and had vibrated its head in response. Its razor sharp teeth snarled as bits of drool had gathered down from its mouth.

Ezra threw out a punch, only for the outsider to easily avert the attack. Ezra quickly realized that going to fight this creature without a weapon wasn't going to work out. As another tentacle emerged from the outsider's body, Ezra ducked down just in time to dodge the attack and the blade-like substance sliced off bits of his blonde hair. Ezra used the extra seconds to pull the gun out of China's hand and did a sharp turn.

The creature had stood straight, no tentacles in sight, not even a flash of its teeth. It did a slight bounce, which indicated that it was breathing. It knew Ezra's whereabouts to a science, given that it deflected Ezra's punch...so why did it appear to be so docile?

Ezra siezed the opportunity to raise the gun and aim it directly toward its head while crouching down, with a single fire, the outsider landed backward, it's blood sending streams of smoke along the deep burgundy carpet.

Ezra turned around to face China. Her chest continued to rise, which indicated that the collision with the wall didn't kill her. Ezra sighed and scooped the girl up over his shoulder. He made another look toward the outsider and walked across the room, toward the door.

He made a reach with his free hand to the door, in result, the door didn't budge. It was as if someone had barricaded the door with someone heavy.

The realization hit Ezra like a ton of bricks. The realization soon turned into pure anger and resentment.

Faith left us.

--

The silence between the two men were uncanny. They idled along with the shadows and never looked back once since the departure of the other three that had crossed the barrier of vehicles. Not one word was spoken since then, and it had been hours.

North made occasional glances toward Jay, who kept walking down the sidewalk, his handgun was held in his left hand as the right held around the strap of his small backpack. The sun had shine brightly down the open street, there was no sign of the outsiders whatsoever, the city was so quiet that a pin could drop miles away and they would be able to hear it.

North came to an immediate stop and glanced back over his shoulder. Jay noticed the North's footsteps faded out and he turned his head subtly. He raised an eyebrow and held out his right hand in a rhetorical manner. North could evidently read the expression on Jay's face: why did you stop?

They couldn't carry out a conversation, especially around open areas where an outsider could potentially be shambling around in one of the alleyways, the two knew each other so well that their facial expressions did the talking for them, which was a great alternative to placing themselves in danger.

North simply pointed at the door and made a light pat on his thigh, symbolizing that he needed a break. Jay rolled his eyes but he looked around the perimeter. Jay made a motion towards the store on their left, as he approached the door, he held up his gun. North also prepared his rifle as he approached the door along with Jay. Jay grazed his fingers over the doorknob and had made a tug. The store was locked down.

North blew on air out of frustration, Jay held up his hand which signified: wait just a second.

Jay pulled out a dagger from his holster belt and slid the blade along the slot hole, there was an audible click and the door was able to open without another struggle. Jay slowly stepped inside and eyed the rest of the small building. He quickly realized that it was a place for people to wash their clothes. North pulled a flashlight from his jacket and it brightly shone along the other side of the wall.

Jay closed the door behind them, careful not to make a sound.

"I'll check the perimeter." North quietly spoke as he made a start toward the first aisle, Jay's hand quickly stopped him.

"No need. This place had been locked down before things went to shit." Jay simply explained. North raised an eyebrow as Jay set his bag down. There were chairs on both sides of the door.

As he set the bag down on one of them, a cloud of dust encircled around it. Jay let a smug look play along his face. "Everything has been in place, the carts are neatly lined up, there's no sign of a disturbance in here at all, and this place isn't really big."

And he was right, the space looked very snug and tight. From the aisles of the washing machines to the dryers that were aligned in the very back of the room. Everything was in place.

Outsiders were destructive creatures, they often would search the room with their tentacles since they lack eyes and grope around the room, if nothing was found, they'd retaliate by destroying the object.

The two continued to check the rest of the store anyway. When they both realized that the perimeter was clear, the both took a seat down at the aisle.

"What's on your mind, Dean?" Jay asked gruffly. They had sat across one another in one of the aisles, head rested against the large round doors of the washing machines as their things we laid out beside them.

North raised an eyebrow. "Just needed a break." He shrugged with his response.

Jay saw right through North's lie. North had always been that perverted, snarky, and sarcastic person in the group. Jay knew what was burrowed beneath those traits.

And Jay knew at that moment that this wasn't a stop out of convenience, it was a stop for the truth.