Here We Go Again Prologue: Belonging

A few hours later after Smartz got home from work, she walked into her apartment with a waiting Brittney sitting on the couch with a smile that looked as though she had been up to something. She jumped up as soon as Smartz walked into the room. "Oooooooooohhhhhh girl, you must've gotten somebody attention!" She thrusted a bouqet of red roses in her face with a smile of that showcased the beauty of Brittney's plump apricot lips and she added, "These are for you!"
Smartz was caught aback, gasping and placing her hand over her mouth. Having never received flowers before, she didn't know how to react to such gracefulness. She looked at Brittney almost teary eyed and replied, "Are these from you?" Her voice filled with an emotion unknown to her.
Brittney shook her head and yelled, "Girl no! You know I ain't got no money to buy no flowers!" She pointed to the note attached to the flowers and exclaimed, "Read the note! Read the note!"
Smartz looked at Brittney as though she had not believed her and proceeded to read the note attached to the beautiful bouqet of flowers. She read the note aloud, having a feeling that Brittney had already knew who had sent these flowers. "Dear Gabriella," Smartz thought to herself that it must have been someone who had known her in her professional field for no one who called themselves her colleague or her friend had known her as Smartz, "I'm sorry for not listening. Love N.A." Smartz looked at the note again and asked, "Are you sure you didn't send these?"
Brittney perked up, "Yep!!"
"Well if you didn't send these, who did?" Smartz questioned.
"I did." Nic said confidently as he emerged from the back room with a smile.
She smiled and looked away bashfully. "What is this about?" Her voice was still bashful, not facing him so to not give a clue as to how she truly felt, how truly glad she was that the flowers were from him.
He walked up to her slowly and gently grabbed her by the arms. "I'll explain everything over dinner if that's cool with you? I really would like to take you some place nice and just talk."
She turned her head around and as much as she wanted to feign noninterest, she couldn't deny her intrigue of the red headed man that stood in front of her. "Do you want to go out with Smartz or do you wish to converse with Gabriella since you using my real name in your love letters?" She asked him smugly, hoping he would give the wrong answer.
He smiled and replied, "Whatever alter ego you want to come to dinner as, I will accept it, I just have some things to get off my chest about me, what I think about you, and what I think about us. That is if you wanna come with me."
She couldn't lie, she was charmed. She placed her hand in his, her body language telling him to lead. Brittney watched with nothing but glee, swooning, thinking to herself, "Awwww that is so sweet!"
Smartz smiled and as much suave as she could, she responded with, "Okay. Where do you wanna go?"
He placed a finger over her mouth and shushed her, "Let me keep that a surprise. I have a lot of surprises in store for you actually. Just let me have a few hours to simply make you smile." Smartz smiled, and Brittney almost fainted. She was such a girl in that moment, so happy that someone as sweet as Smartz had someone who wanted to be just as sweet if not sweeter to her. Nic looked back at the excited Brittney and asked her, "Hey Brittney, you can chill here if you want. I just have to talk to Smartz over dinner. We'll be back. You gonna be okay?"
She smiled and threw a disregarding hand gesture in the air. "Oh sure, I will be more than okay. There's plenty of food for me in the refrigerator, yall got some videogames in here to keep me occupied, and if not, y'all got cable, so I'll be straight. Y'all two kids go have fun. I'll be straight."
Nic smiled and said with all sincerity, "Thank you, Brittney." He looked back at Smartz and smiled, "So you ready to go, sweetheart?"
She looked at him with shock in her eyes and she replied, "I'm not even dressed!"
He looked at the fitted police officer uniform, and salivated over the curves that filled that uniform. He looked back into her beautiful, brown eyes and added, "I think you make that uniform beautiful by the way, and like I said, I want to talk to the person who you choose to be, whether Smartz or Gabriella, I want you, and I want you now." She liked the mannish way he had talked to her, and he made her feel like goddess in her police officer uniform.
She smiled and her eyes turned toward the door. "Well at least let me let my hair down."
When her hair fell over her shoulders, Nic thought to himself, "She just made that uniform look ten times better." She smiled with seduction written all over her lips and without even taking his eyes off of the beauty that stood in front of him, he yelled back at Brittney, "Alright, Brittney, we'll be back in a little bit."
She nodded and within a minute they were off. When they got to Smartz's car, she walked over to the driver side, but before she could put the key into the keyhole, Nic ran behind her and whispered in her ear while grabbing onto her waist, "No sweetheart, let me take the wheel. I want you to be able to relax completely when you with me right now, okay."
He kissed her gently on her face and she turned around, her eyes hinting at a potential compromising situation. She bit her lips, almost enticing him with her stare alone. She handed him her keys, making sure she moved her hand slowly so his hand could caress her's for a moment longer. They both smiled at the touch of their skin against one another's. She walked slowly to the other side of the car, making sure she walked just slow enough to capture his attention. And catch his attention she did as his eyes followed her shapely body all the way to the passenger side of the all black SUV. He entered the driver side of the car with her climbing in the passenger.
He cut the car on and when the stereo came on, he was surprised to hear the E-v rap music blasting out of the speakers. He looked at her befuddled and she simply chuckled. This was just another chance for her to showcase her intelligence. She tapped her index against the temple on her skull and replied softly, "In order to catch a criminal, you have to sometimes get into the mindset of the criminal you want to catch and believe me, there isn't anything more E-v than listening to Bad Boy."
Nic just nodded and continued to drive through the streets of downtown Nashville bumping Bad Boy's first self titled cd. They got plenty of looks from the white drivers who had no idea who was behind those tinted windows, and nonverbal signs of respect from E-v's. Nic just smiled, knowing the whole time he was driving, he had the beautiful set of brown eyes glued to his face. She couldn't take her eyes off of him. Something about him this day made her feel like the luckiest woman in America. He made her feel like there was no evil in the world. In this moment, she didn't have to worry about the corruption she dealt with on a daily basis at the precinct, the villains she fought on the hours she was supposed to be resting, or anything else for that matter. The only thing she could think about was driving her car through downtown. She was so entranced in Nic's green eyes staring at the road that she didn't even have the slightest clue as to where they were, but she didn't care. As long as she was with Nic, she knew she was alright.
When they arrived at a small Italian restaraunt in downtown Nashville, she recognized the place instantly as a local hangout scene for the BF's, the Black Familia, and her first reaction was to panic. She knew it was bad news to show up to a place like this dressed in a police uniform. She still wanted to make Nic feel comfortable, and in an instant, she remembered she had a little black dress in the backseat that she saved just in case she was caught in a situation like this. She always thought ahead when it came to situations like this. She had at least three pairs of clothes to change into just in case she had happened to run into a person who might remember her in a police uniform. She didn't want to ruin her undercover chances by showing up in a local hangout spot dressed like a cop. Nic looked at her and asked softly, "Are you ready to go in?"
He had such a sweet, innocent look on his face, and she remembered he wanted to share a moment with her just as she came. But she figured he would understand why she couldn't just walk into a place like this dressed as an officer. She started to reach into the backseat, scouring for a pair of black high heels that matched her the black dress that laid across the backseat. She was so glad that she was the type that went with her instincts and decided to lay that dress out on the backseat. While she was gathering her clothing and shoes, Nic examined her body even further. She felt his eyes crawling all over her, leaving their handprints all over her and she couldn't help but love having all of his attention on her. She returned to the passenger seat and he returned his eyes to the qauint restaraunt in front of him, hoping that she didn't notice the way he stared. She placed her black dress and the matching high heels on her lap and she smiled wide in Nic's face. He laughed to himself and asked shaking his head, "You wanna change don't you?"
She smiled apologetically, "Yes...I'm sorry, I know..."
He stopped her mid sentence, "It's cool, I'll just go get our table while I wait on you to change or something."
As he was opening the door, she stopped him. She didn't want him to go into the Black Familia's hangout by himself. She knew the only way to stop him was to break down his gentleman like barrier he had in place. Besides, she had wanted an audience. "You can stay if you want." He turned around to see her unbuttoning her police officer jacket, and before he could ask her if she was sure it was okay, she had her pants below her knees and her neglige became the focal point of his vision. He didn't mean to stare, but how can he turn away from something as lovely as Smartz half naked. She took the rest of her clothes off, until she was just bra and panties. She acted as if she didn't know that Nic was salivating over the sight of her gorgeous body and continued to change into her black dress.
He looked away when she appeared like she was nearly finished to give the appearance that he had been a gentleman the entire time. She saw through that facade and grabbed him by the hand, her fingers massaging the top of his. She played with her voice, placing emphasis on the innocent role and sexual undertone. "Are you ready?"
He turned around and his eyes gave way to how shocked he was. He had never saw an angel before. He had seen the devil plenty of times in his past, overlooking his town, but he had never seen an angel without wings. Her aura was enough to question his own lack of faith.
His voice was soft as he could only respond by saying, "Yes."
They got out of the car and at the front of the vehicle she ran her arm around his. Even though Nic loved the feeling of having Smartz's skin on his, he couldn't help feeling like he was a perp being escorted by the most beautiful lady cop he ever laid eyes on. She looked like she was going to a Sergeant's Ball while he looked like he was about to take a trip to a local skate park. When the two walked to the hostess of the elegant Italian restaraunt, the hostess greeted both of them, but her attention was strictly on Smartz. Nic looked at the dark haired, cream textured woman with wonderment and disgust. He saw first hand the discrimination. He had knew that the hostess had judged him strictly on his appearance, not even giving him a chance. He wished this had not been the way of the world, but it appeared that a hundred years from now, people would still judge one another simply by the clothes they wore, but he just shook his head and disregarded it as an opinion of his.
A waiter had shown them to their outside table with the eyes of the BF following them all the way to the descending sun. The eyes of BF held malicious intentions. They didn't appreciate love like Brittney had. They looked at the hover boarder walk in their restaraunt with elegance on his arm, and they looked as though they were a pack of ravage wolves, ready to take what Nic Angel had thought was his.
The elephant in the room shook his head and gathered his wolves' attention with a simple head gesture that told them to leave the couple alone. Nic had noticed the changing dynamics of the room. Where there once was what seemed like a million eyes peering down on his back, now there were none, and he wouldn't have it any other way.
When they were sat down at the outside table, alluminated by the afternoon sun, and they ordered their drinks, the couple was left alone, their eyes breaking the ice for a much needed conversation. Nic smiled and asked humbly, "So how was your day?"
Her eyes sparkled and as her smile outshone the sun gleaming off of their white clothed table. "Hectic as usual, but I must admit, it got a lot better when I got home."
Nic Angel smiled flirtaciousl, "I hope I had something to do with that." She cut her eyes playfully, telling him that he had a lot to do with her happiness. The waiter returned with their drinks and menus and told them he would be back to check on them. Again, he was talking more to the elegantly dressed Smartz than the grungily dressed Nic Angel. But Nic didn't care. Even though he would have picked an entirely different restaurant than this one if he had known they were going to be like this, a moment with Smartz alone was well worth it. They skimmed through the menus diffently, Smartz breezing through it with ease, being fluent in Italian while Nic struggled to even comprehend what the menu was saying. Smartz thought it was cute how he was flipping the menu upside down in hopes that he would get a better understanding of the menu. She laughed playfully, covering her mouth, hoping that Nic wouldn't see. Nic glanced at her and smiled. He dropped the menu, faking impatience and he said with a smile, "I don't see spaghetti." She laughed, sounding like a child at her happiest. Nic felt a warmth evolve in his heart. He had never experienced this feeling before. It was strange to him. "What looks good to you?"
She smiled again and answered, "Well there is the spaghetti al pomodoro."
He looked at her sideways. "I did see that, but I didn't think much of it because of that extra stuff in it. What is it exactly?"
She shook her head, almost as if she were disappointed, "Spaghetti with tomato sauce."
They both laughed, sharing the joy they felt in each other's laughter. The waiter appeared slowly over Nic's shoulder and addressed Smartz, "So has the young lady made her decision?"
"Yes. Can we get a plate of spaghetti al pomodoro?"
The waiter looked down on Nic, physically and metaphorically. Then he looked back at Smartz with the largest smile he could muster and in a soft, sweet voice, he answered, "Sure, sweetie. I will be back shortly when your food is prepared."
She waved her hand and thanked him. A moment later he was gone, and she noticed the disgusted look on Nic's face. "What's on your mind, Nic?"
He shook his head and delve into the complimentary breadsticks. With a mouth full of bread, he answered, "It's just amazing how everybody in this restaraunt only talks to you. It's like I minus well not even be here."
She smiled, "Well I'm glad you are here. I know people tend to have their own judgements...." She caught herself before she could prove one of Nic's points about how quickly she had judged Gun Man and his friends before knowing them. Even though she knew she had been wrong, she wasn't going to admit. Not right now anyways.
"That's what I kinda wanted to talk about?" She knew this perfect, fairy tale day would have to succumb to something bad. She placed her hand on her chin and leaned on the table to wait to hear what Nic Angel had to say. "First of all, I wanted to say I'm sorry."
This was not how she imagined this talk to go. "What are you sorry for, sweetie?"
He shook his head, "For not considering your feelings before I joined up with Gun Man and his friends. I truly didn't consider how you felt about them before...."
She interrupted him before he could finish. "No, don't be sorry. I'm sorry. I did judge him before I knew him, and I did it again when I called him a monster. My feelings just took a hold of me when I thought he was going to kill Brittney and...I was just wrong for calling him a monster. That was uncalled for and if I could apologize, I would but I don't think he would ever give me that chance."
Nic smiled, feeling accomplished. "I don't think you have to worry about Gun Man forgiving you. I actually I had conversations with him and he seem like a extra cool person, and I think he'd be very understanding if you apologized." Nic laughed, taking some of the edge out of the air. "Now Gun Baby on the other hand, she might take some convincing."
They both laughed and Smartz added, "I know right!? Are they like boyfriend or girlfriend or something!? She's so protective of him, even when he's in the wrong, she seems to look at the situation like he's always right. Weird ain't it?"
"What? For her to feel so strongly for him?"
"No. I think that's natural. I mean they've been fighting together side by side for who knows how long, and they've been friends for who knows how long and I guess it's only natural for them to develop feelings for one another."
Nic took a sip of his drink while sharing a stare with Smartz, "Yeah, it's only natural, huh?"
She moved her hair to the side and kept the conversation going, even after their food arrived. While they were eating their spaghetti, the conversation continued. The food continued to disappear as they kept conversing. He had told her how his powers were developing and it could be seen in her eyes that she was excited for him. She clapped her hands and continued to twirl the spaghetti around her fork, laughing. He told her how he wanted to pursue going pro with his hover boarding skills and she simply stated, "Go for it. You know I'm gonna be watching from the stands, huh?"
He took another swig from his drink and replied, "From the front row?"
She smiled back, "But of course."
Soon their meal was finished and their date had went on for hours. The check arrived and when Smartz went to pay for it, Nic Angel stopped her. "Whoa, whoa, I took you out for dinner, remember? I got this."
"Oh really? Is the great Nic Angel going to dip into his savings? Wow you must be really serious about becoming pro aren't you?"
"I am serious about becoming pro, but I'll dip into my savings if it's for something special."
He called her special. A perfect ending for the perfect date. Nic paid the check with the surprised look of the hostess staring back at him. He waved goodbye to the restaraunt, knowing in his heart he was never going to return.
When they were a few inches away from the car, she grabbed his arm and pulled him close. She made sure his face was real close to his before she said, "I really had a great time out with you Nic. Thank you for being such a perfect date."
He smiled and attempted to pull away. "You don't have to thank me for nothing."
"But I do," And with that she planted a passionate kiss on his lips. The kind of kiss that promised to lead to an even more passion filled night. All of the occupants in the restaraunt stared in envy, but their eyes were not important in this instance. Nic knew he had never felt this way before and now he was sure why. He had never been in love before.



A couple weeks later, Brody stood at the doorstep with all of his suitcases packed with money, marijuana, and plenty of his love's signature clothing line, 3G, and he yelled, "Is y'all ready to go yet!?"
Chevy exited out of the kitchen with twice as much baggage as Brody and his soft voice carried all the way to Brody's ears. "I don't know how you did it, Brody."
Brody laughed and yelled back, "Did what homie!?"
Chevy shook his head and responded, "You know what I'm talking about. How did you orchestrate this one? I mean goin' on tour with Toon? Putting him and Kylie together?" Kylie appeared at the bottom of the stairs with her own baggage, the same amount as Chevy's, and she wrapped her arms around Brody's waist. Chevy finished his statement by adding, "Then convincing them to add Kayka on as the official photographer? I swear sometimes I just don't know how you do it."
Brody put his hand up in the air as if he had no need of giving them an explanation. "First of all playboy, don't question me...." He said in a playful manner, "Secondly, you know I'm Lucc'y Luciano, the king of turning one into two, man brush shoulders wit' me, you mess around and win the lotto twice."
Kylie leaned up and loudly whispered in her man's ear, "I know that's right. I already feel like I've won the lotto, baby."
Brody smiled as Kayla came down the stairs, "Oh my God, dude. Could you get anymore gay than that?" Kayla said jokingly.
Everybody laughed as Q came from downstairs, hearing the conversation insuing, he decided to add his two cents in as well. "But fa'real, Brody, Toon? He's like....the black Elvis, man. How do you even know him?"
Brody laughed. "Well besides having done a couple of songs with dude, I used to go down to New Orleans and stay with him and his family over there in the seventeenth ward. You know he my peoples so my pops used to send me down there eddy other summer ya' know? Just so I would always know where my roots were, ya' understand. When we were younger we used to always talk about going on tour together, getting with different girls every night, rocking the stage, just living life as rockstars, ya' feel me."
"Well you know I'm gonna be the only girl you rockin' on tour now, huh buddy?" Kylie said sarcastically.
Brody smiled at her, saying, "Of course," with his beautiful pearly whites. He continued to finish his story of the times he had spent in New Orleans, Louisiana. But before he could finish his statement, Q had chimed in with a statement of his own. "Don't worry about it though, Brody. Me and Chevy gonna party it up, and we ain't leaving no butt untouched."
They all laughed as Chevy and Q gave each other daps. Feeling like now was a good time to finish his speech, Brody added, "Ya' know, Bailey used to hate on us, me and Toon that is, saying we were crazy. She told him his guitar wasn't going nowhere and that my rapping damn sure wasn't going anywhere." He shook his head and solemnly added, "Damn I wish she could see and be with me now."
The whole mood of the room had changed from excited to respectful as Chevy added, "Yee, me too."
It was as if a dark cloud had set in the room. They all bowed their heads in memory of the sister, the friend, the lover. Each had their own shared memory with Bailey. Q remembered how he used to pick on both her and Chevy. Knowing both had feelings for one another, but were afraid to show it. He remembered her smile the most. Nothing ever appeared to get under her skin even as he was teasing them. That was something her, Chevy, and Brody had in common. They all had leather backs and diamond tough skins, but it was her smile that stood out between the three. Her smile made everyone else smile. She had the smile of supreme happiness.
Kayla and Kirstie both shared a memory that they would never forget. They remembered as children how Bailey had shined alongside her twin brother in combat training with their father. They admired how graceful she was sparring against her brother as they learned how to assemble, reassemble, and fire weaponry fire beyond their years. The distraction both Brody and Bailey provided did not go unnoticed by their father. His face read the face of a man who was extremely proud of his children. His smile was the smile of a king. Them never knowing what or who their father was, they admired his happiness and for a second, felt a hint of jealousy toward the extremely talented prodigies. That was until he turned around to face them with that same smile. That same angelic smile that Bailey gave her brother in battle. The same one she gave when she landed the defeating blow. He laughed and yelled proudly in the large training room, "My students! Oh yes, I am proud of you all! You have made me very happy how quickly you all are advancing. Someday, you four are going to save the world from itself. I just hope I live long enough to see it one day."
Bailey smiled and held her fist clenched tightly to her chest. She shared her father's face and his passion. With a large smile, she cried out, "Nah pops, not only is you gonna see us take over the world, but you gonna be right beside us kicking bad guy butt. We gonna need you if me and the girls gonna fight crime. Right ladies!"
She had spoken to them. Their idol. Their hero had just regarded them as if they were her equals and that's what they loved about her. She was down to earth. Humble in every way even though she was superior in every other. Their rally cry echoed in the training room. "Yeahhhhhhhh!!!!!!"
Brody sat up, rubbing his head playfully. Bailey looked back with a coy expression and added, "Oh yeah. Brody too."
Kirstie giggled, even then, finding the young man to be extremely cute and funny. Their father felt the love echo in the room, and at that moment he had not one, but three daughters, all willing to push themselves harder just to place a smile on his face. But it was Bailey's eyes that had captured young Kayla's attention. The fearlessness behind her pupils. The intensity in her stare. That was what Kayla remembered most about her. Her intensity. Her passion.
Chevy and Brody's expressions held the most pain out of all of them. Even though Kylie, Kirstie, and Q loved Bailey very much, their pain of loss could never match the pain of losing a love. Seeing the bloodied body of his best friend standing on his doorstep, pleading for his forgiveness. They could never know the pain of losing a sister, especially by their own hands, with their own gun. Brody could still feel the blood from his sister's body covering his face. Their will never be a pain that could equate to killing a twin sister, except having that same twin sister beg him to kill her as he watched the Evil Virus overtake her.
Tears tried to flood past the levees of his eyes, but his will would not allow them to fall. He could not show weakness. Not on a day meant for celebration. He shook his head, making sure the tears fell back into their proper resting spot behind his eyes, the same home to his unpleasant memories. His smile rose from his face. His sister's smile. And the rest of the group recognized the smile on his face as the angel they have all lost. She was reborn in his smile, and from that moment, they were happy. "What are we standing here, moping fa'!? Like we don't have a bomb *** tour bus waiting on us outside! Let's get it!"
The rest of them smiled, excited for the adventure that laid ahead of them. Q smiled at the prospective female acqaintances he had planned to conquer. He looked to Chevy and smiled. "Yep, I see a whole lot of potential out there waiting on us, homie! You ready!?"
But Chevy did not smile. Unlike Brody, he couldn't mask his pain behind his smile. The only thought that flowed through his mind was love. Love for Bailey. Love for their unborn child. Q had sensed this pain, and as everybody was heading outside toward the immaculate tour bus, Q placed his hand on Chevy's shoulder and with a comforting voice, he gave Chevy the truest advice he had ever given somebody in his life. "Live man. Live. You know you are not the only one who won't ever forget her. We all miss her, and she belongs to each of us, just as much as her spirit belongs to you, so you don't have to take a bath in self-loathing all the time, homie. God got her now, and with Him, she is always watching."
With a smug voice, Chevy replied, "God? There is no God. If there was a God, then how could He just sit back and let this happen to people? How could He explain the Evil spreading out into the world, infecting millions with its poison? God hmph, I never seen Him."
"Yeah you have." Chevy looked at him sideways, feeling as though Q was mocking him, toying with his views on a in his mind, dying religion. "When you first seen Bailey, you thought you had seen an angel. Remember, I was there." He was there and Chevy remembered it as though it were yesterday. "Just because she's gone doesn't mean she lost her angelic presence. She still here with all of us. She wouldn't want to live through us just to see you giving yourself a heart attack grieving over her dog. Nah homie, she wanna see you live, daddy, not see you die. So whaddaya say, holmes? You gonna live for her? For us man?"
Chevy smiled, feeling better already. His reply was simple. "Yee."
Q returned his smile, "Good, cause on this tour, you belong to me, dog, and we gon' party, dog!" Q wrapped his arm around his best friend's shoulders and they crossed that threshold together with their bags in tow.

Brighter Epilogue

While Brody slumbered and Kylie rested on that rooftop, Chevy sat in the living room with a blunt, reminiscing about times past to the sounds of some old soul music. The smoke swirled in the room creating his own atmosphere of memories. It had been a long time since he was able to simply sit down and think about his first love. Bailey had avoided his mind for a while but she still owned a house in his heart, so he knew that it wouldn't be long before before she commuted to the city that was his mind.
While on the road of memories, Bailey saw memories of her and Chevy when they were merely babies of the earth, before the Evil Virus, before her father was still alive, and everything was right in the world.
She glanced at a small pink house where a lot of house parties were thrown, and she remembered that was the first place her lips had ever touched his. Chevy remembered her lips tasted like bubble gum with the texture of a cloud. They were just fifteen then. Brody's overprotective nature didn't even come into play when he found out that they were talking. As far as he was concerned, Chevy was already family, and this simply confirmed it.
He shook his head as the memories delved deeper. He remembered the first time they ever spent a full night together at Brody's house. It was almost like a slumber party, with Bailey inviting one of her younger long time friends over and Brody inviting Chevy to the house. Chevy remembered their dad being away on business, but even back then, Bailey and Brody were smart enough to figure out that their father was on a mission. He remembered seeing tears leave Bailey's sparkling brown eyes, a side of the Brody hardened girl he had never seen before. He found out that night that she hated when her father had to go through these missions, even though he had trained both Brody and Bailey, and Kylie and Kayla to fend for themselves if he should ever leave the earth for Heaven, she still felt a strong emotional attachment for her father, knowing that she would need him, knowing that she still needed him, not just for his advice, but for his laugh, his smile, the joy he brought to her spirit. She explained to him why Brody didn't feel the same attachment for their father as she had. She told Chevy something that Brody never told a soul in his entire life. She told him how Brody used to cry at night when he was younger, wanting his mother and she remembered how stoic his face had grown when he realized she was never going to be a part of his existence. She told him how alone he felt without his mother and she told him that was the reason he found it so hard to open up to anyone. Chevy just always thought he was quiet. He never thought there may have been a reason behind that. He never seen that side of Bailey before. It made her more human. Before he thought of her as a beautiful female version of Brody, but now he saw a vulnerability that attracted him to her that much more. He was able to fully expose himself in that moment which made her comfortable enough to allow him deeper into her being, the first and last person who would ever be granted that privilege.
He remembered the first time he had ever met their father under the pretense of being his daughter's boyfriend. He had been as nervous as a snowball in hell, wondering to himself if Daddy Gun would ever accept him to be apart of his daughter's life. He was surprised that Daddy Gun had been so welcoming to him. He thought for sure that he would show him the door, knowing about his past, knowing that he had put his father behind bars, but Chevy guessed in his mind that Bailey's father had understood his circumstances, and didn't fault him for being born to a night nurse and one of Nashville's most notorious drug traffickers. He thought of Chevy as a family friend when Brody first befriended him after his father had been charged with domestic violence, trafficking, and first degree murders under the New Rico laws, but when Bailey reintroduced Chevy to her father as her boyfriend, he hugged him and Chevy never forgot the next thing he had said to him. Daddy Gun was the first man to ever hug him, and in that instant he had hugged him tightly and whispered in his ear, "Guess you're a part of the family now, son." Chevy wanted to cry then, he damn near cried while he was reminiscing with only the blunt as company. Daddy Gun was the only father Chevy ever had, and a tear dropped when he thought of the crying Brody on the front porch of his house with the large pistol in his hand, screaming, "I'm sorry, Chevy! I'm sorry, dog!" All the taller Chevy could do was place his arm around Brody's shoulder.
That lead Chevy's mind into the darkest recesses of his mind. It was there where he began to explore the depths of his relationship with Bailey. Him and Bailey had been going together for at least a year. On their one year anniversary, she had a surprise for both Brody and Chevy that would change their lives forever. Brody had noticed that Bailey had been getting sick in the mornings before they went to school and he told Chevy about it. Chevy, having been around women all of life, knew exactly what was going on. At first he was excited but scared. He wanted to ask Bailey about her being sick, but knowing Bailey, that would only cause trouble between the twins and make trouble for him. One thing she did not like was for people to know her business. That was one thing her and Brody had in common. They both hated the outside opinion of people they didn't know, so Chevy kept his mouth shut while his nerves became electrified with anticipation. The longer he waited the more the fear died down, and the more he simply wanted for Bailey to deliver the news to him. A month had passed before he finally found out and by then she was already two months into the pregnancy.
When she finally told him, all he could do was smile. Only being fifteen, sixteen, he thought about how he was going to support his child, but one thing he had already promised his unborn child was that he or she was going to have a better life than he had, and he was going to be the kind of father that Daddy Gun was to Brody and Bailey and not like how his father had been to him. He was going to take care of Bailey and the baby by any means necessary.
They decided to wait a little while longer before telling Daddy Gun about the new addition to the family, but they were already discussing potential names for the baby. Johnny Jr. after his father if it was a boy, and Beauty if it were born a girl. Chevy wanted a son more than anything but he knew if he had a little girl, she would be the direct reflection of her mother's beauty. He started to imagine how the baby would look, how it would act when it got older, what it would want to be when it grew up, what its favorite color would be, and everything else that could possibly be thought up as he and Bailey lay in the bed looking up to the ceiling into the infinite sky imagining even more infinite possibilities for their child.
In his heart he knew that everything would be alright. Everything would turn out just fine, but then the E-v came and changed everything for the worst. That's when his thoughts became hazy. He wasn't present when Brody watched his father die or when his sister tried to kill him, but he did witness the tears running down his best friend's face and it was that same night where he had suffered the worst heartbreak he had ever experienced. It was worst than his father going to prison. It was worse than watching his mother get beat up by his father. Worse than seeing his friends die from gun fire. This was his child and his child's mother, and he realized at the end of that blunt he couldn't even shed a tear for the love he had lost. He bowed his head in respect for both the child who he had loved with the entirety of his soul and the woman he would have given his heart too, wishing that they both rest in peace.



Around noon that day, a few hours after Gun Shadow and Brody finally stumbled back home, Brody rested silently on his king size bed with Kylie by his side, stroking his face gently. Hoping he would wake up soon, she traced his hairline with her finger. Kayla opened the door softly so she wouldn't attract to much attention. She smiled when she saw Kylie lean over and kiss his dark lips. "You know he's going to wake up completely refreshed, hungry enough to eat up the whole house talking about where the weed at, huh?"
Kylie laughed, not even moving her brown eyes off of Brody's smooth brown skin. "Yeah. We better have Dice's Pizza on speed dial for when he wakes up. You know that's exactly what he's going to want."
Kayla shook her head mockingly, "Oh Brody, you and your weed."
Kylie turned around and looked into her sister's eyes. "No....Brody and his pizza. That boy loves him some pizza. You remember when we was all in Mama Chevy's house? All he would holler about was some pizza." Kylie laughed and caressed his gentle face, "You would've thought he was a baby, but he was so cute." She continued to laugh, releasing some of the tension that was present in the room. "Awww, I don't care to get him some pizza though, as long as he's alive to eat it, ya' know." She turned around to meet her sister's gaze once more and Kayla nodded her head signaling that she understood. Kylie turned around to watch the subtle twitches in Brody's face while he slept. She sighed, "Can I ask you something?"
The older sister instinct kicked in. Sensing that Kylie had something to get off of her chest, her voice filled up with concern. "Yeah wassup."
"What do you think about Brody's decision to step out of the fight against renegade E-v's? Do you agree with it?"
"Why you asking me that?"
"Just curious, I guess."
"Well, to be truthful, I don't really agree with it. I think we were blessed with a gift to help others and that we should. I think we have a lot more to learn about our powers and that we can't do that by simply acting like we don't have them, ya' know."
Kylie nodded her head. "That's what I thought at first too, but I understand his decision now."
"What you mean?"
Kylie thought about the night before where her and Gun Man fought the most powerful being they had ever faced in their life. She had realized that even with her powers ascending rapidly, that they had barely survived that fight, and had it not been for Gun Man's quick thinking, they would have died and the demons Kayla would have been fighting alone would be her baby sister and her best friend. "I felt like that too at first, but now I kind of understand why he doesn't want to be a 'superhero' anymore."
"What happened?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean what happened to make you change your mind? I know it had to be something because you were the one out of all of us who was most excited to get out there and kick ass, so what happened?"
A grimace appeared on Kylie's face as she began to think about The Beholder. She barely even knew anything about him., but she knew she had already hated him and everything he stood for. "I met him."
She threw her head back, thinking along the lines that her sister had met a new man. "Who?"
The scowl never left Kylie's face as she started to explain about The Beholder and Thirteen. Her voice was solid as if her subconscious was already plotting revenge. "The man who almost killed us." Her voice wasn't its usual melody as she explained about The Beholder and Thirteen. Kayla gasped the more and more she heard. "I think Brody was truly affected when Smartz called him a monster," she said while stroking the sweat off of his forehead, "But when we met The Beholder for the first time, I think it really sunk in that maybe we weren't meant to be saving the world. I mean one of the world's most successful murderers wants us to join his ranks to take over the world. Between that, him killing his uncle, and Smartz calling him a monster, I think he had reached the breaking point and decided that enough is enough."
Kayla gestured toward her baby sister, "So are you going to follow him on his path?"
Kylie smiled as she watched the corners of his mouth twitch in his sleep, "I told him not too long ago that I would follow him to the end." She turned to face Kayla and she saw the face of an innocent woman who only wanted to help people. It wasn't too long ago that she had been that same look on her face, but not anymore. Things were too complicated, too convoluted. "I have to walk by his side on this one, Kayla, I have to agree with him now."
This was a new side of Kylie that Kayla never seen before. She was almost subservient in her eyes. "Walk by Brody's side. Do like Brody. Is she like his parrot or something?" But she knew it was deeper than that in her heart. She knew it was something more than she was letting on and she knew exactly how to pry the information out of her. "So you're like his puppy now?"
Kylie looked back at Kayla confused. "What do you mean?"
"I mean so what if someone else thinks Brody is a monster? You know he's not right? So like why stop something that you obviously love to do because he stopped and FYI, he can't fool me either, I know he's going to miss the action. He was gungho to find anyway to help his people out, and now you're telling me that you both are going to quit because some dude wants Brody to become a murderer? Are you serious?"
Kylie shook her head. "You're not listening."
"What's their to listen to? He's giving up, you're giving up. I guess you guys want me to give up too, right?"
"You do what you want, but I'm not doing this anymore. I can't."
"Why not? What's the big deal!? So some crazy dude is after Brody! What is he some kind of prophet for death or something!? You act like you haven't known Brody your whole life or something. You know he ain't gonna turn into a monster."
"That's the thing, Kayla...." She was all ears now. "He already has. When we fought the Zoo Crew, we was fighting one of his family members. I bet you didn't know that did you? That was the reason why Brody was wearing a suit when we fought the tiger and King of the Jungle. You didn't notice how ready he was to kill any and everything? Maybe it's easy for you because your powers don't come from a dark place..."
"What did she mean 'we'?" Kayla asked in her mind.
"....But for us, evil is right around the corner. That's why The Beholder was so interested in him. He wants to bring out that evilness brewing in Brody's heart, and he knows it's only a matter of time before something happens in battle to where he has no choice but to transform into the man who killed his uncle, who destroyed King of the Jungle, and the same one who almost destroyed poor, defenseless Sheetah, and did what I could do? Do you see the shadows taking over more and more when I see you're in danger? I'm growing stronger by the minute, and that's why it's not safe for us on the battlefield." She snapped her fingers for emphasis. "Our lives could be over in seconds and that's all it would take for us to become monsters! I know it must feel nice to have control over both your powers and your destiny, but we don't have that luxury!" Tears began to stream down her face and Kayla understood finally why her baby sister had to let her dream go of a crime fighter. She walked behind her sister as she turned back around to face her love in his sleep. She hugged her sister tightly around the neck to make sure she knew that she was there for her. It had never donned on her that her baby was a superhero with a super problem and that she was being selfish, jealous that her sister had found someone she could be powerless around and still be safe. She knew because her powers weren't of the same breed as Brody and Kylie that she had a different path to take, but she knew she had to learn to accept Kylie and Brody's new path and she knew she had to let them walk that path together. Kylie's tears poured down from her face as she remembered holding the barely conscious Brody in her arms on that morning sun lit rooftop, thinking to herself, praying to herself that he survived. She shook her head in Kayla's arms, tears and sobs far from muffled and she yelled, "I just need a vacation from all of this, Kayla. That's all I need."
Kayla shushed her sister. "I know, baby. We'll all just chill for a while okay. We'll all take a vacation together, okay Kylie?"
Kylie sucked up the tears, feeling like she was seven years old again being comforted by her big sister, the only person she looked up to. "You're not mad at me anymore?"
Her voice was so childlike that it made Kayla smile, seeing that same seven year old girl, complete with missing teeth and a colorful tongue looking up at her. "I could never be mad at you, Kylie. No matter what you do or who you choose to be with, you will always be my little sister, and I will always love you."
Something about hearing those three words from Kayla made Kylie feel completely at ease, realizing that not only did she have Brody watching out for her, but she also had an angel of a sister watching out for her too. She smiled, still rubbing Brody's smooth face. With her free hand she clutched at her sister's and whispered, "I love you too, Kayla."

Brighter

That next night, Q, Chevy, and Brody found themselves on the dancefloor of the old hole in the wall club, feeling as if they didn't have a care in the world. All the worries from the past few days were just washed away and they were all just simply happy with Kylie and Kayla enjoying the view from some nearby tables. Most wouldn't understand why people as successful as Brody, Kylie, and Kayla would come back to the hood, the wrong side of the tracks but to them, it was home, the one they knew before the fame, and the one that embraced them with open arms when they became orphans.
Kylie and Kayla weren't bothered by the large amount of tobacco smoke and the huge marijuana clouds floating in the air, seeing as they were adding to the cumulous above them. They just watched their boys have their fun. That was until Kayla turned to her sister and with a smile on her face, asked her, "So...Brody huh?"
Kylie smiled as she watched the well dressed Brody dance next to his brothers. She loved the way his black tee fit on his muscular torso. She adored the way his tan cargo shorts sagged off of his ample bottom. She licked her lips when she watched him dance, thinking about the way he boogied on the sweat and liquor filled floor. She hit the blunt again and she answered, "He's great, isn't he?" She asked, seeking approval from her sister.
Kayla had a mischievous smile on her face while she looked at her sister's dreamy expression. She turned her attention toward the dancefloor as she watched the three men garner the attention of everybody on the dancefloor. All of the E-v infected men and women surrounded them in an embracing manners, throwing gang signs and jumping up and down to the vibes of the music. The women surrounded the three, throwing their soft bodies all over Chevy, Q, and Brody. The three men gladly accepted the soft bodies and threw their hands in the air, hands embracing the air marijuana clouds surrounding them. Kayla laughed loudly but her laughter was drowned out by the loud music of the E-v playing through the loud speakers. It still amazed her the amount of E-v music played in the hood. But that was how she knew she was home, her true home. "Yeah, we all know that Brody great, little mama. We all knew that you had a crush on him too."
Kylie's eyes were filled with an unbelievable joy and laughter and curiosity. She hit the blunt one more time before she passed it to her sister. She loved moments like these. Seeing all of her friends enjoying themselves and spending quality time with her sister and Mary Jane, but a question burned in her mind as she looked at her sister inhale the sweet smoke of the marijuana. "How did everyone know how I felt about Brody? Was it really that obvious?"
Kayla laughed again. "You crack me up. Are you serious? Everyone knew because we all know you. C'mon now, we all knew you since you were young and I knew you since you were born, so of course I'm going to know. It's just the way you look at him. The way he looks at you. It's just the special way you guys eyes connect."
Kylie nodded her head in agreement. "Well, he is something special to me, always has been. I used to adore the way he made sure I was always good. He knew in his heart that I was hurting after mama left us. He knew it even when everybody else didn't. He always checked on me, always made sure I felt welcomed when Chevy's mama took us in. You know what he used to tell me back in the day when he was selling drugs."
Kayla didn't like to think about the times when Brody and Chevy were risking their freedom and lives by selling drugs. It wasn't embarrasing to her. It was just a moment in her life that she wasn't sure they would come home. She didn't want to explain to Chevy's sister why he didn't come home. She was glad when Brody got his first book deal. It just meant that he wasn't going to have to sell drugs anymore, and knowing the loyal person he was, she knew that he was going to take care of Chevy and his family, including her and Kylie. It was a breath of fresh air to know that they would never lose their lives over nothing, but she was digressing from her train of thought. She hit the blunt again to erase all of the memories of her past away and she asked, "What he say?"
Kylie smiled, "He said 'he used to hustle for us.' He said, 'he didn't even need the money, he just wanted to make sure we were good, and that he only hustled to vet us the things that we needed.' Now you tell me, how selfless does a person have to be to sacrifice their sanity for us?"
"But Brody always been like that. He's always been some kind of big brother to us. That's why I love him."
"But I love him for a different reason and I wasn't really sure how I felt about him until I heard Smartz calling him a monster. I knew he wasn't one in fact I knew he was the exact opposite. I knew he was somebody I loved but not because he risked his life for us, but simply because I love him on a level that I can't even describe. I never knew why I always wanted to be around him until I turned into Gun Shadow. It was the E-v in me that told me how compatible of a spirit we were. The darkness that lie in us were so similiar that it scared me, but all Gun Shadow wanted to do was protect Brody, even if I couldn't do nothing but protect his honor. He is more than a hero to me. More than somebody who looked out for us when we were younger. He was my Brody and my irreplaceable man, and it was then I made the decision to fulfill my subconcious desire to be with him. I made that decision the night I followed him to the cemetary and he made his decision when he kissed me. And it was one of the happiest moments of my life when his lips touched mine."
Kayla smiled when she saw how happy her sister was. She heard her talk about Brody all the time but because of her age she always disregarded it as a childhood crush. Now she could see the real love brewing between the two. She was going to acknowledge her sister's statement, but then a group of girls she recognized from Franklin approached both of them wearing all smiles and Kylie's clothing line. The leader of the clique of beautiful females addressed Kylie. "Is that Killa K, wassup girllllll!!!!!!???" She asked, her southern drawl dragging as long as a country mile.
Kylie's hood upbringing came out of her as she addresses the ladies, all wearing her clothing line as though it were a testament of a nothing to something story. Kylie examined all of their gear and felt her pride surging through her body. She hugged the leader of the group and screamed, "Qitababy! Wassup, how come you ain't call me, girl!? You know you could've been on the runway with us, girl!"
She began to strut and pose, showing off her natural assets blessed by her African roots. "You think so?"
Kylie smiled, her happiness illuminating the dark club. "Hell yeah girl! You need to hit my phone up sometimes, maybe come by the house!"
Quitababy threw her hand in the air in a disregarding manner, "Girl I can't go to yo' house! Not with mannish Chevy and Q roaming around. You know they wouldn't be able to keep they hands off me!" They all shared a laugh. "But you know who I think cute, girl?"
Kylie smiled, already knowing who she was going to say. "Who?"
Kylie's eyes were playful as Quitababy gave her answer with a smile. Quitababy caught Kylie's gaze and it was then that she caught Kylie's feelings for Brody swirling in her small, brown pupils. She decided to continue her statement anyways just to say if she could get another clue out of her. "That boy Brody is some cute to me. It's just something about his smile that makes you feel like you're safe in his arms." She laughed louder. "But girl don't get me to fantasizing, especially about ya' man."
Kylie was caught off guard by the statement. "What you mean, Quitababy!?"
"Girl it's all in ya' eyes, girl. Call it women's intuition."
Kayla laughed and jumped over her younger sister's shoulder. She pointed toward Kylie's heart and began poking fun at her. "Yep yep, our own little mama got the hots for some Brody." She grabbed her cheeks with her fingers and pinched tightly. "Isn't it cute!?" She yelled with Kylie tryin her best to get her sister off of her. "My little sister is in love!"
All of the girls began to swoon. Kylie blushed embarrassed. Quitababy shrugged. "Don't be shamed girl. You got you a good one. Baby boy be getting his money, looking good, and from the looks of those red cheeks, it looks like he be treating you good, huh lil' mama?"
Kylie smiled and shyed away bashfully. "Yeah, he do be handling business."
"I bet. Look, Killa, you got you a good one. He may have done some things in the past, but he done changed for the better and you snagged him up at the perfect time, and I'm happy for you."
She placed her hand on Kylie's shoulder while Kayla squeezed her from behind. Kylie looked behind her to see Kayla's large smile resting on her shoulder. She could tell Kayla was happy for her too. "Thank you, Quita. I am happy."
"Well come on with us to the dancefloor and dance wit' yo man. Stop being a couch potato with that blunt in yo' hand. You know that ain't good for ya', being a couch potato I mean."
She winked at Kylie and she turned her head around to face her sister, "Hell yeah, we did come to party didn't we!? Let's go get those other girls away from Brody and et this party started!"
Kayla smiled and Quitababy yelled back, "That's the spirit, girl! Let's go get 'em!"
Quitababy and her group of beautiful women lead the girls and several eyes to the dance floor stopping time in its tracks. The music seemed to slow as they made their way to the partyin trio. They were in the middle of the dancefloor, each with a bottle of the most expensive liquor in the club, partying like there was no tommorow. While the rest of the girls chose the man they wanted to dance with, Kylie's eyes met with the clearly intoxicated Brody's, and even under the influence of alcohol and marijuana, he was still as suave as the shampoo. He waited until she was close enough to get a full grasp on her, the music switching in his head from the loud E-v rap music to a melodic blend of guitar and angels. When she fell into his arms, it was like falling into space and landing on a star. The heat that was produced between them was enough to melt the hearts of even the coldest E-v in the club as it seemed like all eyes were on the darling couple, brought together by the darkness that laid dormant in their heart and the light that shone brighter and brighter the closer they got to each other.


Elsewhere in a cold, modern headquarters/apartment, Nic Angel and Smartz waited beside Sheetah on cold hospital bed, waiting to see if she would come out of her tranquilized induced coma. When she began to flutter her eyes, they began to see hope flood into her eyes from the artificial light being provided by the heating lamps above them. Her voice was weak, but the first person she called out for was her father. "Daddy?"
Nic Angel reached out for her limp hand and held it gently. He smiled lightly and answered her call, "How are you feeling?"
Her sight came back to her to reveal the red headed boy that sat beside her and she became frightened, tugging at the equipment that was attached to her roughly. She jerked her head around, hoping her vision would tell her exactly where she was, hoping that she hadn't waken up back in captivity. "Daddy, where is my daddy!?" She screamed. "Who are you!? What do you want from me!? Are you going to hurt me again!?"
Smartz instinctly grabbed her hand and her shoulders. She stared at her with her brown doe eyes and answered with a motherly voice, "No one is going to hurt you again. You're safe now." Sheetah began to calm down. Looking down at her skin, she saw that she had returned back to her human form, a sight she thought she would never see again. She rubbed the soft skin on her arm in pure amazement and joy.
She looked at Smartz and thought to herself, "Wow, she is beautiful."
Smartz saw the way Sheetah looked at her and she brushed her hair away from her eyes the way she did everytime she was out of her shell, naked to the world. Her smile had put Sheetah at ease and she relaxed in her bed. Smartz ran her fingers through Sheetah's warm, wavy hair after feeling the heat emanating from her forehead. "What is your name?"
Sheetah, feeling completely at ease, didn't hestitate to give Smartz her real name. "Brittany, Brittany Taylor. But my dad called me Myzuki."
Smartz smiled, "So can I call you Myzuki, or is that just a name given to you by your father?"
"You saved my life. I was running away before I woke up in this bed, and now I'm not running anymore. You can call me whatever you want."
"Well, my name is Smartz," She said pointing to herself. Then she pointed to Nic Angel and introduced him. "And this young man is Nic Angel."
Brittany looked at the waving Nic and she couldn't help feel a sense of dejavu. "I've seen you before."
Nic stopped waving and begun to scratch his red hair with a look that told her that he didn't want to reveal to her where they've met before. "Uh, yeah, we kinda did meet. You were kinda avoiding tranquilizer darts then." He laughed nervously. "But hey, no worries...." His playful voice gave way to concern. "You're safe now, and we're not going to let anyone else hurt you."
Brittany could feel the sincerity coming from Nic's voice, so she simply batted her eyes and turned toward the heating lamps. Smartz shot an evil look at Nic and he gave her a puzzled look. What was he supposed to say, right? She turned her attention back to Brittany and stroked her hand gently. "Brittany...." She turned her head toward Smartz and again, she was struck by Smartz natural beauty. ".....Can I ask you some questions?"
Nic interjected, hoping to get back on Brittany's good side. "Smartz! Don't you think she should rest first? I mean she apparently survived a lot." His approach was lighthearted as Smartz glared at him, seeing through the attempt to suck up.
But she looked down a Brittany and felt her fragility and decided that Nic was right, even though she was not going to admit that out loud. She addressed Brittany with the voice of a concerned EMS talking to a gunshot victim. "I do have questions, but if you like you could get some rest, I could show you to our spare room, if you'd like? Pick up this conversation after you had a good nights rest."
"No!" Brittany yelled. She sighed, embarrassed by her outburst. "I've been sleep for what seems like forever, having nightmare after nightmare. I think I can spare a few hours with my eyes open."
Smartz smiled, looking at Nic like he had egg in his face. He just shook his head, not even wanting to talk anymore. He stood up with his own version of the 'oh shit' face, and with a softspoken voice, he simply stated, "Well, I think I'll just leave you ladies to it. If you need me, I'll be in the living room watching some cartoons or something. On my Gun Man...."
"Okay, Nic!" He simply shook his head and left out of the room. She turned her attention back to Brittany and stroked the wavy hair from her face. Her voice was soft as she began to question what had happened to the young woman laying on the bed beside her. "Are you okay?"
Brittney looked at her smile and found it easy to confide to the young woman beside her. It was just something about Smartz that made Brittney feel as though she never had to worry about anything hurting her again. "Yeah, I'm okay."
Smartz gently played with Brittney's soft hands with her fingers and she asked in a whisper, "What happened to you back there? I noticed that when you first got here that your Evil Virus had been somewhat supercharged and that you were operating beyond maximum capacity. Did the people who captured you experiment on you?"
Brittney turned away, feeling as though she were ashamed. "They did more than experiment. They did something to us."
The tears flowed from her beautiful brown eyes on to the sheet on the hospital bed. Smartz could do nothing but watch as the pain from those set of memories began to set in. "What did they do to you guys?"
Brittney kept her eyes away from Smartz's gaze, hoping that she didn't hear the sobs in her voice as she spoke. "It was horrible." The pain was impossible to hide now, as visions of her and the rest of the Zoo Crew in large test tubes being poked thousands and thousands of times with needles. The pain was unimaginable, still stirring in her mind. She could still feel the needles prodding at her soft skin leaving a ghost tattoo all over her body. "The needles poked us all over our bodies 'til' our skin was raw and pink. I tried to change into Sheetah, I tried to escape, but everytime I wanted to, my body just morphed back and I fell limp in the tank. The screams. I still hear the screams piercing my ears, even when I sleep. The only one who didn't scream was my daddy. His eyes were still. I thought he was dead. I called out for him. I screamed, 'Daddy! Daddy!', but he just floated in that gel that held us as those needles poked him. I seen the blood trickling from his tough skin, but the gel kept us from dying. It's like they were torturing us on purpose." Brittney shook her head hysterically, trying to grasp a hold on reality. Smartz placed a hand on her stomach, hoping to contain the beast inside of her. Brittney's eyes turned bright yellow, and her roar became fearsome yet exquisitely painful. Then her eyes turned back to their natural brown color, and a tear fell from her eye. She looked at Smartz with teary eyes and she asked, "Why did they do that us? Why did they hurt me? Why did they hurt my dad?"
Smartz shook her, emotion taking over her as Brittney's story began to take a toil on her. She leaned over the bed and hugged Brittney tightly. She whispered in Brittney's ear, "I don't know why they did those things to you or your family, but I can promise you, they will never hurt you again, and you can stay with us as long as you need, okay?"
Brittany leaned up and squeezed her, tears falling on Smartz's shoulder. "Thank you." Smartz didn't have to see the tears leaving Brittney's eyes. She could hear them in Brittney's voice.
Tears were stuck in Smartz's eyes and throat. It was evident that she felt for the young woman, so she wrapped her arms around, forming a security blanket out of her toned biceps and said, "It's okay, it'll be okay."



After the club let out, Kylie and Brody walked to Brody's Chimera, with Brody wiping the sweat off his brow with his black tee shirt. Kylie walked ahead of him but he quickly caught up to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. His kisses were soft on her neck as she squirmed and playfully said, "Stopppp."
He removed his face from her neck and smiled. His hands found a home underneath her shirt, his long fingers resting on her tone stomach. She smiled, loving the way his hand felt on her. In her mind she wondered what this night was going to lead to. She wondered if tonight under the influence of marijuana, alcohol, and love was going to take them to a level that both of their hormones were ready for.
But then out of nowhere, as Kylie was entering the passenger seat of the car, Purple Eyes emerged out of the shadows with nothing but heinous intentions behind his violet violent pupils. Kylie was the first to notice him, causing Brody to turn his head slowly. Purple Eyes smiled, feeding off of the fear that he instinctively caused. He raised his hand waist level and pointed at Brody. "So uh Brody right?" Brody stared at the shadows that surrounded Purple Eyes, in his mind, cursing the streetlights and surroundings that created this dark alley atomosphere. Purple Eyes' sly voice seranated in the parking lot above all of the background noise of men trying to gain the women's attention, fighting erupting in the streets, and Kayla, Q, and Chevy laughing in the crowd, gawking at the ghetto's children, not even realizing that Brody and Kylie were in a danger. "Or should I say, Gun Man?"
His laughter was devilish as Brody's eyes lowered to dangerous level, his stare telling Purple Eyes that he was treading on thin ice. Purple Eyes just laughed, not really troubled by Brody's hardened. In fact, it encouraged him. "It appears, I've pushed a button." His smile was filled with demonic laughter, and purple eyes glowed with happiness knowing that he was striking all of the right chords to play the melody of destruction in which he was plotting. "Did I catch you at a bad time?" He asked looking at Kylie. He saw the darkness brewing in her eyes and he instantly knew who she was. He knew she was the woman he had fallen in love with watching her from the rooftop. He knew she was the woman behind the scarf and the sword. "I disturb a date, did I?" He walked slowly toward, slowly out of the shadows. He revealed the danger forming in his smile, and even in their inebriated state, Kylie and Brody could see they were in trouble.
Brody stepped forward feeling a confrontation coming, but Purples Eye just smiled and placed his hands in the air in a surrendering manner. "Whoa. I'm just here to talk, Gun Man."
His laughter did not put Brody at ease however. Brody stepped a couple inches closer to his potential assailant. He didn't want to reveal his identity, but he was running out of options and he knew that if he acknowledged the fact that he knew who he was, Purple Eyes would truly know he was Gun Man. He was completely sober now, but he mimicked slurred speech as best he could. "Who are you supposed to be, ugly!?"
Purple Eyes laughed loudly but it was drowned out by the outside activities. His voice though, came through loud and clear. "Oh yes, I forget, you're some kind of superhero, right? Well, I know who you are Brody. You don't become a Thirteen by not knowing these things. But of course, I doubt you even know what a Thirteen is do you?"
Kylie watched from the car, the shadows in her heart started to spill out into the car, waiting for their chance envelop her and deal with the problem that was Purple Eyes. Brody continued to feign ignorance. "I don't even know who you are, love, but I do know you in the hood. Even though I can take care of you myself," he pointed toward the crowd of E-vs and he smiled, "but my think my dogs would have a lot more fun wit' ya'."
"Oh I don't doubt you could take care of me, in fact that's what I wanted to talk to you about. You see, I know the game you're playing but I've been the block a few times and believe, there isn't a single Thirteen member who can walk into a police station and give any kind of statement. So you don't have to worry about anybody revealing your secret." He pointed to Kylie, slyfully. "Hers too."
Brody looked back at her, just to make sure she was safe. He saw the shadows flowing in the car and in that instant, he knew that a fight was about to start, whether he liked it to, or not. He looked back into those purple eyes with a question searing in his mind. "Who are you? What do you want?"
"Well, I am an assassin of sorts. I kill anyone and everyone. I have to in order to sustain my youthful good looks. I am a member of the Thirteen, an order where the most devilish of souls, the most murderous of beings get there second chance to do what they do best."
"Which is?" Brody asked.
That devilish smile came across his face once again. "To kill, Brody, because that is what we do."
"What do you mean 'we'?"
"You see uh....Brody, you, me, and uh her, we are a special breed of killers. I knew it the first time we fought against each other, but I wasn't sure until I seen you fighting with her. It was then I seen the potential inside of you two. They way you two fought together it was just...." He took a large breath like he was smelling a gourmet meal for the first time. "Enticing."
Brody smiled and decided to end this conversation by turning around on his heel and walking back to the car. "You're weird, dude, but I still don't really know who you are or what you want with us, but I think we can safely say that you ain't..."
"Don't you wanna hear what I want with you before you leave?"
Knowing that Purple Eyes would not stop asking, including showing up where he need not, Brody turned his head with his hand on the door handle. He sighed and said losing his patience, "What?"
"Well..."The smugness coming off of him irritated young Brody, but he let him continue without showing the growing rage inside of him. He could feel Gun Man and Hit Man fighting inside of him. He could feel Hit Man thirsting for blood as Gun Man sat in the darkness shrouding inside of Brody's soul. Oh if Purple Eyes only knew that he was about to awaken a darkness brewing in Brody's heart. "....you see the Thirteen has been around for centuries inducting such greats as Hitler, Vlad the Conquerer, Jack the Ripper. I'm sure you heard of the legends, Dracula, or maybe you've heard of the Red Plague, or maybe you've heard of The Murderer of Concubines." Brody had read about unexplainable murders and instances in history where a mass amount of deaths took place, but he merely brushed those off as coincidences in history. Finding out that thirteen individuals were behind these mass killings, these mass endings of human life, was a shock to him. But he didn't show it. He didn't show his intrigued side. Purple Eyes continued, knowing full well that he had gained Brody's interest.
"So you mean to tell me that your organization was behind all of those murders? Y'all are responsible for all those deaths, all those children, those women, that was y'all?"
Purple Eyes smiled, proud of his organization. Proud to soon be a member. "Yes, the old Thirteen are responsible for those deaths, but not me. You see the Thirteen need to kill in order to sustain life. You see we are a more extreme vampire. We feed off of the suffering. The pain. We bathe in the blood that keeps us young. Their screaming souls give us power." He licked his lips, feeling he could already taste the innocence. "But the old order forces to live in secrecy, we could kill, torture, but we have to hide in the shadows like thieves."
"So what do you want me to do about? Sounds like that's yo' business right there."
"I have already a member of the Thirteen. You see when you become chosen by a Thirteen, you have to wait until either an innocent kills them or one of the members kill them or they are banished from the earth from revealing their secret to thirteen people. It is the Thirteen way. I have already secured my spot and I am sure I will be able to kill two more to squeeze you in."
"But why us?"
"Because are young. You are already legends and I can see that you would make a great addition to the new Thirteen. No longer will we live in fear of the world, but instead we will conquer it. Why only rule the shadows when you can control the light?"
"So you want us to fight wit' you? Side by side?"
Purple Eyes smile turned upward as his heart skipped a beat. He was falling in love with the idea of having them battle with him. "No, I want you to rule with me."
Brody, now seeing that Purple Eyes was serious, began yo think of the possibility of ruling the world with his warrior queen. His eyes grew black as Hit Man began to takeover, but he quickly regained control over himself. Purple Eyes saw the power struggle happening in his soul and saw that Brody's concious would prove to be a problem. A problem he could fix. Brody simply laughed and placated the villain behind him. He turned his head toward the window, smiling at Kylie, whose dark powers were growing larger and larger. His smile made her feel at ease, but only by a little. Her blade had formed in her hand as it sat next to her sequin black dress. She was a warrior ready. "So Mr. Whatever Your Name Is? How does a person join the Thirteen?"
Sensing the fecicious nature of Brody, Purple Eyes' face grown a scowl and he disappeared and reappeared by Brody's side, sword in hand. Kylie saw the potential danger and transformed into Gun Shadow. Brody waited for an answer, but when he heard none, he started to turn around. That was when he was faced to face with Purple Eyes. He saw the psychotic nature brewing in those lavender eyes and he knew that within minutes he would be Gun Man fighting for his life. "You have to...." Purple Eyes unsheathed his sword from the air and attempted to strike Gun Man. "DIE!!!!!!"
Gun Man could feel the sword passing through the air, coming at his arms at full speed. Only split seconds to make a decision. Only seconds to decide if he was going to fight him with Gun Man or kill him with Hit Man. Power cells began to form on his forearm and within his palms. The blade was drawing closer now. Closer to his forearms. Close enough to where the sword could be alluminated by the power cells on his arms. No more time to think. It was now time to act.
Subconciously, Gun Man blasted himself backwards, melting the door off of his car. In mid air he began transforming, and Purple Eyes jumped on the car and pushed himself off, giving himself an extra boost. The darkness surrounded him as he flew above the crowd. All the onlookers could see was a dark cloud being followed by a white haired man. They pointed and gawked as they watched a strange yellow light burst out of the black cloud. Gun Man made his debut outside of that club and the people marveled at his power. Kayla looked at Chevy and Q with questioning eyes. Chevy looked back at her, while Q stood, simply amazed by the sight of Gun Man exchanging blows with Purple Eyes above them.
It wasn't long before Gun Shadow joined the fray. Her large sword combating in the air against Purple Eyes' swiftness was creating a stir below them. Everyone was cheering the fight on. The security guards rushed out hoping to break up a fight only to be disappointed when they encountered the extremely powerful E-vs. Gun Shadow decided that chasing around Purple Eyes was tiring, so she unleashed her miniature assault rifle and sent bullets towards the demon. The crowd scattered, already knowing what to do when they heard gunshots so near by. Yes, they were home.
While everybody else was trying to flee the scene, Kayla was about to summon her own inner power, but Chevy grabbed her arm and jerked her back. They ran in the shadows thriving next to the club and he threw her against the outside of the club wall. "What are you doing!?" Voice filled with a quiet rage. "You tryin' to tell the whole hood that you Bonnie?"
She pushed Chevy off of her and glowed like God was calling His angel back. Her fitted pink dress turned into a long skirt and a short denim jacket. She threw her purse in Chevy's chest and in her naked palms formed two beautiful revolvers with intricate designs all over the handle and the hammer. "Look you can sit here and act like our friends aren't fighting but I can't!"
She shoved him once more for emphasis before rushing out of the shadows, both barrels aimed for the sky. Her multicolored eyes searched the sky for her target, but Purple Eyes and Gun Man moved so fast that it was impossible to catch a bead on them. Even when she felt as though she had an open shot, Gun Shadow moved just as quick as the shadows in her way, causing her to curse under her breath. She followed them on the ground while they fought in the air. She continued to look up, hoping her target would expose herself to her. All she needed was one chance. One opening. One shot. And then, boom! She shot one bullet in the air, her bullet flowing through Gun Shadow's astral trail and barely missing Purple Eyes' ear. He flew back right into the welcoming arms of Gun Man. He grabbed Purple Eyes and placed him into a submission hold impossible for even the great Purple Eyes to get out of. His lavender eyes turned twilight as rage took over him. Gun Shadow formed a yellow filmy forcefield over his body knowing what was coming next. Purple Eyes continued to struggle, seeing Gun Shadow's smile behind her scarf as she floated on her shadow, pointing the dangerous assault rifle right at Purple Eyes' chest. He knew the bullets would rip through his body, especially at this range. Purple Eyes continued to struggle, his eyes continued to grow with rage. He saw no compassion in Gun Shadow's eyes. He heard laughter in Gun Man's breathing. The trigger started a cycle inside of Purple Eyes' mind. He saw the multitudes of bullets exit out of the barrel with each of the remaining twelve members of Thirteen on each bullet, laughing at his failure. The voices in the wind surrounding the bullets were there's as they discussed his failure. They carried their ridicules at the speed of the bullet, waiting to enter his being. Waiting to become a part of him. Rage built up in him. His true form was rising inside of him. His eyes began to glow with purple electricity. Then it was one statement that would set his true form free.
Gun Man, thinking that the battle was over, confidently leaned over and said, "I guess you won't be the leader of anything soon will you? You should've left when I turned my back. Now the tables are turned. Goodbye."
That was the straw that broke the camels back as a power unimaginable broke free and he was Purple Eyes no longer. Gun Man was flung aback by the sheer amount of energy produced by the explosion of power while Gun Shadow was blinded by the bright light. Sh quickly regained her sight while Gun Man regained enough composure to witness the miraculous birth of two energy beings in the shape of two Chinese dragons. They circled the new Purple Eyes cackling with electricity and kinetic energy. Gun Man was amazed. Gun Shadow was in awe and Purple Eyes smiled. A purple flame was extinguishing itself in his eyes until his once beautiful lavender eyes became their dormant brown. Gun Shadow peered closer at the energy beings circling the hansome man in front of her. He smiled before revealing himself to her. His voice was deep and dark as a cavern underground, filled with secrets and treasure beyond comprehension. "I am Lithos the Beholder, and these, my pet, are Beauty. I did not realize how powerful you two really were until I fought both of you. You have failed to disappoint and for this, I am happy." The scragglers from the club below watched in amazement, never seeing this type of display of power before in their lifetime. Some tried to capture the image of The Beholder, but the sheer amount of kinetic energy caused their phones to rupture and implode. The dragon like beings that whirled around The Beholder growled with a roar that sounded like thunder racing through the clouds. Bonnie stared at The Beholder in awe, taking aim once more. She tried to steady her aim, shaking in fear of the power felt. She wondered how her baby sister and Gun Man could be so calm in the face of a monster. "I am impressed by you both. It's not often where I get a chance to reveal my true form." He reached out and stroke Beauty's elongated, electric body, energy crackling at his fingertips. "But, be that as it may, I still have my own mission to finish."
He threw one half of Beauty at Gun Shadow, sending the kinetic energy at her at an incredible rate. The energy engulfed her in its power and all Gun Man could do was watch, being caught off guard by the sudden attack by the demonic energy. His eyes bulged when the being rose after surrounding Gun Shadow. Her shadow was faltering and her disguise as Gun Shadow was disappating and Kylie was being revealed. While the masses were stampeding away from the battle scene, Chevy and Q stood watching as it looked like one of their best friends might've plummeted to the ground. Gun Man saw Gun Shadow faltering in strength he quickly flew over to her side, but without looking, he sent the other half of Beauty after him. Gun Man avoided the energy presence by inches as he parried toward his love. She only fell a few inches before she was wrapped in Gun Man's arms. She looked up at him sheepily as he quickly sunk into the air. The Beauty followed them rapidly through the sky. That was when The Beholder's eyes caught hold to a new target. While one half of Beauty gave chase to the falling Gun Man, the other one broke off in its own path toward the stunned Bonnie. She raised her pistols eye level, not knowing if she could shoot at the being, but knowing she would be ready to.
Kylie felt her sister in danger and while Gun Man stared at her, he saw Gun Shadow rising from her body and before he knew it, she was gone, leaving his hands free to deal with the impeding Beauty that speedily approached him from above.
Gun Shadow wasted no time after her recovery. She quickly regained her balance on the ground, running as fast as her shadow powers would allow. The Beauty was coming rapidly toward the face of Bonnie and unlike her younger sister, she would not be able to survive the onslaught of energy from the monstrous being, at least that was what Gun Shadow thought. The closer the monster got, the more it seemed like she was a deer caught in the headlights. Beauty saw itself in her precious brown eyes, feeding off of the fear her pupils produced. Then there was the crash that sounded like a sonic boom. Bonnie closed her eyes tightly, fearing, knowing that this was the end of her life.
When th quiet didn't come and she still heard the cackling energy above her, she opened her eyes and was nearly blinded again by the lavender light. But what she saw still shocked her. She never realized how powerful her sister's true form was. Seeing Gun Shadow's sword, surrounded by its own shadowy Beauties, holding off The Beholder's Beauty, Bonnie realized that her sister had far exceeded her in skills. The electric that cracked against the sword scared Bonnie, but Gun Shadow hovered unafraid and angered that the energy monster attacked her sister. Darkness flowed out of Gun Shadow's black pupils and even Beauty knew fear.
Gun Man could only watch for a second as the the Beauty and the beautiful shadow dueled by the scared stiff Bonnie before the other half of Beauty appeared, mouth wide open, waiting to devour Gun Man. He smiled, now holding no fear of the beast. His right arm transformed, with power cells moving all over his forearm until a small energy grenade launcher formed. His yellow eyes studied his target, finding the weakspot in its long, energy based body. He could find none. The being didn't even seem to be made out of anything solid, so he shrugged his shoulders and shot the energy bomb into the monster's mouth. Beauty didn't prove to be too bright as it simply swallowed the energy bomb whole. The explosion that followed was extravagant, waking both Bonnie and Chevy out of their daydreams.
While Gun Shadow parried the monster in an angered state, matching the beast's poetic movement, Bonnie took aim for the beast that plagued her sister. Chevy watched from the sidewalk beside Q, and even though his demeanor was calm, he knew that what his little brother and one of his closest friends were facing was a true monster. He tapped Q on the shoulder and his voice carried to Q's ears. "Yo we gotta go and we gotta get Bonnie out of here."
Q looked at Chevy with a face that said 'say no more'. They began to run to the car when Q asked, "What about Brody and Kylie?"
Chevy shook his head while running, "I mean, look at 'em. They don't really need our help. They already ahead of everyone of us, including Smartz, including Nic. They dangerous man, and we don't need to be in the way."
Q just laughed and agreed. He jumped in the passenger seat, while Chevy ran to the driver side. He instantly cranked the muscle car, checked his mirrors, and his wheels screeched against the pavement. His car was screaming for the open road and the wheels obliged as he raced toward Bonnie.
Seeing Beauty evaporate caused The Beholder to go into a rage. "Enough!!!!" His Beauty immediately came to his side, the electricity soon turning into a lavender flame flowing all over The Beholder's body as though Beauty was lava. The pair of violet eyes still appeared on The Beholder's body. Gun Man just stared at the purple lava flow all over The Beholder's body. Gun Shadow's Shadow Beauty continued to swirl around the large blade. They thirsted for the blood as the lava Beauty around The Beholder fell to cover his lower body. The remainder of Beauty split into two staves, each with a pair of violet eyes staring intently at both Gun Man and Gun Shadow.
Gun Man's mouth curled showing his sharp teeth and vicious smile. He laughed, "I thought you already showed your true form? You got some mo' tricks I see ha?" Gun Man said while shaking his finger at The Beholder.
The Beholder quickly became all business as Gun Man landed on the ground at least twenty feet away from Gun Shadow, but he could still sense her power. It was astounding. Only a sister's need to protect her sister could bring out a power like such, but Gun Man knew he had to survive the night before he was able to fully explore the depth of this power. The Beholder didn't look as though he was going to let them walk away from this bout alive. He raised the one of the living staves of flame and with a voice filled with death and hatred, "I grow tired of these games!"
Purple flames rose from the ground as The Beholder roared, his war cry echoing throughout the streets of Franklin. He exploded with fury as he exploded toward Gun Shadow. She stood in a battle stance ready to face The Beholder head on, but when he was in front of her she blinked and felt all of the energy from The Beholder flow around her, almost feeling as though she were encased in raw power. Gun Man's heel came off of the ground as a power center formed in his heel, blasting him off of the ground toward Gun Shadow. It wasn't until he was in full stride before he realized who The Beholder's true target was.
While The Beholder was passing over Gun Shadow, with her watching the energy pass around her, Chevy and Q swerved around the corner into the kinetic energy that was The Beholder, purple flames skimming against the candy coated paint job. Gun Man raced toward Gun Shadow. Gun Shadow watched The Beholder pass over her. Chevy raced toward Bonnie and it was at that moment watching Chevy's tires rotate fiercely on the street that they realized who The Beholder's target was. He was about to kill the innocence that would allow him to be inducted into Thirteen. He was about to kill Bonnie Bad Azz.
Gun Shadow sprinted on that same strip of street, hoping that her shadow powers would help her catch up to the purple monster headed toward her sister. Gun Man was soon by her side, half of his body concealed by the immense amount of energy coming from his body. He looked like a human rocket. But ahead of all of them was Chevy and Q, but not by much as the purple flames danced on the tail end of their car.
Bonnie was feet away from becoming The Beholder's sacrifice, but she decided then and there she wasn't going out without a fight. She pointed her guns straight at The Beholder and fired, barely missing Chevy. He swerved around Bonnie as The Beholder dodged the bullets. Gun Man and Gun Shadow were closing in on The Beholder. They felt their chance would come soon to subdue the demonic creature.
Chevy yelled, "Open the door!", to Q as he swung the car close to her. He knew that in order for this showing of car acrobatic showmanship that everything would have to be as coordinated as an Olympic relay race. Q would have to open the hyper extended suicide door at the right time. He would have to grab Bonnie at the right time and hope that she wouldn't move from that exact spot she was in. There were way too many variables to consider. Chevy knew that this could either go perfect or go terribly wrong.
Q threw the door open, while Bonnie stood in that exact spot unloading her revolvers into the energy being. Taking a few steps back while shooting into the purple abyss, Chevy already calculated her steps and made up for them by swerving right beside her in a perfect parallel parked position. Q scooped her up off of her feet. She was still unloading into The Beholder when Q grabbed her close and whispered, "I wish you'd stop shooting!"
She smiled innocently, "Sorry, baby." She shrugged her shoulders as Chevy switched the gears again and sped into The Beholder. Going right through the purple blaze, he sped up, nearly hitting Gun Man as he escaped into the Franklin streets. Now it was just Gun Man, Gun Shadow, and The Beholder.
The Beholder recollected himself, landing on the ground in front of the approaching Gun Man and Gun Shadow. They stopped in their tracks when they saw the smile grow on The Beholder's face. Gun Man landed on his feet while Gun Shadow stopped dead in her sprint. Gun Man's yellow eyes and Gun Shadow's black pupils assessed their collective enemy, searching for any potential weaknesses, any type of flaws that could help them defeat The Beholder in any way. They didn't discover one but they did see that The Beholder was not fighting to his full capacity. They came to that realization together as their heads turned toward one another. Both of their eyes read the exact same thing. They said, "We're in trouble aren't we?"
Gun Man whispered, "Baby, I think we have a problem."
"So I guess you two have come to realize that I won't be beaten. I haven't even begun to show my true power."
Gun Shadow's eyes smiled and she stood in an awkward battle stance, placing her gigantic blade behind her. "Good!" Her voice filled with confidence, she added, "Because I have not shown my true abilities either!"
The Beholder laughed with his fists by his side, looking like an old supervillain. Gun Man smiled and raised his arms level with his eyes, with his forearms looking as like a deadly combination between a Gatling gun and a rocket launcher, both propelled by the energy that illuminated in from his body's energy sources. The gatling portion of his arms began to spin as a self confidence found its way out of Gun Man's small but muscular frame. "Hey man," The Beholder looked at Gun Man curiously. "You ain't seem my best either."
Gun Man unleashed all of the power from his forearms into the The Beholder and he continued to laugh heinously, summoning a purple flame forcefield around his body. The purple flame trapped the energy in a dangerous embrace, cultivating it in its dark, violet love, nurturing Gun Man's own offense. Then that same forcefield transformed into something dark, something demonic. It was like watching watching an adult serpent emerge from an egg. Something told Gun Man that he was in deep trouble and that The Beholder's powers were way beyond his own comprehension.
The elongated energy dragon beings rushed toward Gun Man. Even his own confidence, his own energy blast had rushed toward him. Not knowing how to deflect these beings, he did the only thing he could do was stand there and wonder what horrors were about to take place. Beauty and her hatchling, Gun Man's attempted strike at The Beholder, circled him, hovered above him, like ravens waiting for their food to die in the heat of the night. Gun Man followed the beings with his eyes, watching their every move, making sure they didn't sneak up on him. Their energies cracked like a whip in the sky. The sounds were heightened to Gun Man, causing an unsafe drop in self confidence.
Gun Man planted his feet and fired five shots in succession with one another. Beauty's hatchling dodged four of the energy blasts with a cackling hiss, and it ate the last one. Gun Man was stunned when he saw this. That was the only thing he knew to do, and his hope began to waver. In that instant, Beauty took advantage, and pounced on Gun Man. Beauty and her hatchling wrapped their long bodies around Gun Man and like the boa constrictor, begun to squeeze the life out of Gun Man's power cells. Gun Shadow could see his power cells depleting. His screams were horrible. Loud. Pain. Those words entered her mind as she saw the one person who she loved just as much as her sister being tortured by pure energy, and it sent her into a rage.
"You son of a bitch!" She yelled through her large, black scarf. Her steps were swift as Gun Man's scream became her melody for revenge. She told herself that she was going to make The Beholder pay for the screams coming from her love.
Her blade movement was swift, but her blade met unexpected resistance as Beauty's other half stepped in the path of the large blade. Beauty proved to be a substantial sparring against the weapon Gun Shadow deemed not to have a name. She swung and swung but everywhere her blade turned, it met Beauty. She kept fighting, but Beauty was everywhere and nowhere at the same time.
His screams filled her ears as Beauty and her energy child squeezed tighter and tighter. The electricity surrounding him sent shockwaves through every single cell in his body. His mouth was agape as it seemed like pain would be the only thing he would know.
She continued to fight, hoping to break through Beauty's defense, but even her immense tenacity could not break Beauty's concentration. The fiery being went on the offensive when she sensed her other half was losing its strength. She cried out in a fury and the stave had turned into a purple blaze, knocking Gun Shadow back toward Gun Man. As she was flying back, she saw a moment of lax in the being's grip on Gun Man and she shot at the being hoping it would simply let Gun Man go, but instead she felt the wrath of the other half flowing all over. She screamed out in pain as a purple flame surrounded her, searing scars all over her body. She grabbed her ears screaming at the top of her lungs. The sound of the flame licking her flesh was too much.
Gun Man was slipping in and out of conciousness as he heard the screams of his love a few feet away from him. He knew now that they were losing this fight and if he didn't act now, The Beholder was going to win their souls. He took one of the reserves of energy he had stored on his back and blasted Beauty back, giving her a taste of her own medicine. The beast wasn't really effected by Gun Man's power, just simply shocked that Gun Man still had power left to fight. The Beholder smiled and whispered to his Beauty, "Looks like o continue to underestimate the power of these two. Amazing."
Gun Man fell to the ground in a sharp thud, and ran toward Gun Shadow. When he was close enough to pull her from the flames, Beauty's other half reacted forming into what looked like a massive king cobra built from a lavender lake of fire. Gun Man looked at the giant snake in front of him and the two energy dragons that were flying in his direction and he grabbed Gun Shadow's arm and sent himself back.
It was in her eyes that she still wanted to fight, but Gun Man knew that if they kept at it at this pace, they would both lose and they would both die. Gun Man wrapped his arms around Gun Shadow's waist as she struggled to get back to the fray. But Gun Shadow knew he couldn't let her back into the fight.
His grip was strong as the energy cores on his legs lit up as he took to the sky with her in tow. She screamed, roar filled with rage and vengence. Gun Man tried to cover her screams with his hand, but Beauty heard the cries of rage and pursued the duo. The Beholder hovered higher and sped through the air in an attempt to catch up to Beauty.
Gun Man looked down at the two speeding toward her and he knew it was time to make a quick get away. He formed a film thin shield around her and whispered in her ear, "I'm sorry." He exploded and the pursuing Beauty and The Beholder stopped in the air, thinking that the two had simply disappeared. The Beholder just shook his head with a smile. "You may have gotten away from me this time Gun Man, but mark my words, I will have you next to me in Thirteen, and we will have this world in our hands." His smile was fearsome. "Since I have nothing else to do," Beauty went back into the eyes of The Beholder, "I guess I'll find my innocence now."
On a nearby roof in the projects, Gun Shadow sat down, holding Brody in her arms, nursing his wounds. She rubbed her hand against his chest, but he didn't come to as immediately as she wanted him to. He groaned, pain coursing through his body as he tried to regain his concious. In a moment from Sleeping Beauty, she kissed his forehead and his eyes fluttered. His body was in as much shock as he was that he woke up. He looked at her and saw Kylie and he smiled glad to share a moment with Kylie on top of a rooftop. Epic.




While Gun Man cuddled close to Kylie, Nic Angel found himself skating alone on a hover board, exploring an unexplored region of 2090 Downtown Nashville. He rode where you wouldn't find a lot of violence, a lot of crime, or a lot of white collar individuals. His surroundings could only be described as a grafitti filled, street skater heaven, filled with murals of past legendary skaters and urban artists, plenty of rails to grind on, plenty of gaps to cross, and plenty of ramps to defy gravity on. A haven for skaters and artists alike, a perfect place for the extreme Nic Angel to clear his mind.
This was the first time he had a chance to contemplate on his past actions and the reprucussions of those actions. He now had a moment to decide if he made the right decision to join Gun Man and his crew of vigilantes. As he grinded a rail, he had to admit to himself that it felt good to actually help people, to actually save lives, but as he jumped off of the rail and performed a complicated grab, he thought about the constant danger he had placed himself in. Through the limited time he had known Gun Man, he had fought against multitudes of police officers, men who had the powers of jungle cats, and he watched those same men transform into beings he couldn't comprehend. He performed a wall grind on a wall mural of a famous pro skater, paying tribute to the past greats. He thought about how he ran down that building to save that loving couple and Gun Man gliding down with his Gun Wings and he chuckled to himself, remembering how intense of a feeling that was. He jumped a large gap in the middle of the skate haven and he knew in his heart that no matter how much danger Gun Man had placed himself in, it was the only time since he had become Evil Infected that he had truly felt happy, that he had truly felt alive. So he wondered to himself why it was that he had not been at Gun Man's side now. The answer came to him faster than the makeshift halfpipe he had rose on.
While performing acrobatics on a level of a trapeze artist, he thought Smartz and her attitude toward Gun Man and his friends. When he landed the trick, he shook his head, disappointed in Smartz irrational judgement toward Gun Man. He just couldn't see the monster that she saw in him. It was almost as if she had been blaming him for something that happened to her family long ago. She was so adamant in her beliefs that Gun Man was a bad person. No matter how loyal he was to her as a friend and as a lover, he just couldn't agree with her views. As he glided through the park, he realized that she had always been quick to judge a book to early before reading the first chapter. She had treated him the same way when she first moved to Amityville. It was like she had a chip on her shoulder for anybody who had dealt with anything bigger than what they were going to wear to school or the latest videogame coming out, or the narley tricks they were going to do on their hoverboards when they got out of school. It was amazing to him, the things they used to worry about back then seem trivial now. But Smartz had always saw into the future and she treated everyone like their was no future for them, like she was the only one destined to make it. But then again, he remembered judging her too, thinking she was stuck up, head in the clouds, and when he finally grew tired of her treatment toward everybody, everyone of his friends, he exploded and demanded answers as to why she was the way she was. He remembered feeling bad seeing that eight year old girl cry and rush home. He knew then that all she needed was a friend to confide in, and all he gave her was a person to hate. He remembered making that right when he saw her the next day, and they had been best friends ever since. As he defied gravity once again, he wondered what kind of friend he had been while he had been operating alongside of Gun Man's side. When he landed, he stopped the board with his foot and realized that it may have felt like she was being replaced by Gun Man and his friends. Maybe that was one of the reasons she attacked them so much. He saw how much everyone else hated her, and he stood by idly as they threw subliminal insults at her. He just sat back and watched, which may explain the slight attitude she had been having with him. It all made sense and he knew he had to go back to go back to the compound and make everything right between them before he could make things right between her and Gun Man.
He rode away from the skating heaven, just gliding slow through the extreme soul's oasis. He looked around seeing no one around wondering why no one was out exploring this concrete rainforest filled with color and beauty that couldn't be found nowhere near this place. Then he saw his answer coming from the approaching legion in the sky. His green speckled eyes caught a glimpse of the sheer mass of W-U's buzzing, descending from the sky and he knew they weren't here to break up any illegal skating. They were here to take him down. The only thing he didn't know was the why.
Then numerous different squads of heavily armored policemen fell out of the cracks and alleyways of the downtown heaven and his hypothesis was confirmed. They seemed to be neverending as they raced for him, not even waiting for him to surrender. Soon bullets were speeding around him, filling the glass windows of the urban rainforest, breaking the concrete around him. He jumped on the rail, his speed collecting as he raced on the rail. He performed tricks on that rail to avoid being shot, and the adrenaline that pumped through him was intoxicating. He soon began to perform tricks all over the buildings and anything he could land on to avoid being filled with bullet holes.
He smiled as the four leaf clovers began to appear all over his body. He felt invincible at this moment. His first thought when he saw the legions of police was to run, but now, he was strictly offense. He performed manuals on the street that would rival his predecessor, Tony Hawk, and Rob Burnquist would be proud to see how Lucky had dodged the bullets performing simple ollies. He kickflipped one of the officers in the face and grinded on his arm, bullets filling the officer. The officers didn't know how to contain this hover boarder. Two W-U's tried to swoop down on Lucky, but he performed a monstrous grab, twisting into a full 360 while spreading his legs and grabbing the hoverboard while it spun in the air. His feet had connected to the officers' head, knocking their helmets off and sending them to the ground disorientated. Another W-U tried to swoop down, but he only sent a massive kick to the officer's back, jumping into a backflip, dodging bullets midst rotation.
He landed solidly as he raced through the street. He turned to a switch position, knocking a police officer off of his feet. The officer thought he was simply downed, but Lucky grabbed the officer by his legs and threw him into three W-U's and continued to treat his surroundings like a playground.
He rotated again, tripping an officer who stood simply stunned by the young man's athleticism. He jumped up and hand planted on one officer's helmet while two more officers shot at him. He took off the helmet, and threw it at another officer while twisting in the air, again, landing a trick that even Shaun White would have been envious of.
He transferred to the sidewalk, seeing a streetlight that had all the potential to be an accessory to another trick. He grabbed the street light at a remarkable speed and swung around into an alley way. It was like watching the Persians flood into the Hot Gates the way the police officers swarmed the alleyway. He saw a large brick wall standing in the way and he knew it would be impossible for him to jump that obstacle. So he jumped on that wall and propelled onto a ladder. He swung on it and propelled himself off of that object as well, sending himself toward the officers at a rate of speed even they couldn't fathom.
When he was close enough to the officers, he saw a once invisible rail appear in his head, highlighted red. He couldn't resist counquering this rail as well, but as he grinded on this rail, he noticed something like a sonic wave coming off of his hover board, but he didn't even notice it as the only thought that passed through his mind was creating art with his hover board. When he jumped off of the nonexistent rail, he discovered a mass amount of disorientated officers wringling on the ground, some holding their ears, some screaming at the top of their lungs as the sound reverberated into their eardrums. Lucky never even realized he had such powers, but when he did, he simply smiled and raced into the street over the downed officers. The remaining W-U's that didn't retreat or were downed by the soundwave flew, standing their ground, hoping that the shots would catch up to the hover boarder. But Lucky saw another opportunity lit up in red in the form of a building in front of him. He knew exactly what to do.
He raced toward that building, outracing the bullets following closely behind him. He jumped and kicked off of the building and landed on a rail lit in red, matching the color of the hair the wind tried to pull away from his head. Riding the rail was like surfing an aerial wave as he rose on that same rail. He continued to rise until he was upside down winding round and round, confusing the enemy who couldn't see the rail he was riding. He took one of the W-U's assault rifle and shot at least three in their helmets, messing up their HUD systems and causing them to land prematurely. The other W-U's found it hard to even keep up with the speed of Lucky as he maneuvered the rail only he could see. It was pure extascy.
For his grand finale, the rail had started to rise upward, telling him to do a massive double backflip grab, a maneuver that in his past he would have never even dreamed of performing, but now as the sun was coming up, he deemed it only right to escape the grasp of police epicly. He jumped off of that rail, time slowing down as the rails he had just grinded began to materialize with Lucky's signature four leaf clovers all over the metal of the rail. His rotation was slowed and graceful as he grabbed his board. With his other hand, he threw caution to the wind. The upcoming sun rays illuminated his closed eyes and the smiled on his face and it was in his last rotation that he realized this was the happiest he had ever been.
He landed the trick perfectly on a nearby roof. Feeling as though he had evaded legions of police officers, he said to himself that he had been using his powers wrong this whole time and he had vowed to learn more about his powers and their connection to his hover boarding skills, growing brighter the further off he went into the distance.