Chapter 24: Chapter 24: Disaster

The gas pedal literally touched the floor. The engine screamed like it was about to explode. Tires screeching as they turned sharp corners. Rain refusing to stop in it's downpour. Almarie wasn't the best driver nor did she know where she was going. She just knew that she was going up and had to keep driving. The Apocrypha were still gaining on them. Zane glanced back to see one specific b@tmobile rushing towards them. The water from the road splattered in front of it as if it was a boat driving through a river. They had to do something or they would be caught.

"Damn it Almarie! Drive faster!" screamed Layla trying to keep her voice above the engine.

"If I push this pedal down any further it's gonna fricking break! Okay?!"

"Tsk! Nick, roll that window down and make use of that rifle!"

"Roger!"

Nick quickly did what Layla instructed. The rain began to pelt him through the open window. The rain drops were heavy and stung like small hail. He ignored the stinging sensation and placed the rifle through the window. There were at least a dozen different vehicles giving chase. He lined up the first vehicle which was a small car. Nick steadied his breathing and stared through the scope. He gently pulled back the trigger sending a bullet zooming into the head of a driving Apocrypha. The car spun out of control, screeching with it's tires before flipping like a pancake. Nick had expected one crashed car to take out many, but to his surprise the Apocrypha dodged it like professional race car drivers.

"Shit!"

"What is it?" inquired Zane in worry.

"I think I just got them mad..."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Um- just don't look behind you if you don't want to spit your heart out."

Zane, knowing well that looking back would only increase his anxiety, stuck his head behind him to see what Nick had meant. Instantly, Zane's intuition of something bad happening shot him like a bullet.

"Dear father..."

Everyone glanced back to see dozens of Apocrypha sticking their head's through sun rooves and windows all equipped with some kind of weapon. The weapons weren't the normal tranquilizer guns like they were use to, but weapons that resembled that of ordinary human guns and other unknowns.

"Duck!!" screamed Layla in panic.

A hoard of bullets and liquidized material were sent hurling towards them. The group got themselves huddled covering their heads as glass and doors were pelted. Glass splinters washed them in the interior of the vehicle giving them small cuts over their arms. Serenity and Almarie screamed from the front seat fearing they would crash or get shot. The sound was so loud they thought their eardrums were about to pop open. The shooting then slowly came to a halt.

The group looked up making sure everyone was okay. They stared behind them to see a big opening. The trunk of the jeep had been completely peeled off by the Apocrypha's weaponry.

"What the hell are these guys shooting us with?!" bawled Nick.

"I don't know but hurry up and shoot back at them! I think they're reloading!" ordered Layla screaming.

Nick hurried and placed the rifle through the window. He needed to take out as many as them before they could shoot again. He looked through the scope with his finger on the trigger. This time he was aiming for the tires. Right before Nick could hit the trigger, a liquified material representing lava was sent slamming into his rifle. His rifle began to melt like ice cream.

"Crap! That's hot!" he panicked as he threw the rifle through the window.

"What the hell was that?!" cried Zane.

"I don't know!"

Once again, they saw the Apocrypha get their weapons out ready to shoot them down. Panic and stress wore them thin. They hadn't even realized but they were climbing up a mountain. A very sharp corner awaited them just a few meters ahead.

"Zane! Layla! Nick! Anyone! Think of something fast or we're going to die!!" cried Serenity.

"I can't think under all this pressure! I ain't Jimmy Neutron fam!" shouted Nick.

Just as they all thought things couldn't get any worse, they saw a giant EMP gun rise from the top of the b@tmobile. Almarie and Serenity quickly attached their seatbelts. They all clenched their teeth and covered their heads preparing for what was coming next.

"Hold on!" yelled Zane.

A giant blue wave was sent flying through them. The jeep engine's roar came to a dead stop. The power from the jeep was sapped like water to a sponge. Almarie swung the steering wheel desperately trying to regain control of the jeep. The water underneath the tires was not helping her. To make it worse, one Apocrypha shot the lava like substance into the jeep's back tire. It screeched and exploded as they found themselves swinging like a fidget spinner in the air. The jeep flipped and bounced violently on the asphalt.

The group rolled inside of the jeep as glass danced around them like a festival. They slammed their heads into one another and other various parts of their bodies into the sides of the jeep. Things could only get worse as the jeep bounced towards a road railing that was supposed to separate them from a 500m drop. The jeep slammed into the road railing with a huge 'bang' popping it open. Fiery sparks ensued as they were sent flying over the 500m cliff.

They tussled and rolled down the side of the cliff. Their only thoughts; to hold on and protect their heads. The intense friction and heat from the engine of the jeep ignited into flames. Things were only getting worse. Finally, before the jeep could crash down below and explode like a bomb, a sturdy branch of a tree zoomed in through the window hooking them to it. They were saved from instant death but they were still very much in danger. Gasoline dripped down alongside the rain as the jeep hung upside down from the tree. Thunder boomed from above and lighting drew patterns in the sky daring to challenge any artist.

Layla had fallen through the shattered windshield of the jeep. She laid below the hanging vehicle completely unconscious. Blood protruding from her arms and head. Nick was also completely unconscious as his body laid on the ceiling of the jeep bleeding. He had a small cut over his right eye and a very deep wound to the left side of his jaw. His hand's were covered in small cuts. Both Almarie and Serenity were hanging upside-down saved only by the seatbelts they had attached. Their arms swung above their heads like clothes hung to dry.

Serenity was mostly okay apart from a medium sized cut to her left cheek. Almarie however had an extremely deep wound to her left arm. It was as if someone had used a knife and tried to slice it in two. Blood ran from it excessively. The fact that she was hanging upside-down meant she would die from blood loss before too long.

Zane was the only one still conscious. His body ached like an old man. The pain was so severe he couldn't even feel his fractured leg. Blood ran from his head as a 3-inched piece of glass was embedded in it. He moaned in pain as he carefully pulled it from his head. He coughed and grunted as he looked around taking deep breaths. The tree branch had barely missed him. He was thankful he was still alive, much-less conscious.

He fixed himself in position sweeping away leaves and glass from near him. He quickly noticed that the branch was going to break under pressure before too long. He could hear the slow snapping and the constant feeling of descent. Zane felt his guilt beating him with a stick. If only he hadn't gone to bury the letter then all of this could have been avoided. He had gotten everyone in danger and inevitably ended up in this situation.

"Crap! Crap! Crap!" he cried to himself.

He began slapping Nick's jaw gently trying to wake him. He needed help getting them all out of the jeep before it was too late. The fact that there was a flame and gas didn't make things better. As soon as the fire crept too close to the leaking gas, they would be sent flying like fireworks.

Nick however, wasn't waking up. He laid there knocked out as cold as ice. Zane panicked as his heart braced against his chest. The tree branch was snapping. They were going to fall. He didn't know what to do and the stress made him just want to accept his fate. Zane closed his eyes ready to accept his fate with nothing but regret.

"Z-Zane!" called Serenity in a shaky voice.

Zane quickly looked over to her in shock, "S-Serenity! Are you okay?!"

Serenity swallowed, "Yeah... Um- Uh... Zane we need to get out of here. We'll die if we don't... I-Is there anything you can do?"

"No... I don't see anything..."

"Z-Zane... Please don't blame yourself for this... I-I'm the one wh-who's really to be blamed. I-I'm really so-sorry! Just please get out and save yourself at least! Climb out onto that limb and grab onto the tree before the jeep falls! If you die then all of humanity dies! Save yourself please! Th-Thank you for helping me!!"

Serenity had tears dripping from her eyes. Zane hadn't stopped to take note that she must have also been feeling the same way he did. She wasn't trying to use her age as an excuse but instead took the blame just as equally as Zane did. She was even telling Zane to save himself. He realized just how pathetic his moping was. He wasn't supposed to be giving up, but rather giving it his best shot by die trying. He clenched his teeth and carefully got himself up. He went over to Serenity and began to unbuckle her seat belt.

"W-What are you doing? What if the jeep falls with you! Just get out!"

"No! This is my fault too Serenity! I'm not going to run away! I don't deserve to! I'll help everyone of you or die trying!"

Serenity couldn't avert her eyes from Zane. He had such an intense look in his eyes which displayed his determination in all it's glory. He was dead set on helping them no matter what he had to do. The seatbelt was freed from Serenity's waist as she fell comfortably into his arms. They could hear the tree branch crack from the sudden movements. They had to be careful.

Zane took Serenity and pushed her through the window onto a close outer limb of the tree. She was awfully light which made it much easier. Zane then looked between Almarie and Nick. Time was running out, could he save them both? Almarie was bleeding from her arm severely. She needed to be helped before he could aid Nick. Zane slowly unbuckled the seatbelt from around her waist and got her onto his shoulder. He tried being more careful but the branch still creaked. Zane was almost certain the jeep would plunge downwards with them as he heard it crack three times.

"Zane!" shouted Serenity in worry.

"It-It's okay..."

He took a deep breath to settle himself. He moved back towards the tree limb with Almarie. She was heavier than he could have ever anticipated. He struggled to move Almarie to the outer part of the limb. He groaned and cried pushing himself to his limits but he was unable to get her onto the limb. She was just way too heavy.

"Zane! I'll help you!" offered Serenity.

Serenity folded her legs over the tree limb taking the hand of Almarie. Her feet scratched against the rough surface of the limb as small cuts appeared on both her legs. Almarie's bloody hand dripped onto Zane's face as he struggled to push her up. Thankfully, they managed to slump her onto the limb safely out of the jeep.

Zane looked back at Nick, the only one left inside the jeep. He got his bestfriend onto his shoulder and did the same with him as he did to Almarie. Serenity cried in pain trying to bare with the burning sensation of her feet rubbing against the limb. They struggled and groaned until Nick was finally onto the limb. Serenity had to be holding them steady to ensure they didn't fall off.

Zane was the only one left. He heard the branch snap two more times. It groaned and bawled as if it was ready to fall at any moment. Zane made himself steady as he hurried and latched onto the tree limb. He just had to hope the limb wouldn't break with all their weight. Carefully, Zane climbed up on the limb beside Serenity. He was safe out of danger of the jeep.

"Thank you Zane! You saved us all!" cried Serenity thankfully.

She wanted to jump onto him giving him a super tight hug, but she couldn't move due to holding Almarie and Nick. Zane released a relieved sigh. They had made it out of the jeep and it hadn't even fallen.

Just then, ruining Zane's moment of relief his mind flashed on Layla. He was in so much panic that he had forgotten about her for a short moment.

"Where's Layla?!" he cried.

Serenity had a very frightful look in her eyes as she looked down onto the ground. Zane looked down in horror to see her laying unconscious right where the jeep was going to fall. The jeep would crush her as flat as a pancake. Zane's body just moved on its own. He couldn't allow her to be crushed. He was at least 50ft up in the tree but he jumped down onto his fractured leg towards Layla. Pain rocketed through his body. For a moment he couldn't even breath due to the intense pain his legs went through. His legs gave out underneath him as he fell flat on his face.

The branch cracked and cried. He looked up to see the jeep snapping the branch like a twig coming down onto them. He forced his legs to work as he grabbed onto Layla's arms and jumped with every ounce of strength in his body. The jeep came crashing down right behind them exploding into a ball of flames. Zane covered Layla's head making sure nothing could harm her.

Zane panted like a dog. His eyes closed as he winced in pain. He felt like someone had just run over his entire lower body with a truck. Zane took constant deep breaths trying to soothe himself.

"Zane! Are you okay!??" cried Serenity with tears filling her eyes.

Zane couldn't even force himself to speak due to the pain. Serenity was left without an answer as she looked down at him perturbed. Zane laid on top of Layla who was still unconscious. He couldn't move and he thought he didn't really need to until the pain soothed. Unfortunately for him, his mistake still followed his every move. He looked around to see that they were in a thick forest filled with endless trees. He began to hear loud bellowing coming from all directions. The Apocrypha were looking for them and they were in trouble. Zane's mistake was refusing to let him go.