Chapter 22: (XXII) Worry

"So..." Serenity asked as she stood at the entrance to Gateway Park with the two backpacks resting against her feet, "How do you know Sam?"

"Supposedly, we knew each other when we were younger, but I don't really remember him..." Camille answered, shifting her weight as she wrapped her arms around her stomach.

"Really?" She replied, looking off in the distance, waiting for the remaining groups to arrive, "It seemed like he trusted you a lot when we were fighting that perv."

"Perv?" The blonde asked, tilting her head as she brushed her hair behind her ear.

"Yeah..." Serenity shrugged as she explained the events that occurred leading to her Awakening and stumbling across Ichiko and the thug boss' fight.

"I see..." Cami said, blushing slightly as she smiled at the ground, "So he saved you too..."

"Seriously though! Does he have some hero complex or something?" She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I don't know..." Camille sighed, shaking her head, "But he did save the six of us and then asked me to bring those kids to this park..."

"Five." Serenity corrected before wagging her finger, "He didn't really save Ichiko's sister... She did that on her own."

"I guess you could say that!" Ichiko said as she approached, carrying all four bags while Jijo trotted along behind her.

"Yeah! Big sis was soo cool!" The young girl exclaimed, clasping her hands together as she stared up at her sister with sparkling eyes.

"Then again, without his intervention, neither of us would be alive..." Ichiko added as she dropped the four backpacks with the others before placing her hands on her hips and shaking her head.

"No... We could have taken him!" Serenity said, rolling her eyes, "He just got in our way and stole our own glory!"

Ichiko rolled her head and stared at the redhead in disbelief, dumbfounded at her sudden boldness.

"Don't talk about our big bro like that!" Nathan shouted as the twins approached, "It was him that saved everyone in the end!"

"Yeah! You looked like you were gonna piss yourself on top of that building!" Kaitlyn added, throwing the bags in the pile, sticking her tongue out, and pulling on her eyelid at the redhead.

"You need to watch the way you speak to ladies, young man!" Serenity scolded, stomping forward as she placed one hand on her hip and wagged her finger at Kaitlyn.

"Man?!?!" Kate exclaimed, shouting as she lunged at Serenity, wrapping her arms around her waist, "I'm not a boy!!!"

The three older women exchanged glances as they repeatedly looked back and forth at the twins when Ichiko broke the silence, pointing at Nathan, "You mean you're not..??"

"No!!! I'm Nathan!!!" He exclaimed, stomping on the ground as he threw his fists down, "That's my sister Kaitlyn!!"

"Wow, Nate!!!" Jijo exclaimed, running up and grabbing her hands with a smile, "I really like your clothes! You're so pretty!"

Nathan blushed, covering his face before he grabbed the hem of his skirt, twirling back and forth, "Oh no, Jijo!! I wish I was as pretty as you!"

Kaitlyn shook her head, pulling her hood over her head as she facepalmed. The three older women all shared shocked expressions with each other and nodded before they apologized to the twins.

"Should we head to the emergency shelter or do you guys want to wait for Sam?" Cami asked after they had waited a long time, looking around, fighting the worry rising inside her over his tardiness.

The group was evenly split, with Camille, Jijo, and Nathan wanting to wait, while Ichiko, Kaitlyn, and Serenity were tired of waiting. Since democracy had failed them, they decided to leave their decision up to chance.

"Heads: we wait... Tails: we go to the shelter." Camile said, holding a coin between her fingers, and she showed everyone as they nodded their agreement.

She flipped the coin into the air, catching it, and quickly pressed it against the back of her hand, looking around as everyone gathered close. She lifted her hand, revealing the coin's tail side, "Tails... I guess we're going to the shelter..."

Camille reached into one of the bags, pulling out a notebook and marker; she quickly scribbled a note and ripped the page out, looking around and finding a rock as she placed the note hanging off one of the pillars at the entrance.

The group gathered the backpacks before they journeyed through the empty park. Silence filled their surroundings as they walked across the grass before reaching the other side and approaching the sloped entrance leading to the underground emergency shelter.

*BANG*

Ichiko pounded on the sealed blast doors as Kaitlyn stood next to the panel, repeatedly pressing the 'call' button on the intercom, but the monitor ignored the inputs.

"Stop, Kate!" Nathan said, grabbing his sister's arm, "You're gonna break it!"

"It's already broken!" Kaitlyn scoffed, rolling her eyes as she continued to mash on the buttons.

*BANG*

"Are we sure anyone's in there??" Serenity asked, rolling her eyes, "This seems like a waste of time; we should just go look for Sam."

"No." Cami replied, shaking her head, "He said his mother was inside when he asked me to bring the twins..."

"Well, this isn't working..." Ichiko said, looking at the group behind her, "We should look for another entrance..."

"I think we should wait for Sam..." Nathan added, chewing on his lower lip as he fiddled with his skirt.

*BANG*

Kaitlyn ran over the doors and started banging on them, shouting loudly, "Open up!!! Let us in!!!"

"Kate!!" Nathan hissed, "Stop that!"

Ichiko knelt beside her sister, "Jijo, stay here with Cami and the twins, okay?"

Jijo nodded before Ichiko stood, turning to Serenity, pointing around the entrance, "You go that way, and I'll go the other way, maybe we can find another way in..."

"Wait!" Cami exclaimed, "You're not gonna leave me alone with the kids are you..?"

"We need someone to stay at the entrance in case they open up or Sam returns." Ichiko explained, "I saw you in that battle; you can hold your own, just believe in yourself."

Serenity and Ichiko nodded as they turned around, walking in opposite directions as they disappeared around the corners of the large building, leaving the blonde alone with the three teenagers.

"Tch!" Camille clicked her tongue as she chewed on her lower lip, walking up the ramp to the sidewalk as she wrapped her arms around her chest, looking around.

The devastation deeply affected the young woman as her mind raced, imagining millions of dangerous and deadly scenarios. She turned her head, looking down the ramp as the twins and Jijo laughed and chased after one another.

"Oh, to be a kid again..." She muttered to herself, turning back to face the street as she stared at the heavens, placing her hands together and bringing them to her chin.

She closed her eyes and silently prayed for humanity, the kids, herself, the two other girls, and one for Samael.

She opened her eyes and looked around, sighing dejectedly as rays of sunlight started to break over the horizon, pushing away the darkness and bringing forth a new dawn to the now-devastated planet.

"Sam... Where are you..?" She muttered as she held herself, a shiver running up her spine.

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