Chapter 3: Now We Survive
My hands were covered in it. Thick. Warm. Runny. Blood. I looked at it strangely. It was blue. I walked towards the child who was crying now.
"Hey hey it's okay..don't you worry." I smiled and caressed her cheek, "why don't we get you to daddy," I picked her up and ran to where I saw the others vanish.
We exited the gym into a courtyard. There were buildings everywhere. Where did they go?!
"Go left.." the girl whispered in my ear. I ran as fast as I could, following her every direction and eventually we made way to the Principal's office.
"No not here..we need to find everyone." I smiled weakly at her.
"No, here." She said firmly and walked over to a bookshelf, "Third red on the top shelf."
I skimmed the books and found the one she mentioned. It was odd..it had no tittle, I started to pull it of of the slot when a creaking noise made way. I grabbed the child and put her behind me.
"Go through there, Daddy is there." She pointed at the dark room. I walked in hesitantly. It was a cramped, damp hall they went in for what seem like 30 minutes. I thought it wouldn't end but light shadows loomed ahead of us. I picked up my pace and found myself in a bright room with hundreds of people in it. Not just students but families.
"MY SWEET LIZZY" The Mr. Stevens grabbed the girl and spun her around and kissed her cheeks, "Thank you, Ryder." Tears rolled down his face. I smiled.
"Of course." I turned back to the crowd. It already looked like Hell had broke loose.
"And it's only the first day..." Dalian said softly and she stepped beside me. I nodded.
"The first day."
I winced and grabbed my side.
"Are you okay," Dalian grabbed me and helped me up.
"Peachy," I gave her a fake smile.
"You're lying!" She pulled my head off my side and saw the rip. You could see the blood seeping into my suit. The black becoming darker than before.
"Those bastards." I winced as she started to tear more of my suit.
"I'll fix it." She closed her eyes and put her hands around the wound.
"I don't think.." I started to doubt what she was doing when I felt my entire body go numb and then warm. I looked back down at her hands and her vines had covered my side and were giving a soft glow.
"What the.." I started in amazement. The slash on my side had vanished to a small mark. The stabbing wound now a paper cut. I looked at it amazed at her power.
"There..all better." She smiled at me. Her eyes shining brighter than I've ever seen.
"Thanks." I coughed awkwardly, looking away as I stood up.
"It's going to be sore!" She called after me. I just waved back at her. My cheeks burning red.
"Ryder, sir." A janitor spoke to me.
"Yes?" I asked him a quick glance to ensure he wasn't hurt.
"Allow me to fix the holes?" He pointed at my side. I sighed as he offered help, appreciative yet down that I couldn't accept it.
"Doing that would require me to remove the suit. Which I can't do or you'd see who I am," I shrugged. The janitor looked at me with pleading eyes.
"I won't say Toby." He winked. I gave him a wide eyed stare then narrowed my eyes.
"How did you.." I began but he just motioned me to follow him to his closet.
"Okay…" I sighed as he took me into a back room with a dim light. It was small but big enough. Two taps.
The suit came off but didn't disappear like it normally did.
I handed him the suit and watched as he skillfully fixed every hole.
"So what are you thinking?" He asked me as he slowly pulled the thread through.
"I honestly don't know..the first day I go to a normal school something like this happens. It's just off. I cant even contact anyone from the outside.." I looked at my shoes and sighed. "I'm not even sure how many of these things are."
"Just be careful, young man." He looked at me with soft eyes and handed me the suit. Good as new.
"Thank you," I said as I took it. He nodded gently.
Two taps and the suit was back to fitting my body shape.
I exited the closet and made way to the front of the room with Dalian.
"I see he fixed yours as well," she smiled.
"You mean he.." I pointed at her suit, "he fixed yours too?" She laughed a bit. "Sure did, Puppy."
So he gets to know who we both are.
"What are we going to do." I said not really as question but more as a cry for help to someone. I felt a hand at my shoulder and a peached colored smile telling me that;
"We survive."
Later in the evening we made a call for an announcement.
"Hello everyone. I am Dalian. This time may seem rough and hard but don't worry. We will fix this. And we will destroy every last one of those monstrosities.So you may return to your normal lives. Hoots came from the crowd and cheered for her.
"Settle down." I grabbed the microphone from her, "allow me Princess," I stood in front of everyone. All silently waiting for me to give them a war cry.
"This is not a joke. A video game. A movie. Or a story. This is your lives. You don't have a reset button. No miracle at the end of this. No, this is do or die. We either fight for our lives or we give it up to these monsters. They have already taken over the area above us but thankfully due to the under ground roads we can travel to areas and clear them and move on." I looked at the tons of eyes fixated on me and lowered my brows. "These beast are huge. Approximately 10 feet tall. They have spider like legs that can slice you in half in a blink of an eye. There is no skin it's just a slimy barrier covering their bodies. They have no sympathy. No love. No fear. No emotions. Just the desire to kill me. To kill you. And to kill anyone that stands in their path. It's do or die people. Now I have one question for you. Will you stand with me a fight for our lives so we can make it to tomorrow? Or do you want to give up all humanity and die? ARE YOU WITH ME?!"
The room exploded with cries out.
"DO OR DIE". "MAKE IT TO TOMORROW". They were cries of victory and hope.
"Way to go puppy." Dalian smiled at me. Her hand brushing my mine as the crowd continued to roar.
I turned back to the crowd.
"So you're with me," I stared them all down, "Me and Dalian are the ones with abilities. You will receive orders. You will fulfill your orders and you will repeat until you're dead or we are freed. The number of these beings are uncertain. But we have one down." Dalian took my hand, "WE WILL STAND VICTORIOUS IN THE END." She looked so determined. People shouted her name, shouted my name. I looked at her.
"I took one down" I looked at the exit door.
"Yes..you handled one. But now we..now we," she looked at her feet. I lifted her chin up with my finger.
"Now we survive." I smiled.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone