Humanity First, People Second RP

[t⊗theark]

Lex had finally gotten over himself again, he looked over at Corey while his arms were still around him he looked over at him with tears of pain in the corners of his eyes and a cheeky smirk acorss his face,
"You're gonna hafta buy me dinner firs'". Corey smirked at the response. As he clambered into the front he had a go at Kel,
"Watch those smutty themes bud, there's a kid on board."

He was feeling sorta vulnerable and useless with these people and wow did his body language show it. Heck, Kel herself was completely over taking two bullet wounds, each of which were worse than his by an order of magnitude, still 12 hours later, Lex was still belly aching over what he received. For the first time ever did he feel like that he was the truly inferior one - he didn't like it one bit. he didn't like the idea that he was a burden, that he was so utterly dependent - without out them he would be a bloody ruin in the street right now. When Kell checked up on him he couldn't even bring himself to look her in the eye.

He came to an old, run-down service station, the petrol pumps looked unused for years and the building was derelict and empty, it's shell an edifice to concrete decay of the encroaching years' negligent indifference. They all popped out to stretch their legs and recuperate from their highspeed ordeal. While the two others lit up their cigarettes, Lex grappled with getting the hatch of the base of a street light open. He stuck his hand in there for a couple of moments to get a glow enough to see where we was going and headed off to the well marked toilets. Understandably the other two indicated they wanted to follow to keep an eye on him, he looked back, gritting his teeth through the pain,
"I'm just off to take a leak, I'm flattered that you want to watch."

He finally got back and shamefully wiped the last tears from his eyes, discarding the ampage into a small bolt scorthcing the ground and the clap of thunder drove the god completely crazy.. He laid across the back seats, his legs sticking out the door, and popped a few pills and stared at the car's ceiling. Corey, looking curious of what sorta person he was.
"Ever have a girl bud?"
"I go's a hist'ry"
"Anything long term?"
"Nah"
"Ah. How many?"
"Girls or people altogether?"
"Well, you get more and more intriguing kid. What's the worse thing you got out of that sorta fun?"
"Chlamydia"
"Houwow, well th-" Corey was silenced from an elbow in the ribs, Kel evidently not thinking Lex was in a situation to be interrogated.

[Yuno]

Kel had gone off to the bathroom and returned. To find Corey harassing Lex. She threw an elbow and he turned to look at her. She shook her head at him,"You honestly are like five aren't you. He's..." she trailed off looking at Lex, "How old are you?" She turned back towards Corey, "It doesn't matter because I know there is no way you aren't at least 9 years old than he is. Why are you asking him about that first. At least buy him dinner." Corey smiled and leaned over towards Kel. A moment later he squawked again from an elbow. Despite the atmosphere of play, Kel finally looked haggard, as if the stores of willpower and determination she kept on hand were finally leaving. Despite this, she moved dispassionately towards the driver's side. Corey stopped her by grabbing her shoulder which seemed to make her even more tired and forced a look of pain onto her face. He quickly withdrew the hand with a sorry look. "I'll drive. You should sleep."

Kel looked like she wanted to argue, but somehow, even her protests were met by Corey coralling her towards the passenger side and soothing noises that sounded somewhat like the things he'd said to Lex hours before. Finally, he managed to get her back into the car. Cat climbed up onto her and before Corey had gone a mile she was fast asleep hugging the dog that had also fallen asleep with her. They drove in silence for awhile until Corey turned up a mountain path that was a bit more unpaved.

"Hey Lex, don't...don't feel bad okay." He smiled at the rearview mirror, "You aren't useless. Kel told me about how you guys met. She was impressed." He looked over at Kel his eyes lingering for a moment. "Don't let Kel make you feel inferior. Being this, it's all she has left to know who she is. She's only ever been three people, The girl who married Jacob, the daughter of a general, and the most impressive captain and black op worker seen. She lost 2/3 all in the same week. So She does this thing in overdrive."

[t⊗theark]

While Corey was being lashed and she trailed off to him he age, he moaned "16, I migh' look a tad younger" while rocking his head from side to side, the painkillers evidently taking their effect and his senses dulled a bit. Wow, did he not like these drugs in the slightest. He was able to heave himself looking fairly out of it, into an upright position looking drowsy in the seat. He reached behind him to finally realized this seat never had seat belts. He tilted hi head back in a tires smile.

As Corey tried to console him, he felt no better- it was just a reminder how much she had done for him, going back to when they met. Really the point of helping her was to kept protected and off the streets while looking for his family. Well they were leaving the city they're likely at now so why stay? The more he heard of her life, the more he respected her. She was no weakling as her initial kindness would suggest, she was independent and conscientious. Was that why he was sticking around with her.

The night time suburbs were beginning to get sparser and sparser. They were at the city limits when they found a blockade, a check stop. Lex initially assumed that it was a regulatory military thing but as he concentrated through the cloudiness of the painkillers, the blockade's gate was constructed from rubbish, their uniforms ragtag or non existent. Lex whispered to Corey,
"Am I glowing at all?" as he heard one of the 'guards' ask the driver in front had any subhumans, searching their car at gunpoint.

[Yuno]

Corey turned to look at Lex and shook his head rapidly before leaning over to shake Kel. She came awake quickly still holding Cat, " Wah's happening." She cleared her eyes as Corey motioned at the blockade. Kel pushed Cat into the backseat where the dog took up a position with his big head on Lex's lap staring up at him with eyes that were begging for attention.

Kel wasn't exactly panicking, but he could tell she was sizing the situation up in a haphazard way, "Okay. Let's see here...Ummm. I could probably shoot everyone. But if I do that this place will be crawling with guards." She turned towards Lex, "Lex, You're my younger brother. Corey is my boyfriend." Corey couldn't help but grin at this only to have Kel ignore it, "Neither of us have parents, I've been your guardian since I turned 18 and we decided to go on a camping vacation. I'm going to try and copy your way of speaking. If I fail at it I want you to make fun of me for talking like Corey. You aren't feeling well." She looked at Corey, "Valentines Day 8 years ago. Be that compelling about it." Corey nodded at this taking the grin away to look bewildered. "If worst comes to worst, you still have that gun. I might get busy. If they come near you clap your hands at Cat." She looked at Corey, "You armed?" Corey nodded, "Yeah wanna see my gun." She glared as he put the bewildered expression back.

Finally, it was their turn in line. Two men approached the car others pointed rifles at it. One went to Kel's side and another Corey's. "Evening." Corey said in a happy and polite tone. "What's going on here? Can I help you folks?" Kel smiled at the man near her window, "Is this one of those cattle things?" Corey turned smiling at her and reached out touching her face, "Oh babe, You're so silly sometimes." Kel's face broke out in an adorable smile and he pulled her close with one arm wrapped around her mid-section. The people outside looked put out.

"We're looking for any subs that might be trying to flee. Why are you folks out here this early?"
Corey smiled, "Oh well me and my beautiful girlfriend here are celebrating our year anniversary by going on a camping vacation in the mountains. Her younger brother here is coming along because she wanted us to get off on the right foot. The kid here loves camping." The man on Kel's side shined a light at Kel's eyes and pointed at them, "Miss. Your eyes are like that of a sub. Do you have any identification on you?" Kel nodded reaching into her pocket slowly and producing the asked for document. The woman looked at it, studying it slowly before whistling, "Retired Captain in the military. And there is an attached documentation that shows your eyes are just a medical condition you were born with. You aren't a sub." Another returned Corey's documentation to him. "Do you have one for the boy?"

Kellin shook her head, "No. He's a minor and he just turned 16. We were going to go to get his permit when we returned." Corey nodded at this, "I admit maybe I was going to let him drive a bit on the back-roads. But who doesn't do that. It's a time honored tradition." Kel laughed at this. The man at Corey's side shined a light back at Lex before returning to Corey's side.

"Alright folks, then all we'll need is to search the back of your car and you can be on your way to the mountain and backroad driving." Corey's face hardened a bit, "Yes, but just before I let you go digging through my undies for subs, can I see some identification officer?" Both men grinned, "I don't think you get it son. This is run for the people by the people." Corey's smile faded, "So you're saying we have no choice in having our belongings searched? That doesn't sound right." Kel nodded at this, "Not at all how things are done. Not the things I've fought for anyway." The man nearest Kel stepped back for a better shot. "Miss. If we don't search you aren't passing." Kel's face was becoming a bit dangerous and strangely, so was Corey's. They hadn't stopped hugging but something about them seem poised for action. "I want to speak to your superior about this." The man near Corey nodded, "You're looking at him. Keep going Miss, and I might see if I can't think how you might be a sub in disguise." Kel sighed and opened the door causing everyone to step back weapons aimed. "Miss get back in the car. This doesn't have to turn bad. She looked at him, "I need to go to the bathroom and my brother isn't feeling too well. Corey will show you the back. If you don't trust me I suggest you send some of your people with us into the bushes." The man seemed to consider this and he nodded at two men to look into the back. "Alright. Me and the others'll go with you and your brother."

Kel came around opening Lex's door and helped him to stand out as they walked towards the bushes he saw her eyes looking left and right. When the man swept his light to the side Kel pressed a gun into Lex's hand. Somehow, he knew that there was another in her's. "Alright, Lex. If you're going to puke now is the time. Corey isn't stopping until we reach the mountains." She smiled sweetly at the leader, "Could you boys be good and turn around." He shook his head grinning, "Nah. See I've been thinking, and I think you've had those dummy documents created, and you're a sub. Your brother here knows it. That's why he's so worried looking and why your boyfriend is so protective. Those pretty eyes though, sure don't see many girls like you." He was advancing towards Kel who was still playing the role of cute girlfriend who blabbered out cute remarks like "You're too sweet. But I'm really not." It wasn't until she had her back to the tree and the man was pressing against her while the others looked off in various directions. Lex saw Kel move her hand motioning for him to fire at the others. Luckily it turned into a smack at the same time and that was when he heard the man laugh, "You have claws soldier. I like that in a woman." Then he heard Kel whisper something and suddenly she was out of sight leaving Lex with the two other men.

[t⊗theark]

"Wha' arya gonna do wif 'er?" Lex turned to the other men, looking drowsy as hell.
"BWAAAHAAA! You're a fair way from home arntcha? Want a spot of tea red coat?" One of them mocked. The other looked more sombre.
"We're just gonna give her a couple of tests. You too." Lex had tucked the gun into the back of his belt.
"Wha' sor'a tests?"
"Just some simple ones boy. Come here." Than grabbed him by his wounded arm and dragged him to a flood light. On drugs and in pain, he could no resist. The flood light shone and the Lex was temporarily blinded by the light. The man holding Lex shook his head at the man working the light.
"He ain't a Vamp." he said as he followed the statement by pushing Lex into the ground and kicking him in the cut.
"He ain't a wolf either, they yelp like a dog when you do that."
"(please do not swear) off ya dense prat!" which earned him another kick.

Finally he helped Les up and dusted him off.
"You need to learn yourself some manners."
"Ya reallu go'a observe this state's age of consent, but I'm inta the rough stuff luv." The just gave a laugh with at the courage that took. The other man wheeled out a trolley with a car battery in it.
"Just put your hand on there kid and you're free to go." Understandably, Lex was hesitant.
"Cat got your balls son? I said put you hand on the (please do not swear) battery!" Lex' right hand reached for the gun as his very sore left moved towards the battery. He abruptly griped it and tried is very best to sap as much as he could out as fast as he could. His glow became really intense, really quickly, it look him but 10 seconds before it became to be hard to see him. Everyone at the blockade could see the barely humanoid glow, Lex took advantage of the men's suprize by popping a slug into the one that was closest to him before putting the other under a barrage of inaccurate 9mm hail. He had that battery flat and after wasting that clip with he ran for some cover, although by this point any chance of hiding was unlikely.

He heard Kel scream and he ran directly to the sound, palming people off as he went, each receiving a current that was able to disable their musculature, if not cause cardiac arrest. Suddenly he found himself up against the wall, every second 'guard' surrounding him with rifles primed and ready. Fortunately, Corey too caught on to what that glow was, a gaping hole was the aslient feature of the man who was searching their car. Just before they opened fire, they were distracted and took cover under pinning fire from Corey. Now distracted, Lex let out an explosion of lightening radiating from him and turning those within 10m of him into screaming mixtures of flesh and charcoal, the sand they walked upon cracked into puddles of glass Lex still had enough in in the tank for him to be looking like a walking star but Corey ran over to him anyway.
"You alright bud?"
"Not sure gov, I thi-" He was stopped mid word as the nauseating painkillers took their effect at Corey's feet.. Lex wiped a little vomit from the corner of his mouth.
"They took Kel, I don't know where. I'm sorry I couldn't have stopped them." he fretted, those others manning the blockade were gathering in investigation of destruction.

[Yuno]

The man had dragged Kellin off by the hair, which was no small feat considering the length of that hair. After what felt like a mile but was really more like several yards of dragging he threw her forward where she smashed into one of those remote picnic tables and toppled to the ground with a scream of pain as her shoulder banged off the seat.



She felt dizzy as she looked up to see the man grinning as he looked at her, "You are one aren't you. Well, it doesn't matter anyway. Now that you've seen my work you wouldn't leave alive anyway. She looked around and the sight almost made her throw up. This blockade had been here for awhile clearly. There were bodies scattered about. Most were totally defaced and blood stains were all over the other tables, apparently she was lucky in getting a somewhat clean one. Other bodies, woman's bodies from what she could tell had been hung from the trees and rather apparently raped at some point in the process. She glanced at the ground in front of the man to see one still groaning in pain.



It was this that shook her so to the core that caused the scream Corey and Lex heard.



Corey looked at Lex with surprise having been about to comfort the boy, "I'm sure she can tak..." the moment he heard the scream he turned yelling, "Cat." The dog came bounding over to them from chewing on one of the men Corey had killed panting and then Corey clapped his hands and the dog took off barking.



Meanwhile, the man was advancing at Kel who realized too late she'd given Lex her last gun. Rather luckily, she could see he wasn't going to shoot her first. So she moved towards him, which seemed to catch him off guard, "This can be fast or slow, but if you take away the fun..." Kel's face was cold at that, "Fun...you raped and murdered a dozen people. You're sub human and I pity you."



The man flew at her with rage managing to land a blow on her face. But Kel only laughed at him. He beat her to the ground before lifting her up by her shirt which had torn across the shoulders with her still laughing. He was face to face with her while she laughed, "Hysterical are you?" She smiled at him, "No. You are. You're a petty little piece of human refuse that thinks he understands cruelty. But you don't."



Cat barked for the whole 3 minutes it took them to arrive at Kel's position. Corey stopped short as Cat moved up to Kel sniffing her. She was standing silently over the head guard's body blood dripping from her knuckles. The man on the ground looked like pulp. Kel turned walking towards the woman who'd been crying for the last 3 minutes. Kel stood over her and she whimpered, "Please...Please kill me." Kel turned to look at Corey who shook his head quietly. Kel squatted down next to her, "What's your name? And the names of these people you know." The woman managed to gasp out, "It's Eliza, and my husband was with me, John. And my little boy, Aaron." Kellin nodded quietly at this, "I'm so sorry for this Eliza." Then she pulled the trigger and rose up.



Cat fell in behind her looking worried as she moved up towards the vehicle. Any of the stragglers that hadn't been fully killed by Corey and Lex were shot by her until she reached the truck.

[t⊗theark]

Lex, for what felt like the first time in his life, felt pure horror at the cold and merciless efficiency at which Kel disbanded the last of the 'soldiers'. He then looked back to where she was an saw what was hanging off the tree. Once again he showed how unseasoned he was, dry reaching until he was able to cough up a mouthful of bile. Corey, not seeing anything new, smiled endearingly and almost mockingly at Lex' innocence. Lex' inferiority complex once again building, he threw a glace at Corey which struck like guilt in every mind.

"Hey bud," Corey tried to make it up to him, "you're just a kid. Normal people aren't suppose to see this ever, you get to see this when you're young. You'll find that this like can be a little cacophagic, and me and Kel have eaten (please do not swear) until we're close to addicts. I think you can tell that it's an acquired taste."
"It didn' 'ave to be like dis, I wan' my life back" He moaned in this fatigued, drug-dazed stupor.
"What was you life like?"
"M' Dad's a doctor, m' mum's a lawyer, I 'ave two sisters. Well tha's my fam'ly sor'a"
"Sorta?"
"Well A4 'as a be'er tan dan I does, my family is black. I'm a, uh, 'sapper' dey call us? Dey're all normal, They ne'er 'ad the balls to tell me, but I know I was taken up as a screecher."

Lex looked as if he was on the verge of collapse.
"Still got those pills kid?" Lex tapped his pocket, the rattle was the answer. "Cool" said corey as Lex corey threw him over his shoulder. Lex was barely on the verge of consciousness and was asleep by the time he got to the car. Corey then whispered to Kel,
"He's the adopted son of a doctor and a lawyer - he's a rich kid and this has all happened to him. You say that before this he hadn't eaten or slept for like 3 days or something running right? I think he's had a rude awakening to life."

[Yuno]

Kel didn't really respond to this, she just nodded as Corey put him in the backseat and covered him with the blanket. Cat climbed in resting on top of Lex's legs with a small whimper. Kel had sat down in the passenger side of the car but hadn't bothered to close the door and didn't look much like moving. Once Corey had established that Lex was comfortable he moved over to Kel. He looked at her torn shirt and bruised jaw along with the little blood dripping from her hairline. She didn't seem to be paying attention to him. He reached out slowly turning her face to inspect the damage, surprised she didn't flinch when he touched her already bruised jawline.

Kel was far off in another place as Corey rubbed some ointment on her face and dabbed at the places the man had pulled out hair with alcohol. He pulled the torn shirt off her back and tossed it onto the side of the road. He tried to make a joke about this being the perfect opportunity to revist old times, but she didn't even bother to threaten him. He wrapped a bandage around her head where one over her eyebrows had split and up around where the hair had come out at the beginning of her hairline. Then he closed the door and got in to drive past the road-block. It wasn't until the first silent hour had passed that he reached over to take her hand.

***

When Lex came around the first thing he saw was trees surrounding the car. The sun was just beginning to rise. He could hear movement from the back of the car and then he saw Corey come walking around the side of the car whistling as he carried a bunch of the supplies Kel had put in the car only 12 hours ago. Corey noticed him and turned shouting. He heard Kel shout back and Corey opened the door, "Hey sleepy. Kel wouldn't let me kiss you in your sleep to wake you. She said if I did she'd push me into the lake holding her dad's medal collection. Come on. Breakfast, I'm warning you now, Kel cooked." With that he set off whistling again.

When Lex did get out of the truck he saw that there were trees everywhere. Kel and Corey had begun to set up some sort of campsite on a flat expanse. Which was to say, Kel had a fire going and Corey seemed to be restling with the tents and Kel was jeering at him while making what looked a lot like instant ramen. "Weren't you a boy-scout master last year?"
"Shut up. We make them assemble things not the other way around."
"How did you get that position. Did you seduce someone for it."
"Just because you use that for everything don't pin it on me."
"I do not seduce people. Not my fault our survival instructor had a thing for me. I still passed fair and square."
"I let you pass. You should have failed."
Kel looked up to see Lex and smiled patting the ground to her left, the other side was taken up by Cat who was chewing on a bone. "Welcome to the world of the waking. Here, eat this." Corey put down the tenting tools and came over taking one of the ramens from her. "So what's the plan Capitan." He said purposefully saying it wrong.
"Well I'm so glad you asked. First you're putting those tents up. Then, you and Lex here will unload the truck while I take a very much earned nap and bath in the lake. Then we're going to start planning how to re-enter a city and save a certain young man's family after we check how bad it has gotten. And after we get them, we're all going to drive off into the sunset."
Corey glared, "I'm not going back there. You saw what they're doing to people. It's Bedlam."
Kel grinned back in a very negative way, "Yes you are."
"No I'm not. You're batshit crazy if you think I'd go down there for my own mother."
"Your mother is a cow. I'm asking for me."
Corey went quiet at that not even bothering to defend his mother.

[t⊗theark]

The morning was muggy to say the least, ambience's moisture clung to the skin with parasitic persistence. Lex's top was drenched in his own sweat and stained in his own blood. his wound was not helped by the action that was had last night. He was having a hangover from the painkillers and feeling his nagging akathisia he tore off his top which earned a a wold whistle from one of the two.

Kel handed him a plate of the single most shoddy eggs he had ever seen in existence. He looked up at her as if to say, no, really, where's the food but he was still hungry and he scoffed down breakfast without much verbal complaint (his gags don't count, they're involuntary). He developed a method of not using his left arm by pincer holding his plate between his knees, although there were a few close calls with the force of the fork alsmot forcing the plate from hits place. After forcing the eggs down he finally croaked his first words his first words,
"Wha's up wif dis Bedlam place?" the only reaction of a comical
"It speaks! The thing that comes from the place which English is named but can't speak it for the life of anything!"

[mantisstalker]

By the time the sun rose on the smoke covered coastal city hundreds lay dead on the streets, even more injured where limping as they looked for somewhere to hide from the roaming police patrols that where arresting anyone that even looked like they had smashed a window. Police blood had been spilled that night and they where taking every opportunity to return the favor, even going as far to tear gassing an entire section of the slums after gun shots where heard.

The riots had started to let up around midnight and by morning had lost their momentum, the mobs of looters, arsonists, anarchists and down right sociopaths all finally brought down by exhaustion, like a beast that had run itself into the ground. Not that they hadn't burned everything they could lay their hands on before going down. Despite this though many of the richer districts had managed to avoid the worst of it, but what was strange about the entire thing was that even though all this had been brought about in the name of killing Subs no more than a few had been killed in the warehouse that night. In fact they where the only Sub's that where even seen. That was until 6:17AM.
----
Josh gave his eyes another rub as he stared at his blank computer screen, still waiting for the data to be sent down from accounting. It was too early to be awake, never mind at work in his opinion. Giving the screen one last glance he leaned back in his chair to take a healthy swig of cold coffee. Not that he minded. Cold coffee was better then no coffee.

"Morning Josh." The sudden voice almost made him spill the coffee if he hadn't been waiting for it. Not that it didn't always make him jump like a school girl.

"Larry." He said tonelessly, not bothering to look up at the man that worked next to him.

"Hows it going?" The man know as Larry continued happily as he ignored his work mates less then excited tone.

"Cold..." Josh droned hoping that the annoying man would take the hint and go away. But alas he never did.

"Well I might be able to help with that..." Larry giggled before turning bright orange. The last thing Josh saw before his eyes burnt out was the silhouette of the most annoying man light up the room with that strange glow, all the while laughing that damn laugh of his. After that he was smothered by blistering heat. Then everything ended. And it did for hundreds of others as well as explosions detonated in various high grade work places across the city leaving nothing but more bodies and smoke.

Officially it was branded a mass terrorist attack carried out by suicide bombers though any that saw the blasts could see instead of fire there was only light. But the reports got most of the story right. Though those responsible wouldn't have called it a terrorist attack. To them it was the beginning of a new age.

[t⊗theark]

Kel went on to chastise Corey for making fun of his accent as Lex popped another pill and he poked at his slow-to-heal wound of his. He laid back into the grass a bit, staring into the sky finally having a time to really relax. The cool, crisp grass itched against his bare back and the bickering faded into the background of the running stream and the sound of wild birds.

Tranquility is dull, however, and so he stumbled back to the car and returned with his back pack. He rummaged through this backpack, taking a swig of quickly disappearing bottled water, he then got his iPad out and fiddled around, sing it's internet access to catch up; he was careful, once again, to togh only the cover, using a stylus to operate the touchscreen tablet. While on Facebook, updating a few of his friends he left in the UK if he got away (they quickly discerned his subspecies back when it all blew up, it answered the flickering lights, the scorch marks on his bedroom walls, the flickering lights when he was around) he was also on the BBC's website that had a link to AlJazzera, covering a story about Sepra. He got the bickering two to cease as they too heard the news

"....after a series of bombings across Sepera city. These have been labeled terrorist attacks, effecting key buildings across thecity at 0745. The death toll is suspected to reach almost 300 while the number of injured cold very well reach the thousands. This has followed yet another night of violence against species minorities. The president has called for calm for there are few places now where open seubspecies can trely be safe, some fleeing to disparit places such as Australia, Canada, Norway and China. We go now to John Faulkner who is live in Sepera City...."

[Yuno]

Kel had been in the middle of wrestling with Corey who was still mocking Lex's accent when the two stopped which left Corey in a half-hearted head lock and Kel frozen. She took several moments to take this in and the stood up marching towards the truck, "That's it. I'm calling Ray-Ray." Corey turned from his place on the ground, "Your x-flame ray-ray or Ray-Ray the hacker?" Kel turned still walking, "That is a rumor unfounded on evidence. And which one do you think?" Corey sighed dramatically in Lex's direction, "They're the same person, and she picks on me for getting sloppy while under the influence." He sat back kicking dirt over the fire and yawned.

Kel returned with a laptop in hand and a phone to her ear. The phone was plugged into the computer and she sat down looking quiet. Then her face animated suddenly as she began to speak in Italian. Her face was unreadable past the obvious hello, and she kept laughing. Corey was just looking at her and blinking and it was unclear if he was understanding the information. She was looking at her computer screen fairly intently while still speaking.

Corey had yawned after awhile and sat back snoozing. Finally Kel hung up. And sighed, "Corey, Call Pauvel." Corey didn't sit up, "Why am I calling Pauvel?" Kel sighed, "Because he and I haven't been on good terms since I shot him." Corey snorted, "Well then you shouldn't have shot him." Kel glared, "He was talking smack about women. Not my fault he lost two for flinching. That was honor on the line." Corey laughed and spoke to Lex, "Our unit, used to play a game called "two for flinching" except with guns. Kel hadn't won a game for months when she beat Pauvel at it."

"You're distracting from the subject. Call him."
"Why?"
"Because Ray-Ray says that the warehouse I met Lex at had only a few fatalities...the place was loaded with women and children subs. It should have been a blood-bath. I want to know what happened."
"And Pauvel knows?"
"No. Pauvel can make him a fake I.D. Has the tech to cover Lex's hands with a adhesive that should stop his sucking energy up, and can offer me a contact lense that will cover up my very natural state."
Corey sighed and sat up taking her phone. A few moments later he was speaking in a thick Russian accent. Kel didn't seem to be paying attention to them as she motioned Lex over, "Come here. I need you to show me where your parents lived."

Corey came over a few moments later holding the phone out. Kel took it smiling as she began to speak in what almost sounded like German with bits and pieces of English. She seemed passionate about whatever was being said because finally she held the phone out to Lex. "He wants to speak to you."

When Lex took the phone he heard a thich russian accent over english, "Hello. Hello! Is this the boy Kel has taken in? Lex. She's sticking her neck out on this one. I outta have her shot you know. Alright, Alright. Now for your height and weight and body...you uhhh tell Pauvel."

[t⊗theark]

As soon as the phone was handed to him, he reached for the ruined shirt he was gifted. he hastly bunched it up and took the phone awkwardly with both hnds, otherwise he was indanger of draining it flat in seconds. Lex squinted hard as he heard the instruction, now he was on the recieving end of a strange accent,
"Oh, I'm 5-10; 10 an' a 'alf stone"
"Why do yo give stone? No one uses stone no more!"
"Ugh," Lex moaned as he had his iPad's calculator app, converting his weight, "I'm 147 pound."
"*sigh* you just converted retard into retard. Metric boy!"
"'ang on gov! uh, 66.7 kg, 178 cm"
"Thankyou" the Russian sighed.

ooc- it's short bt I have no idea where you're going with this ^^

[Yuno]

Pauvel seemed to be chewing something or other on the other side of the phone because Lex heard him clearing his throat several times and gulping.

"Okay. Zat iz all. Give phone to Ballad. You lucky have him friend."



Kel was still looking quickly as Corey took the phone back and was soon speaking in Russian again before he handed it over to Kel who returned to her pigeon German speaking. She laughed at something and handed the phone to Corey who finished the conversation several moments later.



Kel hadn't looked up, as Corey sat down with a begrudging sigh. "So what're you playing at having Pauvel dummy us up some new I.D.'s, messing with some science Pauvel isn't convinced works, and asking for a new car to go with your new life."



Kellin had stood up while he was saying this and brought back a cooler of guns which she was loading and looking over with love that seemed to be reserved only for the guns and her dog.



"My plan. Is to meet up with the Russian's men. Get my car, new identities, contact lenses, and some crazy new untested science, and then we're going to enter the city and find Lex's family. And once I've escorted him and his family to somewhere safer than here, and by that I mean put them on a plane to Australia or Sweden or some other better place than this (please do not swear) hole, I'm going straight to that warehouse to start looking for how those subs escaped certain death."



Kellin had long finished loading the guns as she hadn't stopped moving while speaking to him. Finally she was digging through the back of the truck tossing whatever it was she deemed unnecessary away. "That's crazy. What makes you think that they're still alive?" Kel turned in one fluid motion punching Corey in the face. The action was so violent and fluid it snapped Corey's head back. "Think before you speak Ballad...he's a (please do not swear) kid, a (please do not swear) lawyer's kid."



Corey looked up with his mouth bleeding slightly and the same fluid motion of violence he hit her back in the face. "You aren't my Captain anymore. I don't have to just take your (please do not swear) anymore Lee. Whatever you may want to believe, he stopped being a kid the moment we drove him out of that city because our kind is railing his. Stop (please do not swear) white knighting for him."



Kel had recovered from the punch to the face and spat blood at the ground before she kicked outwards knocking Corey's feet from him. She towered over him panting partially from rage and mostly out of exhaustion. " This isn't about him being a kid. It's about not taking away someone's hope and then telling them to keep walking. Do you know how many people can keep moving after they lose everything? Do you! Do you (please do not swear) have any idea?"



Corey reached up to her arm and jerked her down into a head-lock. "Yeah, I (please do not swear) do. I watched you marry Jacob. I watched my mother die off cancer. I've seen the patients from carpet bombing and the soldiers without limbs. There is strength without hope. You know this."



Kel jabbed an elbow backwards at Corey and the two struggled like animals until finally the two seemed to be at an impasse. "I'll stop railing on the kid, and I won't break your finger if you stop treating me like I'm still just your medic and don't dislocate my shoulder." Corey breathed out. Kel seemed to be considering it and nodded, "Okay. Deal." The two slowly let go of the other and stood up. Corey looked at her, "Go get clean. Me and Lex will re-pack the truck and plot out the directions the Russian gave us."

[t⊗theark]

Lex sat there motionless, feeling stupid and hollow. How could he have not considered that? What made him so arrogant that they could be alive. If they didn't get out with the military personnel away from the people who were chasing him then they're probably killed in the explosions. If they're not in the city anymore than they're in some secret military prison being tortured for harboring an enemy of the state or something like that. He really was on the verge of giving up. He looked up at Corey, holding back the welling tears,

Dey're alive, it don't make sense why da gov'ment wouldn' keep 'em 'round. Dey need lawyers, dey need doc'ers, dey don' 'urt kids, right? Dey ain' subs eiver. Dey 'aff to be alive, dat's wha' makes sense." He saw in Corey's eyes that he wasn't convinced.

Lex contemplating that he might not see his family again kept him quiet while they packed the car. He just looked down, while avoiding the use of his left arm at all, packing the things away like a strange game of tetris. Although ther wasn't an in tact shirt around, he was offdered his hoodie to cover himself. He was in a daze and they drove the distance back to the Sepera City.