Insanity Chapter Forty-Three

**Author’s Note

            Okay, we are now entering *da, de, da, na, da, de, da, na* (Twilight Zone Theme) the fictional New York. The building is like only kind of in this chapter but I just wanted to get this out of the way. The building is freakishly tall, like taller than the tallest building tall with a flat top. Why am I adding a fictional building to my landscape of New York? Because 1) I can. I’m the author. 2) I need a tall building with a flat top but when I looked up tallest buildings in New York…it sucked… 3) This is a fictional story. No harm in adding more fiction! 4) Try setting up a world domination device on the Empire State Building! Guess what! It doesn’t work! That pointy top isn’t doing anybody anything! 5) I’m the author. My story. My New York. Go get your own!

Insanity

Chapter Forty-Three

~It All Starts Now~

Day Thirty-Five

Fang jolted up. He sat up in bed, his breathing was heavy. The sun seeped through the western window. Cold sweat rolled down his forehead and face. He stayed still, calming himself before he would go do something else. He barely remembered falling asleep.

Fang paused suddenly. He grabbed his gun from the nightstand and aimed it at the door. The lock beeped its approval of the hotel card and the door started to open.

“Geez, Fang! Put the gun down!” Shadow shouted as he hid behind the door yet again, “Can I come in now?”

Fang rolled his eyes and put down the gun, “I’ve lost count at how many times I’ve almost killed you, but this is one more than that.”

Shadow looked interested, “You loosing count? Don’t you have a whole section in your brain devoted to keeping count?”

Fang looked at him blankly, “If I kept track of every little thing that you six do and then some, I’d go insane.”

“Any second thoughts about bringing us together?” Shadow asked as he walked into the bathroom.

“Not at all,” Fang said without thinking.

He lay back in his bed again. Fang stared at the ceiling trying to remember what had woken him up so suddenly. What was his train of thought before he fell asleep? Fang paused in his thinking process; when exactly had he fallen asleep? Frustrated by that stubborn road block he closed his eyes.

Fang went through all he had done since he came through the bedroom door the day before. He had sat on his bed. He had been thinking when Shadow so rudely came into his room, he had a knack for doing that it seemed. After Shadow had left he thought some more. He thought about plans and all their possible outcomes, both good and bad, and Zero and death.

Fang suddenly opened his eyes.

Shadow was leading over him as he sat in a chair by the bed. He was a little close for comfort and Fang was thankful he didn’t sit up or their lips would have practically collided.

“Did you figure it out?” Shadow asked.

Fang chose to ignore his question but he couldn’t help take notice of Shadow’s features, after all they were barely an inch apart. Shadow’s red eyes looked down at him, expecting something. His lips were curved up in a crafty smile, while his black hair was draped over one of his shoulders. Only the shorter strands were lightly touching Fang’s face.

He’s changed, Fang couldn’t help thinking.

Shadow’s brow folded into a worried scowl, “Fang? You okay? Did you like have a heart attack or something?”

Fang sighed, if only he didn’t say anything at all…ever…like Blue life would be so much easier. Heck, Fang would rather hear Blue’s voice than Shadow’s.

“I’m fine,” Fang muttered.

“Well, did you figure it out?” Shadow asked again.

“What?”

“What was bothering you?” Shadow explained, “Did you figure it out?” he started to sit up when Fang’s muscled began to flex. If his fists hurt as bad as they did, getting hit in the head must feel even worse.

“Nothing’s bothering me,” Fang sat up.

Shadow smiled, “Yeah, now. That’s because you figured it out!”

“So in essence, you answered your own question,” Fang stood up and walked toward the bathroom leaving Shadow with a slightly confused look on his face.

Fang took off the shirt that he had worn since the day before. He threw it on the ground and entered the bathroom, closing the door behind him. He started the water and while he waited he undressed. When the water was ready, he walked into the shower and drew the curtain. Almost instantly, Shadow walked in recovering from his ‘wow, that was dumb’ moment.

“What were you thinking about?” Shadow asked.

Fang sighed but answered anyway, “A dream.”

“What dream?”

“Go away,” Fang muttered.

Shadow crossed his arms and leaned against the sink, “No.”

Fang let the water cascade over his head. “No?” he said at last, “What are you, four?”

“I’m not leaving until you tell me what you dreamt,” Shadow stated, “I was obvious that it bothered you so come on out and say it. We leave in three hours. Mother can be quite the B*** in that period of time. You want me to start now or should I wait until you come out of the shower?”

There was a long pause.

“So what was the dream about?” Shadow asked.

Fang paused, not sure if he should be furious or thankful but either way he wanted to punch Shadow’s face in, “I don’t remember much, but I Zero leaning over me and pulling my heart out.”

Shadow nodded.

“You were all dead—”

“That sucks.”

“The world ended as we know it—”

“Eh,” Shadow shrugged.

“And I think there was a cop there giving me a citation for the illegal parking of an unidentified flying object.”

“Really?”

“It’s a dream, what do you expect?”

Shadow smiled, “You know what surprises me the most? It’s that Zero was able to get a hold of you heart at all. I mean everyone thought you had no heart so—”

“Shadow.”

“Yeah?”

“Stop talking before I can’t refrain myself from killing you,” Fang said in a way that made even the water temperature drop a degree.

For a moment, Shadow complied. Fang could almost picture him weighing his options.

“See, didn’t that feel better,” Shadow stated after a while.

“Shadow!”

“Okay, okay! I’m getting the others ready! I’m going, I’m going!”

Fang heard the door close. A thought suddenly struck him. How had Shadow gotten ahold of his room key? He had gone through the wall the night before… Fang let out a shuttering sigh. The thief, that smirk, that no good little—

“Shadow!” Fang banged on the bathroom wall so the next room heard.

He heard an unmistakable laugh from the other room. He could hear Alister asking what the heck was going on. He assumed Blue was staring blankly at the laughing Shadow. Despite himself, however, Fang smiled. He couldn’t remember how he had lived before he met them. He knew though that his life before was much more boring than it was now. That was something wasn’t it?

Fang exited the room. The others were already in the hallway. Shadow, with his back turned, looked over his shoulder and smiled.

“So what’s the plan, Fang?” Shadow asked.

All the others grew quiet, even Arisa. Fang walked down the hallway and looked at each member of his team. The first one was Alister.

Under close inspection, he did have a resemblance to Undertaker. His orange eyes looked back at Fang. At times, most of the time, Alister acted stupid, incompetent and despite the saying, he asked stupid questions. But the determination in his eyes showed that he was reliable. He might make a gazillion mistakes when he’s given a task but he would do everything to make it right.

“Alister,” Fang started, “Your Police Unit lost a good cop. Feel free to be trigger happy.”

Alister gave him an ‘aren’t I always’ look.

Raven was next in line. Her dark green eyes looked at Fang expectantly. She had left her cloak behind and now wore tight fitting shirt and pants. A black belt was around her waist holding two hand guns. On her back was a dual sheath for her swords.

“I hope you don’t regret being here,” Fang stated.

“This beats the socks off telling phony fortunes,” Raven said in her monotone voice, “Although, I have to say, I’m only saving the world for myself. I can’t stand that Zero creep.”

“Ditto!” Arisa chimed.

Ditto? Blue asked.

“Don’t tell me you don’t know about ditto!” Arisa wailed.

“It basically means ‘same’,” Shadow explained.

“Wait,” Alister started, “is that why the Pokémon Ditto can look like all the other Pokémon?”

He received black stares.

“What!? There is nothin’ interestin’ on on Saturday mornings! It was either that or Bakugon! Take your pick!”

Arisa and Blue were next. Arisa stiffened up and raised her right hand over her right eye brow. She briefly looked up at Blue to see if he was following her lead. Hesitantly, Blue did. What a trouper, Blue was. Fang looked down at the little firecracker of a girl. She wore a black ruffled skirt with black leggings and a black tank top. Arisa looked up at him with a big smile and shining gold yellow eyes. She couldn’t contain her excitement and hopped a little in place.

Fang smiled back at her, “Take your time growing up. There isn’t a rush.”

Arisa looked confused but maintained her rigid stance, “Yes, Sir!”

Fang looked up at Blue. Blue’s eyes looked back at him with a kind of understanding. Come to think of it, Blue was probably tied with Shadow about picking up things. It must be an interesting life, just sitting and listening, observing and not talking. Of course, Blue had his reasons but Fang couldn’t help think about how much more Blue could probably tell about him by just looking and listening.

“Normally, we have two ears and one mouth so hopefully we can listen twice as much than when we talk. But in your case, Blue, your voice will always be welcomed no matter what you have to say.”

Blue was visibly embarrassed. He moved his right hand from his forehead to the back of his head.

We’ll see, I guess.

“That’s all we can ask, Blue.”

“Oh-my-effing-god! He can’t talk!” Alister cried, “Forget me ‘aving an ‘imaginary friend’! You’re all the crazy ones! You’re makin’ a human being who can’t talk, talk to you in your heads! That is effin’ crazy!”

Again he received blank stares…and Blue’s ‘I’m seriously going to effing kill you one day’ glare.

To Blue’s right was Penelope. She pushed up her glassed with her index finger. She still looked like the female version of Waldo if Waldo wore blue and yellow instead of red and white. Her purple eyes were huge behind her glasses.

“You have different personalities,” Fang began, “but each of them make you up as a whole. There’s the you now—”

“I-I-I consider myself Shippo from Inuyasha.”

Fang paused, not exactly sure what that meant, “Okay, and then theres the battle you—”

“Sh-sh-she’s Inuyasha.”

“Yes,” Fang paused again, “now, I’m not sure if there are anymore but—”

“There aren’t.”

Fang sighed, “Either way, no matter what society says, the more there are of you, the more there is to love. Just try not to get caught hacking.”

“Yep!” Penelope’s eyes narrowed as she nodded.

Looking over the group, Fang nodded. He finally got his feelings out there in the manliest way possible with out to many people noticing. He started walking toward the stairs when Shadow called out.

“Hey, what about me?” Shadow said, “Don’t you have something to say to me?”

Fang looked over his shoulder and saw that signature smirk on Shadow’s face. He thought a moment.

“Stay out of my way or I will shoot you between the eyes,” Fang said before walking away.

Shadow shrugged, “I guess I had that coming. But I’ll get a real one before this thing starts, right?”

Fang didn’t answer. The others followed him to the roof. They waited as Fang looked over at the horizon. The sun had set maybe forty-five minutes ago and the sky was getting darker. Fang looked toward that darker half of the sky to start his search.

A cell phone rang in Fang’s pocket. He answered it without taking his eyes off the buildings around him.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Fang! What’s shaking?”

Fang paused, “Shifter, is that you?”

“Yeah! So um, you still doing that whole ‘save the New York, stop Zero’ thing or what?”

Only Shifter could make saving the world sound like taking a walk at the park.

“Yeah, we’re seeing where they’re located now,” Fang answered.

“Oh! Great! Cause I kinda got this package. You know kinda like those military packages only we’re not military. Funny thing though…I don’t know where you guys are in New York…soooooo…”

Fang gave him the address of the hotel.

“Great! You’re on the roof, right?”

“Yes.”

“Could I ask you to run and take cover? You’re standing there at your own risk.”

Fang looked up but saw nothing. He could hear something but he couldn’t see anything. That was never good if you had a package coming from the Tower.

“Alright everyone, get near the edge!” he commanded.

Obediently everyone did so. Shortly afterward the package, more like a giant crate, fell from the sky and landed with a loud thud on top of the roof where the wolves had been standing moments before.

“Did you get it?” Shifter asked on the phone.

“Yeah,” Fang said a little absent mindedly.

“That’s good, cause I was kinda running out of gas there,” Shifter paused, “Oh, and Fang?”

“Yes, Shifter?”

“Sage doesn’t know that I gave you that package. I’m in big trouble when I get back. Especially if you don’t win. So if nothing else motivates you…win for me…please…you still owe me you know.”

“I think we settled that already.”

“OH! C’mon Fang! All that work and I get to stay at your house! My job was on the line! My job is on the line! Why is my job always on the line around you!?”

Fang sighed, “Depends on what’s in this package.”

“Oh, thanks Fang!” Shifter paused, “Good luck. Hope they help.”

Fang hung up the phone, “Alister, open it up!”

Alister walked up to the large container, grabbed the crowbar that was conveniently attached to the doors and pried them open. Alister smiled wide when he saw the contents. He pulled out a huge gun that seemed to fit his liking. Fang walked up and also looked at the contents inside. He noticed some flat discs on the shelving inside.

“Claymores,” Raven explained, “Step on one of those and not even your own mother can find you.”

Fang looked at the other contents and smile. Finally, a firm plan was getting together. The sky was dark and he looked behind him. The tallest building (the one I made up cause this is MY New York!) had a strange bluish glow on top of it.

“I thought you’d be there,” Fang whispered, “It all starts now.”

Insanity Chapter Four

Insanity

Chapter Four

~How We All Met: Part Four~

Before Day One

            “Penelope Patience,” Fang read.

            “Try saying that three times fast,” Undertaker muttered, a goofy smile on his face.

            “Neope,” Reighn said. 

            It was nearing closing time and the Neuw has just put away the log book and locked the cash register. The little creature was a much harder worker than his counterpart. Fang wasn’t sure if the Undertaker knew this fact.

            “Looks like she has multiple personalities,” Fang went on. “That could be useful.”

***

Penelope Patience

            Penelope sat in her dark apartment, surrounded by computers, laptops, gadgets, and manga. She stared wide-eyed at one of her screens, her glasses reflecting what she was looking at. She appeared to be trying to hack into a database of some sort. 

            She’d just reached for a soda and taken a sip when there was a knock on the door. Penelope nearly jumped out of her seat. Regaining a bit of her composure, she pressed a few buttons and stopped the hacking process.

            “Uh-um, w-who is it?” she stuttered, pushing her glasses up her nose.

            She stood, brushing the crumbs off her blue and yellow shirt and staring down at her jeans and white tennis shoes. In a way, she looked like ‘Where’s Waldo?’

            “I’m from the Tower,” the voice on the other side of the door said. “I’m just here to talk.”

            From the moment he said ‘Tower’, Penelope was all over her apartment. She threw some disks into her microwave to destroy any information on them, then grabbed a huge magnet, running it over her computer towers and laptops, erasing information. She clicked on a program on her main laptop that started deleting file after file. She, of course, had a back up drive on a flash drive. She tied string to one end of the flash drive and attached the other end to her tooth, then swallowed the drive.

            There was another knock at the door. “Penelope?”

            Penelope looked around, going down a checklist in her mind. Everything looked to be in order.

            “Penelope, I’m coming in,” the voice said.

            She hid behind one of her computer towers in the nick of time; the door flew open and Fang stepped into the dark room. Seeing the laptop on the table deleting file after file, he carefully walked deeper inside.

            Outside the complex, four very bored people — two boys and two girls — sat or stood on the curb. Alister yawned as he leaned against a lamp post, his automatic weapons plainly visible. Arisa sat in Shadow’s lap, playing with one of his daggers, the owner of which looked very tired. Raven stood on Shadow’s left with her hood covering most of her face, making it hard to tell that she wasn’t having a good time, either.

            “Why did ‘e ‘ave to drag us along?” Alister complained. “What could possible ‘appen that ‘e would need us ‘ere for?”

            “Just be patient,” Raven answered. “I’m sure he has his reasons. He always does.”

            Alister rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, I know that! I just wish he’d ‘urry up!”

            Just then, Fang flew through a wall, Penelope at his throat. They flew through the air and fell on a passing car. Alister immediately drew one of his weapons and fired at the girl, who vanished and appeared just inches behind him. Raven drew a large, long sword from her cloak and lunged at Penelope. Just when the weapon was about to hit her, she vanished again and appeared behind Raven. Shadow reacted quickly, throwing three daggers at the girl. She dodged, backflipping away from the threat. Arisa snapped her fingers and one of the shops towards which the girl was headed exploded. They waited for the fire to die down before checking to see if they got her. Penelope stood, unharmed, and ran towards them. The others raised their weapons in preparation to attack.

            “That’s enough!” Fang shouted.

            Everyone stopped, looking to Fang as he walked towards them. He didn’t look hurt, other than a scratch on his right cheek. Penelope looked at him through broken glasses. She slowly took them off, revealing purple eyes.

            “This is Penelope Patience! She is a member of our team!” Fang shouted.

            There were many ‘oh’s of understanding and nods of heads as the information sunk in.

            “T-t-team?” Penelope asked hesitantly.

            Fang sighed as he calmed himself. “Yes. I need a team for my work with the Tower. If you had just let me explain, I could have told you that before you threw me through a wall.”

            The others looked on, intrigued. It took a lot to catch Fang off guard.

            “S-s-sorry,” Penelope stuttered.

            “You can make it up by following me,” Fang said as he walked through the crowd of people that had gathered.

            The others followed, Penelope looking after them, then glancing back at her apartment. At least she wouldn’t have to pay room and board. She ran after them, apologizing for the misunderstanding. Naturally, they forgave her, though Fang kept his distance for the rest of the day.

***

Pawn Shop

            “Well, this is interesting,” Fang said as he studied the last file.

            “Why’s that?” the Undertaker inquired, smiling.

            “This one doesn’t have a name,” Fang explained. 

            “Well then, that must be Blue. Don’t know his real name. He never told me.” The Undertaker paused. “In fact, I don’t recall him ever saying anything to anyone. But if you look hard enough, you can see what he is saying through his eyes.”

            “Interesting,” Fang hummed.

            “Yeaps,” Reighn mewled as he scribbled one last thing in the large log book.

            “He spent most of his young life in Crawford Labs,” the Undertaker continued.

            “Crawford Labs?” Fang paused. “I think I’ve passed by that place before. Isn’t it closed now?” 

            The Undertaker nodded. “Since the public found out that they were using children in their experiments, the U.S. Government shut it down and sent everyone involved to trial. They were trying to turn humans into us Others. It’s a wonder he escaped. Most of the kids who went in came out in body bags. The U.S. Government won’t tear the place down. Considering how many unmarked graves there are around the territory, the Lab is their only grave marker.”

            A moment of silence passed as Fang read the file.

            “I might have seen him before,” he said quietly.

***

Blue

            “There they are!” 

            “Get ‘em!”

            “Over here!”

            A sixteen-year-old boy, later known as Blue, ran through a dim hallway of Crawford Labs. The lights were tinted blue, making it hard to see clearly. A girl, one year younger than Blue, ran just ahead of him. They’d been cellmates for as long as either of them could remember. The stream of scientists and guards were quickly gaining on them.

            “This way,” the girl pointed to a fork in the hallway.

            They both veered left. Neither had any idea where they were going, just that they had to get out. When Blue looked a little sick, the girl guessed that they, the scientists, had given him the Injection. He stumbled over his feet most of the time, holding one hand to his head. He hadn’t said anything since they escaped their cell, and that’s what worried the girl most.

            Blue loved to talk.

            “Come on! We can make it! They can’t get us once we’re outside!” she shouted, hoping to encourage him. 

            Large water pipes lined the sides of the hallway. The girl wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing. All she knew was that they had to keep running.

            “They can’t get that far!”

            “We can get far,” she reassured herself and her friend.

            “Catch them!” 

            “They can’t catch us,” she said resolutely, contradiction everything their pursuers shouted.

            Blue gripped the side of his head in agony, his brown hair slipping through his fingers and his brown eyes slightly unfocused. The girl had seen what the Injection had done to some of her other friends. They were either mutated or they never came back to their cells.

            Blue whimpered.

            The pipes alongside the corridor released some of their pressure, emitting a hissss through some of their cracks. A drop of scalding water fell on the girl’s neck, making her scream in pain. But she kept moving.

            She pulled Blue along until they turned a corner and reached a pool of boiling hot water. It stretched down the hallway for about a good twenty feet. Looking behind her, she saw the looming shadows of their pursuers. Blue fell to his knees. The girl crouched beside him, wrapping her arms around him as he began to cry from the pain.

            By now, the pipes were really beginning to leak and drip. The shadows grew longer and the girl could feel the agony of defeat. The first of the scientists turned the corner. He smiled.

            “There you are,” he said triumphantly. “They’re over here! Oh, and make sure we tell management about the leak this time!”

            He was joined by the guards and more scientists, two of which pulled out syringes. Four guards stalked towards the two children. This was it. 

            The girl held Blue tighter.

            Blue began to cry harder.

            The pipes’ rattling grew louder.

            “I think we have a plumbing problem down here,” the scientist noted. “We really should get it fixed.”

            The guards looked uncertain as they crept forward, taking care not to get burned by the boiling water.

            Blue gripped his aching head with both hands.

            The pipes rattled and steamed.

            Blue couldn’t stand it anymore. He didn’t want the pain. He didn’t want to be captured. He didn’t want to die. He screamed. He screamed for everything to go away. The pipes burst and cooled. The guards and scientists screamed in horror before being suddenly silenced. Only when he heard the girl’s calming voice did Blue stop.

            He was shaking. He looked up at the girl’s face and noticed something sticking to her blonde hair. She looked down at him, smiling, and looked around. Blue followed her gaze. 

            Everything was coated in ice. The guards were trapped in their positions of shielding their eyes, and the scientists were frozen in various stages of running away. The puddle of water behind them was an ice skating rink. He looked to the girl for an explanation, questions in his eyes.

            “That was all you,” she said with a smile and a laugh. “You should look in a mirror, too. Your hair is blue.”

            She pulled him up and together they made their way across the ice. Blue was surprised to notice that his head didn’t hurt as much anymore. 

            When they reached solid ground again, they took off in a sprint through the hallways. An alarm went off. People began to chase them once again. They reached a metal ladder that lead to a door in the ceiling.

            “You go first!” the girl shouted.

            Blue was about to protest when she shoved him towards the ladder. He climbed quickly, reaching the top and grabbing the handle of the trapdoor, finding it locked.

            “Try freezing it,” the girl suggested from just below.

            Blue grabbed hold of the handle, watching with fascination as water formed around it, then crackled into ice. The temperature change was so sudden and so drastic that it shattered. Blue pushed open the door and looked out into a street just outside the Lab. 

            Underground, a troop of at least fifteen guards came at them from all directions. Blue pulled himself out quickly, waiting at the edge for the girl to join him. Just when she was about to take a step, a guard crabbed hold of her leg. He gripped her ankle, trying to pull her down from the ladder. 

            She lost her grip and fell.

            “Run! Go, run!” she screamed. Blue watched a second longer before turning and running into the city. 

            Fang stood atop one of the city’s rooftops, simply watching the child go. He would have liked to do something, but he had assassin’s work to do and couldn’t afford to be late.

***

            There was a knock at the front door of the mansion. Fang, a little skeptical, wasn’t expecting anyone that day. The members of his team couldn’t have done the shopping that fast. He set his tea down and headed for the door, opening it after the visitor knocked again.

            A man stood there. His blue eyes, from the Injection, looked Fang over. His blue hair had grown long over the years. He stood without a word.

            “You must be the one they call Blue,” Fang said slowly.

            Blue didn’t answer. His expression answered for him.

            I guess, he seemed to say. He seemed uncertain about the situation.

            “Well then, I guess I’d better let you in,” Fang said, stepping aside and leaving the door open so that Blue could walk in. “Your room is down the left hallway, second door to the right.”

            Blue stepped in, closing the door behind him.

            “Welcome home, Blue.”

***

Pawn Shop

            “I’ll tell him to stop by when I see him again,” the Undertaker smiled. “Where shall I send him?”

            “That’s the thing,” Fang sighed, “I don’t have a place big enough.”

            “Might I suggest the old Reaper building down the road?” The Undertaker laughed. “No one wants to buy it because of the ghost stories and such. Because no one wants it, the city is thinking of tearing it down, but the relatives of Ol’ Man Reaper don’t want the property to go that way. I’m sure that you could talk down the price.”

            Fang thought for a moment. “I’ll look into it.”

            He took the files into his arms and headed for the door; it was getting late and the shop was set to close soon. Reighn had even put away his pencil, expecting no more profits for the day. The Undertaker laughed in Fang’s wake.

            “I’m sure we’ll be hearing from him a lot, eh?” he said, laughing like a mad man.

            “Yeaps,” Reighn said as the bell above the door jingled, signaling the end of the day.

Insanity Chapter Three

Insanity

Chapter Three

~How We All Met: Part Four~

Before Day One

***

Alister Strider

            Alister sat in his room, waiting for the counselors to open the doors. His long red hair fell well past his waist, having not been cut since he got to the Ward, an institution for troubled cops.  During his time with the police force, he’d emptied his entire gun on a murder suspect; so what? He was a little trigger happy, but that didn’t mean they had to lock him up in a mental health ward.

            He looked around his white room, where the walls were padded and the only piece of furniture was his bed. A knock came on the door, and finally, the counselors opened the doors. Alister smiled, walking happily out of the room.

            “ ‘Ello, Gary! Hiya, Leo, what are you two going to do today? ‘Ey, Neal, are Sam an’ Vinni continuing that game of checkers? It’s goin’ on day three, right?” Alister called as he passed the rows of rooms on the way to the recreation center.

            His voice carried a thick Australian accent; not surprising, as he lived there all his life. It was there that he was convicted as being insane. He was moved to an island after repeatedly trying to kill himself. He didn’t mind it so much; he was an Other, and born that way.

            He sat on a couch that overlooked the recreation center, preferring to watch rather than join in on all the fun. But everyone knew him, and would sometimes come over to talk to him. He liked to talk.

            Alister was watching the checkers game when one of the counselors stopped to talk to him. 

            “Hello, Alister,” said she, “I have some good news.” 

            “Unless you’re about to say ‘at I can get out o’ here or ‘at I’ve earned an extra Jello cup, then I highly doubt it’s good news,” he said, a smile on his face.

            The counselor smiled. “Sorry, but no. You’re Uncle Ernie is here for a visit.”

            “Uncle Ernie?” Alister paused, perplexed. Then he smiled.

            He’d received a letter a few weeks ago,the first one in years. It’d had only two words on it: Uncle Ernie.

            His smile widened. “Oh, yeah, Uncle Ernie. Glad he could pay me a visit.”

            The counselor nodded. “I’ll let him in.”

            Alister waited patiently, feeling like his old self again; staking out a building or interrogating a suspect. He smiled at the memories.

            Soon, the counselor reappeared, a tall man behind him. His black coat trailed behind him like a shadow. Alister smiled as the stranger pulled up a chair in front of him, sitting down and waiting for the counselor to leave. The room grew quiet, everyone wanting to see what was happening.

            “It’s okay, folks. Just my Uncle Ernie,” Alister looked at his ward mates. “You lot remember my Uncle Ernie, right?” 

            They understood, turning and going back to what they were doing. Alister looked at his guest, taking in his appearance--his hair, his height, build, features; everything he used to take notice of as a police officer. He then made note of his posture; not welcoming, but not hostile, either. It was rather a posture one would have when they had an opportunity for you.

            Alister smiled. “You don’t look like an Ernie. Shall we start with your real name?”

            “Fang,” the visitor said, getting to business quickly. “I don’t have all the time in the world, so let’s get started. I’m with the Tower and I need a team.”

            “All well and good, but,” Alister waved his hand around, “If you ‘aven’t noticed, dollface, I’m stuck in a psych ward.”

            “Yes, I have noticed. I’m here to break you out,” Fang stated, leaning back in his chair. “That is, if you accept my offer.”

            Alister grinned. “Well, then, do I ‘ave a choice? Don’t get me wrong, the guys ‘ere are great…but I’d give ‘em up in a minute to get outside.”

            “You remind me of someone,” Fang mused.

            “The Undertaker? I get tha’ a lot. Yeah, he’s m’ Uncle, twice removed on m’ mother’s side. He visits every now an’ again,” Alister replied. He seemed to be enjoying this. “So ‘ow do you plan to get me out of ‘ere?”

            Fang reached into his pocket, pulling out a single playing card; an ace of diamonds. Alister smiled. The card was slightly thicker than it should’ve been.

            “I like diamonds; they look like speedin’ bullets,” he muttered, taking the card.

            “Is everyone in your family insane?” Fang asked, preparing to leave.

            “Mostly.”

            Fang sighed. “Get to the door in exactly three hours, twenty-seven minutes, and fifty-nine seconds,” he said, gesturing to the only door connecting the recreation center with the lobby. “We’ll be expecting you at eighteen hundred hours.”

            With that, he left Alister still sitting on the couch. 

            For most of the next few hours, Alister fiddled with his key to escape. At the appropriated time, he stood and walked to the door. Conveniently, one of the counselors had just left the room, and the door was just about to close. He charged for it, plowing through the counselors’ offices. He wove in and out of their grasp as they tried to detain him, making it to the door at the end of the hall.

            The security guards were on him the instant he burst into the lobby. But, being an ex-cop, the security guards weren’t a big problem. He floored two or three, then ran for the door, the playing card in hand. He kissed the ace of diamonds, a sign of good luck, and dropped it behind him, running out of the building as the room filled with smoke.

            Fang and the others stood by a black convertible, of which Alister jumped into the back seat. Shadow stared, annoyed.

            “You sure this is a good idea, Fang? I’m not doubting you or anything, it’s just that we broke him out of a psych ward,” Shadow stated.

            “He’s just as sane as you are,” Fang replied as he steered the car out of the lot.

            Alister laughed, much like his uncle, as the car drove through the city. The feel of the wind was like nothing he’d felt in a while.

            “Anyone ‘ave a knife?” he asked after a while.

            Raven looked over the front seat, staring at Shadow, who glared at Alister with careful eyes. 

            “Why do you need one?” he questioned suspiciously.

            “You’ll see,” Alister laughed giddily.

            Shadow pulled a knife from his sleeve, handing it to Alister. He clutched another dagger in his other hand, ready for action if Alister tried anything he didn’t like. 

            Alister took the dagger, smiling. “I never really like long ‘air…I think it’s ‘bout time I forgot about the ward.”

            He pulled his long hair back, shifting the knife in hand and swiping it across his red locks. The knife was sharp enough that it cut clean through. Alister laughed hysterically as the red strands of his hair scattered over the road behind them.

***

Pawn Shop

            “Up next is Arisa,” the Undertaker said. “Arisa Bolverich.”

            Fang raised a fine eyebrow. “That’s a mouthful. Is she Russian?” 

            “By birth, but she was raised in the United States,” Undertaker read from the file. “When her parents died in a house fire, the Tower brought her over here and placed her in an orphanage for Others.”

            “How old is she?” Fang inquired.

            “Twelve,” the Undertaker said casually.

            “Twelve?” Fang looked incredulously at the Undertaker. “What is a twelve-year-old doing, applying for a job at the Tower?”

            The Undertaker shrugged. “She came in one day, saying that she wanted to apply so that, when she was old enough, she could get out of the orphanage right away. I let her, but didn’t send in the application. I haven’t even filled in her age yet. I was thinking about sending it in on her seventeenth birthday; that’s the earliest you can apply. Then, at eighteen, you get either accepted or denied.”

            Fang looked at the file skeptically. She seemed to have potential…maybe she was worth investing in.

            “We’ll see,” he said, flipping through her file.

***

Arisa Bolverich

            The children of the orphanage were lined up in the hallway, ready to greet the visitor that had stopped by. A little girl dug through her pocket and pulled out a lighter, flicking it open and breathing steadily in and out. The head of the orphanage was introducing a man to the children, but he looked disinterested for the most part. 

            Arisa had long white hair and golden eyes, and looked like a smaller version of the visiting man. She shifted uncomfortably in her pink dress. She hated dresses, but since it was the only thing the orphanage bought the girls, she had to improvise by borrowing one of the boys’ shorts. She tugged and pulled at the dress, wishing that it were longer.

            Arisa, not paying attention, almost didn’t notice when the headmistress ripped the lighter out of her hands.

            “You know what the rules say, Arisa! You can’t have that in here!” the woman scolded loudly. “Don’t you know what happened to your parents? They died in a fire! Is that why you like it so much? Are you trying to figure out how fire works?”

            The headmistress paused, calming down and turning to the guest. “This is Arisa Bolverich. She’s quite the trouble maker.”

            To this, Arisa rolled her eyes.

            “Are you a trouble maker?” Fang asked the girl.

            Arisa looked up at him. He was, of course, much taller than she, and it hurt her neck a little to crane her head that high. She was silent.

            “She’s weird,” one of the kids called. “She has no powers.”

            “Is this true?” asked Fang.

            Again, she said nothing.

            “If you’ll step this way, sir,” the headmistress said, but Fang didn’t move, still looking at Arisa. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. Slowly, and ignoring the rabid protests of the woman, he pulled one out and held it out to the girl, the white end towards her.

            “Seems I forgot my lighter,” he said softly. “Would you mind?” 

            Arisa looked at the cigarette, then to the woman, who had finally shut up and was waiting for the right moment to step in. Waiting for Arisa to fail. 

            But that wasn’t going to happen today.

            Arisa lifted up her fist, flicking up her thumb to create a small flame that danced at the tip of her finger. Everyone in the hallway gasped in shock. She lit the cigarette, then shook out her hand, putting out the flame.

            Fang looked at the lit cigarette. “Pity I don’t smoke,” he said, crushing the burning death stick in his hand and turning to the headmistress. “Looks like she has powers to me.”

            “But-but-h-how?” the woman stuttered. “She wasn’t born with powers! Her parents were both normal humans!” 

            “Well, she apparently had it in her genes somehow, but it wasn’t a major part of her DNA. She died in the fire, and it activated. Why else would the Tower send her here?” Fang explained in a clipped, matter-of-face tone. “Isn’t that right, Arisa?”

            “Yes,” she confirmed.

            “Let’s go,” Fang said, walking towards the entrance of the building.

            Arisa followed obediently.

            “You can’t just take her!” the woman shouted.

            “She is now under the employment of the Tower. If you have a problem with that, you can complain to them,” Fang replied, not even turning as he dismissed her.

            He turned the corner and exited the building, Arisa close behind. She squinted as she walked outside, and saw a black convertible parked, three people inside. A man in black sat in the front passenger seat, his red eyes following her. In the back was a girl in a purple cloak and a man with fiery red hair.

            “Get in,” Fang called as he walked to the driver’s side.

            “Well ‘ello, there,” the red-haired man offered his hand, pulling Arisa over the car door and into the middle seat. As the car started, Arisa could see a crowd of people leaning out of the windows of the orphanage, including the bossy headmistress. Arisa stuck her tongue out at all of them. It’d been her dream to get out of that place. She situated herself properly between the boy and girl as the car sped away.

            “Can I get some new clothes?” she asked Fang, as he was obviously the one in charge.

                        “I agree,” Alister said. “Those clothes you ‘ave on now wouldn’t scare the fleas off an ol’ dog.”

            “What is it with you and your horrible sayings?” Shadow turned in his seat to ask, looking to Raven for an agreement.

            “No comment,” she said quietly.