Safe Shelter

They enter the school. People are still there, some hurt or wounded, others despairing and others just aloof. Hours have passed, but nothing has changed. This time around, the sword is with him, and not on the outside.

K.J wouldn't let it out of his range so soon, not after how much trouble it saved him. His friends, on the other hand, look slightly discomforted there. "They never liked crowds before." While Spencer could tolerate it, James doesn't like being part of one. No use in trying to read Cain.

"Good to see some people got evacuated." In comparison to hours ago, while crowded, it wasn't like a sardine can. Good to see that people got out. "They did their job." Lily should be in a safe place right now, alongside many others.

A soldier guides them to the upper floor of the school, for some reason. "Our superior wants to speak with your group." A surprise, but not one unexpected given the circumstances they are in. They walk in silence, a slight discomfort lingering around them. 

They soon find the staff room. By the sound inside it, a bunch of people are there, talking about something. "Oh, our guests are here. Send them in." A rough and mature voice echoes from the inside of the room.

The soldier guiding them opened the door. Inside the staff room, a bunch of soldiers operating electronics, and a few remaining school staff. They step into the room, seeing who is the "superior" here.

A dirty blond man in his mid-thirties at worst, and late twenties at best. His expression relaxed, but a dangerously sharp wit in his eyes. "Oh, they are a bunch of young men. This will be easier than I thought."

The staff stop to stare at them. More specifically, K.J and James. While Cain had blood on him, somehow he wasn't drenched in it, while Spencer only had roughed clothes. "I need a shower…"

"As you guys can see, everything went to hell a few hours ago. Some people like you have acquired powers as a result of an unexplained event. Most of our people are around what you guys would call "1" and "2" stars."

Very low— himself, Spencer, and Tyler got way higher than that… he doesn't know Barghest's star, but it probably is higher than that. "So, we know that you, Lieutenant Colonel's nephew, are the cause of what we call "The dimming." He points to K.J, his relaxed expression, not waving.

"Our drones also saw what you, and your red-haired friend, did in the park. No normal human should be capable of doing any of those things you did. With power or not, as far as we know."

A faint smile appears on the soldier's mouth. "So it must be linked to the "stars" you guys got. While your redhead friend is also a monster, I want to know about the black flames, they appeared out of nowhere, and have yet to reappear. Can you control them?"

Despite the smile on his face, his words sounded like an interrogation, an invisible pressure coming with them. Control these flames… they just come and go as they please. "What will they do to me if I say no? But saying yes would be a lie—"

"So this is a no. Good grief, they would be useful in killing more of these monsters effectively." The soldier scratches his chin, sighing. "Don't worry. Your case is not that bad, we had someone more problematic in our hands. So, we will be taking you guys out, and as many people as we can in an hour or so."

"Norman, can you take those guys to the showers and give them some clothes? They are stinking." An exasperated grasp comes from Spencer and Cain, while James looks away. He didn't need to be so blunt about it…

(...)

Their trip to the showers was quick despite all the blood and filth covering them. Their clothes are pretty much in tatters, the only one relatively wearable being Cain's, for some reason, he barely had blood on it. "Going to save mine, maybe to where they are evacuating us they have a washer."

'Lucky bastard…' His clothes at least can be saved. He, Spencer, and James, have to wear a simple black T-shirt and sweatpants. "Better sweatpants than jeans. Thank God they didn't force us to wear jeans."

Desperation or not, K.J would rather wear his bloodied pants than any jeans. Same thing for his shoes. They may be bodied, but are way better than the alternatives he has. "K.J, are you not being childish?"

His metalhead friend asks, displeasure clearly showing on his face, but still wearing the clothes, including the generic shoes they gave him. "Says who? A good shoe can make or break a man, Spencer."

A generic shoe could never come closer to the comfort his handmade shoes could provide, never. "Well, we are good to go, I guess?" They step out of the locker room, his sword resting on the wall beside the door. Taking the blade, a soldier is waiting there, to guide them to the evacuation vehicles or waiting area, probably.

"You guys finished already? Good, the transport is waiting. We are evacuating you guys first." This answer draws a reaction out of James, who steps up ahead of the group. A frown on his face.

"Why us first? Are you guys planning on abandoning everyone here?" It is not everyone who manages to anger James, even less those who manage to draw this type of confrontational behavior.

He is the type to stay content on enduring problems as long as he is the only one affected, most of the time. To think they would abandon people to their fates is more than enough to anger his redhead friend.

"No, we are not planning to do that. You guys need to go first, especially the one with the sword, he is unstable and does not know how to control his powers. If only you go first, the only collateral will be you and no other civilian."

Their voice is neutral, not intimidated by James' large frame. Seeing the reasoning, James steps back, "accepting" their answer. "Well, they do have innocents' best interest at heart." 

A snark comes from Cain, a mocking smile on his face, for some reason. 'Maybe an influence of his gacha character?' Who knows how they can be affected by those things and what changes can happen? His left hand still has claws. With this solved, they follow the soldier out of the building.

…

As the soldier said, there are more vehicles, mostly buses, and trucks, being prepared to extract civilians from there, but unsurprisingly, no helicopter. "Don't think the sky is calm enough for flights."

Just how many died because some flying monster hit their plane? The count must be in the thousands right now. For some reason, they are going to a bus, where a dozen or more people could be fitted with them.

'We came here with two people covered in blood and guts, It makes sense nobody wants to go with us, and I may be a time bomb.' Sighing, K.J is the first to step inside the bus, and a surprising sight with them. The soldier in charge and some soldiers with him.

"Hello, Jensen. Here to keep an eye on you guys, orders from above, no bad blood, right?" His expression is still calm and with a faint smile on his face. They won't be alone here on this bus, after all. 

"Whatever." Shaking his head, the young man walks towards the back seats. Carrying a sword will be a problem… Someone throws a large bag at his feet. The soldier in charge.

"I knew this sword could be a nuisance. So put the blade in the bag and be happy." Are all soldiers prepared like this? Or is he just someone out of the curve?

'Know what? Damn it.' Picking the bag and putting the sword's in it, as much as he can without just piercing the bag, K.J continues his way to the back seats. He reached the objective. K.J sat, clutching his sword in his arms, and putting his weight against the seat.

While hard and uncomfortable, it is not all that bad compared to lying against all, being thrown against, and fighting for hours. It feels soft as velvet when compared to everything else.

Maybe now that they are going to get some "peaceful" time, he can catch some sleep. Relaxing, something impossible until now, the young man closes his eyes. Someone calls for him, a voice he knows… but he is too tired.

Things got too hard today, too many things happened. They're meant to just hang out, enjoy the Sunday without worries, and then go back to their daily life, rotting and surviving another day.

Those days were bad, but they were a mundane kind of bad, not whatever is happening to them right now, not what is afflicting the world. The chaos, the monsters. They were lucky for their little group to have survived… many did not. God knows if Lawrence's family is okay.

Silent tears fall from his eyes. 'I feel so worthless. I… never felt hurt like this, not since that day…' The day he started to dye his hair… Maybe a good nap can make him feel better…