This is for the 9/11 terrorist attack.
This is an AU story.
Enjoy.
Where were you on the day from hell?
"Today, we pay our respects to the people who died and the First Responders in the 9/11 terrorist attack in New York City, destroying the Twins Towers and killing thousands."
When planes were hijacked, when buildings fell?
"People gather today, around Ground Zero to-"
Where were you when lives were changed?
The TV was turned off before the reporter could finish.
When the innocent died from acts arranged?
"Hey Vert, something up?" Zoom was looking at his leader with curiosity and worry. That's when he realized that A.J. had the same expression on his face: pain and sadness.
Where were you when the terrorists struck?
Neither Vert or A.J. answered but Vert motioned for his friends to follow him. He led them to the garage where he jumped into the Saber.
When the Home of the Free ran out of luck?
"You guys wanna talk about it?" Agura just knew something was up now.
Where were you when the world was still?
Her leader shifted in his seat to look at her after looking to A.J., his eyes were unrecognizable when he spoke. "We're gonna go somewhere."
When you could not believe the terror was real?
Stanford used both of his elbows to prop himself against his car. "Well chap, it would be nice to know where we're going."
Where were you when the first blood was drawn?
The blond smiled, but just slightly. "New York City."
When our security was all but gone?
The group looked at each other and shrugged as they hopped into their vehicles, wondering what was wrong with their leader.
Where were you when the war was declared?
Vert pressed a button on his wrist-com. "Hey Sage, could you send us to New York City the same way you done to get us to Bangkok?"
When we responded with our teeth bared?
"Yes, I'll prepare the Storm Shock in T-minus 5 minutes."
Where were you in the U.S.A.?
He thanked her before closing the link.
When we all joined hands and learned to pray?
As they made it to the Big Apple, they stayed silent, both as curious as the next.
Where were you when you were stunned?
The blond leader led them to a large cemetery, around them people were standing by tomb stones, crying and huddled together for comfort.
'They must be the families that lost their loved ones that day…' Sherman thought and shuddered at the thought of loosing a precious family member.
Spinner saw his brothers discomfort and bent down to place a hand on him. A soft smile spreading across his face.
September 11, 2001...
Vert stopped and jumped out of his vehicle just as A.J. climbed out of his. They walked to two tomb stones side by side. A.J. was holding two bouquets of flowers, one white roses, the other red. He handed Vert the red roses and they placed them on the small place of grass near the smooth stones.
Their friends watched them anxiously, they really didn't know what they should do. So they just stood there silent.
"Hey, dad." Jack Wheeler turned to his son, Vert Wheeler. "I'm going to go and get A.J., he doesn't know where his dad's office is."
"Alright, son," Jack smiled and turned back to his desk. "Just make sure you two don't break anything, me and Mike want to keep our jobs."
At his name being called, Mike Dalton looked up from his work. "Yeah, and make sure that A.J. stays within your range of vision." He chuckled.
Vert laughed and walked to the elevator. "Love you, dad."
"You too, Vert."
When the elevator door opened, two people walked out and he walked in, pressing the first floor button. "Of course I have to be on the 100th floor…" He sighed and leaned against the wall. He started to feel this…odd feeling, an uneasy feeling-like something was going to happen…something bad.
Around ten minutes had passed by when the elevator made a 'ding!' and the door slid open, Vert stepped out and five people stepped in. He smiled at the receptionist.
"Hi, Betty." The woman smiled at him as he opened the large glass doors.
"Yo!" A.J. almost tackled his friend when he greeted him. "Haven't seen you since…"
"Yesterday." He laughed.
"Wow, boy did I miss-"
BBBOOOOOOMMMM!
The ground rumbled, knocking the two boys off their feet. Laying on their backs, they scooted away from the World Trading Center as far as they could.
Time seemed to go slow as horns blared, tires screeched, people screamed and large chunks of debris fell from the sky.
"Oh…God…"
People began to frantically rush out of the tall tower, some nearly stepping on the two boys.
"DAD!"
"Oh God, our dads are up there!" A.J. jumped up after Vert, grabbing him by the wrist.
"Stop! I'm going in there to get MY dad!" Vert still couldn't get out of his grasp.
"Dude, my dad's in there too," Both of them were starting to shake by now. "I'm going in with ya bro."
Vert nodded and A.J. spoke again. "I'd go to the end of the world with you, bro."
They ran in to almost get trampled by more frantic adults.
"Hey kids, get out of there!"
"It's too dangerous!"
They didn't listen to a single person and managed to wriggle out of men and women who'd tried to pull them out.
They ran up the stairs, passing screaming adults.
"Oh my, children! Don't go up there!"
Betty, the thirty year old receptionist stopped them in their hurried struggle to get to their fathers. "You two need to come back down here. Right. Now."
They pushed her away and up the never ending stairs.
The boys made it to the 30th floor, panting heavily and tiredly.
"Oh God…dad!" They stared wide eyed at the smoke filling the stairs, a dark black smoke. "We won't make it up there through this!"
Suddenly the tower shook, the two boys held on to the railing as if it would save them.
More employees rushed down the stairs, covered with ash and soot, some covered with burns and cuts.
Vert and A.J. were forced to go back down to the lounge.
Vert and A.J. ran outside to find debris scattered everywhere, and people had abandoned there cars and were looking towards the sky in terror and awe. All of a sudden, people yelled and screamed again, pointing towards the second, unharmed tower.
Looking to the tower, time began to slow down as they stared at a passenger jet flying too low…
"No…" Vert stepped back, the same with A.J., both were terrified and were shaking so much.
Convulsions shook the ground, knocking frightened people, including the two friends, off their feet.
Seconds felt like minutes and minutes felt like hours to the innocent people of New York City.
Minutes later, the first tower's left side collapsed under the heavy weight and hit the second tower, they both began to fall to the ground…
"RUN!"
The screams after that, the bloodcurdling screams…
The boys scrambled to their feet as large chunks of destroyed building was coming at them, fast.
Both teens ears were wringing. From what? They didn't know, it could've been from the thousands of voices screaming in terror, the blaring of horns, the screeching of tires, the millions of sirens, the booming noises from the crashes, or the deafening sound of the World Trade Center colliding with the streets and buildings below it.
Vert and A.J. were being pushed and shoved as they hurried away from the Twin Towers. But they weren't quick enough.
"WATCH OUT!" The man's yell of warning went unheard.
A.J. looked back at the sight and nearly stopped dead in his tracks. A large fragment of the towers was hurdling towards them-
CCRRAASSHH!
Darkness began to seep into both teens vision and everything began to go quiet…
When they came to, they heard sniffing and whines. A dog…a search dog.
"Hey, I think he found something!" There was a muffled voice right above them.
They heard the movement of the scraps of debris. Light came through.
"We found someone! No, we found two!" Vert felt himself being lifted out of the rubble he was occupying.
"A.J…"
"We got your friend, buddy, you're both gunna be alright." The man comforted him.
Vert lazily, sluggishly looked around. Everything was covered in gray…the buildings, cars, and people. Rubble littered the ground. Few people were walking around, holding cloths or the neck of their shirts over their mouths to prevent ash and smoke from entering their lungs.
It looked like Armageddon…
"Dad…where's m-my da-ad?" He felt like he could barely talk or walk.
The fireman didn't answer for a while. "I don't know, son," he paused and started to lay him down to take his diagnostics. "I don't know."
"And just think," Vert shook his head. "It only took two hours."
"It felt like eternity…" A.J. got up and helped up his friend and let their friends look at the stones.
Jack Carl Wheeler
An amazing son, husband, and father
You will always be in our hearts
1954-2001
Mike W. Dalton
A wonderful son, husband, and father
You will be greatly missed
1951-2001
I want to thank the First Responders, for helping us in our darkest hour.
And the armed forces, for protecting us since then.
-Lolin' Girl