-The Outbreak-

Part One:

Secrets

Chapter One: A Struggle.

Stephen appeared in the top step, in front of the house. His mind was buzzing, his heart was racing, and his vision was scattered as he grabbed for the door handle. His brain was thinking and moving so fast, it was getting harder to concentrate to the little things. He finally let out a sigh as he turned the door handle, and stormed into his house.

"Mom!" He shouted as he pushed the door open, then slamming it shut with his left hand."Mom?" He ran to the kitchen, where his mom usually sat up waiting for him on his late nights.

"Stephen?" Marla was bent over the dining table, and she looked like she had been sleeping, with her dark brown hair tossled and sleep glazed over her eyes. "What are you doing home so late?"

He'll feel guilty later, but right now he was frantic. Stephen placed his hands on both of her shoulders as she stood up. "No time. Where's Luca?"

"His upstairs, asleep no doubt." Marla scrunched her eyebrows together in confusion, and looked up with that same emotion plastered on her face. "Why? What happened? What did he do this time?"

"No time!" Stephen grabbed her wrist and pulled her after him. "I'll explain later. But we've got to get out of here." He hailed her up the stairs walking fast as his mother struggled after him.

"Stephen tell me whats going on!" She hissed in a whisper as they stopped outside Luca's bedroom door. "What happened?"

"Okay, listen mom," Again Stephen placed his hands on his mom's shoulders, giving them a light squeeze as she looked up in his eyes. "I can't tell you right now, but I promise I'll tell you everything once were safe. Now I've got to talk to Luca, but I want you to pack up everything you need. No cell phones, computers, or anything with internet. They can track us."

"But-"

"Please mom? I just need you to trust me, okay?" Stephen leaned down slightly, and pressed his forehead to hers. "Can you?" His mother paused for a second but let out a slight sigh and nodded her head. "Okay." He pressed his lips to her forehead, before open and disappearing behind Luca's door.

It didn't take long for Stephen's eyes to adjust to the darkness of the bedroom. It was messed, and like an obstical course, but thankfully the full moon out the window shined light into the bedroom. "God Luca, even I don't keep my bedroom this messy." Stephen muttered to himself as he avoided piles of dirty clothes and a assortment of other things. "Luca." Stephen knelt down on the balls of his feet next to Luca's bed, where he lied asleep. "Luca." He shook his little brother lightly by his shoulders, and chanted his name.

"Huh...?" Luca's eyes fluttered open with a groan as he lifted a hand and dug his fingers into his eye sockets. "Oh." Luca dropped his hand to the bed and looked at Stephen. "It's just you." He pulled the covers up to his shoulders and rolled over, turning his back to Stephen.

"No, no, no, no!" Stephen hopped on the edge of the bed, and grabbed Luca and forcing him to look at him.

"Dude, what giv-"

"Listen," Stephen interrupted. "I'm sorry I blew you off earlier. I shouldn't of done that, I know that now!"

"Bro," Luca sighed sitting up. "It's no biggy."

"No but it is Luca." Stephen lifted a hand to the side of his brothers face. "You were going to tell me, and I completely went off on you."

"You knew what I was going to say to you?" Luca looked shocked, yet confused at the same time, and a hint of scared.

"Yes!" The shocked look on Luca's face increased.

"If your going to try to kill me like you tried with Peter, just do it already." Luca fisted his hands in the sheets, and squeezed his eyes shot. "Mise well get it over with."

"What?" Stephen dropped his hands from Luca and shoot up from the bed. "I'm not going to kill you!"

"You're not?" Luca climbed out of bed too, pushing the sheets away from him and standing in front of his brother. "I don't believe you." Luca crossed his arms over his naked chest like a stubborn little kid. "Why were you trying to do that to Peter?"

"Because I thought he was with Ultra."

"The place you work?" Luca's eyebrow raised. "Then why would you try to kill him? I thought you liked Ultra."

"No we don't." Stephen walked to Luca's closet, and pulled a duffle bag off the top shelf. He walked back over, and dropped the bag on the bed. "You need to pack." He walked back over to the closet grabbed a couple of hangers, pulling close off of them and putting them in the bag.

"We?" Luca watched as his brother walked back and forth in front of him. "I'm pretty sure this is just about me and your craziness."

"No, you see..." Stephen paused as he was yanking a brown sweatshirt off its hanger. "You and me are the same. And there are others, many, that are just like us."

"Are you off your meeds again?"

"No." Stephen placed the sweatshirt along with a couple pairs of pants in the bag, then turned and grasped Luca's shoulders again. "I'm not crazy, and neither are you."

"Who do you-"

"Ah!"

Both boys heads snapped to the closed door, and cried out at the same time, "Mom!" Stephen hailed Luca's duffle bag over his shoulder, and grabbed Luca's hand, then running to the door. Stephen was again in front as he dragged Luca down the steps, but suddenly stopped abruptly.

"Stephen!" He turned and looked at his mother, how was standing next to the staircase, with her hands up in front of her. "What did you do?"