They had gotten in from the back at the Piggott Ed Center, way at the back. The squatters from Hyde Park, those awful thieves. It had been an oddly peaceful day, considering forty or so kids were holed up in the British National Gallery in London, England. They were hiding from the Adults, in some sick version of Hide and Seek, Found and Eaten. Ever since a year and a half ago, the adults have been sick. A disease broke out around the world, affecting everyone over sixteen. Millions died. Doctors said it would three times worse than the black plague. There was no cure. Eventually, the disease stopped killing, and something much worse happened. The adults started eating children.
Everyone scattered. The kids who were too young to get the disease found safe, easily defended hideouts or died. The kids living in the British national gallery were survivors. They were safe. And then the rare happiness the children had dissipated when a scream erupted from downstairs, which the kids rarely ventured in. Only the children in the Central Hall by the staircase had heard it, only they were able to react.
Garrett, the leader of the troop, told his second-in-command Edgey to grab four others, and he and third-ranked Atch took off down the stairs. Down and to the left, a group of dirty mongrels were cornering a child, a nine year old French girl named Fer.
As soon as the squatters saw Garrett, they turned from Fer and faced the boys, looking ready to kill. No words were exchanged between the two groups, just glaring. Just then, Edgey appeared with four others: Newt, Luet, Zai, and Tack jumped in, waving their spears and swords. The squatters were outnumbered, but the twats were stupid enough to attack anyway, yelling. They also knew they had an advantage, because they were better fighters. Anyone willing joined in drills in the morning, but there weren't that many anymore.
A boy and a girl rushed at Garret together, knocking him off his balance quickly. A third then had time to punch him in the jaw. An older boy with particular bloodlust lunged at Edgey with the sharp end of a spear, clearly with the intent to kill. Edgey, who was distracted trying to pull a robust girl off Newt, wasn't paying attention. Just as the spear swung two inches from him, all motion stopped. The sound of the safety setting on a gun turning off caught everyone's attention. The gun was pointed at the boy with the spears head, in the hand of the tall blonde Carlisle.
"I'll shoot him dead now if you all don't disappear in ten seconds." He said, dead serious."
"Carlisle." Garrett said, trying to sound tough but clearly afraid. Afraid of the squatters and Carlisle. The boy with the gun at his head trembled slightly, dropping his spear.
"They'll kill you if you do it." He said.
"I've got six bullets, and there are five of you. Give it up. You won't be having any of our food today." Weighing the chances, the five squatters threw down their weapons, and hightailed it. "Filth" muttered Carlisle.
"Jesus, Carlisle," breathed Garrett, "We don't kill other kids."
"They don't know that, though" Carlisle smiled, walking over to his friend and slinging an arm around his shoulder.
"Well thanks for the help. Newt especially needed it, seeing as how he was knocked over by a girl." Atch let out an arrogant laugh, and turned to head back up stairs.
"Excuse you, but in case you didn't see, she was a six foot tall amazon," The most uptight kid in possibly all of London countered, chasing after Atch. "Besides, it isn't that big of a deal. After all, Zai could probably knock you out in less than thirty seconds." Zai, the only girl in the group, smiled at that. Atch glared at her angrily, and continued to argue with Newt on their way back upstairs.
Poppy watched as the smoke floated up above the buildings from some distant street farther up North. Whoever had set that fire was going to attract a lot of attention, that's for sure. Either that or burn down the town, like some twat did last year. Poppy's thoughts drifted to the intruders. Adults or Squatters or… something else. When Edgey had come running from the central hall, yelling about an intruder, Her and another girl holed the children up in the Spain Room behind Central Hall. Four boys now stood on guard at the door, weapons raised. Poppy turned from the window to face the self-proclaimed baby sitter, Xavia.
"I did a head count. Everyone's here but Fer" She lowered her voice. Crap. Thought Poppy. The little French girl, Fer often caused trouble, because she barely spoke English. Poppy started getting antsy. She turned back to the window, looking down at the clear streets below. In other parts of London, she'd heard, Adults filled the streets, in daylight and at night. Poppy was grateful to be living in the Gallery, where they grew plants under the terrace and had a good supply of water. Of course, they still had to go out to scavenge often. Poppy sighed. She knew she should be standing at the door, weapon ready. She sometimes participated in morning drills, and was an okay fighter, but she didn't really like it. Poppy wished one of the older boys had stayed with her. When she'd seen Edgey running by she'd asked him to stay and help get the kids, but he shrugged her off like usual. For some reason, Edgey didn't really like her. For the most part though, everyone even got along.
As Poppy was thinking this, Atch and Newt strode in the Spain Room, arguing. Poppy let out a sigh. If Atch and Newt were in a good enough moods to argue, everything had gone well. Next to walk in was Garret with Carlisle, then Zai, Luet and Edgey, and Tack trailing behind.
Garrett saw Poppy and grabbed Edgey, Tack, and Newt and pulled them over to Poppy and Xavia
"So what happened?" asked Poppy.
"Squatters as usual. Carlisle scared them off." Garret said quickly.
"Carlisle?" Poppy hadn't seen him at all this morning, especially not when the squatters had gotten in and Edgey came to get people.
"That's kind of what I wanted to talk about. All of you have a leveled head, and I want to share my thoughts with you."
"Is this about how he almost shot that squatter in the head?" asked Edgey.
"He what!" Xavia half-whispered half-shouted.
Poppy herself was shocked. One rule Garrett made when he became leader was that no one was to ever kill any kids. She shook off her shock and focused on Garret, who shrugged, "He's been kind of off lately."
"Well you know him better than any of us." Suggested Newt.
"He's always been kind of a creep, hasn't he?" Edgey said.
Garret frowned. "Just keep an eye out, eh" he started to walk away, before turning back to Edgey sharply. "And you know, he is my best friend."
Edgey faked heartbreak. "And here I though he was my best friend" he said, dramatically wiping an invisible tear from his eye.