I never thought it would get this bad. I never thought the Reestablishment would take things so far. They're incinerating culture, the beauty of diversity. The new citizens of our world will be reduced to nothing but numbers, easily interchangeable, easily removable, easily destroyed for disobedience.

We have lost our humanity.s stomach inside out. The loft that was once known as the most famous fuck pad was now reduced to empty wooden floors and posters that were scattered from the floor to the walls. Justin had been making them, sometimes not even sleeping through the night, in some sort of a hopeful way that they could help, change something. Not that Brian believed that it would. He had no idea what time it was, but he knew enough to be worried. Justin never came back home last night and there was no way to contact him, no one to ask. Michael and Ben were on the other side of the city and getting to them was almost impossible. To go out into the nomans land territory was almost suicidal. But he was considering it, if Justin wasn't back soon, he'd pack his gun and the baseball bat that once was a horrid reminder of injustice and pain, that had now turned into the best means of survival.

His feet dragged across the floor as he tried to think of where he would look first, but as he tried to make a plan of action the familiar screeching noise filled the air and all he could do was freeze. The sirens were the now always accompanying reminder of the world they were living in. Every time a deserter, or someone from a different tribe was killed. This squealing noise would inhabit the air, and than the gun fire and the distant laughter. Celebrating death, torture, captivity. That was what the new world order was about.

It didn't really matter if you were gay or straight, black or white, believed in some god or not. It was live or die. If they don't get you, than the diseases will, or the lack of food, or water. And they. He didn't have a name for them, not that he hadn't considered a few ingenious titles he could brand them with, but it didn't seem like they deserved it. There were no monsters from under your bed, no ghouls, ghosts or demons. Humans. The biggest spreading virus this side of the universe had ever seen. When the news arrived that the overpopulation was literary going to be the death of humanity, some took it as a sign from the heavens that it meant. Kill, kill and kill.

And so it starter. Not that he believed that something like this could ever happen. Not until he had to get shot and crawl, run, bite, kick, kill to get away. But the never-ending chaotic mess of his mind wasn't enough to keep him from worrying. He needed to get out and find him. Brian frantically ran left and right to get all the supplies he needed, his bag was packed and he was ready, as ready as he could ever be to go outside. Bolting the door to the loft, he found some comfort as he wrapped his fingers around the handle of the bat and started descending down the stairs, each step as silent as he could muster, and each breath slightly shaken and low. The sun was setting, which worked good when you were trying to be undetected. But as he tried to calculate how he could get to the other side of the street, he heard voices that were coming somewhere from his left which made him slide down the crumbling wall and hide between the wall and a dumpster. He was hidden well but he could still see them.

Laughing, shouting, talking about the captives. Boasting about which of the captives gave a more curling cry for help before they killed them. He could feel his hands shaking but it wasn't out of fear, it was anger, pure and simple. And now there was no Justin to tell him no, to stop him. There was six of them, but with all the built in rage that was coursing through his veins he was sure he could rip them apart. Brian closed his eyes, hugging the baseball bet to his chest as his mind reenacted memories of Justin and him, having dinner ( if you could call cheese and potatoes dinner ) on the roof of the building. The soft moonlight playing a show of its own on the dirty blond locks. They kissed and talked in hushed voices. They fucked until they had to bite into each other not to scream out. He wouldn't endanger his life, because his life wasn't the only one he had to think about. The men walked off and than the silence creeped back in, which was somehow even worse. There was nothing to be heard, but sporadic gun fire and the wind that would rustle the branches.

He waited a few more minutes before he made his move, and while still hunched almost in a crawling position made his way down the street. Stopping every now and again to see If anyone was approaching or if anyone was there waiting behind a corner, Brian moved slowly, setting his own pace as he finally got to his former favorite restaurant. Food was sometimes delivered here, and he knew Justin might be somewhere close by. He didn't dare think about him injured or captured, that couldn't happen. If it did, he would pull out the foundations of the city in search for him and he didn't care what he had to do to get him back. But his thoughts again, proved only a stupid distraction from the task he was on. The back door in the alley between the restaurant and the former library were ajar, and he carefully peeked in. His eyes tried to adjust to the darkness, but he couldn't see if anyone was inside and it wasn't like he was about to call out and reveal his position. With the bat still firmly in his grip, and a gun near his reach, he ventured inside. Slowly trying not to make any noise as he did so.

The kitchen looked probably the same way it did on the last day when the place was up and running, which made it look all the more morbid. A glimpse into what life was like before, something that they'll probably never have again. As he tried to think where else he could look, he heard footsteps from the dining hall. Trying to decide if he should run or see who it was, he decided on the latter. The dining hall, once a shiny beacon of glamor and wealth, now an empty room filled with overturned tables and smashed chairs. The only thing he could hear was his own breathing as he moved against the wall, one step at a time, his eyes focusing on the room behind the open doors. He was still in the dark, so it was possible he could see who was inside without them seeing him. Brian held the bat up to his face as he watched for movement. And than the footsteps again and a crash.

a faint sound of someones voice as he peeked in. Two sizes too big, bleached out and ripped denim jeans, a black t-shirt and a hoodie that was hanging off his delicate frame. The blond hair was long and as he looked at the broken glass on the floor, it completely concealed his face. He had an army back pack hung on one shoulder and a metal pipe in one hand.

the boy jumped back, his face a mask of terror and determination, but as he saw how it was that was talking he couldn't help but smile. Brian didn't wait to hear what was the thing he could have done to him, he closed the distance that was separating the two and wrapped an arm around him, pressing his lips to his forehead and than kissing him. Like the world depended on it, and sometimes it felt like it did.

he replied, but there was no denying the smile on his face. and than Brian let out a breath he wasn't even aware he was holding in. By everyone, Justin meant of course, their little group. Somehow they were all still alive, and he didn't care how as long as it stayed like that. he had placed the bat on the table and had now moved his other hand to rest on the boy's cheek.

And than they were kissing again.