Aara was sprinting down the street with Misao close on her heels, Aara had just been finishing up her grocery shopping when Misao suddenly ran up to her hysterically shouting and screaming. When she finally managed to get the eleven year old to calm down enough to explain the situation she dropped the groceries she had in hand and took off running home.

"Come on Misao, I know you can keep up you've always been one of the fastest!" Aara yelled out to the girl slowing behind her, Aara couldn't bring herself to leave the girl behind the small girl was an emotionally wreck right now and absolutely petrified.

Aara swung around the next corner dashing past an old run down church she walked past every day and continued sprinting skidded around the next corner her house in sight. She burst through the door and flew up the stairs.

She knocked down the door to the boy's room to see Rin sitting on the floor crying and clutching at Tomo's hand.

"It's too late Aara… he died… there was nothing I could do he just died… he said thank you and then he just stopped breathing." Rin sobbed holding the dead boy's hand to her chest, "He... he was so nice."

Aara looked down in horror at the sight before her, her heart pounding, she felt the world spin under foot… he was alive this morning she gave him breakfast and he was alright-more than alright. He looked better then yesterday there was no fever, he was sitting up, he even said he wanted to get out of bed… how had he just died.

Her eyes scanned over the rest of the room her mind trying to figure out what to tell the other children, and that's when she finally noticed, "Rin… where is everybody else."

"I-I tried to stop Bram before he left without your permission. But he said he found someone with the cure and he'd have to leave right away. He knew that Tomo couldn't make the trip so he said to stay here and that they'll come for him later. After that he got everyone together and just took off." Rin explained and sniffled, "I should have stopped him-I'm sorry Aara, I'm so sorry." She sobbed.

Aara ran at the small girl and grabbed her in a tight embrace, "No, you did fine Rin. More than fine, you made sure that Tomo was comfortable before he died and you stayed by his side. I am so proud of you, you were so strong and brave."

"Don't cry it's going to be alright. I want you to go clean yourself up and join all the other kids downstairs alright, don't tell them what happened. I'll handle it later but first I have to go find the others." Aara instructed.

Rin nodded swiping at her accumulated tears and snot, "I understand Aara, I'll do it right away." She said and told Aara where Bram said he was going.

Aara thanked her and flew back down the stairs and sprinted down the street, she put her head down and ran. There were two instances where she almost got hit by a car running straight out into traffic not caring about her own safety.

She shoved people out of her way as she ran desperately her heart racing, her chest constricted. She heard a child screaming, a voice she'd recognize anywhere little Chloe. She doubled her speed not caring about the fact that it caused her pain and she was exhausted, she heard Chloe scream and someone was going to pay for that. She rounded the corner to see the small four year old struggling and screaming for help as two teenage boys tried to put her in the back of a truck.

Aara registered in her mind that Bram lay unconscious against the wall of a building on the street, his glasses broken and blood running down his forehead. "What the hell do you think you're doing!" she screamed and dashed head first at the largest of the two teens who had shirt silver hair.

Aara never had much fighting experience only the few scraps she got into when she was still a child or breaking up fights Bram got into. She ran and leapt at him trying to grab onto the large teen. He didn't see her at first until she tackled him, she had hoped to get him to the ground but all she really managed was to throw herself at him causing him to drop Chloe who ran over to Bram and started shaking him trying to get him to wake up.

The tall teen meanwhile snatched Aara off of his back and threw her to the ground in front of him, she landed hard on her spine and felt the air rush out of her lungs. "Who are you?" the other one demanded, he had long silver hair.

Aara growled and got to her feet to be snatched up by the taller of the two with short hair, he easily lifted her off of the ground, "Aara!" Sai shouted worriedly from the back of the truck dashing over to the edge and watching helplessly as she struggled.

Aara suddenly felt something in her pocket, the small screw driver she was using earlier to fix the faucet was still in her pocket, she bit down hard on the arm in front of her causing a distraction to grab the screw driver. She stabbed it harshly back feeling it dig into the flesh behind her. Her attacker howled in pain and dropped her she landed on her feet staggering to see her other attacker rush at her angrily.

"She hurt me brother!" howled the first attacker in pain as he stepped away from her.

She swiped at the long haired assaulter her nails racking down his face causing red lines to appear dripping small crimson drops, "Leave my kids alone!" she yelled angrily.

The attacker with the long hair swung at her hitting her there was a crack and she went flying back. The children screamed in terror. Her eyes widened in surprise there was no way that he was human if he could hit her that hard. She slammed into the wall behind her and fell to the ground, she coughed up blood, "What-what are you?" she managed out as she struggled to sit up.

Chloe frantically shook Bram desperate to get him to awaken, he groaned but made no other sign of coming around, "Mommy!" she yelled and dashed over to Aara her blonde pigtails streaking out behind her.

As she sped past her caretaker's attackers they snatched her by the collar of her dress swinging her up into the back of the truck.

"No you don't!" Aara yelled struggling to get to her feet, she knew the odds weren't in her favour. Whether or not she stood a chance seemed pointless to consider, it was obvious that there was no way she could win. But she wasn't going to back down, there was no way she would back down.

Yelling she ran at them again, she knew enough on how to make a fist and swing a proper punch she swung at the one she scratched earlier. He didn't make a move, he simply stood stunned that she had gotten to her feet and was attacking him again. His head cracked to the side, before she could celebrate her success she felt a foot connect with her ribs and she went flying again, she heard a crack when the foot connected with her and then she slammed into the wall again falling into a pile of garbage.

She was dazed and confused and it was getting difficult to breathe, she coughed out blood again. She shifted around and heard a clatter, there was a heavy metal pipe under hand. She knew that fighting with a weapon was a bad choice if you didn't know how to use it because it could be used against you. But Aara was desperate at this point not really caring what happened to her so as long as she got her kids out safely.

She staggered and stumbled her way to the two silver haired fiends, "I won't let you hurt them!" she yelled suddenly feeling an unfamiliar power course through her, was it adrenaline she wondered? Could it be? She wasn't sure, adrenaline had been pumping through her veins for a long time now, could you get a second wind with adrenaline she wondered. No she knew that didn't happen, she didn't care what this power was-she would use it.

She screeched and swung the metal pole over the taller assaulter's head, he didn't even look fazed when he swung back at her. Bram heard the screaming and he slowly came to consciousness, he saw Aara go flying and trying to struggled to her feet, the brother with the longer hair slowly stalking over to her before grounding his boot into her spine.

Bram watched in horror, what had he done? He had only meant to help, but things suddenly started to go wrong when they started to load the children up into the truck. He tried to take them back but they hit him and they hit him hard. He willed himself to get up but it was pointless he knew it I don't have the same will power as Aara I can't will myself to throw my body aside to save them he thought as he watched the boy pull his foot back and kick Aara hard.

"No… stop" he managed out weakly stretching his hand out to Aara.

He saw Sai leap over the back of the truck and run to Aara throwing himself over her and trying to shield her with his body. Bram lost consciousness again feeling horrible for what he had done.