I lie here paralytic
Inside this soul
Screaming for you till my throat is numb
I wanna break out

I need a way out
I don't believe that it's gotta be this way
The worst is the waiting
In this womb I'm suffocating

*Feel your presence filling up my lungs with oxygen
I take you in
I've died

Rebirthing now
I wanna live for love wanna live for you and me
(Breathe for the first time now
I come alive somehow)
Rebirthing now
I Wanna live my life wanna give you everything
(Breathe for the first time now
I come alive somehow) *

Right now

Right now

I lie here lifeless
In this cocoon
Shedding my skin cause
I'm ready to
I wanna break out
I found a way out
I don't believe that it's gotta be this way
The worst is the waiting
In this womb I'm suffocating

**
((Bridge))
Tell me when I'm gonna live again
Tell me when I'm gonna breathe you in
Tell me when I'm gonna feel inside
Tell me when I'm gonna feel alive

Tell me when I'm gonna live again
Tell me when this fear will end
Tell me when I'm gonna feel inside
Tell me when I'll feel alive

... - Skillet


Chapter 3: The Two Views

Sniper's POV

There's nothing but chips here, that would hold up a bit, but it won't make him happy to hear it. Granted he's a chef, before shit went wrong, but he should at least appreciate that we have something to eat. I guess I shouldn't be so hard on him, but Carrot, Pepper and Onion need food to at least live and survive. And he likes to be creative with something fresh, testing his knowledge of food, and he believes that having something good and healthy helps as well.

One of the few things we have in common is creating and testing, to be better.

Of course, my skill isn't with fruits and vegetables, it's in ammunition and getting the bull's eye! I'm not called Sniper for nothing. Then again, I'm more of trying to distance myself of get away when shit hits the fan… again.

We've searched every nook and cranny for something not packaged and fresh, or at least still edible and wouldn't make us crash or weak, but once again we headed to the old restaurant, Blue Tail, to see him, smoking his third cigarette by now.

"Oi! Blackleg!" I called as he turned.

"Oi…" He said simply.

It's been a few years, but he still comes here, remembering only the small bits and pieces that is hardly called a memory. Come to think of it, I could distinctly remember meeting him here, before that happened.

He finished his cigarette and started to go off, meaning he has no idea we're here. This usually happens after a third cigarette. "There's nothing in his fucking dump! How the hell am I supposed to make food now!"

"Well don't let it out on us!" I said, gaining his attention, his glowing blue eye looking at my eyes.

"There's chips lying about though…" Pepper said, which was the wrong time to say anything that's food related.

"That's not sufficient enough!" he said as he took out yet another cigarette.

"What about the Market over at the Glens?" Said Onion.

"You moron! That's where most of the strong Kiras go!" Carrot said.

"Not to mention that the place is wired to be a damn death trap." Blackleg said as he took a long drag before sighing the smoke out.

We used to go to the Market to get our food supplies. In fact, that restaurant used to be our home base, until those Kiras decided to move in.

"Let's just go…" He said. "it's almost dangerous if we stay together like this."

Sniper's POV:End

---

Blackleg's POV

I don't know how long I've been fucking standing in front of this shit down restaurant, but I didn't care at the moment. I guess I wanted to remember what this place meant to me at one point. Ever since that incident… I could barely remember the good times… back when I knew what my name was and my reason why I love to cook to the point of obsession.

If it weren't for Sniper, I would go crazy by now.

But these days are getting more frustrating with the Kiras going around, collecting Gensens, getting stronger, and trying to catch us to collect our huge supply of Gensens within our bodies. I don't know why I have it or what it's used for, all I know is that I have it and collect it so that none of the weaker Kiras get stronger or the strong more strong than before.

"Oi! Blackleg."

I turned to see Sniper and the three kids that we looked out for, for no apparent reason other than protect. I can't even remember why we ended up with three or why these kids, they were just there. Although, it's pretty damn amazing that Sniper has no problem with taking care of those three, most of us, as far as I know, have trouble with at least one.

"Oi." I said, letting him know that I heard him.

Then I saw that he nor the three have anything that would make up a decent meal. Damn it! I'm a chef here, but I couldn't do anything about it!

"There's nothing in this fucking dump! How the hell am I suppose to make food now!" I was really yelling at myself.

"Well don't let it out on us!" Sniper said.

"There's chips lying about though…"

"That's not sufficient enough!" I said as I grabbed another cigarette before I really hurt those kids. This is why Sniper is better with them than I am.

"What about the Market over at the Glens?"

"You moron! That's where the strong Kiras go!"

'Yeah… because we've been there enough times to think we might show up.' I thought as I spoke. "Not to mention that the place is wired to be a damn death trap."

With all the security down there, it would be amazing to get out with still some breath in you.

I quickly finished the smoke and discarded it. "Let's just go… it's almost dangerous if we stay together like this."

It hasn't been the first time it would happen, and it wasn't the last of it either.

Blackleg's POV: End

---

Sniper's POV

"Blackleg, don't go to any dangerous areas." I said, knowing him well enough that he will got to many lengths to make sure the needs are met, but I know he's thinking about taking the risks to get to the Market.

"Would you quit worrying, Sniper?" He said with a quirk tug of a grin. "Just because there's hardly anything to eat, doesn't give me a reason to go charging into areas unknown that was once known, once upon a time.

I sighed, knowing what he meant. "We'll keep looking before we decide to do something as 'moving out'."

"Be careful, the Kiras around here lately are a little active than usual."

"Yeah… I heard one of them say 'new meat' or something like that."

"Huh? 'New meat'? That's impossible, anyone who comes here may as well be a dead man."

That's when we heard Onion, who has a bad habit of wandering a bit ahead, scream and, out of impulse, ran out and stopped to look at the strange guy.

His clothes are different then ours with a straw-hat on his head. But the most important thing is that he doesn't look like a Kira.

Sniper's POV: End

---

Blackleg's POV

"Blackleg, don't go to any dangerous areas." He said.

That guy knows me too well.

"Would you quit worrying, Sniper? Just because there's hardly anything to eat, doesn't give me a reason to go charging into areas unknown that was once known, once upon a time."

I may not remember much of my life before the incident, but I do remember some of the times when he was there, talking and sometimes invent some small gadget or do a sketch. At least those memories tell me that I can trust him.

"We'll keep looking before we decide to do something as 'moving out'." He said.

"Be careful, the Kiras around here lately are a little active than usual."

"Yeah… I heard one of them say 'new meat' or something like that."

"Huh? 'New meat'? That's impossible, anyone who comes here may as well be a dead man."

For my cooking standpoint, it seems stupid to be worked up over something like that. But knowing the other meaning, I have to say I'm sorry for the poor bastard… if he is around.

Then we heard one of the kid's scream and we immediately ran out to see this strange guy, who look like he did go through some hell.

"Who the fuck are you!?" I demanded, since we can't really trust anyone who comes around.

Surprisingly he bowed and straightened.

"I'm Monkey D. Luffy, I'm a photographer from the surface."

Un-fucking-believable.

"You lost or something?" Sniper said as he placed his hands on his hips.

"Well… At the moment I'm just wandering around."

"That's dangerous kid." I said as I took out another cigarette, which I have to restock soon.

"I'm twenty-five, and I know it is, but I have to find another way to get back to the surface. To do that, my only choice is to find my way around."

Blackleg's POV: End

---

Sniper's POV

There was a momentary pause as we just stared.

"Who the fuck are you!?" Blackleg called out, which wasn't necessary, but we did have bad run-ins from time to time.

What caught me off guard was the bowing and straightening form, a Kira or any other normal person would not do that.

"I'm Monkey D. Luffy, I'm a photographer from the surface."

'No way…' I thought. "You lost or something?"

If this guy is the poor bastard, then why would he go around and not go back?"

"Well… At the moment I'm just wandering around."

"That's dangerous kid." Blackleg said as he took out his fifth cigarette.

I swear he's going to have problems later in life.

"I'm twenty-five, and I know it is, but I have to find another way to get back to the surface. To do that, my only choice is to find my way around."

"You're crazy!" I said. "It's a damn miracle that you made it this far, but it's just suicidal if you keep going!"

"I'm not afraid."

How could he not be afraid? Hasn't he seen what these Kiras could do?

"You religious or something?" Blackleg asked, which made sense, but also makes this guy, Luffy, likely to be killed.

"No, I just go by the saying 'What happens, happens'."

"Even when you're dying?" Said Onion.

"Yeah." He responded so simply.

Does he not care about living?

Sniper's POV: End

---

Blackleg's POV

"That's dangerous kid." I said to him as I took out another cigarette.

Shit, this day has been weird.

"I'm twenty-five, and I know it is, but I have to find another way to get back to the surface. To do that, my only choice is to find my way around."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. He's the same age as Sniper and he fully knows the danger he's putting himself in?

"You're crazy!"

My thoughts exactly Sniper.

"It's a damn miracle that you made it this far, but it's just suicidal if you keep going!"

"I'm not afraid."

"You religious or something?" I had to ask, because, years ago, this place was built so that it won't involve government, religion or any higher anarchy rule over people and limitations… oh wait, what limitations?

"No, I just go by the saying 'What happens, happens'."

Okay, he earned a bit of respect from me, because that's how we're living now.

"Even when you're dying?" Said the round kid.

"Yeah."

I shook my head, hardly believing this guy.

"Are most of you surface dwellers go by that?"

"No, I'm the small sum of the whole."

"Whatever…" I lit up my cigarette and started to walk pass him. "Don't die off too quickly now, this is cake comparing to what you'll face at this point." I warned him, knowing it myself.

"Thanks for the heads up. By the way, what's your name? It's rude that I introduced myself, but you didn't."

Nosey brat.

"Call me Blackleg." I said as the three kids went up to me.

Blackleg's POV: End

---

Sniper's POV

I saw Blackleg shook his head from the corner of my eye.

"Are most of you surface dwellers go by that?" He asked.

I kinda wanna know that too.

"No, I'm the small sum of the whole."

Can this idiot be serious?

"Whatever…" Blackleg said as he lit up his next cigarette, must be a stressful and weirded out day… wouldn't blame him either. Then he started walking pass the Luffy guy. "Don't die off too quickly now, this is cake comparing to what you'll face at this point."

That's definitely new. He never once did something like that to a stranger, but then this is a first time that we weren't attacked either.

"Thanks for the heads up. By the way, what's your name? It's rude that I introduced myself, but you didn't."

He can't be serious.

"Call me Blackleg."

Now I know this can't be real. He would never reveal his nickname to a stranger. But I took a moment to study him as the three kids went up to Blackleg.

He seemed like a nice guy, and I felt guilty just letting him go on his own like this. But I can't really trust him yet, told him my nickname, and quickly went up to the group.

"What do you think?" I asked.

"Hard to say…" He said as he sighed out some smoke. "It depends how well he can handle this place, being new and all…"

"Yeah…"

But for some reason I get the feeling that he's different from everyone else. And not because he's from a different world.

Sniper's POV: End

---

Blackleg's POV

That guy, I'll admit, is not like the others. But then he hasn't been fully exposed to this place and everyone and thing that lives here.

"What do you think?" Sniper asked.

"Hard to say…" I responded. "It depends how well he can handle this place, being new and all…"

"Yeah…"

It's not a big surprise that after the incident people started to turn on one another to the point of killing. It's sad, but that's our life.

Blackleg's POV: End

This time I wonder what it feels like
To find the one in this life
The one we all dream of
But dreams just aren't enough
So I'll be waiting for the real thing.
I'll know it by the feeling.
The moment when we're meeting
Will play out like a scene straight off the silver screen
So I'll be holding my breath
Right up to the end
Until that moment when
I find the one that I spend forever with

*Cause nobody wants to be the last one there.
Cause everyone wants to feel like someone cares.
Someone to love with my life in their hands.
There's gotta be somebody for me like that.
Cause nobody wants to go it on their own
And everyone wants to know they're not alone.
Somebody else that feels the same somewhere.
There's gotta be somebody for me out there.*

Tonight out on the street out in the moonlight
And damn it this feels too right
It's just like Déjà Vu
Me standing here with you
So I'll be hold in my breath
Could this be the end?
Is it that moment when
I find the one that I spend forever with?

**
Ooooooh,
You can't give up!
Lookin' for that diamond in the rough
Because you never know when it shows up
Make sure you're holdin' on
Cause it could be the one,
the one you're waiting on

Cause nobody wants to be the last one there.
Cause everyone wants to feel like someone cares.
Someone to love with my life in their hands.
There has gotta be somebody for me
Ohhhhhh.

Nobody wants to go it on their own
And everyone wants to know they're not alone.
Is there somebody else that feels the same somewhere?
There's gotta be somebody for me out there.

Nobody wants to be the last one there
And everyone wants to feel like someone cares.
Is there somebody else that feels the same somewhere?
There has gotta be somebody for me out there
- Nickelback