I wrote these A/Ns earlier, but I just got back form dinner for a friends birthday and... .I JUST SAW JAMES MASLOW AND HALSTON SAGE IN THE FLESH! THEY WERE IN A GELTAO SHOP FOR LIKE 10 MINUTES WHILE I WAITED OUTSIDE WAITING FOR OTHER FRIENDS TO RETURN! AND I WAS SHAKING SO HARD, I WANTED TO GO UP AND SAY HOW TALENTED I THOUGHT THEY WERE BUT I WAS SHAKING, AND I THINK THEY WERE ON A DATE BUT AHHH! He's gorgeous in person. And she's really pretty, and I think they're so cute together, he wouldn't stop smiling! He had a little bit of a dirt stash, and the red pants and the long black jacket thing... WHY DIDN'T I GET A PICTURE! (I was being a good person, respecting privacy and such... fuck. I wish I had proof though, he's gorgeous!). Okay, enough faniglring, this aint tumblr :p I'm sorry. I can't believe I saw him for the first time and that it wasn't a meet and greet. I wish I said something.. like 'wheres fox?!" DONE.
Hiya, new chapter! I'm iffy with this chapter. I really liked it before, but I'm in that mode where I've been reading a bunch of classic literature that is just so well written I havent been able to read fanfiction as much as I would like :()... and then I edit mine... and then I'm like- wow, I can't write at all. Haha, I think Shakespeare, Hardy, Conrad, Austen and all the various other authors may be rolling in their graves when I actually thought this to be... okay?... I just love English so much, it increases your confidence immensely! Okay- enough with the criticism, I'll be good within 3 hours :p I'm sorry in advance for any errors!
So enough with that! Happier topics! A huge thanks you to BigTimeOT4 (I like Dak in this too, I love villians! They're so fun to write :P Thank you for the review and hopefully you'll like this one? :D), Tete93 (And now a new update! Happy Dance! I love happy dances! haha :p ZOMG! It's a perfect villian quote?! Life = accomplished! Actually, though, that made my day, haha! And is villianish a word? well... hmmm... I've decided that it is now! :p I love it! And let's hope I can keep him in that villianish persona :D Hope you like the chapter!), Barbed Wire Halo (Awwh, thank you! I liked that James did that too, I thought it kind of made him alittle more real :p Thank you for the review darlin', and hopefully you like this chapter!), Sassy Kames (oh, okay! I usually notice things like authors, whose stories I read a bunch of times, changing their names :/ I really have been gone too long, damn school! haha :p and my usual - asjshkjhldjaldsdhsuia, thhannnkkk you! You always brighten my day with your reviews, you're way too nice! :p And yah, I completely get what you mean, I love it when I can picture stories. Hopefully you like this chapter! Thank you once again!), and Book-Mania-Girl520, sonovabitchwinchester, BrRusherGirl, for the reviews/alerts/favorites! You have no idea how much it means to me :)
Disclaimer: I do not own Big Time Rush
"I hate this, it's ruining my complexion."
"Calm down, Princess. We've only been in here for a few hours anyways. Technically speaking, your skin can't actually-"
"Fuck off, Logan! The smell and pollution are doing horrendous things to my skin, I can feel it! The smoothness is going away, and I can feel the tingles and the red bumps appearing, and my cheeks don't like it, and just- Fuck you and your fuckin' big talk!"
Something that Kendall learned quite quickly about his lover whilst living in Hawai'i was that, when under pressure, in a state of panic or experiencing stress/anxiety, James didn't know how to stop talking or insulting those around him. Kendall believed it to be a defence mechanism, but when James' small case of narcissism made an entrance, Kendall figured that was the time to cut in and help whoever James was after... who, at the moment, was Logan.
"Babe?" Kendall called out to James, the brunet still on his fiery rampage against Logan's shrinking form. James flung his head towards Kendall, forcing his mouth to stay shut by biting and licking his lower lip. The only reason he allowed himself to stop was because Kendall called him, and the blond hadn't sounded too angry.
"Your skin is fine, so stop talking."
Carlos shuttered, huddling up against the damp wall of the sewer. He watched as James through his fit, Kendall try to take control over the situation, and Logan who was close to tears from James' yelling. It wasn't so much that he was upset by James, it was the entire thing itself: being back in LA with no boat, having little to no sleep, food and/or clean water. Add all that up as well as the fact that they had been stuck for hours on end in a dungy sewer and a pissed off James, Carlos could completely understand why Logan was close to tears.
"Kendall! How can you even say that, I mean have you seen my cheeks at the moment! They're hideous and covered with bumps! This is stupid, and fucking frustrating and you don't even care! I just fucking-"
The Latino tuned out as he kneeled to the floor. The smell in this place was atrocious, but luckily they were no longer wading in the water. It took about 15 minutes of walking before they came to an open area, where ledges, wide enough for people to walk on, scaled the walls. They weren't extremely hard to get onto, the only problem was the slippery tinge that kept their limbs from holding onto the protruding brick of the wall. Ladders climbed their ways up the built up rocks, but the boys decided they better not even try to climb them. The unknown was unsafe at the moment.
Randell said that L.A was a society run even more thoroughly by social class than before, which was surprising in all their eyes. Now, the average citizens alike wore the same outfits, ate the same meals, and were only allowed outside during the night, and going to and from work. If any of these rules were broken, or if you were seen wearing something other than your chosen outfit, you were to be shot on sight.
The higher ups were allowed outside at all hours, and their only rule was that they wear a black outfit of any kind to show their class.
The people in black were superior, and the ones in white were seen like the plague; deathly, ill-stricken, poor and disgusting swine who were never taught to read and write, even if the literacy rate of LA was now nearing 89%.
Carlos turned from his friends, placing his head in his hands, trying to process all of this information. He sighed, but, but-
Something was off, he could feel it. In the breeze that floated by, there was just something-
He cocked his head slightly, his heart stopping when a white noise echoed through the tunnels.
His head shot towards Kendall, James and Logan, whose yelling was only increasing.
It was no longer about James' complexion. It just seemed like they were fighting for the sake of fighting and getting out past aggression. The argument was needed, it seemed.
'You said this!' 'You said that!' was being flung wildly against the walls, and Carlos sneered as he innocently regarded the distasteful water sloshing up by their feet.
The noise that Carlos heard from before picked up and became louder. His knees began pushing his body back up the slimy wall on their own. His heart was racing. His hands wouldn't stop shaking. His breath was coming out in increments, and Carlos wished above all things that he could have a light. The tunnel was too dark, with tiny lights illuminating a small 4 ft. area every 30 or so feet.
"Guys," Carlos croaked, but no one was listening.
The sound was closer now. It was a jumbled mix of moans and whispers drowned out by louder, thicker fluid sobs.
It grew louder and louder, and Carlos knew that whatever was making it, was not alone. It buzzed in Carlos' ears. The Latino turned to his friends, who all decided now was the time to be quiet. James silently grabbed the cloth of Kendall's jacket that bundled up loosely around his elbow, and Logan outwardly gulped, slowly making his way over to Carlos, which was really no more than 3 steps.
Carlos began backing up, away from the noise that crept closer… And closer… and closer…
The soft sounds of feet against pavement fiddled through the tunnels, but the throaty noise never stopped.
A pale naked form with long black ,oily hair came into the light further away in the tunnel.
It's head shot up and glared at the boys, and all of its friends soon joined from behind.
And that's when the screaming began.
Brad once again walked into the office which belonged to his Lord. It was nicely built, a new modern structure holding up the walls. Dak had built the glass office on top of the tower, after the Diamond family had been terminated. He said he was taking away the old and coming in with the new.
It only angered Brad slightly that Dak even took the credit for the termination of the family he used to serve for.
He told all of the people that He killed Jett with his two bear hands, when Jett himself had a sniper riffle. After Jett's death, Dak took the gun for himself.
He told the people that he was being suffocated by President Diamond and moments before his untimely death, a beautiful angel came down from the heavens and reminded him of the gun. He grabbed it from underneath his belt, shooting it into the President's stomach.
First off all, Jett had been killed due to many knife wounds and loss of blood, as well as being beaten by a mob.
President Diamond was shot in the back, not the front side of his stomach.
None of Dak's story added up, but no one seemed to question it.
The youngest Diamond, which only the closest allies of the New America, (or Neo LA as it was called now) along with Brad and the Diamond family knew to be James, still believed the boy to be a beautiful woman who was out in the wilderness, plotting her revenge against Dak to avenge her Family's death.
Only Brad knew the people had faith that the beautiful woman would come back, take back the thrown and save them all from the preposterous land that Dak now ruled over.
"Lord Zevon, I come with grim news."
Dak took a sip of his wine, tightening his red as shed and dried blood tie and turned towards Brad, his back now to the window.
"Have their corpses been found?" He asked innocently.
"No, my Lord." Brad said with a shake to his head.
"Then what is the grave news?"
Brad sighed, taking in an exhale of breath. Dak was overly calm, but that what was worrisome. He would look you straight in the eye with a smile, while you told him of a future plan or take over, he would agree and say 'what a splendid idea!', and then send the secret service after you the night after, and ambush you into an early death.
It had already happened over 20 times.
"They are believed to have gone down into the sewers, my Lord."
"Ahh, well then what is the problem? Just send troops after them."
Brad nodded slowly, albeit a little hesitant. "Of course, my Lord. But what happens if the people of the sewers get to them? They will kill them on sight, and you said you wish to keep them alive."
Dak simply shrugged, taking yet another sip of his white wine and turning back to the window overlooking His Neo LA.
"If they die, they die. Nothing we can do then. I'd prefer if their deaths were in my hands, but you can't have everything I suppose. But, if the people of the sewers remember their faces, they will surely be safe. Send in the troops and terminate those in the sewers. They have no reason to live anyways."
Brad nodded with fear when Dak remained silent, his back still turned to Brad.
"As you wish, My Lord."
Dak heard the door slam once again, signalling Brad leaving his side.
Brad, the only employee he could trust.
He knew all of the secrets of President Diamond's allies and enemies and how the prior President ran the country. And so, if the Youngest Diamond could never be found to help Dak, surely Brad was the next best thing, even though Dak still dreamed of the day the youngest Diamond came back to supposedly finish him off.
Oh, that was a day he was excited for. But until then, he still had his old 'friends' to handle.
"I guess I'll see you soon, fellas. Let's just hope those of the sewers don't finish you off before I do."
"GUYS, WE'VE GOTTA FUCKING RUN!" Carlos screamed as his feet slid across the slippery feel of the ground below. The dirty water continued to swish by, and the pale people were only walking with a fast pace behind them, never stopping and never slowing down.
"We know Carlos! We Know!" Logan screamed as well, his voice cracking from the ultrasonic pitch. He was the last one of the four running down the ledge, looking for another exit to take that didn't lead them back to the ocean.
"You know I yell when I'm frightened!"
"Well this isn't the time to be yelling!" Logan grabbed onto Carlos' back, holding on for dear life. The Latino let out a certain yelp at the touch, frightened one of the monster/human/people-things had gotten a hold of him.
James was having a hard time keeping a hold of his grip to the floor, having to let his hands graze over the bricked wall beside him, just in case he fell and needed something to hold onto. The Pretty Boy liked to think of himself as smart and thinking ahead as he held his hand slyly over the passing walls, even if the rocks were sharp and brushed little cuts and marks into his already bleeding palm.
Kendall was in the lead, running into the darkness and back into the light every few seconds, only trying to get away from those people… Ish… Type.. Things?
What in the name of Hell were they?
"Guys! Shut up and keep looking! There's gotta be a place somewhere!" He yelled, and his voice cracked as it was raised an octave, but the blond really didn't care about childish mannerisms at this point in time.
"Everyone shut up!" James screamed, feeling the need to join in on the yelling match.
Logan swore he felt fingers brush against his back, and a guttural groan behind him. The raven haired man yelped, jolting forward and landing on Carlos' back. The Latino screamed out from natural fear, feeling his feet slip out from under him. He grabbed onto James' shirt, bringing the brunet down with him and Logan.
James fell forward, his feet slipping as well, and as he grabbed onto Kendall, he felt his body falling towards the water.
Brown bubbles and silence surrounded his form immediately, lifting out from underneath the brunet and tickling his sides as they dashed past his body and towards the surface. James forced his eyes open, quickly recognizing the faded body of his boyfriend ahead of him, the current taking them all away from the…. Things... As horrible of a name that was to be given, it was all James could come up with in the life or death situation.
Logan let out a panicked squeal when he hit the surface, turning his head, and watching as the pale bodies stopped just where they were seconds before, moaning, pointing, panting and groaning towards the boys who were being rapidly sent down towards the ocean, an area that they seemed scared of.
"They've stopped following us. Hurry, find another tunnel or else we're going to climb a ladder." The genius spouted, spitting out increments of disgusting water that made its way into his mouth.
Kendall grabbed onto a passing metal bar, feeling immediate relief upon realizing that it was their escape. He pulled himself onto the ladder and climbed a little ways up, but reached out and grabbed onto James' flinging arm, gliding him towards the metal. He heard Carlos and Logan a little ways behind, with the current dragging them to where James and Kendall were in seconds. Their choking breaths from the water could be heard, and Kendall felt a pang in his chest, wanting to help them but knowing he couldn't until they reached safety.
He pulled James onto the ladder before climbing up the steps himself. His grip was slippery, but he made do with what he had without falling.
He reached the top of the surface, seeing a circular, metal latch over their heads causing them from completing their escape.
Thinking quickly, Kendall stood with only his feet on the third last bar. Kendall's balance was off, and he felt himself slightly, when he reached out to try and steady himself by holding the ceiling.
He felt James place his hands on the top bar beside Kendall's hips, his body directly beside Kendall's, holding onto the bars so if Kendall did fall, he'd land on James. The protection was needed for Kendall, and he secretly felt safer in his situation with the tiny bit of James' body heat radiating onto Kendall's lower half.
With a determined exhale, he lifted his hands from the ceiling and onto the heavy latch, angrily dragging away the metal circle from over them.
With a small smile, Kendall lifted himself into the peculiar safety for the moment, taking in his surroundings. He was on yet another ledge, this time in a dry area with absolutely no water around them. All the walls seemed to be made of rocks and bricks plastered together like a medieval castle made of stone. The ledge overlooked a cold railway track, and they were surrounded by a discomforting silence in a darkened tunnel. Breathing in, to quickly reassure himself that there wasn't anything lurking in the dark, Kendall fell to his knees by the hole, grabbing the cloth of his boyfriend's shirt and helping him into the area.
Carlos followed soon after, with Logan directly behind, squealing in fear as the pale people were just on their tale, already climbing up the ladder.
Well, it wasn't the water they were afraid of, then, Kendall promptly assumed.
A shaking, desperate, bony hand went to grab Logan's ankle, but as soon as safe trio saw the hand lifting towards the raven haired boy, they all rapidly grabbed at Logan's biceps, pulling him upwards and practically throwing him out of the sewer and into the tunnel. Kendall and James then grabbed the latch, dropping it back into place in seconds, not even worrying if it fell over the hole of the sewer correctly.
They could still hear the sobs of what they assumed to be people. They were loud, and the noise echoed through the scarce tunnel. The nails of their hands scraped against the metal latch, but they never tried to move it.
"They're not coming up." Logan observed, his voice coming out through a harsh whisper.
James and Kendall nodded solemnly, all of the boys' eyes attached to the ground where the clamour from below carried on. They all flinched when comprehendible shouts began in the distance, and the moans and groans of despair and fear grew larger, the nail scarping increasing with desperation.
The boots on the ledges and clicking of guns led the boys to the knowledge that Dak's soldiers just entered the sewer, destroying anything in their path.
"Come on! They have to be around here somewhere!" One shouted. His voice was muffled and far away, but his words were clear as crystal. "Bring them back to Dak, he wants them alive!"
A train's light and horn on their level went off in the far distance, the breeze beginning to blow through the tunnel a little faster.
"Sir! Kendall, Logan and Carlos could have gone anywhere, we'll never catch them!"
Kendall was frozen, the horn of the train growing louder, making the voices more difficult to listen to.
"I don't care. Do what Dak says, or die. Simple as that, just find them. Move!"
The light of the train was brighter from behind, creating silhouettes against the boys in the complete darkness. The soldiers dispersed, several beginning to climb the ladder just underneath. If the creatures were any clues to the soldiers where they were, the ladder had been a dead giveaway.
Kendall screamed, just as the train zoomed by, making the tunnel seem like a hurricane by the gust of wind and havoc it created. The people and figures in the unhappy yellow light that zipped by never even noticed their old revolutionaries. They had never been seen.
Then again, how could they; they were surrounded by the impenetrable darkness.
"Guys, run!" Kendall yelled, once again beginning to run away from potential danger, followed by James, Carlos and lastly Logan.
The train was the longest Kendall had ever seen, but it's on coming and passing bright lights made it hard for the soldiers to see when they escaped the tunnel, the wind wanting to knock them all back down from where they came.
The boys continued running, making a great escape away from those who wanted to get rid of them.
There were tunnels upon tunnels, trains upon trains, and soldiers upon soldiers at every turn. How they made it, the boys had no clue. All they knew was that Dak knew of their existence in LA, and was adamant about stopping whatever destruction the boys might bring with them.
Somehow they made it outside to a familiar area. The buildings and skyscrapers had grown taller, now bearing down on them in an eerie fashion. As they looked around an alleyway, they noticed that all the towers grew not only in length, but width the closer they got to the old, 'Diamond Mansion'. The city now formed a fair circle around the great house, being built upon the hills in the distance.
Flashing lights moved over their heads, and highways had been built on the cities grounds, but above and in the sky as well. Everywhere they looked, something was remodelled, newly designed, built with new infrastructure. Trains breezed by, helicopters flew over, cars of the rich zoomed above their heads on the highway. It was still night, but by the way the city was still awake, the boys didn't doubt the people had any clue of what time it was.
Things had changed, and it frightened them.
They walked through alleys and hid underneath cars when a person walked or drove by. It took two hours before anything of interest happened.
"Isn't that?" Carlos pointed out blandly, being careful to avoid a cat that was searching through an abandoned bag of trash.
Logan turned to where Carlos was looking, and observed the sign a far distance away. It was crooked, as if someone had taken a bat to the pole's neck, and the sides of the green were rusting over. But the letters were still there.
"We're home." Kendall stated. They looked to the apartment building right beside the sign, noticing the lack of people, noises, and lights in this particular area.
Logan took note of the burnt walls, and the falling tar from the roof.
"This must be the danger zone. Dak probably never fixed this place up either in commemoration of overthrowing the government, or because it was too expensive to fix up."
"So he just built taller skyscrapers instead?" Kendall joked ludicrously, eyes never being torn away from his old home.
He lived there for all his life, it was just so- surreal.
Logan shrugged with contempt. "Seems to be the case."
Carlos walked forward, crossing the street without a second glance, even with knowing the constant, looming threat of being killed on sight.
Things were different now, he had to remember that, but he didn't care.
The door to the building was torn off, and only a piece of 'DO NOT ENTER' yellow tape pathetically surrounded it's frame.
He ducked under the tape and dashed up the stairs, flinging the door to his old apartment open.
It was bizarre, but nothing seemed to have been touched, and even under the dust and ashes of the fire years before, it still smelled like home.
Their furniture was even how they had left it.
The others soon joined, closing and locking the door behind them for good measure.
They had to always be careful now, always be on edge in case someone just happened to be lurking around.
James listened closely, trying to figure out if there were any other people in the building. The walls were thin, and in the past, one could usually here what other's around them were doing.
The silence he found only scared him. It was straight out of a horror movie, really.
"I think we'll be safe here." Carlos said with a whisper, falling against the couch and picking up the pillow from the side, squeezing it with all his might. He ignored the dust that flew into the air as he tumbled onto the old cushions, already so close to passing out for the night from his exhaustion.
It seemed odd to James, however, thinking of other things rather than dust in the air. If they were to be safe, why did Carlos feel the need to speak in a whisper?
Logan sighed outwardly, his shaking legs falling to the ground. Ever since they had jumped ship, they had done nothing but run and run and run and run...
And run. With, of course, a shitload of more running,.
Oh joy.
It was Kendall who took the initiative and began looking around for signs of people searching through their stuff, and seeing if the electricity, heating or water worked. Kendall would be damned if they had absolutely nothing to work with.
James fell to the ground and crawled over to Logan who was sitting near the coffee table, laughing out at the sight of the old, glass figure.
"We looked at your map here, didn't we?" Logan spoke out, his voice returning to normal and above a whisper. He was the first one to be courageous in their old home.
James and Carlos nodded tiredly.
"That was a few days before we left for Oahu... Our home... Why did we leave paradise?" The raven haired male asked to no one in particular.
Kendall came back into the room, happy to find at least the electricity and water still available.
They could make do without the heating easily, so the blond sighed a breath of relief.
"Because you three idiots felt that you needed to prove something to yourselves, like coming back here would solve all of your problems." Kendall answered snippily, lifting the corner of his lip in disgust.
"We don't need to prove anything!" James shouted, his anger flaring. Carlos and Logan moaned, rather unhappy that James and Kendall just had to start an argument at this time of night when sleep would be greatly appreciated.
"Oh, please James! The only reason you came back is for you and you only, wanting to prove to yourself that Daddy won't have an effect on you anymore. But guess what James, he's gone! He isn't coming back. I killed him, I watched it happened. Someone died, and more people are going to just by showing our faces back here, so I hope you hold yourself accountable for their lives, because it's going to be your fault when they die!"
James was seething at this point, his emotions running haywire. He didn't know whether to attack Kendall and turn him into a bloody pulp, or if he should just give in, and fall to the ground, knowing what Kendall was saying was the truth.
Kendall rolled his tired green eyes, rage residing and an idea flaring instead. He watched James from the other side of the room, a judging glance written in his expression. The blond spoke up suddenly, "If I was your Dad, what would you say to him?"
James' head popped up, hair swaying cutely. "What?"
"If I was your Dad, right here, right now, what would you say?"
"Kendall, this is stup-"
"James! If I was your Dad, what would you say?"
James sighed, pinching his nose and taking an inhale. When his hazel eyes opened, he turned to Kendall with such an intensity that even Kendall was taken aback. He opened his mouth to speak, but in one small second, in the tiniest moment, something happened. Something switched inside of James that made him the frail, small teen he was when under the control of his Father.
He tried to speak, but the moment he opened his mouth, his eyes turned solemn, and he began shaking. Tears spastically fell from his eyes, and he launched himself into Kendall's arms, falling to the ground. He hated himself for being so weak, but he couldn't help it. He couldn't stop.
Kendall held him tightly, his hand snaking his way through his brown locks.
"See you can't handle it. You're not ready to be back here. None of us are."
"I know..."
"Then why did you want to come back?"
"Because-"
The realization fell onto him, Logan and Carlos, who were seconds away from falling out of consciousness.
None of them could think of a damn good reason why they should have come back, and James gulped.
There was no reason to be back. He had no reason anymore.
Chhaapppter donne
Quick A/N: In my mind, the actual city of Neo LA is a mixture of the Neo Tokyo (hence the name Neo LA :p) from the film Akira, and a little bit of 1984 (or atleast what 1984 looked like in my head...). Also to me, the people things in the sewer (so creative with names!) look like the grudge/ the girl from the ring, if the descriptions made anyone confused? Of course it's all interpretive, but thats what I imagined. So, if you want to see what I did while writing this scene, just imagine the those people:)
Update next week, hopefully you liked this one. Thanks for reading, please tell me how I did?
