"Normal speech"
"Thought"
A/N:
Disclaimer
1 d0 |\|07 0\/\/|\| 94|\|7Z…
King
DJ was sent hurtling through a few concrete walls, and now his friends were faced with the intimidatingly big and ferocious target, Lion King.
"I'm king of the jungle. I'm king of the world!" he bellowed.
"Shit…! Shoot it!!" Jason commanded.
Everyone pointed their guns but was too slow. Only one shot was fired as the Lion King let out a mighty roar. The shockwave from this roar blew everyone back and caused the surrounding walls to crumble, those that hadn't already. The team dug themselves out of the rubble when someone announced that there was some weird goop oozing from their suit.
"Dammit…!" Jason said as he looked around. "When this happens, it means that you're no longer protected by the power of the suits. If you take any damage now, you'll surely feel it."
"Then what do we do?" Richard panicked.
Jason gave them a choice, "We can either run for our lives or fight and hopefully win or die trying."
Their choice was clear as they scrambled out of the rubble and away from the giant lion. As they were running for their lives, Jayden turned back and said, "Oh shit…! He's gonna do it again!"
"We're done for if that thing catches us with that," Jason stated.
Right as the Lion King was about to roar once again, it flinched from having an ear blown off. It frantically searched around for where that certain shot had come from. Before it could figure it out, its front left leg was blown off. It finally pinpointed the location of the shooter, or shooters in this case, and let out a shockwave in their direction. Matthew and Sarah had been positioned on the roof of the main office building when the lion found them. Once it let out its thunderous roar, the roof caved in along with them as well.
On three legs the lion hobbled after the team once more. He wasn't going to stop until he killed them all, eating a few along the way. Even maimed, he quickly caught up to the group. He was prepared to deliver another devastating roar, but the sound of an engine caught the Lion King's attention. He turned to see a futuristic circular-shaped motorcycle coming his way. Driving it was none other than Jonathan. The team was ecstatic to see him. He came in firing, but the lion was ready. The Lion King jumped out of the way of every shot from the big gun and got around behind Jonathan. He tried to turn but the new landscape made it difficult. The Lion King took advantage of this and got close enough to swipe at the machine. It went over and Jonathan spilled out. He scrambled for his weapon but the lion was on him in a heartbeat. Its massive frame loomed over him as it roared mere inches from his face, forcing him deeper and deeper into the ground every second.
A shot that blew up its right eyeball forced the lion back. With its remaining eye, it saw Jason leading the team back to confront the Lion King.
"I'm king…!" he growled.
"There's only one 'King' around here," Jason retorted as he led the charge.
This was a perfect opportunity to mow them all down. The Lion King took a deep breath which stopped everyone and had them running once again. He was about to let out a thunderous roar when his muzzle was sliced clean off. The Lion King began jumping around, trying to yelp in pain. The blade responsible for doing this began retracting back to its hilt. The hilt belonged to…
"Dávid…!" Ana cheerfully exclaimed.
She wasn't the only one happy to see that the plucky youngster was still alive and kicking, even if he did look to be in pretty bad shape.
He looked like he was ready to pass out at any moment as he said, "Heh… Fuck you… pussy," before he collapsed to his knees.
The Lion King was still hoping around in pain as he set his eye on the one that caused him so much pain. He would make him pay…
"Here kitty, kitty, kitty," a voice called.
The Lion King swiveled its remaining ear about and turned to view where it came from. It then saw Jonathan with his big gun pointed at him. Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger. The lion jumped at him but his entire front half exploded before he could reach him. All that was left was now a crater of blood. Jonathan sighed in relief and laid on his back.
"There's one more," DJ announced still looking out of it.
"And 7 minutes," Jason added.
"Fine," Jonathan sighed again as he agreed to go after it. "That kid… Before he seemed so calm and good natured, but now… it seems he's a natural." He suggested that the young ones stay out of harms way. He took a good hard look at DJ and noticed his suit leaking. As if that wasn't enough, he could tell that his consciousness was wavering. It would be good to have more capable people, but maybe in due time. For now, Jonathan just had to find some way to manage.
DJ didn't say a single word. He just watched as Jason and Jonathan left alone. Everyone else gathered around him. They watched closely as Nicole examined him as best she could. She noted that all the blood on the side of his face was due to a gash on his head.
"You seem to have a mild concussion," she diagnosed. "You must have a really hard head. I'm surprised that you're even alive after that."
"Nicole… Do you… perhaps want to become á doctor?" Ana asked.
In response, Nicole smiled. This gave Ana a newfound respect for her. Not only was she pretty but she must also be smart from all the studying she had to have been doing. She had to admit, she was a little jealous. She wasn't a fighter, and she couldn't help anyone if they needed it. Looking at DJ and Nicole, she wished she could do more to be useful.
Jonathan and Jason had made their way to the front gate. They weren't sure or not but had a hunch that the target they were after might be…
"The statue…?" Jason questioned.
"There's only one way to be sure," Jonathan said.
They raised their guns to fire. Without warning, something came at them. Noticing just in time, both avoided being swatted away by…
"Its tail…?!" Jason sounded surprised.
He lifted his gun and fired at the large giraffe statue. They were shocked at the statue's neck retracting into its body slightly. This caused the fired shot to only wound the giraffe under its eye. It then began to move more…
They watched as the statue craned its neck over the gate to get a better look at Jonathan and Jason. It then lifted its head. Not wanting to waste any of the precious little time they had left, the two opened fire. Jonathan aimed at the statue's left legs and Jason its right. Jonathan was astonished as his shots had all missed due to the statue retracting to legs on that side.
"Dammit…! This again…!?" Jonathan cursed. "Just like that elephant..."
Jason's, fortunately, were on the mark. They all hit the front right leg, but they did little damage. It stepped over the gate, attempting to flatten the two ants while it was at it, and entered into the destroyed zoo. The two scrambled out of the way as the giraffe made a beeline for the two in the distant that were now firing upon it.
Seeing that they had backup from the now recovered Sarah and Matthew, Jason and Jonathan began shooting as well. This enemy was odd however. While walking, it was slow moving, but when it came to avoiding being shot, it moved like lightning. If they shot up high, it would either reel in its neck or lower its torso to the ground without even bending its knees. If they aimed low, it would either raise its body by extending its legs or retract its legs up to its body. Either way, no matter where they shot, they would miss.
While all of this was happening, the newcomers could see the living statue as it rampaged through the zoo.
"This is horrible," Ana commented. She was just saying it for everyone to hear, but she was more interested in DJ's reaction. Unfortunately…
"David Eli Jackson…! Get back here, you're hurt!" Nicole shouted.
"Whoa… His whole name… Someone's in trouble," Richard stated, getting looks from everyone.
It couldn't be seen if DJ was ignoring her or if he really didn't hear her, but he continued. He stumbled and fell to the ground only to wearily get back up. As he ran as hard as his busted body could carry him, he tightly gripped the handles of his two swords.
He thought, "I'm so weak…! I didn't want anyone to get hurt, but what happened…? I got my ass handed to me by those aliens, and now I can barely stay awake. I'm so pathetic. A hero-wannabe that had to be saved… Well no more! From now on, I'm gonna kick these aliens' asses!"
Once the firing ceased momentarily, so did the statue. That is until its tongue and tail extended. Jonathan and Jason dodged the tail with no trouble. Sarah and Matthew, on the other hand, had it rough. The roof to the building they were standing on had already collapsed once, and now with the force of this unusually long tongue, it happened again. Sarah held onto the roof as she had fallen again. She would be a sitting duck if she was attacked now.
The statue reeled in its tongue and seemed poised to do it again. This was it. Matthew tried to hurry and pull Sarah out of harms way but was having some problems. Seeing their friends in a bind, Jason and Jonathan prepared to continue firing on the statue. That is, until DJ ran by them.
Jonathan questioned, "What is he--?"
DJ extended the blades as he swung. As he came close to cutting one of the statue's legs with one, it raised it from the ground. With his second blade at a different angle, he followed through with his full swing. Like the back leg, the statue raised its front when one of the blades reached. However, it still hadn't planted it back foot on the ground and began to topple. As it did, it fell on DJ's second sword. It pierced it as it came down. It acted quickly to keep from completely falling on it, but DJ wasn't through. He took his other sword and stabbed it in its other side. He then ran forward, carving into the statue's massive frame. It let out a mystical shriek as it dropped like a ton of bricks.
"He's moving too slow," Jason noted. "Will he make it?"
He, Jonathan, and the rest watched as the heavy-bodied statue hurtled to the earth. They frantically looked on as DJ was nearly off scot-free, but… he began falling over himself.
DJ felt his consciousness slip away and his body give out just as he was nearly in the clear. By the time he hit the ground, he was out of it. The rest of the team watched as the hard-bodied giraffe crashed to the ground. They were horrified at what had just happened and even a little afraid to see if it was so.
Nicole began shaking and dropped to her knees. She looked to be ready to break down at any moment. Ana and the others couldn't bear to even look in the direction because it was just so tragic. Rich, on the other hand, didn't want to believe it. He wasted no time in rushing to see if his best friend was alright. As he made his way to the front of the giant giraffe, he was relieved to see his friend laying mere inches from it. He quickly called for the rest so they could see the good news.
This was a mistake. This seemed to have caught the statue's attention. It raised its long sturdy neck and arched it to get a good look at the fallen DJ.
"Hurry up! Hurry up! It's still alive! It's gonna kill--"
He had no time to finish as the giraffe opened its mouth. Slowly at first, its tongue inched out. Then, like lightning from above, it struck. The rest of the team on the ground arrived just in time to see this and dread washed over them once again.
Unusually, instead of turning to them, it turned its head away. Once more, its tongue shot from its mouth. To the pleasant surprise of everyone, through the cloud of dust, Richard came running out, unfortunately, dragging DJ's unconscious frame.
"A LITTLE HELP HERE!!" he screamed.
"YOU DON'T DRAG HIM AROUND LIKE THAT!!" Nicole exploded.
The statue craned its neck and opened its mouth. At this, Jonathan raised his big gun and fired. As its tongue sprang forth, it was blown to bits. It let out another mystical shriek as it shook its massive head. Jonathan readied to put it out of its misery with the next shot.
Suddenly, he and the others were knocked off their feet. Jonathan had been separated from his weapon and now everyone was at risk. He scrambled for it but was hit by the tail once more.
Jason saw the big gun slide across the ground. As he was about to go after it, he noticed the statue's tail coming down on him. He scooted back as swiftly as he could but couldn't escape without having his legs crushed. He groaned, screamed, and cried in agony as he felt every bone in his legs break.
Richard had stopped when he noticed everyone getting attacked by the statue's tail. He thought about turning and going another direction when he felt something bump into his foot. He looked down to see the big gun Jonathan had been carrying around. Not sure of what exactly to do, he released DJ and lifted the gun. He watched as Jason's legs were gruesomely crushed by the statue's tail. For a good while, it stayed there as it grinded into the ground. This gave Richard the chance to do some damage… if he could only hold the gun steady enough to actually hit his target. He strained to hold it upright and, finally having had enough, just pulled the trigger. As the gun dropped to the ground, he wasn't sure if he had gotten off a good shot.
The statue raised its tail with finishing Jason on its mind. As it did, surprisingly, its tail was blown up. Pieces of it fell on Jason's crushed legs which caused him even more pain. Richard had never heard so many obscenities in his life…
"S-sorry… My bad," he apologized.
"Shoot it!!" Jonathan yelled.
"What?"
"Behind you!!"
Richard turned just in time to see the giraffe's head crashing into his face. It extended its neck even more with the intent of seeing to it that he was smashed. Jonathan managed to get his gun back and was now holding it at the giraffe's neck. Before Richard was turned into a pancake, he pulled the trigger several times and awaited the result.
The giraffe stopped short, sending Richard crashing into the office building, and began flailing about. After a few seconds, the statue finally exploded with parts scattering everywhere. With a rain of blood, Jonathan let out a sigh of relief.
"This crazy little bastard," he commented as he looked down at DJ.
The rest of the team, at least those that were still mobile, regrouped with the others. Upon first seeing Jason's squashed legs, the girls turned away, and Carlos relinquished his lunch.
"Eww!" Madison squirmed.
"Are you alright?" Nicole asked.
"I'll be--" he took another look at Jason and regurgitated again.
"Since you can't stomach this, why don't you go see how Richard is doing," Nicole suggested.
He averted his eyes and did just this. As he left, Ana approached DJ. She had no idea of what to do. He still hadn't come around.
This was tragic news, but Jonathan informed them that everything would be alright. As long as he, or anyone for that matter, didn't die before being transported back to the room, they'll be as good as new. This set a sensation of relief on everyone. Sarah checked the time remaining and found that they had luckily finished with 10 seconds to spare. The teleportation began almost immediately and everyone that had managed to survive the round was now back in the room. They never thought that they'd be so happy to see this place again. Jason could walk again, everyone's pain was gone, and DJ was slowly regaining consciousness.
"Wha-… what happened?" he asked, looking around the room.
Since he didn't remember much of anything, he began assuming the worst. He failed.
Seeing that he was about to mentally prostrate himself, Nicole tried to comfort him by saying, "You were really brave back there… A little reckless, but I think you did a great job," she hugged him.
The veterans all agreed and commended the newcomers on making it back. They had wished for better results, but a few were better than none.
"T1m3 t0 SH4R3 th3 p0InTz"
Everyone gathered around as a cartoonish picture came into view with words around it. It was a picture of Madison…
Assist.
0 pts.
No skillz, too clumzy, too useless
Madison was upset that it said she had no skills. She's an assistant. She knew she had skills. She just had to get accustomed to things. Ana rubbed her back in hopes of making her feel better. It then changed to a picture of Carlos…
C.C. (lol)
0 pts.
Too much muscle, not enough hustle
Carlos didn't say anything. He just had a peeved look on his face. Nicole patted and rubbed his back similar to how Ana had Madison, but he was sure she was doing it just to mock him in her own way.
Husband beater
27 pts.
Total: 67 pts., 33 to go
Everyone recognized the picture as Sarah. An irritated look crossed her face and every new guy slowly inched away from her, careful not to make any sudden movements. Jonathan, Jason, and Matthew all laughed at this.
Rookie
38 pts.
Total: 93 pts., 7 to go
"Why is it still calling me 'Rookie'?" Matthew raged. "I've gone on enough of these missions to know what I'm doing!"
"Calm down Matt… you're scaring the children," Sarah notified.
Cash
0 pts.
Money iz everything, you're nothing
Nicole stifled her laughter while Carlos, Jayden, and DJ let it out. "What is it trying to say?!" Richard exploded.
DJ elaborated, "Well, you know how we call you Rich and how you call yourself 'Rich Kidd' or 'Cash'… well this thing was making a joke about how you go by these names, but… you're totally broke."
Richard got it now and narrowed his eyes as he said, "I don't want to hear that from a guy with Nicole as his sugar mama!"
Nicole didn't say anything. She just shifted her eyes between Richard and DJ.
DJ didn't flinch as he responded, "I don't tell her to pay for me. I can't help that I got it like that," he boasted. "Anyway, she only does that because I have to cover for you."
Richard argued, "You say that, but she buys you more than you originally wanted. She even treats you better than the rest of us…"
DJ punched him in the arm as he said, "No… she just treats you the worst. Right, Carlos?"
Carlos said nothing as he unusually looked away.
"Hey!"
"See!" Richard gloated.
DJ punched him in the arm again. Richard winced upon getting hit. Upset, he sat down and waited for the next one, hoping for the chance to get his few chuckles in.
Dr. Nic
0 pts.
Saving iz useless. Kill, kill, kill
Nicole raised both eyebrows as if she figured she wouldn't be subjected to ridicule like the rest. It wasn't her fault that other than running away, her first instinct was to help when she could. This was Carlos's chance for a little payback but he knew better. Nicole always showed a pleasant demeanor, but it was this that made her so dangerous. No one else seemed to find it very funny as well, but looking to even things up a little, Richard exploded in laughter.
Upon seeing her expression and the look she shot at his best friend, DJ said, "Uh oh… This isn't gonna be good."
He and Carlos knew what was coming. In their little group, whenever one of them did something she didn't approve of, Nicole would straighten them out. As the picture changed, the sound of a few smacks echoed throughout the room. Those that weren't watching the spectacle turned their heads only to see Nicole with a look of content on her face and Richard rubbing his cheeks and the back of his neck.
"You see… this is why she treats others better," DJ rubbed it in.
The picture on the screen was now one of Jayden. Hardly anyone could keep from laughing about it, especially as a few of the guys inched away…
Coxlover
0 pts.
"Cox… lover…? I don't get it," Ana slowly said. She didn't really get what was supposed to be funny about it even after she had said it aloud.
"There's nothing to get…!!" Jayden was livid.
"Yeah, but the thing says that you did nothing but watch nuts the whole time and that you love 'Cox'," Richard debated. "Even though it used your name, I'm sure it means--"
"I wouldn't look at any guy's nuts," Jayden disagreed. "… and the damn thing is probably talking about my love for myself. I am my biggest fan after all. I'm not gay!" The guys looked as though they didn't believe him. Upset, he then said, "Why can't you guys be like DJ here," he pointed at him still sitting close. "He believes me, right?"
"Actually," DJ started. "as long as you don't do anything to make me uncomfortable, I could care less whether you're gay, straight, or a 'self-lover'."
"BUT I'M NOT GAY!!"
"But you don't deny 'loving' yourself," Carlos smirked.
Jayden wanted to scream. They were all driving him crazy with this. Instead of fighting it at the moment, he sat and pouted as he waited for the next one. He hoped that it would be enough to take everyone's minds off of this subject.
After all that was said, Ana finally got it, but didn't get why Gantz had put something like that up. To keep things from getting out of hand, the subject was left alone for the moment. They waited for the next picture, and it was of DJ…
Deej nutz
34 pts.
66 to go
"Deej nutz…?" DJ scrunched up his face. "Is that supposed to be funny?" He didn't think it was, but his friends, Madison, Matthew, and even Jason certainly seemed to get a kick out of it.
"Gantz probably thinks you're crazy or something," Matthew clarified.
"You had to be out of you're mind to attack that statue the way you did," Jason commented.
"But it's still good to have someone like you around," Jonathan added.
DJ smiled but it changed as his friends still had not stopped laughing. He turned and asked them what was so funny…
Between chuckles, Carlos pointed out, "Jayden's said that he was watching nutz, with a 'z', not nuts with an 's'… He wasn't watching every guy, he was only watching you."
DJ got it now, but he wanted to hear Jayden's take on this. The next few words that he spoke could clarify his preference and make things a lot less confusing for everyone.
He raised an inquiring eyebrow as an embarrassed Jayden spoke up, "I… I wasn't the only one watching as DJ fought those things. No one here took their eyes off of him while he was in action. It was incredible… b-because… you don't see things like that everyday…"
There was a moment of silence before…
"Yeah, but you were probably the only one who was watching him for 'other' reasons," Carlos joked. Jayden scowled at this and how everyone was getting a good laugh out of a stupid joke made by a stupid ball in the middle of some weird place. Ana got that everyone thought that Jayden was gay, but she still didn't get the joke Gantz made about him. Before anything else could be said, the screen changed…
LoveNutz
3 pts.
97 to go
This time Ana got what it was saying right away. She could feel it as everyone's gazes shifted to her. She tried her best to hide the big blush on her face with a small, awkward chuckle. She peered at DJ and turned away from him as he glanced back. She was so embarrassed. Sure she could admit that she might like him a little, but love seemed like way too strong a word. Even DJ didn't seem to know how to handle it. He awkwardly smiled and turned his gaze to the walls and ceilings, trying to avoid eye-contact with any and everyone. They were both more than happy and relieved when Gantz moved on…
Officer Baldy
43 pts.
Total: 61 pts., 39 to go
The newcomers were amazed. He must have been really going at it to have so many points. The picture changed once again…
Royal Flush
110 pts.
"Royal flush…?" DJ questioned.
"I'll tell you about it one day," Jason replied.
"110 points…! Does this mean that you can go free?" Richard asked.
"Well… that is an option," Jason responded. "Remember when we said that you'll be given a choice once you reach 100…?"
The newcomers were even more amazed. "How did you already get 100 points?" Nicole asked.
Jason answered, "Well, let's see… I got one of those snakes, those apes, a couple of kangaroos, and one of the hippos," he counted. "Other than that, I had points from other outings."
The screen faded and returned with a list of options…
Please choose an option:
You will go free, with your memory being erased.
You will be given a powerful weapon.
You will be able to revive someone.
"What will you do?' Jonathan asked as if he had read everyone's minds. They could tell that he wasn't sure himself. He didn't know for sure whether or not going free would be a good thing. Other than coming to this room every now and then, he really liked his current life. He had never been so satisfied. A stronger weapon was definitely tempting and it would be helpful the next time. Reviving someone would be the noble thing to do. There were so many people on this mission. Giving someone a second chance to live their life like he got sounded nice, but he couldn't think of anyone specifically that he figured would be a good choice. Even some of the people that went on this mission didn't really seem like team players, some more than others.
"I think I'll take… option 2… I guess," he scratched the back of his head signifying his indecisiveness.
The 1 disappeared and he was left with 10 points. With that, the screen cleared and nothing else popped up.
"Is that it?" Carlos asked.
"So… what does this mean?" Nicole inquired.
"It means you can go home, at least until next time," Jonathan answered.
"Next time…!?" Madison rose.
"At some unknown point, we'll be called back here over and over until you free yourself."
Madison slumped back down. This meant that she and her friend would have to endure even more of these horrific war games. Hopefully they wouldn't have to return too soon. She just wanted to forget that this had ever happened in the first place.
"Get your things, and let's get out of here," Jason suggested.
"Just a word of advice," Jonathan spoke. "You can either leave your suits in their cases here or take them with you. If you take them, you'll be protected from harm just like during the mission, but be sure not to let anyone know about it or this place. If you make that mistake, your head will explode." The newcomers were shocked to hear this. "Also, if you take your suits with you, be sure to keep them close. You don't want to come back here without it. It happened to this unfortunate guy before and he didn't last without it."
The youngsters were scared stiff. They weren't sure what to do. To be on the safe side, a few of them decided to leave the suits in the room. They went into the halls and began changing. The guys were a little more reluctant when they noticed Jayden following them.
Seeing the uneasy looks on their faces, Jayden exploded, "Fine…!! If you're so worried about me, then I'll just stay out here!!" He sat down next to DJ, who looked lost in thought. "Ain'tcha gonna to change?"
"Hmm," he came back. "… oh, yeah… I'll change just as soon as I make up my mind."
"Be careful Deej. Don't let him put the moves on you," Carlos joked.
Jayden was steaming. He folded his arms and looked to DJ, who was oblivious as he was once again lost in deep thought. He seemed really intrigued by all of this. What Jayden didn't notice was that the veterans were still hanging around and they were watching as well.
"What're you guys doing?" Nicole questioned as she returned.
The sudden sound of her voice startled Jayden. He snapped back in confusion and babbled trying to explain why both he and DJ were staring off into space. "D-… DJwasstarin',but hewasn'tblinking, soIwasstarin'athimtoseeifIcouldcatchhimblinking," he hurriedly tried to explain.
Nicole and the veterans thought it was pretty funny how he freaked out so badly over something like that. She didn't really care whether he was straight or gay either, but she did feel that it would be such a shame if he were into men.
Carlos and Richard came from the hall and DJ stood up. He said that he had made his decision and walked by them. Not sure if it was alright, Jayden slowly got up and started heading into the hall as well. A warning from Carlos freaked him out however. DJ didn't seem to make anything of it and Jayden took it as a sign that it was alright to proceed. He got back into the hall to see DJ slipping on his clothes over his suit…
"You're not leaving yours here?" he questioned.
"Nah… I decided that it might be better to take precaution. Just because we've come here doesn't mean we're invincible. Anything could happen at anytime out there… but that's just my pessimistic mind getting the best of me."
He finished putting on his clothes and left Jayden to change. Once everyone was done, the veterans escorted the newbies out of the hotel. From the looks of it, it was in great shape but for some reason it wasn't in business. This got DJ to thinking. Some questions popped into his head, but he didn't ask them.
"Where exactly are we?" Jayden asked.
"Downtown," Nicole responded after recognizing a familiar building in the distance. "We have to go this way," she pointed. "I have to go back and get my mama's car and get back home before she worries herself to death."
"Um… Which way do we have to go?" Ana asked Madison. She pointed in the opposite direction Nicole had. Ana knew that she would be parting with the only people she felt could help her through her situation.
"Speaking of worrying parents, what are we gonna tell them?" Richard questioned in hopes that someone had some kind of idea.
"Well, that depends…" DJ paused. "If our parents saw the news or even went by the school, the excuse could be that we were detained for questioning by the police. But since I don't have a cell phone myself, I can stretch it and say that I wasn't allowed a phone call until now. Hopefully a call from some random pay phone will do. I don't think that they'll question it."
"That sounds good and all… but what about us?" Richard held up his cell phone.
"You're screwed," he bluntly answered. Richard nearly fell apart at hearing this. "I'm just joking. You can always say that you were abducted by aliens…"
"That isn't funny," Richard whined.
"I guess you're right. If you say anything about aliens or something, you may be questioned by mysterious men in black." He thought for a second before saying, "You can either say that your cell phone died or break 'em and show them to your parents. Then, maybe you can use my story." He then turned to Ana and Madison who seemed intrigued at DJ spinning an "excuse" off the top of his head. He then said, "I don't exactly know your situation, so--"
"We're fine," Madison told him. "We have our own hotel room here in the city. We were on our way there, but we got all turned around and ended up driving by that school," she sounded deflated.
Trying not to bring up the tragedies of the past, DJ tried to move on, "Well that's good to hear. I guess we'll see you next time."
Ana was about to say something but refrained and just nodded in response. The team went their separate ways, some going uptown, and some going downtown. They would meet up again back in that room, if they were lucky enough to live through the night…