((::Don't Ever Start Thinking I'm Not Yearning::))
E.(very) S.(ingle) C.(aptive) A.(ngrily) P.(lots) E.(scape)
-------Five Years Before Present Time--------
Five years ago Cree came. Abby wasn't surprised, or at least she didn't show it. She knew that she was bound to see her sister again. Cree had been working for the Delightful Children, hadn't she? It was only natural that she swing by to mock her little sister's weakness. No, Abby was not the least bit surprised. At least she wasn't until she glanced upon the wet cheeks of her older sister.
"Hey, Abs." Cree's voice was cracked and almost strained. Her hands were shaking and she looked like she was about to throw up. Abby took a step backwards. Cree laughed softly and brokenly. "I understand. I wouldn't want to see me either after what I've done."
Abby did not speak for a while and when she finally did she spoke slowly as if she were carefully contemplating each word that came out of her mouth.
"What do you want with me, Cree?"
"I wanted to see you. I wanted to talk to you and I...wanted you to forgive me. It was really stupid of me to turn against you, Abigail. I know that now. I had planned to come here and ask you to give me your forgiveness and then I could be free of this heavy burden of responsibility for you, but now..." Cree looked at her sister's too thin arms and her sunken face. She gazed into Abby's once beautiful chocolate brown eyes and saw that they looked more like empty holes filled with anger and hatred and fear and sadness. "Look at you. You look like you're dying. Did you even notice?"
She had not, but now she looked down to view her body and had to bite her lip to hold back the gasp. Her legs when compared to Cree's were far too thin. She could feel a pain in her back whenever she shifted. She'd been whipped before. She was still able to feel cold hands wrapped around her arms, lips upon her own cracked lips as he forced her to care for him. He never went far; never crossed the line that was there. He knew better than that, but that didn't mean that he wasn't going to force her to do things that were supposed to be special. Things that you were supposed to share with someone you really care for.
It wasn't fair.
But... Abby looked at her older sister who seemed so tired and so worn and maybe was in bad shape herself. She couldn't blame Cree. It wasn't really her fault. It was inevitable. Teenagers sided with adults and adults were against kids. Kids were always against everyone it seemed. They fought with adults, teenagers, the elderly and, sometimes, even amongst themselves. There had always been too much fighting. Abby had just been doing her job. It wasn't Cree's fault. Not at all. It was just a part of the natural order of things. It was just a roadblock on the journey of her life. It was destiny.
"Look, Cree..." Abby reached up to scratch her neck anxiously, "It's-it's all ri-"
"No." Cree's voice was firm and steady. Abby let the sound pull her in. She hadn't really heard an old familiar voice in a long time. There were the other two captives, of course and the dreaded voice of her prison keeper, but never a voice that could really comfort her. She felt like crying right then, but she didn't. She had to be strong. Besides, Cree wasn't finished yet, "I don't want you to forgive me. I...I don't think that I deserve it. So, I'm going to find a way to earn your forgiveness. But Abby..."
She knew what Cree was going to say next. You can't just leave evil.
"There's a good chance that I won't be back."
She knew, and yet it still hit her like a ton of bricks. For a moment she found herself struggling to breath. How could her sister be so foolish? They were friends, right? Didn't she realize that Abby didn't care about the things Cree had done to betray her? Didn't she realize that Abby needed her sister to be alive? She needed a friendly face to keep her company. Even if that friendly face was also the face of a long ago traitor.
"You can't just...." She could remember a long time ago. It was a few weeks after Abby had finally been initiated as an official Kids Next Door operative; it was also the night before Cree turned thirteen. There were so many stars out that night. Abby knew that she could say anything she wanted right then, because her sister wouldn't remember the next day. She was scared, but it was important.
'I wanted to be just like you.'
"I have to. It's the only way."
'Really? Because, you know...I'd always wanted to be like you.'
"Go! Don't ever come back here again! I never want to see you Cree! I hate you!" Her screams were heard up and down the dark, moldy hall. She wanted to break down and sob. It hurt so badly.
'Me? But why? You were so much cooler and you were in the Kids Next Door. I was too little to do anything right...Why would you want to be like me?"
"Don't cry for me, little sister." Cree turned to walk away. She turned back for a moment and gave a sad smile, "Don't ever give in and never forget that I love you, Abby."
'Because you never stopped trying. You never gave up. You had more hope than I ever did and…. You were always so brave. You're still brave. I still wish that I was you, Abby.'
"I love you too...Cree...."
--Two Years Before Present Time--
"I'm glad to see that they've been beating you regularly. Don't want you going soft on me. Got to keep your anger and hatred fresh. That way you're easier to manipulate." Not again. Had it really been a year already? The days just seem to fly by when you've been beaten within an inch of your life time and time again. He cringed. When exactly had he become a pessimist?
"She's still beautiful. Gorgeous even. You should see her. You'd completely flip. Too bad you're locked in here where you can't even glimpse her and too bad that I get to hold her everyday. Too bad that she still doesn't love you. She's still in love with him." The way he said it was so harsh. Hoagie Gilligan didn't want to hear it. They'd been friends and he couldn't hate his friend...even if he was an undeserving little...Hoagie stopped. It hurt too much to be angry. "And it's much too bad that we're enemies. If things had turned out a little differently then maybe we'd be able to bond over the lack of her affections."
"You don't deserve her anyway." Hoagie's voice was weaker than he would have liked it to be. He wished that he hadn't been stripped of all of his optimism, bravery and gusto. He barely even felt like Hoagie anymore.
In one swift movement the other boy had his hand wrapped tightly around Hoagie's neck. Hoagie gasped for air as the blond boy's grip tightened considerably.
"Did I give you permission to speak?" The blond snarled furiously. Hoagie tried to move, but just couldn't. His vision was beginning to blur. The grip tightened for a moment before he was flung backwards, "Well, did I?!" Chad's voice was dripping with anger and hatred. He always came once a year to take out his anger at not having Abby on Hoagie. Hoagie would always spend a year thinking about angry, spiteful things to say to him and then the day would actually come and the fear of Chad actually killing him would overtake his senses. He'd get in one small insult, be fiercely beaten and then Chad would leave. It was a cycle he knew all too well.
"N-no..." He wheezed. He knew he would one day die there in that cold, dark cell. He would die surrounded by regrets and sorrows. He'd die filled with the horrible pain of unrequited love. He didn't know when, but he knew that was how it had to be. Escape was a fool's hope. He'd planned so many different ways out, but knew deep in his heart that it was hopeless.
"That's better." Chad smirked. "It was smart of you to give in. I knew you would. You always do. You have for the past five years. Hard to believe you're fifteen already. You're definitely not a kid anymore. Not that it matters anyway. The Kids Next Door were completely wiped out a few years ago. Adults have been ruling for almost three years now. Right now we're working on crushing a few small resistances that have sprung up. We've heard rumors of a fairly large underground one that may give us trouble, but that won't last long. But what am I telling you for? None of this really applies to you.... Although many adults believe that the destruction of the Kids Next Door was made possible because of the information you and your worthless friends gave us. So I guess that someone should thank-you for that one."
Chad was just rambling now. He always did. He brought up the Kids Next Door's destruction every year. However news of resistances were new and he had to admit that it gave him a small sliver of hope. He would hold onto that hope as tight as he could though he knew it wasn't likely to last all that terribly long.
"..."
"Not much of a talker, are you?" Chad taunted. Hoagie turned away and stared at his feet. His shoes were old and worn and violently torn in many places. "I expected a better fight from you. Have we really beaten you down? You're even lower than Fanny now. Little Fanny who lost her memory so long ago and is now obliviously doing everything we tell her to. She's complacent and shy. You'd never even recognize her. She doesn't fight back either, even though everyone can tell that she thinks the things we do are wrong. She's meek and mild now. She never raises her voice or yells at the males. Sounds like a heaven, eh Hoagie?"
Did it? He knew that a long time ago he would have thought it was the greatest thing he'd ever heard. Loud, abrasive and cruel Fanny turned into a small, scared little girl. Except now...
The thought upset him. A mild Fanny sounded like a terrible nightmare. The idea that she could have changed so much because of the adults was frightening. He didn't want to think about it. He didn't want to imagine her so changed.
"Oh man! I didn't strike a nerve, did I? Don't tell me that you actually liked Numbah 86! She was the most miserable girl I'd ever met. Everyone hated her. Everyone."
"No," Hoagie muttered, "Not everyone. Numbah 3 didn't seem to mind her. And I...well I never actually hated her. I didn't particularly enjoy her, but I didn't hate her. I kind of always thought that there was more to her than just a mean exterior."
"What an optimist you were. It's a shame that we've stripped you of that. You're all different now. Guess five years in a hellhole like this one does that to a person. I wouldn't know. I was smart enough to side with the winning team. So...tough luck." Chad turned away and headed down the hall. Hoagie shot up quickly and ran to the front of his prison.
"Don't forget that you were one of us once. You can never change that. No matter how much you want to pretend like it never happened, it wasn't just a dream. Its as much a part of you as it is of me. Never forget it."
"Fuck off, Gilligan."
--Present Time--
"--Why are you just standing there? I ordered you to go and give the monster his bread and water! Don't make me tell you again! Understood, girl?" The man's face wasn't visible underneath his red helmet, but from the tone of his voice he would be smirking wickedly. Fanny didn't move, but stood still her mouth slightly ajar.
"B-but..." She attempted to compose herself. It wouldn't do her any good to get flustered. But then again...She could sense the familiar feeling of an old fury rise within her. Oh how she wished she were brave enough to unleash it. "Isn't that the man who broke Private Ricky's fingers?"
She heard the two guards snicker and watched as they exchanged glances.
"All the more reason for us to send you to do it. Your fingers are worthless to the organization, but we are vitally important. You do understand where I'm coming from, right love?" The old fury was rising quickly to the surface. She took a deep breath. If she bubbled over than she would have to face a rather brutal punishment. Still...It wasn't right that he could call her love and not be hurt. Just one kick in the groin and she could bolt. Maybe she could even escape.
"Of course, sir." She nodded. Who was she kidding? She wasn't the kind of person who fought back. At least she couldn't remember fighting back. But then again she couldn't remember anything from before she was about ten years old. All she could remember was seven long years working for an organization owned by adults. She'd been involved in arranging many attacks against certain groups of kids. She'd never understood why she was against kids that were virtually her own age, but she didn't question. She'd been told that she was the kind of person who didn't argue and didn't question. She had been so confused back then that she agreed. But now...
Lately she had been feeling rebellious. Lately she'd been feeling like something wasn't quite right. Lately...she'd wanted to fight back. She'd wanted to run away from the organization and find her own life. She wondered who she had been before the organization. Did she have her own family? What happened back then? Why couldn't she remember everything?
"Now go. I don't want to see you until after you deliver that food." She bowed her head a bit and then scurried out with a small plate of bread and water. She ran out so fast that she didn't even have time to hear the two soldiers speak.
"Look Bob, I'm all for showing her who's boss, but we're not supposed to let her go down there. It's the rules, remember?"
"Come on Joe. What could possibly happen?"
The door to the prison basement made a loud creaking noise as she unlocked it. She'd never been allowed down before. She'd never wanted to go either. She'd heard rumors of dangerous people locked up inside. Fanny descended the stairs slowly. It was really cold. And dark. In fact it was so terribly dim that she found herself holding out a hand in front of her so that she didn't bump into someone or something.
When he feet finally landed at the bottom of the stairs, she took a few moments for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. There was a single bulb overhead and it seemed as if it were going to burn out at any moment. The thought of being trapped down in the dreary prison chamber made her shiver and she quickly pulled out the paper with the so-called "monster's" cell number. Number 34.
She looked at the nearest cage's door and found "Number 1" written on it. She sighed. She had a long ways to go. She began jogging down the hall. She had to turn left at one point. She was beginning to worry. There were so many cages, but none had people in them. What was the point?
She was so completely lost in thought that she almost ran right past the cell she'd been looking for. She skidded to a halt and then froze as she looked at the cell. Who or what lay inside of it? She took a large breath and puffed up as tall as she could. She marched to the cell with a mad gleam in her eye as if daring its occupant to try something.
"Here's yeh're food, yeh good fer nothing monster." She did her best to pull away the moment she laid the food down, but she still wasn't fast enough. She screamed in terror as two strong hands wrapped around her thin wrists. She tried to struggle, but in a moment a face appeared along with the body that was attached to the arms.
"Too slow." He murmured and then twisted her arm. She screamed again and began yelling words as they came to her.
"Good for nothing man! Get the hell off of me, yeh hear? Yeh're a pig and an ass! Let me go!" The man chuckled and pulled her close.
"You wish, girlie." He pulled her arm even more and she felt large tears well up in her eyes. Oh, he just had to stop. It hurt so bad.
"I order yeh to let go of me now!" She wailed. She was surprised when the hold on her arm loosened. Her eyes widened in surprise as the man spoke again, although this time less rough and much more confused.
"Numbah 86?" He let go. She turned around to look at him. She could barely make out his features, but he appeared to be haggard and somewhat smaller than she would have guessed. "Ya can't 'onestly be serious? I thought you were a goner fer sure. What the hell are ya doing down 'ere?"
"Do...I know you?" She asked him thoroughly confused. Numbah 86? What on earth was he talking about? And why was he looking at her as if she were some ethereal figure that couldn't possibly be real and standing right before him.
"It's me. Y'know, Numbah 4? No? Err...how about...Wally? Do you remember Wally? Oh, come on Numbah 86! How could ya forget?" He looked so terribly upset with her. She was sad that she was upsetting him, but she just couldn't remember...But then again....
"Err...ya okay, Numbah 86?"
That boy! She thought excitedly. She looked at him carefully. He's that boy who talked to me that day. He ran away and I never saw him again. Those strange children found me and... told me who I was and what I was like and said that I was to work for them...I went along with it. I never questioned. She saw the man looking at her with hope. But maybe I should have.
"I-I don't know. I think I might remember yeh...But I just don't know." She hated being unsure. She studied his face carefully. She felt like she could trust him. More than she could trust those creepy children from so long ago.
"Oh well...then I guess you'll probably wanna just go now..." He said turning his back on her. She reached between the bars and touched his shoulder.
"I don't know. But I want to. Tell me what happened..." She glanced back the way she had come from. "Tell me everything."
----
The mug crashed to the ground and then shattered without even a sliver of grace. A young blond man looked down upon it in disdain and resentment. He really did hate the foul, bitter taste of alcohol. In fact he could find nothing pleasant about it. It tasted terrible and smelled worse. It was usually weak and something that he had never seen himself needing when he was younger. It was a terrible thing that always seemed to twist his mind, so that after it was gone he felt dirty and horrid.
And yet....
It was so wonderful and amazing. It had always been there when he needed to escape and it always would. It did not have a will of its own; it existed only in relation to him. It distorted reality and gave him a sense of strength that he had lost somewhere along the way. It wasn't the most aesthetically pleasing of drinks, but it did hold a sort of beauty to it. He controlled it too. With one snap of his wrist he would send it sprawling against the wall and it would be no more.
No, Chad thought crazily, that's not true. It was still there. Running between the floorboards, seeping through the cracks and crevasses. To break it meant that it would be freed of its confinement within his mug. He could not allow it to run free. He needed it near him it was his addiction.
You're not thinking about alcohol at all, are you? He asked himself. No. You're thinking about that girl, Abigail Lincoln, Numbah 5 of the Kids Next Door. You always think about her. She is quite the extraordinary addiction, isn't she?
He was too wrapped in his thoughts to notice a small red head creeping towards the locked door that lead to the cellar - the door that would take her to the prisoners.
----
"I have the keys..." Fanny said in a hushed voice. She practically threw herself in front of the cell of the former Numbah 4. The boy smiled at her from between the bars.
"I guess ya girls ain't so cruddy after all." He commented as she tried to find the right key for the lock. She stopped searching for a moment to scowl darkly at him.
"If yeh're gonna be ungrateful, then I'm not going to help yeh." She hissed, crossing her arms angrily over her chest. Wally growled in anger and opened his mouth as if to speak, but appeared to decide against it as he settled down and watched her. He didn't apologize, but she didn't seem to care as she started checking keys again.
"Hey, err...Numbah 86?" He began sheepishly.
"Mmm?" She asked without looking up.
"Thanks." He told her as sincerely as he could.
"Please don't get all mushy on me. I don't think I could stand it. I might even have ta throw up...Yeh worthless boy...." She muttered the last part with a smile. The words did seem familiar to her, but how could she really know if she was doing the right thing. Wally had told her a completely twisted story about what he said was her past. It involved a large organization of children, a fierce hatred of boys, and an untimely loss of memories. She had listened to all he had told her with a feeling of nostalgia floating around her. It all seemed so right and so real, but she still could not actually remember.
"Heard that." Years ago the comment would have really angered him, but it was just so good to find someone on his side that he just didn't care. And then...once Fanny found the right key....
Kuki...
He shook his head. He needed to focus on the task at hand.
"I know."
It was silent for a few minutes, save the jangle of Fanny's keys. She felt a shiver run down her spine. She was risking everything. Of course, if she didn't do anything then she would always feel worthless and weak.
Click.
Both of them stopped moving for a few moments. Fanny looked up and locked her gaze with Wally's. Wally smiled weakly at her and she could see a happy hope welling up in him - a bravery that hadn't been there before. She nodded and pulled the door open slowly to reveal a tall young man, with unkempt and dirty, blond hair. He slowly stepped forward, taking a small step out of the cage. Fanny saw him shiver a little and then hesitantly raise his other foot.
"This can't be real." Wally breathed.
"It is real Numbah 4, and now you're free." She said quietly. He turned and looked at her. She watched as a large smile spread across his face. She took a step backwards as he started towards her. A fear ran through her. She had just let a dangerous criminal escape. He was going to bash her head against the wall. He was going to....
Hug her?
Fanny let out a grunt as Wally threw his arms around her and squeezed her to him. She froze for a few seconds, unsure of herself. She felt her cheeks growing red and struggled against him.
"Let go of me, yeh boy! Yeh're suffocating me!"
He released his grip on her and stepped back, still grinning madly.
"Ya just don't how much this means ter me. I never thought I'd actually be grateful to ya, Numbah 86." He told her sincerely, "But now," He changed the subject, "It's time ta save the others!"
He grabbed onto Fanny's wrist and dragged her down the hall behind him.
"Others?!"
"Numbah's 2 and 5 are in 'ere too! We've gotta save 'em and get outta 'ere!" He informed her as they ran. They came to a fork in the hallway. "Damn. Look," He began pointing to the left, "You go down that hall and get Numbah 2. I'll go this way and help Numbah 5."
He turned, but Fanny stopped him.
"But you need the key!" She protested, not wanting to be separated from the only person she felt she could really trust.
He smirked.
"I've had Numbah 5's key fer a long time. It fell out of that lame-o teenager, Chad's pocket years ago right by my cell. I managed to pick it up and hide it from 'im, hopin' it would keep 'im from her. He was pretty angry and frantic for awhile, but eventually decided that it had jus' rolled into some dusty, dreary, unused corner since most corners here are unused."
"I noticed. Why so many cells for no one?"
Wally shrugged.
"Maybe they 'ad other places to put people. I don' really know."
"If you have the key, then how comes Chad still visits Numbah err...5?"
Wally nodded at her hesitation.
"Must 'ave had a spare. In any case, I still have the original and we need to act quickly. It should be getting close to dawn. We have to get out of here as soon as possible. So go find Numbah 2!" He turned and ran down the right path without a second glance and a fear swept over Fanny. Was she really going to find this, Numbah 5 or was he leaving her behind to take the blame for his escape? She shook her head and then began jogging down the left path.
She passed by cells on both sides of her, but there was no sign of a human inhabitant within any of them. She was about to give up and find her way back out to face her punishment for helping the blond boy to escape, when she heard someone groan. She gasped and jumped into the air - outwardly panicked.
"I-is someone there?" She heard a male's cracked voice mumble. It was coming from a cell a little further ahead. She rushed forward to peer through the bars.
"I'm here to help yeh." She told the speaker. She couldn't make him out in the dark. She could barely even see the lock right in front of her as she went to work searching for the right key. She heard his bones crack as he pulled himself from the ground and moved toward the front of his cage. She stifled a scream. She couldn't tell whether this man was good or bad, and all she had to go off of was Wally's word.
"Help...me?" His voice was gentle, somewhat comforting too. The voice was like an old friend she hadn't seen in a long time. It was different from Wally's and her own. It held a brightness to it. Within it laid a blinding hope that would never disappear.
"Yeah..." She mumbled as she tried concentrating on the keys in her hand.
"You really should help the others, instead. My two friends are in other cells and they need someone more than I do, especially Numbah 5. Numbah 5 needs you the most. Could you help her?"
"Don't worry," Fanny tried to sound comforting, "She'll be fine. It's you that you should be worrying about right now, not your friends."
"But then I wouldn't really be there friend. I have to put them before me, because I care about them." Her hands were shaking. Her vision was blurring. Why did her cheeks feel wet?
"Yeh're noble for a boy." It was amazing how she could make such a simple and plain word into a brutal insult. No matter how many times she used it negatively it still cut.
"You're not.... Numbah 86?" She nodded in the darkness.
"I guess I am."
Click.
She pulled the door open in one quick thrust. The boy stepped out from the dark cage and Fanny got her first look at him. He was tall, extremely tall. He was also thin and bony, which didn't quite seem to fit him. He looked almost too thin.
He took one shaky step forward and collapsed to the ground. She bent down quickly and grasped his shoulders. He wrapped an arm around her as he attempted to stop his shaking. She sat there, holding him to her to keep him from falling forward.
"Sorry, Fanny."
She scowled for a moment before she chuckled. She didn't really like her name and from what she heard from Numbah 4, nobody really dared to call her it. She would always be Numbah 86.
"It's okay. Just let me know when yeh're okay."
A few minutes later Hoagie and Fanny made their way back with Hoagie leaning heavily on the smaller girl.
"I am really sorry. I think my ankle might be injured. Chad came a few days ago and we got into an argument and I twisted it somehow and it hurts pretty bad. Thanks a lot for helping me though, Numbah 86."
"Sure."
They had just made it to the intersection when they stopped at hearing the sound of approaching footsteps. They froze in fear and Fanny's grip around Hoagie tightened slightly.
"Numbah 86? Is that you?"
Fanny sighed in relief as Wally emerged from the shadows. She heard Hoagie growl angrily and Fanny wondered why. Then she saw the outline of a smaller figure in Wally's arms. It was a pretty African American girl who appeared to be in pretty bad shape. She was the thinnest of the three prisoners and kept coughing.
"Hey guys."
"Numbah 5...." Hoagie said in a sad voice. Abby smiled a little and then covered her mouth with her hand and let out a loud, violent cough. "What did that dirty bastard do to you?" His voice was becoming angrier by the second. He took a step towards Abby but unfortunately stepped too hard with his bad foot and tumbled forward with a yelp of pain. Fanny sunk down beside him and trailed her fingers along his back soothingly.
"Numbah 2, get your butt offa the ground and let Numbah 86 help ya. I don't want anyone worrying about me right now. Our only goal for the moment is to escape." Abby struggled a little in Wally's arms and he set her down gently on the floor, letting her hold onto his arm and lean against him for support. "Now let's think of a plan to get us all out of this...."
Fanny watched as they all began throwing ideas back and forth and couldn't help, but feel left out. By the way they interacted with each other it was obvious that they were all close or had been at some point. They worked together and fought for each other. She didn't even remember who they were and if it had been up to her she would never have risked going to find Hoagie and Abby. That knowledge made her feel so mean and terrible.
"Didja 'ear that Numbah 86?" Wally asked the redhead. She snapped to attention. She really should learn to control her you repeat it?"
"It's risky," Came the raspy voice of Abigail Lincoln, "but we're going out the front door. It'll be the quickest escape route, but we'll have to be real careful."
Fanny nodded and the four began making their way towards the stairs. They were about to head up when they heard the lock click open. Wally nodded to a darkened corner and they all ran to it and tried to blend in with the wall behind them.
"I told you it was a bad idea, didn't I Bob? Now that rotten bitch has gone and stolen our keys! Do you have any idea what kind of trouble we'll be in if this gets out? I can't believe -...."
"Shut up, Joe! I know! Now stop wasting time and find her!"
They all listened as Bob and Joe's voices disappeared down the hall. They began moving up the stairs as fast as they could. About 3/4's of the way up Abby was overcome with a coughing fit. The other three teens watched in horror as the girl's coughs grew so loud and strong that they racked her whole body. Wally grabbed onto her and threw her over his shoulder and began up the stairs again.
"Move!" He hissed, "They'll have 'eard her by now!"
Fanny and Hoagie jogged behind Wally, spurred on by fear. Hoagie managed to make it up to the top, but was wincing with every step. Fanny would have been able to make it without any trouble, but she was afraid that Hoagie would fall too far behind and he'd be the only one left, while his friends made it out. It wouldn't have been fair.
"Get back here, girl!"
Bang.
Fanny screamed as something shot by her arm. It didn't hit her, but it was so close. She reached the landing at the top and pulled on Hoagie's arm and yanked him out. Wally threw his weight against the door to slam it shut. Hoagie grabbed a broom and placed it across the door.
"It won't hold them for too long, so let's go!" He shouted and then ambled forward. Fanny passed Hoagie in order to lead them all to the exit. Wally was trailing behind now, finally having the added weight of carrying Abby catch up to him. The front glass doors were only a few yards in front of them. Fanny felt herself grinning. They had made it and she was going to escape with the rest of them. She held out her arm, ready to grab the handle.
"Not so fast Francine."
Fanny screamed and stopped short as a figure leapt out from behind a potted plant and landed in front of the doors, barring her path. She struggled as a strong hand wrapped around her wrist. Chad smirked at his prey.
"You are not getting away"
Bam.
Chad grunted and flew back as a fist made contact with his face. Fanny stared in shock at the blond boy on the floor. She looked over her shoulder to see Hoagie standing there, holding his right fist.
"Let's go."
Fanny nodded and pulled open the door quickly. Hoagie followed her lead and only a few seconds later Wally flew out the door with Abby in his arms. The three runners kept going for a while; trying to put distance between themselves and the building they had been trapped within for so long. About ten minutes later they stopped in an alley and huddled together.
"Now what?" Fanny asked. Where did they go now? Where could they hide?
"We have to find Numbah 1 and Numbah 3." Hoagie insisted.
"We have to find our families!" Wally argued.
"No," Abby said weakly. "We need all of that, but we also need some cash. Shelter too. Maybe even some preservatives. We need to go to the tree house. We need to find our past."
Wally and Hoagie nodded at once and Fanny did after a moment.
"I don't really know why, but if you say so. Then let's go."
"Don't worry guys." Hoagie told them, even though he knew they wouldn't believe him. "Everything will be fine."
Or so he hoped.
----
A/N: Dies So long..............Both in actual length of this chapter and in time since my last update. Sorry to keep everyone waiting. Hope this is worth it. Thank you all for the wonderful reviews. They made me so happy. Don't worry Nigel and Kuki lovers! They should be back next chapter.
Don't forget to read and review!