The City

Cole shivered violently as sweat poured down his neck. His breath became cold and heavy yet his eyes held shut in unconsciousness.

A shrill screech pierced through his ears and a heavy breeze devoured his skin. Slowly he tried to force himself awake, but to no avail, his body refused to open his eyes. Another screech burst into his mind, Cole's body now coated in goosebumps and severed words now echoed through the noise.

Cole violently threw his head to the side, trying to force control of his own body.

Left! The angry voice roared through him. Left!

"George!", Cole yelled to himself. "Is it you George?"

Forward! Back! Left! Forward Right!, the deep sound pressed.

Cole's nails pressed through the skin of his palms as blood quickly rushed to the surface.

Left, Left, Forward, Back, Left, Forward, Right! It reiterated.

"Who are you!?", Cole demanded. The sound was so loud he could not tell whether he was talking aloud or in his head.

Responsively Cole felt himself being flushed with water, as if he was drowning in a large ocean. His body was entirely numb. He could feel himself slowly suffocating.

He could see his life flashing before him. All of his pains were haunting him again, his friends stood in front of him in the ocean, he could see their shadows dilating in the water. Slowly he reached for them, but their silhouettes steadily drifted away from his fingertips. Holding his breath ,Cole's lungs felt like broken glass yet he reached for his friends with the tip of his third finger as the rest of his life flashed around their bodies as a movie does when someone walks in front of the screen. Just another centimeter and he could reach for them.

He felt his lungs shatter inside of him. Bubbles burst from his mouth and the shadows break into grains of sand.

*~*

His eyes break open and his body throws itself onto his stomach.

Cole waits for his eyes to finish twirling when they slowly become focused again. He finds himself breathing heavily. He brushes his long fingers through his hair. It is soaking wet with water, his eyes almost burst from their sockets…water is spattered all over the shelter.

He reaches to his side and clutches his scepter securely in his palms. Quickly he rushes outside and into the forest.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

In a heartbeat, the, now transparent, sphere shattered into tiny shards of sand. The three young men still have their eyes tightly shut.

It was Matt who was the first to suspect their landing. Cautiously he opens his left eye and maneuvers it observantly. His mouth drops open.

Drake was the next to feel the curiosity. Equally as cautious, he winced his eyes enough to barely see the gray sky. Opening his eyes to their full potential he gasps.

Hearing Drake, Andrew opened his eyes quickly and felt faint enough to collapse.

The entire park was obliterated into nothing. The once luscious green trees that they had grown to love were broken down to stumps of blackened wood and the soft green grass that they would sometimes lay on to configure the clouds was just raw dirt and weeds.

Quickly Matt ran towards the sidewalks that stretched into downtown. His heart stopped beating for a moment. The beautiful skyscrapers and buildings were gone, just steel buildings and a meaningless horizon in their place.

Andrew and Drake quickly joined Matt. Drake could not believe his eyes. Not only was the entire downtown gone, but above them were images of themselves. Just their guises, but their true forms, staring threateningly from billboards. In full color and magnified hundreds of times were their portraits with disturbing captions on all, each one different and more heart breaking than the next.

Andrew slowly read them to himself. Have you seen these monsters? The Sailor Soldiers are wanted in all 50 states and 42 countries around the Globe. Be American, and beware. 1billion dollar bounty for their capture--Dead or Alive. Serial Murderers--armed and dangerous. He could not bear to read anymore.

"This is horrible.", Andrew said grimly. "How can anyone be so wrong?"

"I don't know.", Matt answered as he shakes his head negatively. "I really don't know. This would break my father's heart."

Drake couldn't help but frown, yet he turns to them optimistically. "Maybe its just really bad here. Maybe its better in other places. Lets try the school.", he asked sincerely. "I'm sure its not so bad at the academy."

Without another word to one another they walked through the city, trying their hardest not to look around them and failing. The streets were so desolate and filled with negativity that it was hard to keep walking. Nothing was as bright anymore, no more smiles or glimmers of hope with their every breath anymore. It was very fortunate for them that there was no way for them to be identified under their disguises or else they might be dead by now.

There was a sick aftertaste in the irony of it all. For so many years their power had been cherished and appreciated by the world, but now because of tragedy it is loathed as they were. Did nobody believe in them anymore?

The sun began to shift nearer to the horizon, but still fairly bright despite the clusters of clouds enshrouding the city.

Drake was correct whether his optimism was pure or not. The city did seem better as they neared the more suburban end of the city. It was not nearly as desolate or empty. The steel buildings became steel walls and the steel walls became steel patches as they progressed. A person would pass by occasionally beside them-much too caught up in their own affairs to bother to look at them. Little did they know they were walking past alleged 'serial murderers'.

A single drop of sweat streamed down Drake's face. The heavy camera on his shoulder was taking a toll on him. Matt's pearly perfect teeth were still hidden by his long frown. Andrew was becoming agitated with his bucked teeth, so much that he just rested them over his bottom lip, giving the illusion of an overbite.
Andrew finally saw it fit to break the silence. "Do you think this is what your vision was warning you about?"

Matt looked at him for several moments without a word, but finally mustering the energy to respond. "No, I don't. This is not what I felt during my vision.", he said, looking up at the cloudy sky. "This is bad. But its not the same sort of bad I felt.", staring into Andrew's eyes. "Not the same kind of bad, you know?"

He nodded slightly.

"I need to go.", Matt blurted quickly.

Drake waiting a moment to process his words. Finally realizing what Matt said Drake responded. "What the heck do you mean you have to go?! Its bad enough…Da-I mean the others backed out, but now you!?"

"I am not backing out.", Matt answered defensively. "I need to be alone."

Andrew cut in. "We can't afford that right now! We need to stay together, we need to find out about…your vision.", he whispered.

"I am sorry.", Matt started. Drake sighed gratefully. "But I have to go."

Drake groaned as Matt quickly walked off.

"That is just great!", Drake yelled angrily. "Why does this keep on happening? Do you know why? I sure as hell don't.", Drake irritably asked Andrew.

"All of the pressure?", Andrew answered hesitantly.

Drake glared slightly at Andrew, but gained a grip on his emotions. "You know we are cool, right?" Andrew nodded. "Well if we are gonna be a duo…you have to learn when I ask you a rhetorical question."

Andrew smiled. "A duo?"

"A duo.", Drake answered sincerely back.

"Well I suppose we are on an unofficial patrol then, aren't we, Robin?", Andrew joked.

"I suppose so." Drake paused. "Wait a second. What do you mean Robin? I am Batman, buddy."

They both laughed.

"To the bat cave!", announced Drake, blindly walking backwards goofily.

Andrew laughed at his silliness. His smile quickly faded. "Watch out!"

Stupidly Drake tripped over something and fell roughly on his back, his camera skidding down the sidewalk.

Andrew flinched awkwardly.

Drake opens his eyes slightly and in focus is a very beautiful woman, angrily leering at his clumsiness.

Drake quickly hopped back on his feet. The woman looked twice as beautiful in person. She had perfect locks of orange tinted dark blonde hair. He was nearly as tall as Drake with dark orange high heels that he must have tripped over, snow white skin, and an enticingly large bust that Drake found himself staring at in place of her face.

Andrew, who had rushed beside him, elbowed him into focus.

Drake pleaded sympathetically to her deep blue eyes.

"I am so sorry miss.", he began. "I was so stupid to bump into you, how can I ever make it up to you?", he asked, noticing her rubbing her hand. Grabbing it ever so gently he rubbed it for her. "Did I hurt your hand, madam? I would gladly take you to a clinic to get that taken care of for you. How about a drink? My treat. I am so sorry."

The young woman glowered spitefully at the obese cameraman. She snatched her arm out of his grip and shoved her heel into his groin. Drake fell nauseously back on the concrete.

"Don't you ever get into my way again.", she snapped at him, and seductively stormed off.

Andrew knelt beside his friend. "Are you okay, buddy?"

Drake scrunched his eyes tightly shut and moaned in deep pain.

"I think the bat cave will have to wait.", he mumbled.

Andrew could not help but smile.