Part 13 – A Satire of Stability

Spike led his two fellow Locos out to Sector 13. He was walking so fast that one of his strides covered two of theirs and they struggled to keep up. The adrenaline running through his veins was almost dizzying. He wanted for Ebony to be gone from his life. For him to have the power he craved. To be able to fulfil his dream for this city without her interference.

Spike wanted to find her dead body when he reached Sector 13. He would like nothing more. It would wipe a very large problem from his life in one fell swoop.

Spike thoughts were interrupted by one of the guys with him. He pointed off into the distance. Spike looked up, and heaved a sigh. There Ebony was, walking toward them. He stood where he was, waiting for her to reach them. She was walking quite slowly, leading Spike to think something had happened to her. Not enough in his opinion.

"Spike," Ebony said genially on meeting him. "Why are you out here?"

"You left Jax and Milton out here for hours. I came out to see what had happened to you."

"I'm touched. Never knew you cared. But nothing's happened. I'm fine," Ebony said, walking away.

Spike followed. "Then where were you?"

"I was meeting up with some old friends."

"Old friends."

"Yes Spike, old friends. Now let's get back to the Mall. I'm sure things have fallen to pieces without me."

Spike followed her, the venom in his eyes unparalleled. Just what the hell had she been doing? What was she planning? Something wasn't right here. Ebony didn't just disappear for days for no apparent reason. She wouldn't ever do that. She knew it was too dangerous for her to do so. Anything could go down while she was gone, someone could attack, usurp her… So why had she done it?

Or… maybe she hadn't left by choice…

Spike would never know. Ebony sure wouldn't give away her secrets to him, and he had little time to search for the answers. He had his own plans to carry out. And he was now more determined than ever to succeed.


Danni walked into the café where Bray was playing with Brady on the floor. Trudy had asked him to take care of her – she and Salene were having a chat together. He'd gladly agreed, happy to see her out of her room and talking to someone.

Danni sat down beside him on the floor and smiled. "So guess what?"

"What?"

"The invitations for the Tribal Gathering just went out. Each personally addressed to each of the tribe leaders just like you suggested. They're being hand-delivered by the Militia right now."

Bray kissed her. "That's great. At last, the ball is rolling. Once we get confirmation from the leaders we can start really planning things."

"I know. Building this city back up – I can't wait," Danni smiled. "Especially since my father brought it down."

"Danni…"

"I know, I know. Not my fault, not my guilt. But still, I want to make it better."

Bray nodded. "And you will. We all will."

"Have you got time to spend frivolously with a lady friend today?" Danni smiled.

"I wished I had! But I've got to get out to the farm."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Lex is incommunicado. The Militia are out delivering the invitations. There's no one else. We need at least four people to get all the stuff back," Bray sighed regrettably, bouncing Brady.

"You need me to help?"

"Nah, stay and hold down the fort. Ryan's coming with me, and so are Ellie and Jack."

"All right. Be careful out there."

"No need to be. There's no danger. But I will be anyway," Bray laughed.

"Thank you."


"Thanks for helping Ryan."

"It's okay. I wanted to get out of the Mall. Been going kind of crazy in there," Ryan said dully, not even looking at Bray.

"I feel like that sometimes," Bray laughed.

They were coming back from the farm after picking up some fruit and vegetables. Dal was out there helping with the harvest and no hands could be spared to bring the food to the City, so they had gotten it themselves. Jack and Ellie were trailing far behind them, pushing a wheelbarrow of produce, chatting and giggling. They had insisted on coming – well, Ellie had – and the one thing that was guaranteed to get Jack away from his work was Ellie. Bray had known that they would be little help, infatuated with each other as they were, and so had needed another set of hands. Ryan had been more than willing. He seemed slightly subdued and Bray couldn't help but keep looking at him.

"Ryan, is there something wrong?" he asked, shifting the big box he carried.

Ryan sighed, and shrugged. "Just stuff. Salene's been kind of distant. The honeymoon's over I guess," he said, squinting. "I don't know how to talk to her when she gets like this."

Bray sighed too. He'd noticed Salene's mood too. "I could try and talk to her…"

Ryan looked at him sharply. "Why would she talk to you?"

"I'm not saying she would. I'm just saying I could try," Bray said gently.

Ryan looked away again. "She should be talking to me. I don't know what I'm supposed to—"

Bray frowned as he cut off. "What?"

"There's someone there…"

Bray followed Ryan's gaze. There was a side alley nearby which was filled with cardboard boxes and other rubbish. Barely visible through all of the debris was an arm. Bray frowned and moved closer, putting down his box of vegetables. He cautiously walked toward the alley, Ryan following. On reaching the alley Bray bent down and pushed away some of the boxes. A mass of wild black hair came into view as they fell aside. It was a girl, lying face down.

Bray looked at Ryan; both had the same worried look on their faces.

"Hello? Are you okay?" Bray called out.

Bray knelt down beside her and reached through the other boxes that lay over her body. He turned her over; her long hair was covering her face. When he pulled his hand back it was covered in blood. He started backwards in shock and Ryan caught him.

As Bray caught his breath, Ryan delved forward and pulled her out of the boxes. Besides the fact that she was hardly clothed, her body was covered in angry cuts and bruises. Bray moved to her again, as Ryan lay her down gently. Bray tentatively reached forward and pulled her wild black hair off of her face, but it was difficult to do so. He realised that it was congealed with blood. He frowned, deftly pulled her hair back.

Bray looked down at his hands, covered in this girl's blood.

Ryan let out a strangled cry just then and Bray looked back at the girl. He saw why Ryan was so upset. The reason there had been so much blood in the girl's hair was because of a huge gash across her neck that was still pouring with blood – her throat had been slashed. Possibly more disturbing was that her blue eyes were wide open and staring at him unseeingly.

She was dead.

"What's going on guys? What are you looking at?" Ellie asked cheerfully. She and Jack had finally caught up to them.

Bray looked meaningfully at Ryan, who stood up right away.

"Jack, Ellie, go back to the Mall now. Get all these vegetables to the storeroom before they spoil in the hot weather," Ryan told them sternly, throwing his arms wide and ushering them away.

"But what's going on?" Ellie asked.

Jack chuckled. "Yeah, what are you hiding guys?"

Bray stood up. "Just go back to the Mall. I'm not kidding!" he snapped, a panic in his voice that they rarely heard.

Jack's expression instantly became serious. "Bray what's wrong?" He stepped forward and stopped when he saw the blood on Bray's hands and clothes. His eyes went wide and dropped to the ground, where he saw the dead girl. "Oh my God---" Immediately he turned around and pushed Ellie back.

Indignantly, she struggled against him. "What is your problem Jack?"

"We're going back to the Mall," Jack told her, forcibly turning her around.

"I'm not made of glass, you know. I won't break if I see something scary," she hissed. "What is happening?"

"Ellie, someone is dead back there. All right? I don't want you seeing that," Jack said to her, his voice thick with fear.

"Dead?"

Just then a sharp cry broke through the air.

Ellie frowned. "What was that?"

Bray carefully stepped over the girl's body and into the alley, toward the source of the cry. "Hello? Is there someone else in there? It's okay. We won't hurt you!"

"Who would do this?" Ellie whispered, staring at the bloody body of the girl.

Jack yanked her back into his arms. "Don't look! I told you not to look! Ellie…"

As Bray ventured deeper into the alley, they heard another cry, followed by a long wail. Bray quickly found who was crying. At the very back of the alley in a little shelter of boxes and corrugated steel, was a toddler of two or three, clutching a blanket. He had a shock of black hair and big blue eyes. He was crying quite hysterically by now and as Bray neared the shelter, he backed into it, terrified.

"Hey, hey, it's all right. It's all right," Bray said, trying to smile. "I'm here to help. I won't hurt you, little one." He sat down outside the shelter and looked at the boy. "Come here. It'll be all right, I promise."

The boy stared past him at the body of the girl. "Momma," he said in his tiny baby voice.

Bray's brow deepened with a sorrowful frown. "Momma? Is that your mother? Oh my God, is that your mother?" he said softly, more to himself. Bray felt something snap inside of him. An icy coldness began to seep through him, very quickly. It was horror.

"Bray! Who's back there?" Ryan called out.

"It's a baby!" Bray replied. He leaned forward and scooped the boy up, who immediately began to kick and scream out of fear. Bray held him tightly, trying to comfort him. He walked back down the alley, halting when he came to the entrance – and the dead body of the baby's mother. He stepped over her, feeling like his stomach was turning inside out.

Jack, pale and silent, was clutching Ellie, and Ryan was kneeling by the girl, a questioning look on his face. "Bray?"

"I think this is her baby," Bray said quietly.

"Oh no…" Ellie intoned.

"What's that he's holding?" Jack asked.

Bray pulled the blanket from the whimpering child's clutch. "Baby blanket I guess. Wait… I think there's a name on here." In a corner of the blanket, embroidered into the material were the words Baby Micah. "Micah. That's your name?" Bray looked at the boy, who barely reacted at the sound of his name. His big eyes were focused on his mother. Bray turned his body so that the baby couldn't see her. He knew he couldn't understand and probably wouldn't remember, but he didn't care. He didn't want him seeing this.

"What are we going to do now?" Ryan asked. "I mean with the baby – and the body?"

"We take them. We take them back to the Mall," Bray said decisively.

"Bray – do you think that's a good idea?" Jack said. "Besides the fact that it's a dead body, she's covered in blood. Do you want the kids seeing that?"

"Then you and Ellie go on ahead of us. Find Danni and Ebony. Tell them what's happened. Move the kids somewhere before we come in," Bray said.

"And the food from the farm?" Ryan gestured to the wheelbarrow and the boxes they had been carrying.

"Stash it in the alley under some cardboard and we'll come back for it later. We have to get back to the Mall as fast as possible. Whoever did this could still be around."

Working quickly, they hid the fruit and vegetables in the alley.

Bray looked at the body of the girl. "Ryan – would you?"

Ryan nodded. He took off his overcoat and wrapped the girl in it, before picking her up effortlessly. They walked quickly and silently back to the Mall, Jack and Ellie hurrying before them, Bray carrying the baby and Ryan carrying the girl.

Jack and Ellie ran in through the front entrance, and Ryan and Bray paused just outside, waiting for the signal that it was okay to go in. Bray was just glad it wasn't market day, and only the Mallrats were present in the Mall.

Ellie and Jack rushed into the Mall, calling for Danni. She appeared on the balcony, her eyes wide. "What's wrong? Where's Bray?" She quickly ran down the stairs.

"Something's happened. You have to take all the kids upstairs," Ellie told her.

"What's going on?" Tai-San asked, coming along with Patsy and Cloe. Trudy and Salene were following with Brady.

May wandered in from another part of the Mall, an eyebrow raised. "What's the drama now?" she asked in a bored voice.

"Ellie, where's Bray?" Danni asked in a shaky voice. "Where is he?"

"And Ryan? Has something happened at the farm?" Salene asked.

"There's no time!" Ellie insisted, throwing up her hands. "Get the kids upstairs! Patsy, Cloe, KC – all of them."

"I'll take them," Salene said, going upstairs with Patsy and Cloe, who protested immediately.

Lex and KC strolled in. "What's all the commotion? Someone break a nail?" Lex sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Shut up Lex. Just shut up!' Jack snapped. "This is serious! KC – get upstairs with Sal."

"You can't order me around!" KC snorted indignantly.

From Jack's wide eyes and stark white face, Lex could see this was no joke. Without taking his eyes off Jack, he turned KC around and pushed him toward the stairs. "Go upstairs KC. Now!"

Grumbling all the way, KC obeyed. Everyone's eyes were on Ellie and Jack.

"I want to know what's happened and I want to know now," Danni said softly.

Jack rushed out of the Mall and back to Ryan and Bray, breathless. "Come in!"

Bray and Ryan nodded. They entered the Mall behind Jack. When the arrived inside, everyone was gathered around, looking at Ellie expectantly. When she saw them all look behind her, she turned as well. Bray and Jack entered together; Ryan hung back, the covered bundle of the girl in his arms. He didn't want to shock everyone with the sight of the dead girl. Bray had best explain first.

Bray came to stand beside Ellie. "Would you?" he asked, holding Micah out to her. She took the baby silently, as their tribe mates looked on, confused.

Danni rushed forward and embraced Bray instantly. "Thank God you're all right. I thought something had happened to you…" she trailed off as she pulled back. She had seen all of the blood on him. "Bray – where has this blood come from? Where has it come from?"

Bray placed his hands on her shoulders. "It's okay. It's not mine. I'm not hurt," he said to her soothingly.

"Bray – what's going on?" Tai-San asked calmly. "I think we need an explanation."

"The blood Bray," Trudy said fearfully. "Whose is it?"

"And whose baby is this?" Danni asked, looking at Micah.

"On the way back from the farm we found a girl and her baby in an alley," Bray said carefully. "The baby, he's called Micah – and he's fine. A little scared, but fine."

"And the mother?" Trudy asked.

Bray turned around and nodded to Ryan, who stepped forward.

"What is that?" Danni whispered, her eyes fixed on the bundle in Ryan's arms as he went and laid it on a bench nearby.

"That's Micah's mother," Ellie spoke up, as she stroked the boy's head.

"It's her blood on me," Bray said sombrely. "Her throat was cut. I think she must have died only a few hours ago – last night, early this morning maybe."

Everyone stared, shocked, at the girl. Her body was covered by Ryan's coat, but they could all see her face, her eyes – wide open, staring blindly at them.

There was complete silence until Trudy choked out a sob. She covered her mouth and heaved a breath. "I'm sorry." She rushed up the stairs with Brady.

"Trudy! It's okay!" Bray called after her. He sighed when she ignored him and kept on going.

"Loon," May muttered.

"Be quiet May," Lex snapped.

"This is awful," Danni said, as Bray took her hand.

Lex snorted. "Awful, yeah – but it's not like it's a complete shock. This city probably has on average three killings a day."

Bray looked at him. "That's not true."

"Yes it is. It's just that she's the first one you found," Lex said quietly.

"There's been peace in this city for a long time Lex," Bray pointed out.

"He's right!" Jack exclaimed. "We've been completely blind! Completely stupid!"

"Jack, maybe you and Ellie should take Micah up to the other kids," Bray said to him softly.

Jack made a face. "I'm not a child Bray. I was there too. I saw that girl's body just like you did. I saw it. But like Lex said, I just haven't seen the others – neither have any of us! How many Strays get caught up in tribal wars? How many get killed in fights and left to rot in alleys? How many girls are put into prostitution in Sector 8 because there isn't any other way of getting food or shelter – and then get killed by the people they're sold to?"

"Jack, please calm down," Bray said worriedly.

Jack, though his face was deathly pale and his voice was shaking, stepped forward and stared Bray down. "No I won't! I won't calm down, because I went out today just to go and see my best friend at the farm, and to pick up some vegetables. And instead I ended up seeing a girl lying in an alley with her throat bleeding out onto the concrete and her baby alone and screaming in the rubbish behind her!" With that he stormed off to the electrical shop.

"Jack—" Danni began.

"I'll go after him," Ellie said. She handed Micah to Bray and went after Jack.

There was silence until Lex stepped forward. He crossed his arms and spoke gravely. "He's right you know. I've seen the worst of this city. I've been down and out in this city. I know what goes on. Bray you might want to believe that this city is a good place to live now. But it's not. This city is not a good place and it doesn't have good people. They're bad people. And they're getting worse."

Lex walked off, leaving Bray staring after him, thoughtful. He couldn't believe that he was wondering about the wisdom of someone who could barely be civil to him on a daily basis – but he was. Was Lex right? Was Jack right? Had he been blind to the evils of the City because he had fooled himself into believing that they were no longer there?

Bray had no time to think about this as they had to decide what to do about Micah and his mother. He looked at the boy, who was perched on his hip, clutching his blanket. He was staring sullenly at the tribe, his big blue eyes glassy.

"What do we do now?" Ryan asked.

"I guess we could bury the girl out at the farm. Would Alice mind?" Bray asked.

"I'm sure it'll be fine," Tai-San nodded. "I'll ask her when she gets back."

"And the baby?" May said pointedly.

"He stays. Where else has he got to go?" Bray said, holding the child to him tightly.

"And who's going to take care of him?" May asked. "It's not like we don't have enough brats running around."

"Don't worry May, you won't be bother in the slightest. I'll take care of him. He'll be my responsibility," Bray said firmly.

"Our responsibility," Danni corrected.

"Ours." Bray smiled at her gratefully.

"So, I guess we should put the body in the basement." Ryan said.

"Yeah, good idea Ryan," Bray agreed.

Ryan went and picked up the girl's body again.

Bray handed Micah to Danni. "I should go and help him."

Danni held the boy as Ryan and Bray carried his mother away to the cold, lonely basement. She couldn't help but wonder who his mom had been, who his father was. Would she and Bray be any better for him? Already Danni was thinking of how different life would be now. She and Bray were going to be this little boy's parents now, and the tribe his family.

She looked at the baby. "Welcome home Micah."


Coming soon in Part 14 – Adapt or Perish:

- Archer causes havoc for Pride and Amber as they all worry for Sienna
- Tai-San and Lex come to an unspoken understanding after the tragic events
- Bray calls a tribal council to which Ebony and the Militia get an invite
- Ebony makes some things clear to the Mallrats

And more…