Out side the Mall Rats watched on as the fire burned, they had buried Zandra and Amber knowing that nothing would ever be the same again. Ebony knew that this was her chance to take over the Mall Rats.
"I have only been a Mall Rat for a very short time now, but I truly cared for these two people who we lost today in tragic circumstances. Zandra was one of the most beautiful people inside and out that we will ever meet in our journey though life. Instead of taking she gave, and instead of holding a grudge she forgave. If everyone in this messed up world was like her there would be no wars only parties and makeovers. But there was a serious side to her that no one got to see the part of her that was ready for mother hood. Yes, I know that she would want me to tell you all now that she was pregnant with Lex's baby and loved both of you very much along with this tribe." Ebony finished the first part of her speech in the manner of a dear friend who was trying to keep herself from falling apart. It was evident that the Mall Rats were buying this as they all bowed their heads.
"I know that it is unlikely but I really ... respected Amber. She as the perfect leader, the kind that I always wanted to be, but was never able to become. She led this tribe to the best of her ability and would want us to go on to find the antidote and save the city" Ebony delivered the final line to her master peace.
"I should have been an actress" she thought looking up at all the tear stricken yet hope inspired faces staring up at her. With a new sense of pride and closure the Mall Rats headed back to their city with more disks. They were prepared to do whatever was nearly to save the world.
It had been several days since they returned when Jack was sitting in front of his lap top staring blankly at the screen willing the gibberish which he had starred at for hours before to now make sense to his wide open eyes. He was exhausted but could not sleep until he found the answer. The knowledge that the world's fate rested in his hands was making Jack slowly become more and more big headed and superior and he would not admit defeat.
Ebony wanting to know the answer to the formulary went down to Jack's lab.
"Hey Jack" she greeted smiling at him broadly "found the answer yet?"
"Not yet Ebony, but it might help if you would give me some peace and quite to work in" Jack snapped.
"Oh I'm sorry" Ebony hung her head seeing her opportunity "I guess I will always be in the way" she walked out of the door but as she had expected Jack jumped out of his seat and grabbed her arm forcing her to turn around and look him in the eyes.
"I am sorry" he uttered noticing the tears welling up in her green eyes.
"NO, no it's alright I-I should not have been in your way" she broke down sobbing so hard she could not breathe. Jack held her in his arms, if only he had known that she was lying to him.
"Please do not hurt me" she whimpered with a look of absolute terror filling her features.
"What do you mean, why would I" Jack wondered confused as hell.
"Well" Ebony looked into his eyes as if trying to decided whether to trust him or not "my father used to beat me when I interrupted him". Ebony paused seeing that he was buying this "when I saw him b-b-beating my mother". Shaking all over now Ebony left as Jack stood there in shock. What else did not they know about this woman she had, had such a hard life yet no one seemed to care enough to help her. If her actions were based on her past then she was a remarkably strong woman.
Ebony made it back to her room before she fell on the floor laughing "oh my gosh" she said to herself "I do not believe that he brought it".
The following morning after a night of fitful sleep with images of Ebony childhood flashing before his eyes Jack had made up his mind. He had managed to crack the codes on the disks and knew what to use them for, to get Ebony the job of leader. After a long time talking to the tribe they all agreed and named Ebony their leader.
Ebony was quite shocked that they had made her there official leader for at least the next five years but none the less happy, after a talk with Jack she found out what the disks meant and they split up in twos to search the city, (naturally she was with Bray).
Once they had found one building they began to talk.
"Ebony?" Bray asked "why did you leave me?" Ebony turned away knowing that she had to make this look believable "I did not want to, I did not mean to" she admitted. Taking a deep breath "it was Martin I felt that you were treating him badly and I wanted to comfort him" Ebony explained.
"I'm sorry" Bray stared at his feet "all you ever wanted to do was help but I hurt you. I forced you into decisions that you did not want and through loyalty, honour I do not know what you could not get out. I am so sorry" Bray told her. Ebony could not believer quite how well this was going.
"Bray look at me" she cupped his head in her hands "you cannot go through life blaming yourself" with that her lips met his in a kiss that to him made him feel he had found true love and made Ebony feel that she had found a new sucker to play with (because she had). With that they fell to the floor with all thoughts of research forgotten.
Upon returning to the Mall, Ebony was extremely put out, because Bray had been terrible. And, they had not found any information. Now all she wanted to do was have a long hot bath but found her way blocked by Jack.
"Hey Ebony I have something for you" he greeted.
"Oh what do you want Jack" she snapped. Taken aback by her reaction he muttered some nonsense before leaving in a hurry. KC who had been watching came over "come on Jack you did not really think that you stood a chance with her did you?" KC asked. Although to some he may have seemed evil for saying it but he really was trying to help Jack get over her. In this same vein he told Lex what was going on which is what inspired Lex to have a little chat with Ebony.
Lex could not believe what hear was hearing when KC told him and got up leaving the room determined to find Ebony and talk some sense into the silly idiot. He did not know why but he was steaming mad at the though of what Ebony was doing although he had always known that she was lying to everyone the reality of it seemed so much worse. Lex burst through Ebony's door and noticing that she was not in there went straight through to the bathroom where he saw her relaxing in the bath.
"And what do you want" Ebony asked in a bored voice. Lex merely raised one eyebrow letting her know what he really wanted. Ebony shook her head and smiled in reply letting him know that one day he might get what he wanted.
"Anything else?" She asked smugly pulled herself backwards slightly to reveal the tops of her breasts.
"Um there are a few other things one of the main ones would be what the hell do you think that you are doing?" He let his voice rise to Ebony's amazement.
"Oh such as" Ebony stood up in a tempter.
"Such as the fact that you screwed everyone over to get where you are and now you are screwing over Jack" Lex yelled.
"Why the hell do you care?" Ebony fumed.
"Because I have known him longer than you. He always helps everyone for no respect and he has finally got some self confidence and I won't let you take that away from him".
"Really" she challenged.
"Yes tomorrow morning you are going to go to Jack and apologize to him for what you did and distance yourself from Bray" Lex said with such conviction she may have done as he said at one time. The idea of backing off from Bray was horrible because although she did not feel anything for him now she had at one point she had and that she could not turn her back on him now, she promised herself she would have him and she would.
Ebony was uncomfortable in this situation. He knew too much. She would have to get around him and she knew it so she got out of the bath and kissed him. As she had expected he lifted her into his arms and carried into her bedroom before placing her on the bed. But then Lex realised that he could not do this. He felt something for Ebony, although he did not know quite what, but whatever it was he could not use her like this and so he left.
Ebony lay on her bed not sure of what had just happened surly a man could not have turned her down? It was just impossible, but Lex did have a point she would just have to try harder to make it up to Jack she could not lose him as he was the one who had made her tribe leader. All these thoughts continued to swim around in her mind although she tried to push them into the back of her mind it was useless she knew that she would be able to get no sleep that night until she had made things right. Ebony had always needed to survive and could not sleep with the idea that she may have let power go on purpose.
"Oh Mama" she cried into the darkness with tears streaming down her cheeks "I will always love you more than you could know and I miss you. I am so sorry that I am letting you down in this way, I will survive Mama. I will live for you" she vowed not knowing that Lex was watching from outside his heart breaking for the lost girl. Ebony got up and threw on her gown running out of her room once again not noticing Lex. As she reached Jack's door she stopped, she had to do this she knew but art of her wished that she could stop all the lying, but she knew that she could not. She had to do this for her mother.
"Jack" she poked her head around the door to see him lying there wide awake with what looked like tears in his eyes. As she approached he turned over so that his face was hidden from her view.
"Please Jack" she began with her normal speech but paused before continuing "I'm, ... I'm sorry. I do not think that I have truly been sorry before in my life but now I truly am, you are the one who was once, who helped me and I turned my back on you because I was upset and there was no excuse for that. I am so sorry and I know that there will never be any excuse for that way in which I acted and I understand if you never speak to me again but please just know that I am sorry and never meant to hurt you" Ebony said and turned to leave but felt Jack's hand grasp her own.
"It's okay Ebony, I should have known that you did not mean it, you are the single sweetest person that I have ever met and now I know that you should be trusted above all others." He smiled his amazing smile that could have lit up the darkest night. As in a dream Ebony left the room floating on a cloud that someone thought so highly of her, she thought that after her mother's death no one would love her, but she was wrong their were at least three hearts competing for her love.
As the sun rose over the sleeping city Bray searched through a lot of government buildings in his desperate pursuit of the antidote which could save the city. He knew that he should have waited for the rest of the tribe and Ebony but he had always worked best on his own with out any of the complications of other peoples mistakes, although Ebony never made any. Ebony was one of the reasons for doing this, he wanted her to congratulate him, to see her smile at him thinking of him as her hero, her knight in shying armour there to protect and care for her. If he had known Ebony at all he would have known that it would take more that just the formula. It would take true love, not lust or love for what they thought that they saw it would take true love and understanding for the true her.
As Bray turned enough corner he saw a girl standing in pure white with a cross bow pointed straight at him. He caught his breath and raised his hands in surrender.
"Who are you and what do you want?" The girl asked.
"My name is Bray, I am sorry I did not mean to intrude on you, do you live here?" Bray asked hoping soon to charm her.
"Yes I do, my name is Danni! What do you want?" She asked.
"My tribe and I are trying to find the antidote" he explained.
"Oh" Danni rolled her eyes "so you can get power".
"No of course not, you cannot charge for good health. My only hope is that once we make everyone better again that we may have enough influence to get the tribes to talk, maybe set up hospitals, schools ... " Bray drifted off.
"Really! I have the formula" Danni told Bray to his great shock.
"Why did not you tell anyone?" Bray asked exasperated.
"I did not think that I would ever find someone who would have the same values as me, but now that I have met you I know that that is not true". Bray only nodded understandingly as she gathered her clothes together ready to join a new tribe and create a better future.
The whole tribe was gathered in the café when Bray and Danni entered.
As Ebony laid eyes on Danni she hated her immediately. No, not merely hated but, detested her, wished her off the face off the earth and especially wished away form Bray.
"Who are you?" Ebony questioned.
"This is Danni she has the formula" Bray explained giving Ebony a smile.
"Really" she replied sceptically showing clear contempt "so Danni why did not you just make the antidote?" A bit of the old Ebony showed through.
"I cannot read it" Danni confessed for the first time opening her mouth.
"So how do you know that it is in fact the antidote if you cannot read it?" Ebony questioned smiling evilly. Danni paused and took a deep breath summoning all of her courage she uttered "my father found the cure and left it with me, but the research lab was in South Africa so I cannot read it".
"Fair enough, you will stay with the Mall Rats so that I can find you if anything is wrong with this formula" Ebony announced. Danni looked slightly bewildered "um okay".
"Ebony would you like me to find her somewhere to stay?" Tia-San asked helpfully. Ebony did not know what she was up to but agreed thinking that she would go and get the formula off her later and that it was not worth it as Bray wanted to talk with her and so left it with Tia-San.
Bray smiled cockily as he and Ebony walked to her bedroom to talk hoping that she would see him as her hero and sleep with him.
"So Bray what did you want to speak to me about?" Ebony asked with a smile as she lay back on her bed causing Bray's heart rate to increase.
"Um, it was just about today did I do the right thing?" He asked. Ebony could tell that he was waiting for her to tell him that he was her hero but she would wait a while first. After all this was the chance that she had been waiting for.
"I think that you did really well, whether the formula checks out or not. I have been meaning to tell you thank-you. You did really well and I understand why you went alone, I know what it is like to feel that you have to do something, in order to prove yourself" Ebony rose to her feet and sashayed towards him and ran a hand down his chest.
Bray gulped "I am glad that you feel that way" Bray lowered his lips to meet hers. This is the moment Ebony thought, the moment is perfect. Ebony closed her eyes and saw Lex's face clouding her vision and pulled back too shocked to speak. She knew in that instance that Bray would go running to Danni for comfort that she could no longer get him, he was gone and she was not sad.
"Um, Bray could you please leave I do not want to kiss you, I do not want you" Ebony said out loud not knowing why what Lex had said was effecting her so much but she wanted to be sure that she ended what ever was or was not between them. Dishearten Bray left for his room not knowing what to do for the best. With Bray out of the room. Ebony realised that Tia-San spoke Dutch too and had shown Danni to her room.
"Damn!" Ebony swore she probably already had it.
Ebony ran as fast as she could to Tia-San's room and stopped outside surly enough Tia-San was reading something closely, it had to be the formula. Ebony waited until she fell into peaceful slumber to creep in and took the piece of paper from her hands before exiting the room unaware of the fact that Lex was watching. As she crashed to her bed Ebony read the formula intently until she had it memorised. With that having been accomplished she lit a match and set alight to the page. As the flames grew higher she knew that it was the end of the old world and the fire would lead her to the next one where she would be in control.