So hey guys! Here's the much anticipated chapter one. My co-author AmbiguousBastard94 and I are so excited to get this to you guys!

Okay, keep in mind that the form is STILL OPEN AND WILL REMAIN OPEN FOR MOST OF THE STORY. WE'RE ADDING OCS AS WE GO. These are a few so far, so if you don't see your character, he or she could possibly be in it at anytime. Though, keep in mind we're not accepting every character we receive.

We're still in the process of going through every OC submitted so far, so that's going to take a little time to get all of the forms sorted out.

If you have any questions about the OCs that appear in the first chapter, feel free to PM me.

Also, if you're submitting a character, ONLY SEND IT IN A PM.

Submit a review so my co-author and I know what you think!

Thanks again my lovely readers!

-LD

From the Ruins

Chapter One

The first loud boom must have been about a mile away. The second a lot closer, perhaps within a few hundred meters. But then the third loud boom exploded right in their living room. Unsure of who their attackers were, unsure of whether their house would be standing, when the attack would be over, they got up, and decided to do something other than hide. Matthew grabbed his younger sister's hand, and out of instinct he just bolted. As the rooftop above them gave in, and their house came crashing down around them, he and his sister took the first rushed steps towards their main entrance.

A loud boom resurrected in their poorly painted hallways, as they stomped down the creaky steps of their stairway and into the kitchen, where their adopted mother lay trapped between a cabinet and the floor. As she caught sight of them, she screamed for them to come help her. Her long and greedy arms, covered with sud and ashes, reached for them as she swore they'd get hurt, if they didn't obey her orders.

But for the first time in his life, Matthew chose not to abide. He ran past the woman, jumped the counter beside her head, while tugging Jae along, and rushed into the living room. The pang of guilt for leaving her behind barely hit, as the only thing he wanted right now, was one thing- and that was to make it out alive.

In the dim lighting of their living room, or rather the sad remains of it, he could make out his sister's green eyes. They were alive with emotion, lit up by a tiny sparkle of hope, a major thrill and maybe even a tinge of excitement. And that's how Matty knew this was the right decision. It had been years since he'd seen Jae this responsive. So alive. And he'd do anything in his power to keep it that way. Though, under normal circumstances, Matthew would've declined these actions, period. He would've shaken his head at the mere idea of leaving this living hell, and given Jae a warm smile, while twirling a strand of her fiery red hair on a finger, to help her calm her down, and reassure her in his even and bright tone that there would be other opportunities- better opportunities, while she cussed her annoyance and impatience. Regularily, he would never dare risk their safety, for if they were caught, he didn't know when they'd be able to see daylight again.

He didn't know for how long they'd be locked up.

And that's why this right here- was wrong, so wrong. For, if they were caught, who knew how many days, maybe even weeks, they'd have to spent in complete darkness. In utter isolation, separated from the outside world... The world right now may not be a merry one, but the clammy walls, seeping cold, humid air and constant darkness of a basement sure wasn't cozy either. Yet, in this moment, with that look on his sister's face, it felt like he was doing something very right. They had suffered for too long and now was the moment they'd been waiting for. This was their chance at getting out.

Jae tugged eagerly on his larger hand, though she may be 15, he was still two years older than her. Her excited yells could barely be heard over the blasting from above. Bricks and destroyed furniture lay scattered in their living room, which was barely recognizable from all the damage. Their hardwood floor had been blown up and into bits, as their walls were crumbling around them, and a major hole had been blown into their ceiling. The house which once kept them both safe and captives, was falling apart around them, while a world they barely knew, revealed itself before them through an open main entrance... And they would have made it, if it hadn't been for their caretaker Rowen, who chose to obscure their visions with large hands the size of bear claws.
He clasped onto each side of the doorway, as he, with his height, towered over both their heads by many inches. And deeming by the way his entire face and narrow little eyes were scrunched up into the sweaty heat of his face, which shone brightly with an alarming shade of red, then he wasn't too happy either. His skin littered with bruises, and his clothes torn in places they normally weren't, with fingernails black and blunt, possibly from clawing his way out of a larger mess, he must have been trapped in, when the first explosion hit the city. And finally the blood pouring through his torn clothes, showing signs of deep cuts and burnt skin. Yep, Rowen was not in a good mood.

Jae tightened the grasp on her brother's hand. Staring up at the man with a vigor, as she stomped her All Stars persistently into the floor, while yelling: "Move!"

Her glare could rival the intensity of an angry wolf, and her angular eyes were sharp, as her diamond shaped face looked harsh, with the slight muck from the explosion making her cheeks seem hollow and skin worn out. Matty knew her anger was rising without having to look at her, he could sense it coming off of her in waves, as the fierce redhead stood her full 5'5 inches before this man, and was being intimidating especially for a short girl. Jae was the type that could punch your face in from one blow, she was rough and fearless, and never backed down from a challenge. Of that Matty was sure.

Matty didn't know how to respond to Rowen, he had seen this particular look on his face all too many times. He knew that when Rowen was enraged it meant harm. Harm for him and his younger sister. Harm that once was reserved for his wife, but was passed on to him and Jae the instant they entered their adopted parent's lives. He cowered slightly. He didn't want that; the harm. But he also knew they had to get away, so Rowen never could hurt them again. And that's when he felt it… the buzzing in his legs.

It felt familiar, yet so foreign.

He couldn't remember the last time his powers kicked in.

He couldn't remember the last time he had possessed the courage to use them.

It was like a storm inside him, screaming to get out. And then uncharacteristically of Matthew, he lashed out and pushed the larger man before him. Stumbling, Rowen crashed into the thin mosquito net behind him, and under his heavy weight, it gave in. Down a stone set of stairs, the large man fell, hitting his skull harshly against the asphalt in their driveway, and paving the way for Matty and Jae, as he lay captured by the net.

Too shell-shocked to react at first, Matty stood frozen in his spot. His sister right beside him was equally shocked. But the instant Rowen groaned and began wriggling in his place, stirring up dust and dirt, they awoke from their awestruck, and began fleeing.

With fast steps they ascended the stairs, and just barely avoided Rowen's grasp, as he broke out a hand to grasp aggressively for their ankles. "Come back here!" He yelled.

But the yelling was futile, as the siblings ran as fast as their bodies would carry them. While it was at an impressive speed, far faster than any common human's, then it wasn't nearly the desired speed Matty had hoped for.

"Matty, what's the plan?" Jae asked, her voice carrying loudly over the hollow screams of people in their neighboring houses, as the wind gushed by her face, and their old house disappeared in the distance.

But Matty didn't know what to respond, as they kept running. He never imagined they'd get this far, yet... this was real. This was finally happening. They were free.

The blonde gave a huge grin, his teeth shining brightly, and relaxing Jae enough to exchange a tiny smile, as her brother gestured towards the entirety of the land.

"We keep running." He said.

"There must be some place out there for us." He said. But as the land turned to sea, they had to run around it, for their lacking speed couldn't carry them above the

current.

3 weeks later

If there's one thing Jae wouldn't admit to, then it's defeat of any kind. So, for the redheaded teen to be carried on Matty's back, due to illness, was a huge thing. Her toned, jean clad legs wrapped around the boy's thin waist, as she clung to his back, moving to lay her head between his shoulderblades in an awkward position. Yet, no matter how uncomfortable this position were, she refused to budge. Matty thought about inquiring about her wellbeing, but he knew better than to shed light on the subject. Jae would bite his head off, if he as much as whispered she was sick. So, he settled on worriedly nibbling his lower lip and moving silently along the graveled path before them.

The sun was hidden by dark clouds, which covered the landscape in shadows. Though the air was humid, heavy and hot, making everything seem ten times heavier to bear. Matty kept glancing at the sky, praying it wouldn't begin pouring too soon. And Jae, the poor girl, suffered in silence... To say Matty was worried would be a tame understatement. Matty was afraid to use his superhuman speed in case it nauseated Jae; the last thing he wished to do was jostle his sister. Thus, their trek was taking a lot longer than it normally would've. Plus, the energy needed for running was barely there.

The two had gotten very thin, evidently since Matty was able to carry Jae, when they were close to the same size. Currently their only difference in regards of size, were their height differences, whereas Matthew was about two or three inches taller than Jae.

He and his sister both had a runners physique, thanks to their super speed, so Matty wasn't very muscular or anything, no, he was slim and had a rather elegant look about him for a male. And so, with his size, he was having a little trouble toting Jae around.

Thus eventually, Matty's arms were starting to lose feeling. And his legs wanted to give out. Whilst his slightly shaggy, wheat blonde hair plastered to his forehead from a vast amount of sweat, and his stomach hurt from days upon days without a proper meal, he didn't even want to think about his dry mouth. He was thirsty… so very thirsty.

How long had they been walking again?

They could really need a break... but Matty had no clue where they even were.

His green eyes scanned the area, only managing to see rock after bigger rock, clearly meaning that they were on the shoulder of a mountain. This place was ruined, and completely so, much like everywhere else in the world. Not wanting to think about it, but yet unable to keep the thoughts astray, Matty thought about how the earth had been in this damaged, post-apocalyptic state for years, and how he had a hard time remembering what actual, proper and standing cities looked like. How a proper life felt.

"Jae-Jae, are you ready to rest for a little while?" Matty cooed, willing to keep his mind occupied, and turning his head to look at the younger girl from over his shoulder.

"Don't call me that." She sneered harshly, but then kindly replied, with a false and very over the top, sugary voice: "Yes Mattykinz." She then quickly hid her head in his cardigan, to hide the smile that invaded her face, however her thick mess of flaming hair was already doing a good job at keeping her tiny smile concealed.

"Easy-peasy lemon squeezy!" The blonde joked, desperately trying to keep the mood light for his sister's sake. He hoisted her up higher on his back, then quickened his pace up towards the overlooking cave in the distance. Stopping at the mouth, Matty gently helped Jae to the ground, where the ailing teen moved to sit down, placing her head in her hands, her eyes squeezed shut. Malnutrition was causing her to be very sick, shot after shot of hunger streamed through her stomach, screaming for something to devour. Anything really. Though, when they actually found food, she couldn't keep it in.

Too many days of malnutrition...

Matthew squatted down in front of her, looking her over in worry. He pulled his grey cardigan off, leaving him in a long sleeved t-shirt, then folded the soft material into a pillow, which he slowly pulled Jae's head back onto, as she laid down. He watched as her bright hair fanned out on the dark rocks around her, hoping she'd finally rest.

"Jade, please take a nap, you need it." He said. In response, she nodded weakly, staring droopy-eyed up at him. As she slipped her green eyes shut and went quiet, then he got up, went outside the cave, and got a proper view at their surroundings.

Matty found himself moving towards the very edge of the rocks to realize that yes, he was right before, they were in fact on a mountain, and the stormy sea was very much below them, indeed. The waves were crashing fiercely onto the sharp rocks of the mountain's hill side, and he notified that they'd have to be careful around here.

As the winds of below took hold of his light strands, he felt a shift in the weather. He glanced back up at the sky to foresee that rain would in any instant be upon them, as the first few drops fell down onto the faded freckles of his nose.

He had to make it quick.

He turned around to tell Jae goodbye, only to realize that would wake her up again. Relaxing his shoulders, he breathed heavily and let his normal cheerful facade drop. His eyes swirled into the darker greens of worry, and his chapped lips turned downwards.

Then he squatted, got into running position and sped off until his surroundings went from hills and rocks to buildings and asphalt. His current physique didn't allow for him to run for too long, so he didn't contemplate going any further, in search of a larger city, no. For each day that went by with malnutrition, he witnessed his powers wither away and falter even further than they had already been, until he could barely run for a straight mile without getting labored breathing and tired legs.

He bit down onto his bottom lip, regretting his thoughts instantly. He didn't need anymore depressing thoughts to mull over right now... Possibly not ever.

He looked up onto the city streets before him. The roads were wrecked and the stores lay abandoned. No surprise there… but the surprise he did come across though, was the store before him. "Happy-mart," a large sign proclaimed. He laughed bitterly, for the first time in forever. What a bad name, with a bad timing. Either way, he weakly shrugged and went in. If he were lucky there'd be some eatable left. If he were lucky.

Prying a rusty, halfway opened window up, the hinges groaned and the metal clinked, as he entered the dusty store. The greying light of outside reached onto the first row of shelves, but soon disappeared into the blinding darkness of the aisles.

Matty heard rats squeaking, and somewhere in the distance a swarm of flies, possibly hovering above a dead body, possibly devouring sour leftovers. He didn't wanna know.

He just wanted to find something to eat. Something to drink.

He entered reluctantly, only taking wary steps into the darkness. Feeling up his back pocket, he searched for the flashlight he brought with him. It wasn't fancy, just a tiny little light he found in the glove department of a car wreck, but it proved very helpful.

He held up the flashlight and clicked the square switch to turn it on. Soon a dimming stream of light flooded the narrow pathways it could reach. While the things before him wasn't clear as day, he was still able to make out what they were, if he squinted a little.

Before him a large shelf stood, emptied of candy, but still occupied by objects such as plastic toys, little trolls with hairy armpits, tiny green soldiers and barbie dolls.

Kids Section. He was in Kids Section.

He sighed, drew a hand through his face and moved on. He walked further into the store, towards the back. The aisles were long and dusty, and the shelves were empty. Someone had been here long before him and gotten all the good stuff. Like always.

But then his eye caught sight of something. Something mobile.

He heard a slight rustle, which he swore at first could have been a rat, and he would have dismissed it as one, had he not seen the lively glimpse of metal. Shiny Metal.

Not some rusty, old can. Some newer, polished metal.

Now, what could that be in this old abandoned store? Suure, it could be a knife wrapped in some lovely plastic envelope. He hoped it was. But his senses were telling him that it was something else entirely. And that's when his breath got caught in his throat.

Ugh, what if he wasn't alone in here after all?

No, no, no… what if this was a foreign enemy? He didn't have any weapons with him, and he had used up all of his energy already, he wouldn't make it far by running.

Shakily, he slung his flashlight in every which direction, but he didn't catch a glimpse of anything other than layers of dust and spiderwebs caught in between empty shelves. So, while trying to remain calm, he called out, in the bravest voice possible: "W-Who's there?" Unluckily for him, his bravest voice wasn't very convincing, and it certainly didn't help his image that he was shaking like a leaf either.

That's when he heard it. And he swears to god, his heart nearly jumped out of his chest.

A low chuckle, right beside his ear.

Sweat ran like acid down Matty's back, and he felt every and each prickle like painful, scalding burns. While his every limb froze with the conviction that he was going to die.

"You scared?" Someone asked, amusement evident from the tone.

Matty's breath quickened as his eyes went wide and his pupils dilated with fear.

W-What should he do... Should he answer this person?!

"Y-Yeah?" Matty whispered, choosing to go with honesty, since he wasn't much of a liar.

and gulping back the thick wad of fear, which settled in the back of his throat.

His flashlight was still focusing on the hallway before him, only aiding him minimally in this situation. He still had not seen the face of his offender, as he did not dare to move.

In fact, he stood so still, and his breath was so caught up, he could have died already. The only thing that assured Matthew he was still very alive, was the beating of his heart. The harsh thudding went so fast he wondered when the muscle would start to catch fire.

"Good," the offender said, this time so close to Matty's ear that the blonde boy felt foreign lips touch the shell of it. Felt the hot breath of this stranger on him.

And that was it. Matty lashed out, utterly disgusted and afraid. He panicked and started running with his arms flailing wildly into thin air, in a poor attempt at hitting someone. But then the flashlight flew out his hand and onto the floor of another aisle, where it landed with a loud clonk and broke into several pieces, which scattered on the ground.

And thus they were embellished in utter darkness.

And with the darkness came the empowering of the laughter.

The stranger was still chuckling at his misery, only now It resurrected off the walls, which made it sound a lot more intimidating. A lot more cruel and promising.

"OHMYGOD, WHATAREYOUGOINGTODOWITHME!?" Matty screamed, lashing out both his arms and legs this time. Then he started running; and even made it down an aisle, before he tripped over a box of straws. As straws of all kinds flew in every which direction, Matty made ready for his impact with the floor- except it never came.

A fairly large hand grasped onto his elbow and pulled him back up. And then Matty came into contact with a firm chest instead of the floor. Yet, he didn't feel any safer.

"Pleasedon'tkillme, pleasejustlemmego!" He yelled, very quickly.

And with a slight startle, his elbow was let go. And the room went silent.

Matty's heart thudded steadily in his chest as he waited for something to happen. Anything really. He didn't feel safe here in the dark. Not when this offender of his seemed so comfortable being enveloped by the pitch black. He shuddered. This guy was creepy. It was like he could see in the dark. Almost like he was one with it.

Then, something happened. This guy spoke up:

"I'm not sure what language you are speaking, but calm down," he said.

Not sure where his offender was located, Matty spoke as loudly and clearly as he could manage out into the darkness: "Ijustwannago, please." He whimpered quickly, never noticing how fast he was speaking. All he could think of was Jae, his sick little sister, awaiting him and never seeing him again. Her innocent face scrunched up in pain, as she heaved her last breath all by herself. As she died silently, alone. Abandoned.

A heavy sigh ascended the other occupant of the market.

"Well, you're just no fun, when I can't understand you…" A light thud was heard, indicating this person had been sitting somewhere. And suddenly Matty was thrust harshly into a shelf. With an arm thrust into his throat and threatening to crush him.

"What language are you speaking anyway?" The attacker asked.

Matty, too stunned to answer at all, hadn't realized how fast he had been speaking. His super speed must have hurried up his words to the point of them being incomprehensible. Yet, he knew he hadn't been speaking his second language, but still he felt a little worried that maybe his attacker would get angry because he couldn't understand him, and therefore decide to teach him a lesson.

For once, Matty really needed to slow down.

A searing blast of purple diverted Matty's attention however, as it lit up the room. From the core of this stranger's hand, out to the ends of his fingertips and slightly beyond, a purple light, in a circular shape, ignited. It glowed vibrantly and shed its light onto both of their faces. But no matter how hard Matty looked, he just couldn't find the source for it.

Figuring that his offender must be superhuman, and that this blast of light, or rather gathering of aura, which was truly heating up the place, must be a product created by this guy, Matty feared their impending battle greater than before.

Eyes glowing equally as vivid, and vibrant a purple as the aura before them, ignited a blemish free face with a foreign appearance. Short raven hair grown to a semi length, and swept out of his offenders face, either by wind or with a tug of the hand, enveloped his attackers face. Turns out, this guy was around his age; in his late teens.

As of clothing, this guy was dark clad and with a mask pulled off, lying loosely around his neck; more Matty didn't get to take in, before he was literally engulfed by this guy.

Matty's body fell limp, as searing hot lips met his. And as Matty didn't know how to respond, due to shock, the other guy seemed to know what he wanted, and how it should be done. So, with a little force he pried open the poor blonde's mouth, just enough to startle him out of his stupor. And truly, the instant Matty felt a foreign tongue against his, he regained all power of his body, and thus his superspeed found its way back, causing him to bolt from the guy's grip and frankly, lose his composure entirely.

Matty's emerald eyes were the size of saucers; wide with horror, as his lightly tanned face was drained of all color, making the blonde look like a ghost. His thin frame moved along an empty shelf, and with his back pressed firmly against it, he scuffled to the side, trying to find a way out and away from this molester of his.

"Whatthehellisyourproblem? You-can't-just-do-that-to-people, especially-when-someone-doesn't-want-that-at-all!" Matty screeched in horror, something he didn't ever do, but it seemed he was out of character today.

The other male seemed to taste the upcoming words on his tongue, as he probed the insides of his cheeks. Judging by the amusement evident in his purple eyes, which shone clearly in the dark room alongside his glowing hand, then he obviously didn't perceive Matty as a threat. No, he rather regarded the blonde as a playmate, or perhaps… even just a toy. And Matty, never being one to judge someone without knowing them, felt angry; he wanted to punch this guy like he'd never wanted to before. He was disgusted and upset; this wasn't right and he didn't like being degraded at all.

And then something peculiar happened.

A language Matty hadn't heard in years, flew freely from the hinges of his offenders mouth… Vietnamese. This guy was speaking Vietnamese.

But how could he know Matty knew how to speak it? His timid green eyes moved up to the other males face, shining with unspoken emotion and for once, a rage, that his sister experienced regularly, took hold of him inside. What the hell was going on?

"Hey, khá phải đối mặt. Tại sao bạn không cho tôi biết tên của bạn?"

Matty felt a strange sensation arise in him, as he felt nostalgic at the mention of his mother's tongue, but also creeped out at the idea that this guy might be a mind reader.

But most of all, it stung inside of him. His mother. The thought hurt too badly to dwell on, and the fact that this stranger made him think of her both scared and upset him deeply.

As the minutes went by and Matty still didn't respond to this mysterious offender, then the strange teenager decided to approach him further.

The other boy neared him slowly, to not scare him further, while he let his glowing hand fall softly to his side in order to dim the intense light. He went up close to Matty and softly cooed: (In vietnamese) "I promise I won't hurt you, if you answer my questions..."

Matty felt his heart rate increase. What should he do? What was this guy's problem?

Should he trust this guy? He gulped and looked up into lavender eyes.

It seemed like he didn't have any choice. He wet his lips and closed his eyes.

In English he replied "How did you know, I speak Vietnamese?"

Purple eyes narrowed at him with amusement. "I'm the one handing out the questions." His offender said, equally speaking english. "I didn't know you knew English, I'm surprised." The dark haired teen said, backing off slightly.

Matty froze… what… that didn't make sense…

He felt a hot hand grasp onto his chin and bring his vision up to meet the neon-lit stare of the raven haired teen. "I'm not going to question you again." The guy said harshly.

Matty gasped and nodded with wide eyes, though he barely dared to shake his head.

"I-I'm M-Matty."

"Matty… okay then." The other boy said. But then frowned slightly, as he seemed to remember something. And then, while mulling, he began to walk away from Matty.

On impulse, both confused and dumbfounded, Matty sped after him, afraid of being left alone in the dark. Afraid of any traps or snares left behind. "W-Was that it?" He asked.

The dark haired male shook his head. "No, tell me where you're from." He said.

"And tell me what exactly you think you're doing here" He demanded, while grabbing hold of a large backpack thrown onto the floor; seems like Matty intruded on something.

Matty bit his bottom lip… intrigued by this person. He appeared straight forward, and he had to admit that he felt insecure around him because he couldn't foresee his next moves, but he didn't seem too hostile, nor interested in actually harming him further-

… He guessed.

He wasn't quite sure what to think of the other guy, so he assessed him carefully, silently and with a watchful eye. Right now, he didn't have anything to lose, he'd already left his home, so it wouldn't hurt to be honest, though… he still had Jae to protect.

But before he could stop his overactive mind, his mouth was answering for him: "Central- I'm from Central City, though where I'm going is quite a mystery to me." The last part was a faded mumble with a small, worn out smile, and a tired look of the eyes, which the dark haired male couldn't possibly miss.

Was it smart to tell this creep anything? Matty felt mixed emotions, he wanted to trust him, give him a chance to redeem himself for inappropriately kissing him, but at the same time he wanted to use his super speed to get the hell outta here and go back to the safety of the cave.

The other guy glanced back at him. "Central you say… tsk." He scoffed. "What a complete shithole." He slung the backpack over his shoulder and kept walking, guided by the only light in the building, which was the ball of aura residing in his hand.

"I went there recently, to central that is, and it's completely wrecked." He said.

Then they walked in silence for a while, with only the scattering rats and occasional fly to interrupt their quiet breaths. The strange teen seemed to contemplate something, and Matty managed to catch a glimpse of his mouth opening, as if to say something, but then closing again, as if his better judgment was against it. And so, they just kept walking the lone aisles, in search of the door, while eventually the other guy grabbed his mask to redress his face, and hide the thinkful stare that settled in his shining eyes.

Eventually, the dark haired teen found said door and crawled through the large opening, that evidently had been blown into it, deeming by the scatters of melted plastic and blackened glass, which made Matty wonder what the extension of this guy's powers may actually be. He glanced out through the hole, out into daylight, and down onto the other teen's hands, which were visibly through the hole… Covered by a black pair of fingerless gloves, with blunt nails and dirty fingers, making Matty feel slightly intrigued.

But no matter how he felt, Matty knew he couldn't stay glued to this place for any longer. He had to go see Jae. So, he followed suit out through the hole. And as he got out, still being the neat freak he was, he made a futile attempt at dusting off his pants.

"You look rather scrawny. Did you come here for food?" The masked stranger asked. Now, as they stood in the dawn of day, Matty could finally assert him in further detail.

The first thing which sprung to Matty's mind was; exotic. This guy's skin was a golden tan, and one of those which you saw in movies, but never was able to copy yourself. Sadly, Matty didn't get to see his eyes in this daylight, as they were now hidden behind the black eyeholes of his mask. Said mask represented an ivory skull face, which reached past his nose, but left out his mouth, so he may breathe freely.

Okay so, this weirdo hid behind a mask… Just who exactly was he?

The blonde elevated a stare at the other boy's outfit: He was dressed in a fully black kevlar suit, with a purple X extending across the torso, and a grey utility belt, which hung loosely on his hips. He notified that on both elbows and knees diamond shaped pieces of metal was sown into the costume, as if to protect the bending appendages.

With a mind as fast as Matty's, he could only imagine what profession this guy must be in, if he needed such utilities for his work... This guy was probably a criminal.

Mulling over whether it was truly safe to associate with this guy, he absentmindedly let his eyes wander further down his toned body, and even took notice of the guy's boots:

They were a big and black pair of combat shoes, extending towards his mid-calf, with thick metal plates seamed into the underside of both soles. Yep, these were definitely made for smashing skulls... And probably what must have alerted Matty at the store.

"You like what you see?" The other teen asked, grinning.

Matthew took a step back, arching a light eyebrow upward. The blonde then turned his attention to the cracked concrete below him, scuffing his white Converse on the ground as he mumbled, "I was actually looking for food, though, someone had to divert my attention elsewhere…" He mumbled the last part a tad bitterly. "Err, well… so yeah, I should be getting back to my sister." He said, whilst trying to bravely walk away.

"Aw… Is that all I get? An elevated stare and a sorry goodbye?" The offender asked feigning a vast amount of disappointment.

Matty found himself relaxing at the playful attitude… Still walking away, he turned his head up toward the other male, giving a large smile, his light eyes warm with kindness. Matty was kind at heart, he couldn't help it and even if this guy had alarmed him before, he found it a little pointless to stay upset, when he probably wouldn't have to ever see him again. "I'm sure you'll manage to have a great day without me.."

Matty probably shouldn't had said anything, however, because the instant he opened his mouth, the other guy began walking his way.

"Well, dang, I think you're wrong." He commented. "You made my day ten times better the instant you entered it." He said with the phantom of a smirk. And at the blooming blush he received from the blonde, his kinder nature seemed to have been triggered.

While Matty didn't like where this was going, and felt a vein throb in the side of his head at the mere thought of this stalker following him around, then he couldn't find it in himself to be rude towards this guy, and so, he just silently kept walking.

"Makes me wanna feed you." The dark clad teen suddenly said, which made Matty still.

Whilst smirking, his offender threw his bag in Matty's direction. And while Matty barely caught it, due to being frazzled and a little worried, then he ignored the blonde's struggle and kept talking to keep the mood light: "Don't worry, my bag doesn't bite."

Tugging on some loose strands of his thick, lushful hair, the other boy nodded towards the bag and said: "Look in it, I've got supplies for at least another 4 days."

Without further ado Matty immediately zipped up the bag. He wasn't sure whether this was all just a trick, but he was just sososo damn hungry. He reached into the first, large compartment of the bag and fished out a can of baked beans, and nearly drooled.

The tanner teen arched an amused eyebrow at him: "You like that, eh?" He gave a crooked smirk and waved the can towards him. "Give it here, and I'll heat it up for ya'."

A little flabbergasted Matty handed over the can, as he clutched the bag to his chest like a safety line. His chest tightened with a weird mixture of fear and relief. He could feel the worry of being set up, and lured into a trap, but he also felt the relief of finally having found something to eat. Because he was just so hungry… and had been in a long time.

He watched as the supposed criminal's hands lit up with the familiar purple energy.
And as the first glowing hand went on top of the can, while the second went under it.

"Get a spoon and some bread from the other room, if you like." The dark haired teenager mumbled absentmindedly, too busy concentrating on the can.

Matty nodded and did as told. He sat onto the ground and fished out a silver spoon alongside a large piece of bread. But he felt bad for taking it all and decided to only take a little bit instead. Even though he could really use the extra calories.

The other boy shook the beans back and forth in between his hands for a good thirty seconds, before he decided that they'd had enough, and melted open the lid. Nodding slightly, he handed the can to Matty. But before giving it entirely to the blonde, he drew it back a little and said: "Careful, it's hot... Cover your hands with your sleeves, will'ya?"

Fumbling a little with the length of his sleeves, Matty obliged. Then eagerly reached for the can. And not long after having been given the treat, the blonde was shoveling into the can with his spoon, and throwing the red substance onto his tongue. Only seconds went by before Matty lost all sense of manners and had red sauce dripping down the sides of his mouth. Hungrily eating the beans and devouring the bread, he didn't notice.

But a certain someone did, and snorted to himself.

Swallowing down the rest of the beans and wiping his mouth on his sleeve, Matty left the can on the ground, and got up too look the other teen in the eye.

"Thank you," he said kindly, his green eyes glowing softly with appreciation. He felt a little awkward for staring into the blank holes of this guy's mask, but didn't show it.

The other guy nodded and crossed his arms. "Guess I'm not that bad, after all." He said.

Matty nodded a little, friendly smile in place. "I guess not." He said.

The other guy held out his hand. "Well, I'm… Wilder."

Matty glanced surprisingly at the other teen. "Uh, well- err… h-hi." He said, grasping onto the hand.
"Nice to meet you," he said, smiling widely and trying to regain his composure.

Did this mean he gained a new alley?

Then this Wilder yanked up his bag, slung it across his back and began walking.

"So, now that we know each other's names…" He said, before glancing back at Matty.
"I guess you could tell me about this sister of yours now." He said.

Matty bit the inside of his cheek thoughtfully, but then nodded as he walked alongside Wilder. "I… she's my younger sister." He said. "Her name is Jae." Matty's features fell dead serious, as he paled slightly at his next mention: "She's ill." He whispered.

Wilder glanced back at Matty, then nodded understandingly and redirected his vision onto the road before them… "Good thing, I have something for her to eat." He said.

Matty lightened up barely, but just barely. "Yeah," he said as the tiniest of smiles tugged at his lips. He really hoped this- Wilder, would feed Jae, but was afraid to truly trust him.

They kept walking in complete silence, because Wilder didn't seem very talkative unless something relevant was at hand, and Matty was much too shy to try and stir up a conversation, when his audience wasn't very responsive… Or didn't respond at all.

From time to time Matty would speak up however, to lead them in the right direction.

He felt better after having eaten, but to be honest, all he could truly think about was Jae. He hoped she was okay still. He knew she would probably feel a lot better, if she ate.

"So, how old is she..?" Wilder eventually asked, stirring Matty from his thoughts.

"15..." The blonde answered, with a fond gleam to his eye.

Wilder nodded, but didn't say no more.

Yet, now, as they were on the subject of age… Matty started to wonder just how old this Wilder guy might be… Judging from their height differences, Matty couldn't really distinguish his age, because even though he may be half a head shorter than Matty, then his accentuated jaw made him look very mature. And Matty was a little lanky.

Plus, this guy was broader than him, both muscle wise and in bone structure. Not by much, but visibly so. So yeah, this guy wasn't huge, not at all. But he appeared fit.

He appeared to be around Matty's age, perhaps a little older.

Perhaps this guy was 17 as well? Or maybe even older, but merely short for his age?

Matty fell into a stupor as he wondered… he really wanted to ask, but he was afraid he might feel stupid for asking. What if this guy was like 20, and he was just some little kid following him around? No, he definitely didn't wanna know!

He kept glancing at Wilder now, trying to figure out his age by some magic ability he did not posses. And somehow Wilder's back kept coming closer and closer to him-

until he walked straight into it, nose first.

Grunting displeased with tears coming to his eyes, Matty stumbled backwards.

"Ouch!" He whined while grabbing hold of his nose.

Wilder turned around, and arched an amused eyebrow at the clumsy blonde.

"Sorry, blondie… but didn't you forget something?." He inquired.

Matty looked up at him a little confused, until he remembered exactly where they were going… Oh, right… Jae… He was supposed to be leading the way.

A little guiltily he ducked his head and walked up front to show the way.

Ignoring the sting of his red cheeks and burning in his damaged nose, Matty kept walking straight on and ahead in order to bring them back to his sister.

Soon they reached the spot where he left her, in between rocks and ruins.

Pointing towards the large gathering of rocks, which kept his sister secluded, Matty said: "Here, this is where I left her!" Feeling uplifted and hopeful, he began a slow run towards the cave. "Come on!" He yelled at Wilder, waving him towards him eagerly.

Then he turned his face towards the wind and called for Jae: "Jae-Jae, wake up!" He ran towards the opening of the cave: "I've got company, he brings foo-..."

And then he stilled. Blanked. And froze in place.

Jae wasn't at the cave.

Panicking slightly, Matty called for her again. Yet, no answer came.

Fearing the worst, the blonde started walking further into the cave, yelling for his sister to come. As he got no response, he ran outside the cage and started yelling:

"Jade Iris West!" His calls resurrected in and around the cave, but no signs of life, aside for him and Wilder, was apparent. No signs of life. No signs of Jae.

He felt his blood run stale, as the thought of a wild animal tearing away at his sister, came to mind... or worse, what if one of those horrible creatures, one of those monsters, which had a frightening tendency to get lost on earth, had gotten to her?

He started screaming for her, nearly losing it.

Wilder tried to tell him to calm down, but he ignored him, and ran into the cave in search for her, wildly clasping at stones and cave walls in search of clues, anything that could help him find her. A purple light lit up the cave as he searched, and he was grateful for the help, but wasn't able to show his appreciation, as he kept calling for his beloved sister in the depths of the cave. But as he kept calling, no answers kept coming.

No answers came.

No Jae returned.