Disclaimer: I do not own the Gone series by Michael Grant.
Author's Note: Chapter 4 is up! We go back to Pilot Spring. And guys, I'd be much obliged if you readers voted on the poll on my profile about upcoming stories. Since this is doing so well, I wanna get something else out too. Tell me what ya think and thanks! :)

Brian collapsed into the nearest padded chair. He yawned loudly and glanced miserably at Raynold.

"Ray, this is going horribly wrong!"

Raynold shifted on his spot on the couch and shook his head. "Nonsense, Brian. Without your help, we'd be in so much panic."

The two were sitting in one of the various rooms of the town's council building. Nerezza had suggested Brian move to the mayor's former office. Brian politely turned her down, stating that the room seemed too dark. Nerezza only smiled just as polite and nodded. Unwittingly he had just foiled one of the girl's traps. It was still the first day that the strange wall had fallen but to the kids, it felt like weeks. Raynold had never remembered a more exhausting day in his life. Night had come and everyone went home to try to find sleep. They were hoping that this was all just a nightmare and they'd wake up in their own beds with just a faint memory once morning arrived. Ray had a twisting feeling in his gut that that wasn't going to be the case. He couldn't get the image of the mental hospital out of his head. There was so much…blood. And too little life. He thought, rubbing at his eyes. The blonde boy they had managed to pull from the debris didn't look too good by the time he and Mina got to the hospital. Ray doubted the boy would last much longer with no professional doctors left anywhere in their changed world. He left him in Mina's care and left as soon as possible, not wanting be hanging around when the kid died.

The talk slowed down and now the two were deep in thought about two completely different things. Brian was being the stereotypical natural leader—thinking about ways to keep his people from starving, thinking of ways to escape the trap the town was in, and thinking of everybody but himself.

Ray on the other hand was completely absorbed about himself. Normally the boy wasn't as vain as he seemed, and never would he usually think only about himself. But then everyone over fifteen disappeared and he was due for a one way trip out of Pilot Springs still in five days…soon to be four once morning came. Raynold felt that the possibility of dying was a perfectly good reason to obsess about himself. He had wanted to talk to Brian about it except the two had never been friends even before the blink-out. Ray was also worried he would come across as being arrogant and whinny. Here Brian was, working tirelessly to ensure that everyone survived this ordeal while Ray was only fretting about his own personal health. Instantly the older boy felt sicker to his stomach.

"Yeah…" he said slowly. He honestly didn't know why he and Brian were always together all of a sudden. The two hardly even knew each other not even a full day ago. Then again, everyone over the age of fifteen disappeared and the two were the first to step up. Or in Ray's situation, been at the wrong place at the wrong time. "You've been a big help, Brian."

Brian nodded and looked oddly relieved. He thanked Raynold and slipped out of the room, saying he had to do something before he finally went to bed.

No doubt he's off to go regulate the work crews or recount the supplies, Ray thought, a hint of barely detectable scorn in his voice. He was a little envious of how quickly Brian had taken hold of the situation at first. Almost as if he was waiting for it, he thought. Then the boy shook his head. Brian had been just as stumped as he had when the sirens started ringing. Brian O'Hare just recovered quicker than Ray had. Raynold thought back with a frown. It was that Nerezza girl who seemed to know what to do. He remembered the girl suggesting to Brian that they needed a leader, nominating him to be EAC, telling him to visit the mental hospital several miles away, sending more help, and setting up a new plan for management. Ray was now realizing how odd it seemed for an exotic girl like her to suddenly appear out of thin air and know exactly what to do in a situation like this. Even in his wildest fantasies, Raynold could never picture a fate so twisted as this. The boy quickly poked his head out the door to check and see if anyone was near. When he deemed the hallways empty, Ray thought hard on the first thing that came into his mind. He closed his eyes to concentrate.

"Nice newspaper," a voice said behind him.

Ray jumped and spun around to see Nerezza casually flipping through his recent experiment with a cool air. She froze on one headline. Green eyes quickly scanned the article and picked through various sources and quotes. "Interesting you picked this day and place," she said softly, eyes traveling from the print to his face. She studied him for a moment. "How are your powers developing?" Nerezza asked. "They seem to be doing well." She glanced at the name of the newspaper again; this time an expression of cold contempt flashed for a second across her face. "I hope this was just a coincidence," a soft growl in her voice.

Ray stumbled backwards and fell into the cushioned seat Brian was in not ten minutes ago. How did she get here so fast? "I-I don't k-know what y-you mean!" he stammered loudly. "This newspaper was already there!"

"Doubtful." Nerezza smiled at him with a thin 'I know you're lying' smile. "Your birthday is coming up." It wasn't so much a question as a statement. A painfully true statement for Ray.

Raynold stiffened. "How did you know?" he demanded.

The exotic girl tilted her head and looked deep into Ray's face. Her gaze was cool and calculating. "If you help me, little producer, I will tell you how to escape the age-jump."

"What?" Raynold shivered. Even though the boy was at least several inches taller than the girl and most likely older, he didn't argue against what she said. "I mean, what do I have to do?"

Nerezza's smile was able to not only to grow wider but also colder. "Tomorrow, random people are going to appear here. They'll just pop in, very confused and very powerful. Your job is to bring them to me. All three of them." Nerezza stopped to think back on her past experiences with the three to describe them. "One will be a typical 'surfer dude' as you would call it, one will be a solemn and cruel looking boy, and one will be Mexican." Raynold nodded slowly. Some part of his mind was waiting for the punch line to the joke. "Be very careful," Nerezza warned again, eyes flashing dangerously. "They too have powers except theirs are for killing—not for making newspaper clippings." The girl looked disdainfully at the paper in the floor and turned to leave.

"Goodbye, Raynold. The moment you bring me those strangers," she paused, "I will tell you how to beat the age-jump."

Raynold nodded slowly again and watched her leave. Before the girl completely left the room, she added "Be sure to practice your powers."

Ray shivered again despite the warm heater pumping hot air through the office. "A surfer dude, a cruel man, and a Mexican all walk into a bar," he muttered under his breath. "Rather appear out of nowhere." He glanced back down at the newspaper he had thought up. In his mind he just wanted something that could help explain what kind of torture he was in. The paper he got was the first cover of the mysteriously similar orb around the small town in California. Like Nerezza, he quickly scanned the write up, picking out various things. The things that popped out most dealt with topics like 'radiation had been strangely high the past few days and new mutations in creatures have been found in the surrounding area of the globe' and the bigger one was 'there has been no survivors and no progress is expected anytime soon'.

"Brilliant," Ray said, crumpling up the page in a balled fist. He glanced out the window back in the office and suppressed his hundredth yawn. Time to go to bed. Can't go on a scavenger hunt without sleep.

Pain was the first thing that registered in Malachi's mind. Pain and lots of it. Pain around his face and throat. Pain on his arms. The most amount of pain was around his legs. Especially his entire left leg. The blonde headed boy turned slightly and suddenly screamed out. All he could feel was the pain. Sound was the next thing the boy was aware of. He could hear the nervous shuffling of people all around him and the sound of his throaty scream. Evidently I have screamed already, he dully registered in a moment of clarity. Then the wave of pain was back.

"Help me!" he screamed hoarsely. "Please, help me!" It was one of the first times Malachi had ever used the word please, but he had never felt this weak before. The flurry of people around him stopped and the pain became a numb ache. It seemed as if the world had stopped turning around the boy.

Come to me!

Malachi froze. His insides became ice cold and it felt like a frozen hand was rooting through his mind. W-what?

Come to me! The voice echoed around his head and seemed very forceful. The boy suddenly did not like having someone tell him what to do.

I will not! You will get out of my head! Malachi said rather loudly in his mind. Even though he was unable to move his hands to make the threat more real, the injured boy figured that in his mind he would have an endless amount of control.

Do not speak to me that way, slave! Said the cool voice. Malachi got the feeling he wasn't talking to anything human. Then the line about slave hit the boy and a white hot temper ran through him.

I am not anyone's slave! Malachi shouted back, pressing his power harder. He was forcing more power than he had on anyone else he had ever met. On a normal human, Ray hazarded a guess that it would be enough to kill them.

At that moment all of the energy focused against this new intruder cracked. Malachi was thrown in his mind while a streak of pain lanced through him. Malachi felt icy tendrils, so cold they burned, dig into his head and rip apart his rational thoughts. While the boy struggled to get his bearings in his own mind and body, the dark intruder waited comfortably.

Do not fight me. I will win.

Malachi was quiet for a moment. Who are you? He asked tentatively.

A low grumble rolled in the boy's mind. I am the Gaiaphage. And that was all Malachi knew before spiraling into a sweet unconsciousness.

"Wake up!" a sharp feminine voice demanded. Malachi turned slightly and felt his upper leg shoot with a sharp pain. The boy instantly braced himself for a more serious pain in his lower leg and was dumbstruck when none came. He blearily opened his eyes and saw a tan skinned girl with an explosion of black hair around her head hovering over his bed.

"Ged 'way…" he murmured, closing his eyes again. He was suddenly so tired and so numb. His leg wasn't hurting anymore. In fact, it felt so light and free from its original heavy bandaging, Malachi was sure it was completely healed. He sighed happily and almost drifted back to sleep had something not been stopping him.

"I said, wake up!" A dark hand was wrapped around Malachi's neck. It wasn't enough to choke him completely but it made breathing a bit of a struggle. And it was definitely enough to wake him up.

Malachi's eyes popped open. "I'm up!" he hissed, feeling very cross at the girl. He shoved at her hand but was unable to move it. The hand tightened a bit more and Malachi started to pant.

"This wouldn't be the first time I killed someone this way," the girl's green eyes lit up with a wicked light. Malachi shuddered and pried frantically at the girl's hand. It seemed to be held there by super strength. He choked out incoherent words which caused the girl to smile. The boy was about to lose consciousness when the death grip lessened. Air was shot back into Malachi's lungs so fast it almost hurt. His head swam but he was glad he could still breathe.

"The last one was through with her job. Lucky for you, you are unexpendable at this time. Your job has yet to come."

Malachi shivered. "Who are you? What do you want?" he asked in a tiny voice. He really felt like his young age of thirteen here and not the spurned martyr from somewhere else he usually pretended to be.

The girl smiled. "I am Nerezza. It means da—"

"Darkness in Italian. Yes, I know. I'm not completely ignorant." Malachi interrupted automatically, unable to control his need to be right. The girl narrowed her cat-like eyes at him. "What do you want?" Malachi repeated. His face suddenly went pale as he thought of his past assailant. "You're not with the Gaiaphage or whatever it was are you?" his voice became timid again.

Nerezza tilted her head at him. "Well, you certainly are brighter than several of my other slaves." Malachi shuddered again. Slaves…? "Whiphand was just a barbarian and the Healer was foolish to believe to defeat me. And don't start on the Prophetess." There was a hint of spite in her voice which Malachi instantly noticed. It wasn't normal spite though; it was pure hatred and a nearly untraceable bit of fear. A fear of failing an important task. Malachi pocketed this information away for later days.

"What do you mean I'm your slave?" He asked snarkily. "When did I make a contract with you?"

Green eyes flashed dangerously. "You are correct. I have not yet forced you to work for me. If you do not agree to help me, I will kill you now. I do not believe you want to take that option, though. Besides, I have something which could be of use to you." Her gaze drifted pointedly to his left leg…rather what was remaining of it.

"What the hell happened!" exploded Malachi. Usually he wasn't one for profanities except this was clearly time for one. Everything from his left knee down was gone. He reached towards it with a bandaged hand and found with a sick jolt that nothing was there. It wasn't a trick of the light and it wasn't under blankets. Half of his leg was gone.

"The damage to your lower leg was too serious to heal by itself. Gangrene was going to set in and the only thing to do was remove the infectious part of the leg. The metal bar, when it fell, did an excellent job of preparing it. All I had to do was one quick slice." Nerezza smiled cruelly.

Malachi jerked forward. "You cut off my leg! I'll kill you!" he screamed at her, face red with fury. At that moment, he certainly did not look like an angel. More like a fallen angel.

Nerezza frowned at him. "I had to, Malachi. Without doing it, you would have died."

"Then you should have let it killed me!" Malachi sobbed.

The dark haired girl's expression turned dark. "Stop whining!" The boy was reminding her of that sadist slave she had who only wanted a new hand and revenge. Malachi instantly went silent. "Now, I have something that could help." The hope rolling off the boy almost caused Nerezza to be sick.

"W-what is it?" the blond asked, eyes wide.

"I too have powers like you althought I cannot manipulate as well as you." Here the girl smiled slightly and Malachi started to realize how pretty she was. "But I have other more important powers. I can give you something better than your old leg."

Malachi was hooked. "Heal me!" he demanded, twirling his fingers in the air. Instead of growing blank like his usual victims', Nerezza's face became furious. Like with the mind intruder a while ago, a sharp pain shot through the boy's head. He cried out and cupped his head in his hands.

"Do not try to make me do your bidding!" The girl spat, eyes blazing. "I control you! Not the other way around!" She stepped backwards, her face expressionless. She smiled sweetly at him and caressed the cut up side of his face softly with a hand. "I gave you your powers, Malachi. Do you really want me to take them away permanently?" Her hand pressed firmly against a bruise and Malachi hissed quietly. Then she was gentle again. "Do as I say well, Malachi, and you'll get your leg back. Do as I say perfectly and you'll get something more." She smiled teasingly at the poor boy who was instantly smitten.

Malachi nodded slowly. "Yes, Nerezza," he murmured softly. "I will be your slave…"

The girl grinned a perfect white smile. "Wonderful." She bent forward, kissed the boy on the cheek and turned to leave. "I'll be back with a few friends soon. For now, rest."

Malachi nodded and obediently closed his eyes. Nerezza's expression flashed as soon as he did. Her flirty smile became a dark glower. She wiped her hand on the side of her shirt and rubbed her lips roughly with a sleeve to rid herself of human.

"All of them are idiots," she muttered darkly. The girl left and prepared herself for the last piece of her game. "My stupid, loyal pawns."

Aww, wittle Malachi's in wuv! And Nerezza is just stringing him along. Poor thing. Thanks to all of my readers!

Kate of Carlay - Yeah, this is a pretty long story. We haven't even picked up any action and its already to 25000 words. There's only one more person to join Nerezza's team and then we jump right into the action. I suppose you'll have to wait to see which side Ray, Mal, and Brian will take :). I don't quite understand what you're asking with Sam but I'll be happy to clear anything up. Thanks a ton for your review!