A/N Sorry for having no update last week people, but at least there's one this week. That's a good thing at least. . . I think. . . Anyways, this chapter hasn't been beta'd simply because my beta's have been busy so sorry about that.

Disclaimer: JP owns canon

Claimer: I own all original things

Silence

Silence. It's a rare thing to hear when you live with a couple hyper teenage kids. I usually like to sit back, relax and just think when there's silence. Sometimes I read a book or think towards the future. Where I come from, silence is a blessed thing worthy of praise and it's very own alter.

But now. . . In this situation. . .

I glanced over to my right. A child, reminding me so much of how Angel looked a couple years back when we still lived with Jeb. She hugged a teddy bear close to her chest and her lips moved in silent prayer. Her mother held her close and was whispering in her ear, "It'll be fine sweetheart. Everything will be fine. Remember that story I told you? The one with the superhero? Well she'll turn up and she'll rescue us. Just like in that story."

Over and over this was repeated. A hushed whisper, barely audible as she rocked the child in her arms. "It'll be fine. We'll be rescued. Everything will be fine." Again and again it was said. "Dad will be waiting for us outside, with a cake and he'll be so proud of how courageous you were." Tears leaked down the dusty face. "Everyone will be so proud of you. . ."

Her words was just a low hum under the sobbing, the cries, the footsteps, the orders being barked. A low soothing hum that distracted her little child. Protecting her from the harsh truths of reality. That this was, in fact, a bleak situation. Perhaps the people hadn't realised it as such yet, perhaps they still entertained fantasies of making it out of here alive. I knew the truth and one glance at Fang told me he knew it as well. I glanced over at the others on my left, they all knew it as well.

I reached down and scratched my leg. Iggy did a good job of bandaging it up, but that didn't mean it wasn't annoying me. Sighing, I stared up at the ceiling. Lights, holes in the roof leading up to the floor above, piping leaking water everywhere, power cables sparking. No matter where I looked, all I could see was destruction, mayhem, sadness, death, despair.

I didn't want to look towards my left, towards my Flock again, for I knew what I'd see behind them. Rubble, bodies, blood. I wonder how long it'll take to get those images out of my mind. A constant slide show in my mind, image after image, face after face. The white floors, stained red. The sound of bones being crunched as slabs fell off the ceiling onto people below. Those dull eyes looking up at me as if wanting me to do something, telling me I should have done something, that I could have done something.

It was silent. Most people would think the opposite. With the Erasers marching about, the people whispering amongst themselves, with the crackling cables and dripping water, silence would seem to be the furthest thing away. But. . . it was silent. . . It sounds weird, I know, but it's true. There was just this deadness to the air, this depressiveness, a heaviness that smothered and dampened everything. It reminded me of being back at the School. Yet. . . it wasn't quite the same either. These people had friends, family, loved ones, while back then, back at the school, we had none of that. These people had more to loose.

I rolled over so that I was on my front allowing me to look straight ahead. While most of the Erasers around are walking around, there was one that wasn't. Instead she was just sitting there, a rifle slung over one shoulder while she held a simple handgun in her right hand. She was the leader of their merry little pack. The one I planned on taking down if I had the chance.

I watched her, studied her, looked at the way she sat, tried to get feel for her. But, she wasn't moving, merely sitting there with her eyes closed. That was not a good sign. In order for an Erasers to become leader, they had to best all others in their pack and they had to be smart. This Eraser was merely sitting there with her eyes closed, completely and utterly relaxed.

I knew that position, I knew what it meant. Jeb did it once when we were escaping and the plan didn't work out. He just sat there, in that exact same manner and when he opened his eyes, he would have a new plan.

I don't trust coincidences. The very thought of the Eraser sitting there, in that exact same position, gave me a bad feeling. Sure, it might be that she's just resting, but I didn't come this far by being optimistic about everything.

I lay there watching her and after a while she opened her eyes and looked straight at me. I cocked and eyebrow and smirked. She shook her head slightly and grinned in response, she even made a slight wave with her free hand. I rolled my eyes, but returned the gesture. She must be one of the weirdest Erasers I have ever met. And her eyes. . . they were those of a wolves and not human. All the previous Erasers had human eyes. . . things just seem to be getting better and better.

Turning her head, I looked her line of sight to another Erasers approaching her. Without looking, I reached out and tapped Iggy on the shoulder and jerked my head in their direction.

"There seems to be a problem," whispered Iggy as the messenger talked to the Alpha Female.

"Let me guess, SWAT has arrived?" she replied without even looking at him. Before the messenger could reply, she stood up. "Not much of a problem if you ask me."

Stretching she walked towards a pile rubble and stepped on top of it. "Okay people!" she yelled. All heads turned to her. "It seems some foolish people think they can rescue you all. Or, if you want to be specific, SWAT thinks they can rescue you."

Noise flooded the room as the people started talking to each other. Things about how they'd be saved and so forth. I knew better, Iggy had heard what she had said, she was confident about who would win. Without warning, the Alpha drew her gun and fired off to side. Silence. Pure and utter silence. Broken only by the sound of a gun falling to the ground followed by the dull thud of a human body.

I shook my head. Silly security guard. Thinking he could surprise the Eraser. So far, she's been surprised by nothing.

In the silence, the Alpha started talking again. "From what I know, SWAT is setting up outside and I've arranged for some entertainment." With a wave of her hand, an Eraser ran up, set up a projector and the view of outside of seen on the wall.

There was indeed a SWAT unit set up. They had the rifles, the guns, the cars, the clothes. In the background I could make out a helicopter coming. They used their cars as shields, standing behind them with their guns levelled at the entrance. The camera zoomed out and it showed a whole line of them around the entrance of the building while others were placed around it.

A man made his way forwards with a speaker phone in his hand, no doubt to tell the Erasers to come out with their hands up. But before he could even speak the first word, the Alpha raised a radio to her lips and simply said, "Initiate plan."

Bang!

The gunshot sliced through the air and on the screen, we could see a fire blooming as one of the cars erupted in flames. A couple seconds later, the sound of the car exploding reached our ears and by that time, three more cars had erupted. The people standing by the cars? Well. . . they didn't stand a chance. Dead. The whole lot of them and if they weren't dead, they'd soon be. I could hear the screams of those on fire.

It was slaughter out there. Those who ran for cover were shot down by snipers; those who stayed sheltering behind the cars were burnt to the ground. After the first couple of people who made a ran for it got shot down, one of the SWAT persons threw a smoke grenade. It slowly filled up the area and by the time the smoke cleared, they were gone. It was a risky move, but the only move they could have made at the time. A couple seconds later, there was a gunshot and the screen went dead. Seems like they found the camera.

I took the time to look around. Before, everyone still had hope, still believed they could get out of this. It was still there. . . just. . . not as vibrant as before. As if it was submerged far below the sea.

"It seems, that they adapted to the situation faster than what I had anticipated," mused the Alpha out loud. "No matter." She gestured and a group of five Erasers appeared. "It seems that you'll get to hunt tonight. Remember to keep your eye on the prey and to not get distracted by shadows." With a flick of the wrist, they left.

I didn't have to look around to know what affect that had on the people. For the remains of the SWAT force to be referred as prey and to be talked about in such a condescending manner. . . That is the most demoralising thing she could have done. And she knew it. She sat back down on where she sat before and gave me a smile as if to say "Check. Your move" before closing her eyes.

I glanced around. Despite the five missing Erasers, there were still far too many for us to take down. And even if their numbers were reduced to an amount we could normally take down, we were starving, dusty, scratches all over our bodies and they had guns. No matter what we did, there was no way we would be able to win in a straight forward fight.

"So what do we do Max?" asked Gazzy, "We've got enough bombs to take this place down. . ."

I shook my head. "Not now. Wait. A straight forward fight will get us killed, plus there are innocent people both here and outside."

I didn't need to look to see their shocked expression, but Fang stepped in and explained what I meant. "We wait and act as a distraction for when SWAT decides to try again. Max, Gazzy and Angel, you three while lead the people out while the rest of us stay behind and distract them."

I opened my mouth to complain, but Fang cut in, "First of all you're injuried, secondly their lives mean more than ours. We all know what Itex making this move means. We need to save as many people as possible."

I nodded. There was no point in arguing with Fang when he's like this so I decided to play along. "We'll take the north exit and try to take out as many Erasers along the way as possible. The rest of you take out the closest Erasers, grab their guns and provide covering fire. If you've got spare guns pass it over to the security guards."

Total opened his mouth for some witty remark no doubt, but one look at my face and he shut up. Good choice that. If he had said anything, I can not be held accountable for any bodily harm.

Sighing, I leaned back and closed my eyes. "I suggest you get some rest while you still can. It's been a long day and it's going to get longer." I stole a glance at the Alpha and she merely smiled and nodded.

What twisted game is she playing?