AN: I was supposed to be working on an essay for my class last night, but I couldn't stop writing this. Aren't you lucky?
"Griffin, what are we doing here? I mean, this place is not your style," David said as they walked around a dusty living room in an abandoned house.
The place looked like it hadn't been touched in years, since dust was everywhere and all of the windows were boarded up. There were also suspicious holes in the walls and furnitur was overturned. David swore that he saw a dark spot, possibly blood, on the hardwood floor.
Griffin didn't want to bring David here, to his childhood home, the last place he had been with parents before they were killed. Even though he and David weren't at odds anymore, it was still weird to have him here.
Griffin had even brought Anna here once, even though it pained him to do so, but she insisted. She even made him take her to his parents' graves.
He thought that was the strangest thing, but she wanted to know more about his past; the good parts of his childhood and how he became to be like the person he was. He was even more surprised when she started crying when he told her the story of the fateful day of his parents' deaths, as if it happened to her,too.
Since then, he couldn't look at her the same way. This unfamiliar warmth had spread through his heart, and he didn't want it to go away, even if it could or he wanted it too.
He loved her. Simple as that.
However, it was just so complicated. Jumpers were dying more and more, and the Paladins were growing and getting stronger. He couldn't fight them all by himself, and so he decided to do the unthinkable.
He was going to ask Anna to marry him. After he got David's permission of course. Which was why he was going through old dressers and clothes in his parents' room upstairs.
Griffin huffed in annoyance when he had ransacked the whole room. He knew that David was getting anxious about leaving their girlfriends unprotected for so long, and he was starting to get anxious himself.
"Where the bloody hell is that ring!" Griffin shouted angrily.
"You mean, this ring?" David asked from the doorway. Griffin turned around and David pulled a small velvet ring box out of his pocket.
Griffin nodded. When he went to reach for it, however, David pulled his hand back teasingly.
"So, just what were you planning to do with it, Griffin?" David smirked.
Griffin groaned. Then, he took a deep breath and looked the other Jumper straight in the eye. "I was planning on proposing to your sister."
David's smirk faded and his mouth fell open slightly. "Y-You want to marry Anna? Do you think that's safe?"
"David, I do everything I can to make sure that she's safe. Look around, my parents are dead because they risked their lives trying to do the same thing. They had each other, but they left me alone. Anna understands me more than anyone else, and she doesn't judge me or critizes me. I'm going to marry her, David. And, as much as it pains me to say this, I would like to have your blessing or whatever to do so."
If Griffin had said this 3 years ago, David would've been sure that he was joking. But since so much had changed, David knew he was serious about this. Griffin had only been serious about two things: getting his revenge on Roland, and Anna.
David sighed. They did seem happy together, after all. Plus, he was thinking about asking Millie to marry him, too. They already acted as if they were married, might as well make it official.
"Fine. You have my blessing, Griffin O'Connor. Just make sure to take care of her, okay? She's the only sister I have."
Griffin took the ring from David and said, "I promise…Brother."
Xxx
When they returned to David's new place in Miami, they were surprised to find Anna already there. With a young teenage boy with her.
"Anna, who is he? Where's Millie?" David asked.
Millie walked into the room. "I'm here. We're fine."
Anna stood up from the couch and motioned to the boy. "This is Cole Benson. He's the Jumper I saved two years ago when I was captured." Cole waved at the men nervously.
The boy was young about 15 or 16, and quite small for his age. He had short, blond hair and sharp brown eyes that seemed very adult and mature. His clothes were dirted and ripped in several places, and bandages covered his right arm and left leg.
Griffin tightened his fists and clentched his jaw. Because of this boy acting irresponsibly, he almost lost Anna to the enemy. He couldn't understand sometimes how she could be so trusting and warm to people that threatened her life…like…like…him, for instance.
Anna motioned for Cole to stand up. "S-Sorry, i-its j-just an h-honor t-to m-meet y-you," Cole stuttered.
Griffin huffed, and David smiled a warm smile. Anna said, "Tell them why you're here."
"Oh, right. As you know, Paladins have been creating new technology to kill and track Jumpers. My father, brother, and I have managed to steal some of it, as well as free those who have been tortured and captured. We run what we call the Underground Resistance."
"Is this a joke?" Griffin blurted out. Anna glared at him and nudged Cole to continue.
"N-No sir. We take our job seriously, and we know that this war has been going on for centuries. But my dad thinks that it is about to reach its' climax. We have been watching their movements and uncovered some information."
"Like what?" Millie asked.
"Well, that the Paladins have a new leader, and he's ruthless, as well as mysterious. Well as Roland made his presence known, this guy remains in the shadows. He has been sending out spies for recon, rather than search parties and hunters like before. He's trying to gain information about us, trying to find our weaknesses."
"Show them the file, Cole," Anna mumbled taking Griffin's hand.
Cole nodded and pulled out a manila folder out of a battered laptop bag. He opened it and handed it to David.
Millie gasped when she pulled out a surveillance photo of her and Anna picking up groceries. Griffin clenched his jaw once more when more photos surfaced of Anna outside of class, David giving Millie a hug outside of their apartment, and Griffin walking Anna to her class.
"Where did you get these?" Griffin asked as he eyed one of the photos.
"A Paladin who we convinced to switch sides. He gave us access to as much information as he could before they blocked us out of their database. And, there's a LOT more of those."
"So they've been stalking us for the past two years?" David mused.
"Of course they have. I knew that it wasn't over. I told you that from the start. They're just getting better at this. I knew that it was only going to get worse," Griffin blurted out.
"So what do we do now? It's not like we can run, since they're following us everywhere we go," Millie commented.
"Then, we have to fight. Right, Griffin?" Anna looked at him.
"I've been fighting my whole life. No reason to stop now," said Griffin.
"But you don't have to do it alone. You have us, and if we join the U.R., then we could have an army, like the Paladins, but our own army. If we fight this together, then maybe it will finally be over. We can have a normal life. No more fear, no more running."
"But Anna-"Griffin started to protest, but Anna shook her head.
"Griffin, I've watched you fight till the death. I've watched you come home with bloody lips, broken ribs, and a black eye. Well, the next time, you might NOT come home, and then what? They'll just get more Paladins, and another innocent person and their loved ones will become their new target. We have to end this, while we can. I want to , don't you?"
It was quiet for a long time. Then, David spoke up, "Anna's right. We'll join."
Anna grinned and then turned back to Griffin. "Griff?"
Griffin looked into her eyes and sighed. "Fine, I'm in, too. But, you have to promise that if we do this, the girls have to remain safe, and no one is allowed to boss me around. I make my own rules. Deal?"
Cole grinned and shook David's and Griffin's hands. Suddenly, there was a loud crash from one of the back rooms. Millie and Anna screamed, and Griffin knew it was time for action.
AN: You know what to do, REVIEW!