A/N: I had writer's block this week, so I don't feel this was my best, but I hope you guys enjoy it either way.

[Shiko sits on the bed in the afternoon. He says nothing and does nothing, just stares at the ground. He had bags under his eyes and a beard growing in. Everyone was gone, they had gone out to the park for the day. Shiko refused to go. He looks at the door and thinks a minute.

Should I go out? I could use a drink. Fuck, if Aina saw me now.

Shiko gets up and walks to the door, down the hallway it lead to, then to the left towards the exit of The Hall.

Shiko walks in the direction of the bar Fraus showed him, looking at the ground and not paying attention to his surroundings.

Everyone won't know where I went. What does it matter? Golden's probably sick of babysitting me, Forta thinks I'm unstable, Steve doesn't trust me around the kids and the kids are afraid of me. Shit, I need a drink.

Shiko's thoughts roll on as he makes his way to the dirty little bar, tucked between an apartment building and a clothing store. He walks in, passes the laughing and shouting men to assume his regular place at the bar. He sits a moment before Daniel notices him.]

Daniel: "Hey man, haven't seen you in a while. I got hopeful you sobered up."

Shiko: "Me too."

Daniel: "What's wrong?"

Shiko: "I just felt like a drink fucker, hand me one."

Daniel: "Listen, I'm not really suppose to be giving out free drinks. Mayor was picking up your tab before, but now you gotta pay."

Shiko: "Pay? Pay with what?"

Daniel: "Oh yeah, you're new here. Sticks."

Shiko: "So sticks is a kind of currency here?"

Daniel: "Yeah, a pint will cost you two sticks."

Shiko: "Fuck Daniel, can I get a drink now and pay you tomorrow?"

Daniel: "Technically no, but you seem troubled so sure."

[Daniel fills a cup from a barrel with beer and hands it to Shiko.]

Daniel: "I take it you aren't into talking about your problems?"

Shiko: "Can't blame me, losing a wife and unborn child."

Daniel: "Ouch, that must be rough."

Shiko: "You have no idea."

Daniel: "Well, you're always welcome here. Glad to see someone who isn't all about the buzz."

Shiko: "What do you mean?"

Daniel: "Everyone around here is here for happiness. They want the buzz they get from the drink. They all sit around laughing and shouting like people aren't getting killed in the streets every night."

Shiko: "By those gangs?"

Daniel: "Yeah, it's usually been occasional, maybe every 14 days. It's been going on for 15 days straight now. There must have been a lot of trouble between them. Last night the Taktikas ran into some Ingqondos and killed 10 people in the crossfire. Some for fun, some by accident and some to show how tough they are. People like to ignore the problem and hope it goes away. They never think it'll be them. What do they expect stumbling home every night only an hour before sunrise? Every night for the past 15 nights a regular here was killed yet no one understands that they could be next."

[Shiko nods slowly, taking it all in.]

Shiko: "My friend walked around as the sun was rising. She likes doing that, but she ran into the leaders of the Kisas and the Ingqondos. We have to live in The Hall now for protection."

Daniel: "Christ, I lost a nephew to a Kisa. He worked at The Hall, he was escorting a new group to their apartment building and was killed walking back."

Shiko: "W-was his name Aaron?"

Daniel: "Yeah, how did you know?"

[Shiko downs his beer, making him slightly dizzy.]

Shiko: "Lucky fucking guess."

Scene 2:

[Forta, Golden, Steve, Kiki and Nevin are in the park. It is just a large plot of land with graa, trees and flowers around. There is a small pond in the middle. Forta and Steve sit on the grass, watching Golden, Nevin and Kiki run around and chase each other.]

Steve: "You think it was a good idea to leave Shiko alone?"

Forta: "He's a grown man, he can care for himself."

Steve: "What if the Kisas found out where we are and they kill him?"

Forta: "The gangs have no idea where we are. It's fine. Don't worry so much."
Steve: "I have to worry. I mean Kiki had a bad dream about Kreten last night and had to come sleep with us. How could you not worry? I thought you were the worrier."

Forta: "Steve! Listen to you! We are in a city, so much safer than moving around and living in the wild."

Steve: "When we lived in the wild you never got a crossbow aimed at your head."

Forta: "The gangs are temporary, we can help get rid of them. Us living in The Hall and Golden being friends with Fraus must give us some influence."

Steve: "I don't know...Fraus seems to be running everything."

Forta: "He'll take care of it. Calm down."

[Steve nods and stares off at Kiki running from Nevin]

Kiki: "Get away from me zombie butt!"

Nevin: "Shut up creeper fart!"

Forta: "I think Kiki and Nevin like each other."

Steve: "Yeah, it's cute."

Forta: "Think we should have the talk with them?"

Steve: "How could we have the talk? What do we really know?"

Forta: "You didn't have sex with Yowai?"

[Steve stares shocked at Forta, and then turns red.]

Steve: "No she died."

Forta: "Well yeah but I thou-"

Steve: "You thought wrong."

Forta: "Sorry. Either way, they're what now? 10, they need to know this stuff."

Steve: "I guess we could talk to them together."

[They sit in silence and watch the kids play together. They start climbing a tree and shouting down at Golden.]

Kiki: "You'll never ever catch me creeper!"

Golden: "Ssssss"

Nevin: "Climb higher Kiki!"

Scene 3:

[It is late in the night. Forta, Steve, Golden, Kiki and Nevin were inside The Hall in their room.]

Golden: "Where the hell is Shiko? He could get himself hurt this late at night."

Forta: "I don't know."

Golden: "I'm going to go talk with Fraus. He must send out a worker at once to find him."

[Golden gets up from his bed and storms out of the room and down the hall. Forta looks to Steve who sits next to her.]

Forta: [whispering] "We should talk to them now."

[Steve nods and stands up.]

Steve: "Kiki, Nevin we have something we want to talk to you about."

Kiki: "What?"

Forta: "Do you two know where babies comes from?"

Nevin: "Don't we just randomly wake up in a forest?"

Steve: "Well we do, but we can also make babies."

Kiki: "How?"

[Forta stands up next to Steve, now facing the two kids sitting next to each other on the bottom bunk of their beds.]

Forta: [clears throat] "When a man and a woman love each other, they have something called sex."

Nevin: "Sex?"

Steve: "Yes this is how babies are made."

Kiki: "How does that work?"

Forta: "Uhm well the man take his-"

Nevin: "Ooooh! I remember now! Aina told us about this!"

Forta: "Oh she uh did?"

Nevin: "She explained it and then said that's how her baby came to be."

Steve: "Her baby?"

Kiki: "She told us she was preg...nant?"

Forta: "Oh...oh my god."

Nevin: "What?"

Steve: "...shit."

Kiki: "No swearing!"

Forta: "I-I'm glad that she explained everything to you."

[There is an awkward silence as the kids try to figure out what it all meant and the adults let the fact that Aina was pregnant sink in.]

Scene 4:

[Steve and Forta are whispering, sitting on their bed about Aina and Shiko and everything that had happened. Kiki and Nevin start to play a game of truth or dare.]

Forta: [whispering] "Why didn't she tell me? She not only got rid of her life but another's."

Steve: [whispering] "She probably didn't want to raise a child in this world. I can understand that."

Kiki: "I truth you to tell me if you like me!"

Nevin: "W-what no! You're weird."

Kiki: "Yes you do! You like me!"

Nevin: "Shut up!"

Steve: [whispering] "Fuck, I bet Shiko knew."

[The door opens and a drunken Shiko and a tired Golden walk in.]

Golden: "He was in the bar."

Forta: "Surprise surprise."

Shiko: [slurring] "Don't fucking judge me!"

Golden: "Go to bed Shiko."

Shiko: "No fuck you!"

Kiki: "Stop! Stop cursing!"

Steve: "Ok Kiki and Nevin, you guys will be staying in the room across the hall tonight."

[Steve grabs their hands and brings them out of the room.]
Forta: "Golden, do you know if Fraus is still up?"

Golden: "Yeah he should be in his drinking room."

Forta: "Bring Shiko to him, for the night he's his problem."

[Golden nods and then hesitates.]

Golden: "I'm going back home tonight. Just for a little while. I did all the trading I could with the items I have. I'll go drop these off and bring some more. I will return tomorrow morning. I need a night to sleep in my own bed."

[Forta nods slowly.]

[Golden leaves the room and Steve comes back. They are now the only ones left in there.]

Steve: "Where are they going?"

Forta: "Golden will dump Shiko on Fraus and then he is going back home to get some things and sleep there for the night."

Steve: "Oh, then the kids can sle-"

Forta: "Wait!"

Steve: "What?"

Forta: "Could it just be me and you tonight?"

[Steve stares at her, slowly building up a smile.]

Steve: "I thought you said no kids."

Forta: "There are ways of not having a kid."

Steve: "Are you sure?"

[Forta nods.]

Scene 4:

[Fraus sits on his throne the next afternoon, surrounded by guards all talking to him at once.]

Guard one: "Mayor! Mayor! Your news department wants to know what happened!"

Fraus: "No, tell them nothing."

Guard two: "Where will you move the witnesses is?"

Scarlett: "Why didn't we catch them?!"

Fraus: "Enough! I will not be undermined by a bunch of low-life guards. Either shut up and follow the orders I gave or get out of my fucking city!"

[The guards are quiet and they scurry about, running to do as Fraus said. Everyone runs in the direction of their task except Scarlett.]

Scarlett: "Sir I-"

Fraus: "What? What are you doing here? You should be running interference with the writers."

Scarlett: "Mayor, I have to know that you are certain of her whereabouts."

Fraus: "Well, you are part of the team to take her down. I gave you the information to go on and your team went on it. You should be just as happy with the results as I am."

Scarlett: "But Mayor, if this isn't where she is she could get to Forta an-"

Fraus: "She won't."

[Scarlett stares at Fraus, his eyes angry and piercing her's.]

Scarlett: "Yes sir."

[She turns around and walks out of the throne room. Walking past her, enters Golden.]

Fraus: "Ah! Gold, back so soon?"

Golden: "Yeah I have a lot to sell today so I decided to show up early."

Fraus: "Ah yes, the market-place should be quite busy today."

Golden: "But I wanted to ask what the hell is going on here."

Fraus: "Nothing, nothing. People are just fussing over nothing."

Golden: "Nothing? The people who work in The Hall don't fuss over nothing. We lost Aaron and 3 other guards in one night and we don't bat an eye, we just replace them. They have to be fussing over something."

Fraus: [sighs] "If I tell you this, you have to promise me you do not tell any of your friends. No one must know."

[Golden nods]

Fraus: "Qatil was sighted in the building last night. Guards have been searching everywhere for her. I did manage to find a clue that she had left the building and was hiding out in a factory to the east."

Golden: "Is everyone ok? What did you do with Shiko?"

Fraus: "I filled him up with all the drinks his heart desired, listened to his sad tale again and let him pass out on the bar-room floor."

Golden: "Shit Fraus, drinking isn't good for him."

Fraus: "It's no big deal, he's fine. I'll have a guard wake him up in a while."

[Golden shook his head.]

Golden: "Is everyone else ok?"

Fraus: "They checked on the kids, fast asleep and fine. We tried to check on Forta and Steve but they locked the door."

Golden: "I'm going to check right now."

Scene 5:

[Golden turns around and walks down the hall a little ways until he finds a turn to the right. He turns that and there is a door. He tries to open it but it is locked. He bangs on the door loudly.]

Golden: "Hey! Wake up! You alright in there!"

Forta's voice: "Shit! Coming Golden!"

[Golden can hear Forta waking Steve up and shuffling noises. Soon Forta opens the door, combing her hair with her fingers. Dressed obviously hurriedly in clothes from the closet. She wore a blue shirt with green shorts and leather shoes.]

Forta: "Oh uh hi."

Golden: "Are you two ok?"

Forta: "W-what? Yeah why?"

Golden: "Just wanted to make sure. Heard from Kiki and Nevin?"

Forta: "No we just woke up."

Golden: "What? You always wake up early."

Forta: "Uh yeah you know...it happens."

[Steve comes up behind Forta.]

Steve: "Hey Goldie. What are we doing today?"

Scene 6:

[It is a warm, sunny afternoon. The group had decided to go to the market-place with Golden. It was a crowded area filled with shopping stands of hand-made and home-made things. Golden had put up a seat for himself and Shiko to sit at the booth, while the others looked around.]

Golden: "C'mon man, the sun isn't that bright.]

Shiko: "Shuddup."

[Shiko had his head in his hands.]

Shiko: "Fucking hell. My head."

Golden: "You can't do this shit anymore. You should be taking care of Kiki and Nevin."
Shiko: "I should be taking care of Garam but I'm not am I?"

Golden: "Fuck. Shiko I know it's traumatizing and I'm not saying you have to get over it. But-but the kids don't have much in the way of parents. They have Forta and Steve but they don't know much. They could use all the support we have."

Shiko: "Yeah yeah I know. But...I just really like being drunk."

Golden: "I know it's fun but you're only going to hurt yourself and others."

Shiko: "Mayor's bartender. It was this woman. She had short brown hair. Barely wore anything. I remember...Fraus telling me it was her uniform. I remember him leaving to go to bed. I don't remembe rmuch after that. I do remember the woman's voice. What was she saying? Something about...fuck."

Golden: "What?"

Shiko: "I don't even fucking remember what she said, let alone her name or anything about her. But I do remember having a good time with her…"

Golden: "Oh for fucks sake! Did you sleep with her?"

Shiko: "Yell a little louder, then maybe Forta, Steve and the kids will hear you."

Golden: "What did she look like?"

Shiko: "Short brown hair, deep blue eyes. Her hair was very pretty. She wore a red, long sleeved top with no midriff and black shorts."

Golden: "Atimai? You slept with Atimai?"

Shiko: "Uh yeah I guess."

Golden: "Ati has worked for Fraus for as long as The City existed. She's fucking beautiful."

Shiko: "Yeah I do remember that."

Golden: "Well what's done is done. What we need to focus on now is ho-"

Qatil: "Excuse me."

[Golden and Shiko turned to see that Qatil was standing in front of the shopping stand. People had moved away from her and there were very little people in the market-place now. She pointed the crossbow back and forth between the two of them. Her face half covered as before.]

Qatil: "I have your friends. I need you to trust me."

Shiko: "Why the fuck would I trust you?"

Qatil: "Because I need your help."

Golden is property of DragonCrusader, Scarlett is property of ZZefyre