Brian ran down the walkway, being sure not to trip over the cracks and grass and made it to the overhang at the picnic area in no time. It was where he had met Alec. He had hoped the young man was there. He preferred to not go to Alex's home in fear of the Father watching. There were hidden cameras all around the city and there was a possibility of being seen helping Alec escape. When Brian reached the picnic area he hoped, prayed, that Alec would be there. When he didn't see the younger man, he risked calling his name.

"Alec! Alec Norian!"

No answer.

"Shit..." He knew not to expect him to be here. But he truly hoped. It would have made things easier. But before going back to his aero-pod he ran out in the direction Alec had gone before and he hoped he was still nearby. "Alec!" He kept calling, his heart racing. "God Damn it, please be here..." But there was no sign of him. "Fucking..." Frustrated, Brian turned and ran back to his aero-pod. As he started the engine and began hovering over the ground he sighed in annoyance. "I really am gonna have to run..." He thought to himself as he revved the engine and took off quickly, back into the city.

He had the man's address via the folder he had been given. It was not too far, but even after getting there he knew he would have to convince Alec to go with him, then get out of the city without getting caught. Getting out would be the hard part, because the Father would know about it through the cameras and have the entire Holy Elite after him immediately.

Brian checked the clock built into the handles of his aero-pod and grunted in frustration. The sun would be setting in less than an hour. At least, if you could see the sun it would. He picked up speed weaving around bystanders and cutting through alleyways to get there faster.

It was a quaint house in what was once called the Suburbs, but in the year 2039, it was considered the Nethers, for its tacky and rundown homes. If this were a kingdom, this area was where the "commoners" lived.

Brian parked his aero-pod at the back of the little, grey house that looked like it needed some severe home repair, and stormed to the back door. Standing on the cement porch, rain pouring down harder now on his already soaked head, he banged on the door.

In moments a small old woman opened the door and was surprised to see Brian standing there. She had grey hair and deep blue eyes. She had a knitted shawl over her shoulders. She looked up at him through horn-rimmed glasses, confused by his presence. "May I help you?" she asked in a weak, groggy voice she obviously had developed through years of chain-smoking.

Brian stared at her a moment, then asked, "Is Alec in?"

The woman beamed as her smile lit her old, tired face. "Why, yes, dear. He is in the kitchen, cleaning dishes." She stepped aside, holding the door open. "Please come in."

Brian nodded as he stepped in quickly.

"You must a friend of his," the woman continued as she walked him down the hall toward the kitchen, which was near the front of the house.

"Sure," Brian mumbled, wishing the woman would walk faster.

"Alec has many friends." The woman gave a silent giggle. "Such a popular young man he is." When they reached the opening to the kitchen, she moved aside and smiled up at Brian as she held her arm up toward the opening. "I'll let you have some time with him." She turned and continued down the hall toward what looked to be a living room.

Brian looked into the kitchen and saw Alec with his back turned, scrubbing dishes at the rusted sink and placing them into the old dishwasher that looked like it had a broken rack. He froze, staring at the younger man's back, already imagining those pale green eyes looking at him. He began to imagine how the man would react to the news... those green eyes filled with tears, knowing he'd have to leave his whole life behind...

Alec turned right then and gave a start, catching himself on the counter behind him. "Fuck...!" He stared at Brian for a long moment, then his face paled. "So... you know..."

Brian almost didn't hear him, his mind becoming a fog after seeing those green eyes again. He nodded slowly.

Alec sighed and brought his hand up to his face, pinching the bridge of his nose. He then stroked his black hair as he said, "And you're here to punish me for my sin..."

"No," was Brian's blunt answer.

Alec raised his head, looking at him in confusion. "I'm sorry... what?"

Brian took a few steps forward then halted again. "I'm... I don't have a lot of time to explain. I just need to get you out of the city as soon as possible."

Alec was more confused. "Why...?"

Brian grunted as he scratched the back of his head in frustration. "You wanna die? In the worse way possible?"

Alec fell silent and gulped. He shook his head, now unable to speak.

"Then grab what you can carry and let's get the fuck outta here," Brian demanded, turning away.

Alec hesitated a moment, then walked quickly passed Brian, out of the kitchen. He walked across the hall and went into a room. Minutes later he came out wearing his hooded jacket and carrying a backpack. He looked at Brian and asked, "Do I have time to say goodbye to Nana?"

Brian came out to the hallway and glanced toward the living room where the old woman had disappeared into. He looked back at Alec, once again getting caught in that sea of green for a moment. He cleared his throat as he looked away. "Yeah," he mumbled.

Alec nodded, then walked toward the living room. When he entered he saw his grandmother sitting on the half shredded chair, knitting a new scarf. He gulped as he walked over to her and knelt beside her chair. When she looked at him and smiled, he smiled back. "I have to get going, Nana."

"Oh?" the old woman asked, looking back at her scarf, continuing to knit. "Off with your friends again?"

Alec nodded. "Yes, Nana. And..." He gulped, trying to hide the sadness in his voice. "I might not be back... for a while..."

Nana nodded. She looked at him with a smile, then reached out and gently grabbed his chin with her small, delicate hand. "Then you have fun, dearie. And be safe." She went back to knitting, letting go of Alec's chin. Completely oblivious to the situation.

Alec stared at her for a long moment before standing. He cleared his throat before saying, "Goodbye, Nana..." He stared at her a moment longer, then turned and walked quickly back into the hall.

Brian was leaning against the wall, arms crossed and foot tapping. When he saw Alec come back, he pushed himself off the wall and asked, "Ready?"

Alec nodded, but did not make eye-contact with the man.

Brian turned and said, "Be prepared for some hell. I'm sure the Father knows by now that I'm a traitor." He walked quickly toward the back door and Alec followed, without hesitation. Brian glanced at him over his shoulder and asked, "No questions?"

Alec looked up at him, then answered, "Tons. But you said you'd explain once we got out of the city. And I'm a patient man."

Brian raised an eyebrow as he opened the door, letting Alec through first, then followed behind, shutting the door behind him. He walked quickly to his aero-pod and hopped on. He looked at Alec who seemed hesitant, and he said, "It's safe. Get on."

Alec took in a deep breath and sighed it out as he walked over and sat down behind Brian.

Brian became immediately aware of the closeness when he felt Alec's arms wrap around his torso. He could feel his face turn read as his pants seemed to suddenly get tighter. Brian took in a deep breath to calm his nerves before saying, "Hold on tight. It's gonna be a bumpy ride."

Alec's grip around Brian grew tighter as the aero-pod took off down the beaten street. It had been so long since the roads in the Nethers had received any maintenance, the roads were cracked and deformed from past earthquakes. It was a good thing Brian had and aero-pod, otherwise getting out of this place would be impossible. Going on foot would only get them caught on the spot. And when Brian heard the siren in the far distance go off, he knew it was over for him. He had to get out fast and never return. He would need to find someplace underground to hide for the rest of his life, because the rest of the world would be after him.

Brian swerved around corners and weaved around bystanders who would jump out of the way. He would hear people yelling after him angrily for nearly running them over. But none of that concerned him. What concerned him was the sound of two aero-pods behind him, slowly catching up. He glanced behind, over his shoulder. Around Alec's head, he could see two of his colleagues: John and Roman. Both were good men and very good at their job. Brian shifted gears as he looked back at the street ahead of him and sped up, weaving quickly around corners forming a zig-zag route, hoping to lose the two men quickly. But the men stayed right on their tail.

Alec glanced over his shoulder at the men, then looked at Brian. "I think we need a plan..."

"We have one!" Brian shouted. "To get the hell outta dodge!"

"We need to get rid of them!" Alec shouted.

Brian pressed a button on the handle of his aero-pod and two slots on the back of the seat opened. A gun barrel in either slot came out and immediately began shooting.

Alec yelped in shock as he buried his head in Brian's back.

Behind them, the two men immediately swerved into alleys to get out of the line of fire. Brian glanced behind to make sure they were gone. He looked back ahead and turned off the guns. "How's that for a plan?" He asked sarcastically. But once he looked straight ahead, he paled.

Just down the road, at the end of the street, were two more Holy Elitists. Waiting for them to get closer.

Brian glared as he reached into his inner jacket pocket and pulled out a pistol. He aimed straight ahead. "Never thought I'd have to pull my gun on my own colleagues," he mumbled. He began shooting. The men immediately shot back at him and he swerved, nearly tilting over his aero-pod. "Jesus," he grumbled. He weaved into another alleyway and in the corner of his eye he saw the two men coming after him. He weaved around a few corners, sticking to the narrow alleys, trying to get the men off his trail. And for a time it seemed he had. Until one appeared before him. The Holy Elitist was wearing a helmet, covering his face, so Brian could not see who it was. Brian immediately tried swerving around another corner, but was too quick and the aero-pod tilted. Brian immediately turned and grabbed hold of Alec. He adjusted himself so that he would land on his back and keep Alec from getting hurt. He landed hard and slid across the dirt in the dark alleyway, the aero-pod landing and sliding as well, toward him. He lifted his booted feet and used them to block the aero-pod and keep it from slamming into them. Brian thanked God the aero-pod had slowed down enough that when it reached them, he didn't have to use too much force and risk breaking his legs. He looked down at Alec and the sight of the younger man made his heart melt.

Alec was gripping Brian's overcoat tightly and buried his face into the man's chest. He was shivering, scared and cold.

Brian couldn't help himself. He lifted his hand and gently stroked the younger man's soaked black hair, and he leaned forward, placing a gentle kiss on Alec's head.

Alec looked up at him, his face pale and eyes wide.

Brian was immediately lost in those eyes once again. There was no helping it. Those eyes were a sea of green that captured any man's heart, trapping it forever. Without thinking, he began to lean in, cupping Alec's jaw in his hand. He was going to kiss him. He wasn't sure why, exactly. Or even how: How could he have fallen so in love with someone after only knowing them half a day? Was it really possible? Could this be a dream? He wasn't sure. Either way... He wanted him. He wanted Alec.

A gun shot rang through the alleyway and the bullet whizzed passed their heads. Brian looked up and saw the Holy Elitist walking toward them, gun aimed at them. Brian wrapped his arms around the terrified man that lay on top of him and glared up at the man. The man in the helmet seemed to hesitate a moment before lowering his gun. He lifted his free hand and pulled the helmet off.

Brian was shocked to see that blonde braid fall out of the helmet and over Kiva's shoulder. She glared down at him and said, "I'll cover you." She turned her back to him, looking down the alleyway, in the direction where the sound of distant aero-pods were coming from.

Brian hesitated, then stood up, helping Alec to his feet. He looked at Kiva and asked, "Why are you helping me?"

Kiva looked at him over her shoulder and her eyes were full of sorrow. Even though it was raining, you could tell she had tears in her eyes. And Brian knew exactly why she was helping them.

"Kiva," Brian whispered. "Why have you never told me?"

"Go before I kill you myself!" was Kiva's answer. She turned back toward the sound of aero-pods and some her gun straight ahead, waiting for any sight of them.

Brian stood in silence a moment, then nodded and said, "Thank you, Kiva. I won't forget this." He grabbed his aero-pod and sat it upright, hopped onto it and started the engine. He motioned for Alec to get on, and once he was holding onto Brian tightly, they took off.

«*»

Thanks to Kiva, Brian and Alec were able to escape the city, unharmed. Although Brian's back was sore from landing hard and sliding across the dirt when Kiva suddenly appeared earlier. Other than that, they were okay.

The land between cities was nothing but a desert area. Many of the buildings from the modern days had been torn down, but because of so much pollution, the land was no longer able to thrive, leaving behind a desert, covered in a thick fog.

As the sky turned black, the clouds began to disperse. The rain was gone and the sky was clear enough to see a start here and there, and the half moon. Brian parked his aero-pod and let Alec off first before jumping off himself. He saw Alec shivering, as if he were cold. And it made sense, since it had been raining the entire day. Brian grabbed hold of the seat on his aero-pod and yanked it up, revealing a hidden pocket where he kept his survival kit. Something that every Holy Elitist was to have on them at all times, for any situation. He pulled out the bag and yanked it open.

There was a first aid kit, some matches, a few rations, a small box with two syringes of morphine (for two possible reasons: in case someone needed to be taken in for questioning, or if someone was in too much pain to handle it). There was also some extra magazines with 15 rounds in each for his pistol. He pulled out the matches, then took a quick look around. "I suppose finding wood for a fire is impossible around here," he mumbled to himself.

Alec turned toward him and stared a moment before walking over to him. When Brian noticed him and looked up at him, Alec said, "You said you'd explain when we got out of the city. Well, we're out of the city. So explain."

Brian raised an eyebrow, surprised by Alec's boldness. It was unexpected. But Brian had to remember that he had only known Alec for half a day, and he shouldn't make quick assumptions about him. "Okay... I was sent to punish you for your sin."

"Yeah, I get that." Alec crossed his arms. "I wanna know why you didn't kill me."

Brian froze. He wasn't sure what to tell him exactly. They had only just met. How would Alec react to the fact that a stranger had fallen in love with him? "It's..." Brian looked down. "I don't know."

Alec raised an eyebrow. "You... don't know..." He sounded annoyed. He dropped his arms and glared up at Brian. "You're a stranger. Part of the Holy Elite. Your job is punish sinners. But instead, you help me escape God's wrath. Why?"

Brian sighed and sat down on the ground. He bent one leg resting his arm on his knee. He stared off into the distance and began with a simple: "I'm a sinner too..."

Alec pursed his lips and stared at him. He then sat down beside him, Indian style, and said, "Continue."

"I'm a homo. Just like you..." Brian pinched the bridge of his nose before continuing. "My partner and I were assigned to punish you and your boyfriend. But I couldn't... do it..."

"Wait..." Alec turned toward Brian, slightly panicked. "Did you help Amos escape?"

Brian looked at him and stared with a blank expression. Shit... He hadn't thought about Amos. He was only worried about saving Alec. Amos wasn't on his mind at all...

Alec seemed to be able to read Brian's mind. "No..." he whispered. He turned away and put a hand over his mouth. "Oh God, no..."

Brian turned to Alec. "Alec, I... I'm so-"

Alec swung around and punched him across the face. For a young man who didn't seem very strong, he had a great right hook. "You didn't save him!" he shouted. "You save me but you let my boyfriend get slaughtered by your buddies!?"

Brian regained his balance, holding his sore jaw, and looked at Alec wide-eyed.

Alec stood, hands in tight fists. "What the fuck, you bastard!? Why!?."

Brian stood up as well and said, "I was only thinking of you-"

"Why!?" Alec screamed. And there came the tears. "How could you-" He leaned forward and let out a horrible sob. He turned away, bringing his hands to his face as he let out a loud, echoing scream.

Brian wanted so bad to console him. Seeing the younger man in pain made him freeze and his heart sink into his stomach. He stepped toward Alec and placed a hand on the man's shoulder.

Alec yanked away from him, then dropped to his knees. He looked up at the dark sky, letting his tears drip down his face and chin. He slowly turned his head, glancing up at Brian, and softly asked, "Why only me? If you wanted to help me because you're a sinner as well... then why not help the both of us?"

Brian froze again. This was going to be awkward. He scratched the back of his head, avoiding Alec's eyes. Finally, he answered, "Because I... I have... feelings... for you, Alec."

Alec was silent for a moment, then stood up and turned toward Brian. He shoved the older man and shouted, "So you let Amos die because he was in your way!? You fucking bastard!" He attempted to punch him again but this time Brian grabbed his wrist. "Let go of me!" Alec tried pulling away, but Brian's grip was too firm. "You should have just killed me!" Alec began using his free hand to smack Brian in the face and chest, but Brian grabbed that hand too in a firm grip. "That's your job, isn't it!? Let the fuck go!"

Brian pulled Alec close and held him tight.

Alec began weeping against Brian's chest. "I hate you!" he cried in between sobs. He fell limp and Brian caught him, then they slowly sat on the ground.

Brian held Alec close and began stroking the younger man's black hair. He felt his eyes start to well up. "I'm... sorry," he whispered as he stared off into the distance. He blinked and a tear escaped, falling directly to the ground.

It would be a long night for the both of them. The beginning of a long and rough journey. A journey that seemed would have no end...