Ok Last Thing. But What People Fundamentally Need To Get Through Their Heads Is The Significance Of Gaza

ok last thing. but what people fundamentally need to get through their heads is the significance of gaza fundraisers not being the same as like mutual aid when you're helping someone get groceries, because it is a genocide. there is insane deliberate scarcity and prices are unmanageable, because there is nowhere nearly enough for everyone, so only people who can pay can eat. and what positioning individual fundraisers as the only course of action does is quite simply give a tiny percentage of random people whose fundraisers take off the ability to pay those prices while thousands of others can't. and every one of those thousands of people without a fundraiser is suffering through the same inconceivably horrific reality. it is giving a few completely desperate people out of hundreds of thousands a slightly more favorable position in a horrific war economy of imposed scarcity. and what grassroots community kitchens do is try to mitigate in some small way that inconceivable hierarchy of who can pay and who can't, by stretching ingredients as far as they can last to cook meals at large scale and give them out at no cost. and obviously people are still going to send money to their friends and families because this is hell what else are we supposed to do but please just think about that before promoting endless individual fundraisers as somehow the most ethical way to help

WARNING: METION OF BLOOD, ALCOHOL, ABUSE, DRUGS, CURSING, and GUN Violence

You have been warned about the contents of this chapter.

Chapter 2: The kid Problem

Heyyy!!!! New Chapter Released (wrote Like Weeks Ago, Please Just Go With It.).

Marc wakes up gasping for air, his chest rising up and down heavily as he panted.

He sat up quickly before he looked around his apartment, the apartment itself barely looked homely.

A couple books and maps he had traded with ration cards. The only real color in the damn place was the couch which was blue.

He sighs as his heart calms down now, another nightmare.

"Always the damn same one."

He grumbles under his breathe as he gets up and walks to his small kitchen before he feels a hard tug on his ankle and the next thing he knows he is flat on the ground as his cheek burned.

"Steven! Again, seriously!?"

Marc exclaimed as he pushed himself off the floor, a scowl making its way onto his face.

"Mate, you had it coming. You broke your promise, you know I hate it when you do that."

Steven surfaced as Marc looked at the dirty mirror they owned with his eyebrows furrowed.

Steven had his arms crossed against his chest with one lifted eyebrow clearly not sorry about what he did.

"Look, it wasn't that I didn't want you to front. Just, he needed me Steven."

Marc tried not to get angry, he knew he screwed up, he always does.

He looked at the cuffs that were on his ankle and already went to look for the keys. He lifted the floor board and there was the silver key to his freedom.

He uses the key and gets his ankle out of the cuffs before he got up again and rubbed his head.

The smell of liquor still hanging in the back of his throat. He overdid it again, he always does when it gets bad again.

"So, was the whiskey worth it?"

Steven said almost scolding knowing that this was hurting not only him but Marc's body.

"Can we not talk about it, I already have a headache."

Marc sighed as he felt like shit right now and didn't need a reminder of how shit it was to be like this.

"I wonder why."

Steven mumbled as his head lowered and he shook his head as he left the mirror into another space, Marc's jaw harden as he tried his hardest to not punch the mirror with his fist.

He tells himself that he doesn't want to have to replace the mirror again, also he didn't want to be alone.

Steven and his relationship was damaged after everything that happened in the last 15 years.

Fight after fight yet by the end of the day they had each other and that's all they really had.

Wendy and dad weren't in the picture anymore. The smacks and vemoned words that came out of the women they called their mother left her mouth he knew she would never be the same.

Steven,eventually, after lots of convincing had finally gave into to the fact that they had no mother anymore. Their dad was not any better honestly, he tried to keep the beating to a minimum but it could only hold on for so long.

So when they turned 18, they went to join FEDRA and stayed employed for a while before he got into a nasty fight and was terminated from the job.

It's been 14 years since they last saw the people they once called parents. Every once in a while though he would just follow them, more his dad to make sure no one tried to hurt them.

Eventually Layla came into their life for a while and things were to some type of normalcy, domestic even, of course they had to skrew that up too.

Both went their separate ways after a nasty argument and haven't seen each other in a year. Both men still worried about her, they know she is capable of taking care of herself, it's one of the reasons they fell for her.

Still, that didn't mean their wasn't any worry that she could have gotten killed of murdered after they separated. She had left England to go to Egypt.

Her strength was something they admired, how reliable she was, how she always had their backs. But more than anything it was her heart, how even after everything she has been through she was able to still love them for wow they were and how they were.

Sometimes they wished they could have worked it out better.

"Ey, hermano, door."

A voice called out and there was Jake, they had figured out Jake a couple years into their time in FEDRA, he took over when an invasion of infected managed to escape. He kept them alive and they were thankful for that.

"Shit, who?"

Marc whispered as his head pounded again at the noise of his door being knocked on.

"Marc Spector! "

A voice boomed, a familiar sense of dread filled the apartment. It was Khonshu, fuck.

"I'm coming! I'm coming."

He shouted as he walked over to the door, he really didn't want to but didn't exactly have much choice since he knew the damn man wouldn't stop the banging.

He took a deep breathe before opening the door and in came Khonshu, the man had platinum white hair and his eyes were empty with almost not shine to them like he had no eyes.

His clothes match his personality honestly, he was wearing some black jeans with a white button up that had grim and some pink splatters which he knows where it came from.

His jacket has a patch of a moon on it.

"Where were you yesterday night, we had somewhere to be!?"

The man shouted as Marc closed the door and locked it, he knew what was coming, all of them did.

"Look, I just got sidetracked, okay? Something came up and something was going on with Ste-"

He didn't even get to finish before the sound of Khonshu's cane hit the floor of the apartment was shaking slightly.

"You swore he wouldn't be a problem, that he would cooperate with this. Maybe you should have had Lockly front more often, that is a man who can get the jobs done quickly."

Khonshu retorted as he looked out the window and turned to Marc before motioning for him to come closer.

Marc looked at him before he walked over to thw window and seeing people, just people.

"You see these people, they rely on us to keep them safe. You are in debt to me Marc Spector, I saved your life and therefore you must now save theirs for me."

Khonshu said with no hesitation, sure Khonshu could be an asshole but he was okay every once in a while like this.

Sure he had imprisoned Marc and the alters in his escapades of "saving" people but he really did want to just help, he was just really shitty at doing it.

"Fine, fine. I promise it won't be a problem again."

Marc finally replied as he sighed and Khonshu only hummed as he made his way to exit the apartment building.

"Let us see Marc Spector, tick tok. Make sure not to skip this times patrol, I will see you then."

Khonshu finally said before he closed the door behind him. Marc sighed, he really hated the guy sometimes.

"He's an asshole."

Steven remarks, Marc holds back a smirk.

"One thing we can actually agree on."

Marc shakes his head as he goes and starts to get ready for the day of labor he's gonna have to do.

"El tiene razón."

Jake voice echoed in the back of their head. At least this is something they could all agree on.

-----------------------------------------------------

Jake shoveled the ashes from the firey pit that raged on, buring their skin but not enough actually do damage.

"Ey, Marc. Got a minute."

A man called out, Jake's eyes went to the back of his head as Marc fronted. Marc blinked as their eyes focused again and turned around to face the man that called for him.

"Yeah, what's up?"

Marc answered as he pulled down the bandana that covered their nose and mouth from all the ashes that were made from the burned body of infected and Ammits followers.

"I have a job you might be interested in."

The man whispered as he slipped a paper into Marc's hand.

Marc sighed as he pocketed the note into his jeans.

"I told you I don't do that type of work anymore."

He whispered back as he bent down to "tie his shoes" and the man looked down and did the same action.

"It's good pay man, lots of ration cards and maybe even a bit more."

The man said as he tried to convince Marc to do the job, he and this man didn't really know each other very well but the guy did owe him something for saving his life.

"Look man, I told you I can't take the job. No matter how good the pay is."

Marc remarked as he got back up from "tieing his shoes" so that he could back to work.

"Just, just think about it. Alright."

The man muttered before he went to the other side where another hall of bodies came in trucks to be burned.

He sighs as he grabbed the shovel again and starts to dig the ashes and putting them into barrels.

-------------------------------------------------------

Drip

Her brown eyes watched as the water leaked from the floor above and dropped in the wet puddle that formed.

"Nomas querría ir a dormir, es mucho para pedir."

Katalina groaned as she looked at the chains they put on her, her ankles and wrist were starting to bruise red from the amount of times she tried to slide them off.

She slouched on the wooden walls as the rumble and sound of FEDRA trucks were coming and going.

The places wasn't the best, but honestly better than the hole or cells they put the orphans if they couldn't follow the rules drilled into their brains.

Creak

The sound of the door opening got her attention as she scooted back into a corner and got up from where she was sitting.

Two people walked in, one male, one female. The female had a sort of limp on her left foot, her eyes seemed lively yet so dull.

The man had a scar across his face, a mustache and a beard to compliment it as well, his eyes seemed more glossy along with slight puffiness to them.

"We are here to test you again."

The women's started as she has a clipboard.

"How many more time do I have to do this?"

Katalina asked as her eyebrows furrowed with both frustration and impatience. She has been here for 3 weeks now in this room and it was starting to get to her.

"Just until we know."

The man came forward slightly which made the girl take a small step back, the two adults noticed and took a step forward.

"Why do you always have to get closer?"

The girl asked not really as a question but more as a confused threat of some way.

"testing something."

The women said and she clicked the pen and started to take notes on the piece of paper stuck to the clipboard.

"No soy tu maldito guinea cerdo."

She grumbles under her breath as she picks at her nails, she's been doing that alot. Honestly she has nothing better to do right now and it went on like that for the weeks she's been here.

"What was that?"

The man spoke up which startled the girl for a second before she looked at the guy and responded.

"Nothing."

The guy sighed as he rubbed circles at his temples.

"Alright, let start. One hand steady and coun-"

The lady started before she was intrupted.

"Count from 1 to 10, I know. We've done this hundreds of times already."

Katalina says as she puts her arm out and starts to count, she finishes quickly.

"Alright then, now speak sp-"

"Spanish, I get it. Don't need to keep repeating it."

Katalina remarked .

"Me nombre is Lisa, tengo trece años."

She replied as her boredom and tiredness was kicking in.

"Alright, that's it."

The man said as he put down something from behind his pocket, it was good for the evening. A can of peaches and water.

"Great, a feast for a queen."

Her sarcastic remark gets her a look before she put her hands up as of saying "I'll back off.".

They look at each other before a knock takes their attention away, with a small "Come in." was heard and suddenly a man with cane came in.

He was dress with red button up shirt and brown pants to help contrast the tan color jacket he had on.

His cane made small noise as it the ground softly he came into the room, his hair was pretty long and almost looked slight disheveled.

"How is she doing?"

The man said as the others hand him the clipboard and he starts to read it before he nods and they nod back before leaning in and whispering something she couldn't make out.

The other two left the room and it was only Katalina and this man who looked over the clipboard again before looking back at her.

"How are you doing then, Katalina?"

Her heart skipped for a second, how the hell did he know her name?!

Never once has she given out her actual name.

"Como sabías es-"

The man chuckled lightly before he sat down across from her.

"I know a lot of things child, many, many things that many wished they could possess."

The man said as he reached behind his back was pulling something out of his back.

Katalina senses went off and she closed her hand into a fist, her nails dug into the palm of her hand, her knuckles white.

Then man noticed this.

"It's okay, I'm not gonna hurt you, just wanna return something that I believe is yours."

The man said as he pulled out a picture, a locket, and a small switchblade.

Katalina eyes widen at the sight of her most precious objects, the only picture of her family that was given to her, a locket that her first love bestfriend gave to her, and the only weapon her parents left her with.

The man gaze was on her reaction, he got what he wanted.

"Do you want them back?"

The man had said softly as he looked deep into her brown eyes that were slightly softer, more emotional.

Vulnerable.

"Y-yes, yes I want them back."

She stuttered for a second but quickly regained herself.

"You can have them."

He simply said, she was hesitant and skeptical on his words that lingered in her ears.

Have them?

She can just, take them?

No consequences, not "but" or "if"?

Nothing?

"Go on, take it."

The man encouraged as he gently laid them on the ground in front of her, easy for her grab.

Her breathe hitched, she reached out for a second before looking back at him, nothing, she couldn't read him.

"I don’t bite, I swear."

He adds as his gaze lingered on her.

She is quick to grab the things before he second guess to grab her things and held them close to her chest, to her heart as it thumped hard for the return of something that truly only belonged to her.

She puts the necklace back on and the locket is tucked into her shirt, the picture is in her clutch and the switchblade was in her back pocket of her navy jeans.

"Who are you?"

She asked as she looked at the man, really looked at him, he had slight eye bags, his posture was almost straight but also crouched, the cane had a wooden carving of a crocodile on its handle.

The man smiles.

"My name is Arthur Harrow, I am the right had man of the organization that's gonna save and clean the world."

Arthur answers as he puts his hand out to shake hers.

She can't really understand why she a little scared of him, he hasn't done anything really since talking to her so why does she have a sense of dread in her stomach.

She slowly leans in and shakes his hand, the sleeves that covered his arm was slightly lifted and the tattoo of scales is there or from what she can make out.

"Your timsaeh people?"

She stated as she takes back her hand.

"I am indeed."

He answered back as he lifted the sleeve up to show the scale in full. He seemed proud to be called that almost.

"I am sure you have multiple questions."

He says as he scoots a little closer and puts a hand on her shoulder.

"I will try my best to give you answers to any question you give me."

They looked at each other in the eye for a long time before she is the first to look away down at the ground, she thinks.

And thinks before nodding and looking back at him.

"Okay."

-------------------------------------------------------

Jake huffed as the sound of the alarm went off to tell everybody that working hours were over.

He pulled the bandana off and walked over where the rest of the workers were heading to get their pay for the day.

"Next!"

The holder said as Jake was next and waited for the guy to give his ration cards of the day.

The holder grabbed a 20, two 5, and four 1's.

"Here's your pay."

The Holder said as Jake took them and counted them, less than usual.

"Any better paying jobs tomorrow?"

Jake asked as he put the ration cards in his small wallet that they had managed to find in the garbage one day, and in good condition too.

"Probably the one with the shit, if your up for it?"

The man said looking up at him for a response.

"Really, shit. No way we are doing that job, that would take weeks go get rid of the smell! We barely even get rid of the smell of burned ashes off our clothes."

Steven said in the back of the mind, Steven was willing to work hard, they all know it, but even then there was a line he crosses and it was this.

"Any other trabajo?"

Jake sighed as he put one hand on his hip.

"Well, there is one with electricity, dangerous but pays better than this."

The Holder says as he looked up at Jake who is deciding, it's better pay but it would put them in danger.

"I'll go with the shit."

Jake says and the Holder nods before ripping a slip off and handing it to him.

"Take that tomorrow to sector 5 and they will give you a position to work at."

The Holder yelled for the next person and Jake left, he knew Steven would probably complain and maybe even Marc but it would pay better and less dangerous.

"Why did you take the job!"

Steven exclaimed as his image slid on and off the mirrors and window that he passed.

"Because the amount we are making isn't enough hermano, nosotros necesitamos otro trabajo que pagarán bien."

Jake says as he looks at pair of gloves that caught his attention.

They have enough to make trades and for smuggling still, so he buys it the gloves for 2 ration cards. He thanks the seller and put the new gloves on putting his old ones in his pocket.

"Did you just spend 2 ration cards on another pair of gloves, I swear you ware those our way too fast man."

Steven comments.

"You have your books, I have my glove, Déjame en paz Steven."

Jake says as he walks into the allyway and makes his way to the place where smugglers thrive on the ones willing to pay the right price.

Jake finally leaned against his usual spot where people can find him usually, he waits and not a second later as a FEDRA soilder comes over looking almost new at this whole thing.

"Your the guy with the goods, right?"

The man asked in a hushed tone, Jake could see this guy was new to this, he wanted to mess with him but was too tried right now.

"Yeah, I am. What are you looking for?"

He ask as the guy slips him a piece a paper.

What was it with people slipping paper to them?

Jake took the paper and opened it, the guy fidget with his vest before looking around.

"So you got it or no man?"

The guy was getting inpatient now.

"Sí, le tengo."

Jake answered putting the paper in his back pocket.

"Does it look like I know Spanish man!"

The guy was getting on his nerves but he tried to calm himself down. There doesn't need to be drama right now.

He pulls out a baggy from the pocket of his jacket and out came the blue pills.

The man sighed in relief about to grab the bag before Jake moved it away.

"Gotta pay Hombre, can't give you it until you pay."

The guy eventually scoffed before digging into his pants pocket and pulls put a wad of ration cards.

"How much?"

Jake saw the ration cards, enough to maybe get them through a couple months.

"Three 20's, six 5, and eight 1's."

He said as he put his hand out, the man just nodded before handing him the pills and Jake takes the ration cards.

"I'm gonna need the bag back though."

He added as he counted to make sure it was the right amount, it was. The man may have been new but he has what they need to keep them afloat and some what comfortable still.

The man dumps the pills into his vest pocket and gives the plastic bag back, Jake nods in a silent thank you before the man comes close.

Jake get ready the beat the absolute shit out this man before words were said.

"Don't come out for a couple nights, FEDRA soilders aren't right in the head right now. Might make a mistake, easy to make one in the dark."

The man whispered before walking away, Jake looked as the man walked away. He unclentch his jaw and fixed the shirt.

"Maldita sea."

He grumbled under his breathe as walks away, it's almost time to get to patrol they need to get moving before Khonshu yells at them again.

‐------------------------------------------------------

"This is Cameron, Cameron this is Lisa."

Harrow says as he introduced Katalina to another one of "helpers" of the place.

They have walked around for a whole now, she kepted rubbing her wrist as she nodded in acknowledgement, she needed an out.

She can't stay here, FEDRA will kill her if they find out she left. Maybe they would hung her, beat the ever living shit out of her even just to get the anger out.

"And here is the cafeteria where we keep the helpers fed, are you hungry?"

He asked as he got a plate and handed it to her, she slowly reached out for it and took it as she got into the line and he got behind her as his hands were on her shoulders.

"Give this young lady our best please Beth."

The man said to the younger looking lady who just smiled and nodded before grabbing a big metal spoon and scooped up a chunk of soup.

"Thank you."

Katalina whispered as she looked at the soup, looked like tomato soup, haven't seen that one in a while.

He gave a small nod in thanks before pushing her slightly to start moving which she did, slowly her tray filled up with 2 biscuits and an apple.

How the hell they had fresh fruit and biscuits was a damn mystery to her.

Soon they sat down at a small table near some statue, it was a statue of a crocodile that held a scale in one hand.

She looked at it before she looked down at her food, this was the most food they have given her in the 3 weeks she's been here.

"You can eat, no one is gonna take it away from you."

Arthur said as he pushed the tray closer to her, she was skeptical about it though, everyone is hungry. She could see that people were staring at her and him.

He notices and looks at the people who look away immediately and go back to their conversations.

"They just haven't seen you before, no need to worry."

He said as he nudged his head a little to signal to look at the bowl of soup and not the people looking at her, their eyes burned into the back of her head to her body.

She picks up the spoon and holds it close to her mouth before looking at everybody else, they were eating fine so she takes a bite.

The soup was rich and flavored to the right amount or as much as soup can be flavored. She hasn't had anything this nice in, well, never?

"Gracias."

She says as she eats more going for more of the soup, they sit in almost comfortable silence.

She feels a little bad for being skeptical about the guy, he hasn't done anything to her yet, maybe.

"Aren't you hungry?"

She ask him as she shallows the warm soup down and wipes her mouth with her hand.

He hands her a napkin before he responding.

"I am alright, thank you for worrying about me."

She grabs the napkin and wipes her mouth with it, she nods before thinking. She has one more biscuit to spare, she already full anyways.

Grabbing the biscuit gently and held it out for him to grab.

"Here, you can have this. Estoy llena."

She reassured as she pushed the biscuits towards him for him to grab.

He took it from her hands and smiled softly, it was nice.

"Thank you."

He said as started to eat the biscuit and she looked around for anything or anywhere there was a weak spot here.

She couldn't stay here, she has to go back.

30 min later...

They were walking up a hallway, they had made their way back to where she was kept, she kinda was glad as messed up as it was.

She was use to, this. Even if she hated the damn leaks it was something she was familiar with.

"I will come by later to come check on you, alright."

Harrow said as he opened the door and Katalina looked at him for a second before nodding and went inside the room.

"Buenos noches Katalina."

Was all he said before closed the door behind her not even noticing the way she turned around, a chill went down her spine.

That usually was a nice thing to say, even a more enduring thing to say. The way he said it though didn't feel good, didn't have the warm essence to it.

She didn't even know how the hell the man managed to make those words sound like soul less lies.

She sat down on the floor and looked out the window that showed the evening sky, the colors of orange and yellow coming together to make a warm essence over this dull gray world she was brought into.

She laid on the wall and pulled herself up against it a little so that her back hit the wall.

Taking off her sweater and using it as a pillow, she wasn't given much of a living space to really get rest but the corners were comfortable.

1 hour later...

BOOM

The room shook as Katalina was woken up by the sounds of gunshots and screams of people.

The sound of a thousand of footsteps were everywhere that she could almost feel them. They made her stomach turn.

Maybe 5 minutes later it was silent, completely and utterly silent.

She feels for her switchblade and gets ready to fight if she has to, she knows she probably will have to.

Slowly walk towards the floor as it slightly creaks with every contact the shoes and the floor has. She leans in and can hear footsteps, two to four people are still here.

She hears one is getting close, she'll just stab them and then get out of here.

Once whoever was on the other side was close enough she opened the door and gets ready to stab whoever was on the other side.

However she unsucessed at it and got thrown to the wall, her back stung now. She needed to get up before whoever she tried to stab now tried to return the favor back.

She looks up to see a man, his hair was curly and short and his eyes were like hers, or whatever she remembers since the last time she looked in a mirror.

The brown eyes started back at her confused before looking down and seeing the switchblade, she saw it too and tried to grab it but he got to it first and kicked it away.

"Asshole."

She grumbles as she pulls herself up and looks at the guy who eyebrows were furrowed and he had a gun.

He has a gun, she now noticed the blood on his fist, the beaded sweat that was falling from his forehead.

His attire wasn't something she had seen before but has heard, a man with white attire would come during the night and "protect" the different divisions of the QZ.

They called him Moonknight due to the fact most his weapons were the shape of moons.

Maybe calling the guy who looks like he went through hell an asshole wasn't her best idea.

The man still has the gun pointed at her and she just stares at it, the hole in the middle pointed to her chest.

If he did shoot her at least it wouldn't be too painful and end quickly. She puts her hand up in surrender.

They just stare at each other, brown on brown. Both had slight eyebags to compliment each other.

"Who are you?"

The man said as the sound of footsteps were heard, both heads turned to the direction.

"Marc Spector."

They both recongnised the voice, Harrow.

Another sign of footsteps appeared and a man in almost just white and back came in with a gun.

"The 4 and 5th floor have been cleared out, Spector we must leave. FEDRA might be here soon!"

The man said as he turned around to see the scene of Marc with a gun pointed to a teenage girl who seems confused and her hands up above her head.

Then there was Arthur with one of his men.

"Arthur Harrow."

"Khonshu, Marc."

The whole thing was awkward, everything about this was confusing, they had history but Katalina wasn't sure how.

"Me, now what in the fucking hell is going on?!"

She exclaimed as she put her hands down in exhaustion and honestly tired of people in a whole.

"I strongly urge you to point the gun away from the child, Marc."

Harrow said as he stepped closer which in turn got two guns pointed towards him instead.

He slowly put his hands.

" Keep that gun at me, not her."

He says as he looked at her and she looked at him with clear annoyance in her eyes.

Marc looks at her one more times before looking at Khonshu.

"So this is who that maggot went to trade our supplies for! The Che Guevara of Cairo."

Khonshu retorted as he stepped forward, now next to Katalina and Marc who watched the interaction.

"How I haven't misses that voice. Let just say that he didn't like the response he got from us when we saw what he brought to us."

Harrow says as he winced and put a hand to his side, Katalina finally could see that small drops of blood that had fallen from him.

"Oh, shit."

Her voice softer and eyes filled with concern as she took in the injured man, her eyebrow furrowed as she was about to get up.

Harrow looked at what she was about to do and shook his head which made her falter.

"On another note though."

She speaks up on which attention is all on her again.

"I agree with the old man over here, FEDRA would have heard all that gun fire so maybe get this going or we are all going to die like this."

She states as she stands up and rubs her shoulder, it wouldn't really bruise but it would be sore for a while.

"Old!" Khonshu exclaimed.

"The child is right. We we're gonna have her out of here tonight."

Harrow says which caught her attention.

"You never said anything about moving me?!"

"Sorry kid, thought you'd run."

She sighs and rubbed circles on her forehead.

"What does this have to do with us?"

Marc asked as he ans Khonshu looked at the girl and then back at Harrow.

"We don't have a group to go and protect her like we had planned, so now I am think you both are gonna do it."

Harrow says as he gets a paper out, it's bloody but still legible.

"Wait a minute!?"

"I'm not gonna go with him!?"

Marc and Katalina shouted at the same time, their reluctants overlapping with each other.

"Listen, if you do this we can not only give you weapons, but also much more. We can show you if want but you have to take her away from here."

Harrow says as he stares at the three who just stand there in shock.

"We aren't babysitters parasites."

Khonshu said as he took a step closer now infront of Marc who is still standing there with a gun held up towards Harrow.

"Not asking you to do charity for me Khonshu, I need you guys to move cargo cause that is what she is to you."

Harrow said as he looked at the girl who eyebrows were furrowed.

"You show me the reward we get for this then I will give you a response. Marc, take the girl back to your apartment and keep her there until I return."

Khonshu said as he lifted his cane and hit it on the ground causing the ground to shake slightly.

Katalina flinched at the noise for a second and so did Marc.

"We are seriously considering this."

Marc whispered to Khonshu as he looked back at the girl who hasn't really moved since getting up.

"Do this before I make you."

Khonshu hissed back at him which made Marc falter.

"Go grab your bag."

Harrow said as the girl just looks at the three men.

"Su pinche madre."

She grumbles under her breathe making sure they still heard her as she goes back into the room she came out of.

They waited until she came out the room again. She comes out with a green jacket and her backpack, she looks at Harrow who just sighs.

"This is for your good kid, trust me. It's better you go with them than with me, for better or worse I am aware of what they are capable of and know they won't let anything happen to you."

Katalina stared at Harrow for a while then at the man next to him, she really has no choice in that matter anyways, it was all planned for her.

"What are they capable of?"

She ask as her eyes stay at him.

"Alot, many things someone your age shouldn't see."

Is all Harrow says to her.

Her gaze goes to the floor before she shakes her head along with a dry chuckle.

"Little too late for that."

She turns around and grabs her switchblade and walking towards the stairs walking over the dead bodies that laid there.

The blood now on her shoes as she see the bloody footsteps that were being left behind now.

Harrow sighs.

"Show me the weapons now."

Khonshu said as he stared at Harrow who nods before walking to another hallway.

"Follow me."

Is all he says before he dissappear.

"Make sure to not let that child out your sights you three, understand."

Khonshu orders as he walks away and follows Harrow.

The men sigh, it was a long night already.

The followed where the girl had went as their shoes were now painted in red sticky blood.

This is the end of chapter 2!!!!

This one took a little longer but I am happy with how is came out!

Anyways, see ya in the next one!!

-Sky 💜

WARNING: BLOOD, VIOLENCE, GUN VIOLENCE, LANGUAGE, MENTION OF DRUGS AND MISUSE OF THEM!!!

Chapter 3: Summon the infected

The sound of shoes hit the ground as they walk through the paths of Cairo. It was loud yet quiet as small sounds of the night echoed and played in the wind.

The ground below filled with cracks and slight smudges of blood left behind by those who were not careful enough.

The air of Cairo was dry and cold for the most part. Katalina looked around as Marc took off his backpack shoved his gloves in.

The opened doors and closed gates everywhere, the smell of alcohol and fruits filling the air. It filled in Katalina nose as she followed the man making his way past people and allyways.

The stalls were closed for the night since FEDRA would now come by and do a sweep through.

Doesn't mean people don't get out though.

The sound of people were still around as they talked and laughed about things like stories or things that had happened that day.

She smiled at that, sometimes if one looked hard, there was still some light that hadn't been dimmed completely.

"Pull up your hoddie."

He suddenly says and she looks at him for a second before she pulls the hoddie to cover her head. He pulls up his own and starts heading down one place, there seems to be a couple people there.

She looks at all of them, some were just talking, others looked at them, one stared at her directly like she was meat.

She felt the urge to cuss him out on it but decided to not. She didn't feel like making a scene now, she would probably get killed by the guy anyways.

Marc gently grabbed her shoulders causing her to tense immediately but he pushed her to his side away from the guy that looked at her that way.

Her shoulders relaxed as he let go and started heading towards a ladder at the side of a small shop.

"Climb kid."

Is all he says as he moves out of the way after pulling the ladder down and she looks up, maybe about seven stories high.

She starts to climb up as Marc looks around now. That asshole looked at her weird, just a fucking kid and looked at her like she was some damn meat.

The kid was sort of a pain in the ass already but he will beat that guy up if he has to though, doesn't matter if he is annoyed at the situation he found himself in, that doesn't give the damn guy a pass.

"Absolute creep."

"Debemos matarlo cuando volvamos."

He hears his alters say as he nods in silent agreement before starting to climb up once he see that its clear again. He makes it up and sees her looking up at the sky.

The stars and moon shine bright up from the roof top than from the ground, maybe not as much as it would without the lights but enough to look at.

She looked entranced by view as she was pointing towards the stars and moved it around slightly before muttering something he could barely hear.

They needed to get going though, it was getting dark and FEDRA would be on their ass soon.

"Come on kid."

He said as she looks back at him before looking up one last time. He sighs as he gets to the edge and waits for her. After 5 seconds she looks back at him and walks over to where he was.

He grabs a wooden plank and put it out before testing it by walking first to the other side of the building. It wobbles slightly but works fine.

"Think you can do it?"

He ask looking back up but she was already walking across with no real problem and doesn't really seem to fear the damn thing.

"It's wood. I don't think there is anything really scary about it."

Is all she says as she makes it and hops off before looking at him to continue. He pushes the plank back to the other side before jump to the next roof over.

She follows in silence, they jump over nine other roofs that were close by before he goes down a set of stairs from the roof of the apartment they landed on.

The place was obviously abandoned to nature as overgrown tamarisk and irises painted the walls with its colors and leaves that had ingrained itself into the structure itself.

It was pretty for an abandoned building. The smell of the irises faint but nice, the blue faded flower slowly moved, some laid on the floor by the soft wind blowing.

She pick one up as Marc stopped and look at what she picked up and held gently in her hand.

Her eyes had soften looking at the flower, Steven took noticed as Marc's eyes rolled back and he took over the body as he looked at the girl.

She looked differently now that he really looked at her, she looked looked tired and almost sad. Her eyes looked so lost and confused, his eyebrows furrowed slightly but changed once she moved to the side.

She place the flower gently at the edge of a balcony and walked back to him.

"Where to now?"

Is all she says before he is caught out of his thoughts and clears his throat before pointing towards a window.

"Okay."

She responded with and Steven started to walk towards the window. He has seen the way back after so many years that he has it memorized like the back of his hand.

It wasn't as often that Steven took over as much as before.

After their brother died, Steven wasn't seen for a couple months until Marc had a panic attack that really hit harder than the other ones in which he came back to help.

He knew that Marc needed him, he couldn't do it alone and he came back.

He wasn't as happy about the arrangement with Khonshu and being Moonknight but also knew that even if Khonshu was a arse he had saved their life and therefore has to pay it back somehow.

He was fine with fighting to protect people but not having to kill as much and usually let the other two alters take care of it if it became too much for him.

"Steven!"

Two voices yelled which caught his attention as he stopped to see that he was off to far in his thoughts that he was almost shot but the girl pulled him down before it could hit him.

He looks where the bullet instead hit as a cloud of white came out from the wall with a small hole now in it.

That could have been him.

"Dude! You almost got your brains blown out!"

She exclaimed as she her eyes were wide at the surprise attack and the fact that the guy almost died infront of her.

Steven had to get himself together before he got out the revolver they carried and checked if he had bullets.

He had a couple, he had to make sure they count.

"Stay here, okay."

He said to the girl who just at him confused but nodded with hesitation. He takes it and looks around for anything, finds a glass bottle and throws it at a wall nearby.

That caused a distraction, only for a second though and points the gun at the closes person before shooting them in the chest. They go down quick before another round of bullets were being shot at him.

He hides back down and thinks of something else, he sees a small smoke bomb not too far away.

"Think you can grab that for me?"

He whispered to her as pointed to the smoke bomb nearby. She looks over and sees where it is, she sighs before looking back and nodding.

She moves slightly against the wall before grabbing the small bag and slid it over to him

"Thanks dove."

He whispers back at her as he grabs it and throws it at the group, the white powder blows up in their faces as they yelped in pain and now the ability to see taken away.

She turns arpund and looks at him as she miss heard him, did he call her dove? He was too concentrated to see the slip up of the nickname but would rather not let it come up instead.

That gave him time to get out from the spot and shoot at the rest of them. Their bullets fly but never hit him as he takes them down one by one.

One in the chest, another to the head, he goes for a fatal part so that they die quick.

Finally the last guy goes down and his lungs caught the air he needed. He wiped the small bit of sweat he worked up before going over again to see if the kid was okay.

"You alright?"

He ask as he looks down at her and she looks up at him before flipping the switchblade back into a more non lethal way, she forgot she took it out.

She looks back down at the dead bodies as they laid there.

"Yeah, peachy even. Are they all dead?"

She ask as she climbs over the broken window and looks around at the bodies and the puddle of blood that were now forming.

"Yea, yea I believe so."

He said as he looked around to see that he got everyone in the strip of the building.

Then the sound of sirens started to go off in the background which caught both attention.

"We gotta move, come on."

Steven said as he gently push Katalina forward and she started to move forward before making to the end of the hall and climbing down the ladder back down.

They walked through the empty hallway, they had made small talk here and there but other than that it was quiet.

Both an comfortable and awkward quiet.

"So, where are you parents?"

He ask as he looks outside, night was still here, longer than usual it felt.

"Where are anybody parents? But to answer your question, they are gone. Nowhere to be found, nonexistent, evaporated into thin air. Im an orphan. "

She answered with a small sigh, not like a sad sigh, just a tired one, she really wanted to sleep.

He looks back at her and looks at him, nothing was said but a pair of brown eyes looking at another pair of brown eyes.

"So, how did you end up with a knob like Harrow anyways? You're like 11, don't think it's normal to be with a guy who is the leader of the timsaeh?"

He ask as he looked back infront of him, the hall was pretty empty, they lived in a more secluded area of the districts in the QZ.

" First, I'm 14, two he sort of kidnapped me but not really at the same time."

She responded not too sure about her answer but tried to answer as best as she could.

"Kidnapped you!?"

He exclaimed as he turned back at her a little too hard and hissed before holding his side.

"Woah! Okay, I have no idea how old you are, but I know well that it shouldn't hurt to turn like that! Are you okay?"

Katalina asked concerned as her eyebrows furrowed slightly stepping slightly closer but hesitated before stepping back.

"Yeah, don't worry. Just got some cuts, nothing serious to worry about."

He reassured her as she nodded and he took a breath.

"To answer your question, he kinda took me in a sense. Sort of against my will but also not. Like he gave me an option, go back with him and live or die for being out when I shouldn't have been."

She decided to explain, seemed like she wasn't going to give any more information though, he could feel she was hiding something still.

"Why were you out?"

He questioned.

"Okay, no more questions, too much. It's not your job to ask these many questions man."

She guarded herself as sounding a little agitated at the question.

"Oh, sorry. Didn't mean to offend."

He apologized.

"No, its fine. Just, no more questions, por favor."

He gets the message and nods in understanding.

She nods back in acknowledgment to his own.

The sound of the locks being unlocked echoed through the room as the wooden door swung open and there stood the two.

Steven walks in and turns on the lights, the apartment is pretty standard to what the whole entire QZ could manage to give to the people.

It was filled with books, big and small, long or short, words or pictures, every type of book one could find in this grey world could be found there.

The lights worked and the Christmas lights they managed to find lit up giving one side of the entire room more of an comfy aesthetic of a library.

The smell was of leather and wood lingered, there was a small table in the middle where piles of paper and books were open and laid out, pens and pencils in random places.

Steven walked into the apartment they owned, he puts his jacket on the rack and laid his backpack down on the couch.

He doesn't hear footsteps behind him before turning back to find the girl just standing there in the hallways still, she seemed, confused?

"You can come in you know?"

He said as he took out the weapons they had used their missions as Moonknight, knives, revolver, and other smaller items they carried to get the jobs done.

Katalina walks in and closes the door behind her, the place was definitely nicer than where they made her stay before. It looked like a home, it had personality, reminded of her dorm back at FEDRA school.

She had posters and pins that she collect over the years, lots of fights, barging and trading was made to at least give her a place to call home.

He finally finished and winced a little as he remembered that they had gotten injured during a fight as Moonknight. The slice to his side was starting to get to him now, but he has to worry about the kid running away.

"Hey, you mind helping me with something?"

Steven called out as she turns around and looks at him.

"Help with what?"

She responds as she waits for him to tell him. He points to the bathroom door that was open

"You can put your backpack down, there is a med kit in the bathroom. Mind getting it for me?"

She looks to where he pointed and walked over there as he checked how bad the wound was. She looked for a light and saw a light cord and pulled the cord as the dim light shined the bathroom.

The bathroom had a small shower that was covered with a blue shower curtain, one small circular mirror, a toilet, and a small sink with a cupboard.

She goes down on her knees and opens the cupboard, it has small amount of things. Two shampoo bottles, one conditioner, and a couple bars of soaps.

There was a small plastic box with a red symbol on it.

"Bingo."

She whispered with a small smile as she pulled it out of its where it was and got up. She turns off the light and walked over to where he was.

"Here."

She says as he holds out his hands to grab it from her. And he does as he opens it up, it is stacked and filled.

One thing they all agreed on was to make sure they would have supplies if something were to happened whether small or big and it has worked very for them.

He grabs the small packet of alcohol wipes and puts it where the cut was. He hissed at the stinging and cold feeling that he felt but knew why it had to be there.

"Thank you."

He says to her as she just looks at him with slightly furrowed eyebrows before giving a small nod.

He gets up and walks over to their bedroom and sees the damage from their mirror, it's fixable but it will take a little bit of time to bandage and see the rest if the injuries they didn't take account for.

He's got work to do.

Katalina looked around and took note of the way the complex looked, she looked at the books and maps laid out. Dots of red littered on the map of Egypt.

'Maybe places he's been to as Moonknight?'

She thinks as she picks up a book, she looks back him but he's distracted with patching up his wounds. She inspects the book, it seemed from the before times.

The tales and stories of Egyptian God's and Mythology

There was a bookmark on one part of the book. She opened it to that page, the chapter talked about the Ennead

" The major gods worshipped in Egypt are Ra (Sun God and Creator of all creations), Anubis ( Deity of cemeteries and protector of graves), Horus ( The God of War and Sky), Isis ( Goddess of Healing and Magic), Osiris ( Lord of the Underworld)..."

She kept reading until, she knew most of this knowledge she was raised here in Cario for a good chuck of her life. The pyramids were off limits for a good long time after the infected started to take over.

Many locals would say that it was the gods punishing them for something, maybe for not caring about them anymore or something of the sort.

She really wasn't sure what started this whole end of world thing but she was pretty sure it had nothing to do with the gods.

She looked at the bookmark again and sees writing.

A man without love - New Things

Day 'N' Nite- Nothing yet

Más Allá Del Sol- Leaving, I'll be back

Wake me up before you Go- Possible danger

My way of life - Don'-

The book and bookmark were immediately taken from her, she flinched by surprise action as she turns around to see the guy had stuffed the bookmark back into the book.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you to not take things that aren't yours."

He scolded her as he threw the book on the couch. His voice deeper, the accent from before gone. The warmth from before now replaced with frustration and annoyance.

"Merida! Perdón, sorry."

She apologized quickly as she put her hands up in the air, slowly stepping back and putting some space between them.

He rubbed the bridge of his nose before sighing as the sound of Steven telling him to not yell at her echoed in his mind.

"Look kid, you can't just, go around and touch whatever you please."

He reprimand her as she just looks at him, her gaze flickering between him and the book, her fist clenched slightly at her sides.

Marc looks at the mirror of a Steven. Steven telling him to make it up, Marc rolled his eyes before he shakes his head.

He takes a deep breathe before he speaks to her again.

"Sit over there, if you're that bored, here."

He grabbed a random book from Steven's collection and pushed it firmly to her and she hugs the book.

"Go sit over there and don't touch anything else."

He ordered as she looks at the book then back at him before turning around and sitting at the kitchen table with the book.

He watches her as he runs a hand through his hair before retreating back to the task at hand.

He sits down on the bed and looks back up at the mirror. There was Steven and Jake looking at him.

"That went well."

Jake said as he fixed his cap, Steven sighed and shook his head.

"What in the bloody hell was that Marc!"

Steven said, annoyed.

"She can't just look and take things that aren't hers Steven, that's just common sense. Something that seems to be a foreign concept to you right now."

Marc retorted as he cleaned the blood that was on his nose. He was honestly happy it wasn't broken this time.

"You're being a knob and an asrse, you could have handled that better, yelling at her obviously isn't helping her understand that Marc!"

Steven argued back.

"I know that, but we aren'ther parents nor her babysitters, we aren't gonna be the ones to have to lecture her on manners."

He sighs as he continued.

"She is cargo Steven, that is what we have been told to see her. Cargo, living breathing cargo, not only that but what chance, honestly, do you think that we won't get her killed out there!"

Marc growled back as he poured more alcohol onto the other cuts that were littered on their body. His jaw clenched as he held in a hiss from escaping his lips.

"We don't know that we won't be able to keep her alive Marc, even so she is a literal child who was kidnapped by Harrow and now in some dodgy man's house who can't seem to decide whether to talk or yell at her for anything she does. God, wouldn't put it pass her if she thinks we are mental."

Steven shouted back as he thought more and more. Jake saw the interaction, he of course had his thoughts about this whole thing too.

"Both of you, stop, this isn't helping. We just need to keep her here right now. No importa se les gusta o no, tenemos un trabajo and that girl is it. Keep her alive and safe until we have any other instruction from that asshole Khonshu."

Jake intrupted the two as the both looked at him.

"No more fighting, it won't help us in this situation, we need to just compromise between each other with this. Okay?"

Jake presented as he looked at the two who were in their own heads before nodding at it.

"Yeah, alright."

"Fine by me."

Marc said as he finished bandaging his arm.

Katalina opened the book, it was about puzzles. How puzzles helped to keep someone wake, how they help keep one's mind sharp.

Her mind, however, keeps coming back to the man, how it seemed like he changed almost, from a more warmer and caring British accent to now an American accent that scolded her.

What is up with him?

Is all she could think before she looked back at the book he had thrown on the couch, it was in his line of vision but she was able to remember most of the list that was on the bookmark.

They were based on the songs, but there was no real connection between them? Maybe a type of code.

She then looked around to see if there were any clues to why it was he had the list.

It didn't take long until she found a radio, it was a small one with a antenna but it looked to be in good condition, well, as one as you could get.

A certain red line was titled to the right, the radio itself was close to the window where a stack of books would be able to hide it from view point.

Smart.

A sound of footsteps catch her and she quickly picks the book up again and turns the page just as he walks in.

She's "reading" as he walks in, he didn't think the book would be really entertaining, it's literally a book on puzzles.

He walks around the couch and lays down on it. It's been only a hour and he already wished this night were over.

He can feel the heavy pull on his eyelids, something tell him that maybe sleeping isn't his best idea but it's what they need. The body is tired just from today, like everyday it seemed.

He tries to keep his eyes open but can't he feels sleep catch him and he knows he's gonna black out. Maybe one of the others will pay attention to her while he sleeps for a bit.

"One of you, watch her, please."

He mumbles as he falls asleep, but he didn't know was that they also had retreated back to their own place and didn't even hear his request.

A couple minutes go by and Katalina slowly gets up and looks at the man, he's out, passed out. Looked like he needed the rest though, she sees that he's not covered.

The blanket was not even that far, but he was too tried to even try and cover himself. She hesitates to do anything about it, but then decided that rather than make him her enemy they can at least be decent to each other.

She walked as quietly as she could and grabbed the blanket.

Jake had gotten out once he realized the Marc had fallen asleep and that Steven was nowhere to be found in the mind. He materialize in the mirror and saw her.

He was ready to attack her but hesitated when she was only covering them with a blanket. It was pretty cold at night sometimes in Cairo and tonight was on of them.

He waited for anything from her, maybe for her to leave. Maybe for her to leave them alone, run away, get away and not be able to hurt them physically nor in other ways.

She didn't , she just looked at them, he really looked at her. She looked tired too, tired like them.

His eyes flickered, he knew what he was supposed to think of her but at the same time knew that it felt werid. She was cargo, but does cargo live and breathe?

He shook his head at the thought, no. She cargo, living and breathing, sure. But cargo, cargo they have been told to keep safe until further instructions were given.

Once they get done with this run, things will go back to normal, thing will go back to the way they were.

He watched her as she walked over to Steven stack of books he's collect over the years. Anything to keep him awake or entertain.

She looked back at Marc's sleeping figure before grabbing a random one, reads the title and sits down next to the window where the moonlight shined.

He watched as she opened the book and started to read it, he saw the title of it.

Why are the Moon, Sun, and Planets the way they are?

He couldn't get a good look at the author though, he stayed there a little just observing her, she liked to use her finger he thinks to read the sentences that were laid out in the book.

She wasn't very expressionate like Steven was, but she definitely was someone to get completely indulge into whatever book she found interesting, at least from what he saw.

He was getting tried too, he had a feeling that she wouldn't leave though, one, the way to the apartment he could tell that she had never been to that side of the QZ.

The constant looking around, she tried to hide it by looking at one thing for the most part but every once in a while her gaze would go somewhere else before she would look around again.

'She's cautious, good.'

Not as good as them, and especially not like him but at least that is a skill she has to her advantage.

2 hours later....

It was raining now, which honestly caught Katalina by surprise. It's not often that it rained, it hadn't rain in almost 2 weeks now.

The sound of the droplets hitting the window were muffled as she watched them fall one by one.

The book she was reading now laid on the ground still open to the page she was last on. Her eyes fought to stay awake but her eyelids were getting heavy.

The sound of rain wasn't helping either, she looked at the radio, it stood still and the red line stayed exactly where has sat for who knew how long now.

God, she felt like the night was forever. Might as well have been, the moon still shined brightly at the night sky as thousands of stars glimmered to shine the ways of both old and new generation of people who have lived.

She looked over to where the guy was still sleeping, he seemed pretty calm right now.

She sighs as she looks out the window, the books no longer entertaining her as she plays with her hair. She decided to braid it instead grabbing small strands of hair and starting the process.

Not even 5 minutes later she hears a noise, it was small, you could almost miss it. Almost.

She looks around but can't find anything, it happens again, it sounded like mumbling. She turns towards the guy and see that his eyebrows are furrowed, he seemed to be slightly sweating too.

She gets up and walks over, but a couple steps in she stops.

'What the hell was she supposed to do?'

'Wake him up and just get reprimanded again, no. Maybe she should just let it pass, like a fever.'

She falters and instead goes back to the window watching the rain droplets. She looks at the sky as she starts to let the calmness finally sweep on her as she slowly closes her eyes and lays her head against the wall.

It doesn't feel the same like where Harrow and the timsaeh people had kept her. No, this was a little bit nicer, quieter as well, she could actually hear her own heart beat for what felt like years

She fell asleep to her beating heart as she let it take her somewhere else for a while, maybe somewhere where it rained a little bit more. She liked the rain, it meant life, it meant cleanliness, to her at least.

3 Hours later...

The feeling of a little nudge slight woke her up as her eyes slowly adjusted to the warm lighting again. She looks up to see it was the guy again.

His eyes however looked different, not in appearance but just in emotion, he seemed concerned?

"Sorry. Didn't mean startle you there kiddo, just have a feeling that my boss is coming back soon so it might be best to be awake now."

Steven said as he backed up to give her space, he went towards the kitchen as Katalina rubbed her eyes as she got up from the little corner she pushed herself for comfort.

She continued to rub her eyes and yawn as she walked over to where he went. He stood there as he started to put water into a pot, then placed it onto a sort of stove.

He turned to see the girl just watching her as she rubbed the sleepiness out of her. He walked over a little to the cabinet and took out 4 boxes all with black sharpy marker written on them.

"What tea do you want?"

He ask as he laid out the options for her, she looked at them, there actually a good supply of options available to her.

"I'll take Karkadeh, please."

She said as he nodded and got tea cups to get the tea ready. He poured the hot water and let the tea soak in it, he put it down in front of her and him.

"Do you like tea?"

He asked as she looked at it.

"I guess, I don't drink it as often but when I do it's pretty good."

She responded as she blew on it, she already learned her lesson last time when she burned her tongue.

'It's not fun. Wouldn't recommend that experience.'

"Do you want any sugar?"

He said as he added a small amount of sugar to his before mixing and blowing.

She hesitates but takes two scoops and starts to copy what he did, she mixed a couple times before bringing the spoon to her lips and blowing on the small amount of tea that was on there.

The tea tasted how she would think, it was rich in flavor, it warmed her up from the inside and she softly hummed at the sensation.

The redness not of blood but of the flower used to make the tea flavor and color taking her senses instead adding another meaning to the color.

Sometimes red wasn't so bad.

He hummed once he felt liquid go down his throat, he missed having tea and just enjoying someone elses presence around. He felt warm, not from just the tea, but for someone else to be here with him.

He missed having Layla, they would drink tea before going out into the somewhat grey world, but with her it wasn't, having someone else around wasn't so bad.

Though, he felt bad for this girl in front of him, she shouldn't be here, like, this.

Even if the circumstances weren't great, the least he could is try to make it comfortable for her.

"Thank you."

She spoke breaking him from his quiet silence he was in his mind. He nodded and they kept drink their tea with each other. He put the tea cup down and felt the red liquid go down his throat.

"Steven, stop it. Your gonna get hurt like this, she isn't gonna stick around long and your gonna get hurt."

Marc remarked as Steven rolled his eyes and kept drinking.

"So, we're just waiting for the guy with the cane then?"

Katalina decided to start to try and get more information now since they were somewhat okay right now.

"Yeah, real twit but yes. He will tell us whether we're gonna help you get to the timsaeh group at the Tanta capital."

Okay, so something a little far but nothing impossible to do.

"How long do you think it would take to get there, if it were approved you'll help me and the timsaeh group."

She asked, she thinks maybe a day if they kept going, maybe two if they took breaks.

"If it gets through to him, then a day or two. Depends on the weather and how many infected their are."

He explained as he finished the rest of his tea, she nods and sips her tea.

"Are we gonna be okay then? If we we're to go out there?"

She questioned, she's heard of stories of what has happened out there. There have been infected even with the blazing heat there would be infected who have somehow adapted and managed to be out there for some periods of time.

He thinks about it, he's been part of those missions where they would take the bodies to other QZ nearby where Cairo was. How many people have died while they were making their way out there?

Infected and people, people made it worse out there.

But they have survived, Jake nor Marc would ever let them die out there, Steven knew this. He wouldn't let them die either, nor this girl who needs that reassurance that she won't die out there with them.

"Yeah, we'll be fine."

He said, he wasn't true sure, he wouldn't promise anything he couldn't keep though.

She looked at him, just looked and nodded before finishing her tea.

"Oh yeah, that radio over their went off actually while you were asleep."

She said which alerted Steven and now the other two.

"Ask her what song it was."

Marc rushed to ask.

"You wouldn't happen to know what song that would have been, would you?"

Steven subtly asked, or at least he thought he did.

"I think the song went like I'm just half alive in my struggle to survive without you?"

Her response was more of more questioning than confident.

"Shit."

"Merida."

"Oh bloody hell."

Katalina heard him mutter under his breath.

So it's something bad.

She decided to try and get more out.

"Is it bad?"

She asked him as her eyes furrowed with slight concern.

"Well, it means th-"

"Steven!"

Jake finally came through.

"No lo hacers Steven, ella no puede saber de eso."

He whispered and Steven stopped and thought about it, he didn't want to lie to her.

"Marc Spector!"

A yell came, for once they were actually glad that Khonshu came and disrupted the silence.

He gets up as the girl looks at him and opened the door for him.

Khonshu walks in, his cane hitting the wooden floor as Steven closed the door.

"We need to talk." Khonshu he said as he looked at him. Khonshu sighed once he saw the look in his brown eyes "Marc Spector, not you."

"We're a package deal Khonshu, you know this."

Khonshu scoffed as he shook his head.

"Fine, outside. Now."

He said as he went out into the hallway, Steven sighs as he goes out before giving one small smile and nod to her before shutting the door.

Katalina slowly waits before going towards the couch and picking up the book. She grabs the bookmark and read it.

My way of life - Don't come, overun.

She sighs, crap.

She puts the bookmark back before putting the book the closes she could to where it was before.

Khonshu made sure to go far enough for the girl to hear.

"So, what's the verdict then?"

Steven said as he leaned on the wall and looked at him. Khonshu stays silent for a second before sighing.

"There was a lot, enough to keep us loaded for years if we are smart. It's good too, lots of weapons to keep people safe during the nights, you could even sell some and still have enough left over. We're taking the girl."

He answered as he looked at the switch happen.

"You can't be serious, we are gonna get that girl killed out there. You already know what is out there, what makes you think we can get her there alive."

Marc argued.

"Your Moonknight, we both know what your capable of. Get ready, we leave tonight, hope you sleeped enough tonight, the moonknight is needed."

Khonshu mocked before walking away from him as Marc just scoffed and looked at him walk away. He wanted to smash his head into a wall or something.

" Fucking asshole."

Is all he mumbled before getting up and walking back into the complex where he found her still sitting there as she played with her hair.

Her head lifted and her eyes met his.

He sighs before speaking.

"Looks like we're taking you then."

Her eyes widened a little before nodding. He goes and grabbed his gear, the sooner they did this the sooner they come back and everything will be how it was.

Alone. Alone with his alters.

Alone and never able to get another little kid killed because of his weak and murderous self.

Just how he was always meant to be, alone. Jake and Steven would be better without him, she would have a better chance with them than with him. He closes his eyes and takes a a breathe, he needs to take just a breathe.

"Come and grab some supplies."

He says and she gets up before grabbing her backpack.

"In there, there are some canned food and bottles of water, grab as much as you can carry. Grab a small blanket if you can for yourself. You have 30 minutes before we leave."

He pointed to their closet where some supplies was left incase they needed it.

She walks over and opened it, there were men's clothes, cans, water bottles, clothes, and small toys.

'Did he have a kid?'

She thought as she looked at him but he was more concentrated on his ammo in his revolver. She decided not to bring it up right now, and started to grab some cans and water bottles.

She was only able to get seven cans and five bottles of water. There was also a small blanket, it was blue with small clouds on it. Looked pretty old but it was in good condition, it was, beautiful actually.

She put it into her pack before seeing a small toy, it looked like an action character, she's never seen it before. It was a guy with a white cape and had rolls of gray whitish wrap around it with a gold crescent on its middle.

She looked back at him but still distracted, she shoves it deep down into her backpack before zipping it up.

Just in case, she's not sure from what but she has a feeling.

"I finished."

Both said at the same time, there was a slight pause before he nodded and titled his head slightly telling her to start moving.

She nodded before giving a small thumbs up and walking towards to where the books were.

He walked into their room and open a small compartment under a small plank where other weapons were held.

He grabbed as many as he could and put them in his pack, before seeing a picture. It was of him and Randall, they were at a park of some sort, he was pushing him while Randall smiled at the feeling of the wind in his tiny curls.

He smiled softly at the picture before putting it into his backpack. He could still hear his brothers laughter, even now he could still remember. It's been so long, but he would never forget his brother, none of them would.

Katalina grabbed a small book, it had pictures of the stars and Planets and apparently "fascinating facts" about them. She took it and stuffed it, her pack was full now.

She knows taking it was wrong, but he's got like a hundred books. Sure, he won't miss it.

Right?

"You got a flashlight with you in your pack?"

He suddenly ask which startled her and made her turn around with her fist closed and ready to punch.

She was like that for a couple seconds, he looked at her before raising an eyebrow and looking at her "fighting pose".

She sighs before letting her arms and fist down.

"Warn a girl next time, how the hell were you so quiet about it?"

She says before putting her hands on her knees as her adrenaline starts to get down from its sudden high.

"You do realize who you are talking to, right?"

He face deadpan as she looked at him before connecting the dots, again.

He's Moonknight, his whole thing was being vigilant and quiet.

"Oh, yeah."

Katalina looks at the ground before just walking past him. His gaze doesn't follow her which she is glad about.

Her cheeks were warm from the embarrassment, he shook his head before going over towards the books.

He could tell one was missing, there was always this small book the Steven would read and now it's not there.

"It's okay mate, let her have it. I read the book so many times, might as well give it to someone else who might enjoy it too."

He thinks about before nodding and not saying anything, he wanted to make sure Steven was okay with it before he did anything, this time.

He gets the last of his weapons and walks over to where she stood looking at the poster, it was of a movie from before the outbreak.

Tomb Buster: When danger is near, Steven Grant has no fear."

He and Steven had a long talk about that one.

"Come on, he's waiting for us. Don't get left behind."

He called out as he opened the door and was already out the hallway waiting for her, she looks at the poster one last time before she followed him.

They followed in silence for the most part as they made it down, the rain still poured as they walked outside.

Both pulled their hoodie up as he walked behind the building and lifted a wooden door to an underground tunnel.

"Grab this and wait until you see the light turn on."

She nods and grabs the door and lifting it up while he climbs down and touches around for the light.

He feels around, the place is slightly wet but not to much. His shoes stuck to the ground as the sand underneath stuck to the soles of the heels.

He grimace at the sound that it makes when he lifts it up slightly.

"Can you hurry up, please. Esta puerta estar pesado."

She rushed out as he remembered what he was there to find again.

He finally feels the wire and pulls the switch down and a row of lights shine in the hallway.

He goes back and climbs up the ladder before pushing it up.

"Here, climb down."

She let put a puff of air before she climbed down and jumped off the ladder at the final two steps. She almost slips but Marc grabs the back of her hoodie before she can slip.

He glared at her before she turned around and mouthed a small 'sorry' cringing at her action before he sighs and lets her go and she started to look around the place.

"Come on, we have to get moving."

Is all he says before taking flashlights from a small wooden crate and handing one to her.

"Only when necessary."

He warns her.

"I know, I'm not new at this you know."

She grumbles before testing it out to make make it worked, it flickered before she hit the bottom a couple times.

"Clearly, that's why you almost broke you face just now."

He says back as he starts to walk away from her, her mouth now slightly open from his remark before she thinks about.

"Fair point."

She doesn't even argue with it.

They walk through the tunnel, it's cold underneath and she starting to shake a little. Her jacket was not as thick which usually is a good thing, but times like this she wished she had stolen that one girls jacket.

She's cut off by a sudden hand in front of her stopping her.

"What?"

She said as he looked at her, he had a finger on his lips already telling her.

"Fedra."

He mouthed as she understood and stood quietly as she heard muffled conversation and boots hitting the floor above them.

"I don’t think they are even here man, let's leave. We've searched this entire section and the other section a couple of districts over. The timsaeh aren't here."

Both could almost slightly make out what was being said. Both looked at each other knowing that now there was a hunt for the people she was taken by.

He nudged her softly as he titled his head to the left to keep moving.

After ten more minutes there was Khonshu, he had his backpack on and his cane hanging off a small pocket on the backpack.

'So the guy really likes his cane, reminds me of someone.'

She thinks as Khonshu looks at the both of them.

"I was starting to think you weren't gonna show up or had fallen asleep by those pills again."

'Oh, so that's how much of an asshole he really is.'

Marc sighs at the uncomfortable information Khonshu just let out without a care.

"Lets get this over with, alright."

Khonshu let's out a small scoff before he started to lead the way Marc behind him and Katalina behind him.

The lid Khonshu lifts makes a small noise as he pushed it away and climbed up, the rain droplets falling inside even harder.

"You first, careful, ladders slippery thing now."

Steven had fronted as Marc really didn't want to deal with Khonshu right now and Steven was able to handle him just a little more.

She noticed the change but didn't say anything as she nods and starts to climb up, she grips the ladder tightly as the water made it harder to hold onto.

"Hurry up little worm."

Khonshu says as she let's out a sigh and climbs a but faster, she makes it and sees a hand out for her to take. She looks up and see it's Khonshu, she grabs it reluctantly and he pulls her up.

She moves as Steven makes his way up too. The places around them was filled with things like abandoned machines and vehicles from the times before.

Then she sees it, the wall. It was tall and made of concrete and wood, there was words on the wall with black and white paint.

Words like 'kadhaab!' and 'alwuhush!'

Then she saw the mounds of bags, they had words, but not just words. Names, they were the ashes of people who were burned away from that week.

She felt anger, but understood. This was the best they could, there really wasn't any places to put the dead so they would burn them and turn them into ashes before pouring their remains in a bag and letting loved ones write names on them.

Or really anybody who could identify the body, if not there would be blank spaces where that persons name would have been.

Then they would go out later that week and bury the remains into the ground as the bunch of peoples ashes were buried with others.

She grabbed her shoulder as she felts the little bumps and dented skin where she was bit. If she had been bit soon, maybe she could have saved those people.

"Worm, we gotta go, come on."

Khonshu said as he firmly grabbed her by the shoulder and moved her away from the scene, she felt the sadness but knew she couldn't really do much.

Steven had noticed what she looked at and knew what she felt, it wasn't the nicest burial but it was better than doing nothing with them.

"Come on, we gotta go dove."

He says as he gently grabbed her arm and pushed her forward, she took the signal and started to walk forward as she was now in the middle.

They walked through small emptied buses and vans, there were piles upon piles of rubar and metal sticking out.

They crawled through tunnel of metal barrels before stopping for a second as the sounds of helicopters were above them.

Katalina put a hand on her mouth to prevent any noise that might accidentally come out.

They waited for it to pass before crawling out of it. They get up.

"Just a little more and we are out of their zone."

Steven muttered to her as she nodded and kept walking, Khonshu lead them through an abandoned bus.

As he jumped down from the little hill it was on he was pushed down quickly, he grunted as Steven grabbed Katalina hand and pulled her back behind him.

A light shined in his face as he saw the rifle point at him. He felt his heart speed up at the sight, he's been here before.

"Akhruj Nashufik!"

The soilder shouted as he nods and slowly starts to move forward, the soilder pulls him out and grabs Katalina before shoving her towards Steven.

Steven catches her and pulls her back as Khonshu is shoved into the group as two soilder surrounded them.

"Ainzil ealaa rukbitik, alan!"

They looked at each before getting on their knees as one gun was on Khonshu and another was on Katalina. Steven could feel the other two fighting, asking to take control over it.

He could feel his heart in his ear as a small pinch was felt at the back of his neck, he looked at Khonshu who was trying to negotiate with the soilders but nothing of yelling was heard.

Then he looked at Katalina who just looked had her eyes closed as the gun was pointed at her head as her hands were behind her head, she seemed to be mumbling something.

He looked back in front and thought of how they could get out of this without getting killed.

"Steven, give me control, they will kill us and them if we mess this up!"

"Tiene razón, de el la control Steven."

Both were telling him to let the other front, for their sake, and his.

He heard another beep as he saw that they were finishing up checking Khonshu.

A yell was heard and one of the soilders limped back trying to grab his leg as the other backed up and went to see on their fellow soilder.

Katalina was breathing heavy and looked at her hands, he looked down at what she was looking at and saw little drops of blood.

He looked at the soldier who yelled and saw it, a small switchblade stuck on his ankle, he was sitting down as he cursed and pointed at her. The other soilder looked at her before nodding and started to march up.

He felt his senses go on over drive. He gets up and gets in front of her.

"Please, we can fix this."

He pleads as she hides slightly behind him slowly backing up. A gun was pointed at him as he felt his heart stop.

"Move."

Is all the soilder said, he looked at them before looking back at her.

"Qult altaharuk!"

They shouted, it all came back in a flash. He could almost feel the weight of his brothers body as they carried him around trying to protect him.

He heard the cries and could smell the blood as his shirt stained red of his brothers maroon and sticky blood clinged onto it. The way the light in his brothers eyes faded as his life was taken away by one person.

"Yataharak!"

The person shouted as they stepped closer, he pushed the gun up as it fired in the air, a yelp was heard and he threw the gun to the side before charging at the soilder.

A gunshot was heard somewhere else as he started to punch the soilder now who was trying to fight back but couldn't. Again, and again, and again.

He felt the rage of three people in him that he held deep inside, the guilt that ate them up. The pain wasn't even what bothered him, it's the fact that one punch didn't feel like it was enough.

His eyes rolled back and he blacked out.

Katalina saw as his punches became even more aggressive, one punched and then the small sound of a crack being heard. The other guy was dead as Khonshu watched him beat him again and again

His fist pounding hard against the guys skull. Eventually it's stopped as only the sounds of rain was heard, other than that, silence.

He was heaving as he got off the soilder, his fist still balled up as she saw his fingernails dig into his skin. His chest rise up and down quickly.

He turns around and she freezes, his brown eyes going to black as they bore into hers, she looked at him before looking at the guy on the ground and back at him.

He looked down at the person now with a dented face and let out a small huff, he walks over to the other soilder who has a small dent to the side of their head where a bullet had went through on Khonshu account.

He bent down and grabbed her switchblade as Khonshu went and grabbed the device. He walks over to her and puts it out for her to have again.

She looks at him before hesitating and taking it from him before cleaning it on her jeans.

"This got to be a joke."

Khonshu cursed as he looked at Jake, he knew it was him. He was both a man of many and few words.

He threw the device at him, he caught it and saw it, the red screen looking back at him. The words clear in the dark.

'INFECTED, TERMINATE'

He holds his breathe as he looked at the girl. She doesn't look infected, sure maybe the eye bags are slightly concerning but other than that she showed no signs of being infected.

He knew what infected looked and acted like, she wasn't it.

"Why are we transporting an infected girl!"

Khonshu yells as he marched his way over to her she gets up and backed up putting her hands infront of her.

"I'm not infected!"

She yells back before he scoffed and snatched the device and shoved it into her face.

"So your telling me this is lying then. Defective, is that what your saying then!"

He throws it at her as she grabs it and read its. She knew what she was, she was infected but different, a good way.

She throws it somewhere else as she takes off her backpack and places it on a piece of metal before taking of her jacket, her blue shirt now getting soaked she lifts the sleeve of the t-shirt.

"Three weeks, three weeks I have had this bite. Nothing, I swear to you on my parents grave."

She says as she shows the mark that has lead her to this place with the people she's with.

The mark itself looked like it was expected, bumpy, slightly red, outlines off deep teeth marks, small dark line like vains surround the bite marks on her shoulder.

It looks like any regular infected bite mark, they would know.

However, it didn't spread. It was right there, like it just. Stopped. Jake moved a little closer, and she backed up a little.

"I don’t buy it. Sooner or later, you're gonna turn and kill us. Eliminate her." (Gonna add the other but after this post)

-> for further information and reviews on these movies, films and documentaries you can follow me on my instagram @ palicam__

[this list will constantly be updated with more movies & documentaries that i’m reminded of, or with new pieces that i find and watch… if you have any suggestions please send them my way so that i can add them to this list]

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moonlightguidesky

1 year ago

PLEASE WATCH AND REBLOG - DON'T JUST LIKE - THANK YOU

BISAN IS AFRAID THIS MAY BE HER LAST VIDEO. THE OCCUPATION IS PLANNING TO INVADE NASSER HOSPITAL IN KHAN YUNIS, THE LAST FUNCTIONING HOSPITAL IN THE GAZA STRIP.

SHE WANTS PEOPLE TO SHARE THIS. PLEASE, PLEASE REBLOG.

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moonlightguidesky

1 year ago