The twins helped Xole to his feet as the others continued to congratulate him. Trix cleaned a few things out of his hair and checked his face. Sunshine came down, slapping him on the back, nearly taking him back to the floor.

  “Abbas was right about you.” she said. With a sigh she then shrugged, “And here I thought I was supposed to be the next Groundhog…”

  “It’s alright, Beatrice,” Sammy said, rubbing her own shoulder, “I had the same thought loooong before you did.”

  “We are in public, uncle!” she exclaimed punching at him, to which the man blocked with a grin.

  “So,” Salamander said, “What did ya do da cop anyways? I kinda wanted ta see him squeal.”

  “Oh, he did a lot of that, trust me.” Sunshine said. She giggled, “I mean he sounded like a little girl!”

  “Oh,” Trix said, “I see, so you stabbed his femur then? I love doing that!”

  “It wasn’t—” Xole moved a little away from Trix, “—that. I…his helicopter took him out. Same thing that happened on the building before we got here.”

  “Oh,” she said, “Interesting. You managed to pull that off twice in a day.”

  Salamander cackled, slapping the older boy’s shoulder, “Ha, ha, my man! I gotta be dere next time!”

  Xole looked around, shuttering to the hall littered with cops. “How did you guys manage to stop them?”

  “Ah,” Sammy said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a green sparkling packet, “Just a little bit of spice, and everything nice.”

  Xole nearly went bug eyed, “Y-you took enhancers?!!”

  “We all did,” Sunshine said, flashing hers to him as well, “I wanted to give you some too but Johnny told me you were too young.”

  “That’s only the beginning!”

  “I’m not proud of them either,” Trix said, “believe me I know. But Strip-Lash was our only way to get the edge against the Blues without endangering Sunshine through a drawn out battle.” She held up a large weapon. “We even got their Gatling guns!”

  “And if ya worried we all gonna turn inta Skinner, then don’t.” Salamander said, “we know what we doin’…‘cept fo Snap maybe.”

  Xole smiled a little and everyone else—besides Johnny—began to laugh. Just then a beeping went off and Johnny dug his Green Card from his pocket. “Tears, what is the update?”

  The sound of gunfire and yelling was overpowering, nearly drowning out the other side if Snap wasn’t yelling, “Hurry and get down here! Abbas says we gotta go NOW!”

  Johnny nodded, “Leave now, got it.”

  “Is dat Snap?” Salamander said, “How’d he know I was clownin’ him?”

  “This isn’t the time for your so-called ‘jokes’ Salamander!” Snap snapped, “Check the window!”

  The group peeked outside thought the shattered window; their eyes all went big at the army of police cars on the ground in and endless ocean of flashing lights. Surrounding the building were hundreds of cops, some yelling behind tall spiked barricades manning torrent guns while others pointed each other off to the front lines. The helicopters overhead continued to circle the precinct like a swarm of angry hornets. But near their window was even more shocking. Dozens of armed homeless people in body armor charged to the front, retuning fire of their own. Abbas’s large figure led them, slapping and swatting away the frontline of the Blue Collard police force. Many of the ones who tried to shoot at him were quickly attacked by swarms of rats, which made the ground seem like a black furry ocean.

  “Well damn!” Sammy whistled, “What’d we miss?”

  “Believe it or not, not much, but the other precincts got us in a corner so get a move on now!”

  Salamander grabbed the ledge, grinning and taking a massive puff.

  “Well, what we waitin’ fo?!” he said. “Let’s go!”

  Before Xole could say anything, they all leaped out, Salamander leading the way and attacking two helicopters with waves of flames. Slapping his own face, Xole let out a cry, jumping out along with them. It was then when he realized how tired out he was.

  ‘Wait, can I make the landing this time? No, no. no, no, NO—’

  ‘Thump!’

  Xole rolled off what felt like a warm cushion. He let out a sigh of relief and stood up, dusting himself off, “Holy crap, thanks!” he said, looking behind him to a pile of rats crawling at is feet and up his legs. He gasped, feeling a sense of familiarity.

  ‘These rats, they remind me of the hamster I gave to Gus…’

  “Surprised you can keep your nerve at the sight of all those things,” Patchwork said, walking up to him. He slapped a long strand of bandages around his arms and handed him a Gi bar. “I don’t like this but eat up. You’ll need the strength to escape.”

  Xole took a bite, his eyes scanning the battlefield. He watched the front line of officers yelling, shooting, and hurling gas at the crowd in which they’d progress further through the fog. Torrents screamed from the barricades, expelling what looked like near infinite barrage of bullets. However, the homeless didn’t seem to mind it much. Many of them shrugged off the shots that tore into their armor, and charged the police, beating and overpowering the cops. He watched four cops jump on a hunched man, who started freaking out and throwing them around like rag dolls. Another—an old woman in a scarf—clung on the side of the fence near him, ignoring the metal digging into her flesh and shaking it rapidly.

  “C’mon boys!” She hollered, “Let’s take this thing down!!”

  A few others cheered, grabbing the fence and pulling it down, falling all the way back to where the cop’s side was stationed, knocking over a torrent—sending gunfire though the cops and his way. Patchwork tackled the older boy to the side.

  This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  “Xole!” the doctor groaned.

  “S-sorry!” he said, scrambling to his feet. He noticed a faint yellowish auras stemming from their feverish bodies. “Hey, those guys, are they all on…?”

  “Enhancers? Yes,” the doctor replied looking at them. Shaking his head, he took out his Green Pass, carefully looking at some text appearing on it. He turned back, “Abbas! The train’s coming, we have to go now!”

  The large man caught two officers in his hands and smashed them together. A speeding cop car tried to ram him but he twisted in its direction and slapped it right back at the officers, sending a pile of Blue Collars in the air screaming. He turned back to the doctor, dodging a few shots of gunfire while holding his hat. “I believe they get the message.” He looked back at the crowd, “Everyone, time to fall back!!”

  “Aww, we just got here!” Salamander said. He blasted a wall of flames to a group of sheilding cops. “We can wipe ‘em out now!”

  “No,” Abbas said throwing a grenade behind the sheilding men. “Let the few dogs run to warn their masters of the woods. Now, follow me!”

  With a reluctant sigh, Salamander and the rest followed Abbas back into the precinct. Snap waited until the last homeless dove in before rubbing two wires together and sticking them to the ground, detonating an explosion that rocked the building, covering the entrance in rubble. The group quickly retreated to the courtyard. Snap took point, rubbing a stick of dynamite on his teeth.

  “Behind here!” he said, hurling stick at the wall. It crackled and popped like a chain reaction, blasting apart. However, his smile quickly froze to fear, greeted by what looked like a small army of flashing lights as well as two helicopters swirling overhead. The group stopped. Xole gulped.

  “Abbas? Where’s the escape route?”

  “Past them,” He answered.

  “…”

  “Wahoo!” Salamander cheered, “Dis our last chance, boys! Roast dese Collard chumps ta ya hearts consent!!”

  The crowd of homeless roared, charging ahead at the police, who seemed taken aback by the sudden charge.

  “FIRE!” The officer in the lead yelled before a blade hit him and many others. Trix fell below, watching Salamander ignite the penetrated targets. More officers near the front began disappearing into an oncoming carpet of black. One aimed their weapon at the ground.

  “RATS!” She screamed firing as many as she could, but more piled in, knocking the screaming woman to the ground and into the endless growing swarm. Johnny and Sammy cut their way along the center, jumping from officer to officer, slashing their flesh while Sunshine picked off the ones at their sides. From above a helicopter fired on her, causing the woman to shriek back and look up with a glare.

  “Stupid helicopter!” she yelled. Flipping her weapons to her pockets, she reached behind her, producing a large two handed bright orange and green colored water gun. “You wanna get wet? FINE!” with that, she fired an immense burst of water in to the air, colliding with the helicopter, shooting a massive hole clean through it.

  ‘VWHEEEEEEESH!’

  The vehicle’s engine roared, falling into the crowd and exploding on impact, sending both cops—and homeless—sky high. She put her hand to her mouth, “Whoops.”

  “What did I tell you about using that?” Johnny snapped, breaking a cop’s neck with his bottle. “You’re too close to fire!”

  “Sorry uncle!”

  “Relax, would ya? We got enhancers, we’ll shake it off.” Sammy said—his coat casually a blaze.

  “Sammy!” Trix gasped

  Abbas looked to where the helicopter landed. It was a little to the right, veering toward the freeway overpass. He spun back, “Now’s our chance!” he said, waving his arm, “That way!”

  “Abbas wait!” Patchwork said, “It’s too chaotic, they’re gonna get lost!”

  “Not if they follow the rats,” He said.

  Looking on, Patchwork saw Skinner’s rats devouring the cops and another stream of them pouring past the broken helicopter. The redhead went to where his rats were, picking one up and petting it, “Over here,” he said, “my friends say this way’s to the Strip-Lash!”

  “You heard the man!” the old woman yelled, “That way!”

  With a roar, the crowd began stampeding towards the helicopter. The cop’s attempted to follow, only to be blasted through the air once more.

  “Explosives!” one yelled, “We need a bomb squad stat!”

  Xole ran to keep up with the chaotic crowd. Suddenly something fast flew past him and cracked against the person in front of him, falling to the ground groaning. Xole shot his head back, his eyes in panic, “Oh no!”

  “’Oh no’ is right!” A man adjusted his baseball cap. He held out his hand as his large partner in a beanie tossed him a ball. Mariner Pitcher’s gaze caught Xole’s “Remember me?”

  “B-but how’d you—?”

  “You got me arrested!” he said, pointing his bat. “Remember?”

  Xole noticed him and his partner didn’t have any yellowish aura to them, but he couldn’t breathe a sigh of relief yet. ‘He’s not on enhancers, yet he’s still this strong!’

  “Hey!” the former baseball player said, “Where’s that freak in the Black Collar, eh? He hidin’?”

  Xole didn’t say anything, his arms still ached, ‘Shoot! My arms aren’t working!’

  “Shame, really wanted my runback,” He tossed his ball in the air and grinned, “But you’ll do for now! Then I’m gonna beat the hell outta that Malcom guy!”

  “What’d he do?!” Xole said.

  “I just feel like it. Now, batter UP—!”

  Before he could swing, a needle hit his neck. Grunting, he yanked it out, “What the…hell…?” he fell to the ground in an unconscious heap. The man in the beanie looked around, then down to Patchwork who walked in front of him.

  “Was that you?!” he said angrily, towering over the shorter man.

  “Yes. Your sport represents a serious safety hazard,” he said. “Do I need to sedate you as well?”

  The beanie man grinned, putting on a baseball glove. “I dunno what that even means,” he reeled his arm back, “but how about I—”

  ‘Prick!’

  With a shrill groan, he fell to the ground alongside Mariner. Patchwork stepped over to Xole, tapping his arms. ‘What happened here?”

  “I don’t know—”

  “And did these men know you?”

  “Yeah but it’s a long story—”

  “Explain back in my office,” the doctor said turning around, “I need to have a chat with Abbas about this ‘recruitment’ regime.”

  The two took off down the grassy hill, leaving the back of the Head precinct and the sound of sirens behind them. They ran to the emptying street, bolting across the darkening roads, stopping near the highway entrance. His head jolted around, the sounds of distant sirens making his hairs stand. He felt nauseas.

  “Patchwork?” he said, “Are you sure this the right place? I thought we couldn’t use sewer—”

  “This is an emergency! Of course I’m sure,” he replied quickly. He looked down, “Now can you…never mind.”

  “Huh?” looking down, Xole saw an open hole beneath them. The doctor carefully pinched the lid with two fingers, dragging it to the hole. He looked over to Xole impatiently.

  “Sorry!” he said, climbing in. He followed, looking around once more before pulling the lid overhead. Landing on the side, Xole saw a rat run past him.

  “Oh, the rats!” he said. Patchwork shook his head and led the way with his flashlight, going deeper into the dark sewer. Xole held on to the doctor’s coat, the smell alone made him want to vomit. It was pitch black besides for the water which shined off the light, showing them both the horrors of what Empire city had to offer. Finally, they saw headlights and then, an old buffer. For the first time all night, Xole saw the doctor smile at the sight.

  “Ya betta hurry up” Salamander said, poking his head from the side window. “Else we gonna leave ya! Ha!”

  “Choo Choo!” Skinner said, pulling on an imaginary whistle.

  And as fast as it appeared, Patchwork’s smile vanished. He and Xole boarded the train. It was stuffed. People crammed the seats, the floor—even lapping up. The door from the first car opened and Abbas stuck his head in, “Is everyone here?”

  “Here!” Trix said.

  “Here.” Snap said.

  “Um, here I guess,” Xole said.

  “Ya already know,” Salamander said lighting a cigar.

  “Here!” Sunshine said.

  “Present,” Johnny said.

  “I’m going to sleep.” Sammy yawned.

  Abbas nodded, looking back, “Conductor, if you may.”

  “Alrighty then!” the man in the train hat said, “All aboard!”

  Xole squeezed between two fatter men. From across him he saw Patchwork eyeing Skinner, who was next to Trix, whispering to one of his rats. The doctor’s gaze caught him and Xole quickly looked away, feeling awkward and looked out the window instead. The subway backed up into the dark tunnel, picking up speed as it disappeared, leaving no trace in the murky sewer water.