Fight By My Side

The boy limped down the hall as I quietly closed the door behind me. We moved through the old wooden walkways and down to the trapdoor. Austin was behind me, always lingering like a shadow. Opening the door, I gestured for Kellin to walk down.

Inside, Mike and Kally were quietly talking at the bar. The bedroom door was closed and locked. I could tell the two boys were in there. Kellin froze up at the sight of the others looking at him. Alan and Vic lounged on the couch.

“Hey, let’s get you fixed up in the infirmary.” I patted his shoulder. The man nodded blankly and followed my lead. Aus hung back out with the others. Kellin and I walked into the back room and I gestured for him to sit. Obediently, he sat down on the table.

“I’ve heard of your place.” Kellin murmured, staring at me. I turned from the cabinet I was looting to raise an eyebrow and smile.

“From anyone in particular?” I questioned.

“Ronnie.”

“Oh Ronnie. He’s a good man.” I murmured back. As I set the bandages and pain killer on the counter, I instructed Kellin to take his shirt off so I could look at the wounds.

“They hurt a little, but they shouldn’t be so bad.” Kellin told me. As he stood up and turned around, I saw the harsh red line run straight down his back. It was stitched up, but the red still faded to pink on his pale skin.

“Well, it’s not bleeding so that’s good. It looks like everything else is going to turn to scars, but this should just be painful for a few days.” I explained. Kellin turned around and grinned at me.

“Well that’s good, but I have more bad news.” His smiled quickly faded. As he slipped the torn shirt on, I showed him back to the living room and bar.

“So what is it?” I asked.

“Well, so you know how I had told you the Guardians captured me and experimented to see what gave me the Gift? Well, when I escaped, I found out a little more about their master plan and why there were doing this.” Kellin started. We each took a seat in the living room. Austin curled up next to me, listening patiently into our conversation.

“That’s why they cut you open.” I nodded. Mike looked over, glancing up from his conversation with Kally.

“Yes, and the thing is, they’re on the verge of finding out. They estimated another few days before the information is complete. What they’re doing is capturing Shifters, cutting them open, and starting to use their research to help develop the Guardians.” Kellin explained frantically. The bedroom door opened in the background, just a faint click of sound.

“That must be Project Upgrade.” Alex murmured from the corner. I eyed Kellin as he scowled. The former Guardian’s head poked out of the door.

“Yeah, it must be.” Kellin stewed silently. Austin touched my arm, giving me a silent question. I looked back to Kellin.

“They take innocent people like us, tear them up, and use whatever secrets even we don’t know about to upgrade the Guardians. Just as I snuck out of the Barricade, I saw a test pilot for the program. You know how Guardians have that chip to give them their special abilities? Yeah, well they basically are programming the hunters so that their bodies morph like ours!” Kellin cried out in indignant terror. He stood up suddenly. The mild manner boy was gone with an instant. He turned to face Alex, who had emerged. Jack clutched Alex’s arm.

“I’m sorry, but I didn’t know what they were going to do! My leader gave me orders that I was supposed to transfer over.” Alex apologized. Kellin’s face fell in the sorrow as a distant stare crossed his face.

“You didn’t take just me, remember? Don’t you recall that little girl you took? The little cheetah you captured? Remember how she screamed for her friend, the one that was there to protect her? DON’T TURN AWAY AND CALL YOURSELF INNOCENT!” Kellin yelled through the tears that dripped down his face, the broken memories that ran from his eyes. Alex could only stare at Kellin, both frozen in time.

“She was my best friend! Just like my sister to me! Bella never did anything to you! She never hurt a fly! You called us monsters and then shot Bells. She screamed for me to help her but I couldn’t. I watched as you took both of us away and I thought maybe we could escape together. No. Don’t you remember, Alex? DO YOU?! She fought back and you told them that she was the first to go. I was forced in chains to watch as the so called protectors cut the beautiful girl open. But no. Something went wrong and she died! BELLA DIED BECAUSE OF YOU!” Kellin screamed. Victor came to Kellin’s side, wrapping an arm around the crying boy’s shoulders.

“You’ve got one day. One day before they take from their database and start implementing their stolen knowledge into Guardians.” Kellin told me. Vic led him back to the couch, where soft words of comfort were whispered from the Fuentes brother to the broken man.

I know that feel, bro.

Austin’s arms wrapped me in a hug as I stood there. Alex and Jack talked quietly for a moment before Jack stormed outside. Alex looked like a lost and abandoned puppy in the corner.

For the next twenty minutes, I listened as Kellin recollected himself and started to explain what we needed to do. We quietly planned as Alex passed us, catching a glimpse of our conversation.

“Okay, so it will be Jack, and I to enter the city. Mike, you’ll stay watch on the Barricade.” I nodded. Mike bobbed his head in recognition.

“I’m going to.” Alex stated firmly. I looked up at him. No, we couldn’t risk it.

But on the other hand, there were some advantages. Alex used to be a Guardian. He could help us out because he knew the layout of the Guardian’s HQ. Also, Alex and Jack had the Sempiternal Continuum between them. Their fighting would be enhanced when they were by each other. Even though they hadn’t been in a battle before, it would be as if they had fought side by side for a decade already.

Then there was the con. Alex could easily turn us in.

“No, we can’t risk it.” I shook my head. Alex crossed his arms and didn’t budge.

“You need me to get into the computer central. That’s where the data is stored and where we need to destroy it. If I don’t come, you’ll be stuck.” Alex planted his foot before turning and walking back upstairs. We just watched as he walked back up there.

After we got of the small burst of shock, I sighed.

“Okay, we have to take him.” I relented. Mike just stared at me incredulously.

“Please tell me you’re joking.” He said flatly. I shook my head.

“He’s got a point. We’ll need to get access to areas he can only get to.” I sighed. Finally, the rest of the group relented. The plan was set. It was a last minute ordeal, but it could be a major strike against the Guardians and their plot to destroy all Shifters.

“So tomorrow in the early morning.” We all agreed. As our little meeting came to a close, I started to go upstairs. I had to retrieve Jack and Alex. As soon as I quietly set down the trap door, slinking through the halls in the dark.

All I heard as a lot of yelling coming from the front porch. The door was open a crack, just enough so that I could, if I wanted to, stick my head out and peek at the loud conversation. Instead, I pretended to be busy and go to the kitchen. The room had a window out to the front fields.

“BUT WHY? WHY DID YOU DO THOSE THINGS?!” Jack raged. He was pacing around in circles as Alex stood, looking ashamed.

“I’m sorry, Jack. I was young and the Guardians seemed like a good cause at the time.” He responded. Jack ran his hands through his hair, clearly frustrated.

“Alex, why did you hate Shifters so much? What have they done to you? If it was a Rogue, I understand, but…” Jack trailed off. I ducked back behind the broken cabinets as I saw Jack look my way. Thankfully he didn’t notice me. So I crouched by the sink and listened to their conversation.

“I don’t know.” Alex mumbled. Jack raged on for a few more minutes, yelling and cursing to the wind.

“WHY? WHY? WHY?” Jack raged on. Alex stood there, silently waiting out the storm. When Jack got on a rampage, there was little to stop him. The scars on my back proved it.

“Because I was young and stupid. I’ve grown up and learned where I went wrong, what I did wrong, and what I’ve cost people.” Alex murmured. The air was silent for a moment that seemed like an eternity.

Fearing the worst, I quietly snuck towards the front door. I looked through the window to glance at the scene before I slipped through the crack and stood in the doorway, grinning like a fool.

Jack and Alex were in the middle of a full-on make out session. Alex had his arms draped over Jack’s shoulders, hands tangled in his hair. My friends had his hands gripping Alex’s waist, closing the small space between them. Both men’s lips were tangled in a desperate attempt for dominance. I bit my lip and smiled with pleasure. Jack broke off and smiled, eyes still closed and forehead pressed against Alex’s.

“I love you, Alex. Don’t forget that.” Jack murmured.

“I love you to, Jack.” Alex responded just as pleased. Only when I cleared my throat did both men look up at me with a shocked expression.

I had three words for their shocked faces. It looked like they wanted to rebuke what I had just seen.

“I-I, we….um….Wyn….” Alex started to stutter. I laughed and stared at my skunk haired friend.

“GET SOME, BARAKAT!” I cupped my hands around my mouth and bellowed to Jack before I ran in the house, slamming the door behind me.

Notes

JALEX, JALEX, AND MORE JALEX!!!

I'm sorry for not posting recently, but as an apology, I added a Jalex kissing scene c:

If you don't ship Jalex, I'm sorry, but we can't be friends.