IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM BISAN ON HER INSTAGRAM

Marcelat Sakobi of Democratic Republic of Congo, at the end of the women’s round of 32 boxing match against Uzbekistan's Sitora Turdibekova, made a strong gesture to raise awareness of the ongoing genocide in the DR Congo by placing her hand in front of her mouth and pointing two fingers at her temple.

Resources for Congo:

Friends of Congo

Panzi Foundation

War Child

CammeDRCongo

Genocide Watch

A guide to the decades-long conflict in DR Congo

Democratic Republic of the Congo: Industrial mining of cobalt and copper for rechargeable batteries is leading to grievous human rights abuses.

An explanation thread from 2019.

Books on Congo.

Feel free to let me know of other resources to add.

Bisan Owda's call to action

eSims For Gaza

For USAmericans: Call your reps | Email your reps It takes only a few minutes and there are scripts if needed. If you call after hours, you can leave a voicemail.

US Campaign for Palestinian Rights Action Toolkit

Jan 26th Int'l Day of Action Toolkit

Google Drive of posters to print

Other infographics about the strike: here and here

I will be queuing this post for every day this week. IDs in Alt text!

WARNING: TALKS ABOUT DEATH, GORY DESCRIPTION, GUNS, EXPLOSION, STABBING, AND MORE. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED ⚠️

CHAPTER 4: The Infected Type

The mosque was abandoned but it had windows and there were things to cover up the doors that no longer locked.

"That should hold, for now."

Jake said as Khonshu went to one side of the mosque while the girl was at the other side in more a darker corner.

They had already searched the place but, luckily, manage to find no infected that were alive to attack them.

The place itself was not in the greatest condition.

It still had a roof and windows that were covered with wood or anything whoever stayed in the mosque the last time could get their hands on.

He looked at the other two as they situated themselves, he walked over to where Khonshu was.

"She's gonna turn sooner or later. Than you'll have wished you listen to me."

Is the first thing the old man says as Jake sighed.

"Don't worry so much, if she turns la mataŕe, fin de el cuento."

He says as he takes out the revolver that Marc had packed in the backpack and places it close to him.

"Even so, we should take turns. One sleep the other watches the girl."

Khonshu said as he looked at Jake.

Jake sighs before shaking his head.

"Your not only looking age but also starting to act like it too."

Khonshu glared at him before Jake had to stop himself from laughing but managed to keep it in.

"Watch it before I hit you with my old man cane Lockly."

Khonshu warned, like a joke but he was not kidding at the same time. He would know, he has wacked them with that cane when he and the others started to training to be Moonknight.

He was making sure that they had lots of endurance and pain tolerance to be Moonknight.

"Alright, fine."

He responded as Khonshu got up and put his stuff down getting ready to sleep. The sky was still slight dark but bits of light were starting to now peaking over the horizon.

He watched as the stars at the sky were slowly fading now as he looked through the boarded up openings.

The world was quiet, for the most part. Little whisp of wind would be heard every once in a while as the grains of sand followed behind it.

He turned to look back at the girl who had fallen asleep by now, she had used her backpack as a pillow and her hoodie as blanket.

He sighs as he holds the revolver and checked it again. The other two would rest for a couple hours than they can sleep a little too.

His fist and feet burned, he looked down at their fist, torn bits of skin were off and the blood had finally run dry from before.

His hand slightly shook as he opened and closed it.

'Not broken at least.'

Is all he can think as all he can think is that moment. He could feel the moment when that FEDRA soilder pointed the gun at Steven and the girl.

It all came back in a flash, it was too familiar for his liking. He looked at the girl but nothing, she was breathing fine.

He not really sure what to make of her, usually he would have asked for more evidence but this time, this time he didn't.

'Why didn't he ask for more proof?'

He looked at Khonshu who looked knocked out as he got up and walked around the mosque, the echos of his boots hitting the floor.

He swung the rifle he was given by Khonshu during the whole "incident" and walked to the front. The architecture of the place was something he admired.

There were little details and patterns everywhere, even with the little bit of light that came from the outside didn't show everything he could tell.

His hand stroked the walls as he felt every dent and curve of the art in front of him and he wondered what it would have been like if it was slightly brighter in the place.

The sound of rustling caught his attention, he pointed his revolver in front to where he heard the noise, the sound of his leather gloves tightening.

He looked only to see it was the girl. He sighed as he quietly walked over. His weapon still in a tight grip as he was somewhat close and waited for anything.

The girl moved again as it looked like she was just uncomfortable with the side she was on and turn the other.

The light that came through beamed on her, her hair slightly curly at the ends as they became wavy at the top. Her hair was slight frizzy at the sides and ends.

There was also the small splat of dried blood from a couple hours ago still on her cheek.

'Eso puede ser un problema.'

He goes to his pack and gets a small handkerchief before walking back and laying it down on the ground. He pulls out a small water bottle puts it there.

'she can figure it out.'

He tells himself before be goes and gets up and leans on the floor as he waits for his turn.

"Alright, your turn Lockly. You get three hours."

Khonshu said as he gets up, the sun high now in the sky as Jake nods and hands over the rifle before walking over to where Khonshu had laid.

The girl was still asleep, it had been 5 hours now.

Small orange butterflies flew above her, they had managed to get through the cracks of the boarded windows.

One landed on her head, it's wings gently and slowly fluttering, a soft sight to see. He sighs as he looks down at his watch, they needed to go soon.

Katalina feels the warmth on her cheek as she opens her eyes before closing them again and turning the other way as the ray of the sun hit hard.

The butterflies flew from her as she started to wake up. He sits up straighter as he points the rifle at her as he waited for any wrong move to come from the girl.

She rubs her eyes wearily before she started to sit herself up. She blinks a couple times as turned her head and seeing the old man looking at her.

She sigh as she looks at the rifle in his hands.

"I'm not gonna attack you, you can put the gun down man."

Her voice quiet yet echoed nonetheless against the walls of the mosque.

"Still could happen worm. You may have been able to convince them of your immunity but I'm not taking that chance."

Khonshu responded as his eyes dug into her brown ones. His black ones reflecting the girl as her eyes flickered between his.

She huffed before she looked at the colorful floor then she see seeing the handkerchief and a water bottle.

"What?"

She muttered as she picked it up, the cloth was slightly worn down but still had slight softness to it as she felt the fabric with her fingers.

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

She puts the handkerchief in her pocket and picks the water bottle up.

"He left it out for you, clean your face. Along with whatever you need to do as well."

Khonshu instructed as he threw her a magazine at her which she barely caught. The magazine was a food magazine with foods she's never even seen before.

"Do what you have to do as well, we're gonna be walking a while so hope you rested up enough."

She opened it to see different recipes being shown from dinner to deserts, they all looked good but even she knew she would never get a chance to eat it. Maybe in her dreams she could.

"Where?"

His eyes darted to a pair of doors which lead to the rest of the Mosque.

"Nothing bad gonna pop out of there, right?"

She asked as her head turned to looked at him.

"Just you."

He replied with a deadpan face which she returned before rolling her eyes.

She hesitates before feeling for her switchblade and sighed in relief when she felt it there.

The doors were slightly heavy but she pushed through as the sight of a red rug was shown laid out, it was slightly dirty after many years but the color of red didn't fade.

The walls were decorated with patterns and designs, some chipped from the weather but most still intact with cracks here and there.

Soon she made it to the restroom, she pulled out her switchblade and opened slowly opened the door as it squeaked.

She felt herself tense. She knew they went around the check the perimeter, but that didn't mean nothing couldn't have gotten in when they were asleep.

The door opened as the she saw it.

The roof of the ceiling had been broken which would explain the dead infected and the large invasive cordyceps that took up half the wall.

The air around smelled of infected, dryness and a rotting corpse made her retract a bit.

She stood there as she looked at the dead infected, before looking at the ground and seeing a piece of the ceiling.

Picking it up and throwing it at the infected, the sound of a crunch answered her question as her shoulders relax.

She looked at dirty mirror that was covered in dust of the cordyceps that accumulated over the years.

She wipes the mirror in a circle motion and finally seeing herself after 3 weeks.

'I look like shit'

Her hair was slightly frizzy at the sides and bottom. She wished she had a brush but used her fingers to try and pat down and run her fingers through it.

She pulled some hairs out but it definitely looked better. Soon a glimmer caught her eyes as she felt the necklace and the locket.

Slowly she opened it to see the writing ingrained into the metal.

" There is nowhere in this world I won't be there to protect you, whether death or life."

Her finger traced the lettering of the sentence, just feeling it gave her a sense of comfort. Her eyes read the sentence over and over until she felt it was being said to her.

Tucking it back under her shirt she grabs the handkerchief from her pocket and the bottle of water before pouring some on.

She saw the splat and droplets of dried blood from her attacking the soilder. She could still remember how she felt the moment that device was on her neck and the pinch came.

Fear.

That was all she felt, fear.

She felt her chest tighten, her hand scrunched her shirt as she felt the air leave again.

Shutting her eyes tightly she sat down on the floor and started to take deep breathes, she just needed to breathe.

Her eyes burned as she tried to keep it in, in and out her breathe went as the air around suffocated her.

She couldn't breathe.

She just needs to breathe.

Her nails dug into her skin as her hands shook.

Eventually, everything slowed down, she looked around, and felt light headed, finally inhaling the air that was avaliable that he lungs would take she started to count.

What she heard.

What she tasted.

What she could feel.

She was here, here in this broken and beautiful Mosque with people who saw her as an object to trade for weapons.

She wanted her parents back.

She wanted him back.

She knew, knew that they would never come back though. They are gone, no one is gonna protect her from this.

Her fate. Her fate was to save the world, that's why she is here, her immunity, it would make up everything. Every sin that she had ever committed.

Against humanity for the pure reason of her existence being both a blessing and curse.

She took another breath before wiping away the few tears that did fall. It would be over soon, they would take her and leave her alone.

Just how it was meant to be. She was afraid but willing to be alone for the rest of eternity if it meant that she could fix the world with her immunity.

Because that meant something.

It has to mean something.

Pushing herself off the floor she opened the bottle and poured water before rubbing the handkerchief on her cheek.

The dried blood rubbing off as she did motions in circles to take it away.

It would always be there, because she would know it would be there.

She sighs as she looked at herself again.

Her beginning eye bags starting to form from the amount of sleep she didn't get. This was probably the most sleep she's gotten in days now.

Her parents would scold her, saying things like.

"Te vas a quedar corta así."

She chuckled at the made up version of them. She missed them.

She poured some water into the palm of her hand as she splashed it on her face to wake her up more.

Soon there was a knock.

"Niña?"

A voice called out, she knew who it was.

She turned towards the door.

"Estoy bien. Almost done!"

She yells as she looks at herself one last time before putting the handkerchief back into her pocket and grabs the water bottle.

She opens the bathroom door and looks around before finding him leaning against the wall.

"Vamos, we're leaving."

He said before getting up and down the hallway. The revolver in his hand ready to shoot if nessecary.

She looks at the gun and then remembered the switchblade she has, it feels heavy in her hand as she closes it and shoves it back into her pocket.

"Took you long enough, we have no time to waste."

Khonshu rushed them both as they packed up what they had.

The wooden table tables were removed by the two as Jake went first and checked around for any infected.

"Clear."

He states as Khonshu opened the door more and starts to get out before Katalina follows behind.

There are other buildings around but most had been lost to the sand or by people.

"I thought cities were full of infected?"

Katalina questioned as she looked around but ultimately there was much but streets and broken down shops and cars around.

The sand had covered due to the winds and broken windows, no longer were building or apartments protected by the harshness of Egypt nature.

"Thats what they tell you. But they only say that to keep people in, away from others to keep them isolated."

Khonshu explains as she paid attention while Jake overhears the conversation as he looks around for any infected of unwanted people.

The sun rays burned on to of the city as light shined on the broken down city that once thrived of life.

There we no vendors, no shops, no children playing around, no mothers telling the older ones to watch the younger.

Nothing more than rotting, burned buildings and stands that will never have a full living person to occupy the space.

A arm is put out before she stumbles and looks at who had stopped her.

"Oh."

She looked at the giant hole, it was filled with piles and piles of what remains of the "old ways."

Clothes, electronic, cars, corpses.

The smell was mostly covered by the smell of ash and dust of how long that was hole was created.

"This is how they tried to keep the infection from spreading. "

Jake spoke as she was about to ask but eventually just closed her mouth before nodding.

They walked around the filled hole.

It was quiet as she found a rock on the floor and kicked it around as the two keep going looking at each other speaking through their eyes as she kicked the rock in front of her.

"Here, help me up."

Khonshu voice rings out as Jake grabbed Katalina shoulders and pulled her back as he went to help him.

Jake put his knee and palm out as Khonshu climbed onto the tipping structure, the structure looking at its last leg about to sway one way or the other like the tower of Piza.

"Ven acá."

Jake ordered as Katalina walked over before putting his knee out.

"Climb."

Is all he says before she looks at him hesitantly to which he sighs at it.

"Just do it."

At his words she starts to climb, he starts to stand up and she jumps a little before Khonshu grabs her hand and pulls her up.

Eventually she makes it to the top before looking down as Jake jumps up and Khonshu grabs his hand and helps pull him up.

The building started to shake slightly, they all stood still as they waited for it to stop.

The ground eventually stopped shaking as they waited another minute before starting to walk inside the building.

"See if you can find anything."

Jake tells the both of them as they nod before Katalina follows Khonshu while Jake goes into another room.

Jake opened the door to an office, signs of new projects needing to be done were scattered on the floor, some with drops of blood.

It smelled of metallic and dryness filled his senses, nothing he couldn't handle.

"We can't stay here for long."

Marc says as he appeared in a broken window, he seems anxious but tries his best to repress it.

"Ya sé."

Jake replies as he pulled the drawer on one of the desk. It held nothing, he leaves it as he goes somewhere else.

"How is she doing?"

Steven said as he appeared in the dirty mirror as Jake started to rummage through the cabinet.

"She's fine. Deja de estresarte por ella Steven, te va dará dolor de cabeza así."

Jake asserted as he found a water bottle that was dried up.

Nothing. Everything in this place was practically useless at this point. Nothing would really be of value for him or the other two.

"Why did you give her the cloth?"

Marc asked to which Jake stopped, he wasn't sure about that one.

No, he did know.

"If we ran into anyone, you really think it would be normal for a girl her age to have splattered blood on her face with us?"

Jake argued before he just rubbed his temples.

Marc looks at him deeply, he doesn't believe him.

Steven gaze lingers on Jake who usually had a better responds but something seemed different this time. He could tell something was different.

"It would raise too many question."

Jake uttered to the reflections, both nodded as they took the answer because they knew they would get nothing else out of the alter before disappearing. He doesn't like arguing with them, that not his job.

"Hey?"

He turns quickly pointing the revolver towards the girl before seeing that she raised her hands up. Her eyes widen at the weapon pointed at her.

"Woah! Sorry, sorry. Didn't mean to scare you."

She voices as she put her hands down so slowly that he notice the slight tremble her hands did when they did come down.

"Didn't scare me."

He responds.

"Doesn't look like it from here."

She muttered before clearing her throat and looking down after seeing his deadpan expression.

"The old man with the cane, Khonshu. He needs you for something."

She tells him as he nods as she leaves and he follows behind.

"He's over there."

Pointing towards what seemed like another entrance he walks over to Khonshu who is looking out into the world.

Khonshu hears the sound of Jake's footsteps and turns to see him.

"Took long."

Khonshu comments as he points to a building, but the building is shining brighter than the others.

The top pointed up with its roof still intact unlike some other apartment and structures that surround it.

"That is where we go to drop her off."

Jake looks at the whole thing, the building that hide the capital building were either titled or the tops completely destroyed with only rubar and concrete left behind.

"We would have to cross through the Tanta Museum to get to the capital building, its longer but safer that way and less chance of attacked by infected or by other groups."

Khonshu hummed at the information.

"The shorter route would make the drop faster. The longer we are out here, the higher chances of groups finding us on this tra-"

"Guys!"

A shout intrupped the two as they turned around to see what the girl was shouting about, a small dust cloud was in sight of Sand Riders came into view.

"Shit. Sand Riders must have saw us back at the Mosque."

Jake cursed as he looked at Khonshu.

"Grab the girl!"

Khonshu stressed as he puts his pack down and starts to dig into it for something. Jake has an idea of what he is going to look for.

"Grab on!"

Jake shouted as Katalina ran over to him as his hand was extended, she jumps but can't reach.

"Merida, hold on!"

Katalina curse her body in that moment, she really needs that growth spurt to kick in soon.

Jake jumps down and get back into position like before.

"Just like last time."

He tells her as she nods and doesn't hesitate this time, one shoe after the other she climbs and gets one shoe on the palm of his hand before he lifts her up and she jumps as well.

She grabs the edge as she dangles slightly before pulling herself up with what she had, she makes it up.

She turns around and extends her hand out, he sees it, he seems hesitant to think the girl could even take his weight.

"I can take it!"

She shouts before he grumbles under his breath and jumps, she grabs his arm tightly as she pulled as hard as she could.

He started to pull himself up, she let go of one hand before grabbing one of the loops of where his belt was on his jeans and helping get him up. He makes it as well.

They look at each other for a second before she nods and he nods back, he pulls her up on her feet.

"Come on idiots!"

Khonshu yells as he goes down the line onto the next building over.

The line was long but eventually he made it as he got rid of his harness and roped it around for them to use.

"No, no. Your kidding me?!"

Katalina exclaimed as she saw what he wanted her to do, the drop was high, she could do heights but not this height.

(Okay, maybe she pissed him off a little more than she thought.)

They were going to kill her.

She was going to die from falling, splat, dead, all her brain matter would smudge the already dirty floor below. She really wishes that FEDRA soilder had kill her when he had the chance.

"No, I'm not."

Jake answered as he reached for the harness and grabbed her arm.

"Look I'm sorry about the joke from before. Just don't make me do this."

She says as she pulls her arm a little away from him, he could tell how scared she was of this, her backing away, her shoulders getting tense, they way her words cane out much more quieter than before.

He looks behind her, they were getting closer, he need her to just do this. He gently pulls her closer by her shoulders to make her look at him.

"It's not because of that, no tienes mucho opciones ninã. Trust me. That dust cloud is getting bigger, the bigger and closer it gets the more chance you are of being in danger by that group than this rope."

He finally says as he looks at the dust cloud that had just gotten closer, he's got no time.

She nods as her eyebrows furrowed but understood what exactly he was telling her as he starts to put the harness on.

The sound of a click let her know she was attached to the rope and he pulled it slightly to make sure it held her to make sure she didn't fall off in the middle of her ziplining down.

"It won't snap, right?"

Her eyes turned to face him as he was about to let her go.

Her brown, golden eyes digging into his darker, brown eyes, the sunlight hitting her as he stood in the shadow of the inside of the toppling building.

Her eyes searched for something in them. Reassurance, cause she needs that from him.

She needs to know she'll be okay. She needs to know if she can trust him.

He told her the truth.

"It won't."

He reassures as he let her go before a small yelp came out of her as she slid down the zipline, grabbing onto the line as hard as she could, her curles whipping in the air as she went down.

"Watch her, please."

A voice said, it was Steven, he knew it was him so he did. For his sake.

He watched as she made a stop with Khonshu grabbing her arm and pulling her closer to the inside of the other broken building he landed on.

Khonshu starts to get her off the line, Jake take it as his signal that he can go now. He looking inside his pack and pulled out his harness.

He checks the rope before going down the ziplines across the other building that had either troppled or were just left in rubbles below him.

His curles going with the wind and before he knows it is caught by Khonshu hand who pulls him in.

"Make quick work."

Khonshu whispers as Jake nods and grabs the rope before pulling at its ends as it snaps. The line is cut and the rope dangles on the other side.

"Lets move."

Khonshu commands as he breaks the door down Katalina and Jake following behind him.

The place was much more brighter than the one they were in previously. The sound of clicks stopped them from observing the building.

Clickers.

Both Khonshu and Jake looked at each other with a nod.

Jake turns to look at Katalina who looks confused, he puts a finger up to his lips before mouthing.

"Don't make a sound."

She reads it and nods as Khonshu grabs her by her wrist and they slowly go the other side making sure to look where they stepped.

Appearing on the other side was the clicker itself.

'What fucking luck.'

She feels like the world was just messing with them at this point.

They froze as it screeched in their face, the other two stood still ans didn't make a sound nor breath as it twitched as if was trying to find them.

Katalina could feel her muscles and jaw tightened as she tried not to make a sound. Her eyes were closed as her hands turning into a fist.

Jake knew he could get rid of the thing, but he would need to be quick about it.

It was only until another screech that Jake eventually stabbed the clicker in it head, the knife digging into the thick layers of gray and green harden skin.

The blood spilled as he takes it out and stabs the clicker again, it overflows as the infected crumbled and spasms on the floor before dying all together.

Katalina could finally breathe again as she unclentches her jaw and her muscles started to relax again, they wait a second to make sure it died. Khonshu nudges her as he tilted his head for her to get moving.

They all slowly walk down broken stairs as the sound of clickers starts to fade, they hopped down once the end of the stairs came.

Well, the guys did.

"I don’t know about you guy, but I don't plan on making my knees hurt just yet."

She whispers as she looks down at the two men who look at each other before Jake sighs and Khonshu takes out his rifle leaving the two as he searched the area.

"Necesitas auyda ?"

Jake ask as she looks down then at him

"Nope. Just give me a second, I think I might have an idea."

She says as she sits down and slides down, Jake can only look as the girl then dangles herself from the edge of the broken floor.

He watches the girl knowing damn well that this was a stupid idea but letting her figure that out might be good for her.

She holds on before seeing that this was probably not her best idea with no way of getting back up to think of something else. She's stuck.

"Fuck."

She mumbles under her breath as she sighs.

"I might need help."

She finally admits

Jake let out small snort at the girls stubbornness but also realization that her "idea" wasn't gonna work.

He shakes his head and puts his bag down at the side before looking up at her.

"Let go, I'll catch you."

He says as he opens his arms to show her that he was ready.

She feels her face heat up a little not by the heat of sun but of the pure embarrassment she is feeling, but she doesn't think she has another choice.

She can try though, right?

"Isn't there like something I can climb down on?"

She grimace as she says that.

"Ninã."

He started to scold her.

"Alright, okay. Fine, just-"

'This is embarrassing.'

She takes a breathe before letting go and falling, closing her eyes last second as the feeling of her stomach dropping lasted a second.

Before she knows there are arms around her back and knees holding her tight to make sure she didn't slip through. Her arms hugging his neck for support, her head under his jaw as they stood there for a second.

It was tight but not enough to hurt her, just enough to keep her close to him.

It felt like a hug, something neither him nor any of the alters have had in what felt like years.

He feels a memory come back.

Randall, when he was a kid, he loved going at the top of slides or swings before Marc, Steven, or Jake had to catch him as he flew through the air making him feel like a hero from his action figures and show.

Because he trusted them, that they would always catch him, protect him.

They couldn't, not when it meant the most.

What makes them think they can protect her anymore than they could have Randall.

Jake felt as his eyes rolled back.

Marc fronts as he starts to turn and dropping her on her feet. He unwrap his arms from her and she unwrap her arms from his neck.

"Thanks. Sorry for all....that."

Is all she says before she rushes herself out the feeling of embarrassment still left behind for him to catch on.

He remember how it got to here, It's not like he had a choice. It was either they catch her or she literally breaks her knees.

He stays there with his thoughts, he still feels the weight of his brother like he was still there. He feels the weight leave of a child in his arms, there was nothing left to protect after all.

He shakes his head as he grabs the backpack from the ground where Jake had left it and followed behind where Khonshu was waiting the girl looking at the scene.

"This place once was filled with people, language, culture, and so much more than you could have imagined worm."

He hears Khonshu tell the girl as she looks up at him then back at the broken and wreck the world had become since the days of the outbreak.

She looks back the sight, she can't really imagine that, she has lived in a place where sure their were people but definitely not as many as their was before.

She wonders what kind of things would they sell, would they sell shoe laces or food instead, what type of clothes did they wear, what would they talk about?

"That's, hard to imagine."

She says as she looks out, the places was lifeless, the only thing left was stains of blood and the undead taking over anything with life in it. It sucked the joys of living into the more black and white of surviving.

Marc could feel a small ping of sympathy for the girl as he thought about it from her point before shaking the feeling away.

He can't get attached, that's how he gets hurt.

"How did you get that bite mark worm?."

Khonshu ask as he looked down at the young girl next to him. The next generation of people who will never know about the world before which he grew up and was raised in.

He thought maybe he would die in it too. How foolish of him.

"You know that hotel that was cut off from becoming apartments a couple districts down 11 and 4."

She replies, might as well give it up now.

Marc listened from a distance.

"The one they told everyone never to get close to because it being full of infected?"

Khonshu replied as she nodded.

"It was a good place to see the pyramids and I wanted to see it for myself, got to. But got jumped by a runner and then I got bit."

She told him as picks at her nails looking at them like they were more interesting than the story itself.

"And you went there, by yourself, at 14."

He stated as she nodded. He lightly chuckles.

"You got guts worm, I'll give you that. All for the sight of the pyramids."

He says like a fever dream almost. Deja Vu in a sense it seemed to roll off.

Katalina felt a a tug at the sides of her lips at the compliment from the man, a smile of pride about it but got rid of it quickly so he couldn't see it.

She wasn't sure if doing what she did was even a proud thing to have accomplish.

Khonshu eventually looks out one last time before turning around and leaving through the hole in the wall, she watches before looking back up at the sight again.

Marc listened to the story, it seems realistic enough.

He watches as her eyes flickered, the sunlight making her not seem so much rougher than she looks.

She looked softer, much more younger now. Her eyes however told another story, she was exhausted not just by sleep but what seemed like living in general.

Just like he was, and he could understand. He was there, they all were, but he had to find a way to move on, it took years and he was much older.

This girl was 14 and she seemed so tired, much more tired than he did or any other kid should be.

She eventually rubs her eyes from how the sunlight hitting her iris and started to follow through where Khonshu had also went to before he following behind her.

The three walked a little more now with more distance from the Sand Riders, Marc and Khonshu knew they would eventually lose interest in them since they tended to only just stick around when they found people vulnerable.

The entrance of the museum was grand yet old. There were plants growing on the building itself and little bits of graffiti like the one back at the QZ littered the forgotten history the place held.

The letters half up and the rest laid on the floor of the steps to the entrance of the museum cracked and destroyed.

It was a beautiful entrance, the plants that grew around it made it seem taken back by nature which most cities had been taken by.

The cordyceps were scattered all over the walls and stretched like vines as little bubbles of its air were around.

"Get your mask."

Khonshu ordered and Marc obeyed as he dtarted to take out his gas mask. Katalina looked at them both as they got their gas mask out, she wondered if she would need it too.

"You got a mask?"

Marc asked the girl as she nodded.

"Get it out and put it on then."

He told her as he placed the mask over his face and made sure there were no cracks and that he could breathe.

Katalina heard the change again, an American accent. The one that shouted and then apologized for it (not really but it's what she was gonna get from him right now.)

"But, I'm immune to the cordyceps, the spores don't do anything to me."

She tells him before he gives her a look.

"Not asking, just do it. Get a flashlight as well, its dark and hard to see."

He tells her as she sighs and digs into her bag for the mask for herself and got the flashlight that Harrow had given her.

They all slip their backpack on again and Katalina looks at the door, it's slightly open as the inside seemed almost completely black.

Like pandoras box, ready to be open and get you.

She felt a chill go up her spine.

"So, why exactly are we going through this museum anyways?"

She questions as she couldn't understand why they need to go through this specific building and not the other ones around.

"There is a exit at the top floor of this, it's a shorter way, more dangerous but still a way."

Khonshu explains as she just nods and takes it.

"So, it's fine then? To like go through?"

Khonshu nods and she looks at Marc who sighs and nods slowly as well.

That was all she was gonna get from the two.

Khonshu was the first to get closer to the cordyceps before poking his cane at the thick vine like cordyceps that took parts of the building for its own.

He taps a couple times before stabbing it for a loud crunch noise to come out of it. There is a small cloud of spores came out and came to his conclusion.

"Seems like most of the infected are dead. But some of the spores are still around, keep the mask."

Khonshu ordered as the two nodded and he went in first, the inside was dark and filled with dust everywhere.

Broken or stolen artifacts, paintings torn or left alone were around but for the most part everything was where it was left the day of the outbreak.

Katalina looked around, the top of it was filled with designes of constellations words in arabic and english describing them.

Marc looks around the place, it had been years since he's been through a museum, much less one in egypt. However he soon felt his eyes roll back as Steven now fronted.

He was thrilled, the museum had all types of facts such as how things were built in the ancient times of Egypt, the way gods were worshipped, ect.

He looks back then at Katalina who was looking at the ceiling reading what the words said.

"The Egyptian invented modern navigation."

He started out with which startled the girl, that change, it happened again.

"Oh, sorry 'bout that. Just, fun fact, thought you might want to know that."

He says as he looked at the girl who nodded and looked at the ceiling again, she thinks for a second before speaking again.

"Anything else to add to that fun fact?"

She asked as he felt a small jolt of excitement hit him as he nodded and he continued.

"There aren't a lot of land marks in the desert. So, they came up with a way to get about it using the sun and the stars."

She nods with a smile as she ingraves the information into her brain like every other fact she learn in books or movies she's seen.

"It's bloody genius, right?"

He said as she nods.

"Yeah, it is. They are very smart for using the sky as thier way of navigation, like the Polynesian people did as well, they would also use the stars to know which direction to go when voyaging."

She added as well which he made him happy that she was adding to the fact he just told her. Khonshu watched the two talk, he knew exactly that look. Steven.

He uses his cane to slightly hit the wall getting both attention of the two.

"If you two are done, we have somewhere to be, hurry up!"

He reprimand as Katalina looks at him before feeling a little bit of fear and frustration but decided to just do what the old man said.

"Get moving. You, I'll deal with you later."

He says as he pointed at Steven who just looks at Khonshu in annoyance from under his mask, he was just trying to teach her something.

'Hot and cold much'

Katalina thinks as the girl walks pass him following Khonshu who was waiting for them by the stairs.

Steven followed behind before looking at the ceiling one last time. The stairs up were made of concrete with some edges being taken off due to part of the building it self starting to collapse over time.

The two followed Khonshu as as they slowly stepped over the long think vines of cordyceps that took over the rest of the way up.

A sound of clicking caught their attention, a sudden stop was made as they waited for another sound to be heard, Khonshu looks at Steven who grab the gun from pants and pulls it out ready incase of anything.

The girl looks at the two before taking out her switchblade ready to fight for her life if she had to.

They continued up the stairs, their flashlight lightning their way through the dark place as a sense of dread and death went down their spines.

The place started to fill up with more and more spores as dead infected were seen laying there, their bodies no longer resembling anything human or whatever remained of the person they use to be.

They make it to the top, wood and pieces of concrete covered the path of the door, the wooden door was slightly open showing another room of artifacts that never made it to the displays down below.

Khonshu looked at rubble that laid to where they needed to go, he moves forward before squatting down and starting to push it up.

The air started to clear up as the circulation moved, it turns opaque as he moves the junk away. Steven decided to help him as he forward to help him push the things up and out of the way for them to cross.

"Go."

Khonshu strained to say as the girl ran quickly in, the sound of the ceiling about to fall rang out and she push them both back as it fell back. A cloud of gray and yellow dust filled the room and hallway.

The two men landed on floor as they waved their hand to clear some of the dust looking for the girl who was now stuck on the other side, alone.

"You two okay?!"

She shouts as the sound of creaking echoed through out the building.

She looked worried as her eyebrows furrowed, her eyes searching around for the two.

"We're alive, stay over there. Don't move, we'll find a way over there."

Khonshu says as Steven had already gotten up and helped Khonshu us before grabbing his cane.

The sound of groaning and clicking rang in their ears.

"I don’t think I can!"

She yells, her tone noticeable got higher as she hears the stomping of shoes coming, infected, they were awake.

"Then run!"

"We'll find you!"

The two shouted out saying as she runs to the other side, the men see as two clickers were following behind her at full speed.

"They're gonna kill her."

Steven muttered as he felt his mind racing, his chest feeling heavy, it hit him hard, he has this feeling that he needs to get her out of there. And quick.

"Then let's get out of here and find her."

Khonshu rough tone clicking as the two looked for another way out to make sure she didn't get killed in there.

She sprints as fast as she could. She knew about clickers and made a plan on what she probably would do in that situation that had one of them after her.

It went completely out the window.

She looks around for anything, she feels her palm starting to sweat as her switchblade and flashlight were the only thing grounding her. The hurried sounds of the clickers not helping her already panicing state.

The sound of her heart thumping filled her head as she finds a statue and pushs it out of the way before turning away from it and hiding behind a broken display case.

The infected go after the noise as they screeched, she puts her flashlight on the ground and covers her mouth as she tries to calm herself down.

Her nails dig into the palm of her hand but she knows she can't move, if she does they find her.

'However, you aren't immune to being ripped apart, child.'

The words echoing in her mind from what Harrow had said a while back when she was asking him questions.

She hated him at that moment for the image, she could imagine her mangled body as the infected tore through her skin and flesh, her body parts being ripped out whatever made her human.

She could imagine her heart being torn up by their teeth, every little vain and muscles smeared on the monsters mouth as it ate it up.

She tries not to think about that. It's hard.

She looks down at her switchblade, then at the clickers. She doesn't have much choice but to either kill them or they get her.

She rather stay alive to make sure this vaccine thing worked.

She lifted the gas mask and wrapped the straps on her bag. She breathed the air through her nose as it went into her lungs she needs her heart to stop beating so hard.

Sweat formed on her forehead as she wipes it off and looks around.

She needs to concentrate, she needs to remember her training as shitty as it was.

On the ground laid a bottle, a glass bottle, a distraction.

She made a plan, slowly she moves from her crouched position, the clickers still moving around and hearing for any sound to catch their prey.

Prey and predator was the game.

She grabs the bottle, slowly looking behind her, she lifts it and gets ready. The bottle flew through the air and hit the side of the wall earning a yell from the clickers who raced after the sound.

Looking around she found a piece of concrete, grabbing it. She goes back to her spot and ties the flashlight to her backpack.

The two clickers twitched and made small noises as they couldn't find where she was. One eventually moved towards another part of the room, an opening.

She puts the brick down as she moves up.

She knew where to hit as she had seen the guy named 3 names had before and go for the head.

She jumps on its back wrapping an arm to keep her there and she can only reach the neck and goes for it, she stab at the side of its neck, digging deep as the blade goes in again and again.

Blood starting to spill like a fountain from it.

The creature yells and screeched in agony, it tries to claw and bite at her. Eventually she jumps off once she thinks its enough and backs up as it falls to the ground still trying to fight off its attacker.

The sound of the other one becomes clear as she remembers the concrete brick on the floor and throws it at another wall, it turns that way as she moves away from it.

Her hands and blade bloody again. As she looks back and sees a puddle of blood pouring from the infected, it wouldn't get her at least. She was just a little but safer.

She needed a way out, but couldn't find one. The old guy, Khonshu had said there was an exit around this floor, she just wished she knew where.

A bellow was heard grabbing her attention as turned around to see the other clicker getting ready to pounce on her.

It falls down with a thud as it tried to attack whatever got it, a silver cresent in its back glimmered with blood coming out.

Soon, a black boot stepped on its back before the sound of a gun went off as the sound of splattered matter echoed in the room

She flinched at the sound before looking at who had taken down the other clicker. It was the guy with 3 names, he looked concentrated, his eyes narrowing on the dead clicker as if seeing if it would try and fight back.

It didn't, he looks up and spots her as she looks at him then at the dead clicker he just killed.

A switch in emotion happened in his eyes as furrowed concentrated eyes turned into concerned and relieved ones.

"There you are."

He says as he steps over the dead infected and goes to her. She looks at him as his eyes searched for something.

His eyebrows furrowed as he looks at her arm, she looks down and sees the bite mark, it was a little deep and it was starting to bleed. His eyes looked back her concerned and worried about the second bite mark on her.

"You alright? Where did you get the other bite?"

He questions as he puts his bag down and starts to search for something.

Must have gotten her and the adrenaline must've kepted her from feeling it, it was starting to weaken though.

"I'm not dead so that's the good thing, to answer your other question, look over there."

She points to the other infected that she had stabbed to death.

Khonshu came into the picture as he walked over to the dead clicker. He taps on it with his cane as if seeing to make sure she had actually killed it.

"You killed it?"

He didn't really believe her.

"Yeah, with this."

Showing the now bloody switchblade and he hums before nodding.

She's not sure what to make of that, looking back at Steven who now has a bandage for her and a small alcohol wipe.

"Do you want me to clean it or can you?"

He ask her. Nobody has asked her that in years.

"I can do it."

She takes the alcohol wipes and rubs it in deep, it burns and she want to cry a little but holds it in as she finshes cleaning the wound.

"I'll wrap it, alright. Tell me if it's too tight."

Steven tells her as he starts to put a small cloth on the wound before wrapping around some bandage, he is gentle as ties it up.

"Good?"

And she nods.

"Let get out of here then."

Khonshu says as Steven closes his bag and lets Katalina walk in front of him as she gives a small nod of thanks to the gesture.

They make it to the roof of the museum, the exit Khonshu was talking about. The other two take off the gas mask as the bright sun blinded them, they all blinked a couple times to adjust.

"Wait! You were breathing in spore!"

---

Heyoo, so new chapter coming at you!!!

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)

---

I am Mohammed Alanqer married from Enas Majed we have 3 children

Amidst the ongoing war in Gaza, we find ourselves as a family trapped between walls of fear and despair. I, Mohammed, a father of three children and a husband to a woman in her eighth month of pregnancy, live in an environment filled with threats and risks.

My technology startup, which I built with dedication and hard work, was destroyed during this war, leading to the loss of our livelihood. My children, Layan, Sarah, and Adam, no longer have the opportunity for education due to the destruction of schools, posing a significant threat to their future.

- "A souvenir photo of my startup company."-

My wife, Enas, lives in constant anxiety due to her advanced pregnancy and the destruction of hospitals in the area. After losing my job and source of income, I find myself in a severe financial crisis, unable to provide for the needs and safety of my family.

- "Me and my wife Enas majed "

Our family home was destroyed due to the war, forcing us to flee and move multiple times, leaving us homeless. Everything has become difficult now; we cannot provide a safe place to live, nor can we afford clean clothes and food for our children. Additionally, our children have been afflicted with diseases such as measles, and our son Adam has been diagnosed with viral hepatitis.

-" layan & sara & adam in the war" -

Our only hope now is to escape from this ongoing hell and find a safe haven for our family. However, this requires exorbitant financial costs, with the coordination fee for crossing borders amounting to $5000 per adult and $2500 per child, a sum I cannot afford alone.

- "My home before the war "-

We urgently appeal for your moral and financial assistance to cover the necessary costs for escaping to a safe environment, where we can build a better future for our children and ensure the safety of our family

Thank you for your attention and support, and we hope you can help us in these difficult circumstances.

Thanks 😊@nabulsi 🙏❤️

𝘒𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘢

Age: 14 (In current series)

Gender: Female

Pronouns: She/ Her

Sexuality: Bisexual

Name: Katalina Elena Martin Mendez

Language: Spanish, English (she can read other languages though like Arabic)

She is the teenager in the story of ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴄᴀʀʀʏ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴀʟʟ ʙʏ ʏᴏᴜʀꜱᴇʟꜰ.

She is 14 years old, she also has a switchblade (like Ellie) but she has other things like a photo of her family (or what they left her) and a locket that her P̶̗̦̏́̆̀̾̀r̸̩̳̎̓̒̊̔̇̐̚͠o̶̻̯̙̞͋̀́͋͌̽̔͛͝ť̴̘̘͍̳̬̙̣͇̋̿̑̃͠ḙ̶̺̋̾̉͝c̶̡̧̛̗̪̦͍̫̻̈́͛̒͗̚ẗ̶͓͋̄͜e̷͙͆̒͘̕r̷̨͕͙͎̈́̆͊̽̋̈́͛̐̚ gave to her.

She was taken in when she was bitten by Harrows crew and was locked up in a room for 3 weeks to see whether she would turn.

🄿🄻🄰🅈🄻🄸🅂🅃:

𝐌𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐌𝐢𝐭𝐬𝐤𝐢: 🌙

"𝙈𝙤𝙤𝙣, 𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙢𝙚 𝙞𝙛 𝙄 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙎𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙪𝙥 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪?

𝙎𝙤, 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙄 𝙙𝙞𝙚, 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙝 𝙄 𝙢𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙙𝙤

𝘾𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙞𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪"

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐛𝐲 𝐌𝐢𝐭𝐬𝐤𝐢: ⭐️

"𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧

𝙄𝙩'𝙨 𝙜𝙤𝙣𝙚, 𝙬𝙚 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙞𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜

'𝘾𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙞𝙩'𝙨 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙛𝙖𝙧"

𝐋𝐚𝐜𝐲 𝐛𝐲 𝐎𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐚 𝐑𝐨𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐨: 🎀

"𝐈 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐧

𝐃𝐚𝐳𝐳𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐭, 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞

𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐥, 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧'𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭?"

𝐒𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐡 𝐛𝐲 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐱 𝐆: 🥾

"𝐒𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐡 𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐬

𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝....

𝐈'𝐥𝐥 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡

𝐈 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞"

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐛𝐲 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐫'𝐬 𝐃𝐞𝐧 𝐃𝐞𝐧: 🤍

"𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐝, 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝

𝐖𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐝....

𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐟𝐚𝐮𝐥𝐭."

𝐂𝐚𝐧'𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐦𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐛𝐲 𝐎𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐚 𝐑𝐨𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐨: 🦢

"𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐡 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐫𝐲

𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞...

𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧'𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐦𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐰"

𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐚 𝐛𝐲 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐒𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞𝐬: 🦋

"𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐚, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭

𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞

𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐚 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐨

𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐮𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬"

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐲 𝐓𝐚𝐲𝐥𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐰𝐢𝐟𝐭: 🏹

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞, 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐦𝐨𝐤𝐞

𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞....

𝐈'𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫

𝐈'𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐲"

𝐀𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭'𝐬 𝐋𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐲𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐇𝐨𝐳𝐢𝐞𝐫: 🔥

"𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝, 𝐈'𝐝 𝐬𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐞...

𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞

𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡"

𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐜𝐲: 🌘

𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐬 '𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞

𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐭, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐢𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠

𝐌𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐝, 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐧𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠"

𝐖𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬 𝐈𝐬𝐚𝐚𝐤: 🪓

"𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐨 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐬𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮...

𝐈 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭

𝐈'𝐝 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮"

𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐛𝐲 𝐁𝐨𝐲𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐮𝐬: 🪽

"𝐀𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥, 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐚 𝐠𝐨𝐝

𝐀𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥, 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐚 𝐠𝐨𝐝

𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐈 𝐚𝐦"

𝐕𝐨𝐢𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐌𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐳:

" 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧' 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐠𝐮𝐧, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐝

𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬,

𝐈 𝐣𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐊𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧' 𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐲,

𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐝,

𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐓𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬"

Her aesthetic:

Hobbies/facts:

- likes to collect things like small souvenirs and photos she thinks look nice.

- Find a notebook later and write down anything she learns or thinks is interesting to her

- Sometimes she says random facts she finds out or learned about just to see what the guys reaction are to each of them.

- She likes little bugs and insects and sometimes names them if she can. It's mostly in her head that she names them.

-She also hasn't learned how to swim, that, that might be important later.

- She is actually pretty strong and has muscle growing. It's just underneath all her clothes as of now.

- If she gets bored, she'll start to braid her hair to keep her entertained until she is called or something else gets her attention.

Drawing on her:

The one with a name on the corner was a commission I asked from someone on Instagram. She did an incredible job with what I was able to imagine for her in general.

It's the best piece of work I have ever laid my eyes one, ever.

The other one is my take on Katalina just differently and definitely something I actually really like and took way too much time to actually do.

(Credit to KQEEWI on Instagram who did this commission for me. Please send her some love over there because her artwork is a masterpiece already!!)

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The absolute joy a citizen in Northern Gaza felt after he managed to secure a bag of flour..

it's absolutely heartbreaking to see that their biggest dream is to get a bag of flour when any of us could walk into a store, buy one, & feel nothing about it..

These two kids are Hamza (the oldest) and Qusai (the youngest).

Their mother shares this video and bids them goodbye. They were both killed by Israeli bombardment 5 days ago. She says:

[Two days before Hamza and Qusai were killed, hamza asked me: "mom, when we die, where will I go?" And I told him: "you will be a bird in heaven, my love." He said: "and Qusai?" "Just like you inshallah."

And indeed, two days later, he left and took his brother with him. It's like he was preparing me for saying goodbye to both of them. Heaven is more beautiful than any place on this Earth, habibi. We will meet and be reunited one day, me, your dad and you two].

Our kids don't deserve to die already thinking about what will happen to them, they don't deserve to die already terrified, anticipating their death because the world failed them and decided their lives mean nothing. We are not numbers. Remember their names and their stories.

Trapped Family in Gaza Appeals for Help to Survive🥹🍉

Hello, I am Asmaa - a young soul with a heart full of flexibility and a spirit that does not back down in the face of challenges.🙏🙏🇵🇸🇵🇸🍉🍉

Suffering in obtaining food and how to prepare food in light of the lack of the most basic necessities of life🙏🙏😭😭🇵🇸🇵🇸🍉🍉

The suffering of displacement and living in tents after the destruction of the house, my father losing his job, and the difficulty of life in tents, as if living in a heat oven.😭😭🙏🙏🍉🍉

Destroying all features of life in Gaza and destroying the university is a loss of passion in achieving my dream😭😭🙏🙏🍉🍉🇵🇸🇵🇸

I ask you to help donate, spread the campaign link, and support the page in order to identify life’s difficulties and provide the simplest things of daily life, such as eating and drinking

@sayruq @el-shab-hussein @90-ghost @nabulsi

@sar-soor @appsa @northgazaupdates2 @aria-ashryver @timetravellingkitty @briarhips

@dirhwangdaseul @mahoushojoe @schoolhater @pcktknife @transmutationisms @khanger

@commissions4aid-international @kibumkim @wellwaterhysteria @deepspaceboytoy @neechees @kyri45 @mangocheesecakes @marnota @7biases @tortiefrancis @fromjannah

@criptochecca @omegaversereloaded @ot3

@vague-humanoid @lacecap @yugiohz @nibeul

Chapter 6.5: A friend and Work

After checking to see there was no one around to give the others a hard time he gives them a hand signal to the guys below and on roofs that he's in and to start up the plan. They give their own signals to show that they are ready.

He gets to around more closely as bags and crates filled the room up, all either with labels or random stuff on top of them. The smell of gunpowder and rotting wood filling his nose, walking around the room for a second before grabbing the door handle and checking his surrounding area, it was empty of people.

There are two floors to this place, he needed to hit one room on the top floor and another on the first floor. Both with specific thing the client wanted, a person and a file of a buyer.

One would think that would be impossible, taking a whole person without being detected by a guarded building.

However, there was one thing these three always made sure for whatever job they take, give it everything they had into it and make sure not to fuck up anything to a point of no return.

He sees that the distraction is in motion as he moves, the men below being called for a "disturbance" outside. He moves past room after room before making it to the first room he needed to be in, the door locked he grabs a hair clip he keeps as the knob shakes with each twist and turn the clip makes.

A sound of a click tells him its open as he turns the knob and sneaks inside the room. The area he enters is piled with paper upon paper, files with names and dates of each transaction happening between this group and a whole trading railroad of others.

He gets to work as he surfs through the names and dates, digging through each paper for a certain initial given to him during the briefing before this. Moving past a desk and onto a crate with word of "أسلحة".

After finding nothing he stares at the other containers with scraps of useless or important papers they might not even need. He hears the commotion outside is starting to get ramped up as the sound of gunfire and shouts make their way into his ears.

He remembers during the meeting leading up to this heist that the client had said something about a box with a latch or something metal keeping where that file they wanted was in.

He made his way through the crates as he scans each of them for that specific important detail.

"I'll do it." Jake says as Marc eyes rolled back and is in control, it only take him a second but eventually he finds the box with the latch on it. It seemed to have a unique detail on it as there was a red line on the side of it, it just seemed to be more important than the rest.

The latched creaked open as he opens to see whether the contents they need are intact there, there are casing bundles of hay inside, he digs through it. A hard surface meets his glove as he pulls out a plastic suitcase like box that would be used to transport weapons, in this case, however, held files.

Hundreds of them even.

'Why would they hide files here?' The thought followed with creased eyebrows and a confused expression.

He pulls them out and scans them for that initial, something however catches his eye. The initials of something with "AH" with a small marking of the same tattoo that the Timsaeh people had. His left eyebrow lifted at this, it was too much of a coincidence for this to be here.

And in this case nonetheless. Who cared if curiosity killed the cat, a cat had nine lives. He opens the vanilla folder as he checks the contents on why the Timsaeh were even anywhere near this group of people.

From what he could see, there were a small transaction here and there. Weaponry, medical kits, and other materials that were essential for what seemed like survival. It seemed like normal illegal trading from one group to another.

Still, Jake felt something was off. He didn't trust the Timsaeh, never has and never will. He however was on a time crunch and the guys below could only keep the guards, (if you could call them that) occupied for so long. He needed to finish this job, so he instead steals the paper.

He folds the paper and stuffs it into their pocket before moving onto the next files.

He reachs again pulling out another file from inside the crate. They said the file should be here, there was only 5 more files to go through before the sound of footsteps made him stop.

Not wnating to risk it, he puts the files on the desk before making his way behind the door. His hand going towards his pistol ready to pull out in case he is caught.

The steps quicken as he hears the noise behind the wall. The voices sounding confused and frustrated, "هذه الوظيفة هي ألم في المؤخرة." The muffled voice say as a hummed sound of agreement, echos of footsteps keep him there until he knows they are far enough not to hear him. He waits a couple more seconds before leaving the hiding place and going back to the crate.

It was the second to last file where he finally found the file they wanted, the initial of "AM" Show up as he places the file in his jacket, a pocket big enough to hold the file. Putting the other paperwork back and closing up the crate to how it was, he walked towards the door and checked for any guards around, finding them to be in their own world.

He takes the opportunity and leaves to towards another room to hide before closing the door behind him. He makes it towards a window before signaling he grabs the file. One gives him a thumbs up before Jake goes and gets ready to retrieve the next thing on his list of demands.

"Hey, wanna play?" A whispered voice comes out as Katalina puts the comic down after reading it for the 5th time now.

'Okay, maybe she enjoyed the comic than she thought she would.'

It was one of Gena kids.

'Ray was his name, right?'

"Aren't you working?" She asked the boy as he opens the door a little bit more. "No, every week we get a day off." The information getting her attention, maybe they made a good amount to not have to work every day, that's good.

She had heard stories of the before times, people working everyday to meet the bills for their everyday expenses, it never made sense to her.

"So, you wanna play or no?"

She looks down at the comics and then back at the boy. She could read the same story again — but than she would get bored of it and she rather not.

Plus, she was getting bored of being stuck in the room. It's not that she wasn't greatful, but its like being a plant and plants needs sunlight. She had finished her chores for Gena that she had been assigned to her in the morning anyways.

Finally deciding she nods showing a grin on her face as she gets off the bed and puts her shoes on. Fixing the ties into bunny ears and then double knotting it to be sure.

She reaches for her backpack as she started to put her hand through one of the straps before his voice intrupted.

"Don't need it, we aren't going far." He reassures her. A little stunned at first but slowly nods as she puts the backpack back, it sat against the wall before he waits for her in the hallway.

The hallway was open and bright, walking down the hallway she smells the sweet smell of tea, it makes her smile slightly as she sees Gena siting down with her other son Ricky.

"Where you two going?" Gena ask as the two kids looked at her. Katalina looks over at Ray who looks at her than back at hisat his mom.

"Just downstairs, we'll stay in the box area. Promise mom."

The women looks at the two, before sighing and giving in.

"Be careful. If you hear any gunfire, you run right back here. Understood?" She reminds her son, and now this girl temporarily put into her care by someone who trusts her to keep this kid safe until he comes back.

The two kids nods as the boy runs towards the door, the girl surprised suddenly runs after the boy and both leave together from the apartment. He runs down the steps as others are walking or talking with each other as they see the kids fly pass then.

"Last one down is a rotten egg!" Ray yells and Katalina takes the challenge as she mentally tells her legs to run faster, soon the two are head to head as they make it down the stairs way.

It's was a close one, but Ray ended up winning as their lungs fought a breath of air to cool them down. Chest hurting but high on adrenaline to really feel it in their lungs as they rested up from what seemed like a marathon to them.

"You went first, that's why you won."

"No, your just slow."

The two kids looked at each before laughing, they sit down at the steps of the entrance to the apartment complex as people came and went. The sun beat down on them, sweaty kids on whatever day it was now.

"Do you wanna play uno again?" Ray asked as Katalina smiled.

"Do you even have to ask." As a shit eating grin appeared on the girls face.

He pulls the card box out and lays it down giving her seven cards and pull seven cards for himself as the two went ahead and played the game.

They played for two hours.

"I'm just gonna beat you again dude, just call it quits, and maybe I'll give you mercy." Katalina mocks as she places down another blue card down.

"No way! I'm gonna beat you, just watch." Ray retorts with as a plastered smirk was on his face as he places down a red card, Katalina was out of red cards.

"Oh come on!" She whines in defeat as she grabs cards from the pile to the left of her.

"I told you I would get you back." He snickered as he watches the girl go from only three cards to eight.

The sound of shot being fired catches their attention. Their smiles dwindle as they stop moving, waiting to make sure they heard correctly. Again, the sound of bullets flying triggers the flight or fight reflex.

They grab whatever they can of the game as they run back inside the building, it seemed like the whole place had somehow gone to war as see people below are running like ants. They keep running as fast as they can back to the apartment.

There already was Gena with the door open.

"Inside, now!" She yells as the two kids rush inside as she slams the door shut behind her. The two drop the cards on the ground as they see both Gena and Ricky moving thing to open places.

Katalina rushes with Gena to cover the door with a cabinet while the boys plug up the window with whatever they could find large enough to, the sound turns from bullets to explosion too quickly as the ground below starts to rumble with each one that went off.

The ground shook as Gena pushes all the kids into another room, it was the one where she had been placed temporarily until the guys came back. Gena pushed the children to a corner as she pulled the wooden panel from below off showing some weapons and money that laid inside the little compartment.

Katalina whinces before covering her ears to not hear the sound of screams and combustion that was happening outside. Gena grabbed her shoulders and pushed her to sit down on ground next to her children who seemed to be holding each for the time being.

The ceiling shook as three kids huddled together for some type of comfort while Gena loads the shotgun with bullets. She points at the door ready to kill whoever comes through the door, her hands seem to be shaking slightly but her eyes were steady and observent.

The fighting continued for what seemed like an eternity before it started to simmer outside, the tense air filled up as the smell of smoke and metal circulated the oxygen they inhaled.

Soon the sound of things moving made them tense as all four people inside the small room seem to have all sense at a all high ready for whatever came. The adrenaline hitting hard for their instinct to kick in whenever.

It was silent before a knock was heard.

"It's me, I promise." A muffled sound comes out as the kids looked at each other.

"Marc?" Gena asked.

"Yeah, it me. Open the door Gena."

He sounded drained, Gena falters before slowly taking off the chair and unlocking the door, the shotgun still point as the door creaked open.

He comes in, grime of ash and blood. Darken eyebags than before with his clothing seemingly ruined and holes littered it. His hands were up in the air to show he wasn't an enemy to them.

The gun is lowered to the ground as the women walked over to him, he lowers his hands as she lead him to one of the twin bed in the room. He groans as he sits down, his black curls were messed up and his body seemed beyond used.

"Ray, Ricky, please go and get me the med-kit. Kat, please go get a rag and a bowl of some warm water." She instructs the kids as they all slowly got up from the floor and off to do what they were asked of.

Living in the place was easy as they didn't have complicated layout, she finds the cabinet where the cups, bowls, and plates were stored. Grabbing a medium size bowl she turns the tap and feels the water for a couple minutes before deeming it warm enough to not burn.

Filling it half way she puts it down before grabbing a rag from another cabinet, pulling a red one as she goes back grabbing the bowl and bringing it back to the room where the other two had already brought the med-kit.

"Here." She tells the lady as she nods and grabs the bowl from her before taking the rag gently from her hand. Marc looks at her, the girl looked fine.

Steven had said to make sure the kid was okay when they came back after the whole battle outside, there had been many casualties but they had managed to get rid of the ones who had started it. She slowly lifts her hand to give a small wave.

Marc just stares at her. He seemed out of it for the most part, his eyes seeming almost empty for the most part. His expression of being stoic being apparent. Her eyebrows are pinched, she looked concern for him, she didn't have to be, it's not her problem.

After a while of staring at each other for a couple seconds before he lowered his head to the ground,he was just tired. They hadn't slept since the job, and it was catching up to them.

"Come on, let my mom help him." Ricky said as he gently grabbed her shoulders and pushed her to move as the three children left the room. Their footsteps with no rhythm as they walked down the corridor again for what seemed like the third time today.

A couple minutes later Gena come out, the sound of her coming gets the children attention as she looks at Katalina.

"He wants to talk with you." Her voice steady as the girl nods and gets up from the chair she had sat on. She felt her hands were sweaty, why was she nervous?

The way to the room seem to stretch forever, she felt like she hadn't even moved at all. Before she knew it she was right there, wiping her hands on the shirt she had on today and grabbing the knob as she turns it.

She sees him, he still sitting on the bed, his face and arms dressed in bandages. He looks up as the switch happened, his once straighten back slouched slightly as he looked at her.

"Steven?"

"Yeah. It's me kiddo, sorry we took so long."

She feels slight relief that it was Steven who had fronted this time, she doesn't know why.

"It's fine. You guys, okay?" She ask as she glances the wounds on his face, they look cleaned but definitely would need to time to heal.

He nods moves a little only to winced at the wounds but tries to hide it for the time being.

"Feel like I got hit by a truck, but I'll live." He says with the best reassuring smile he could muster, his body felt like it was on fire and constant pulsing from the bruises and cuts they had gotten from the past couple of days was killing him.

"So, what now?" That was the big question, she wasn't sure whether they were even in a good condition to even move at all, but it's was up to them nonetheless.

"Well, we managed to get a ride. A little close than what we would have had to walk to get there. It would still take us a week to make it to where our other friend will be." He explains as she listens to him, at least they had a ride. But he was injured, how the hell they would even make it that far was beyond him.

"Do you know when we have to get on this ride?" And he lays down on the bed. "It will be here in two days, give or take." He answers, that's not nearly enough time for them to heal up.

Whether he can takes it or not is the problem, it's the fact that he won't be able to fight as good as he could with all the injuries they have on themselves.

"I don’t know if that's a good idea, not to be rude man but you look like you got the ever lasting shit beaten out of you." She grimace, he definitely is not ready to go.

His jaw tightens as his head turns to look at her. "That's not your problem kid, this might be our only chance to even get anything like this in a while."

Her lips pursed at this.

"Alright." She responds with as she looks at the man, he looked like shit. But he didn't seem to bothered or either was trying his best to make it seem like it.

For the most part she couldn't tell if he was in pain or not, but he won't tell her that.

"We will leave in two days. Have everything you need packed by then." He instructs as he looks at the ceiling and puts his arm in his eyes.

Yay!!! Finally we are getting somewhere with them. I wanted to make this chapter a little longer than before and hopefully I succeeded with that.

Sorry for taking so long. A medical issue was happening, and I was needed, so this had to be postponed while I assisted with what was needed from me. Everything is no worries there👍

Another note to add on is that I don't speak nor write in Arabic, so if there is an error in how it is written—please let me know. It would really help with anything I could improve on in the future of this story!

Thank you for your patience and hope you have a good day, afternoon, and night.

Sky 💜

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