Sky Corruption (Past Tense)

Chapter Twenty-Four

Minutes had passed as Jay explained what had happened over the past four years to Ezra, Jay had old newspapers from Tyrese's research box out for proof of what happened beforehand. He had explained how Ezra had stumbled across China in nothing but a pair boxers. How she defended him without a second thought against Faith and the anyone else who dared to question his innocence. How Ezra had been spending his days in the bunker with the others.

Once the truth had came out, Ezra found himself sitting on the steel floor, eyes widened in shock. "So that's what happened..."

"This can't be real...why...how..." Ezra's denial soon followed after. His fingers found themselves wrapped in his hair, tears had budded at the corners of his eyes.

This wasn't an act, this kid didn't fake his amnesia. Jay thought to himself. Jay didn't say anything, Ezra's statement was rhetorical after all. Jay knelt down to face him.

"You're welcome to stay here...with us." Jay stated, his memories started to flood back to the times he had found Winter, North, and China. How different they were at those darkest moments compared to how they were now.

Faith, who had been leaning against the wall in the back of the room, suddenly started trudging toward Jay. "Are you sure-"

Jay quickly rose to his feet and turned to face her. "He's not a threat, my words."

"You don't know that for sure." Faith tersley answered, her expression turned even colder by the second.

"Maybe I don't. But I'm not going to throw him out...not yet anyway." Jay grumbled, Ezra started to rise to his feet as well. He cut his eyes back at the young and slender teenager, "I'm not just saying this on China's behalf, but my own."

"I need to go find my brother." Ezra firmly stated. Faith shot him a glare in response as Jay's breath hitched.

Jay forced the words to leave his mouth. "The chances are-"

"Slim. I know." Ezra cut him off once more, "But I'm not going to sit here and accept something that may not be true, my brother isn't like the majority anyway."

Jay closed his eyes, lowering his chin as he released a low chuckle. "Very well then kid, we'll help you look for him."

Faith gave Jay a long and hard stare. She turned on her heel and started her way toward the door, throwing her hand dismissively in the air, "I hope you know what you're doing Jay." She warned as she opens the door.

Jay nodded his head, not even taking the time to acknowledge what Faith was saying. He saw something in Ezra, and he's absolutely certain that Ezra isn't a threat.

As the door closes, Jay folded his arms across his chest, "If we're going to help you find your brother, I'll need to know where you live...and get you acquainted with a gun." He acknowledged.

Ezra shook his head in response. "I lived in the slums, and I know how to use a gun, just not for the reasons that you may think." He explained as he shifted his weight. "You still haven't answered my question..."

Jay raised his eyebrows, "And that question would be..."

"Where exactly are we?" Ezra asked.

"Manhattan, Faith and I had stumbled across this bunker while we were touring the junkyard, it made a good place to stay since we gave it our all to keep electricity running." Jay answered as he started to pace around the room.

"I think you should start by talking to North...it's important that when we go out, you and North would be on good terms." Jay added.

Ezra's face contorted into a deep frown, "...Shit."

"You're talking about that redhead that I snuffed earlier..." Ezra muttered as his hand moved to cover his eyes. "Nice going Ezra..." He mumbled to himself in a voice so low that only he could hear it.

Jay ignored his remark, "I'm trusting you to do the right thing, you don't want me catching you slipping."

With that warning out of the way, Jay started his way towards the door. "Nikki will be here to provide you with some clothes for today after you shower, from this point forward, it'll be up to you to handle your own laundry." He advised.

"And Ezra?" Jay's voice went back to his scruffy, no-nonsense tone.

Jay glanced over his shoulder, his eyes pierced into Ezra's as his expression turns cold, colder than Faith's. "China...nevermind."

Jay left the room without a word, the door slammed behind him as Ezra was left alone with many questions unanswered and many confusing memories of his past.

Left alone with the bitter truth gnawing it's way inside his head.

--

Faith's knuckles met along with wall, a sudden rush of a stinging pain erupted across her hand. Buds of sweat slowly emerged down her forehead. Her eyes closed, her breath hitched as she held her knuckles against the wall, feeling the aftermath of her punch.

Composure was a natural instinct of Faith's, someone needed to keep a level head, someone had to make the cutthroat decisions, someone had to be the leader. Jay has always been her right hand man, but when it came to North and the Ambrose girls, Jay all of a sudden had a change of heart, change of perspective and almost a change of identity.

She quickly retracted her hand from the wall, revealing a small dent marked in place of her fist. She grunted as she rubbed along her bruised knuckles soothingly. She had to punch something, it made her stronger, those words had been hammered into her head by her father ever since she turned thirteen.

He was extremely hard on her, since he was in the Navy, and it never had anything to do with Faith being half Asian. She hated the remarks and the jeers directed at her for being half Asaian-half American.

That Ezra character...he's hiding something, and I don't trust him. Faith continued pacing around her room, brainstorming and analyzing her thoughts.

She suddenly paused, her muscles along her back released tension as she continued to formulate some sort of plan.

"When you surround an army, leave an outlet free. Do not press a desperate foe too hard." Faith muttered the quote to herself, she drew in a deep breath. I know what to do now. She thought to herself.

It'll be risky, but I have to do it. Faith thought to herself.

I'll start the preparations today. And with those words out in the air, Faith sauntered her way out of the room, reaching towards her back pocket for her fresh new pack of Winstons'.