Stronger Together

Chapter 18: The Wall

Once we were out, Jorge opened his metal shield-type window.

"I'm impressed," he exclaimed as Thomas and Newt climbed to the backseats, "you guys almost lasted a whole day."

"You good?" Thomas asked the blonde as he patted his shoulder.

"Yep," he replied as he turned away.

I sorted myself out when I saw Brenda turning around and looking at Thomas, shaking her head slightly.

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to bring you guys into this."

"Hey, I think he's trying to say 'thanks for saving us'," Frypan intercepted.

Then, he sat with me. My power was glowing from one of my hand as I trickled my fingers.

"Hi," Frypan said.

"Hi."

"You have improved with your power," he stated. I made a three dimensional flame like symbol in dust of the power.

"Thanks to the training I have done" I responded with a giggle as I admired the symbol.

Frypan joined in while holding his machine gun.

"Yeah, unless they've figured out some way to keep the cranks out," Newt spoke.

He caught my attention as Jorge slammed on the brakes. The impact made me and Frypan lean slightly. I looked up from my power as soon I leaned back to see a wall surrounding a city.

Frypan walked to the other side of the truck's bed and stepped up onto the seat while the others got out. The red faint power disappeared into my hand as I got onto my feet.

"Funny," Newt exclaimed, "spent three years trapped behind walls, trying to break out. And now, we want to break back in."

"Yeah, it's hilarious," Frypan commented.

"Jorge, how do you get in?" I heard Thomas asked.

"Don't look at me, hermano. Those wall are new. I guess that is WICKED's answer for everything."

"We aren't going to figure it out from up here" Brenda said before heading to the truck, "let's go."

Everyone except Thomas and Newt did the same. The two boys had a small conversation. They climbed into their seats afterwards.

"Thomas, you good?" Jorge asked the brown haired boy, looking at him through the mirror.
Thomas shook his head slightly, seem to get out of zoning out.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm good," he answered before Jorge pressed the brakes pedal and made us take off again.

-✨-

Pushing through people, we walked in a crowded street. Jorge mentioned that my red jacket would stand out the most so I took it off. Better be safe than sorry. The man passed me on the way to Thomas.

"This place has already been through hell" he mentioned.

"We gotta to stay together" Thomas told him.

"We are the voice. Cut the voice switch. They hid behind their walls," a modified voice shouted as we turned to the source. People were getting out of the way for a vehicle with people on it, "They commend to keep the cure for theirselves while they watch the rest of us weather and rot. There are more of us than there are of them. I say we raise up, attack back, and win! Let's bring back a victory!"

The vehicle passed us a few moments later, when I pointed out a walk through path under a concrete structure. As soon as we got on the other side, we were greeted by an group of people who were protesting and the wall that protected the city.

"That's it. That's our way in," Thomas said.

Jorge went ahead with Thomas. Frypan, Brenda, Newt and I walked along with the crowd.

"What the hell are we getting into?" Frypan spoke.

The group departed from each other and I stayed with Newt. Not too long, he glanced back at the protesters. And when he faced the front again, he had a expression on his face that told me something is up.

"What's wrong" I asked him quietly.

"Something doesn't feel right," he whispered back.

Then, I saw a guy who had a mask on walked aside us. Newt looked at him, making eye contact with him The masked guy couldn't contain it but looked back up a second later. Newt turned back and took my wrist and pulled me along with him as he sped up.

We got to the front where Thomas and the rest were. We pushed through some people to get to them. Newt wrapped his arm around Thomas's shoulder, catching his attention.

"Hey guys, we got to go now! Look!" the blonde boy warned.

The group turned to the other direction to see another masked guy pushing through the protesters, to us.

I heard Jorge grabbing a gun out.

Then, a loud sound blurted from the wall. It caused us to look forward and the crowd to quiet down. A few moments, they started to scream and retreat back.

Shit, I thought once I noticed the guns on top of the wall was turned to our direction.

"Thomas, let's go!" I heard Frypan said.

"Thomas, we got to go," Jorge told Thomas as he grabbed his arm.

A gun went off. It created a explosion of dust and debris when it hit the ground.

Thomas's instincts kicked in and his body took over, he started running with us

"Go, go," he shouted as I heard a second explosion hit.

A third one happened after that.

Dust and debris were erupting everywhere as the group ran over railroad and under a concrete top where a pathway is. The concrete wall sheltered us as we passed through

Once we reached the end, I noticed a guy with a mask grabbed Newt. I was about to pull him off of him with my power when I was attacked by another one. It was so quick that I didn't even get to defend myself. Before I knew it, I was being forced into a van where two masked men held guns as the attacker sat.

I sighed as I felt the engine start.