Existing (under editing)

Chapter 35*

It was silent when I woke. The bars I was leaning on dug into my spin and I had a kink in my neck. My Hip had relaxed back into its softer tenderness and I could now move my leg again, if only very slowly. I knew my eyes where blood shot because they burned and itched from the crying and the dust. My scalp throbbed where the man had grabbed my hair and every joint in my body ached from when they had dragged me. Slowly my eyes focused as I sat there. Trying to breath. In and out in and out.

No one else had joined me in this room and I had hoped that with that it's meant they would be safe but I could never be curtain as I sat here, unable to do anything. I let a sing tear slide down my cheek as I stared off into the darkness.

Then from outside. The sound of crashing started then yelling. Gunfire blew and I coward back into the cage and screamed unsure of what was going on; scared my captors had finally figured out what to do with me.

"Lucas!" I cried needing him here to save me so badly.

Outside, someone must have heard over the battle noises. The floor shook. Someone yelled. Then a huge explosion went off at the door. I screamed again as the stone broke away, crumbling in. The wall where they looked door had been crumbled in front of my eyes and someone ran in straight through the dusty mist left from the explosion. I held my head in my hands. Before I could even focus my eyes one of the figures yelled at me "Get down!" Ember. It was Ember's voice. I could faintly even see her strange glowing eyes through the dust as they darted all over the place; she aimed her gun and fired. The lock to the cage blew off, a spring hitting my knee.

"Alma." Someone yelled running over to me. Slamming open the door.

"Lucas? Lucas!" I cried he picked me up, dropping his own gun. Tears streamed down my checks as he hugged me, picking me up as I barely could hold me. We grabbed at each other like we didn't know if this was real. He pulled back suddenly. He had dirt all over his face, I pushed the blond curls out of his eyes, smiling and glad he was here. He cherished my check. Then in a rush we drew into each other. His lips crashed into mine, then continued to give me soft kisses. I wrapped my arms around his neck and his came around my waist, lifting me off the floor excitedly. All was right in the world. I was with him. My Lucas. A crash shook us on our feet and we broke away.

"We have to get out of here! Now!" Ember shouted and we followed after her. Lucas guided me in the battle with his hand around my waist so to keep the weight off my leg. We kept low turning into what looked like a control room. I saw Mitsugi and Conner running past with all the rest of the captives that had come with me.

"Ember! The controls for the walls!" Lucas pointed at the panel, buttons and screens everywhere. Ember unhooked her great claymore sword, swinging the heavy metal up. I cried and coward into Lucas as she came down swinging. The screens buzzed and an alarm barked. "Wall is down. Wall is down. Wall is down..."

Someone started to clap dramatically and slowly behind us, "well, haven't you grow up my little flames spark."

I saw ember tense up, her whole body as we all slowly turned around. It was the man from the picture, the one with the receding hairline, one that had been held with such furry and hatred.

"Bruce." Embers voice was shack but here stance didn't falter as she started to pull the sheaf of her large claymore that had been strapped to her back. "Where is your leader?"

Bruce laughed. "He was over taken months ago; by yours truly might I add.

Ember turned back to us. I could feel the rage in Lucas's body, coursing through his veins, no able to see the face of the man that had done so much unspeakable things to his sister. She didn't take her eyes off the man as she stokes toes. "Get everyone out of her, we have some unfinished business.

Lucas began to hesitate then looked down at me, barely able to hold myself up. "Ok."

Everyone was running. I managed to Holst Alma onto my back to carry her as we ran. Pepper and Hunter had already gotten out of there, scared from all the explosions. We became suck unknowing where to go. Lucas was panting from all the effort. Ember managing to make her way through the crowd but we got caught behind. She was bloodied and buried but her face smirked with sower revenge. We were trapped as some of the ceiling gave way and it was only us left in the tunnel but I doubted he could even make it over the mound of rock. Then a great howl erupted. Hunter burst through, dust erupting around him. I'd forgotten even though he was a pup he was so strong and he was still growing. Pepper was behind him but stood on top of the mound barking down. I gathered hunter up into a great hug as Lucas holstered me onto his back...

Alma, get on my back. Lucas too. Hurry this place is going to come down! Hunter woofed. I pulled Lucas to climb on then Hunter leaped up, letting us hoist Pepper in front of me.

I cried holding him close as the roof was shaking around us. "My friend. My dearest, dearest friend."

Alma. Pepper sneezed back.

Hunter was off with a bolt. His powerful body reverting with every movement. We say Ember at the Entry up and out of the large tunnel, they beckoned us up, everyone yelling and screaming as everything was coming down around us. We would make it. We would get out.

The man with the big nose was just right of the exit. He took aim with a gun laughing hysterically with lunacy, firing it before a piece of concrete came down on him. "Duck," I yelled.

Hunter leaped out of the hole just as the roof came down and crumbled, he turned so we could look back, backing up with the crowd, having to travel a fare distance before the floor was stable underneath s. we stood, watching the devastation. The whole middle of the city was crumbling in. The buildings falling in like a sink hole. Everyone watched, cheering and crying. I laughed in relief.

Alma? Pepper looked back up to me then went limp. Crumbling in my arms. I caught him. Lucas quickly helping me gets him to the floor.

"Pepper? What's wrong? Pepper!" I pulled my hand away to have it stained red with the blood that was seeping through a hole in Peppers fur. As he lay there a bullet wound was in his chest located right at his heart. The image on the big nose man firing the gun flashed in my mind. I pressed my hand to the wound trying to stop it with the pressure, my mind still not quite understanding the situation as it unfolded before my eyes. The warm and my hand began to shake as I screamed. "No! Pepper no! Pepper please, please! Please don't leave me. Not you too!"

He was breathing heavily. Up and down, up and down. His image started to blur and I quickly wiped them away, wanting to save these last images of him in full vision. His chest heaving some last words. I... will... never...truly... leave... you... Alma. Then he expelled his last breath of air. It came out almost wheezy eco of the many sneezes that burdened him for so many years.

"No!" I shook him, but not hard enough that it would disturb him. "No! Pepper! No!"

I cried and sobbed. Everyone around us watched. Some wept for him, some wept to see me in his state. Some looked away. Others frowned or looked angry. There are some who had no idea what was going on. And I couldn't blame them. I could barely understand this myself. Watching the light truly escape from someone's eyes. Lucas pulled me off him and I had first resisted wanting to clutch to the dogs greying ti-coat, but eventually succumbed, taking it out on Lucas, yelling and beating his chest. Hitting out in anger. He just held me tightly. Tears streaming silently down his dirt face. I sobbed and wailed. Eventually I collapsed to the ground with exhaustion, reaching my hand out to his lifeless body.

"Pepper! You can't leave me!"