Almost Angel

Prologue

Derek wasn't clapping and cheering like everyone else as he watched the Independence Day parade. He normally would have, but marching the entire length of the parade had been exhausting, especially because he had been marching backwards the whole way. None of the other band kids would know the pain of being a drum major...

Besides Brianna, the Junior drum major. She loved it just as much as he did, if not more.

He wished she didn't. That would've made things so much easier for him.

Thankfully, that mission was over. He hadn't recieved another one since Mamba had called him last school year.

Hallelujah.

"Hey, Derek!"

Derek looked over to the percussionist who had called his name. "Hey, Josh, what's up?"

"Have you seen Jason?" Josh asked. "He was hanging out with some of his friends, but now I can't find him."

Derek shook his head. "I haven't… I'll help you look. Where did you see him last?"

"Just by the road," Josh responded. "Some of the Hillview kids came over to him to say hi, and then they just started talking and walked off."

"Maybe they went further into the park so they wouldn't have to shout over the parade," Derek suggested, starting to walk away from the parade. "Let's look here first."

"Thanks," Josh said as they got further into the park. The sounds of the parade started to fade behind them.

"No prob-"

Derek was cut off as they heard a loud BANG. It sounded like a firework… or a gunshot…

Suddenly Derek saw Brianna, sprinting back towards the parade, terrified as she glanced behind her. He saw someone in a black hoodie running after her, a gun in his hand…

"What the?!" Josh exclaimed, terror coming to his eyes.

"COME ON!!" Derek suddenly shouted, grabbing Josh's arm and running towards Brianna. "We've gotta help her!!"

He didn't know exactly why he felt so desperate to save her. Maybe it was just that he knew she hadn't done anything wrong, she didn't deserve whatever that guy was gonna do to her.

They got there right as the guy had caught up with Brianna. He had grabbed her and pinned her to one of the trees, holding the gun to her head.

Derek tackled him to the ground, jerking the gun from the man's grasp. "RUN! GET OUT OF HERE!" he shouted to Brianna, throwing the gun behind him as he struggled to hold the man down.

"COME ON!!" Josh shouted, grabbing Brianna's arm and starting to sprint back towards the parade.

The guy threw Derek off of him, turning around and immediately punching him in the face. Derek stumbled backwards, not expecting the attack.

"Struther?!"

Derek looked up at the sound of the familiar voice. The guy he had been pinning down was Garrett.

He was on a mission…

I just sabotaged one of Mamba's missions…

Garrett just shook his head in disbelief, anger starting to fill his eyes. "You've made a serious mistake…"

Derek didn't respond. He just turned and sprinted back towards the parade, in the direction that Bri and Josh had gone in. His heart was pounding, his breath panicked, but it wasn't because he was running. I'm dead… Mamba's gonna have Scorpion kill me...