Stark Grey

Chapters

I am nobody.
The Sleeper
The Conqueror Worm
Gravity
Hostility
Losing side

I am nobody.

Stark Grey

I’m nobody, who are you?

Cold and still taking sheltered by a under pass as rain falls. I sit staring upward into the sky. Thunder rumbles across and it rains harder.

A figure sits next to me dark and small looking up along with me.

“Who are you?” I ask it , but only hear lightning cracking.

Blurred shadows travel against the decaying wall as the subway train runs by. The six thirty five D train my alarm on time pushing me out of slumber and into reality. I sit up and greet the morning.

“ @#$& you morning!” I shout at nothing hearing a metallic echo.

The windows bright and the floor rotting like milk in the sun. Life becomes unfriendly fast. Sink or swim in rapids constantly shifting and swirling getting you tired with every stroke, then the last breath leaves you in bubbles rising to the surface beyond you.

I get up from the cot bumpy and thin thinking that rocks would be a better substitute. I walk to my computer desk in the corner of the living room and glance over my Iphone seeing that it is only two thirds charged. The generator I have in the basement must have died. The morning greets me in the same manner as I did.

I head to the kitchen hearing the floor squeaks and moans all the way to the fridge. I pull the door and find no power. I take out the milk and pop the top then whiff. The morning then slaps me in the face as I pull my head back regretting the action. I quick try to breath out the stench, bit it stains.

“Well, no cereal.” I say to myself looking up on top of the fridge seeing one very large rat’s rear end sticking out of the only cereal box. It pokes its head out then starts staring at me. “I don’t suppose you don’t want some sour milk with that would you little guy?” The large rat hisses then disappears to the back of the fridge.

I look at the cereal and the spoiled milk: Better than nothing!

I serve myself in a dirty bowl and take a seat at my crooked table.

The only company I have at the time is a small pink plastic pony with matching synthetic hair and large eye staring at me intensely.

“You are making me very nervous!” I say to the inanimate object then turn her to the opposite direction. “I think I had better company with the rat.”

I live in a house rotting to its foundation. The bottom was a practice hall for undergrad musicians and drama student from the local college. Now it just hold a old wall piano and a acoustic guitar with the paint chipping away.

After force feeding my self, I get dressed, put on my helmet for my construction job , grab the pony and my wallet then headed out the upstairs back door trying to catch the bus. Seeing the city cold and grey as the clouds covers the heavens and wind chills . Autumn passed and winter made it self know. Seeing my breath swim through the air makes me smile. It’s just a time I enjoy.

I walk down the stairs and see the apple tree still growing it’s fruit. It’ll stop soon, but until then; it’s my eating reserves. I pick some of the fallen apples, even the ones that has rolled to the little shed. I place them in a tin bucket and take them back up the stairs , back to the room and set them next to my bed. I head back out through the wooden fence with a combination lock. 23.9,32. I reset the lock on the other side and leave.

Half way to the bus stop I feel for my pocket noticing that it’s flat. I forgot my phone. I hate mornings .And the rest of the day!

The building reach out high as I waiting at the bus stop (patiently I may add) along with crowd. In the middle of everyone, but still alone. They chat with each other with idle conversation about themselves trying to pass the time till the bus arrives. Others just pass by walking along the concrete. I close my eyes trying hard to block them out. If I had my Iphone I could just listen to music and easily ignore everyone, but I’m forced to make due.

Think about my dream, but only remembering fragment. Dreams never entirely make sense when you are awake.

“ Heeeeeyyy!” A familiar mousy voice, I turn around and see Mina wrapped in heavy winter clothes with little Ellen waving at me with one hand as Mina holds the other. Ellen giving me a wide smile and jumping with every step close. My smile almost dies as I see the wool cap knowing that there is no hair underneath.

I bend over. “Hey Ellen! My, you gotten bigger since the last I saw you,!”

“ It’s my birthday !” She says with a energetic enthusiasm.

“That explains it then! What are you now? Fifth-teen, twenty?”

“No silly! I’m five!”

“Yes and thank God for that!” Mina say.

“Five, Really? Me here thinking I would teach you how to drive.”

“You don’t have a car!” Ellen replies.

“And you’re barley old enough!. How old are you?” Mina adds.

“Seventeen on the outside, nine on the inside.” I reply. I look at Ellen. “Then we’ll ask the bus driver to teach you” She giggles.

“Oh, I got a surprise for you!” I dig into my pocket and pull out the pony. She Gasps and jumps some more.

“It’s Pinky!” She shouted.

I hold my finger at her. “She is yours, IF you promise to take care of her, love her! What’s that Pinky?” I hold the toy to my ear and pretend to have a conversation. “And listen to your mother!” I take a glance at Mina mouthing “Thank you.”

“Do we have a deal?”

“I promise, I promise, I promise!” I hand over the pony and she embraces it tightly.

I stand back up look at Mina and ask. “What are you doing this early in the morning?”

“I’m taking Ellen here to her final round of KIMO therapy.” We look down at Ellen as she looks back at us in good spirits. It hurts to see some one so young in her condition.

“Hey look Mina, the bus is late I can run there faster than the bus can. Take my bus pass.”

“Are you sure? You’re not wearing warm clothing and you don’t have a lot of meat on you for that natural warmth for the walk.”

“I’ll be fine; the cold doesn’t bother me as thin as I am.” I turn back to Ellen. “Hold on to that pony. You don’t want it to fly off.”

“Pinky can’t fly!”

“You never know, I hear ponies can do a lot of things now a days.”

I hand my bus pass knowing that she would need it more than I would. She tells me to eat more often. I tell her If you thin I’m thin, you should see my wallet!

I take off my helmet holding it in one hand and run to the nearest alley and sprint. The freezing wind pushing against my face and flows into my lungs with every breath.

I always use free running as an escape. Nothing matter but following the rhythm and flow, listen for what your body wants to do. My job is just a couple of city blocks away so it’s not a big deal. I see a closed dumpster resting against a building with it’s top low. I listen to my body and jump on the dumpster, throw my helmet over and then reach the building top with my hands quickly pulling myself up then roll to catch my footing. I grab my helmet and then I’m back to running.

Several times I toss my helmet onto a small building top then jump with every muscle in my legs. I run. I run until I’m running on fumes and my veins pump battery acid.

I hit the end of the block then climb down a fire escape out of breath and muscle weak still attempting run. I now see the construction site; the skeleton of a skyscraper stands thirty-four stories tall. A friend of mine used to tell me the construction sites are just naked buildings.

I dip my toe into the past, and then suddenly the sky roars and rapidly darkens.

Please don’t rain! I need a good check.

I juke through people on the side walk and as soon I get a clearing I see the bus pass ahead of me with Mina and Ellen waving at me. I feel like a good hearted idiot as I wave back.

I run into the site seeing one of my supervisors Leo frowning like a bulldog.

“You goanna be late!” He shouts.

I quickly respond ‘No I’m not!” as I pass him.

I make it to the office trailer and punch in just before the whistle blows. I get my tools belt (even if I don’t need it) out of my locker put on my work gloves, safety glasses then straight to the gathering mess of co workers. The head of the construction managers stands at the center of attention looking overwhelmed.

“Okay, it’s about to rain and we need to get as much as we can done. You got that! A hundred and ten percent from all over you.

On a sour note, We are also receiving pay cuts.” Everybody groans as I digest the news forgetting to react. Nothing I can do about it. “Look every body is goanna feel it, I’m feeling it too! From my check and from you guys.”

One female employee shouts “What about us chicks!”

“Look, I’m already married , I get enough lip at home from one woman!” the crowd laughs , I just smile.

“Okay, stop standing around; we got to beat the rain!” The manager shoos us way breaking the assembly.

I see Leo and he points at me. “Grey! Twenty-fifth floor! Concrete mix. Get to it!” He spanks a clip board then aims it at the stuffed elevator. I give him thumbs up and start running to a beam and plant my foot on it and place my hand on the side griping the ridge. I start climbing up. I hear in the background faintly “ You goanna get me fired pendejo!” Which I’m thinking it mean “You goanna get me fired you stupid idiot!”

We get a half days work done before the rain falls and blurs the rest of the city. It’s beautiful, yet costly. We all start to head down. Some disappointed that we didn’t have full day, some relived, others cursing under their breath. I lightly kick a puddle of water watching it splash. Then I hear a stampede of boots headed to the side of the building. I follow, then every one else. A line of workers at the edge leaning on the wooden barrier looking down and the air drowned in mumbles.

“What’s going on?” I ask a group of them.

A female worker replied “One of ours fell off a receiving ramp as it was being loaded and landed on a beam carried by the crane.”

“Can’t the crane maneuver him on a floor or ground?” I ask.

“Power is out!” I rush to the edge see a man dangle on the side of the beam three floors down. ”He’s not going to hold on for long especially in the rain.” The female worker says then looks back at the man. “If his family sues the company we are goanna get an even bigger pay cut.”

I back off the edge and see the rappel rope that the welders use for the pipe dangling on the side of the building. The beam is not more than tweenty feet away from the building but three stories down. I think of something unbelievably stupid and head to the nearest rappel rope then Leo blocks me with his hands out.

“What do you think you are doing?” He asks

“Something very stupid.” I respond and continue to the beam.

I go over the side of the barrier and Leo behind me.

“Grey!” He says as I grab the rope.

“Don’t talk me out of it you’ll get me nervous.” I reply looking at him with my heals over the edge.

“No, here!” He holds out a rappel belt. “It’ll make it easier for you not to die, you’ll get me fired!”

I wrap it around my waist having trouble keeping my hands steady. Leo reaches in and quickly fastens the belt tight then clips the rope.

“You know what you are doing?” He asks

“The beam is less than twennty feet away, with a high jump I should be able to reach the beam, tie the rope to the cable and you guys pull us to the building” I answer.

“That’s the dumbest thing I heard!” He responds.

“It sounds better in my head.” A lot of things do right now.

“I can’t let you do this.” Leo protests.

“You’re not.” I reply and start to head a couple of floors up to get a better jump and my inner thought joins my plan. I’m so stupid, I’m so stupid, I’m so stupid!

I look down at the man holding on for dear life now five stories down and people stare at me as the rain hits me hard. My clothes soaked at every inch. I close my eyes take a deep breath trying close the world around me. I hear a phrase in my head in an most familiar and missed voice.

Sometimes a leap of faith is all you need to act, even if you can’t see the ground!

I bend my knees with my helmet touching the building then…I jump.

I turn around mid air, the wind howling against me I feel the quick drop as I hold my hand out for the cable. So close to the beam I grab the cable with both hands feeling the heavy tug of gravity on my muscles. The glove smoke as I slide down the cable till I feel the burn in my palms. I briefly let go and my feet hit the beam slipping on the water. I roll off the narrow path way, but my hand reacts faster than I could think grabbing for the edge of the beam.

I holding on with one hand I look for the man and see he is as well.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” He yells through the hiss of the rain. I’ve been asked that too many times already.

“FORGIVE ME! I JUST WANTED TO SAVE YOU!” I yell back

“NOW WE BOTH ARE STUCK UP HEAR!”

I pull my other hand grab the edge of the beam and shimmy my way to him.

“WHY ISN’T THE CRANE MOVING!?” He asks.

“POWER IS OUT!” He now has both his hands back on the edge

“JUST MY @#!%ING LUCK!” He says.

I swing one of my arms under the beam and grip the other edge then pick my legs up to nest them in the spaces. My hands let go slowly, shaking. I hang upside down on a bean hoisted over a hundred feet in the air.

“WHAT’S YOUR NAME?” I ask.

“MATT TOMASIE! LOOK MAN I CAN’T HOLD MUCH LONGER!”

I take off the rappel belt and wrap it around him tight!

“WE’LL BE OUT OF HEAR SOON, I WANT YOU TO HOLD ON TO THE ROPE AND YOU ARE GOANNA-“

Something snaps and the beam drops a bit and bounces. my legs looses their grip ,but my hand grabs the edge of the beam again. I look up at the cable and nothing but silver dollar rain drops and a hazy view of the crane. We hear metal moaning and look at each other both with wide scared eyes. The cable breaks and we fall.

I see Matt flailing his arm and the beam falling to the ground faster than we are. It happens slowly, or it seems to me that it is. The clip on the rappel belt breaks off. Matt doesn’t even notice, nor does he have time to. I fall with the rain as my chest tightens and everything blurs, then to black: I fall in to the stark as thunder roars and lightning explodes.

My body feels heavy as all I see are smudges black and grey with little light, and little gold. Golden eyes staring into mine then leaves and I fall back into darkness.

I dream of a family, a better life. I dream of smiles, warmth and comfort that come with. I dream of them: Still alive, with me. I want to stay in this memory.

I awoke in a paramedic stretcher rolling me into the vehicle. In there they ask me if I have any pain.

I respond in a weak voice, “Did Matt make it?” He bites his lip then shakes his head. I close my eyes again. This is reality, not a fantasy.

They take me to the Methodist hospital and quickly release me due to no injury but minor burns to my hands and no health insurance.

The rain paused and the clouds still linger over head. Outside the emergency parking lot is Leo. I wave at him with a bandaged hand. He tells me that he’ll give me a ride. I accepted. My home is far and I don’t fell like walking.

As he drives off he tells me “You are a lucky son of a bitch you know that! Lightning struck right next to you as you were falling over twenty stories high.” How could he call anything that happened luck. “ They found you on the fifth floor, far from the ledge and the barrier broken.”

I tell him I don’t remember anything between the fall and the paramedic.

“Construction is at a halt right now. There is going to be an investigation on the accident. Nobody knows who the guy that tried to save Tomasie.” Leo says. No know who I am because I don’t stand out. Not even in the fake paper work in the office that has my name and address.

“You can pull up right here.” I say. He pulls to the curb and I get out. “Thanks!”

“I’ll call you when the construction is back up” He yells out the window.

He drives off and I walk around the block to my rundown home. It decaying and withering beyond help and prayer. It used to hold whimsical melodies and poetic drama rehearsals, now it’s a dreadful shell of what it once was.

I go to the front door and see a note.

Your generator was out of gas. I refilled it. Be bye to see you later on. -Dunney

I twist the handle and the door was unlocked. He broke in. I can’t even smile for a kind gesture, or the felony. I close and lock the door and put a chair against the knob. I look at the empty practice hall dark and ghostly. Fond memories turned in to a scene from a horror movie. The shop windows painted black to block viewers pressing their noses against it. Parts of the paint chipped away. Light breaks through the black with bits of dust drifting in the air. I know there could be a metaphoric meaning for it, but I just don’t see it right now.

I head up the stair way, I can’t see, but I don’t mind the dark right now. I move through my room out of memory feeling the wall and hitting the cot with me shin. I drop in the cot then kick off my boots. At this moment the jutting spring are soft fluffed cotton. The physical pain is softer, but the emotional; It’ll probably hit me later.

Eye lids become heavy and my body feels detached. A sudden slam startles me. I sit up looking for where the noise came from. I see city light beaming through an open window. I quickly get up and search outside. Nothing but a quite neighborhood in the south side of Queens illuminated my orange septic street lights and shrouded in darkness. I close the window and walk back to my bed. I drop on the bed with my face buried in a beat up pillow.

The flash of Matt’s scared face enters my mind. His eyes scared and confused

still staring at me. The plunge, Gravity became our enemy yet, I’m still alive. How? Why? Why me? This too much to take. I sleep and hope this isn’t real. That I’ll wake up tomorrow and he’s there, working.

The dreams were not pleasant. Environments change with every turn, people with unfamiliar faces and some with none at all crowd around me as I panic. I turn around and I’m back at work watching the rain on an unfinished floor. I see the beam comes down as dose Matt and I follow. I run to the edge and lightning strike close to where I’m falling. I only see Matt descend with the beam. I’m gone from the scene. I look up and see nothing. I can’t see what hides in the darkness.

“I’m sorry.” A soft voice whispers and it plays over and over sounding sadder each time. Thunder roar and a cry is heard.

Lightning crack near as the house trembles. I sit up surprised forgetting where I am. I realize I’m home. I’m at the birth place of my invisible scars, hidden with a shaky bravado. I move to the edge of the bed with my hands coving my face. I lower them and take a deep breath.

Lightning flashes brightly illuminating the room. Including a small black figure with round eyes staring at me from the left corner of the room. I’m really hoping a dog snuck in here or that the rat got bigger.

I freeze while my jaw starts to quiver.

“H-hello?” I ask the darkness. I expected a bark and not.

“Hi!” It replies.

I bolt to the light switch forgetting that the generator is off, but trip on my boots hitting the floor hard instead. I crawl away; pass the light streaming through the window onto the floor.

“Wait! I didn’t mean to scare you!” A squeaky voice pops behind me. I turn on around. The dark figure lays before the lit floor shrouded by night.

“Who are you?” I ask.

“Nobody!” The small voice replies. I stare at the figure: studying it.

“Okay, what are you?”

“Is that multiple choice?”

“No! Now answer or I’ll find a blunt object.” I threaten the dark figure yet, it seems unfazed.

“There isn’t any around you.”

“Why are you here? Can you answer that?”

“Which question, the “why” or the “can”?” I see it’s head till to the side.

“ANSWER!” I cry out!

The figure lowers it’s head than sighs.

“I wanted to see how you were doing.” It answers in a stern tone.

“Why, I doubt that I know you?”

“You were unconscious when we met.”

“When?”

“Earlier today,”

“Okay, I’m looking for a bat!” I start to push myself up.

“There was two of you. You tried to save him which was valiant of you.” I froze at that moment staring onto the floor boards. “I didn’t have the ability to save the both of you. I had to choose.” Its voice cracks in the end. On my knees I turn to the figure.

“You chose the wrong person.” I stand up and it shouted at me.

“You think it was easy! I was too weak to save him!”

I see it. Black, stand firmly and short on its front legs with angry eyes both watery and golden. I didn’t get a chance to fully look at the rest of it as I ran down stairs right after I said “F@&$ this!”

I trip on the last couple of steps and tumble over them. I land on my ass dazed. I grab my head in pain.

“Are you okay?” The creature asks right behind me.

Scared, I dart into the practice hall attempting to get as much space from it as possible. I it gets any closer the floor boards would squeak. It’s logical! Keep rational thought!

“Why are you running?” Logic was a liar. A embarrassing slap to pride as the creature snuck it’s way right next to me and I scream.

“I didn’t know human were so fearful or is it just you?” I see the creature approach me through the dark. I back up only to find my back against a wall.

“Not a lot of humans encounter something like this every day.” I slide down the wall, abandoning all resistance.

“You don’t have to be afraid. I’m not going to hurt you. Now I’m going to turn on the lights and you are not going to run. Okay!”

“Okay, but the generator is.“ The light brightens the hall. Seeing the creature, I spontaneously scream again then quickly cover my mouth with both hands.

“Sorry!” I say though my hands meeting the creatures gaze. I lower my hands. “What are you?” I ask.

“A pony!” The creature head tills to the side smiling.

“Not like any pony I’ve seen: Or heard.”

“I got hooves!” The creature raises one front leg.

“Also, I have the forelock and the mane.” The creature bobs its head back flipping its golden blond hair.

“I got the muzzle” The creature moves its mouth and twitches its nose while its eyes cross looking that it.

“And horn and wings!” The creature proudly displays its wings stretching out then with a quick flap; I feel a gust of wind hit my face.

“Ponies don’t have wings!” I respond.

“Really!?” The creature’s faces quickly change to prideful to befuddle. “What kind of ponies do you have here?”

“The quite flightless kind.” I reply.

“That’s so weird. I never meet a pony that couldn’t talk!”

“Whatever you say.”

The creature moves it’s head closer to mine.

“See. You are not scared any more.”

“I have come to the sudden realization that. A: I died, or B: I am in a coma.”

“I don’t know what’s a coma, but you’re not dead!” The creature smiles with manufactured joy in its large round eyes.

“Or C: I have suffered a severe mental trauma that my mind chooses to cope with a very hyper active figment haunting my warped reality. Hence you, here, concerned!” The creature’s joy is now replaced by contempt.

“This isn’t a dream or coma (Whatever that is), you are not dead or imagining me!” The creature bites my hand and I grunt in pain. I pull my hand back looking at the teeth impressions through the bandaged.

“See! That hurt!” It says.

I rub my hand. “Pain can be manifested by the brain in order to keep the subject from the realization.” I respond.

“I have no idea what you just said.”

“I have an idea!” I get back on my feet and head to the front door. “Follow me.”

I remove the chair.

“What are you doing?” The creature asks as I open the door.

“Seeing if I am dead.” I look out side and find an elderly woman walking in the rain with a transparent umbrella across the street.

“Excuse me, madam!” I call out to her. She turns to me.

“Do see this thing here or is it just me!?” I gestured to the creature as it pokes its head out the door way. The elder woman drops her umbrella and scurries away down the street screaming.

I stare at the neighborhood. “Okay I’m not dead and she saw you.”

“One point to me!” The creatures walks back in the practice hall. I head back inside close the door and place the chair against the knob.

Yeah, you win that one…Unless.” The creature turns back to me.

“Unless what?” The creature asks

“Unless she was a figment of my imagination as well!” the creature narrows its eye at me.

I head back up stairs with my arms slumped.

“Where are you going!? The creature asks.

“Back to bed! If you are still here in the morning, you win!”

I drop flat on the floor next to the bed. I just lay there to tired to say “OW!”

I hear the creature’s hooves stepping against the floor boards until it is right next to me.

“Where do I sleep?” It asks.

“You can take the bed, I’m fine right here.”

Springs bounces as the creature finds a comfortable spot to rest.

“What’s you name?” I ask with my face pressed against the floor.

There is a awkward pause.

“Stark!” The creature answers.

“Stark? That is a bleak name.”

“What’s yours?”

“Grey!” I answer.

“Grey? That’s a bleak color.”

The six thirty-five D train screeches and howls as it passes by the house shaking the floor in waking trembles. I push myself up and wipe the drool off my cheek. A strong head ache pulses as I position myself, sitting besides the bed: empty. No sign of the creature- I mean Stark. Did Stark leave, or was Stark here at all?

I try to recollect last night, but still seemed to clear to question.

“Aaaaahhhhh!” A high pitch scream comes from the kitchen; I get up and quickly enter seeing Stark backed up to the wall with her head down frightened.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

“There’s a rat on the table! It hissed at me!” Stark cries, then hides behind me. I walk to the table and shoo the rat away. It jumps off the table and then goes behind the fridge again.

So that’s where you are hiding! Clever rodent!

I look at Stark hiding behind the door way.

“It’s gone” I said. Stark steps back into the kitchen slowly.

“ I was hungry so I went to check what you had , then the rat popped on the table! I’m sorry I woke you!” Stark looks down then back at me with puppy dog eyes and pouting lips.

“It’s okay,” I point the fridge with a thumb. “The fridge is empty and the only food I have are apples.” Starks sits straight up .

“Apples!” Stark smiles wide as if I said the magic word and forgot the about the rat.

“Yeah, there’s plenty in a bucket by my bed. Help your self!” The sentence ends and Stark runs to the bucket. I follow and see Stark dip in to the bucket and pops out with a apple in her mouth then jumps on the bed with wing flapping.. Wait, her mouth?

I walk up next to the bed figuring a way to ask, but there is not polite way.

“Sooooo, Stark! Feel free to get after me, but I have to ask. Are you a mare, or a stead?” Stark’s eye narrow looking annoyed then bites the apple held between her hooves, chews then swallows.

“I think I preferred you asking if I was real.”

“Sooo!?” I shrug my shoulders.

“I’m a girl! I would throw the apple at you head for being rude, but luckily for you it’s delicious!” She takes another bite still holding the narrow stare. I could make this moment less awkward by not talking, but it’s payday.

“ I got to go right now and pick up my check, I can trust here, right?” She looks down again.

“I have no where else to go.” Her tone filled with melancholy and burdens.

“I’m not asking you to leave. You can stay for now.” She looks up at me wide eyed.

“Can I have another apple?” I chuckle.

“You can have as many as you want.” She swiftly dips her head in to the bucket and pulls out another apple clinched in her mouth and rolls it on the bed. She smiles and continues eating.

I put on my shoes and step out the back down the stairs into the shed and scream my lungs out until my throat is raw. I still don’t understand what’s going on. Crazy or sanity intact the situation is obscure and complex. Do I take meds or…What is the alterative if she is real? Rational thinking has left me.

I get out the shed through the high wooden fence, set the lock then to the bus stop. I need my check right now. I need to feed Stark and myself. What dose she eat? She is not the usual pony with a herbivore diet. She seems to enjoy apples quite a bit, but that can’t be the only thing she eats.

I feel my pocket flat. I forgot my Iphone again! I could have used a café’s wi-fi and look up a horse’s diet. I’m to far go back and I didn’t charge it because the generator was off. I continue walking and mentally beat myself for being an idiot. Luckily, I currently have my wallet

I wait for the bus stop, this time alone. The city moves around me. Cars drive by , people walk as the sun slowly travels across the blue morning sky reflected by towering buildings. Leaves changes to warm colors and fall. The city moves around me, then passes. A brisk breeze nips at my skin, while I stand at a bus stop, going crazy over the thought that I am crazy.

“Hey, Grey!” Mina waves; walking across the street with thicker clothing and by herself.

“Hey, what are you doing here again?”

“Just here to give you, your bus pass back.” She hands me the pass.

“Where’s Ellen?” I ask.

“Roger is with her at home. The KIMO takes so much out of her but the doctors are optimistic that she’ll enter remission.” Her eyes become watery and I see her fight the tears. “I’m just so happy that she is getting better.” I fight my tears as well.

“That is the best news I’ve heard in a long while.” I tell her.

“Roger said, to tell you “thank you!” Thank you so much for everything you have done.” Her voice becomes compromised with emotion. She looks down and sniffs then back at me seeing the tears over powering her resolve while trying to smile.

“It’s no problem at all.” I tell her.

“No, Roger and I said that we would find a way to repay you for everything,”

“I’m not looking for reimbursement. I never was and don’t you try.” I tell her and she laughs.

“Thank you for giving my daughter a fighting chance and the pink pony you gave here, she has not let it go since you handed it over. She holds it so tightly as if it would fly away.” She says.

“Thank you for the bus pass, I needed it to pick up my check, so your timing was perfect.”

“I didn’t want you to be out of breath like you were yesterday.” I blush remembering that I was an idiot yesterday.

“Talking about your work, I heard that a man fell several stories during and accident and was killed at your work yesterday and that a other worker unnamed was sent to the hospital for also suffering a fall. Something about a rouge beam? Roger and I heard it over the news and we were immediately worried. I wanted to make sure you were okay.” My mind goes strait to Stark saying the same sentence.

“It was some crazy guy trying to do something stupid, but he’s fine. No severe physical injury.” I hide my wrapped up hands in my pockets. Better to tell a lie than how I survived.

“That’s still terrible to hear about the other worker though.” She says as my facade feels more like a knife twisting in an opened wound.

My bus arrives. The breaks squeak and the door opens.

“Here’s my ride. Thanks again for bringing back the pass.”

“You welcome, now have a nice day at work.”

“No work to day.” I say at the step of the bus. The doors shut and she waves.

The bus’s engine runs loud as I find a seat in the back. I am humbled by Mina’s gratitude, but feel that it is undeserved. I gave her a sum of money I came into after a death. I remember her crying over the results of a medical test. I was trying to distract Ellen from her mother’s tears as I played with her in a doctor’s office. Ellen didn’t know what was happening at the time. She was just happy to play.

I arrive at my work avoiding avoid eye contact and conversations. I’m just here to pick up my check. It’s not like everyone knows who I am. Four hundred employees working on a cramped schedule and I’m just a prop in the background. So, no need to act inconspicuous if you already are.

I enter the supervisors’ trailer with boots loudly stomping on hollow flooring. Leo raises his head from filling paper work; black bangs dangling in his view.

“Payday!” I break the ice uncomfortably.

“It’s right here.” He ruffles through a thick pile of envelops picking one out. He hands out the check. I grab it, but he still holds a grip to it.

“How are you doing?” He asks.

“I have been asked that to many times now.”

“Not by me.”

“I’m fine.” My chest tightens and I feel suddenly cold.

“You’re sure?”

“I won’t have come here if I wasn’t.”

“You know you are goanna have to talk about this to someone. It’s not healthy to keep it in.” He lets go of the envelope.

“I’ll find a shrink to tell me what I already know.”

“Which is?” He asks.

“Sorry, patient confidentiality.”

“You close tighter than a clam”

“See you later Leo.”

“Can I ask you something?” He asks to many question.

“Shoot!”

“Why is you name just Grey? No last name. Dunney brought you here and I hired you based on his word and I know nothing about you or how you know Dunney.”

I pause for a minute.

“Kids who are adopted get a last name.” I first honest thing I’ve said all day.

I left, no more questions, no more sympathy. Just silence with my check clinched my hand and a head filled with anger.

I cash the check in a grocery story store close to the house. I made a good amount. It’ll really help with the bills and expenses.

Oh crap, Stark! I grab a miscellaneous selection of veggies and fruits and pay. I fumble with the bags unlocking the gate and resetting it on the other side. Up the stairs I open the door out of breath. Stark still laying on the bed with the tin bucket over her head.

“Are you okay?” I ask her kneeling next to the cot. She looks at me depressed .

“Too many apples.” I take off the bucket and place it on the floor not seeing any evidence of the apples.

“Stark, did you eat the entire bucket?”

“Even the core, which I regret right now.” She sniffs.

I serve her a glass of water with a soda tablet dissolving at the bottom. I tell this would help. She holds the glass with both hooves then gulps it down. Her forelock tussled in front of her eye. She is adorable, no denying that.

“Did you finish you errand?” She hand, or hooves the empty glass.

“Yes I did.” I answer, taking the glass and the groceries into the kitchen. I hear her follow with light clops. Her version of tiptoeing I guess. I start to put the groceries in the powered off fridge.

“You not are calling me a figment anymore.” She says standing behind me.

“The lady saw you last night and my hand still has your bite mark.”

“I also thought you would ask me why am I here.”

“You wanted to see if I was okay. I am and thank you for your concern.”

“I meant in this world.” I turn to her.

“Are you disappointed?” I ask.

“Surprised, you first react strangely when you first see me and now you are accepting it a little to well.”

“I figured that you would eventually tell reason that you are here. We can’t ignore the elephant in the room for much longer.” She looks around the room then back to me.

“What elephant?” I chuck as she grows frustrated.

“It’s a figure of speech.” She looks puzzled, lost in metaphors. “I have to teach you a lot!”

I restart the generator in the basement and head buck, grab my charging Iphone. Starks jumps on the bed bouncing up and down. I go in to my Netflix account and pick some kid shows. I play “How to train your dragon” and rest it against the pillow. Stark looks at the phone tilting her head.

“What is this …Thing?”

“Well, right now your entertainment. It show you stories.”

“Like a book?”

“No, you see characters go through the adventure.”

“Like a play!”

“Exactly! Wait, you know what a play is?”

“Yes.” She says enthusiastically. She looks at the screen. “ We do have a society. Our worlds are connected between space, yet both greatly differ from each other, We do have some similarities. Mainly due to travelers, Or so I’m told.” She crawls closer to the phone with curiosity over her face.

“Amazing!”

“Wouldn’t you technically be one of said travelers?” I ask a question beyond myself.

“I never thought of it that way. I’m a traveler!” She happily rocks.

“How did you get here?” She looks up

“I’m not really sure how.” I hear her emotionless tone and the gears in my head start moving, how she answers me can speak clearer.

“I want to ask you a question.” Stark looks down at the cot at he faded patterns.

“Shoot!” I say.

“Can I stay with you?” She asks a question with weight. I don’t pause, I don’t even think.

“As long as you need.” She jumps up and wraps her front legs around my waist.

“Thank you!” She lets go and nestles back in front of the phone. I walk to the first floor mentally kicking myself for not saying the truth. She can’t be here. In all of the movies that the protagonist hides a creature unknown to the public, things go wrong: Fast!

Two hours pass and Stark becomes restless.

“Can I go outside?” She says nervously shifting in place.

“Can you be seen?”

“No, people would probably react with hostility, or with fear. Just like how you did when you first saw me.” I look away blushing. “Don’t worry! I great at hiding! No one is goanna see me and It’s just for a bit.”

I fight with it in my head, but she is not my prisoner. She came here for shelter, but why? And why me? I point my finger at her!

“A bit” I say opening the door and she rushes passed me. I try to quickly follow as she swiftly heads downs stairs. I become relived that no can see over the high wood fence.

The air braced me with a violent chill, but I press on. The sky still shadowed by gloomy clouds, yet she is not oppressed by the weather.

Stark runs around the apple tree with a skip, smiling as she looks around. Her wings flap and she glides across the yard.

“You feel better?” I ask.

She stops and sits.

“Not just yet!” Her wings spread and quickly disappears as a small plume of dirt assaults me knocking me over. I sit up and see Stark far up in the sky where she appears as a speck in a river. The sky roars then the sound of an explosion. She moves even faster soaring though the clouds beyond vision! She’s gone.

I sit outside where I fell for a while. I wasn’t keeping track of time nor did it seem to pass outside. I kept asking myself if she would come back. If she didn’t I would carry on my life forever in the background of the city. Living in a normal life.

But, if she dose come back? if she dose, I don’t know what would happen. I would have feel better knowing if she was. I don’t know why I do.

I block out yesterday. I feel it wale inside me. I cross my arms feeling the panic rush from within the depth. I rock back and forth as memory forces it’s way out through tears. I think of beyond yesterday, ghosts become solid and pain physical. I find it strange how happy thoughts can hurt more than the bad memories can.

Rain starts to fall again hitting against my skin felling like sandpaper rubbing harshly. The rain comforts me, as dose the cold. I hold out my hand cupped letting the rain pool. Drops slip through my fingers.

I hear a splash already knowing the cause.

“Why are you sitting outside, in the rain?” She asks. I smile and look at her.

“Waiting for you! While I did, I’d thought I’d take a shower. Kill two bird with one stone.” The rain masks my tears and I’m grateful for that.

“I need a bath!” She shouts through the rain. I gesture to the rain.

“I’ll get you a scrubber!”

“I’m serious!” I see her shiver.

I wipe the mud off my ass and walk her upstairs. In the house I grab a clean towel from the closet. Stark sneezes and sniffs as I dry her. Her hair and coat frizzy. She shake off the rest off the water spraying me. She apologizes.

“I’ll set up the bath. You can take care of everything yourself?” I ask.

“I’m big enough to bathe myself!” A question pops in my head as she stare at me angrily again.

“How old are you?” I ask. She looks away for a moment.

“Hmmm, twelve!”

“How old is that in you perspective?”

“I’m no longer a filly if that what your thinking?” She walks around me.

“I have no idea what that means.”

“I’m not a kid!” She gives another angry glare.

“So you are a teen?.” I say to her.

“I have no idea what that is.” She past the stairwell into the one room; I hear the shower bath turn on and wonder how she did that and the look she would give me if I asked. I hope there is still warm water.

The situation has become strange. I no longer have rationality, which I believe that has become overrated at this point.

The thought entered my mind that she must be hungry. I start to gather some ingredients for potato soup. It’s warm and a vegetarian meal which I assume she is.

I stir the soup as Stark enters the dim kitchen.

“Do you have a brush I can use?” I pour the soup into a bowl grab a spoon and set it on the slanted table.

“Yes I’ll get it.” I pass the stair well and enter the room: their room. I brush of the thought and head to the dresser where she would keep her knickknacks. I find a thick bristle brush trying to feel emotionless. All I feel is that I’m invading space. I turn and see the king size bed untouched for some time.

“Put it behind you!” I mutter to myself then walk out leaving a bit of me in there.

“I got the brus-“ I freeze in place stunned to see Stark sitting at the table with a spoon in her hoof eating the soup. ”How are you holding the spoon?” I ask.

“With my hoof.” She replies taking a bite of a large potato chunk.

“But you don’t have fingers?”

“ Short answer is magic. Great soup by the way! “

“Thanks, and I’m sorry for asking so many questions.” I tell her. I sever myself a bowl of soup and sit across from her as uncomfortable silence drowns the air. I takes a while till one of us breaks.

“Can I ask you a question?” Stark broke the awkward air.

“I’ve asked you so many, it’s only far that you ask some.”

“You have a lot of books in that room, I was wondering if I could read some.” She’s talking about Sarah’s little library of books stacked in a corner of the room over and under an end table.

“I’ll make you a pile that you can read.” Some are to mature for her. I’ll stick with the classics.

“I have one more. Why do you sleep in that awful bed when there is that big one that room.” She blindly struck a nerve.

“Not my room.” I look down at the table.

“Oh, there is another person living here?” She asks. I now long for the silence.

“No, just me, alone!” I push a potato around in the bowl wanting her to stop.

“May I be honest?” What now?

“Sure.” I embrace for the worst.

“Humans are weird.” I laugh and she looks stunned.

“That is some thing we can agree on.” She starts to looks half a sleep then she drops her spoon on the table. She shakes herself awake.

“Sleepy?”

“No, just a little tired. I was searching around for too long.” I raise from the set and her eyes become fully closed and her body limp. I pick her up in my arm feeling her breathing. I carry her into the room and lay her on the bed then covering her with the fluffy blanket. She buries her head in the pillow with a smile. She can sleep here for tonight.

I clean up in the kitchen pouring the soup into a container for later then placing it in the fridge.

I walk to the living room and pull out a soap box from a linen closet filled with ruffled clothes. I quickly change from my moist clothes in to a sweater and loose sweat pants. I knock aside the dirty work attire that I have worn through work , hospital and rain for the past two days.

I go into the bedroom and take out a few book from the stack and take them to the living room to see what I got. A poetry book, Dracula, Frankenstein, and H.G Well’s War of the Worlds. It seems like a nice pick. A bit on dark side though. I set them aside for her on my computer desk.

I fall into bed limp then cover myself with a thin cotton blanket with the cold piercing though. I close my heavy eyes and replay a phrase that Stark said. “I was searching for too long.” I sleep with the echo bouncing around in my skull.

I stare into a bleach mug of coffee.

“Fighting is not for violence, but in survival , to stride for peace.”

“So, I punch out a guy in the name of peace?”

“Fighting doesn’t always involve fists.”

Where am I?

“What about kicking?”

“Learning martial arts is more about being passive.”

“And you teach how to fight to not to.”

“Your aggression betrays you. The best weapon is the one you’ll never have to use.”

Miles sips his coffee. His hair slick with a shine; Denim jacket ruffed and faded ,polo shirt unbuttoned at the neck.

“Intimidation.” I reply.

“Yes, but if that doesn’t work you could always run away!”

“And if I’m backed into a corner?”

“Protect yourself. Just know why you are fighting. Just remember to react to your opponent’s action. Intercept his action with yours.”

“You are just trying to lose me with riddles”

The train passes screeching waking me with drool dribbling on my pillow. I fight waking up keeping eyes closed, but something feels…different. Something on my back curled up under the covers.

“Is that train goanna arrive at the same time every morning?” Stark asks.

” Only on weekdays. On weekends it passes at 7:50.”

“I’m too sleepy for it to be morning.” She comments.

“So, why are you on my back? Literally.” She slides between me and the wall with the blanket hooded over her head.

“I’m afraid of the dark and I didn’t want to be alone.” I get up from the bed, her eyes half shut l try to look up at me.

“I’ll make some breakfast ,any requests?

“Pancakes!”

“Easy enough.”

The smell of syrup ,strong coffee and melting butter sets a peasant aroma that has not been present in some time. I thank Aunt Jamima waiting in a cupboard for me and her easy just add water recopies.

I’m still amazed that she can hold the fork and butter knife without finger, then again, I’m amazed that a creature like her exists.

As I drink the bitter coffee, she is reading a book from the pile I made her while she eats then the light in the kitchen flickers out.

Stark places the utensils on the table. ”I’ll take care of that!” She shake her forelock uncovering her spiraled horn. It glows bright as small orbs of light fill the kitchen, floating through the air. The hair on my neck electrifies , then the orbs scatter at all directions. The light turns back on and my mouth is left opened. She continues eating the pancakes with a smile.

“That was nothing less of amazing!” I comment.

“Thank you!” I look around wondering of anything is going to explode.

“You are just chalk full of surprises.”

“It’s just basic magic.” She says it as if was normal. Maybe where she is from.

“Magic doesn’t really apply here, or it’s not supposed to. I don’t know anymore.” The “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth” saying never could have a more strange personification.

She tells me about her world. Equestria, which sounds like a metal band from Germany. It filled with an array of creature thought to be mythological, but exist in a world inside the one I live in, between space. She elaborates on the established monarchy and the kingdoms. A fairy tale could be told through this. I hold my skepticism, but recall that the third level theory of parallel universes. Universes reside in the same space and time never seeing one another. Each one having their own set of physics, yet she basically bent this world’s laws.

I don’t stop her talking. I become entranced with every word that I forget that my coffee is getting cold.

“Do you understand anything of what I’m saying?” She asks.

“Connected world, magic is real, and I’m freaking out because it makes sense, through a scientific perspective, or science fiction perspective.” I like to think the massive collection of comic books for both expanding my mind and rotting it, but how much of Doctor Who theories hit the nail on the head and how much is a hit and miss. Quantum mechanics and particle physics are not in my view of understanding at the moment. I should stop read junk science and continue on Albert Einstein. Then again, science may not matter to her if she can go beyond them.

“You are taking this a lot better than our first meet.” Stark leans back in her chair and smirks.

“If you were made up in my mind, you would have sudden absences and I wouldn’t need to feed you. I like to think my imagination is more lax.”

“Magic is not common here I take it.”

“No, just illusions. The false appearance of magic.” I grab my fork holding it horizontally with my hands on pressing on each end. I close my hand together and she bats an eye. I raise my hands showing that it is gone and no sleeves for it to hide.

“How did you do?” I point at her and she stares at my finger.

“There is more to magic than what you see. Look on the table.” She looks at the fork lying in the middle of the table.

“I thought you said there’s no magic?” She tilt her head with one ear bent.

“I dropped the fork on my lap and distracted you with my finger and placed the fork on the table?” I confess my trick.

“How did you know that I would look at you finger and not the table?” She asks.

“The eye is drawn by action. Notice how you always look at fly hovering around your head. Instinct forces you to look directly at it.” I pick up my fork and continue eating.

Our breakfest ends as my phone rings in the living room. I leave the kitchen and pick up the phone seeing that it is Leo. I hesitate for a moment think about if the construction site is up already. Press to answer.

“Hello?” I ask.

“Hey Grey, I got some investigators here wanting to know if you are okay to come in and answer some questions?”

“Oh, Leo…I don’t know right now.” I respond.

“Look man, if you don’t come in they want to meet you at your house. They are very persistent about seeing you.” He whispers with a concerning tone. They can’t come here for obvious reason.

“How did they find out it was me?” I ask.

“They contacted the hospital you were taken to first.” He replies and I feel anxiety creeping.

“I-I’ll come in, just give me an hour to speak with the cops.”

“That’s just it. They’re not cops or insurance investigators. They are from the company that is constructing the building for and they look intimidating. They already paid a fat settlement for Matthew Tomasie’s death to the family when they didn’t need to get involved.” Something ominous lingers over my shoulder.

“I’ll come in, don’t worry.” I hang up with a shaky hand.

I tell Stark that I need to go for a bit and that I leave her the phone. I quickly teach her how to answer it if needed then I put on a demine jacket and leave.

I sit in the bus think about me getting fired. Anxiety tightens my breathing. I wouldn’t be able to provide for Stark, and she would be forced to find a new place to stay that could accommodate her needs. Or would she stay? I feel comfort thinking that she would, but that wouldn’t be best for her. I remember her fighting to stay awake and she mutters “No, just a little tired. I was searching around for too long.”

A pin drops in my head loudly ringing. What was she searching for?

I get off at my stop and walk with tense nerves to the site. I enter the office trailer and am greeted by Leo looking as nervous as I am. I see three men in expensive black suites standing and giving me a very icy stare. Two of the men are incredibly muscular with broad shoulder standing with a hand cuffing their wrists. One with a crew cut and the other shaved, but both with an expression of aggression. I know what Leo meant by intimidating.

The third man approaches. “Hello, mister?”

“Grey!” I answer.

“I thought that was first name?”

“It’s just Grey.” He runs his fingers around his mouth and smirks sardonically.

“Shall we get this stared!” He gestures to the chair in front the desk. He turns to Leo. “We’ll inform you when we are done, You may leave.” His word polite , but his tone was demanding.

Leo pats me on the shoulder and whispers “Good luck!” He closes the door behind him. I know I need any luck at this point..

I take the seat as he takes the one behind the desk. He is leaner than the other two. He holds himself with confidence and his posture straight. His light brow hair receding, lime green eyes dull.

He takes out a pen and a leather note pad from his vest pocket.

“My name is Hugo Weaving, as you are probably wondering, my associates and I are from the Vision Guard Security.” The other men move behind me, neither of them not saying a word.

“You are here you question me and they are here for moral support.” I try to break tension but only making it stronger. Mr. Weaving smiles.

“My colleagues and I just want to get the facts straight. Do you know what Vision Guard does Mr. Grey?” I try to look unfazed forcing and stern face.

“I do not Mr. Weaving.”

“Vision Guard is a privatized security company, one of the largest in the United States.” Every word he says the more I grow unstable.

“And you took the time to speak with me, how considerate.”\

He leans forward with his hands cuffed together and elbow resting on the desk, the desk lamp brightly illuminating his face.

“We understand that the death of Mr. Tomasie is a tragic loss to you and the company along with his family. A string of unfortunate events that we wish that never had occurred.

We also understand that you tried to save his life, while endangering your own. A very valiant and noble deed you don’t see every day Mr. Grey.”

“Are you a lawyer Mr. Weaving?” He pauses.

“Yes I am! Why do you ask?”

“Just wondering why I’m not speaking to the police about the incident?”

“We like to avoid any unnecessary confrontation when the matter can be quickly aided and resolved through direct means.”

“So that is why you are here, to resolve the matter.” I respond.

“And to get some information on what happened that we hope you could provide.”

I tell him everything I did to save Matt Tomasie.

“I used an rappel rope to try to reach him by jumping off the building and onto the rouge beam. I stumbled off the beam and gripped the side; I shimmied to him where I tried to secure him in the rappel rope.”

“You took off the rappel rope off of you and set it on Matt Tomasie? What was your plan to get yourself safe?” Mr. Weaving asked. He place his chin on top of closed hands.

“I wasn’t really concerned about myself, sir.”

“Continue Mr. Grey.”

“As I secured the rappel rope on Matt Tomasie, the cable holding the beam broke and then…we fell.” Mr. Weaving is expressionless, almost seems uninterested.

He opens his note book and starts writing.

“You where found around thirty feet away from the ledge with the barrier broken, as if something saved you.” He looks at me with eye brows raised.

“I wouldn’t know. I black out in the fall and woke up in an ambulance.”

“No recollection on how you survived?”

“No sir!” I lied, I remember seeing Starks round eyes through a foggy blur then she ran.

“You are a very brave and lucky young man Mr. Grey.”

“I don’t feel like I am.”

“That is a normal reaction. Thank you for your time Mr.Grey, We’ll let you know if we need to contact you. You are free to leave.”

I get up and the two large men move for me to pass. I get to the door and stop. I turn to Mr. Weaving.

“I have one question?” He gives a charming smile.

“Go right ahead.”

“What is the building going to be?” I ask and the two body builders look at Mr. Weaving.

“It’s going to be Research and Development for Vision Guard.”

“Must be nice to be a stock holder for a large company expanding.”

“Shares raised twenty points after the construction of the building was announced.”

“You have a nice day Mr. Weaving.:

“Likewise, Mr. Grey.”

I gestured at the other two men still silent.

“And you two were very engaging.” They look at each other then at me with no emotion.

I leave with the urge to vomit and the energy to walk out of here fast. I don’t see Leo as I exit , I just hurry up the sidewalk.

The deafening symphony of running vehicles and honking suffocate any attempt to calm my nerves. Mr. Weaving seem was more interested on how I survived. Think! What was he trying to do? Those two big guys are more physical then mental; a business would be more about appearance. Lawyers are more slick and intelligent ( At least the good ones are) and they utilize those traits to win a case or get ahead.

Those guys were muscle, but why? Was it a scare tactic? No, cool your head, you are over thinking it.

I pass a parked black van with tinted window and it starts up. I try to reassure myself that it is just a coincidence. I keep an eye on it through the reflections on the shop windows. It follows me to the end of the block , so I take a right turn. It still follows but keep it’s distance. This is no longer a coincidence.

I made a mistake. The street I entered is empty. Hardly any cars parked and no people walking. Just people in stores and apartments buildings, not a lot of witnesses to see.

I decide to run to the nearest alley thinking that I could loose them if I scale a pipe to a building top. I hear tires screech behind me giving me the motivation sprint. Why did I have to be right about the van?

I look back and see the jet black van gaining on me. I try to push harder, but the van is now besides me. The slide door opens and I’m pulled in. I feel and arm around my neck cutting the airway as I am lying down on the floor of the van. The unseen man tries to use his foot to close the van door but I use mine to keep it open.

I try to pull off the arm choking me but the grip is too strong. The driver is yelling for the unseen man to knock me out. I raise an arm then elbow the unseen man feeling him flinch. He looses his grip , I use the other arm to elbow his face. I pull away and roll out the moving van.

I tuck and roll feeling the asphalt scrape my skin until I come to a stop lying on my stomach in the middle of the alley. My arms bruised from the impact. Tires wail as I push myself up. The van braked and the unseen man jump out running at me wearing a black body suit covering from head to toe with a pair goggles over his eyes.

I take a stance readying myself for his first strike. He comes at me at a amazing speed then effortlessly jumps over me with a flip. I try to turn but stopped by the blows to my kidneys. I stumble forward and turn back

He throws a jab but I block and he quickly hits my ribs hard with the other fist. A hollow hit with a rib cracking then another hit to my face knock me down. On my hands and knees I kick his shin bring him down on one knee then I raise a leg and come down with my shin to the back of his head. He shakes it off quickly and lunges at me. I roll forward and see the driver running towards me, So I run towards him. I punch him in the stomach and turn around to hit him with an elbow to his temple. He goes limp and crashes to the ground.

The man in the suit grabs me by the jacket tosses me over his head. I land on my back several feet from him. My body aching and struggling to move, I try get up slowly as the man in the black suit strolls to me.

Everything seems to slow down. My heart beat becomes loud but calm, breathing is shallow and all other sound becomes muffled.

The man picks me up by the collar of my jacket and starts to drag me to the van.

I taste blood on my lips, and I feel swelling on my face. My limbs are paralyzed by pain, but that doesn’t matter. I think about Stark, her smile, her laugh. I hear her voice in my head.

“I have nowhere else to go.”

Pain doesn’t matter anymore.

I plant my feet and hit the man in the suit in the stomach, he lets me go. I come at him with quick punches, but he easily blocks them backing up to a wall. I grab his forearm and twist it but he rotates and hits me with an elbow. I lose grip of his arm and we stare at each other ready for anything.

The man’s head is slammed on the brick wall, he drops to the ground motionless. Dunney stands behind him looking at me with disappointment over his face.

“What did Miles and I teach you? Use your environment against your opponent. I have to admit that this is the worst I have ever seen you fight.” I wasn’t ready for this.

“Did you just watch me getting my ass kicked or did you wait for a dramatic entrance?” I shout at him felling frustrated.

“Look we could take the van over there and get out of here or we could kill time arguing till Snake Eyes here wakes up” I spit out some blood.

“Okay, but with these guys there has to be a tracer on it.” I reply.

“What did you get yourself into? Leo called me that you were in some trouble, but this?”

Dunney finds the tracer under the van and throws it at the unconscious driver lying face down in the alley then he drives off.

Things are too quite for comfort. He scratches his blond beard and run a hand over his bald head. He is wear a beat up blue outdoor vest over a white muscle shirt and a pair of blue jean short pants showing his thin legs. He also speaks with a southern accent.

I break the silence. “Are you going to ask me something?”

“If you don’t like quite, you could turn on the radio.” He glances at the rear view mirror.

“You are too calm about this it’s eerie.”

“I figure if you’re goanna tell me, you’d tell eventually”

“Your southern wisdom I take it”

“If a horse wants to eat, it’ll eat. If a horse wants to talk, it’ll talk.” I feel like the universe is messing with me.

“I can already see that you are in over your head Grey” He looks at me then back to the road. “If you need anything, you know I would help.”

“Take me to home.”

Dunney parks three blocks away from my house and we walk the rest of the way. He follows me to make sure I’m not tailed. I open the gate and tell him that I’ll be fine, but he does not but it. He enters the back yard and everything comes close to crashing down.

“You still have the apple tree growing.”

“Yeah, alive and strong.”

He goes up the stairs and I follow. I unlock the door, but hold the door closed.

“Dunney, I can take it from here, I-I’ll be fine.” I try to convince him.

“You think that I’m going to leave you alone after what just happened! That would be irresponsible of me.” He opens and enters the door and I wince waiting for it to hit the fan.

“What the hell!” He yells and I enter thinking I would see Stark and Dunney surprised. “This place is awful, you really let it go! I feel like I’m going to get stabbed here.”

I look around and don’t see Stark anywhere. Is she hiding or did she leave? Now I’m thinking she apart of my imagination again.

He sits on the cot grabbing an apple off the ground. I go to the kitchen to find Stark but seeing it empty.

“Holy mother-!” I renter the living room seeing Stark with an apple in her mouth scowling at a frightened Dunney on the floor crawling backwards.

Stark places the apple on the cot and continues to hold her angry gaze.

“These are my apples!” She says.

Dunney gets up and hides behind me.

“What the hell is that?!” He asks pointing at Stark biting into the apple.

“Oh, so you see her too?”

“Yes! I see the talking dog with wings!” He shouts shaking with his eyes wide.

Stark approaches with her wings flapping looking more pissed.

“I’m not a dog! I’m a pony!”

“Not like any pony I’ve seen!” Dunney says backing away.

“Why do all human react the sa- Whoa! What happened to your face? Did you let a cow dance on it?” She flies up looking at my face closely.

“First let’s start with introduction! Stark, Dunney. Dunney, Stark!” She glances at Dunney and nods her head.

“Nice to meet you Dunney! Now what happen to you?” I smile at her.

“Where were you hiding?” I ask her.

“I was under the cot until.” She flies around me and stares down Dunney face to face. “I saw this guy about to eat one of my apples!” Dunney backs away from her with hands up.

“I don’t want no trouble.” He tells her.

Stark turns back to me with sincerity showing in her round eyes.

“Now what happened to you?”

“It’s a long story.” I tell her. She lands back on the floor giving a stern leer.

“I’m not going anywhere, I have time.”

Dunney stands right next to me with his arms crossed.

“I would like to know too man! And how this… creature and you are playing house?”

I rub a hand over my face. I knew this was going to get complicated; I just wish I knew where to start.

I tell Dunney about what happened in the construction site a couple of days ago, about Matthew Tomasie. There is not a happy face in the room.

I tell them about the interview: or integration. Mr. Weaving focused more on what saved me than anything else. The two large men who should lay off the steroid added protean shakes: and the Vision Guard Security company.

“Where those guys that attacked you in the alley?” Dunney asks looking just as baffled as Stark.

“Attacked!? You were attacked?” Stark say for the first time looking frighten.

“Yes I was attacked. And no, they were different from the guys in the office. They followed me for two blocks then they just pounced. Goggles really ruffed me up, he was wearing a survival body suit or something. They almost went off with me.” I tell them.

“You haven’t known the pony long right?” Dunney asks me.

“I just met Stark the night in the incident.”

“So, are they after her?”

“Why!?” I say then look at Stark and her eyes water and gleam.

“Grey the first human I ever met!” She shouts with her voice cracking in the end. “I have not been in this world long and I have been here for the most of it.” Tears form but don’t fall.

“I don’t know man, she is the only variable” Dunney gestures at Stark,

“I don’t care.” I step in front of Stark, my bravado stands in front if me..

“They tried to kidnap you! What if they took you, huh? What if I wasn’t there to save you!?” His voice gets louder.

“I am not going to let them take her!” I shout back.

I hear the door slam open and panic that I do not see Stark. I run outside and see Stark fly off then vanishes with a thunderous boom. The clouds darken quickly and rain comes again. I just stand at the porch staring into the gloomy clouds.

“Let her go!, Maybe she’ll go back to her world.” I shake off his words. I go back in the house to find my phone and head back outside. I walk down the stairs and then feel a hand over my shoulder holding me back.

“Where you going!?” Dunney shouts through the rain.

“To find her! I can’t leave her out there alone, she is just a kid!”

“Why are you doing this?” A million dollar question and I stumble.

“I don’t know!” I continue downstairs; as I open the gate Dunney stops me.

“I coming with you.” He says huddled against the cold water falling.

“Why!” I ask.

“She is your friend and you don’t have many!” I let him through the gate.

“We’ll take the van!” he says.

“No, she won’t know it’s us.” I reply.

“Then how do we find her?” I project her emotions in my head.

“She is sad and overwhelmed. She’ll most likely find a place with seclusion to gather her thoughts. I just hope it’s not a building top!” I think of a plan and all I get is that we should split up.

“You get the van; call me if you see anything that could tell me her position. Look for anything suspicious. A strange formation of clouds, the sound of a jet/ Hell, I’ll take a UFO sitting sighting!”

“You got it!” He responds.

We take separate paths. I take the Upper East Side, he takes the lower.

I keep my eyes on the sky as the rain falls making every one flee for cover. I just walk casually through the shower. I just feel that I should take this direction.

I worry, I panic, I dread the thought of the men who are after her, find her. This is a ghastly world where we fear that what we do not understand and there is a cruel history in man and how they react to the unknown.

I find myself next to a entrance of a large park. I enter hoping to find her. The wind grows stronger the deeper I go. The rain starts to assault me as it becomes more violent, I try to push through with a arm shielding my face. I can’t see anything beyond the harsh streams if water.

I hear whispers through the wind circling around me. I maneuver different directions trying to find my way, but I become disoriented as the whispers grow stronger and multiply. My head starts to pulsate with tremendous pain and the whispers transform into screams.

I fall to my knees in the muddy ground partially flooded. My cries in agony are muted as I hold my head trying to prevent it from splitting.

The voices speed rapidly as I crawl further and further. My hands dig into the mud and grass until I feel cool air instead of water drops.

The screams revert back to soft whispers and the pain dies. I fall on my back then hear one last whisper is breaths through the calm. “I’m sorry!”

There is someone sobbing: a girl. There is a tree standing over me with light shining through its dark green leaves. They rustle as moist droplet if felt on my nose.

I hear the sobbing emitting from above.

“Stark! Please let that be you!” I plead.

“Grey!?” Stark pokes her head out from a branch bewildered.

“Oh, great! I thought for a second that the tree was crying!” She smiles.

“Trees crying is a strange concept even to me!”

“Well, ever since I met you, I’ll believe anything that sounds extraordinarily peculiar.”

Her smile disappears into a firm expression then she retreats back into the branch.

“You should leave me alone! You’ll just be hurt!” She shouts.

I pick myself up and rest against the tree trunk. The storm circulates as if I was in the eye of a tornado; staring at the border of calm and chaos.

“Did you make a mini hurricane?” I ask her as I gaze at swirling wall of rain and wind.

“My magic goes haywire sometimes with certain emotions. At times I can’t control it.”

I rise and start to climb the tree until I see Stark lying on bulky branch depressed. I find a branch of my own that can support me and sit with my back against the tree.

I look at the storm border.

“It’s weird how beautiful it is. How it’s anarchic, yet peaceful.” We don’t speak for a while; we just look at the storm.

“I wasn’t supposed to learn magic. Everyone thought I was destructive, but I couldn’t help it. I would lose control. You like the storm but I didn’t even try to make it.

My mother would try to teach me but… with every fail some one would get hurt because of me. I don’t want to hurt anybody!” Her tone very disheartened.

“I didn’t have parents growing up, I was an orphan going through foster care.” She turns to me puzzled.

“It’s a system where adults would take care of you, but they weren’t parents: they weren’t even friends. Well, I would be transferred around every month because of my temper. It got away from me. Sometimes I went to far and I would be punished very harshly.

That all changed when I turned eleven and I was housed by Miles and Sarah. Miles taught me to focus and think instead of act. He taught me a lot. Emotion is a hindrance towards rationality. So he built up my rationality with books and books. He made me achieve in school.

Sara taught me to be patient which was a lesson needed. She taught me to channel rage into creativity.

I lost them both.”

Stark appears to be stunned as her eye are widen. The storm weakens.

“I just thought since you shared something personal with that I would as well.” I tell her as she still stares at me. “Can you say something? You are making me uncomfortable,” I tell her and she looks around.

“I don’t know what to say?”

“Yeah, not a lot of people do.” I respond.

“Why did you look for me?” She asks with hesitance.

“I wanted to know if you were okay.”

“I’m okay. I can take care of myself” She looks away again and the storm lightens.

“I don’t doubt it, but it would be easier on me if I knew that you were fine.” She turns back to me looking away.

“Do you really think that people are after me?” She asks.

“I don’t know, but I’m not going to let them hurt you.” She gladly stares back at me and the wind becomes noticeably weaker.

“You promise!” She says softly.

“I promise!” The storm breaks in relief: and alarm.

We both stare and a group of men in black tactical uniform and goggles placed over their helmets closing in around us with assault rifles shifting aim. We are surrounded by branches with thick leaves and they are not immediately attacking. They creep up silently; I could even hear one of them on a radio.

“The weather anomaly as ceased, approach with caution, we don’t know what this one can do. Use tranquilizer rounds.” One of the men says over a radio.

Stark backs up to the tree wide eyed and frightened. She starts to shake, as do I.

Think damn it! Why is nothing coming up. I pullout my cellphone and quickly send a text to Dunney telling him where I am and my stupid plan, I turn on the GPS then I hand it to Stark.

She starts to breath rapidly.

“Stark take this with you and fly off.” I whisper to her as her eye wonder in a panic.

“What? Why?” She frantically asks.

“You need to get out of here. There is no way they can follow you in the air, you’re too fast for them!”

“What about you?” She starts to cry.

“Don’t worry about me. Their focus is all on you, they are more likely to try to find you but, by the time they leave, you should be with Dunney. I turned on the GPS, Dunney can use that to find you so hold on to it, okay!” The tears stream down her cheek and she starts to lightly sob.

“I-I-I don’t want to leave you!” Her voice cracks.

“You have to. I just promised you that I wouldn’t let them hurt you!” I wipe the tears from her face.

“Now promise me that you will listen.” I whisper with quivering lips. She nods.

“Please be okay?” She takes the phone into her mouth with the sides sticking out.

“I will be!” A lie never hurt worse.

Stark spreads her wings then with a single flap she soars up into the grey sky. The tree branches shakes as the men aim their guns upward then seeing in disappointment as Start goes beyond sight.

“The target has the ability to fly! We are unable to pursue” One of the men says while holding a finger into an ear. My worries feel liberated.

“Roger that! We’ll continue in a perimeter sweep.” He says as my burden intensifies.

They start moving closer to the tree that was in the eye of a mini hurricane, the tree that currently I’m hiding in. I can’t climb up; it’ll make too much noise and unwanted movements. I’m covered by the thicket of leaves but if one glimpse of me and… well, I don’t want to dwell on that thought.

Some of the men spread out but the others still focused on the tree. With every step they take my heart pulsates and my limbs tremble uncontrollably. Fear brings in the cold.

Two armored vans roll in and pull the attention away from me. They stop with the men crowding in preparation. More men come out of the trucks in heavier armor and bigger guns. My outcome looks more bleak and unpromising as it progresses.

A very larger man wearing long beige trench coat comes out of one of the vehicles. He is one of the muscular men from this morning. His is face still emotionless while he consults a man standing in front of the crowd.

“Report!” He exclaims.

The leader stands firmly.

“Sir! We entered the anomaly, as we came closer to the center it ceased. We proceeded in search of the target but it took off in flight from the oak tree behind us at fourteen thirty-five. We were unable to pursue, sir.” The leader answers.

“So it possesses magic and flight.” The large man asks.

“From what we can assume, sir!”

“Sargent, need I remind you that these creatures usually have one or the other. We have never come across with one that possesses both. So, from what I can assume there is one more in the oak tree behind you.” The large man tells the leader and he turn to the tree and puts on his goggles and directly stares at me.

“Men three meter spread!” He shout and the men fan out once again surrounding the tree.

I have nothing to play at this point, nothing to bargain with, no way out.

The large man casually strolls behind the men.

“Come out now, make this easier for you!” The large man shouts.

I slump over in defeat.

“I’m coming out! Don’t shoot!” I shout back.

I climb down and raise my hand in the air.

“You got me!” I say with hesitance.

The large man smiles for the first time then loudly laughs.

“This! This is funny! Mr. Grey back as the center of attention! You know we actually thought you weren’t worth looking into, but man! Here is a sweet moment in serendipity that I just want to bask in. Taste better that wine.” He laughs even louder and I grow more annoyed. “What happened to you face?” He asks.

“I let someone dance on it. Where did you get the new personality?” I fire back.

“That’s nice. You see, in times of intimidation, I hold a very serious façade.” He waves his hand over his face changing expressions.” But you, there is a lot more to you than what we see.”

“I’m not hiding. I am the same on the inside as I am on the out.” I say.

“Well, we are not here for you. We are here for what else is hiding in that tree.” He point at it.” Come out! We don’t want to hurt your friend here!” He yells at the empty tree.

“There is no one there!” I tell him. He gives a smirk.

“I know what I’m saying. One creature flew off and the one that made the storm is hiding in the tree!” He becomes bitter.

“He is right sir! Thermal is not picking anything up!” One of the men says as the large man looks stunned. He walks up to me and I put my hands down. He towers over me

“You tell me where it is right now or things are going to get really unpleasant!” His voice reached a unique baritone. I know he is not lying. Thing are going to get unpleasant.

“I don’t know what you are taking ab-“ I’m interrupted by a incredible punch to my face that propels me yards away from him. I roll several times thinking that I was just hit by a car.

I’m picked up by two of the men in uniform. They bring me back to the large man wit my feet dragging on the wet ground.

“I am trying to be professional about this. Please tell me about the creature!” He asks nicely. So I tell him.

“Well, it’s crude vile thing with a hump on its back, very ugly! It might have been your mom!” He doesn’t take that joke with grace, but I take his hits to my face, to my body. I hear cracks and pops as he just lets loose.

The men drop me seeing me convulse in pain and choke on blood. I turn over and spit some of it out. My mouth feels like I was chewing on razor blades.

“You still want to be a smart ass!?” The large man asks me standing over me.

The sky roars and the ground quakes. No, you said that you would listen!

“Leave him alone!” The large man steps aside and I see Stark angry with her wings spread out and her head lowered pointing her horn at the large man.

The guys in tactical uniforms instantly raise their guns at her, but the large man signals for the guns to bet lowered.

“This keeps getting better!” Says the large man as he smugly chucking.

“Back off now!” She says. Her horn starts to glow and the men aim their gun at her.

“I don’t think so.” The man replies then he steps on my head pushing me into the mud. I try to claw at his massive boot as I groan in pain.

“STOP!” Stark screams.

“Give me one good reason that I should.” He replies.

“I’LL GO WITH YOU!” She shouts and the boot stops crushing my head. “I’ll go with you, just leave him alone.” She becomes distraught as her ears tuck backwards.

The large man raises his boot off my head.

“No fuss?” He asks.

“None.”

One of the men pulls out a bulky collar and another one unravels wide belt.

They tie down her wings and snap the collar on, she winches and her ears tuck back. I reach out to her but the men escort her to one of the armored vans.

The large man still stands over me.

“It’s better this way. You could go back to your life and forget all about this.” He tell me and walks away.

I lay motionless on the mucky ground as the vans leave. Everything starts to blur together, grey tones smeared on a canvas. Then black surrounds me.

I lay staring into blue skies with plumed white clouds, but it is still raining. I feel the warmth of the sun and cooling beads from the rain.

“Beautiful isn’t it? Opposites together in harmony, the tranquility is aweing.” Miles tells me; him sitting on a bench directly in front of me untouched by the rain.

“You are not really here are you?” I ask him.

He smiles.

“Only if you believe that I am, then I am. But you don’t so I’m not.” He says leaning back into the bench.

“Could you be any more vague?” I reply.

“I could be direct with you, then you wouldn’t mature. You have to earn it.”

“And all I have to do is listen to the subtext as my mental projection displays a father figure ambiguously advising me.” I tell him as his eyes widen.

“Wow, you become incredibly bitter!”

“Your way of telling me to be calm.” I reply.

“Don’t let your emotions control your action.”

“Think with my head. Observe and assess.” I reply.

“All types of knowledge, ultimately mean self-knowledge.”

“Yeah, I get it!”

“Then why don’t you know what you are fight for?” He asks.

“Come on man! Wake up!”

I see the interior of a familiar van and fell hard slaps to my face.

“There you go!” Dunney says as he helps me sit up.

I groan in crippling pain doing only the slightest movements.

“You gotta get up man!” He puts my arm over his neck and raises me off the floor. I stumble as he drops me into the passenger seat. I curl up feeling the bruises and welts over me. One of my eyes is swollen shut.

Dunney sit on the driver seat and starts the van.

“They took her!” I tell him in a very weak voice.

He falls back on the seat biting his lip.

“I don’t know what to say. It’s beyond us now.” He drives off.

We stay silent for a while. The rain pours down on the windshield and we are stuck behind traffic in Fulton street. A buzz goes off and Dunney picks his pocket for his phone. He looks at me puzzled.

“Why did you text me that you are sorry?” He asks.

“I don’t have my phone.”

“Then who does?” I feel a mental kick in the head.

“Stark!” I reply.

“What?”

“I gave Stark the phone before she was taken: and she figured how to text!” I shout ignoring the pain as I move to the edge of my seat.

“You think she can tell us where she is?” Dunney asks.

“She doesn’t have to. I turned on my GPS. You could track it with even the basic phone. Give me your phone.” Dunney hands it to me and I quick go to work.

“How are you going to track it?” He asks.

“I just have to text the GPS program I set up and it’ll text me the back location via text message.”

“You can do that?”

“I modified my phone.” I confess.

“You still flash phones?” He ask?

“No, just ones I find.”

The phone buzzes and I open the message.

Phone tracker serv. 3.1

Your phone has been located at by this address.

1835 Plum street, China Town , NY.

“She is in building China Town! Why? They could have gone much farther than that.” I ask.

“Extraction!” Dunney exclaims. Traffic moves as if it was on cue. “We are not that far. He shifts the van in gear and we head to find Stark.

“Do you have a plan?” Dunney ask me nervously.

“Look at my face.” I point at my face. “This is what planning has gotten me!”

“I’ll take that as a no then!”

We circle around Plum street seeing a lot of building towering and sandwiched together.

“Look for an abandoned building.” Dunney says strangely calm.

I look around with my good eye scanning though every detail I can find. Graffiti, worn out structure, police tape, boarded up windows.

“What was the number to the place again?” Dunney asks as I keep an eye around us.

“1835. Why?”

“Cause it’s right there!” He point at a apartment building boarded up, burnt, and a commended notice taped to the entrance.

We park a couple of blocks away.

“You ready?” I ask fighting agony and torture with every movement.

“Not yet. We gotta take care of that eye.” He replies.

He pulls out a knife and a tube of crazy glue. The construction worker’s medical kit on the go. I nod and took a deep breath.

He grabs my face and cuts painfully above the swollen brow. My cries are muffed by my hands. He dabs the flowing blood with a handkerchief then lays the super adhesive over it. My eye start to open.

“Now are you ready?” I ask.

“Yeah sorry, I couldn’t deal with that Frankenstein monster look.” He replies.

We try to causally walk to the alley connected to the building, but it’s kind of hard to avoid attention when you look like you went a round with Mike Tyson with you arms tie to your back. My flesh feels tenderized and a couple of joints are jammed. I use the thought of Stark as a painkiller and a drive to push my synapsis wanting instinct to take over.

I peak over a side of a neighboring store and see the two armored vans that rolled on the park stationed in front of the back exit of the condemned complex with two men wearing mall cop uniforms keeping a look out.

I turn to Dunney.

“They are here, but they changed from the tactical apparel into basic security uniforms.” I tell him.

“So they wouldn’t draw attention to themselves. That’s not going to last for long. It’ll get suspicious that they are parked behind an abandoned building with armored vans with no company logo.” He comments.

A garbage truck honks facing the front of the vans and the men turn away. We instinctively take advantage and run across the alley as low, quickly and as quietly possible to the side of the complex.

Dunney points at the fire escape then squats with his hands linked between his legs. He mouths the word boost and I realize that I have no better opportunity.

I step on his hand and he throws in the air just enough to catch the latter. I climb to the first platform; Dunney jumps on the wall with one foot then launches himself to the latter.

We silently run up the stairs pausing at every window and peak in. On the fifth floor I signal Dunney to stop and use hand signs to tell him that there are two men patrolling. They pass and we continue up the stairs.

On the next floor, I to peer through a window only seeing an efficiency Swiss cheese drywall exposed wires and busted doors and two men in uniforms laying on the ground. I try to carry onward but a familiar hand pulls me in the room.

I’m pinned to the wall with a forearm pressing on my throat. Goggles and I face to face then lightens the pressure. Dunney pulls him off me and forces him against the opposite wall. I try to catch my breath as Goggles knees Dunney in the stomach knocking him back. Dunney lunges with a punch , but only hitting through the wall as Goggles moves around.

“Now you’re getting me pissed!” Dunney whispers aggressively pulling his arm from the wall with a puff of dust following.

Dunney steps towards Goggles then throws a jab, as Goggles dodges , Dunney follows with a spin swinging his elbow hitting Goggles in the face.

I lean against the wall overwhelmed with pain seeing the two trading hits. Dunney is able to go toe to toe with this guy, while I struggled to even stand when I faced him.

Suddenly Dunney falls after a kick to the head. I push myself off the wall and give a forceful kick to Goggles in the chest. He is thrown back to the wall creating a hole. He sits in the hole dazed. I raise his head with one hand and strike him hard as I could with the other.

Goggles goes limp still in the hole. I look at Dunney on the floor recovering from his hit. I offer a hand and pull him up.

“You need to work on your timing.” He says rubbing the side of his head.

I roll my eyes then look around the efficiency.

“You think anybody heard us?” I ask.

“I don’t know?” Dunney replies. “Looks like he took down some of the men for us.”

We stay quite hearing nothing but the eerie silence. Dunney starts to pull Goggles from the wall then caries him to the restroom dropping him in the tub. He drag the other unconscious men into the bathroom and closes the door behind him.

“Why did you do that?” I ask.

“Just in case they patrol this floor later, we don’t want them to know that we’re here.”

We skulk through the hallway cautiously observing for any threats and anticipate for any surprises. Dunney places a hand on my shoulder and signals that we head up.

Why does that feel wrong to me. I get the urge, the need to follow my instinct. I shake my head and signal that we should go down. Dunney raise a bushy brow and nods.

We stop at the stair way and hear a man talking over a distorted radio just beyond the corner..

“Sigma team has taken the armored vehicles and dropped off the cover ones. Inform Mr. Emerson and prepare for extraction.” The radio relays.

“Copy that! Bravo team readying for extraction.” A unseen man says,

At that moment Dunney walks down stairs and turns the corner before I can react. I rush down the stairs to him and stand at the bottom stunned. The swift movements that Dunney lays out as the two men are on the defensive. He hits one of them in the throats and the man grabs at his neck, Dunney turns his attention at the other. The second man throws a punch, but Dunney grabs it and twist the guys arm and slams the guy’s head against the wall. Dunney picks up the rifle that was strapped the knocked out man’s back and aims it at the other as he tries to recover. Dunney fires the gun and all is heard it a quiet “zip” and he man convulses and grunts. He collapses to the ground like a live doll suddenly became inanimate.

Dunney walks over to the man he shot and bends over him picking something off of him. Dunney turns to me looking at a tiny object between his fingers.

“What the hell?” He says and then the object sparks and cracks. Dunney yelps and flinches shaking his hand then puts finger in his mouth. “God damn shock rounds!” He grunts.

“So he is not dead?” I ask.

Dunney looks at his burnt fingers.

“Nope. He lucky though. I didn’t know they were shock rounds.” He says then looks around. “We should hurry, They are about to clear out.” He unloads a shell from the chamber. “I’ll take point! Just tell me where to.”

I hear silent whispers in the back of my head. I turn around into the hallway and try to pin point what direction that it’s coming from. I point to my left.

“Their!” I tell him.

Dunney walks ahead of me with rifle at the ready. Hear the whispers more louder but still unclear. I touch Dunney’s shoulder and signal to the room to his right.

He puts his back against the next to the door and mouths “1,2,3!” and storms in with the rifle aimed. I poke my head out seeing Dunney stand in the middle of the large room with is gun aimed at the large man with his hands crossed and smiling. I enter the room standing right behind Dunney.

“Well, you are very persistent, aren’t you Mr. Grey?” He says calm and collective. I’m not.

“Where is she?” I ask.

“Who?” He replies.

“I better do what the boy says, or I’m goanna have fun with the gun here till you do.” Dunney interrupts.

The large man step aside and reveals Stark stunned to see me then she enthusiastically smiles.

“Here she is.” The large man says.

I start to carefully walk to her keeping an eye on the large man. Dunney gestures at him to move aside. He abides and I rush to her, but feel a strong tug on my jacket. I’m lifted in the air.

“Put him down!” Dunney yells then a couple of zips follow.

“Gladly!” The large man says joyfully than he tosses me to the back of the apartment hitting the wall hard enough that I go through it. I hit something solid in the dark and hear ceramic break and chip while Stark yells for me.

I go through the hole I made shaking off the pain that my body screams. The large man continuously getting hit with the shock rounds and not even flinching after every hit. He swing a massive arm at Dunney but is dodge as Dunney leans back and throw the empty rifle at the large man’s face not once winching.

I run to Stark sliding on my knees.

“How did you find me?” She asks.

“I tracked the phone I gave you. How did you texted me?” I reply

“Magic. So, did you want the phone back?” Stark questions.

“Yes, I came all the way here to get my phone, but since I’m here I might as well rescue you!” I answer while pulling off the belt wrapped around her. Her wings quickly flutter and the large man turns his attention to me. Dunney jumps on his back, but is swiftly knocked back. Oh shit comes to mind.

I try to find a way to take off the heavy large collar then attempt to pry it open as the large man approaches.

“Hurry!” Stark yells.

Everything slow down again. My finger bleeding over the collar, Stark terrified, the large man right over me about to crush me with a massive arm raised ready to come down.

Sometimes a man is defined by what he chooses to fight for. So what do you fight for?

What do I fight for? FOR HER!

I feel the collar pull apart and Stark’s horn illuminates then flashes. The large man stumbles back with his chest smoking.

“Get out if here!” I tell her pointing at an open window. Stark hesitates then darts out with the air cracking.

The large man gets back up with a hole burnt through his clothes showing a chard spot on his chest.

“You are going to regret that!” He says infuriated and his face shows it. He balls his hands into great fists.

“I don’t think I am. It’s better this way, you can go back to bouncing at clubs or scare little children with you face and forget all about this.” I reply accepting the consequences.

The large man runs up to me with his giant feet stomping the floor. I don’t move, I just smirk at peace. No matter what he does to me, he still lost. Stark is safe.

He is stumbles forward as Dunney wraps an arm around the large man’s neck from the back punching at his temple repeatedly. The large man twists his body slamming Dunney against the wall, but still keeps the vice. The large man slams Dunney again knocking him out cold. Dunney slides on the cracked wall and onto the floor.

The large man chuckles as he observes Dunney motionless against the wall.

“How you two got the better of me is beyond me.” He says.

He grips me by the shirt and lifts me over his head and crashes me to the ceiling over and over. Then slams me against a wall again and again then throws me straight across the room breaking through to the hallway.

I am on the floor feeling old pain along with some new. I heard my ribs crack , maybe that is why I am struggling to breath. I can’t lift my arms nor move my legs. I still feel them though; crying out banged and bruised and possibly broken.

A black figure stands over me obscured by my foggy vision. The figure comes into focus and I stunned to see Goggles tilting his head at me then changes his attention through the hole in the wall. He steps over me and enters the room.

I try to pick myself up, but my body turns against me. Limbs feel they are incased in concrete. I sluggishly pull myself over the rim of the hole I made and see Goggles taking a stance, ready to fight the large man.

The large man throws several punches, but Goggles remains untouched as he dances around the large man’s strikes. Goggles nimbly jumps in the air hitting the large man hard in the chest with a knee and launches off with a back flip catching his ground. The large man comes at him with another barrage of punches, but unable to land one. Goggles stays on the large man’s outside volleying at his ribs and liver.

Goggles kicks at the large man’s head and is troubled to find it caught by him.

The large man lifts Goggles in the air by his leg and swings him to a wall breaking through the corner. Goggle claws at the floorboards but is dragged by the large man still gripping his leg. Goggles is once again raised into the air and slammed to the ground repeatedly until Goggles is absolutely still.

This guy is inhuman. He does not flinch at the shock rounds that Dunney fired straight at him, a blast from Stark to his chest, and a fight from Dunney and Goggles, yet he is unfazed.

The large man saunters to me. He lifts me up by my jacket then grabs at my throat and pins me to a wall. I am unable to retaliate, enervated by the day.

“You have become an enormous prick to my side!” Spit shoot between his teeth and squeezes my windpipe. “I am going to enjoy this as much as I can!” He tightens his grip and I choke trying to gasp for the slightest bit of oxygen. Everything flutters to black and back.

I think of the lie I told Stark. That I would be okay. I wiped her tears and lied.

The sky roars and room explodes enveloping it in dust blinding me. My throat is released and I fall on my hands and knees with debris raining upon me. I gasp for air tasting the dust in the back of my throat. I cough and feel a nudge at my side. This dust settles and there’s Stark standing next to me stressfully smiling.

“You promised me that you would protect me, right?” She asks.

“Y-yes!” I reply. I look around not seeing the large man in the room but another large hole on a wall to my side.

“Did you mean it?”

“Still do.” I answer as blood seeps through my teeth.

She helps me up to my knees.

“This might hurt.” She tell me then stabs her horn into my chest, yet I don’t feel pain: just warmth.

I look down and see light shining from my chest. A surge of hot electricity courses through my body and my heart explodes into a race. Stark pulls out her horn with worry across her face as I wrap my arms hugging my torso rapidly breathing.

The pain fades along with the fatigue and a rush of adrenaline pumps through veins.

“Are you okay?” Stark asks.

“What was that?”

“A contract.” She replies,

“A what?”

The large man reenters the room with his trench coat shredded to ribbons. He looks at Stark and grins.

“Girl, you must like getting captured.” He says walking to her. I stand in front of Stark not knowing my next move.

He punches in the face and I fly back into hitting withered bookshelf. It topples and I recover quickly and lunge back at him with a blow to his stomach. He groans as he holds it baffled at what just happened. I look at Stark puzzled.

“What was that?” I ask.

“The contract.” She replies.

The large man stand back up infuriated then charges at me like a rhino bursting and Stark flies back out of the way. He hits me in the face again knocking my head back. The punch hurt, but not like before. I raise a leg and forcefully kick the large man hitting him again in the stomach. He falls back and rolls gaining his footing.

“She made you her guardian didn’t she?” He asks.

I look at Stark and she wonders her gaze over the apartment looking guilty.

“I goanna say, yeah.” I shrug my shoulders.

“That’s a shame. Now I gotta take both of you in.” His words became a nail to the head, a sudden realization of appending doom. I got no smart mouth remarks, no quips.

I know how to fight; it’s all I did when I was younger. Untrained and violent, brash and aggressive, but even with my training this brute still bests me out of strength and experience. I don’t know what Stark did to me. I just hope it’s enough. No test. Best way to learn to swim is to be thrown into a running river.

The large man quickly leaps and throws a right hook. I raise my arm curled to block, then feel like a wall being hit by a race car. The air blasts from the impact and my ears pops.

I push his arm away opening his stance then punch him in his rib. He flinches back, I take advantage by stepping on his bent leg and jump striking my knee to his temple. The large man fumbles back and shakes his head, He snorts looking pissed.

I’m a pup going against a rabid pit-bull on a roid-rage.

The large man quickly grips my shirt and pulls me to him then continuously pounds my face. I try to kick off but his vice remains.

I pull my body up and start to kick the large man in the face repeatedly. He drops me on the ground. I attempted to get up but s boot stomps on my chest knock the air out of my lungs.

“You feel that energy? You feel able to free do anything.” He was right. I was Super-man on drugs. I thought myself to be formable. I was more like a psycho on Xanax, a reality check melting my wings as I flew to close to the sun.

He presses harder and I begin sink into the floor breaking under me. I can’t breathe. Then something starts to tug at the large man pants growling.

“Rite m go!” Stark words are muffled as she pulling at the large man’s pant leg.

I try to tell her to get away, but no air to voice it.

The large man grabs her by the neck. She squirms with her hooves pushing against the massive hand, wings flapping. She grunts as he lift her up.

“We got some special thing in store for you.” The large man says to her. Stark’s eyes widen with fear, as do mine.

My fears turns into anger, my anger turns into fire. I make a fist balled up as tight as I can and hit the large man at the side of his knee. It twists and bends as he collapses releasing Stark. She flies away from us.

I gasp for air and jump back on my feet. I listen to my anger as it builds up. I grab the large man from his tore trench coat and lift him up.

My jaw quivers, muscles urging, heart racing. I feel blinded and possessed.

The large man looks frightened and befuddled. I roar and charge running through apartments with him as my battery ram. Drywall shatters, wood splinters, wires snap. him feeling every single one of them. I hear Stark shouting my name, but I can’t stop.

Brick and mortar break into dust as we burst through the back of the building. Once again I fall., this time slowly descend down into an alley with a man forced before me winching. I look below and see vehicles parked. We crash onto one.

I do not see. I do not hear.

I lay in tall grass brushing against me as it gracefully sways with the wind. Sun sets on the horizon painting the sky in pink and blue with orange lighting the clouds in their slow motion travel.

I know I’m not really here, though it’s probably better that I believe that I am.

My eyes lids are heavy as they open. Foggy, bright, obscured my vision settles. I’m on my cot with the thick blanket covering me as I lay flat on my back. I try to raise then feel Stark curled up on me. She is softly breathing, her heart beating in a calm pace.

Then the pain seeps in.

I couldn’t keep still enough not to wake Stark. Her eyes flutter and widen.

“You’re up!” She enthusiastically exclaims.

“Yeah, kind a wish I wasn’t though.” I move back and rest against the wall where my bed is placed.

“Careful. I don’t want you to hurt yourself. Any more than you already have that is.” Says Stark jumping off the bed.

My arm throbs striking in pain. I lean forward and cradle it noticing that it’s casted nesting in a band looped around my neck. I turn to Stark.

“How’d this end up on me?” I ask.

Dunney walks in the room apprehensive.

“Hey you’re awake. You’ve been out for awhile.” He says rubbing that back of his neck.

“Yeah, how did this end up on me?” I ask again point at my casted arm.

They look at each other not saying a word wearing uncomfortable faces. Dunney points his thumb behind him. Across the room in a chair sit Goggles read a newspaper. He folds it down staring at me through is green tinted goggles and waves. Then he returns to read the paper. I turn to Stark and Dunney.

“Okay… Why is he here?” I whisper aggressively.

“To make sure you recover, Mr. Grey?” A woman dressed in a black suit with matching pants .steps out of the kitchen. Her red hair short and curly, the creases around her mouth, wrinkles on her forehead. Her eyes absent of and glimmer. Another business type.

“I assume you are with Hugo Weaving?” I ask her as she walks closer to the bed. Stark and Dunney make way for her.

“I am not with Vision Guard Security Mr. Grey.” She puts her hand to her back.

“So you are a competitor then.”

“In a way, yes we are. Though, we do have greatly different goals.” She replies.

“And what are they?”

“To insure the safety of you and your friend.” She gestures to Stark.

“Okay, I was not expecting that.” I tell her.

“You are this here creature’s guardian, right?” She asks.

“Newly appointed.” I answer. She smirks.

“You see Mr. Grey-“

“Just Grey! I’m an tired of hearing Mr. in front of my name.”

“You see Grey, these creatures, like your friend, has very special and unusual abilities and are unable to return to their world. In the world we live in, that is dangerous for their wellbeing. They can appoint guardians as protector. ”

“How do I know that you are not lying to me about your conflict with Vision Guard?”

“If we were with Vision Guard, you’d already be in a test facility going through evasive trails.” She replies. I remember Goggles fighting the large man. They wouldn’t be fighting if they were on the same side.

“So you company does not have a test facility?” I ask her.

“Oh, we do! We just ask your consent before any test.”

“How did you find Stark in the first place.” I ask.

“Though you. We intercepted a report on your accident in the company. The situation fit the parameters of contact. We detected a sudden weather change the day of your accident. A weather anomaly added to a miracle of you surviving. We just put two and two together, as did Vision Guard.

We also reviewed your records. You have none. None that’s not falsified that is.

A social security number with no history, no medical records, a post office box that is addressed to another box. No known parents.” She explains. The last sentence hurt a bit.

“That would be my doing.” Dunney intervenes with his hands in his pockets. “I have contacts after my military days. After his foster parents…pasted. Foster care was going to take him away. He didn’t want that, so I helped.”

Stark concerned trots to me then jumps back on the bed laying her head on my lap. I pat her head and she smiles.

“That explains the forged identity, though we did find his foster records. We suppressed them before Vision Guard could retrieve them. They wouldn’t be able to find you like we did.” The woman elaborates.

“What happens now?” I ask her.

“Well, that is up to you and your friend Grey. You could live under our protection still residing at this house. Since you are unable to return to your previous job, we would supply you with income for taking care of Stark. And I’d throw some extra in for a remodel. This house is dreadful.” She responds.

I look at Stark resting on me.

“It’s your choice.” I tell her with my good hand going through her forelock.

“I get to be with you?” She asks in a mousy voice.

“Yup, you’d be stuck with me.”

“Then an emphatic yes!” She emphatically replies.

“Yes then.” I tell the women.

“Then welcome to the protection of Over Watch. I would be assigned to you as a handler. I will return shortly with some provision. Mr. Fisherman will keep an eye on you until I return.” She points at Goggles. “Good-bye Mr. Grey.” She leaves out the back door.

The three of us sigh in relief and disbelief.

Dunney claps his hand.

“I’m making pancakes in celebration!” He say with a large grin. Stark’s eyes light up. “I’ll take that as a yes!” He leaves to the kitchen and stops in front of Goggles and flashes hand signs at him. He does the same back. “Oh, yeah. He can’t speak.” Dunney gestures at Goggles who continues to read his paper.

The woman returns with the promised income and provision along with some extensive paper work. Her and Goggles leaves us. Dunney follows shortly after we eat the pancakes he made. Stark enjoyed them very much.

We go outside to the back and sit under the porch looking up the grey bleak sky shielding us from the sun. Chilling the city and us.

Stark nudges at my shoulder.

“I-I’m so sorry for everything that happened.” She looks down and away.

“I can’t forgive for something that is not your fault.” I reply picking up her chin.

“I feel like it is.” She pouts.

“Well, whatever happens next. Just know, you’re worth the trouble.” She goes under my good arm and leans on me.

“Is a poem I liked in you pile” She says.

“Which one?”

“I’m nobody, who are you?”

“Are you nobody too?” I add.

“Then there’s a pair of us, don’t tell-they’d banish us, you know.”

“Why do you like that one?” I ask her.

“I just connected with it.”

Snow starts to dance their way down from the sky shifting and swaying before us. She gallops to the middle of the yard jumping in the air as the snowflakes move around her whimsically. She prances and laughs. Her wings flaps and the flakes explodes in all directions.

She hasn’t told me why she is here, or how. But she’ll tell me: eventually.

The End.

The Sleeper

Stark Grey

The Sleeper

The sky shrouded in red clouds as the ground is darkened and obscure. A bight fire rages in the foreground billowing in the night with the flames scratching at the air. Screams and pleas echoed. Sound of flames roaring as it cracks the trees.

A dark figure stands before me with glowing red eyes shifting in place. Though human, he growls with a rattle in his throat. His gaze turns to me burning into my eyes. He charges ramped appearing in rapidly and vanishing. He stops before me staring in thought as he tilts his head to the side. He strikes and I feel the slash on my face tearing my flesh. I hear a choked whisper “Chaos!”

*****

I suddenly wake gasping for air taking in my surrounding. I’m home in the living room on my bumpy cot with her sleeping nested at my side. Her head over my arm and a hoof on my chest. She softly breaths as I cover us in a thick blanket protecting us from the unyielding cold. I stay up unable to rest, that dream repeats every night haunting my sleep. I have not slept in days. I just look into the dark ceiling over me.

It’s been about a month and an half since I met Stark, and the accident. Over Watch keeps an eye on us, observing and reporting. They make sure Stark is healthy and happy. Everything has been positive so far. She tries to convert me into a vegetarian. Some of us are not made to be herbivores, but I don’t eat meat in front of her. It would probably make her uncomfortable. She tells me that in her world that cows are more sentient than in mine, as is the rest of the livestock. I enjoy a veggie burger from time to time, or at least try to. Mental subjections cannot over power the taste no matter how hard I try.

We snuck into a dairy far, a while ago. She was trying to speak with the cows, but only getting loud moos making her lose balance and fall over. Then we moved on to the rest of the live stock.

Over Watch pays for the bills: water, light, food, and renovations on the house. The house looks better since I took upon myself to repair damages that time rotted. I thank the skills I gain from the construction job is held for a while. I can’t go back there. Vision Guard would find me. I never really had any friends there, or anywhere, expect Dunney. He started training me, like Miles use too.

Stark wiggles in place hugging me tighter slightly hurting a still tender rib.

They say time heals all wounds. It healed my arm, other broken bones, cuts and bruises, but scars take home on the skin and bones still ach. Then there is my mind.

Still remembering Matthew Tomasie’s face terrified and confused. Glimpse of the fall replay too vividly. The jump, the cable snapping, my grip on the beam slipping off as we descended. Then the sound of the rain calming and tranquil during the horror. I guess these wounds need more time. I’ll just think of the rain until then.

Stark awoke early and energetic prancing around wanting to go outside and play in the December snow. I let her out and she goes down the stairs hiding along the panels I covered the stair way with. She glides low under the fence line and around the apple tree. It’s leaves has left it bare to the beige bark.

“Only a little while, okay.” I tell her from the second story porch. She nods then dives into a large snow pile head first. Then pops out like a ground hog.

I don’t know if I am happy. I can’t remember how it feels, though I have been smile more frequently. John Stuart Mill once said “Ask yourself whether you are happy, and you cease to be so.” Of course he might not have been emotionally numb, so I’ll try not to dwell on the thought. Don’t want to jinx myself.

I enter the house to make breakfast. Veggie sausage, imitation eggs and steamed broccoli along with a side of biscuit. For her! I get something for me when I get some more groceries. Stark comes back in layered in snow flake dipping freezing water. I grab her a sweater - that was meant for a Doberman- and a towel. I dry her off ruffling her coat and mane. I put the sweater on her. Her head popping out of the turtle neck collar along with her wings stretching out of the two holes I slit in the back. She looks happy with a very bright smile from cheek to cheek.

“I smelled the sausage from outside and my stomach voiced its opinion.” She says.

“You eat, I got to go and get some groceries for the week. So, call me or text me if you need anything.” She bounces in place.

“Oh, oh! Mushroom steak and a side of mash potatoes and green beans.” She requests.

“Okay! Mushroom steak it is!” At least with the right seasonings, the mushroom can simulate the taste of meat.

“Yes!” She grins then trots to the kitchen.

I leave the house with a denim jacket and a Boston Red Socks baseball cap tucked closely to my brow I look up to the bleached white clouds solemnly drifting along.

Announced by all the trumpets of the sky, Arrives the snow, and, driving o’er the fields,

How poets and writer seem to see beyond the norm, rhythmically construction upon simple utters. I try to see like they do. Beyond and deeper than what is in front of you. Then I just say fuck it.

At a grocery store farther than where I live, shopping for preparations on future meals with a mythical pony from another world. Still sounds alien to me, feels strange on how I quickly accepted the concept.

I drop the mushroom steaks into the cart and carry on. I pick up some organic potatoes, organic whole milk, frozen cut green beans, and a stick of beef jerky for the road. Two men with shaved heads make eye contact with me and nod then stop.

One of them greets me.

“Hey don’t I know you?” He asks nudging the other man with a elbow.

“I don’t think so, I would remember.” I try to brush them off pushing the cart along. He stops it aggressively with a hand. The other man walks behind me.

“Yeah, we met briefly. Your friend shot me with a shock round.” He mutters and the other man jabs a small blunt object into the small of my back. I can safely assume that it’s a gun poking at me. “Why don’t you take a walk with us, keep your hands down and act calm. I don’t want you to make a scene.” The man behind me jabs harder.

They lead me out the grocery store and into a parked white van with no windows excluding the passenger, driver and windshield at the side of the parking lot fenced by a brick wall.

“How did you guys find me?” I ask them. One of them stands in front of me and bites his lip.

“We weren’t looking. You just popped out of nowhere. We were just here to get some snacks for the road and we find you. Baseball caps don’t help much kid. I remember you getting your face pummeled by Captain Emerson at the park and at stoic look you gave when you friend disarmed us and shot us.” His words trigger a memory.

“You were the one dancing like a epileptic monkey.” He looks enraged but he contains it after the van rocks with a bang.

“Get in the van!” He orders.

“I was told never to get in a van with strangers.” I reply.

“GET IN THE VAN!” He shout then looks around. Nobody near, no witnesses. “No one here to help you.”

“Yeah, but I just wanted to get you away from the public.” I tell them.

I move my hand to my back grabbing the gun by the barrel and my index finger cushioned behind the hair trigger not permitting him to fire a single round. I twist the gun back and the man’s arm in result. He falls to his knees groaning and grimacing. The other man tries to reach for me, but receives a kick in his stomach sending him back. He rolls and hits the wall with the back of his head then it drooped down.

I bring the remaining man’s head and hit it against the side door of the van. He drops motionlessly. I drag him to the wall scanning the parking lot and see no one. I turn out their pockets. Wallets with no IDs and fifty- nine dollars between them, prepaid cell phone and keys to what I’m guessing is to the van. I throw the other things at their feet. No wonder Dunney took out these guy easily.

I unlock the side door and open it.

“You darn sour varmints! Let me go or I’ll be madder rattl-“

I quickly close the side door and hit my head against it. Why another one!?

I rush in the van shutting the door and the pony bucks and pulls against her restraints bolted to the van’s floor and to the bulky collar snapped on her. I just stand with my arms crossed rubbing my temple as she continues to shout in a southern accent.

“You sorry looking yellow belly rat herder.” She bucks harder and angry. Her coat is wheat brown and her hair a dark brown with a needle spindle and some shears image on her flank.

“If you could calm down, and tell me what you need!” I try to talk over her, but she still rambles on.

“Let me out of-“ Before she finishes I grew to frustrated and broke the collar. The pieces fall at her sides, her jaw drops stunned. “Uh?” she mutters staring at the pieces.

“Better?” I ask.

“Yes?” She ducks her head. Fear.

“I’m not going to hurt you and I’m not with those other guys.” I reassure her.

“I can tell that now.” She tilt her head at me. “You seem awfully calm about meeting a talking pony.”

“I adapt quickly.”

I go to the wheel and feel under the dashboard. She stands next to me.

“What are you doing?” She asks.

“Looking for a tracer, these guys usually do.” I pull out a small cylindrical device and throw at the unconscious men. They don’t move a inch. “Okay, now we can leave.”

“You’re going to take me home?” Her eyes widen.

“Uh, I can’t take you to your world.” I respond.

“Misty.”

“Your world is called Misty?”

“No. You can take me to Misty! She’s probably scared still without me.” She water and shimmer.

“Your guardian?” I ask baffled.

“Yes, but she’s not a contract guardian.”

“Do you know where she lives?”

“In the Jersey side, 2378 Malcolm View, Suburbs.” She exclaims with authority. I pull out my phone and enter it to the GPS.

“You are going to answer some question.” I tell her.

She nods her head.

“My name is Taylor by the way.”

“Grey.” I pull out the parking lot and follow the GPS.

During the drive She tells me that she has been here in this world for a year. Her family that she has. A human family that loves her and accepts her. She’s not a pet, but a member. I never thought that there was a scenario like that. We have something in common. Accepted by strangers like a family member, only she still has hers’.

She describes how the men took her. They broke through the back and stormed the place for her. She ran as soon as she heard the glass on the sliding door break. She shakes sitting on the passenger seat.

“I was just glad that no one else was there and got hurt.” Tears stream down her cheek then wipes them off with her foreleg.

We are close to the house, but I don’t know how to bring her to the doorstep. I see a collection of trash and stop the van.

“This isn’t my house?” She states.

“I know, but we need to hide you.”

I lift a large heater box with Taylor finding balance within as I casually salter to the front door. Well, as casually you would hiding a talking pony in a box.

“You okay in there?” I whisper.

“Yeah, who knew I needed sea legs to hide in a box.”

I gently set the box down on the welcome mat then ring the doorbell and prepare for an awkward moment. A young woman with black silky hair and brown eyes puffy around the lids answers. She looks devastated and I talk out my ass.

“Hello mam, I have something in the box that needs a good home.” I open the box with Taylor sitting inside. The woman’s eyes lit up and Taylor jumps into open arm. A wave relief come over her as they both smile.

“Come in!” The woman quickly says and steps asides. She closes the door behind me and sets Taylor down then kneeling holding her close.

“What happened? The back was broken into and you were gone.” I guess that she is Misty.

Taylor tells her everything she told me. Misty then looks at me with confusion.

“And you are?” She asks me.

“The guy who saved her from the kidnappers.”

“Why, uh how?” She stammers.

“They’d tried to take me too.” I answer.

“What did they want with you?”

“I met them before in terms that were not peaceful. I thought that I was being careful on where I shopped. Bad luck I suppose.”

“If it wasn’t for your bad luck, I may have not seen Taylor ever again.” Her lips quiver as she runs her fingers through her hair.”

“What are you doing here?” I felt like I was caught stealing. I turn and see Miss Lawson with arms crossed and standing firm in the living room. I felt better with the two guys and the gun.

“What are you doing here?” She asks again harsher.

“He brought Taylor back. He saved her.” Misty answers for me.

Miss Lawson shook her head.

“Neither of you continue to talk. The situation is complicated enough as it is. I can’t have the both of you compromised.” Misty looks frighten, her breathing becomes rapid. “ Misty your family is in the den, go show them that Miss Taylor is safe.” Misty takes Taylor into the hallway closely looking at me with worry. They have a right to be, so should I.

“What the hell happened that got you involved?” Miss Lawson asks standing firm.

“I was grocery shopping and two men from Vision Guard saw me. They were part of the team that tried to capture Stark. They recognized me, cornered and pulled a gun. Escorted to the van with no witnesses, I subdued them then found the pony in the van which is parked outside with the tracer pulled.” I don’t think I forgot anything. She takes a few moments to digest my report with all its wealth.

“My men will take care of the van. Miss Taylor is goanna have to be moved. They could strike again with more unfavorable outcome. Miss Cortez is nineteen and will be allowed to accompany her…alone. If she is willing to leave.” She is cold but honest. They easily pulled a gun on me with no hesitation. They would react with their train manipulating every move further traumatizing the family.

Misty reenters the room wiping tears with a smile on her face.

“I just wanted to thank you so much for bringing back Taylor. I’m afraid that I don’t know your name?” She tells me.

“I can’t give it, but you’re welcome.” I reply trying not to choke on words. Her situation is complicated; unbeknownst to her the turmoil to come.

“Thank you anyway!” She says. A man in a black business suit enters and stands next to Miss Lawson.

“Agent Hitter will escort our guest to my office, as I need a word with you miss Cortez.” Miss Lawson places a hand on Misty’s shoulder and vanishes into a hallway.

Silent and lonely in the back of a car pondering upon Misty and Taylor, then Stark and myself. How everything seems so fragile. Scenario’s play in my head over and over like a movie with alternate ending: all bleak and dreadful. My mind goes to dark place and the anger courses. I struggle with it to calm. It Comes from a hungry pit growing and roaring. Stronger and stronger .My phone vibrates in my pocket; I pull it out and see a picture of Stark with an apple in her mouth skipping in snow. That instant, anger become placid and my mind clear. I don’t know what is happening to me. But it’s troubling that I fighting for control. I answer.

“Grey, are you okay? You were gone for so long and I got worried.” Stark panics and merge words into an utter.

“I’m fine, but there was a hold up.” I tell her.

“What, the store was held up?”

“No, I mean a delay.”

“Something happened?”

“Yup, I’ll explain later.” I say as the escort turns in a parking garage in Chelsea.

“We here!” He announced.

“I got to go and don’t do nothing crazy.” I tell Stark.

“Do you really have to tell me at this point?” She replies.

“I guess not.” I expect her not to do something I expect than what I want.

I hang up and follow the escort out the car and a parking level then in a elevator. He turns a key in the control and we go up so many levels awkwardly listening to the music playing through a speaker. He places his hands on his waist with his jacket pushed back unknowingly displaying his holstered gun with the strap unclipped. I thought of old habits. He doesn’t feel the pull.

He leads me into a hallway, then a lobby, then an enormous office spanning across the building and then into a courtyard several hundred feet into the air. I wonder how Miss Lawson’s resume is if she got this office, though I would think that most of her history is sealed not to disclose any vital information. I think that I am over my head here. For all I know , I could have made a deal the devil’s advocate and I’m being toyed with. Then again my paranoia could be more foe than friend right now.

I take a seat and wait a couple of minutes then I hear hooves trotting. A blue mare wearing glasses, her white mane flows around her pearl spiraled horn and a image of a book in a classic hardcover on her flank. She is a lot bigger than Stark is. She goes past my waist while Stark is under. She continues to the desk without a word. Her horn glows radiantly then object on the desk starts to shift and organize. Papers aligned, pens set aside neatly, and the lamp adjusted.

She glances at me from the corner of her eye. The objects on the desk stop moving. She flips her hair and turns to me.

“Miss Lawson will be here shortly.” She tells me with a smooth silky voice.

“You work here?” I asked.

“Yes, there are one hundred and thirty- nine other ponies staffed within Over Watch. I am Miss Lawson’s secretary. As I said Miss Lawson will be with you shortly.” She moves away to the door.

“Excuse me miss?” I stammer.

“Turner. Page Turner.” I should have guessed it. I sort of feel apologetic for her terrible name.

“Tuner.”

“Miss. Turner!” She corrects.

“Miss. Turner, why is there an image on your side?” She seems stunned for a brief moment.

“You are a guardian, aren’t you?”

“Yes, I am”

“And you don’t know what a cutie mark is? What’s your partners cutie mark looks like?” That’s something I had not realized until know. I think Taylor had one.

“She doesn’t have one.”

“Is she and earth pony, a unicorn, or a pegasus?” I didn’t know that there were classifications.

“Uh, She has wings and a horn, what do you call that?” She approaches me with a serious expression on her face.

“ She’s an alicorn? You are a guardian to an alicorn?”

“I’m sorry you have me at a loss.”

“Alicorns are not common in Equestria, let alone here. What’s her name?” She asks.

“Stark. Black coat, golden eyes and mane.” She look behind me and stands in attention.

“Miss Lawson, Welcome back.”

Miss Lawson stomps her stilettos on the marble from the courtyard then drops in her leather chair. She runs her hands over her face to the back of her head.

“You got here fast.” I break the brief silence.

“Helicopter. Page, cancel any previous appointments due to unforeseen events.” She sighs in frustration.

“Yes mam!” Page replies and leaves.

“You were right not to take me along. I hate heights. Your view of the city is not helping, I feel like the floor is slanted.” I tell Miss Lawson. I start to breathe hard thinking about heights.

“I thought you would be glad to know that Miss Cortez agreed to stay with Taylor, after some tears were shed. She is already place in protective custody.” She look away. She is able to place people in protective. I thought only the government could that. “Tell me about yourself Mr. Grey.” She asks.

“You have my records.” She pulls a file out from a desk drawer then opens it and starts to read.

“There are a lot of gasps in them. You most recent caretakers Sarah and Miles Sato. Asian I presume.”

“Miles was Asian, Sarah was Irish.” I tell her.

“Mr. Sato was a multi martial arts instructor. Karate, taekwondo, and boxing. Did he teach you.” She probes.

“Yeah, he always taught more of Jeet kune do. The philosophy, not the style. React while your opponent is acting. Straight forward style, formless like running water. Be like water. Punch beyond your opponent. Still don’t get it though.”

“Yes, and Miss Sato was a music teacher and a theater instructor. I guessing you learn from her as well.”

“Yes, I did.”

“So you can fight and break into song.” She remarks.

“You’d be surprised on how accurate that is.” Like a kung fu Jean Kelly. I try not to be embarrassed, but it’s hard hide with a lite complexion.

“The other records are…sketchy.” She skims through papers. “Please fill me in.” She is asking too much right now.

“I would rather not.”

“Mr. Grey, you don’t really have a choice right now.”

“OR WHAT, YOU”LL TAKE STARK AWAY? YOU CAN TRY!” I shout trembling at the edge of my seat, but my words aren’t hollow.

“Mr. Grey I just need some information about you.” She needs to shut up right now.

“What do you want me to say. I grew up through foster care with caretakers who didn’t give two shits about me. I fought with other kids and I got beaten by the caretakers. Several time I went without eating or force to sleep in a closet locked from the other side. So I ran away. Lived in alleys with hobos who gave more concern; they drank and slept where they fell, but they were more caretakers than the foster parents.

I learned to live off the streets as a pick pocket and a petty thief. Always run, run or go back into the system. I was homeless, but happy. Slept in cardboard box in the snow, in the rain with the stench of rotting garbage. Wash yourself in a public restroom with a torn up sock.” I was a young criminal learning the ropes. I don’t tell her how I learned to steal or who taught me. She doesn’t need to know about all of my checkered past or who I ran with. Miss Lawson looks at the file then back to me.

“Weren’t that skilled in stealing were you?” Miss Lawson gives a smug look that I hate.

“What makes you say that?”

“You caught stealing a wallet from a police officer.” She says.

I pull the 9mm black berretta I took off the agent that escorted to me from the small of my back and place it on her desk. Her smug expression disappears.

“That’s not mine; it belongs to my escort Mr. Hitter. I don’t like guns or them around me and don’t worry.” I dig into my pocket and take out the bullets let them drop on her desk. “It’s not loaded.”

“I retract my previous statement”

“The cop who’s wallet I stole was blabbering about on how big his Christmas bonus was. The cop was cocky and loud when he was talking to another officer in a convenient store. He was going to pay for his coffee and couldn’t find his wallet and I ran out the door. I was not looking while running so I was knocked down by a man. And that was the first time I met Miles. I was eleven . He intervened when I was processed in the precinct. He was given guardianship over me later on. He was the first person that fought for me.

He died saving a couple from a robbery and Sarah died from an inoperable tumor in her temporal lobe. A hemorrhage killed her in her sleep, but I’m pretty sure that that is in the file. I miss anything please ask cause this is not bring up any painful memories.” The past always finds you. You can run and hide but you might as well hide from a shadow.

“I am sorry Mr. Grey for bringing up harsh memories.” She apologizes.

“You the one who poked around.” I look out the window into the city tinted blue. “You can tell me what you really wanted me here for, or was this just for the pleasant conversation.”

“I was aware of the circumstances on how your caretaker Miles pasted. His assailant was found in an alley: dead.” She tell me as the air just got colder.

Bad memories come rushing in. The dark wet alley, a man’s face blacked and bruised. On his knees sodding as blood and snot oozed out of his nose. Someone handed me a wooden bat worn and top heavy.

“The questions about you was just a formality. A brief history of you per say. I didn’t expect that you faced such adversity. I have not come across anyone with that type of background before.” She says bring me back outside my mind.

“Not everyone’s life is painted in pretty neon colors. All dark painting can do is look at the beautiful ones in envy and sulk in themselves. I prefer the sulking.” I respond.

“Mr. Grey, I called you to this office to inform you that there are several guardians and partners have been taken from each other. The numbers of missing has risen. Not by us, but by what we believe is Vision Guard Security taking initiative.” She admits.

“Do you trust your people?” I interrogate.

“If I didn’t, they wouldn’t be here.”

“Clearly you have a mole or a leak. Information on the whereabouts of other guardians is sealed as you once told me. And fraternization is strictly prohibited.” Information is not just stumbles upon. It’s given.

“There is another variable in the matter. A small group of guardians with their creatures which stands outside of Over Watch. A majority of the recent abductions were introduced to them shortly before the kidnappings, including Miss Cortez. As long they do not accept our aid, we cannot intervene and we have no definitive proof that they are involved. They believe that we are the same as Vision Guard.”

“You’re not the same, just two side of the same coin. Both of you are an organization. Organizations mean to some is to conform and they want to rebel against or you pose a threat to what they have.” I reply.

“And what is it exactly that they have?”

“Their partners. They don’t want to part. If all guardians have the same motivation, then we all want to protect our partners.” She closes the file and rests in her seat and bites her bottom lip.

“How are you and young Stark faring?” She asks.

“Fine. She seems happy and she has learned a lot, fast! She is also formidable in Scrabble.” I remember her laying down the tiles spelling COLONIC on a triple word score. I am very thankful that she doesn’t know what it means.

“How have you been?”

“Like I said fine. Why are you persistent?”

“How did you become a guardian?”

“Stark stabbed her horn to my chest and there was a light. In my chest , not at the end of a tunnel” Her jaw drops and her eyes widen send me into alarm.

“That not the usual method. In all other cases the guardian places a hand on the ponies cutie mark on their flank.” So Stark winged it and stabbed me. “A health report on your partner says that she does not have a cutie mark?”

“No, she doesn’t.”

“What if the contract didn’t work?” I think of myself lying on the ground at the apartment complex motionless with Stark poking me with a hoof.

“I think she would have been traumatized.” I answer.

“I would agree. The reason I ask is because some guardians have trouble with the contract. They can gain traits and attributes of the partners. Even personalities can become similar. We never encountered a unicorn pegasus, or know what to call them, nor do we know about the side effects of a contract with one nor the stabbings with a horn.” She says so casually. She’s like a doctor with robotic bedside manners. You’re not going to make it so I need you took the other way as I put you down.

I don’t tell her about the violent nightmares constantly visiting. Sleepless nights staring into nothing to avoid them; I don’t feel like myself. Can this be from the contract with Stark? Then there came a rapping, tapping at the window behind Miss Lawson. Stark in her sweater hovering with wings flapping staring at me vexed as she taps on the window with her hoof as if she was on cue.

“Can I come in! It’s Cold out here!” Her yells are muffled through thick glass. I turn to Miss Lawson rubbing her temples.

“Guide her to the courtyard before she reveals everything I have worked for to hide!” She points at the glass entrance across the building.

I run to the entrance. I expected that she would do the unexpected. The entrance doors automatically opens and Stark lands on the floor approaching me sternly with her eyes sharp.

“Can’t ever be happy to see me?” I ask her, but her expression doesn’t change.

“I am happy to see you, I’m just mad at you. You had me worried, you were gone and I was bored! I did chores, but with magic that only lasted about seven minutes. And on another note, I finished the apples. So, I told you my day.” She pouts.

“Went to the store, two men from Vision Guard jumped me and took me to a van where I beat them up and found a other pony, I took her home met, Miss Lawson there, then Miss Lawson sent me here. You know, the usual.” She shakes her head.

“And you are worried that I might get in trouble.” She comments.

“Come on, I pretty sure that Miss Lawson what’s to see you.”

Stark and I walk to the desk hearing our echoed foot step on the marble. I take a glance at Stark’s flank not seeing a cutie mark. I’m not even aware how they get them. Infection?

We take a seat on the chairs and there is a silence.

"As I was telling your guardian Miss Stark, is that you both need to keep a low profile.” Stark and I take a glance at each other then look down. She runs her hand over her head again. “Why do I feel like I’m taking to brick walls. You both can leave. Miss Stark.” Stark sits in attention in her chair. “I trust you can take to the skies without changing the weather and staying below the radar as we escort Mr. Grey back to his home.” Stark nod her head at Miss Lawson nervously.

“Y-yes mam!” Stark politely replies.

I walk Stark back to the courtyard.

“What you guys talk about?” She whispers carefully looking back at Miss Lawson.

“Ponies are going missing. Most of them met a group of guardians with their partners and later on they were taken. The pony I saved was being taken by Vision Guard, I thought there might be a mole in Over Watch feed info to them.” I answer as we pass the entrance.

“Maybe there is a mole in the group?” I am stunned by her assumption.

“That…makes sense. When did you become a detective?”

“I’ve been reading you detective comics. The class dame walks into a rough edge private investigator and coyly asks for aid on a missing family member. I love it! The gangsters are so cool!” She is starting to frighten me as she becomes hyped.

“You have been read the ones with the big E on it, right?” I ask.

“Yes, I know, some things are too mature for me, but I want to read something by James Elroy. L.A Confidential is highly praised on the internet and I have read that he is one of the best crime writers plus I have been very good! Doing chores, keeping quiet, being stealthy.” She rocks in place eagerly.

“No! That is way beyond mature! It’s twisted.”

“That makes me want to read it more!” She pouts and steps a few feet back. “We’ll talk about this later! But first!” Her horn flash for a moment then she take off to the cloud with a roar becoming distant. I gotten use to the gust blowing against me, but what was the flash for?

“Mr. Grey? Are you ready.” The agent from before stand behind me with a hand crossed. “Oh, yeah. Miss Lawson gave me my gun back and that I have you to thank for that!” He remarks.

“Keep your holster clipped next time.”

I reenter the previous car again taking in silence. It starts to lightly snow as the agent exit the parking garage.

The day turns into a mess. Guardians and partners endanger of being taken including Stark and myself. I don’t know what happens to you after Vision Guard captures you. Do we disappear? Are experimented on? Any horrors that comes to mind can be over shadowed by the actual experience. The unknown can be overwhelmingly fearful. I can’t let paranoia turn against me.

“Hello!? Can you hear me?” A voice forces its way into my head send and pulsating pain through my brain. Like a bullet microscopically traveling between grey matter. “ Hello?” My nose starts to bleed.

“What the hell?” I reply within my own head.

“Oh! Sorry! I forgot it hurts the first time you communicate through telepathy. You’ll adapt.” The voice says.

“Stark?” I make sure not to alert the agent driving.

“Yup, I thought you would like to consult on what is happening.” I wipe off the blood with my jacket sleeve and the headache softens.

“Next time try not to kill me or blow up my head.” The nose bleed stops and the agent see me through the rear view mirror.

“You okay?” He asks.

“Yeah, caffeine withdraw. Though I would prefer a ivy drip.” I reply and his eyes focus on the road.

“Sorry about the pain, but we can use telepathy as a silent com link. Like psych spies.” Stark says amused.

“Why didn’t you establish the link before?” I ask.

“I was making sure that your head wouldn’t explode. It didn’t. That’s a good thing!” My eyes widen.

“And you just tested it on me?”

“I test on some apples first. You and I have a connection through the contract , and the apple didn’t. On another note, we have a large supply of apple sauce at home!” She stabbed me in the chest with her horn then she moves my brain around.

“Where are you?” I ask her.

“Right above you. Don’t worry, no one can see me. So, what is our next move?” She asks.

“Next move? We hide out at home, that is our next move. And ordering some take out. ”

“Ponies are missing, taken away scared and confused to a secrete lab somewhere.” Her tone is now saddened.

“Look Stark that is not the smart thing to do. We would endanger ourselves.” Please listen.

“The smart thing is not always the right thing to do, Besides, I could have been one of those ponies. Scared and alone. I thought I was never going to see you again.” She bring that card onto the table. Her words twist my arm.

“Stark… I don’t. I wouldn’t know where to start.” I give in because she won’t. The car stops a few blocks away from the house.

“This is as close as I should go.” The agent says.

I get out the car and the agent rolls down his window.

“Here, Misty Cortez wanted to speak with you.” He hands me a cellphone to me and I take it unsure of what to do. “It’s only good for one call then it will fry the circuits. The number is already programed and it is on a secure line.” He drives off and I know what he means by secure line. It’s monitored.

“Stark, you still there?” I mentally call out.

“Yeah, I just landed at the house.”

“I found a lead.”

I go to a pharmacy close by and buy a phone identical to the one the agent gave me. It was a grossly overpriced, but I necessity requires sacrifice. I head home fast. Got through the gate and ran up the stairs. I open the door and shut it quickly.

“What’s your lead?” Stark runs up to me eager to help.

“I need to get to my computer. The agent gave me a phone to contact the girl whose pony I saved. She wanted to speak to me.”

“What? I thought you had a lead. Why do you want to talk to a girl?!” She became aggressive for a moment.

“She met the guardian group. I can ask her about them. The phone is only good for one call then it’ll fry, but I can transfer the SIMs card to another identical phone cutting out the cell towers and using a cell line through the internet. It’s going to take some time though.” I went over her head and she becomes stoic.

“Okay, I’ll just take you word on it. How do you know how to do this?” She ask circling around me as I take a seat on the computer desk in the corner of the living room. I can’t tell her I took stolen phones and flashed them, monitor them through a separate phone, hack, and repurpose them. I did anything to pay for Sarah’s treatments at those times. I was thankful that Dunney’s friend gave me the software, after I reprogramed fifty phones. Even after I was under Miles and Sarah’s care, I was stealing cars and selling to chop shops with Dunney as the negotiator.

“I read book about how to do it. Idiot’s guide to hacking phones.” I wish that book was real, it would have helped back then.

I take apart the phone that the agent gave me then hook it up to the SIM card reader, and start a scan picking up and abnormal security restriction and rewrite them. I open the new phone and plug it in. Stark fidgets in the background impatiently. The SIM card finishes and I place it in the new phone. I turn it on waiting for the SIM to read. The phone starts up normally. It syncs to my WI-FI I have set up that changes IP addresses every day. It’ll hook up to any WI-FI despite the WEP keys that protect it. Though it’ll just work in theory. The phone might still fry, but be unmonitored

I try to focus on the screen but my vision is dissolved and faded. Words blur to meaningless blobs then my eyes start to burn. I need to rest, but I can’t. Not now at least.

“Did you get it!” Stark pops up behind me making me scream in a way that is embarrassing.

“Why would you do that!” I ask catching my breath. “Why are you so hell bent for this?”

“I don’t want anyone to be hurt anymore.” She gives a partial answer. I’m too tired to make sense of it or even to tell her that it’s noble thought, but naïve. I guess we both are a bit naïve.

“Okay, but you need to keep quite.” She moves a hoof over her mouth zipping her lips.

I press call on the programed number. It rings a few time and I try to think of what to say.

“Hello?” A young women’s voice answers.

“Misty? Uh, it’s Grey. An agent told me that you wanted to speak to me and don’t worry about the phone being traced or monitored. I took care of it.” I tell her.

“How did you?”

“Long and boring process. How is Taylor?”

“She is a bit depressed, Over Watch moved us to a hotel. There are two men next door keeping an eye on us. We are going to be moved out of the city in the morning.” I hear the despair in her voice. “ Taylor is so down, she has been altering her jacket for a while now.”

“So, Taylor is a tailor?” The irony.

“A good one at that.” She replies. Stark leers at me in anger.

“Making idol conversation?” Stark remarks.

“I wanted to ask you about the group of guardians that you met, before… well, you know.” I resume the conversation with Misty.

“You should avoid them. I don’t want you to go missing.” Misty says my exact worries, but Stark has something moving her motives.

“I don’t plan too, I just need to find them. No plan to interact with them either.” I assure her, but I lie about any plan.

“Are you really sure?” She asks me if I want the blue pill and stay in bliss.

“Yes, I really am.” I take the red pill and jump in the rabbit hole.

“They hang around a warehouse in the Manhattan side of the Chauncey Street platform on Broadway. I think it was a old shoe company.” She says and I give Stark a thumbs up. She nods back with a smirk. “Can I ask you something?”

“Yeah. Go ahead.” I respond.

“Are you a guardian?” She ask.

“Yes, I am.” I can give her that much. “To a winged unicorn apparently.”

“An alicorn?” She replies.

“Yeah, I’m not too familiar with mythical creatures and lore. I heard it said before though.” By Page Turner.

“Are we going to be able to keep in contact, you know like meet?” She asks.

“I don’t think we should. We’ll attract attention, Vision Guard employees has seen my face and I don’t think that they are soon to forget me. And personally I think you’re better off not knowing me.”

“It’s good to know that I’m not the only one going through a rough patch. I wish you luck, better luck than I have. Goodbye!” Her voice trembles before the click. The phone starts to spark, I drop it on the floor. It burst with light jolting out. I know she feels alone right now, but there is nothing I could do that would help her and not hinder me.

Stark sits on the floor next to me as I look at the floor boards.

“Everything okay?” She asks.

“No.” I look at her and she tilts her head. “You have to tell me the real reason that you want me to find the guardians.”

“What do you mean?”

“Every night you fly off in different directions and the first time you flew off you said that you were searching for too long.” Her eyes become distant as she looks away. “ I know what I’m getting myself into, I just need to know why?”

She becomes uncomfortable but she need to tell me why is she really adamant about finding the reason of the abductions.

“I had friend, he was with before I vanished from Equestria. I’d thought he’d be in this world when I found myself here. I didn’t think that this place was so massive.” She says looking down.

“You just been looking for your friend? You could have told me this earlier.”

“Between Vision Guard kidnapping me, and the protection of Over Watch. There wasn’t a moment where I could tell you. You’ve been burdened by me enough. I hoped the he found someone to care for him, like I did.”

“What’s he look like.?”

“White coat with a black patch over his right eye. Brown mane and brown eyes. He’s also smaller than me. His name is Ozymandias, he’s an earth pony.” That blue pony at Over Watch mentioned earth ponies. I guess that they are the ones without wings or horns.

“I wouldn’t know what to do? If he came to this world, He might have found someone to take care of him. I could ask someone at Over Watch, but that’s all I can do.” All my strength and I’m still powerless.

“Thank you Grey.” She gives me a painful smile and then walks to the cot with her head down. She hops on the mattress and slides under the covers. I wish I could hide from this like I did from anything else. Cops, the system, Vision Guard, people, but I can’t hide from her. I grew up in the shadows and the gutters alone. She is a cramp in my style that I want to keep safe. She forces me to feel,. I’m becoming a person and I blame her for that.

I don’t order out after all. Stark just went to sleep glum. I cover her with a sheet on the cot and grab the chair under the computer desk setting next to the her. I sit and think about overwhelming detail of the day, but my eyes are tired and dry. I’ll just close them for a moment.

*****

Ashes crumble under my feet as I walk through a brunt forest with trees charred. The air is stale and humid. Black flakes start to fall like snow around me and a rustle comes from behind. I am afraid to turn but I’m not in control. I quiver seeing the black figure up close. Slender and tall with no feature, just ink black with burning red eyes staring into mine.

It grabs me by the throat pinning me to a tree. It moves it’s face closer and snorts. I can’t breathe or move.

“Born with chaos and anger. We found you host!” It chokes out with no mouth then I feel a snap on my neck.

*****

I gasp breathing in thin air as wind blows intensely against me. I don’t feel anything else. Staring at the moon is a surprise as the wind flaps against my clothes. I met the stars and clouds. Another dream?

I turn around facing the city far below. Orange and yellow lights that brightens the night life become miniscule dots in the back ground. Defiantly different dream. I start to realize that I’m not asleep when I see Stark falling as well. Further from me and not moving!

The air is thin, not much to breathe. I flail in the air trying to maneuver to her but causes me to spin forward out of control. I spread my limbs stopping the flips but slows me down. I bring my arms to my side and put my feet together. I start to tilt downward accelerating faster and faster. The strong freezing winds numb my face as I dive to her. Growing closer I reach out fighting the wind for stability. She is unconscious. I try to yell out but I can’t even hear myself.

I grab a hoof and she wakes in a fright. A hear a metallic zoom nearing. A airliner births from the clouds directly under us and too close. I pull Stark to me holding her in my arm. I turn around again facing the night sky bracing for impact. I don’t see what I hit, I just know I roll off it quickly spinning us midair dazed. I feel nothing again. I don’t even feel my grip on Stark. I’m trapped in my own body thousands of feet in the air. A great way to wake up.

A vice curls around me tightly. I peer down seeing Stark with her eyes shut tight and her head against my chest with her horn glowing. I’m blinded by the flash and I feel a other solid hit.

*****

Bright warming light shines over me . My body feels stiff and heavy with overbearing pain, yet rested. Nudges on my side causes me to groan in pain.

“You okay?” Stark asks standing over me with her mane brushing against my face. I try to lift myself up from a crater of broken floor boards but remain.

“Rrghh. What the hell happened?”

“Well, that’s still up for debate.” She looks up at the holes directly over head of us that are through the roof and the second floor. “At least we are in our own home. It would have been awkward if we landed elsewhere. How are you feeling?”

“I’m not paralyzed because everything below the neck hurts and maybe in some internal bleeding, other than that I’m peachy!” I respond.

“I couldn’t understand you through the sarcasm.”

“I am fine. I’m just goanna lie here for a moment.” As messed up as it is, this has been the only rest I’ve gotten in a while. Stark lays next to me discontented, curled up and nudging against me to grow closer. It hurts, but I don’t mind. I just scream in my head.

*****

I find comfort in familiar things. The sound of a hammer pounding on a 2x6 with standard roofer nails replacing the broken lumber. I should break parts of the house just to find peace in fixing it.

“Hey, don’t forget to make sure that the support is sturdy so that next time you land on the roof, you’d just roll off instead of going through.” Dunney says bring up more lumber to the roof. He has a black eye and a couple of welts and bruises around his face. He must have had a fight last night. The Reptile in the octagon in a raid warehouse by a pier. He gained that nick name for being cold blooded in the cage. His chipper, so he must have won the bout.

“It’s strong enough. I’m thinking of breaking the foundation if you up for the repair?” I reply.

“You’d be better of testing outlets with a screwdriver.” He places the 2x6s aside. “So.”

“So?”

“You goanna tell me why you went through the roof in the first place?” He asks taking a seat at the edge of the hole.

“I really don’t know?” I just keep to my work.

“Then can you tell me why Stark looks distant?” I put down the hammer.

“I woke up around of a couple thousands of feet in the night air free falling.” He bobs is head back with wide eyes.

“And you survived?”

“No broken bones, just a heavy dose of agony. I think Stark teleported us up there in her sleep and brought us back directly over the house with me playing human shield.”

“Guess it was too much for you to land somewhere else? Couldn’t Stark just fix this in a instant.” He shrugs his shoulders.

“She-She doesn’t want to use her magic. She’s afraid of what might go wrong.”

“Can’t be helped, so back to work! After this we should bring her out of her little emotional rut.”

It took a couple of hours for us to fix the roof. Luckily the damage was simple, but the second floor hole in the kitchen and the crater under that.

Dunney tries to cheer up Stark, but ceases when he notices that it’s a lot more complicated for antics to solve. She wallows in her room now lying in bed. It could be because her friend or that she almost killed us. Robotic compassion could worsen her state, should I even speak?

I see Dunney out the back of the house and he stops looking at the apple tree.

“You know Sarah always wanted a garden back here, but she was occupied by the drama classes. Miles wanted to surprise her with a flour bed. He planted it in winter and it died faster than a fly.” Dunney says while he stares into but beyond the backyard.

“I remember he told me that and he wanted to try again. After the funeral.” I wish I couldn’t feel right now.

“I’m sure that they would have been proud of you. You helped that couple’s little girl and so many other things atop of that.” He brings up little Ellen. Her body started to turn against her, as young as she was it wasn’t remotely fair. Smiles through weary eyes due to KIMO therapy. I’ll make time for her. “You been training, cause that strength can only get you so far?”

“A little. By the way, what up with the face?” I gestured to his face.

“The underground. Won a fight and the purse. Keeps me sharp. Why don’t you show me what you got?” He puts up his hands. “I don’t I need to hold back.” I put my hands up even though I’m sore from the fall.

I move in with a quick jab. He blocks it with one hand and hits me with the other in the face. I retaliate with a round house kick. He does the same but bends his leg griping mine and brings me down to my knees. I turn my body and kick at him upward with the free leg, but he rolls away.

“You’re acting, not reacting!” He chastises me as I’m baffled that he can go around my strength.

I get up and jump in the air with my knee kicking, he blocks it with a palm send me back down landing on my hands and recover with a front flip. I throw punches and he block as if he sees them coming in advance. I am just as fast as he is and as three times stronger, but I can’t compare to his style. He spins and kicks with his heel about to hit my face then it freezes a few inches away.

“You strength made you lazy.” He lowers his foot again disappointed on my fighting. “Power isn’t everything buddy. By relying on you new strength, you put yourself in danger!”

“I’ll be fine, I always come through.” I respond.

“No, you won’t be fine! You always get in trouble and one mess up and I won’t see you again.” He steps in front of me. “By putting yourself in danger, you put Stark in danger.” I can’t look at him. He opens the gate. “Get better. I don’t want to lose another friend! And get some sleep, you look like a Tim Burton character.” He tosses me the lock and leaves.

I still feel weak. I am weak…And insulted!

I set the lock and return inside the house. I do the same as Stark and take comfort in my cot sleeping away the distasteful emotions.

****

Screams cry out through the dark from all directions. They grow and fade like a tide. I don’t want this again.

“GREY!” I hear Stark, but I can’t move. I fell my body. I try to call out but there is no air. “GREY!” I can’t breathe. “GREY!” I’m sorry.

I wake up catching my breath as my heart races. I jump of the bed and run to Stark’s room to find her still curled up under the covers. I sit on the floor by the bed and stare at the moonlit window with burning eyes. I can’t sleep no matter how much I want to. Those dreams won’t leave. I can’t understand them. I’m too tired to try.

“Mr. Grey?” I look to my side and see Page up close poking her head out the threshold. I fall back as my hands muffled my scream. I pant through my palms. Why does every pony do this to me!

Page looks at Stark then bite the ankle of my pants and drags me out the room. She gently shuts the door with her magic. I’m still on the floor trying to calm down my heart.

“You alright Mr. Grey?” She asks looking down at me.

“Yeah. Just three things. Why are you here? How you did you get here? And why did you scare the shit out of me: figuratively speaking!”

“That how you treat a guest Mr. Grey?”

“It’s just Grey, don’t be formal and you’re not a guest, you’re an intruder! Why are you here?” She lowers her head closer meeting mine face to face with her eyes sharp.

“Don’t get snippy with me Grey!”

“I’m rude and kind of an ass, get used to it!” I snap back. She lifts her head up and enters the living room looking around.

“Are you this nice to your partner?”

I get off the floor. “No, I actually a lot nicer to Stark, because her! I like!” She rolls her eyes. “I know what you are thinking. ‘This is abode appalling and horrific.”

“No, just that it’s…humble.” Nice way of sugar coating. “And using appalling and horrific to describe a subject is redundant,” I loathe her.

“Just, stay away from the large hole in the kitchen.” She raises a brow.

“Noted!” She continues to browse around. “Usually a unicorn can become an alicorn in rare occasions but your partner is young. That is I was not expecting.”

“I wasn’t expecting you, so if you would?”

“Yes, I thought she would be a familiar alicorn, but she is so small.”

“I kind of noticed that when I saw you.”

“What are you implying?” Poor choice of word on my part, but I find no point in remedying the slipped phrase .

“Your older than her. How much older? Well that depends on how much you want to lie about your age?” She looks pissed off.

“I’m twenty four!” She comments in a harsh tone. “Carrying on, I peeked in your file. Vision Guard did a lot to peruse you.”

“Peeked? You peeked in my file? I’m guessing that you weren’t suppose too and that you are here on your own accord.”

“You perception is quite astonishing despite you personality.” She steps closer to me. “Vision Guard put a lot of effort in trying to capture your partner.”

“They did at one point. Luckily Stark had my phone and I was able to track it.” Finding her was easy, getting out with her is the part that almost killed me. Didn’t mind at the time, Don’t mind it now.

“I read the report. Though, I meant after what happened at the apartment complex. They continue find any information regarding a black alicorn, your partner I can safely assume.”

“Did Over Watch infiltrate Vision Guard?”

“If it were only that easy. Vision Guard is a conglomerate that has a screening process like much like ours. We have agents, but they recruit all branches of military, including the Agency.” Privatized security companies tend to do that. Very threating to go against people who are highly trained to take in information and survive the battle field. Soldiers and marines are not to be trifled with, let alone ex-CIA. “Over Watch agents intercepted transmissions of an intense search for weather anomalies along with monitoring stations in safe houses. Basic cellular chatter, but the agent did catch a mention of the word ‘alicorn’. And a very recent interception of two field agents who’s vehicle was stolen by a previous acquaintance. We are lucky to even get that.”

“So, Vision Guard is looking for Stark?”

“They seem determined. Not all of Vision Guard is after Stark, just a small percentage of the company. Most of the company’s combat employees are stationed at Afghanistan, Iraq, Rwanda, and small cells in the Ukraine.” I faced a small percent! What does it take to get there full attention? Wait I don’t want to find out.

“Does Over Watch have any special protection for alicorns?”

“Over Watch does not know about alicorns. Their potential for power is too great for humans to know about. I am Over Watch’s main consultant on Equestria. I have left out the existence of alicorns, though I am fortunate that they have not learned about them through other means. Over Watch just thinks that the word alicorn is a code word. ” I can’t blame her. Humanity has not had a single moment of peace since we became cognitive. Wars escalated to global heights. We are violent by nature, primal instinct and all. Vision Guard has a prime select of the violently skilled.

“Private Security can are not supposed to operate with their own missions. That has to be with a government contract or a private company.” I tell her as Dunney explained to me stories of hired escorts for high risk missions. Mercenaries, wild dogs with a nylon line leash. As people say. Shit just got real.

“Nonetheless, there are after ponies. I do not know for what purpose. Assigning a guardian has to be consented by the initiator.”

“What if they get both the guardian and the partner?”

“That is also unknown, In a more bleak situation is to do away with the guardian, severing the contract.” As I thought, They would have to kill me to get to Stark. “That is why I’m here to implore you to be very careful in public appearances. You can be traced back to Stark. Usually where there is one, there is the other.”

“Why has Miss Lawson not informed me about the transmissions?” I ask.

“I can’t answer for her.”

“Thank you for telling me that I’m royally screwed and leaving more questions than answers. You have been a great help, now if you would excuse me. I’m going to overdoes on some Xanax.”

“Do you take everything like a joke.” She looks me in the eye infuriated.

“Just the really serious stuff. Now, if you would be so kind to leave.”

“Very well.” She steps away fixing her glasses. “Please for her sake, don’t attract attention.”

That is going to be hard to hide from a spotlight and blood hounds. Knowing me, I would do a dance number.

Page lifts her head and her horns starts to illuminate a sky blue aura. Then I remember something.

“Wait!” I shout. Her horn stops glowing and she turns to me. “Do you know a ponies named Ozymandias. Young white earth pony with a black patch over his right eye, Brown mane and eyes.”

“Why do you ask?”

“He’s a friend of Stark. She believed that he came here the same time she did.”

“I can conduct a search through our data base, but that’s all I can do.” She says in a warmer tone.

“Thank you, Miss Turner.”

Her horn flashes and a scrap of parchment glides through the air to me. I grab.

“What’s this?” I ask.

“My contact number. You can reach me anytime, though I may not arrive just as quick.”

Light envelopes her then dissipates. She vanishes leaving only me a little less pissed off. I would imagine that is how Stark unconsciously teleported us.

I know now why people drink. They avoid personal problems reaching the end of a bottle, except I don’t have any vices to avoid my situation. I gave up smoking or forced ot give it up for physical training. There was sleep, but that’s put of the question. I been awake for so long, dust build over my eyes every night.

I shamble to my cot and fall in it bouncing. I stare at the ceiling attempting to sleep with my eyes open. I try not to think any more. Hushing my inner monologue.

*****

I make Stark some oatmeal with apples, raisins, chopped almonds, mixed with some tasteless soy protein power, and a glass of orange juice. I just have a cup of coffee, the only form of substance I had lately.

Stark walks in the kitchen with her hooves dragging and her eyes in tired slits. She glances at the hole in the corner and continues to the table. She takes her seat groggy trying to see what’s in the bowl I laid out for her. She falls face first into the bowl then she becomes suddenly still.

“It’s delicious!” She says through the muffle of the bowl.

She raises her head with some oatmeal over her muzzle. I go over and wipe he mouth with a paper towel and side my large cup of coffee.

“Drink some, you’ll wake up.” I tell her.

She put the cup between her hooves and sips a little bit and I return to my seat. Then some more, then more. Her eyes open wide and her appetite awakes as well. She digs in the oatmeal and drinks the orange juice in one go. She pauses and looks away then back at me.

“There is something I been meaning to ask you? In Dracula, he was supposed to be the maker of all vampires, but the real Dracula (Vlad the Impaler) was not a vampire, but a prince who sent the severed ears and noses of his enemies back to their commander. Elizabeth Báthory had more of a vampiric history. And Physiognomy what is that?” She spoke very fast and her expressions did the same.

“It’s the study of a person’s character through facial expression. Basic psychology, but difficult to practice without training.”

“Oh, oh, oh! So behind every facial expressionisanemotionthatwhenreadyoucanbasicallyreadminds!” Her word blend together to a point where she is speaking an alien language. I put my hand out to signal for her to stop, but she just kept rambling on. I believe that I made a mistake.

“Stark.” She continues. “Stark.” More gibberish. “Stark!” She finally stops looking confused.”

“Yes?” I start drag the coffee back to me, then Start places a hoof over the cup. “You can’t have it, I need it.” She states. Before I can react the gulps down the entire cup and my eyes widen in fear! She swiftly places the cup down and puts her hand to her sides. “I need to go! I’m going to try to finish multiple books!” She zips out of the kitchen like a cartoon roadrunner.

I make myself another cup of coffee. At least she is not depressed, then again is might catch on fire due to rapid movement and particles causing friction. Luckily I keep a fire extinguisher under the sink.

I clean up the dishes and enter the living room to find Stark lying on the floor with her face buried in an open book. I stand next to her notice the words set the wrong way.

“That’s two down! Eight more to go!” She says through the book.

“How the book?” I ask.

“It’s great! Mind boggling!”

“Just so you know the book is upside down.”

“I like a challenge!”

I lay down on my back next to Stark. She turns her head to me.

“I need more coffee.” She pouts with her lower lip jutting out.

“Only enough for two cups. Sorry!”

“Oh well. Two books are good enough for today.” She closes her eyes and doesn’t open them, she only softly breathes. I envy her. She can sleep. My night terrors are a subconscious reaction to my daily life or recent trauma. Every one there is an extension of me. Events become visual metaphors towards an inner conflict. I must be really fucked up then!

“Hey Grey?” Stark says with a yawn. “Are we going to confront the group?”

“I don’t know. There are a lot of things against us.” Vision Guard search for Stark raises so many alarms, I afraid to go out. As long as I look like me, I can lead anyone who can trail me to her. As long as I look like me?

I get up from the floor quickly and head to the bed room.

“Where are you going.” Stark asks.

“To change.”

I enter the bathroom and place my hand on the sink as I stare at myself in a dirty mirror remembering how I looked. Sky blue eyes, small chin and soft jaw line. Can’t change those features, So, I look at my ink black hair hanging over my brow. I take out the scissors from the counter drawer and some peroxide that Sarah had in hand just in case she didn’t like her hair, right next to a bunch of moldy towels that I didn’t know that existed. I know I haven’t touched their thing, but I can see now I really need to consider on cleaning up. I think the towels are breathing?

I start cutting my hair in random clumps. I hear hooves stepping closer behind me.

“Okay, what are you doing.” Stark questions.

“Trying a new look.” I turn to her displaying my new hairdo.

“Now I know what ‘insane’ looks like” She comments. I look back in the mirror. I look like punk band member that escape from a mental facility and to his frustrations on his hair.

“Yeah, I’m going to need help!” The scissor pull away from my hand and float in midair.

“Okay, but close your eye!” I shut them tight. “I mean with your hands, I don’t have the best aim.”

“Never mind, I’ll go with the crazy look!” I tell her.

“No! I have the motivation I need.” I cover my eye with my hand leaving a small space between the finger to see the scissor moving and snapping at me like an angry dog. I close the space and worry about my ears.

“Just don’t be like Benjamin Barker. I like my blood in me!”

“Don’t mention blood, I get queasy. Even just the thou-.” There is a sudden thump on the floor. I keep my hands over my eye.

“Stark? Are you okay? I can’t see, I’m afraid of the rabid scissors” I hear the scissors snap and Stark snickering.

*****

Stark snipped away the murky locks as well as she could. I don’t care about my outer appearance, just as long I don’t look like myself. I sprayed a lot of peroxide over my now short hair and sat in on the floor in the restroom alone. I told Stark to watch a movie on the computer.

I remember my past before Miles and Sarah. The final time I ran away, a kid I met saw me in the dumpster looking for food. He told me to follow him if I wanted to eat. He was my age, I thought that would be enough to trust him. He lead me into an auto garage loud and busy with power tools buzzing. He took me to the back where he opened a fridge and handed me a half-eaten sandwich. It the first good meal I had in a while.

A man came in the room as I ate looking at me.

“Who’s your friend Rodrigo?” He asked.

“Don’t know Barnaby. Saw him looking through a dumpster. Thought he could eat something good.” The kid replied.

The man was silent. “He looking for work?”

I was recruited by a small ring of men on Brooklyn who did shady things in and out of an auto garage by the age of nine. First I was a scout along with Rodrigo. My job was to tell the men of what I saw and who. Mainly police patrolling on the dealer’s turf or other dealers.

Barnaby was who I answered to. A bulky pale Irish man with a temper, he was cold and demanding at times. He ran the shop and its external activities.

Barnaby was into magic tricks. “The hand is faster than the eye” and the tool of detraction. I used his lessons and became a pickpocket.I gained some respect as I returned with some goods. Phones, jewelry, wallets, the small things.

He showed me an array of techniques of sleight of hand. I got better with every lesson. He passes me and swift moments he took the change from my pocket without me feeling a single nudge. He whistles at me and drops the coins from one hand into the other. I take out his keys and press a button on the control making his car beep. I was promoted to grand theft auto after that.

I learned to drive by the age of ten. Simple for a kid if you have a partner. There was no one better than Rodrigo. He’ll press the foot petal and I would steer the wheel. First time we panicked and crash into an electronic store. Then we stole from the electronic store pushing two shopping carts filled with new phones, computers, DVD players, iPods and some computer parts.

We where banging on the auto shop door like the police in the night. We hear the sirens whoop and Barnaby opens the door squinting his eyes.

“What the god founded thing you two are up…to?” He stares at the carts and his eye open like a child on Christmas. “Meet me around back!” He commanded.

I was sleeping in a basement of a burnt half way house. The owners weren’t that good of chemists. The faint smell of an accelerant stained the rooms, but it was just the smell of the product that was made there. I kept a ripped mattress in the corner along with some comic books that I stole scattered next to it, a carton of cigarettes on the mattress, a cheap lighter and an LED outdoor lamp. No one knew I was here. Not even Rodrigo or Barnaby.

Any money I earned I wasted on food: restaurants, diners, fast food. Not the healthiest food groups, but a kid needed to eat.

Miles changed all that, especially the smoking. I thought it was going to be like another the foster care parents, but he tried. Sarah made everything feel warm and welcoming. Everything was better. I still met with Rodrigo and stole some cars without crashing.

When Miles introduced me to Dunney he only helped my habits. He kept a look out for us in towing lots. A lot of wealthy people not paying the parking tickets or the meter. They would leave phones, wallets, brief cases filed with papers. and a cold coffee.

Dunney knew Barnaby through contacts and know through me. Dunney worked with other shady trading and he showed me his contacts. I stopped stealing cars and worked on flashing mobile phone to other providers. Easy money.

Sarah started cough up blood one morning then there was a panic over money. I went to Miles and brought him everything I earned. He just sighed and stared at me.

“Whatever you did to earn this, I want you to stop.” He told me sternly He shed a tear. I wonder if he thought that he failed with me. I stopped being a criminal at the age of fourteen.

I like my life. It turned into a fictional story with a happy ending and wanted it to go on. I wanted for them to stay. Then Sarah died.

Cops knocked on the front door with authority in the dead of night. I was scared that they were here to take me away from Miles since a single guardian wouldn’t be enough to provide for a child even with aid from the state.

I opened the door as the chills start to cause my body to tremor. It was the cop who’s wallet I stole standing somberly at the door. He didn’t recognize me.

“Are you Grey?” He ask softly. I nodded. “You need to come with us.”

I sat in the police station hearing the mumbling of an office try to pay his condolences. All sound became distorted.

“He was a hero son.” The officer told me then patted my shoulder and left. I cried alone in the dark office. Miles stopped a robber in a store trying to save a couple. Mina and Roger holding baby Ellen trying to get formula from the local convenient store in the night. The shooter fled the scene.

I snuck out the police station and walked home. I didn’t know what to do but to keep to the alleys. I found my way home as the moon started breaking through the clouds. I entered the back and locked the gate behind me. I fell on the cold ground and didn’t want to get up. I heard a knock on the gate. I expected the cops again, but became stunned to find Rodrigo looking at me. He grew taller than me.

“Hey Grey.” He said solemnly. “I think you should follow me.” I did again, but this time regretting it.

He told me that they have been keeping an eye on me. Barnaby’s orders. He wanted to make sure that I was better off. He described Miles to me in the store and his last moments. Then he described the shooter. He witnessed the incident. I never asked why he was in Queens, I didn’t care.

Again he lead me to the auto garage where Barnaby was waiting under the front light. He patted my shoulder.

“It’s good to see you mate!” He says with his thick accent.” Just wish it was in better circumstances. We should go!” We enter Barnaby’s car and he drives off. The ride was silent. That was what I wanted.

He enters an alley where two other cars are parked on the side. Barnaby turns off the car and quickly gets out, then Rodrigo, then myself.

Barnaby greets other of my co-works and they greet me humorlessly. I didn’t know what was going on. Then two men drag a man by the arms with his feet scrapping the asphalt. They drop him on his knees and he curls up. Rodrigo picks up the guy’s head and scans his bloody face. The man grimaces and sobs.

Rodrigo steps back. “Yeah! That’s him!” He says looking at Barnaby.

“You’re sure boy-o?” Barnaby asks.

“No doubt. He’s the one who shot that dude in the store.”

I froze as my heart skipped a beat. This was the man that shot Miles. My anger rose to new heights as I could think of the worst.

A co-worker hands Barnaby a wooden bat and he places it in my hands. I look him in the eye.

“The choice is yours boy-o.” He says then steps away. I walk up to the man as he sobs on his knees. His hand red and trying to shield himself from me.

“Please don’t! Don’t. don’t.” I just grew angrier.

“Did Miles say the same thing?” I ask him

I gripped the bat feeling it splinter with every impact sending tremor up my arms until the bat breaks in half. I scream my lungs out and he doesn’t move. I step back from him and turn around. I walk past Barnaby and hand him the broken bat handle and continue into the city.

“Clean this up!” Barnaby says to his employees while I know his looking at my back as I walk away. That was the last time I saw them. I just turned fifteen and I felt that I lived for too long.

*****

“You ready yet?” Stark asks playfully standing out the restroom door.

“I’m coming” I reply studying my new look. Still doesn’t change who I am or what I’ve done.

I open the door and Starks stare at me shocked.

“Well, that’s definitely a look!” She states stupefied.

“How is it?”

“You look like every lead singer in a punk band!”

“So I would blend in a crowd?”

“I think there is fifty of you guys in a single record store.” She’s learning more and more about us. The facts of life through Netflix. Like every young American. “Why did you make the sporadic change?”

“So if I go out, it less likely for Vision Guard to recognize me.” I answer.

“You could have gone the super hero route and used a mask?”

“In public? People would think I’m crazy?”

“Your hair says that you already are!” She remarks.” Why did you want to blend?”

“Because we are going to Manhattan.”

*****

Stark took to the grey sky and vanishes in the cloud line. I keep to the ground walking and taking bus routes with my blue sweater and a ski mask rolled up to a cap. Not as flashy but still efficient. I use the bus’s WI-FI to find any closed down shoe companies in Chauncey Street on my cell. A picture of a building in black and with pops up with the company name chipped away only leaving the word Co.

“Did you find the place?” I hear Stark in my head.

“Yeah, it was too easy. Vision Guard would have taken them anytime, but I guess their asset can relay them information about who comes in.”

“Wouldn’t the group figure out that there’s a mole?”

“Not if they don’t hear from or about a former acquaintance. They’ll think that the missing guardians and partners are just not interested in joining.”

“You would think that something is a tad bit curious that people haven’t returned?”

“You would think. But we don’t know what really is going on.”

“I’ll be with you all the way!” She says.

“No you won’t. I want you to stay in a distance.”

“What? Why?” She protests.

“I can’t show up as a guardian. If there is a mole, they would just report us so that Vision Guard can move in.”

“So what are you going to do?” She asks.

“Ask for a missing friend. Misty Cortez would be a good cover story. No one knows where she is but Over Watch.” The bus stops and I get off.

“Unless Vision Guard has a mole in Over Watch!”

“Let’s hope not.” I reply.

More building tower over in Manhattan than in Queens. Architecturally rich and impressive. The way one building’s glass reflects the sun sending back the rays in a blinding light and another shows it’s elegance and sophistication. I hate this place. I rather be in a damp ditch right next to the over pass. I hate the people here. They walk around with their heads high and the chin pointed upward displaying an opinion of superiority amongst everyone else. Flashy dresses and suites, expensive taste, cars and unneeded accessories. I am suffocating here. The only thought that calms me is the thought on how they constructed building here. A familiar process.

I continue through the moving crowd following my phone’s directions to the buildings.

“You okay?” Starks asks in my head.

“No, too many people here!” I start breathing hard feeling the anxiety coming over.

“Not a people person? It’s okay, neither am I. I keep to myself. No one can hurt you when you’re alone.”

“Stark?”

“Never mind that.”

“Mean kids?” I ask sincerely.

“No, they weren’t only kids. I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Stark?” She doesn’t reply.

I find an area of Manhattan that looks more ghostly and hostel. My anxiety goes away from comfort. I continue down a sidewalk observing the local establishments: old school barber shops, pricy antique stores, candy stores. The classics.

What Stark said still rings in my ears. “No one can hurt you when you’re alone.” I take that it was from experience. She shuts down when I try to find out more about her and her past, like she doesn’t want to remember. I know all too well on how that feels.

“Hey Stark!?” I mentally ask.

“Yeah?” Even in thought she sounds glum. Now I wonder if I should even try.

“Thanks for being with me.”

“Same to you!” She responds in a more chipper tone.

I freeze for a moment staring at the front of the building that was in the picture. It’s more dismal in person. Boarded up windows and doors tag by spray painters that lack imagination. It stands alone far from any other building like a mansion on a hill with a gigantic parking lot and a fence to wrap it in. A underpass to the left with patches of snow and ice. I start to feel a pit in my stomach.

“I found the building.” I say in my head.

“I noticed!”

“You can see me?”

“You were moving too slow, so I’m just lying on a cloud watching you from a distance. Like a stalker!”

“Just in case be ready if something goes wrong.”

“Knowing our track record, it will.”

“I find your lack of faith disturbing!” I reply.

“I find you faith delusional!”

I walk around the building and in an alley to find a way in the fence. I notice a large cut in the chain link that’s curled in the both sides. I guess that this is the entrance. I push my way in and try to casually not look as if I’m trespassing. It’s hard when you are the only person in a parking lot awkwardly walking.

No one seems to see me. Close to the building I scurry to the wall pressing myself against it.

“You look like a guy playing secrete agents by himself” I hear Stark comment in my head. I slump over judging my own actions as idiocy.

“Sorry, I usually work at night!” I reply letting Freudian slip out my lips.

“What? What do you mean you work at night?” I try to hold back on a mature joke.

“Never mind!” I push myself up on the loading deck in the back of the building..

“Don’t, never mind me!” She replies aggressively.

I lift one of the shutters up slightly avoiding to make any sound.“I’m kind of busy and I going through a tunnel. I goanna –chrkkksttsh- connection- chrkksttsh!” Don’t think, don’t think don’t think!

“I can hear you trying not to think!” She responds as I roll inside.

“Whoa!”

“What is it?” She asks. I’m siting on the ground inside the building staring face to face at another pony. Yellow with a black mane.

His eye greatly widen as he starts to open his mouth. I place my hand over his muzzle and pull him closer. I quickly look around seeing no one else in the massive stockroom. The pony beings to scream into my hand.

“Whoa, shh! Shh! I’m not here to hurt you little guy!” I look him in the eyes trying to calm him down! “I don’t hurt ponies! I’m just looking for a friend!”

“What’s going on?” Stark asks.”

“There’s a pony here. He was about to scream!” The yellow earth pony now look confused, then I realized that I was speaking aloud.

“Is it Ozymandias?” Stark asks.

“No, he’s has a yellow coat.” I made sure I responded in my head this time.

“I’m going to release my hand, okay.” I tell the pony nodding my head and he does the same. “And you are not going to scream!” The pony shakes his head I become bewildered. “Is that “No” you won’t scream?” He continues to shake his head. “So you are going to scream?” Now he nods. “Tell you what. You don’t scream and you can take me to the other as a prisoner!” He look at the corner of his eye and pauses for a moment then eagerly nods,

I pull my hand away.

“Why were you taking to yourself? Are you crazy?” The pony asks in the voice of a little boy?

“Yeah, I am, but the voices are new!” I reply to the yellow pony.

“Stark, Just in case be ready to do something?” I tell her.

“Like what?” She responds.

“A distraction or something. I’m in the back of the warehouse.”

“Follow me prisoner!” The little pony demanded. I followed him pass the stock room while mentally informing Stark on my location. We pass a long hall with two rows large machines rusting over time. He takes me to a main workroom with a second floor overview. He stops me in the entrance.

“Wait here! I’ll go consult the-the?”

“Warden?” I answered.

“Yes that!” He trots forward with a skip in each step.

“Hey guys!” He calls out to people out of sight. “What do we do with prisoners?”

“We don’t take prisoner!” A young male voice responds.

“So, we execute him? That’s kind of harsh!” The pony comments.

“Stark, main workroom, east wing.” I inform Stark.

“I see you through the large window.”

I look to my left and see the window with no sign of her. She must have good eyes.

“Here goes…everything!” I realign my ski cap and walk in the workroom with my hands up.

There’s a bunch of people spread across the area sitting in couches, chairs, and benches laid out like a club house. I only counted twelve humans then I lost my place.

“What the hell Ranger? You bring a stranger here!” Someone yells at the little guy. He flinches in discouragement. I step in front of him.

“Hey, asshole!” I point at the guy that yelled. “Little guy here was helping me! You want to apologize to him or do you want me to come over there and force one. ” The kid bits his lip and hides behind someone else. The threats come natural on being an New Yorker, but I don’t react like this usually. Strange.

A guy my age with light brown skin and a crew cut walks past me and picks up the yellow pony with tears forming.

“I thought I did the right thing!” The pony tells his carrier while sniffing.

“You did, you did good!” The guy reassures him. The pony is just a kid. I take another look at the pony’s carrier and I become dumbstruck. Rodrigo. His facial expression is tense as he stares at me. He doesn’t recognize me.

“Who are you?” A slightly older boy assertively points at me stomping his way to me. Dark Brown skin, between nineteen to twenty three, forest green vest and snow camouflage cargo pants, standing a couple of inches taller than me. He presses on my chest with his finger. “Who are you?”

“Phil Collins. Who are you?” I reply.

“No man! We ask the questions here.” I look behind him seeing the guardians stepping in front of their partners. Except one girl in a green jacket with the hood pulled over stand on the second floor, her back against a column and her pony white with a pink mane, large shades and headphone over her ears bobbing her head.

Green vest keeps yelling at me.

“Why are you here Collins?” He asks condescendingly.

“I’m looking for a friend, she’s missing!”

“Who?”

“Misty Cortez! She told me about your little hideout before she vanished.”

He backs off and the others look at each other. I observe the reaction trying to depict any manufactured emotions, but my eyes stat to sting causing me to close them.

“Misty is missing?” He looks more concerned with the news. He turns to someone in the crowd and tilts his head at me. A signal. What for? “When was this?” He asks.

“A couple of days ago, her family don’t know where she is.” He looks down slightly nodding.

“You a guardian?”

“No, but I knew about Taylor.” He looks behind me then back at me. I turn and see a bulky read pony with a black mane, boulders on is flank and his eyes closed.

“You with Vision Guard?” I turn back. He know his enemy.

“Don’t know who they are.” He looks behind me again at the pony.

“Over watch!” He asks.

“ Again, don’t know.” I answer.

“He’s lying!” The red pony declares. “About everything!” I turn to him baffled, I don’t see green vest cocking his fist nor when he hit me in the face. I’m sent far back into the hall sliding on the ground.

“What happened?” Stark shouts in my head.

“Our track record. It’s untarnished!” I push myself up glaring at green vest and three other friends stepping in the hall along with four ponies behind them and the little yellow one amongst them standing behind Rodrigo. They shut the doors and spread around me.

“Do you want me to do something?” Stark asks.

“No, not yet. If you see me in more of a jam, then yes.”

“So let this get worse.” She comments.

“Yeah.” I reply.

“Where’s your partner?” One of the guardians asks.

“Not with me.” I answer truthfully.

Green vest kneels down and punches the ground breaking the cement. “You know we don’t really take prisoners.” He says. The rubble from the ground starts to move up his forearms and face. “But we can’t let you leave.” He forges himself a round mask and gauntlets out of the gravel. The other guardians show off their abilities. Rodrigo’s hands ignites into blazing flames, wind circulate around another guardian, frost covers the fourth. I didn’t expect this. Facing people that command the elements and all I have is hard hits and bare flesh. I raise my fists apprehensively. This is why I’m not a people person.

Wind and frost rush in from both sides. Frost put a palm out aimed at my feet and ice bursts freezing them to the ground. Immobilized, wind pushes his palm and stops a few inches from my chest, but a guest blows me back breaking the ice that glued me to the floor.

Again sliding on the floor sent further back into the hall. The ice still casted on my legs, I try to stand slipping and stumbling. The same two approach, rushing me again but now head on.

“Grey, it’s not looking good!” Stark mentally projects.

“I know! I know! Tell me when something goes our way.”

Wind launches high up in the air with a gust blowing below him. Frost throws his palm up again, I duck away casting ice on one of the machines behind me. Wind lands directly in front of me, right where he shouldn’t be.

He throws a right hook, I knock it away then come back with a light back hand, then a hit to his abdomen. He is sent back curled in a ball. I feel a vice on my arm and it becoming numb. I see frost griping my fore arm and the ice growing over it. I pull my arm back and kick him breaking the casted ice on my left leg.

I stumble away, loosing balance on the still iced over leg. I stomp on the ground breaking it off and cracking the concrete. I didn’t know I was that strong but my strength seems to fluctuate ? I pound the ground with my arm breaking off the ice.

A light blue pony helps Wind up as a white one nudges Frost. Their partners quick to aid in the middle of a fight. I know Stark would do the same, put herself in danger as I would. I realized I put us in danger just coming here.

A tug on my sweater pulls me hard and raises me off my feet. Green vest looks at me through the slits in his mask.

“Looks like you can handle yourself, but not against me!” He says to me very cocky. I imagine an arrogant smirk behind the mask. I punch at the middle of his arm making it bend and loses his grip. I capitalize and hit him in the ribs then use my heel to hook around behind his knee and bring him down. He quickly punches upward hitting me right in the jaw. I go high in the air seeing Green vest becoming more distant. I hit the wall like a cannon ball and fall to the ground dropping twenty feet. I hit the floor flat feeling the lingering pain in my stomach.

“Grey! Get up Grey!” I hear Stark shouting in my head again. “They’re surrounding you!”

I push myself off the ground ignoring the pain on my face or the one in my stomach. The four surround me with their partners standing in the distance, like Stark warned, but I’m not holding back anymore.

“I don’t know if I can stand by anymore Grey?”

They are stronger than the average human, a lot stronger. Green vest especially! I don’t have any super powers like they do, but I got experience.

Frost comes in with a swing, I bat it away and give him a straight punch! Wind comes from behind and gets a back kick. Then Green vest attack, then Rodrigo. They all come back and back again. I block as much as I can and hit back more often. These guys are scrappers, no form of training. Rodrigo never faced me with training.

Wind, Rodrigo and Frost hold me against the wall with all their weight. I struggle.

“Knock him out man!” Rodrigo yells at Green Vest.

“GREY!” Stark screams echoing loudly like in the dream. I don’t know where it comes from but rage floods my thoughts.

I push three off of me scattering them across the hall. Green vest punches me in the face hard enough crack the air. I don’t budge. The gravel on his hands break into smaller pieces. I punch him back making half of his mask burst into dust. He’s knocked back and gains his footing. Far from me he punches the air which seemed strange, then a part of the ground extrudes straight to me. It hit me like truck launching me back to the wall breaking through into another room. I felt more tender ribs crack. I roll back and dart through the wall to him. He punches the air again sending another pillar my way. I punch through it crumbling his attack. He stomps on the ground and the floor raises under me. I flip back dodging the thick pillar that now crashed into the ceiling. I run around the pillar only to meet a Green vest’s fist to the face. I crash into a machine denting the iron as parts fly out.

He was holding back as well. That hit could have taken off someone head. I’m dragged out by my ankle and slammed to the ground breaking under me. I spit up blood. I try to grab at the floor as it leaves me. I’m thrown back in front of the main work room entrance. The ponies that stayed back stare at me frightened. I get back up and walk towards Green vest tasting the blood in my mouth.

Green vest charges, I do the same. He throws a hook and I slide under it moving behind him. I swings the arm backwards, but I block and work on his kidneys. He flails an arm at me, I duck under and curve my arm around his and the other wrapped I front of his neck forcing him to bend backwards with his head under my arm. I jump forward flipping over Green vest still under my grip using the momentum to throw him in the air. His spins midair and bursts through the main work room doors rolling before the other guardians. I follow him. The other guardians I was fought jump on me bringing me to my knees holding my arms and neck in a vice. I plant a foot and push up springing them off.

I feel cold again. Then anger starts overwhelms me. I don’t know if it’s me anymore. I don’t feel in control.

“Grey? Are you okay? Grey get out of there!” I can understand Stark’s words as if they came through static. Everything is now through a red filter lens.

I turn to green vest trying to bring himself up. I rush to him and grab him by his throat lifting him off the ground.

“Grey!?” More static.

Green vest is limp trying to breathe though my grip.

“I just wanted to help! But you made it hard!” Those are not my words. The other guardians step back in fear.

I pull my fist back knowing what I tend to do. I can stop myself.

The ground shakes below me hearing the floor rumble and break. I turn and see the red pony spurts out of the ground riding a large slab of cement with his eyes blazing with fury. Time goes by slow feeling every millisecond. The tiny particles of ruble spraying me before the hit, then time returns to the usual pace. The slab hit me directly in the chest. I feel it compact as the air is taken away. I’m sent flying, hearing a loud scream calling my name and thunder beings to crack just before the impact of the wall.

The solid concrete wall fissures and I slide to the floor slumped over. The all the windows suddenly erupts into shards slicing through the air as a condensed bolt of lightning strikes the red pony sending him through the crowed of guardians and an old beat up couch splitting it in two then across the work room hitting a support beam hard with Green vest chasing after.

The lightning dies a bit but still surging around the point of impact and Stark standing in the middle of it. Her wings spread and her head lowered with her eyes narrowed glowing bright red. I slowly crawl to her trying to call her name.

Some ponies step forward, all unicorns with a shaky serious expression. The line up with the guardians directly behind them. The unicorns bow their head with their horns illuminating in various colors. I call out to Stark in a voice to soft to hear. She stares at them in contempt with the electricity popping in the air.

The unicorns begin to attack with their magic. Light shoots from one and the others maneuver around Stark forming a ring. The light is dispersed not even touching her. A purple pony raises its head with its horn glowing yellow and four large rock formations sprout from the ground and seal in Stark and another pony ices it over. Relief comes over them and is quick taken away by the rumbling emits from the frozen tomb.

I pick myself up limping to the closest support beam. The room is assaulted by chunks of ice and cement flying through the air. The unicorns are knocked back, I get behind the beam in time not it be hit by the debris. The other guardians gather at the end of the room like frighten sheep herding together. I thought that they were going to be more of a rough bunch, I’m glad to say my expectations weren’t met, but the ponies are something to question.

Stark is in the air hunched over and breathing heavy. I come out from behind the beam.

“Stark!?” I call out to her holding my side. She turns to me with those red eyes.

“Grey?” She says softly.

Three pagasi zip in the air tackling Stark.

“STARK!” I limp to her knowing I can’t reach her.

She kick them as she flies in circles in the middle of the work room. The group of pagasi start to fly faster in circles leaving Stark hovering in the center of them. They all disappears into a clouded funnel creating violent winds in the room. I fight against the strong gusts as I am pushed back with my feet dragging on the ground. The funnel howls louder and the winds increase in strength.

I can’t believe how strong these creatures are. The magic and flight is one thing but the ability to create a miniature tornado in a building would leave me awestruck if I was not experiencing it firsthand.

The tornado beings to surge with lightning striking through hitting anything near. The air becomes electrified making my body hair stands straight. Charging of the electricity is hear through a high pitch whine. Something hits the ground hard enough to feel it move and the tornado disperses with the pagasi shooting out in different directions.

Stark stands in a crater trembling in rage growling as she turns to face anymore opponents with the air still electrified. I’ve never seen her like this. This is how she reacts when I’m in danger? Is this want was going to happen to me if that red pony didn’t strike? I cautiously approach with my hand up.

“Stark?” I call to her. “Stark you need to calm down!” Seeing me she become distraught with tears flowing from her scarlet eyes down her cheeks.

“I don’t know how! I’m scared!” She cries shifting in place.

“I’m here! I’m not going to let anything happen to you! You know that!” The electricity dies down and her eyes revert to the golden orbs that I begged to see.

I look behind her and see the little yellow pony that helped me paralyzed in fear as try to get to his guardian. Stark turns to him and the electricity courses through the air around her.

“Stark! Look at me!” I plead!

“Ranger!” A Rodrigo calls to his partner.

I rush to her feeling numbing volts become burning agony the closer I grow. I drop to my knees and turn her to me with my hand blistering while a bolt of electricity dances over it. I place my hands on her face and stare into the round bright red eyes.

“I’m here! You don’t have to scared anymore! I’m here!”

My cloths char with embers breathing, my body fighting torture through the lightning. Her eyes turn back to their original pigment and the pain stops. She beings to sob loudly and I pull her to me. She cries into my burnt sweater.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” Her muffled shouts through my thick clothes. I stroke her hair and her holds me tight.

We are surrounded by every guardian and pony in the building. Rodrigo carrying Ranger in his arm and Green vest and his partner stand in front of us. I look up at him.

“Yeah, we are a little fucked up.” I tell him.

“Come clean.” He says sternly. There is no point in hiding now.

“I’m under the protection of Over Watch and I’m this pony’s guardian.” I tilt my head at Stark. “My name is Grey not Phil Collins.”

“You could have said that in the first place.” He says. I stand up holding Stark close.

“How could I trust you guys when there’s guardians and ponies missing and you guys was their last known interaction.”

“You’re saying that we’re the reason of the disappearances?” He questions.

“No, just a link.” If there is a mole here?

“How do we know that you’re just a rat!” Someone in the crowd shouts.

“If I was a rat, I wouldn’t come inside and talk to you.” I answer.

Suddenly silence comes over and every ponies’ ears start twitching. Stark presses a hoof on my chest, her eye widen in shock.

“We have to leave! Now!” She says distraught.

I walk to the high broken window on the side of the room. I put Stark down shaking in place. I jump up and grab the edge pulling myself up. Five black vans roll up in the side of the building. The side doors open and men in tactical uniforms rush out with riffles.

I drop down. Says “shit!” several time under my breath.

“What is it?” Rodrigo asks.

“We need to leave now!” I bark. I walk to Green vest and he filches. “Do you guys have another exit that’s not the main entrance of the loading bay?”

“What? Why?” he quickly stutters.

“Vision Guards outside right surrounding the place!” The crowd gasps and ignites in mumbles. “We need to get out of here. Knowing them, they are goanna cover the front entrance and the loading bay of the building.” A SWAT team would do the same. Get the enemy running and cut them off with a trap.

“You lead them here” Someone yells at me.

“Look, they monitor any weather anomaly let alone the small seismic activity that took place here. Someone is bound to notice.” They could have had a person watching the building and reported the fight. We would have been better off with a firework display and a demolition team wearing clown suits. It’s was my entire fault. I shouldn’t have come here. I put everyone here in danger just to satisfy myself justified curiosity.

“There’s no other exit here!” A girl exclaims

“We’ll make one!” Green vest answers.

“Okay, once there is an opening, the pagasi can fly off. Vision Guard can’t chase them. The rest would have to go on foot. We’ll be exposed.” I explain.

“The underpass next to us! I know my way around the drains and tunnels, we can lose them there.” Rodrigo says with confidence. “Everyone would have to follow me, but we’ll need a distraction!” Everyone looks around in silence.

“Don’t volunteer!” Stark’s words echoes in my head.

“It’s my fault that we are in this mess.” I answer.

“I’ll do it!” Green vest steps forward punching his rocky fist into his palm. “You guys just have to run fast.”

“What about you?” Ranger asks Green vest in Rodrigo’s arms.

“I’ll find a way out. I always do!” Green vest replies with my words.

I tuck my rolled up ski mask and step forward. “I’ll make sure you get out!” I announce.

“Grey?” Stark mentally projects.

“You need to fly off with the other pagasi and meet me at the house. I’ll be okay!”

“The last time you told me that, you were beaten up by the giant man!”

“He’s not here, I think?” I respond in thought.

Everyone gathers in the hall facing a wall in the direction of the quarry. Green vest takes a stance ready to punch a hole.

“Wait!” I tell him.

“What for” He whispers.

“Just wait!” I hold my hand up listing for any sound. The tings of an aluminum cans bouncing off the ground with a stream of smoke trailing. A sign of them about to enter the building in two different directions. As they come in, we’ll go out .

I turn behind me and see that girl in the green jacket kneeling next to her partner lifting a headphone. “Just keep these on and follow me, okay Bass!” She says softly.

A loud bang coming from both ends. They breached.

“Go!” I bark.

Green vest punches through the wall creating a large hole that could fit a SUV then steps aside letting everyone stampede out. The pagasi take off to the sky, to my surprise, so does some guardians holding a pony in their arms and some people below saying to be careful and hopeful farewells. Well, that one way to an exit. Cuts the crowd drastically.

Green Vest and I stay behind the herd as they run to the underpass. Stark runs along my side, she’s not going to leave. She’s so stubborn.

At the fence the two guys pull apart the opening letting the others through.

“Grey!” Stark Calls out looking at some of Vision Guard’s employees coming out of the exit Green Vest made. Green vest step forward with the red pony by his side as the men raise their riffles.

“I got this!” He crouches down with his arms reaching to the ground then raise them up with a roar creating a wall from the ground shielding us in time from the gun shots. “Are they trying to kill us?” He asks me.

“No, most likely shock rounds to capture us.” I answer pulling down my ski mask.

“You know this how?”

“I dealt with them before. They don’t like me very much.” He stare blankly at me .

“And the ski mask.”

“For fashion, I always like to accessorize in times of crisis!” I sarcastically snap back. Not the best time to though.

Green vest pushes against the wall sending it toward the men as if it were a wave just as the last person leave sprinting down the alley towards the quarry.

“Stark take off!” I shout at her.

“No! Remember the last time I did!” She yells back.

Green vest raise another wall.

“What happened last time?” He asks confused.

“Nothing!” I answer.

“He almost died! Twice!” Stark corrects.

“What the hell man? You crazy or plain stupid?” Green vest questions as his partner stays quite.

“A fine mixture of both!” I reply.

Then gun fire stops. I raise my figure over my lips. I move to the side of the wall that Green vest raised peering over see them slowly approaching aligned with one another a few feet part. One of them shot at me hitting the other side of the wall and I duck behind the cover.

I look at Stark. “Stay here!” I tell her.

“You are going to do something stupid, aren’t you?” Her eyes narrow in annoyance.

“You know me so well.” I respond.

“What are you goanna-“ Before Green vest finishes I bolt out the cover with haste dodging the shock rounds. Everything seems sluggish or am I moving faster. The gun fire slows down it rapid rhythm. The gun man’s aim becomes unbalanced and crooked to close I grow as he tries to catch up. I grab the barrel of his rifle and push it to his chest lift him off the ground and throw him to another gun men. He drifts lightly in the air colliding and toppling his coworker. There is a few more in the parking lot firing at me, but I quickly dart out of their aim.

A couple of small boulders are throw in the air with the Vision Guard employees jumping out of the way not wanting to be crushed by them.

I punch a gun man in the chest and he is thrown back rolling on the asphalt. I take a shock round to the shoulder and flinch back feeling the volts contract my muscles. I look at the shooter and everything speeds back up. He fires more and I roll forward moving under his aim, pushing myself up, I send my palm under his chin making his head bob back and he collapses to the floor. I pull off the shock round and flick it.

I grab a riffle off the floor and throw at a gun man’s head aiming at Green Vest as he defense himself from other gunmen. I hear a gunshot flinch knowing that it was meant for me. The round bursts and drops to the floor right in front of me. I notice a blue hexagons formed around me like a bubble. The rest of the men shoot at me wasting round on the shield.

“What would you do without me?” Stark says as she hovers over me with her horn glowing.

“Nothing interesting, I assure you!” I respond with a smirk.

“Start walking, I can’t hold the shield much longer.” She drops to the ground still hold the shield up. There is only three guys left standing and Green vest is working on one.

“Stark fly up, I’ll take care of the rest.” I tell her. She nods her head with grimace.

The shield breaks and Stark takes off to the sky and I on the ground. Time slows down again. Every breath echoed, I can even hear the shell casing drop one at a time. The last gun men raise their riffles at Stark. I grab a riffle from one of the men and break it in half with part spraying out. I hit his head with the barrel and continue to the second guy tossing the butt of the gun at him. He flinches and loses his grip on the riffle. I run to him and step on his leg then his chest as he stand launching myself in the air with a front flip to the last gun man. Gradually aim the riffle at me and fires and couple of rounds. They zip pass me feeling them cut the air. I land before him and he pulls out a knife from a holster stabbing downward. I react to it in the wrong way holding my hand out to block. The knife pierces through my flesh. I scream out and kick him below the belt. He is tossed up and lands face first.

I drop to my knees holding the hand with the knife stab through it trembling in pain. The air whooshes and hooves hit the asphalt.

“Grey?” She gasps shortly after.

“God! Stupid, stupid, stupid!” I grunt with saliva spitting out.

Blood gushes out streaming down my figures and drip to the floor.

“Oh shit!” Green vest exclaims taking off his mask.

“Oh God, It fucking hurts!” I mutter.

Tires screech over the road as three vans drive down the incline into the underpass.

“How far is the drains that Rodrigo was talking about?” I ask Green vest.

“Two hundred yards or so?” He answers. I felt stupid for not asking before, but I’m feeling worse and worse every moment. I grip the handle of the knife trying to convince myself that it’s not going to hurt as much. The blade is really in my flesh and bone pulling out slowly and agonizing as wine red blood flows out more. I groan after it is fully pulling out the knife and become a little lite headed.

I get off the ground with my arm stiff and shaky. My hand frozen.

“Let’s go, at two hundred yards in this cold weather, they are not going to the drains in time. For Vision Guard it would be like rounding up super powered cattle.” I said losing balance.

“But your hand?” Stark ask with her brows pull together looking up at me.

“It’s just a flesh wound.” I start running to the split in the fence.

“I head them off , you give me support when you get there!” Green vest yells to me putting his mask back on then runs with his partner directly towards the underpass I stop befuddled wonder why are they going? Green vest drives into the ground splitting the asphalt and the red pony follows suit. A loud rumbling below becomes distant traveling through the underpass.

I go through the slit in the fence and Stark flies over. We go down the underpass and I slip on the incline rolling down onto the leveled ground. The knife I was holding slides away from me.

“Are you alright?” Stark ask with her wings beating the air over me.

“I’m fine!” I shout at her out of breath and struggling to push myself up. The world rocks like a boat floating against violent waves. Stark lands next to me.

“You are clearly not fine!” She shout back with watery eyes glistening.

“They need my help.”

“You’re bleeding a lot and you can’t even stand up straight.” I want to ignore my weakness, my flaws when all I did in the past is acknowledge their existence in silence. I am weak, I haven’t slept, ate, drank. I’m bleeding on the ground stumbling with every step. Not to mention that the ski mask I’m stupidly wearing itches like a mother fucker. “What if this kills you?” Stark asks. I look beyond her seeing the men in tactical uniforms coming out of the vans and Green vest jumps out of the ground disappearing behind a barrier he creates.

“What if Vision Guard takes them? Everyone taken behind closed doors never to be seen again. We don’t know what they are doing to the ponies or guardians after they are gone. And I can’t stand knowing that it was my fault causing a conflict that they gave them the opportunity to act. I’m not going to let anything happen to you, but I have to help them.”

“Fine, I’m nothing to let nothing happen to you either. You put yourself at risk, I put myself at risk.” There’s no point in arguing with her. We don’t have the luxury of time.

“Go airborne and cover me with whatever you got. Stay out of line of fire and don’t do anything stupid.” I tell her. She turns around looking at me with the corner of her eye.

“I could say the same to you!” She takes off with a boom.

I tear a strip of clothing from my sleeve and wrap it tightly around my injured hand with the blood quickly seeping through. I pick up the knife from the floor gripping it with my good hand reminding myself to use non-lethal tactics. No knifes, no bat, just me and my fucked up hand.

I tuck the knife between my belt and the rear of my pants. Pushing on. I run, faster hand harder feeling every step stomping on the concrete, every breath rushing in and out, the cool wind brushing against me. I remember freedom from limitation. The flow whispering to my body in what to do.

The two hundred yards went by in a moment. The Vision Guard’s men fire on Green vest fending them off with other guardians and ponies throwing magic, fire, water, and beams of light from a narrow corner under the a bridge in the cover of the concrete barrier.

I come from behind grabbing on guy by his bulletproof jacket and slamming him on a van denting the side door. There is a lot of armed men here and I just got some attention. I dart behind the van dodging gun fire hearing the rapid dings hit the fiberglass frame; I come out the other side of the van zooming past some of the gunmen. I’m dead center of the men and I stand still grabbing more attention. They close in with their assault rifles facing me. I take a breath hoping that it’s not my last.

I run forward to the closest gunman and kick him in the stomach knocking him back into another Vision Guard employee. I roll to the side avoiding the gunshot hitting the ground. Next to a man trying to hit me with the butt of his gun. I hold out my good hand cushioning the blow and kick his knee sweeping his feet from under him making him falling on his hands.

A gun shot emits from behind me and I duck and run to the barrier. Some shock round hit my back and I fall to the ground convulsing. I lose control of my body. Someone grabs me by my sweater dragging me behind the barrier. The shock rounds stuck in my back are pulled of and I’m helped up off the ground.

“Grey?” I hear in my head “Are you okay?”

I shake off the groggy feeling and see Green vest close the gap in the barrier sealing us in creating darkness.

“Yeah, I alright. Just have a head ach. Are you still in the sky?” I reply to Stark.

“Far from you. I was going to swoop in but, some took you in the barricade. Everyone okay?” She asks.

The unicorns’ horns start to illuminate in various color showing all the scared faces huddle together.

“Looks like it.” I tell stark. “We are closed off, suck in a crevasse.” What I can see, no way out.

Green vest places a hand on my shoulder feeling the weight of the compressed gravel that makes up his glove. I pull of the ski mask and wipe off the sweat.

“You okay? There was like a dozen rounds on your back. It’s a miracle that you’re still standing.” He says to me still trying to gain balance. I lean on the barrier feeling that I might keel over. I hope Stark didn’t hear that thought.

“From now on, just assume that I’m fine. If I had a Facebook account it would say STAUS:FINE!” HE takes back his hand.

“You’re fine. Got it!” He says and I suddenly feel guilt for being an ass.

“Sorry. Blood loss.” I show him my bad hand.

“Yeah, you look whiter. Check your hand.”

I unwrap my wounded hand looking at it blankly.

“It stopped bleeding. I don’t know if that’s a good thing, or a bad one. Worst case , I don’t have enough blood to bleed, or live.” I chuckle inappropriately embracing the funny feeling that…that?… I can’t finish that last sentence. I’m too out of it.

“What happened? This isn’t the drain tunnel?” I ask.

“We were running and they cornered us in their vans. They pushed us back here.” Green vest replies.

I push myself off the barrier. “What’s the plan? You got away to get us out of here?” I ask.

He shakes his head.

“The there’s metal rods in the concrete here. I can’t go through it.”

“Any of the ponies know a teleportation spell.” I shout. Confused and apprehensive expression all over, until one white male unicorn stands in the middle.

“I do, but I can only take a few. Any more than six would exhaust my magic.” He announces and every one look each other.

“You have to try to do more!” Rodrigo shouts and the pony becomes discouraged. He look back stern and confident.

“I’ll try, but it can’t be far from here. It just be enough to give us a chance to run.”

There’s about eleven of guardians and ponies not including myself.

“Stark. We are going to teleport of here somewhere near. Be ready.” I telepathically project.

“Okay, but there is a weird looking guy in black and he’s doing something at the wall.” Hurry up!” She responds.

Everyone gathers close surrounding the white unicorn and the floor stars to glow.

“Grey?” Stark voices echoes loud in my head. “Grey you need to get out now!”

The sound of a bang and cement crumbling. All eyes are focused on me with faces in despair and someone’s fingers pressing in my neck.

I’m pulled away from the crowd that vanished in a orb of light and dragged out of the breaking wall. I’m thrown back rolling. I stop the tumble planting my knees holding my bad hand with the other as it throbs in pain. I’m surrounded by the remaining Vision Guard team with guns aimed at me.

“Grey!”

He approaches hiding all flesh under a tactical body suit making him appear nonhuman. Greaves, leg armor, shoulder plates, chest plates, a helmet with a steel fins on the top corners and a full face visor tinted gun metal grey, even a utility belt. His tall lean frame shows his training, so dose his walk. Steps with his feet close and balances as if he was sneaking around. He’s trained to use a sword.

He reaches for something on his back. The sound of metal scarping is like nail on a chalk board, the sound of me being right. He pulls out a jagged edge katana and presses it against my chest.

“Epsilon here wants to know where the alicorn is at? If I were you, I’d tell him mate!” An older man with a receding hair line leaning on the truck says to me in a English accent. Royal marines, S.A.S, or some Brit mall cop with an itchy trigger finger. As Page Turner said; they were looking for Stark, but how did they know where to look?

“Sorry, I don’t speak asshole. If you want, you could go play doctor with your friends I left back at the warehouse.” I reply to him. I attack his pride in front of his peers. No solider would take that sitting down and he doesn’t. He stomps to me with fists.

He grips my sweater with both hand and lifts me off my knees.

“You’re a little punk with a big month with no place to stick your pecker, but your own bum!” He spit on my face while speaking. He pissed and I need him that way.

“Grey?” Stark shouts in my head.

“Just stay back!” I tell her.

“It’s not a pecker, it’s a prick!” I tell the pissed off Brit.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah!” I take out Bowing knife that was tuck in my belt and press it against his neck. He freezes with distain.

He lurches back as the jagged edge katana pierces through his chest nearly stabbing me. The Brit groan and grunts while choking on the blood pooling in his throat with his hands grabbing at Epsilon’s helmet. The other gunmen stay still and just looks away as Epsilon kills they coworker and possible friend. They must be just as afraid of him as I am. I was going to use the Brit as leverage to escape, but he took that away from me, showing that he is willing to kill. Even the people under him.

Epsilon pulls out his sword from what is now a corpse and approaches me. I got a six inch knife and one good hand against a guy that’s covered in armor holding a sword who is not afraid to use it. He’s accompanied by the fine pick of ex-marines, ex-CIA, ex-S.A.S, royal marines behind him casually standing around knowing that I am done. All they would need is a Chuck Norris and a peashooter to complete their imitating gaudy collection of mercenaries.

He swings his sword splattering the blood on the ground. A gunmen walks to the hole in the barrier and peeks inside.

“No one here sir!” He announces.

Epsilon tilts his at me and one of the men approaches with his arms crossed.

“Give me the knife!” He commands with a hand reached out and the other tapping a holstered pistol. No choice, I don’t know if that gun as shock round or hollow points. I hand it to him. “You are alone now and no one to help you. Now, you could make this a whole lot easier and tell us where the alicorn is.” He tells me trying to patient while nervously glancing at Epsilon.

“I don’t know what the hell an alicorn is!” I reply.

“Look, we don’t want you or any of your friends, just the alicorn!”

“Grey, tell me what to do!” Stark panics in my head. “I need to know what to do!”

“Just stay calm! Okay!” I tell her.

I keep quite just looking around. I got nothing left to play, no dice, no chips and I placed a bet worth to much than what I got.

“I got nothing to tell you!” I say to the gunman.

Epsilon walks to me and chill flows down my spine. He grabs my bad hand and presses his thumb through the wound pushing the bones parts. I fall to my knees screaming my lungs out. I sweat and cry. He just continues to push his thumb through the wound with the gunman yell at me, but I can’t hear him through my screaming.

I feel the pressure stop and my hand free. I pull it back holding it in my other hand as I rock back and forth.

The air feels liter and cold. I stare at my hand seeing a drop of blood float upward. More drops raise from my hand. I look up seeing all the gunmen and Epsilon in the air rising higher and higher. The van’s tires come off the ground. Epsilon kicking his legs trying to find control along with the other men.

From the sky Stark descends slowly with those red eyes.

“ðu bescrifen bestóp feorsian úre mearc! Sé ældu déaþscúa swápan ábítan!” She speaks with multiple voices simultaneously. She lands before me with her head peering up at me. “Dryhtenweard” She says.

“Stark!” I utter but she remains emotionless.

I catch something in the corner of my eye coming at her. Instinctively lunge forward using my body as a shield. Nothing happens. I look at her see the rage in her. I turn a see the jagged edged sword suspending in the air with the tip aimed at my back and Epsilon with his arm extended. Stark steps out glaring at him with intensity. The men start to flail in the air as they go higher. The air breaks into an invisible explosion sending the gunmen and the vans across the underpass. I am blown back against the barrier hard felling the wind pressing me to it.

Epsilon still hangs where he was with his arm extended and the sword in front of Stark.

Stark remains focused on him not veering her gaze. I can’t fight the wind. I call out to her with my arms reaching, but she doesn’t react. I wind blows harder then it suddenly stops. Gravity ceases to exist as I hover and drift to her. Epsilon lurches back fighting his movement. His extended arm snaps but he remains silent. His head shaking in torment.

“STARK!” I cry out.

The sword impales Epsilon in the shoulder and then he is slammed to the ground over and over. His ragdoll body rises higher then he is thrown across the underpass crashing through a van creating an enormous dent and breaking any remaining glass.

I am slowly brought to the ground and Stark collapses. I rush to her, lifting her in my arms. I pick her head up.

“Stark! Stark please wake up!” I plead. I put her head to my chest holding her tightly. I scream in anguish. She doesn’t move. Tears stream down my face onto her mane. I feel her breathing softly against me. I chuckle in relief crying more tears. I brush her hair with my fingers and her beautiful golden eyes open staring at me alarmed. She starts crying burying her face in my sweater.

“I didn’t mean to! I’m sorry!” She sobs uncontrollably. I bring her to the barrier and lean against sliding to the floor. I stoker her hair letting her cry it out. I’m tired, I’m weak, and I’m useless. None of this matters right now. We stay here for a couple of moment until the crying stops.

Footsteps cautiously approach cracking on the rubble.

“What the hell happened?” Green vest ask awestruck has he look around. “I’d thought you’d be captured, I didn’t expect this!”

“No one did!” I tell him. His red pony stands at his side in disbelief and dose Rodrigo and Ranger along with another guardian with her unicorn partner.

“Hey, Grey is she okay?” Green vest asks crouching beside me.

“She’s asleep.” She cried herself that way.

“We popped up some where we didn’t know. It took some time to find our way back.”

“You came back for us?” I ask.

“Yeah, sorry it wasn’t earlier! I brought Michaela and her partner. She can get us out of here.”

I push myself off the ground trying not to disturb her. She sleeps peacefully in my arms. I don’t want her to remember, but I’m never that lucky.

*****

We are teleported far from the underpass; we end up in a boxed alley in the Bronx.

“Come on, Hideout number nine is over here.” Green vest announces. Hide out number nine?

Green vest turns around walking backwards. “Is Misty really missing?” He asks.

“No, she is now in some witness protection by Over Watch. Vision Guard tried to take her and Taylor at their house in Jersey.

“She’s been with the gang for like a year, I was wondering why she didn’t come for the past week.” He replies. “I never hear Misty mention you!” Misty never mentioned that she was a member of the pony club for a year.

Green vest bangs on a steel door and someone opens it from the inside. We go in greeted by surprised faces in a close down hotel lobby. I guess they thought that they wouldn’t see me again. I’m surprised that they have another hideout. It’s much smaller though, but it’s better than the back of a van.

A girl guides me to a couch and tells me to take a seat. I’m not in the mood to argue, so I drop in the seat with everyone awkwardly staring at me.

“Can I get you anything? We keep a fridge in the back, so there’s drinks” She says.

“Orange juice and a first aid kit. I need to make up some blood.”

*****

Stark wakes up the couch seeing me stich my hand close with a dirty hand towel in my mouth.

“Grey?” She softly mutters.

“Yeah?”

“Where are we?”

“With the guardians.” I point to the crowd of young people and ponies watching television, playing board games, drinking soda. The younger ponies are drawing in coloring books holding a crayon in their mouth. It feels like I just found Big Brothers and Sisters for ponies.

A pony in a pink coat and purple hair walks to Stark with a wicker bowl of apples. She sets it next to her.

“Her you go honey! Eat as much as you’ll like.” She tells her and walks away with a warm smile.

“Are we really here?” Stark asks.

“Yup. You have been out for a while now!”

Her eyes widen. “I miss my shows!” She says to me. I chuckle and my body hurts as I do. I never been this sore or injured, but time heals the superficial wounds. The emotional takes longer. With her, I hardly feel them at all.

Stark bits into an apple and some Phillies jump on the couch glaring at her in curiosity. She freezes then rolls a couple of apples their way. They eat still staring at her.

I know she remembers the underpass. The pain of it is buried through a smile and laughter. Joy can hurt. Just like how warm and comforting this moment is hurts.

*****

We leave home at night. I tell Stark to go home, I have to take the bus to Queens and that’s going to be a long ride. She could be home with Dunney waiting with some spicy cabbage soup. She nods her head with half a smile. She takes off to the sky sounding like a jet plane. I know that she won’t eat. She put on a show for Dunney saying that she has nothing to fret.

I take out my phone and call Page Turner.

*****

I knock on a condo door lined up to a very long street. I try to scratch through the bandages only aggravating my wound as it heals.

A young woman with short brown hair and blue eyes with dots around the iris answers the door. She bobs her head back in shock. She cut and dyed her hair, put on some contacts to fool people. Not me.

“Can I help you?” She asks shocked at my outer exterior. Burnt clothes, dyed hair, and roughed up face.

“It’s me, Grey.” Her widen in shock.

“Grey? Wow, what happened to you?” She asks.

“A lot!”

“Quickly come in!” She whispers and jumps aside letting me in. “How did you find me?” She asks after giving me a uncomfortable hug. Uncomfortable for me.

“Over Watch needs some better security measures.” I reply.

“No doubt!”

She leads me into a lavish living room with a fire place and modern furniture. I take a seat with my phone in my good hand.

“Taylor is asleep. Why the late night visit?” She inquires.

“I met the guardians and they are a mixed bunch.”

“Did they become hostile?” Yes, but don’t tell her that I have such a horrible history on meeting new people.

“Not really! They were kind of nice. A bit rough, but nice.” I tell her.

“Then how did you end up like that?” She gestures to all of me.

“Did you find anything out?” She looks down and away then crossing her arms under her breasts.

“Yeah that, Vision Guard has a mole. That how they have been gaining information of other guardians.” She pauses.

“Wha-What? That’s- that’s big!” She stammers. “Does Over Watch know who it is?”

“No, I do though?” She leans in.

“Who?” She asks.

“You?” She leans backs and scoffs.

“If you are seriously accusing me, you need to leave!” She shouts.

“Vision Guard raided the hideout when I arrived. They cornered me and asked for the alicorn. Not a lot of people know what an alicorn is. I told you that I was going to meet the guardians and you know that Stark is an alicorn. Not to mention the transmissions that were intercepted by Over Watch on Vision Guard that relayed a cellular message mentioning an alicorn. I wonder if the time stamp on the message was shortly after the call I made to you.

Why did you do it Misty?” She looks away with her legs curled to her chest and her arms around them. “You were also a member of the little guardian club for a year and didn’t mention that at all!” I tell her as she bursts in tear covering her ears rocking back and forth.

“Why did you do it!” I shout at her.

“I had no choice!” She cries out. “They kidnapped me and forced me to cooperate!

They-they-they took me after I got off my job. I was tied to a chair in dark room where a large man told me that if I didn’t help that they would take away Taylor. They knew where I lived, what I did, all my friend, my family. They threatened them all!”

“Taylor doesn’t know?”

“No, you have to understand. Even though I’m under Over Watch’s protection, my family isn’t. I didn’t cooperate when I didn’t inform them on Jor-El.” I become confused.

“They took Taylor cause you didn’t report on Superman’s father?” I ask feeling I missed something.

“Jor-El is the one who can control earth. His partner Wrath is a red pony.” At this point I feel bad for not asking about his name. I couldn’t call him Green vest all the time. He’ll have to change cloths eventually.

“Oh, that guy!” I respond.

She wipes her tears.

“One of the Over Watch employees gave me instructions to go to a pay phone in Orchid St where I would get a call from a Vision Guard agent. I needed to explain why I was under the protection and I couldn’t say no.”

“An Over Watch employee?” Corporate epigone 101. Infiltrate competitor companies.

“He was the one that accompanied to the hotel. After you called me, he came in told me that he needed to speak to me alone. He sent me to the pay phone and contact Vision Guard. They threatened that if didn’t give any useful information, that my family would pay the penalties for my insubordination. I gave them you!” She trembles with every breath drawn.

“Did you tell Miss Lawson?” She asks.

“No, I didn’t. You did.” I show her my phone. “It’s been on speaker this entire time with Miss Lawson.”

A forceful knock comes at the front door. We both know who it is. I get up and head to the door.

“You were right, you know!” She stares at me with tired red eyes. Emotionally broken.

“About what?” I ask.

“That I was better off not knowing you!” She looks away to the fire place.

I open the door and greet Agent Hitter and the other men in black suits behind him.

“Miss Lawson would like a word with you!” He coldly demands through a simple sentence.

“I figured” I replied.

I follow agent Hitter into a black Mercedes and the other agents entire Misty’s home. The empty feeling takes home in my chest as I look back at the condo seeing the door shut behind them. I can believe that all this happened. The surreal sensation of questioning “are you really here?” I wish that I was sleeping all this time. But no dream is that detailed in spiraling events.

Agent Hitter drives off into the night glancing at me through the rear view mirror.

“You always get yourself in trouble when you were a kid.” He ask and I think of the broken bat that I handed to Barnaby and walking back to Queens in the dead of night.

“Yeah, apparently.” I was born on karma’s bad side, getting my name constantly written down on its shit list.

*****

I’m brought to an all-night dinner. More cholesterol than class. Agent Hitter gets out the car and opens my door.

“Miss Lawson is inside!” He tells me.

“Here?”

“Everybody has a way of processing bad news.”

Opening the dinning door the bell chimes loudly. The high pitch stings the ear. The dinner is dim with a few late night patrons scrapping their plate and drinking bland black coffee. Miss Lawson cutting a steak then dabs it in some sunny side up eggs.

I stroll up beside her and take a seat.

“Strange, I never thought you ate like us humans.” I tell her.

“Only to keep up appearances Mr. Grey!.” She pauses and looks at me stunned. “Well you certainly look different since the last time we spoke.” I forgot that I had black hair and that I alive. “I didn’t think that you be whiter that pale? Yet you pull of the arson look.” She comments.

“Knife wound in the hand, lack of sleep, plus everything else. I’m not having a good week.” I reply.

“When Page told me that she needed to confess something, I was surprised that she needed to. I was even more surprised to learn about alicorns so late. My trust in Page is a little strained but then again, Vision Guard reacted as to per her concern. Even though we try to protect these ponies, trust in both sides is still frail.

There are some serious concerns that you disobeyed me and in not being discrete. You intentionally sought out the guardians that we were having trouble with, and started a fight that brought Visions Guards attention to send a tactical team to procure one target… Miss Stark.”

The harsh reality of my stupidity acting upon itself. Ozymandias was just a side objective. I wanted to know who was the mole and I did. I found her and brought her world around down. I unknowingly took Stark’s motivation and made it my own.

“The call you gave me was both revealing and startling. The Over Watch employee that Miss Cortez mentioned is being detained and questioned as we speak. We can not hold him for long. We are not the government and there for have no legal authority to detain him, so we may have little time to use certain tactics.”

I know what she is hiding with in the lines. Him in a dark room with a bag over his head. Let the fear of the unknown sink in. Then they act brash and quick stressing the subject. Bright lights and a bucket full of water.

“Not with out getting some information.”

“These are harsh times Mr. Grey and we can not let Vision Guard win this. They are formidable and would do whatever they deem necessary to accomplish their goal. Even kill you without hesitation or remorse.” She sounds like a spoke person for war. “There is a dark side to Over Watch, but only to keep the peace.”

“What of Misty and Taylor?” I ask.

“Miss Cortez has released information on some of those who are under our protection, further setting us back and with Vision Guard gaing the upper hand. She will be release from our protection. Since she is not a contract guardian, Taylor will be separated from Miss Cortez and place under another person’s care. Miss Cortez will have to go under some questioning before we release her back to her family.”

“And of her family?”

“They are not under our protection.” She just leaves them out to dry. “ I know this seems harsh, but Vision Guard would not make a move on a family that has they have no interest in.”

“What now?”

“Go home and get some rest. I expect a full report on what exactly occurred in that warehouse.” I get off from my seat and start to head to the door. “If you weren’t so brash, I would hire you as an agent. You have the skill, just not the intelligence.”

“Thanks for the backhanded compliment.”

I leave the dinner feeling the cold night air pass over me. Agent Hitter opens the back door for me. We leave back into the night.

*****

I climb up the back stairs quietly not to wake Stark up if she was asleep. Dunney is waiting for me on the porch with his hand buried in the pocket of his denim jacket.

“You got here late. What up with the zombie Billie Idol look?” He asks holding a smirk.

“Long story. Too tired… finish sentence.” I try to muster a clumsy phrase but I lose my balance and catch myself on the rail.

“Whoa!” Dunney says helping me up the stairs. “You got yourself in trouble again, didn’t you?”

“Yeah.”

“In over your head?” He asks.

“As usually.”

“Well, I hope someone picks up the phone!”

“What?”

“Cuz I freak’n called it!” He quietly shouts under his breath. I would laugh but I can hardly breathe without feeling pain. “You know you really have to be careful.”

“I know I do. For you.” I respond.

“No, not for me. For her!” Dunney point in the house. “You are everything to that girl man. She loves you and you don’t even realize it. She would do a lot for you, and I know you would do the same. But for her, be careful!”

Dunney opens the back door for me still trying not to collapse of the floor.

“Take care man.” He says to with half a smile. He walks down stairs then leaves.

I try to find myself in the darkness carefully not to stumble on anything. I hit my shin on the cot’s metal frame and grunt at the annoying pain. I see Stark asleep curled up on my bed with her mane frazzled. I ignore the pain, I ignore the world, I just see her and that’s all that matters to me.

I gently laydown beside her. I don’t cover myself with a blanket, I don’t want to wake her. For the first time in a long time, I feel happy.

My eye lids close and I drift not caring what I dream.

*****

“-Against portal she hath thrown,

In childhood, many an idle stone-

Some tomb from out whose abounding door

She ne’er shall force an echo more

Thrilling to think, poor child of sin!

It was the dead who groaned within,” I hear a familiar voice recite.

“Sarah?” I ask the voice. I hear a chuckle in the darkness and imagine her glowing smile.

“You need to wake up!”

*****

I sit up gasping for air finding myself in a new place. I grab at the ground feeling the smoldered dirt layered in ash. Slender black charred tree surround me while white ash fall like snow from a black and red sky. I hear the fire raging from a distance along with the faint screams.

I’ve dreamt this many times, but this feels…real. I look at my bad hand seeing the bandage wrapped around. I press on it forcing the pain to see if I would wake, only to find myself still here in this burnt forest.

I get on my knees and suddenly face a black pony. I jump back and it stays still in the dark. I approach it slowly.

“Hello?” I call. It just stands there covered in black.

Lightning flashes and I am stupefied. Its body burnt to black with cracks fissuring through its body as its last movement captured in time. I could make out the eyes. It was scared. Its head turned facing back.

I look around and find more charred ponies frozen in time inside their burnt bodies. I see little ones hiding behind a tree hurled together with one’s head over the other trying to shield the other. What happened?

I walk to them and take a knee. Their last moments of a young life were in fear. I reach out and touch one of their heads. They crumple into hollow pieces and ash. I never dreamt this. I would never want to.

“GET AWAY!” I hear Stark yell. “GET AWAY FROM ME!” I dart to the direction I hear her.

Pushing through the thick dodging tree in haste feeling my legs burn with every step everything blurs. Something hits my thigh and I flip over it landing on my back. I glance at the broken charred remains of another pony that I crashed into and its horrid last expression.

“GREY!” Stark cries.

I get off the floor and run faster with the trees whipping past me. The tree line show as the red light becomes brighter. I burst through searching around for Stark.

“Grey?” She utters prone with a tree to her back.

I run to her and crouch beside her. She quivers strongly with her eye madly wide as she clings to the ground.

“I’m here!” I tell her placing my hand on her back.

She looks up to me in fear. “Run!” She softly speaks.

A large shadow crawls over us hearing the ground crack beneath steps. I turn around and see him. The dark figure from my nightmares shambling his way to us. His eyes round burning red, just like Stark’s did.

It bears no facial features, its scrawny figure with bones protruding from its shoulders, ink black skin, and long hands with claws. It wheezes and growls moving closer.

I fight the fear in me still feeling it hold me back as I stand up.

“Stark, run now!” I tell her.

She jumps on my leg. “You have to get out of here! NOW!”

“Host brings you.” I hear the figure choke out. “You are already apart of us! More of us you need.” It turns it head to me. It quickly shifts positions but still keeps its gaze.

I yell out and charge at it. The figure just stand still holding its stare. I throw a punch hitting nothing. It vanished.

“Apart of us!” I hear it choke out directly behind me.

I swing an elbow back feeling contact from its head. It steps back and I unleashes several hard hit cracking the air light thunder. It grabs my fist squeezing it tight till I feel the bone crack. The figure slashes at my chest cutting through the burnt sweater and my blood splattering on the ground. I cry out then it stabs a claw on my shoulder and twists it inside the wound.

I am thrown in the air crashing through a couple of trees. The bark breaks and pops as they come down. I push myself off the ground trying to ignore the pain as it was so easy before.

I look up and it looks down at me with its red eyes. I come up with a punch sending it far back into a tree breaking it from the trunk. I dash to the figure with my shoulder down. I tackle it punching through the tree trunk then through other trees. I stop before the last tree slamming him against it. I cock my fist back and punch his face. His head sinks in the trunk as the tree bursts into splinters.

I fumble over from the follow through and he is shot far from me. I pick myself up holding my bleeding shoulder. I turn around about to call Stark’s name, but I freeze in place to see the figure standing beside me unfazed. I stumble back.

“Do you know what this places is human?” He says coming closer. “Equestria! Well, a part of it. Don’t you enjoy it, the desolation, the rot. I hunger for more, but this form withers. I require a new host.” Stark jumps over a fallen tree. The figure turns to her. “Before, she was to be our vessel. Our raw power courses through her, but now. You would be a better suit!” He turns back to me.

“Grey!” Stark shouts.

The figure grabs my neck and pushes me to the ground.

“You already tasted our power seen firsthand on what it can do, and I have seen your anger, felt your pain!” He bring his face closer to mine. “You will be us!” His face starts to melt dripping a thick black ooze on me. It fell it crawl over my skin traveling over my face. It forces its way into my eyes. The black oil enters my mouth cutting off oxygen. I hear Stark shouting my name but there is nothing I could do. I can’t fight back.

Stark jumps on the figures back raising her horn to the sky.

“MeRai Don!” Her voice echoes, thunder cracks and the figure cries in pain.

I feel my body burning as I gain my vision finding myself crawling on grass untouched by fire. I turn and see the figure holding Stark by the neck as she grimaces and flaps her wings. I feel the anger stronger than before gnawing at my skull and making my skin itch. I roar sounding inhuman, more monstrous. I claw at the ground launch myself straight at the figure. He lets go of Stark as he is tackled and dragged several feet. I pound his head over and over feeling the ground quake with every hit.

I hear Stark call my name and stop the assault. He disappears into smoke and it drifts away into the dark night.

I get off the floor looking around. I’m in a village. Old German style homes and ponies shyly peeking over a corner.

“Grey?” I hear Stark call.

“Stark!” I run to her. “Are you okay?” I ask and she steps back shocked.

“Is that you?” She asks.

“Of course it’s me! Who would I.” I stare at my reflection in a shop window both scared and baffled. I see the dark figure wearing my cloths. I claw at my face feeling the black skin and peer into my burning red eyes. It’s me.

“Grey, we have to leave!” Stark tells me but I don’t move.

Smoke forms together and the dark figure roars out behind me. I turn to him ready to tear him apart. Stark stand at my side quivering.

“Spike! Run and send Prince Celestia and tell her we are under attack!” I hear someone say in the background.

The end of “The Sleeper”

The Conqueror Worm

Stark Grey

The Conqueror Worm

I lay on the cold floor inside my now lonely house just staring at the dust collecting on the hardwood. I haven’t moved at all, I don’t want to. I’m starting to accept the idea of death, it sounds welcoming. The thought that I would see them again twists my arm, but I never believed in that type of thing. Non-existence is a bittersweet concept like seeing a glass of polluted water while dehydrated in a desert. I don’t know how long I’ve been here. I don’t care. All the people that mattered to me has left me alone in this torturous world that keeps hitting till you give up or until it kills you.

The door opens and slams but I remain self-catatonic. Boots stomp of the floor boards around me until I see them. Dark brown steel toe worker boots with untied shoelaces hanging loosely.

“Grey?“ Dunney says. “Grey, you need to get up!” He chokes up a bit. I stay quiet and motionless. “Look, I don’t know what to say here!”

“There’s nothing to say. He’s gone.” I reply.

“I know.” Dunney tell me them puts his back to a wall looking down.

The subway trains bullets by the house feeling the strong tremors pressing against me. After it passes everything reverts back to silence.

“I could throw several things at you, but knowing you, you’ll shot them down faster than I could say them.” Dunney comments while sniffling through his words. He pushes off the wall and stands next to me. “I know you’re sad. I also know that you are pissed! Pissed at the guy who shot him, pissed at me for annoying you, pissed at the world! Most of all: you are pissed at him!” I couldn’t help it after that. My tears overpowered my will as they drip to the floor sinking in too the fibers of the hard wood.

He was right. I was pissed at Miles. My mouth quivers as I try to speak only feeling choked.

“HE-he left me alone!” I force out through the sobs.

“It’s normal being mad. That only shows that you cared. And you are not alone. You got me! I know that’s not much. ” He responds patting my back. I see the tears streaming down his face and into his thick beard.

“Child services are going to take me away and I’ll go back in the system.” I tell him.

He takes his hand back and shakes his head. He looks me straight in the eye intensely.

“I’m going to make sure that that doesn’t happen. I’m going to need your help later gathering your paper work from the CPS, okay” He reassures me and I nod back. He picks up one of my arms and pulls it over his neck lifting me up. He grunts and I dangle like drunk off the floor. He drags me to the couch in the little space between the walls and lays me down. “I’m going to make you some waffles!” Dunney says as he enters the kitchen. I pretend that I’m useless matter on the tattered cushions.

I close my eye for what I hoped to be the last time and see the man in the alley crying as he dribbles blood from his mouth pleading for his life while he kneels on the wet asphalt underneath the clouded night sky. I feel the top heavy wooden bat blistering my palm as I gripped it tighter.

“Please! NO!”

*****

“Grey, we need to leave!” She shouts at me as I stare at the black figure taking form from the dark mist. “You can’t beat him!”

“I can try!” I reply to her feeling overwhelmed with hatred as it builds multiplying the blinding rage. He turned me into this, this monster, this stranger.

“Grey! I can’t lose you!” She places her hooves on my thigh crying in fear. “Not you!”

The creature turns to the village with his arm spread out as if he is basking in it. He flicks a wrist and a house explodes in to fire with a plume of smoke blowing into the night sky. The sound of ponies screaming as they flee away from the fire sends me to vicious instinct.

I push aside Stark aside charging at him with his back turned to me. He quickly bats an arm hitting me square in the face with unbelievable force. I’m thrown back like a cannon ball through a façade of a house and out the back rolling on the ground.

The pain on my face is excruciating as I hold my hand over it. I poke at my cheek feeling shards of bone shift causing more agony. Suddenly a electrifying chill runs up my spine knowing what’s standing over me. My ankle is yanked and I’m dragged on the ground in a circle until I’m being swung in the air. The grip is loosened and I shoot straight into the air seeing the village through a bird’s eye view then gravity brings me down.

A other explosion cracks through the air short arms looped under mine and my fall slows. The ground still comes at me faster than I could react as hit it flat.

I lie dazed and in a larger amount of pain that earlier today wondering when am I going to catch a break. A soft muzzle nudges me in the face shifting the broken bone.

“Grey! You have to get up!” Stark tells me.

I weakly start to push myself off the ground and Stark slides under me supporting my effort to get back on my feet. Everything seems like a lucid nightmare, but nightmares goes away and become forgotten. This is real.

“What the hell is that!?” I ask Stark as I lean on a house’s wall trying to catch my breath.

“I don’t know what it is, I just know that we have to say away from it!” She replies.

“Have you seen it before?”

“Only when I sleep!” She starts to tremble becoming completely distraught.

“For how long?”

“For weeks! I only heard his voice whispering till…” She looks down at her hooves unable to finish the sentence.

“The contract?” I say and she nods. Those weren’t my nightmares I was having. They were hers.

“HEY! YOU STAY AWAY FROM HER!” A voice shouts. I turn and see a purple unicorn with her eyes focused and angry, her horn glows a bright violet aimed at me.

Stark stand in front of me at the ready with her horn illuminating a blinding gold as electricity cracks around it. She aims it at the other pony.

“You are going to want to back off!” She warns as her wings spread. Stark is smaller than the unicorn, but that has never been an issue before.

The unicorn’s horn flickers out and she cocks her head back in shock. “You’re an alicorn!” She says to Stark baffled.

The grass below turns black and shrivels to flakes. The wall I’m leaning on being to crumble into dust as a jet black hand reaches out from the wall next to my head. I push myself off the wall and stand in front of Stark with my sore knuckles cracking trying to find courage instead of stupid fearful instinct. They are both the same at this point.

“What’s your name unicorn?” I ask the unknown pony starring at the figure push through the wall as the sand washes over him.

“Twi-Twilight!” She stutters before the monster.

“You should run Twilight! Same goes for you Stark.”

“I’m not leaving you!” Stark says with a strong quiver.

The monster stands before us three with its head twitching and shifting spastically.

“Consume!” The creature chokes out then raises its hands and claws its face cutting and pulling on the obscure dark flesh over the mouth until I see a set if sharp teeth spanning from ear to ear giving a wide grin. The black figure roars a hollow echoed cry with spit being flung from its mouth.

I’m paralyzed by fear, not knowing what to do and only thinking of the worst.

A large violet beam of light shoots out from behind blasting the creature a few yards back. I look at the purple unicorn her horn glowing bright and her eyes closed as she holds a grimace over her face.

“Did I hit him?” She asks still with closed eyes.

“Yes, you did!” Stark replies. The monster raise from the ground and roars again. “And he is back up and pissed.”

Twilight opens one eye then both become big orbs of fear. Her ears bend back and she starts to look around in a panic biting her lower lip.

“I-I don’t know what to do! I never read about anything like this!” She says quickly.

“You run!” I tell her. “Stark, same to you!” I turn to her and she is shaking her head aggressively.

“NO!” She shouts.

“Don’t argue with me and get out of here!” I respond.

The creature now looks more devilish as its large mouth stretches wide revealing a long slithery tongue It releases a loud high pitch wail that stings the ears. He’s no longer in a talking mood and I’m too choked up to speak.

I charge at the creature feeling my body holding back from fear. The monster opens his arms eagerly waiting my attack. I cock my fist back ready to strike then a familiar explosion roars behind me. I’m pushed aside from shockwave as something shoots past and tackles the monster carrying it off the ground then into the dark sky disappearing in the black clouds with a thunderous boom cracking and lightening flashing. I look back to see Twilight looking up while Stark is missing. I turn back to the clouds rumbling and building.

“STARK!” I shout at the nightly heavens in vain; on the ground helpless to aid her.

I hear a roaring zoom thinking that it’s Stark as I scan the skies for her. It’s growing louder and closer…and from a different direction.

I don’t know what hit me, but it sent me into a house with an explosion knocking around furniture in the dark. I’m more surprise that ponies were able to build furniture than the attack.

“Uhh, monster? Are you in here?” I hear Twilight call as she shines a beam of light from her horn.

Before I could answer her someone else dose.

“Nope, just me here Twi.” Twilight lighten a blue Pegasus with multi-color hair stepping out of the wreckage. “ I kick that monster’s butt probably too scared move. No need to thank me, just come with being…” Twilight then shines the light on me and the Pegasus is speechless as she fearfully stares.

“Please don’t kill her?” Twilight pleads while I push myself off from the broken furniture.

A loud zoom fills the sky and then a plume of dirt burst with a roaring explosion the shake the ground. I forget about the pegasus tackling me as I run out the house and through the plume blinded by a fog of dirt.

“Stark?” I call.

“Grey!” I here Stark say weakly. I find her crawling to me with the monster’s mark on half of her body, Small branches of ink black move slowing, stretching over the rest of her body. It warped her feathered wing into a bat-like one; half of her face is blackened and smooth with red markings on her eye and cheek, a fang jutting out of one side of her mouth. I fall to my knees stupefied as I bring her closer to me. “I’m sorry, he’s too strong!” She says as I ignore the other explosion not too far from us. I brush her blond mane with my bandaged black hand being careful with my claws. What he did to me, he did to her.

A couple of gasps is heard besides me.

“What- what happened to her?” The blue pegasus asks trembling.

“Step back! I’ll see what I can do!” Twilight moves aside Stark helping her up.

“Can you help her?” I ask.

“This is all new to me, but I’ll give it my all.” She says and turns to Stark and points her glowing horn at her. Stark shuts her eyes as the monster half recedes sluggishly.

The monster roars far behind me and my anger builds till I feel it crawling under my skin burning my blood.

“Stay right here.” I tell them as I stand up.

“Rainbow Dash, find our friends, he might need help!” Twilight says.

“That’s why I came looking for you! Spike is with Applejack. He sent a message, but I don’t know anything after that.” The blue pegasus replies.

I turn away from them feeling the rage come over me like a falling building. The monster shrieks with its large gaping mouth far from me. I don’t know what happens, but my face shifts and I shriek back then dart directly towards him feeling the increased speed and the force against my body as I leave cloud of behind me.

The monster lunges in the air over me, I jump tackling it sending us high in the air way above the village. The monster claws at my back as we ascend ripping my worn out sweater and cutting into my skin. The wind whooshes by as we enter the zero gravity moment, then the decent. The monster is pulls away from me as we fall. It reaches and grips my sweater by the shoulder. I grab its arm and pull myself closer to it and start punching his face with everything I got. With every hit the sound of immense crack strikes the sky. We fall faster as the monster beings to look dazed. I grab its throat and place him between me and the ground.

We land creating an huge explosion of dirt blinding me from, but I know where his is while I continuously pound the monsters face pushing it deeper into the ground. I can’t stop, nor I don’t want to. Releasing everything that vexes me, every horrid emotion, every haunting memory, fuels my anger like a spark to a butane spill. I get lost in my hate and the sudden power.

The monster’s grabs my throat with a powerful grip. It rises from the ground holding me over him. I struggle to breathe as I flail my legs kicking him, but my strength has left me. I’m tossed up in the air and the monster cocks a fist back. I cross my arms to block the incoming hit, but I might as well be blocking a running train from hitting me as I’m sent far in the air seeing the village become incredibly distant and then disappears as I enter a tree line. I go through thick branches hearing thunderous cracks as the wood splinters. I collide with a gigantic tree hard and fall while being pummeled by its branches then the ground meets my body and black settles in.

I can’t feel anything.

“Get up!”

I’m disconnected from my body.

“You need to fight.”

Okay, I found my body…and it hurts.

“You can’t let him win.”

God, I miss feeling disconnected.

I lay on soft grass as the wind lowly howls. I grab a hand full and push myself up with aches and pains laid over my body. Every simple motion burns as the strain builds and builds. My body is still weak, everything I’m bestowed, all of my strength, all my skill, all of my power is not enough. It’ll never be enough. I’m just lucky. All the time where death came near, it was pathetic luck that saved me. Streaks run out sooner or later. It’s a ticket that’s already punched, a grave with you name carved in a slab of stone with pretty letters showing that you live and now you don’t matter to the universe, just worm food.

Don’t think like that! You’re not going to die here! Luck may have saved you, but luck isn’t all you have. Everything has been against you and her. You are not going to let her down! You are not going to make that girl cry for your petty insecurities!

Branches rustle above with a loud stop. I look up and see monster roars from up high with its hands dug in the bark. Again I yearn to make him suffer.

The sound of a jet echoes in the sky and I’m unable to pin point its direction. The monster looks up and he is hit by a line of smok with electricity sparking around. The ground bursts as it shook from the impact. A pegasus wearing some blue and yellow getup with firry orange red spiky hair quickly flies out of the plume with grace and joins other two more wearing the same thing. I guess I do have luck? They turn to me and one points a hoof at me.

“There’s another one!” One of them shouts then they start to fly at me with their speed cutting the air. I stand my ground ready and annoyed with ponies seeing me and automatically thinking that I’m a threat. Fuck my luck.

Suddenly a pair of blue wings blocking my vision of the oncoming three pagasi.

“Whoa! This is the one that’s cool!” The blue pegasus from before turns her head back to me. “You’re the cool one, right?” She asks as I peer around and see the ones in the color crashing uniforms hovering listening to her.

“Not if you tackle me again!” I reply.

“It’s him.” She tells the others.

“So the one in the terrible getup is friendly?” The spiky haired costumed pegasus asks.

“Terrible?” I shout walking towards them. “This coming from the Power Ranger Ponies!” Then I realize some context is missing. “Never mind! You’d probably wouldn’t understand that reference.”

“Spitfire.” The blue pegasus flies next to me and places a hoof on my head. “ This guy got knock in the head little too hard by yours truly, so he might ramble on with nonsense.” She explains with a grin to the group of pegasi tilting their heads.

“I am currently withholding the overwhelming urge to massacre your entire race out of pure blind rage and frustration.” I mutter to the blue pegasus.

“Dude, cool it! You’re not helping your case.” She whispers while holding her nervous grin.

The sound of a large tree trunk crumbling as the rest of it coming down behind the team of pegasi. They slowly turn their heads around and the freeze with their mouths ajar.

“Move!” One of costumed pegasus orders. I couldn’t see, I was leaping out of the way from the giant falling tree. It hits the ground with a quake as I belly flop looking back seeing the monster jump on the fallen tree. Two costumed pegasus struggles as they try to pry themselves from the thick branches from the tree pining them down. The monster grabs the one with orange hair by the neck. The pegasus thrashes about as she chokes and grunts.

“Spitfire!” The blue pegasus shouts flying straight towards the monster. It grabs the blue pegasus with the other arm by her multi colored hair yanking her upward.

My heart skips a beat and all I can hear is my heavy breathing. I push myself off and charge to them. Everything seems to move faster than I. The creature’s arms sprouts small black tentacles reaching over the two helpless pegasi. They struggle against the creature as the black tentacles speared over the costume one’s chest and the blue pegasus’s head.

I jump on the tree in front of the monster taking advantage on its hands being full. I give him all my anger as his hands are busy. He loses his grip on the two pegasi after the first hit and just takes the rest not fighting back. I grab the monster’s head and bring it to my knee feeling something break and it goes limp slipping off the tree. This doesn’t seem right.

I hear the two pegasi scream their lungs out fight the monster’s touch. I race to the blue one thrashing on the ground as the creature’s mark covers her muzzle. She yells through clawing it with her hooves. I kneel next to her not knowing what to do.

“Get it off! Get it off!” She cries as tears flow down her cheeks.

“Hold still!” I tell her. She stops moving as she breathes franticly.

I grab the black moving oil feeling squirm between my fingers. I pull on it, but it clings to the pegasus’s face. The other pony screams her lungs out fighting this thing.

Finally the blob gives way releasing the pegasus. The force knocks me on my ass and the black blob covers my hand as is morphs, twists and spread blending into my hand.

“I didn’t expect that!” I said.

“Behind you!” The blue pegasus screams point a hoof over me.

I feel the monster’s sharp teeth digging into my right shoulder as he bites down till it scrapes against bone. I cry out frozen by pain and the creature clinches down harder. I dragged back feeling the teeth tenderize my flesh. The other costumed pegasus burst out of the thicket of leaves fully infected and transformed into devilish parodies of their former selves heckling like vicious hyenas with batwings, sharp fangs and illuminist red eyes. They close in on the blue pegasus as if she’s their prey.

The monster releases his teeth from my shoulder and grabs me by the throat turning me around to face him as his cuts off the air with his claws pressing hard. I’m lifted high off my feet as the blood streams down and drips on the tree from my right arm. I’m unable to see the blue pegasus hoping that she would fly fast out of here.

“Fighting for petty creatures, soaking in their paradise as you wallow in the gutter. You abuse and misuse my gift.” The monster says to me lighting up his grip.

“You and I have two very different definitions on gifts. Next time, cash in a greeting card will do just fine!” I joke and his grip tightens. I grab at his wrists weakly and exhausted. I feel my body wanting to give way, to collapse and die where I fall.

I see the blue pegasus take to the sky incredibly fast with the infection ones chasing her. They enter the blackened clouds and everything after that is just pessimistic hope.

“You see! All alone. Everyone has abandoned you to die. Stark, your parents, and those caretakers pretending to be a family.” His evil grin grows. “ All that pain and hate. I can make it go away where you’ll finally know absolute peace. No more pain, anger, fear. All of those unnecessary overrated human emotions. All you have to do is give in!” I’m losing will and strength as my body goes limp “There!”

“GREY!” A familiar voice calls and thunder cracks. A bolt of lightning strikes the monster in his chest burning the black flesh sending him back as his is pushed into the ground far from my falling body.

I roll off the tree and land face down onto broken branches poking at my tender flesh unable to move.

I feel a breeze of wind come over me.

No, Leave!

My face is nudged with a black muzzle. “Grey?” Stark says. I don’t know how many timesI have to tell you to get up!”

“I will as soon as everything stops hurting!” I reply looking up at her. She’s no longer infected by the monster. Her dark wings contracted at her sides, her golden mane brushing against me. I have my Stark back to her normal self.

“No you have to get up now! The others are coming and we need to leave!” Stark tells me as she digs her head under my chest and pushes me up on my knees. I gaze into the darkened sky hearing the roars of objects hitting high speed and explosive clashes that lighten the obscure clouds briefly.

“The blue pegasus, she’s up there fighting three infect ponies. “ Stark looks up into the sky as well.

Lightning flashes as an loud boom send ripples through the cloud spreading them making way for a falling blue dot.

“Stark!” I shout.

“I got it! Go back to the village!” She replies and blasts into the air making a deafening boom just watching Stark growing more closely to the blue dot. They go out of sight behind the towering tree tops.

I step off the branches and limp to the direction that they were. I quickly look around not seeing the monster anywhere as I limp faster away only to be knocked on my ass as soon as I look away. I quickly summersault backwards and fumble on a tree leaning against it as I breathe heavily.

The monster stumbles on the ground disoriented and weak. He stands with a wobble in his knees and turns to me. Parts of his body burnt exposing a decaying human still animate. One of his eyes are dull and lifeless, the patches of skin seems dry, cracking like hard hot dirt as pieces chip away.

Alone again filled with panic and anxiety as death creeps in the dark presenting himself to me with all his horrid humor. The monster growls and the exposed human area are covered by the black tissue. For the first time in a long time: I afraid to die.

“You’re not up for a chat are you?” I ask and the monster growls. “I thought so.”

Whisper circle around me voicing my thoughts.

I’m goanna die, I’m goanna die, Stark is goanna die. Everyone will die.

I’m not done! I can do this! I can fix it! Think! Think! There is a way out!

It’s all my fault. I’m not strong. I’m pathetic.

I going to fucking kill everything!

My head feels fuzzy as something moves under my skull; moving over the grey matter. I hunch over holding my head as I lose my vision.

You are going to die here and now. You deserve this.

Gravity

Stark Grey

Gravity

Two years ago:

Dunney takes me to a friend in a shady apartment building with and that strange sensation of “I’m going to catch something here” as I see more degradation inside his friend’s apartment . Moldy walls, scattered miscellaneous garbage on every table or counter top, tangled wires and cable feeding into large CPU towers humming and whining, five computer monitors lined on a desk covered with more garbage and a funky cat smell with no cat or from what I can see.

I hand every paper I could find containing my medical records, birth certificate, foster care papers and anything that has my name printed on it to Dunney’s sketchy friend sitting in a rolling office chair. The papers are not a very large bundle making me feel self-conscious about my existence.

“Soon, it’ll be like the old you never existed.” The guy says unknowingly kicking my insecurity. “Right now is the best time to choose an awesome name. Like: Lex, Luke, Aries, Debbie depending on your preference.”

“I’ll keep my name.” I reply.

“Grey?” He shrugs his shoulders. “Your choice buddy. No last name?”

“Nope.”

“Going that Cher route? “

“Hey Herman? Where is Peppers? “Dunney asks looking around the garbage clustered living room.

“Uh…I haven’t seen her in a while, but there that dreadful stench in the kitchen.” Dunney’s friend replies. The poor thing probably died between the walls. Looking this place, it must have been suicide or the cat found a rat larger than itself.

“When I’m done kid, you’ll be legally eighteen. According to you records. I set up a fake ID, birth certificate, etcetera, etcetera. But , if someone wanted to find your files, I mean really want to. They could. They would just need something that linked you to your past, like where you live, people that knew you. That kind of stuff.” Dunney’s friend tells me.

“I don’t think I would be getting myself in trouble with the government anytime soon, so that should be easy.” I reply.

“Gary Webb didn’t think so and look what happened to him?” I gape at him.

“Who?”

“Kid…you better not get me caught.” Dunney’s friend replies. I studied him quickly. Scruffy beard, bushy brows, tired red eyes, dirty T-shirt with multiple stains in several colors all over, scrawny like myself. Yeah, He wouldn’t survive prison let alone survive his living habits.

“I’ll do my best not to end up on America’s Most Wanted.” I say to him but it doesn’t help as he bites his lip.

“Just in case I got a couple of gallons of gasoline in the restroom if anybody comes snooping around.”

“You live in an apartment building.”

“Yeah, six stories down- that’s why my fire exit in unblocked- twenty-five cameras in a four block radius – which the average person is photographed around two hundred times a day, two miles from the nearest police station, and nine blocks from the nearest police safe house where they monitor citizens in cafes, restaurants capturing cell phone and computer data. Do you even know all the propaganda we are feed through Fox news?”

“Herman, you don’t want to scare the kid?” Dunney says standing beside me.

“No, just enlightening him.” Herman replies. “Now how are we going to do the payment?”

“Payment? You still owe me!” Dunney raises his voice point a finger at Herman very aggressively making him finch.

“That was for the amount of five thousand. You’re missing another two grand and that’s with a discount. I’m doing this at cost man.” Herman replies holding himself very nervously. “Kid, this is nothing against you and I am completely sorry for what happened to you, but I have to place carbon files in agencies, hack into other agencies placing data and erasing my infiltration, Fake Ids, birth certificates, medical records, social security number. All of this has to be fabricated and sent. It’s a lot of work and money is needed to do this right.” He falls back in his chair. “I got crap piled on. I got to flash over three hundred phone for a guy in Chinatown in the next five days or he’ll go to another seller.” He points to two totes over filled with several different models of smart phones and flip phones.

“Is it hard to flash a phone?” I ask.

“No, the software does most of the work and I got three computers to do it, but I got other things to do.”

“What if I help you with the phones. It’s not hard to do and you can continue with your other jobs.” I tell him and he looks stern into my eyes while he is sits still as a statue.

“You do that and we have a deal on your new identity! Come here tomorrow bright and early.” A sudden sense of relief carries off the weight of worry. “Oh, and bring an open mind. I have to teach you how to stay off the grid and survive in a cyber-world.” Herman says them turns back in his chair typing on his computer staring at five monitors.

Dunney pats my back and gives me a grin. “I better get you home then. It’s late.” He tells me.

We exist the building and the freezing air pierces my skin and chills my insides. Standing on the sidewalk I stare at the starry night sky seeing it clearly. The Street is dark, no lights in the buildings, street lamps or businesses. The full white bright moon beams the sun’s reflection in its cool glow. For some reason it’s like I’m seeing it for the first time. Absorbing the nightly abeyance feeling something I can’t describe. I just know: I like the night.

*****

Present day

The monster’s throat lowly rattles through his shallow breathing as he growls like a hungry lion creeping closer. I step back feeling hope and will leaving me in the dark stranded and alone. My shoulder ripped through to the bone by sharp teeth with the pain stained on my nerves. Parts of my face broken and swollen, my hand stabbed, muscles bruised and torn crying for it to end. My body betrays me as it wants to calls it quits, but the anger stays giving a flicker of will. I ball a fist with my stabbed hand and strike fast, but not fast enough as the monster catches my punch in the palm of his claws and squeezes till the bones are pressed against each other. They crack and crumble making me fall to my knees crying out trying to pull my hand back. The flicker dies in the unforgiving cold wind.

A bright blue light hits between of creating a balled explosion blinding me. All I see is white. All I hear is a high pitch ringing deafening everything else. I can’t figure out if I’m alive or dead as I look into a colorless void.

Things start to slowly return. The white becomes grey, the ringing is replaced by low muffles. I can see a bit as blurred double vision align. On the ground looking at scattered small flames burns, cracks and billows in the soft wind where the light struck. Beyond that, the monster crawls on his hands trying to flee. It casts a ghostly shriek then it bursts into black dust as another blue light strikes creating a green flame with a black blob screaming and flailing inside burning into nothing but embers.

On the ground I look forward finding myself staring at four navy blue legs and glass covers over the hooves standing a few feet away. I pick my head weakly peering at the blue pony with its horn glowing an azure flame and its large wings spread out. Another alicorn.

“I will vanquish you and your ilk darkling!” The alicorn says lowering her horn at me. I can’t speak or move. I can barely keep my eyes open let alone defend myself. Why does everyone want me dead?

Her horn grows incredibly bright as I reach for her trying to speak. To plead, but nothing comes out.

“NOOOOO!” I hear cried out from a distance. Electric streams surge around us reaching shortly to the sky. The alicorn eyes widen and the light vanishes in her surprise as she ganders on the electrified air then to the calling sky. “Leave him alone!” Stark shouts.

A hollow roar vibrates everything around us then thunder cracks blasting the ground before me. There, Stark stands firm shielding me. The dark blue alicorn cocks her head back.

“An alicorn?” She says puzzled and distraught.

I struggle push myself up on my hands and knees feeling the limbs wobble. I place a hand on Stark’s side and she turns to me seeing my condition. She moves her head under my hand brushing golden her mane with my black fingers.

“You’re hurt! Again!” She softly says.

“I could say that I have been through worse, but I could be lying.” I reply still finding time to jest. “How is the blue pegasus?”

“I saw you in trouble and had to leave. She said that she could hold those things off, so I couldn’t protest.” Stark replies.

“You are in alliance with this monster?” The other alicorn asks. Stark turns to her fast and shoots a burst of light at the alicorns feet. She doesn’t take it well as she looks absolutely livid.

“You call him a monster again and the next shot won’t be a warning one.” Stark threatens with multiple voices as she did in the underpass.

“So be it!” The alicorn says and her eyes turn into a pale light; her horn ignites in a azure flame. “You chose your fate.”

The ground below shakes and fissures cracks round us. The earth rises launching me up as Stark recovers in the air. She tries to fly to me but is struck by a blast on her back and falls. The raised mass rotates forward moving over me. I claw at the grass and begin to climb up with my feet slipping as I grow closer to the edge. The mass is now completely upside down and starts to descend with the force of it pressing against me. I plant my feet up on the turn cluster of land and push myself off as the mass slams on the ground crumbling with an enormous boom. I head straight to the ground landing on my back sliding on the grass. I pick myself on my hands and knees looking every direction for Stark. My heart sinks, my mind go blank and the red filters through my vision as I see a pair of black wings covering her motionless body lying on the grass. I run to her as the other alicorn fires energy projectiles around me. Chucks of the ground shoot up feeling their faint touch brushing on my skin. I slide on my knees and shield Stark with my body waiting for any other attacks to hit, but they miss with them erupting around me with more dirt falling over me like a brief shower.

Looking down at Stark motionless crumbles every sudden hope and warm emotions into the dark where I was before. I move my hand under her head and lift it to me feeling for her faint breath on my cheek, her heart slowly beating.

“Princess Luna! Please stop!” Twilight shouts entering the field with half of her body infected and warped like the others. One solid red eye, her muzzle narrow, a sunken in cheek opposite from her round one and branches of the organism taking root.

“Twilight! What happen to you?” The dark blue alicorn asks horrified at the site.

“They are not the enemy!” Twilight says to the alicorn.

I carefully place Stark on the ground combing her mane with my blacken hand. She continues to breathe and something in my head clicks; turning on the aggression and letting it over flow. “That’s not true!” I say to them as I stand up. They both look at me puzzled. “She just made me an enemy!”

They move so slow as if time is no longer in its constant motion. I charge at the alicorn while she tries to fly back sluggishly, but I grab at her neck and squeeze. I bring her head close to mine, starring at her frightened sapphire eyes as she struggles to gasp for the slightest air. The alicorn’s wings flap with futility while her hoover scratching at my arm as I raise her from the ground.

“Stop it!” Twilight shouts, but I’m too far gone. I throw the alicorn at a large tree, quickly breaking through the trunk with an immense force. The tree crashes on the ground hard sending a small tremor through it.

I start to walk towards where I threw the alicorn until I’m confronted by the lavender unicorn blocking my path. Her horn illuminate with that violet glimmer, her eyes infuriated, her stance set firm.

“Out of my way!” I tell her in a different voice.

“No! I can’t let you hurt Princess Luna!” She replies with a crack in her voice.

“I don’t want to hurt you, but if you hinder me. You will be.”

“I know that this isn’t you! That thing has control, so please! If you can hear me, stop!” She pleads scared with tears flowing from her eyes.

“If I wasn’t in control, you would already be dead!” I reply. She cocks her head back with wide eyes. I walk pass her as she stares where I was. She trembles and cries silently, frozen by fear.

“What about your friend?” Twilight asks. I turn to back and meet her gaze. “I’m guessing that she wouldn’t what to see you like this?” I look at where Stark is laying knowing that she wouldn’t. More importantly, I don’t want her to see me as I am now. The willingness to kill seems like an easy border to cross before as the hate and angry possessed me.

I walk back to Stark trying to wash away the negative emotions but they became a more of a physical presence dwelling within the hungry pit. The pit is no longer my past, but what I want to repress. It houses my demons ready to rip me apart. For Stark’s sake; I should burry them alive.

Standing over her looking down onto my little Stark unconscious on the ground. It seems as if this is the only rest she has had in a while. I crouch down and stroke her mane with my bandaged hand feeling the thick strands stream between my fingers. Her golden eyes slowly open glimmering in the little light around us. She closes them then starts to tremble violently.

“Stark! What’s wrong!?” I shout panicking as she opens her eyes; they shine a bright white light and her horn flames a neon yellow. I grab her at the shoulders, but she thrashes about screaming in pain.

“What’s going on?” Twilight asks standing behind me.

“I don’t know!?” I shout back.

Stark rolls on her side then weakly stands looking confused and dazed. “Stay back! I can’t control it!” She cries out.

A strong pale aurora courses around Stark growing stronger every moment.

“Stark!” I call out. She looks at me with those illuminist eyes with tears flowing as her lips quiver.

“I’m scared!” She says to me. A large bright orb envelopes her entire body as she spreads her wings. The warmth of the light lies on the skin like the heat from a raging fire. I reach for it the orb felling it burn my flesh. It vanishes leaving behind a large chard crater and small glowing spheres drifting downward like snowflake slowed by time.

I fall to my knees slumping over, lost in the thought that she’s gone. I don’t know if she teleported or if she’s…

A thunderous boom cracks in the air as the roars of high speed flight deafens the sky. I look up at the dark clouds shielding the night. The clouds open up creating a ring showing the pale moon beaming the sun’s reflection down. The night has always been there for me to hide, for me to live and for my despair.

A dark figure descends at an incredible speed then crashes directly in front of me. The infuriated dark blue alicorn leers at me with illuminate cobalt eyes discharging a flowing energy. She takes a stance in the depression that she made. Her wings spread forward hiding her features in the dark. I get off of my knees slowly gaping back at the alicorn with a strong pugnacity.

“Princess Luna! Please stop! He’s not an enemy!” Twilight shouts in my defense. The alicorn doesn’t even glance at her, just stays focused on me. I take a breath and everything else is hushed with a sudden qualm setting in.

Something starts to pull my stomach upward making me feel lighter; my feet come off the ground and I stare at the alicorn. If I had a mouth right now, I’d be smiling.

“Do it.” I whisper.

“No, don’t!” The unicorn pleads for reason that I can’t fathom.

“Do it or I’ll kill everyone!” I threaten knowing how she would react.

I am launched off the ground with the wind flowing harshly over my face as the dark blue alicorn flies directly in front of me, guiding me as we enter the clouds. My lungs can’t get air and the gravitational force pulls my limbs as the blood rushes down leaving me lightheaded. We don’t take our eyes off of each other for a single moment.

We stop hovering over the cloud line with a sea of stars surrounding us and the beautiful pale moon behind the alicorn pulling my attention away. The alicorn’s mane sways in the wind shimmering like the stars overhead.

“This is where you end monster!” She says; though, for that moment. It was comforting.

Gravity set back in as I descend down gazing at me old friend disappears in the cumulus. I don’t struggle or flail needlessly in the air, I just fall. This time, Stark is not here to save me.

Hostility

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Losing side

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