The ground shook. Walls shuddered. Bits and pieces of the ceiling rained down on those still huddled below. It was an attack or an earthquake the likes of which they had never seen... or maybe the world was ending. Everyone inside the building couldn't tell. Below the screaming that filled the air, people pushed and shoved their way toward the door.

One of the few who hung back, crouched down in corners and below support beams, Andrea watched them flee. Terror filled the Greek's eyes. She had never seen anything like this before.. The roof over their heads groaned and creaked, and a moment later the ceiling above the doorway collapsed. Some of the screaming stopped immediately... some still seeped out from beneath the pile of heavy beams, cement, and drywall.

A moment later, the roof above Andrea's head collapsed as well... Before she had time to even so much as glance up, debris rained down from above. A poof of dust filled the air, and hot on its heels, a pile of broken building...

***

Seventeen hours later, Andrea awoke. Her head throbbed, her legs had fallen asleep, and her side was on fire with pain. She tried to lift her head and only managed to bonk it soundly into a toppled over support beam. Everything was quiet when she finally managed to collect herself. The screaming has stopped... she could hear no other people around her. For all she knew... she was alone.

After some inspection, and a few brief panic attacks, she figured out how to free herself from the pile of rubble that had landed on top of her. Just looking at it from the outside, she knew she was lucky. One lone beam had been all that spared her from being crushed under cement, wood, and items from the floor above. One look around, however, showed her that she was the only one...

Dust still hung in the air, making it rather hard to breath... but with just a glance around she spotted piles upon piles of debris... and blood. There was also blood. Her heart pounded away as she took in the grim scene, people who were surely dead buried under piled of fallen floor and wall combined... and those that were possibly still alive. With tender steps, she moved around, attempting to listen for breathing, or gasping... anything, really.

Finally, a small, hushed cry caught her attention. Someone else was alive! Andrea was frozen to the spot momentarily, a deer in headlights reaction, until her mind took the reins again. Not wasting a single second, the Greek moved forward, searching until she honed in on the sounds.

"H-hold on! I will get you out!" The area was covered in loose rubble. Large and small slabs of things. Coughing, she knelt and started digging. Her voice, and the sounds of her working, caused the other person so raise their voice. Andrea winced as she tugged at a large piece of concrete, her side protested against the movement... but she had to continue on. Someone was trapped... clearly in need of help. Minutes ticked by, shifting into an hour.. and then an hour and a half. Finally, after yanking away pieces of stray wood, a hole appeared. Light flooded the cramped cubby that the woman inside had woken up in. She coughed, a terrible grating sound, and reached a hand out to Andrea.

"..M-my l-leg... I c-can't feel m-my leg..." The look on the woman's face mirrored Andrea's. Fright, confusion, and a terrible calmness all mixed into one. Grasping the woman's hand in her own, she leaned past her, pushing away more rubble from the entrance until she could see clearly into the hole.

...it was not a pretty sight. The woman had one leg curled up into her chest, spared from injury, but the other vanished under a pile of cement just below the knee. The sight of it, the blood... the odd angle at which it was twisted, caused her to nearly throw up.

"Please! P-please help m-me!"

It took a moment for Andrea to snap out of it, and work up the courage to look at the desperate woman. She had to be in a lot of pain, judging from the injury... Andrea didn't know what to say.

"I-... I don't know--" Before she could admit the severity of situation, or her incompetence when it came to handling injuries, sounds from outside captured her attention. Sudden screaming, running and shouting... it broke the silence that had hung over them a moment before, and Andrea found herself staring at where the entrance of the building had once been. It was now mostly obstructed by rubble, the same rubble she now recalled seeing a group of people disappear under. Light filtered in from around the edges, gaps wide enough for people to squeeze through. From the holes in the ceiling, and ruined doorway, she assumed that it was still daylight outside. She wasn't aware of how long she had been out, or what exactly had happened in that period of time.

The sound of running suddenly stopped, shadows danced through the filtered light on dusty air, and a moment later, the screaming stopped as well. Violent sounds rolled from outside... scraping, gasping, and a soft whack whack whack. Fear suddenly gripped the Greek. It oozed from her skin and infected the injured woman... her gasps and groans grew louder as she too was overtaken by fright.

"Please! Get m-me out of here!"

The sounds paused outside, and Andrea's eyes flew to the woman. She shushed at her, trying to calm her down as quietly as possible... but her efforts only dragged out more ragged cries. A whistle from outside captured her attention once more, and the young mutant slowly stood. From the gaps she could see shadows moving, footsteps were drawing nearer...

Suddenly, someone entered. A hand shot through, gripping the edge above as a leg popped in, and then the other. Fear overtook her, her lips quivered, her knees shook. She started backing away from the woman without realizing.

"W-where are you going!? D-don't leave me here, I-I'll die!"

Andrea's back bumped into a wall, she sank against it. As one man entered, another started climbing in behind him. They were far enough away that they could not see her through the darkness... but they could hear the woman's cries for help. "P-please! Help me!"

Crawling back further, she felt the wall give way behind her. A cubby opened up where the dry wall had crumbled. She was enveloped in shadows, nothing more than a dark blob amongst the rubble, as the two men approached. The woman saw them coming, and reached out toward them. Her weak pleas for help were ignored, as one dark figure raised his arm with a long slender object clasped in a fist... With her hands clasped tightly around her mouth, Andrea watched with wide, horrified eyes, as the woman was messily dispatched. The metallic clang of metal on tile bounced off the walls as one man dropped his weapon. Both commented on how it was a mercy killing, as they proceeded to yank her body from the hole and strip all of her jewelry from her person.


...Andrea didn't leave her spot for hours. Even after the men has left... even after the sunlight had gradually faded away. Muscles were well past cramping, but she didn't budge. The girl had just watched someone die... a slow, painful death.

When she finally emerged, with tears finally dried, it was well past dark outside... and the city no longer looked like itself. Buildings were felled, cars on the streets were on fire, over turned, and wrecked. There were... bodies... everywhere. Some looked like victims of attacks, like the woman she had... had tried to help. Others looked like they had fallen from great distances, and given the severity of damage around her, she could only assume they had. Whether from falling on accident, or on purpose, she didn't know.

All she knew for certain, was that the sights laid out before her were horrific. It was as if the world had ended... like the--

Her heart skipped a beat. Everything her parents had ever taught her came flooding back. The Rapture... the worthy being lifted up into heaven, while the rest were left behind. The world would end, overrun by the sinful...

With a dusty breeze ruffing her hair, carrying the smell of toxic fire and iron to her nose. So much death... so much destruction... From where she stood, where was not a single untouched building. Everything was damaged, some more severely than others. Her heart sank into the pit of her stomach, and try as she might, she could not get herself to move.

"...is... is this it?"

The hollow sound of her voice caught her by surprise. The tears welling in her eyes even more so. Biblical texts and prophecies she had long since given up on swirled around in her mind. Was this the end?

No... No! This.. this had an explanation. Even if it was a bad one, it must have an explanation! A bomb had been dropped, another attack, massive earthquake, Anything! Squeezing her eyes shut, she forced herself to take a breath and tried to get her bearings. She needed to get home... home would be safe, and there would no doubt be an explanation. She just needed to get there...

Looking up and down the street however, proved to her that that would be difficult. Everything was ruined... and as she had witnessed, bad people were running around. Which... meant she should probably find cover until she sorted things out. With windows busted out everywhere, and whole walls crumbled to bits, it looked as though she would have a hard time finding someplace to hide herself away where no one else would find her. Had she told Saph where she was going?... She honestly couldn't remember. With the city in shambles as far as she could see, she wondered if it would be in her best interest to stay around the area.

If he came looking for her, but she had wandered off, any sort of rescue would be ruined. After taking a few more uncertain steps, her side complained again. She really wasn't in the best shape to try and walk home anyway. A glance over her shoulder, at the building she had come out of, brought new tears to her eyes. She couldn't go back in there... not-- not after what had happened... Pushing back her feelings momentarily, as best she could anyway, she steeled herself and limped onward.

***

By the next morning, Andrea was a nervous wreck. She had found a place to hole herself up in where no one would stumble upon her. It was small, tight and cramped... but it had a view across the street, and no one could get to her without climbing. She had slept two full hours at best, tiny cat naps stolen in between fearful waking hours. She had seen small mobs roaming the streets, cars creeping past, looters... and more mystery men with weapons. It felt like she was poised in a small boat, watching hungry sharks circle below.

There had been times where people were so close, she had been afraid to breath. With a shred of cloth pressed tightly to her mouth and nose, she had sat in silence and watched. Before the sun had risen again, she was sure that everything worth being stolen had already been picked off. Food, medical supplies, weapons, and valuables... She had even seen people stuffing office microwaves into shopping carts. The watch on her wrist ticked on, alerting her to the fact that it was ten... and she decided to move. She was sure that if she sat any longer, someone would eventually stumble upon her, and she knew very well that it was not likely going to be a kind soul.

The streets were honestly no better, but after a while of clinging to shadows, she finally found more people. A large group, gathered just outside of what had once been a tall building. She approached with care...

Once she was close enough, a soft humming reached her ears. She realized that the people gathered were all dressed in fine clothing. Men in comfortable suits, women in blouses and skirts. Nervously, the Greek joined them. The sounds of a hymn started up, a chorus of weary voices. They were singing Amazing Grace... and at the very heart of the group stood a solitary preacher in dusty robes. His voice carried out over the others, broken... but filled with hope. It didn't even register to her that every single person was gently weeping, as they sang along with it...

Andrea was suddenly filled with a guilt so fierce that her chest seized up. As someone who had once clung to faith herself, she knew what they were going through. Or... she at least thought she did. She hung around for a few moments, letting the sad song sink in, before she turned to continue onward.

"... Join us."

A voice popped up, so close it made her jump. The Greek swung around to face the speaker, but was forced to drop her gaze. It was a boy. Small, scrawny, and dirty. He wasn't in fine clothes, but rather dirty and torn pajamas. A small grubby hand was held out to her. "Join us, we won' bite... I pwomise." Her heartstrings tugged, she couldn't help but reach out and grasp the boys hand gently. "We all have'ta stick togever now..."

He led her back to the circle of people. A few paused their singing to dip their chins at her mournfully. "..Where... are you parents...?" It was odd to her that no one stepped forward to claim the child. She watched him from behind her glasses, a frown already on her lips. A crackle of gunfire sprang up suddenly in the distance, causing Andrea to whip her head around... but those gathered ignored it. The boy at her side gripped her hand a little tighter, dirty brown hair falling over his eyes as he bent his head.

"God took them..."

Her heart sank even further. She could do nothing more than squeeze his hand back, and shut her eyes against a sudden flow of tears.

"Sing louder! We must prove to the heavenly father that we are worthy of ascending! That we are not heathens to be left behind!" The voices rose, some cracking from stress, and one woman broke down into quiet sobs. The Greek watched the spectacle, unsure of what to do... or say, for that matter. After a few agonizing minutes, however, the problem was solved for her. The preacher caught sight of her, her lack of singing and sudden appearance, and stepped down from the box he had bee standing upon.

"Child... why are you not singing?" His swift maneuvering through the crowd stole another jump from her, and she placed a hand over her rapidly beating heart. "...I.. I.." She took a breath, forcing herself to calm down. "Forgive me....But what has happened here, father?" She finally managed, more or less sidestepping his question with one of her own. The man stared at her, calm despite his surroundings, and clutched a small bible to his chest.

"The end, child. The Rapture... that you are still here, means you are either one of the unfortunate left behind, or a sinner in need of repentance." The intensity in his stare unnerved her, to the point that she backed up a step, dragging the boy with her.

"So... which are you?"

Sloth shifted around her shoulders, rousing the other snakes as well. They caught the preachers attention, and he too backed up a step. What had once been kind blue eyes narrowed, and he nodded his head without so much as waiting for a word from her.

"I see..."

"...what?" The boy tugged her hand, and when she glanced down at him, she saw fear in his eyes. She was instantly on edge, and when she pulled her eyes back to the preacher, she knew why... He had turned his back to her, and the others had stopped singing. The sheer number of eyes resting on her was unsettling. "We have in our midst, my fellows..." Orange eyes snapped to the back of the preachers head, and her frown widened.

"...A demon."

The word struck Andrea like a brick. "Sent here to no doubt test our faith!" A hushed silence fell over those gathered, and more than a few crossed themselves. It... it sadly wasn't new to Andrea. She had been accused of such things before... but, in this type of setting, it seemed far less silly and far more dangerous.

"...W-what? I am no demon... I--" A hand was raised to silence her. "We have been left behind, not as sinners... no... as tools." The muscles in the back of the preachers neck were tense, and when he turned back around, there was a gleam in his eye that she didn't much like. "Don't you see...? We are here to sway the wicked, to drag them kicking and screaming if need be, back into the light. Into God's eternal embrace!"

The chuckle that fell from him crackled. It was broken, much like the man. Andrea was now beginning to realize that. This wasn't a group of normal people. They were desperate... They were grasping at straws and lapping up every word that fell from the preachers tongue.

"This woman bears the snake! The serpent, the devil incarnate..." He quieted momentarily, muttering to himself, before turning back to the gathered people. "Sing! Let us show her the light of our faith... let us show her gods love."

This... was not good. She needed to leave, and take the boy with her. Another step back, and the man swung around. "Oh, no... you won't escape. I will show you salvation, until you are singing hymns and bear your wicked soul to the lord!"

She had but a moment to hop back out of his reach, and with the boys hand still in hers she ended up dragging him along. The Greek stooped to sweep the kid off his feet, before she turned and ran. The preacher followed after, but stopped just short of leaving his flock behind. "You cannot run from this, wicked one! You cannot run from this!"

Her heart beat in her ears, followed by the sounds of the mans haunting laughter as it bellowed after her. She didn't stop until the singing faded away, and silence lapsed over them. Then, with the boy standing silently by her side, she dropped to her knees and let herself catch her breath.

"...Are you weally a demon?" The uncertainty in his voice did nothing to make her feel better... but she attempted a smile for him anyway. She didn't know why exactly she had stolen him... but... considering the way that interaction had gone, he was better off far away from those people. "...No, I am not... I am Andrea. May I know your name as well?"

He seemed to weigh her words for a moment, before he answered. "...Chawlie." She forced her smile wider, and opened her arms to him. God knows she wanted a hug herself, she could only imagine what the boy was going through. "Well, Charlie... it is very nice to meet you..."

She knew where it was she needed to take him. If the boy had no parents he needed someone to look after him. The mansion was perfect for him. Her mind wandered to the other kids that resided there, some his age, and she couldn't help but be struck by a sudden overwhelming sense of worry. Was everyone okay? ...What if Saph was hurt? Or drew... or verdy...?

"...You look sad, Andwea..."

She blinked, not realizing that he had stepped into hug her. "...I am sad, Charlie... a lot of people are right now... but... everything will get better, I promise." The Greek wrapped her arms around the kid, resting her chin on his small shoulder, but couldn't manage to keep her smile on. Worry settled on her features, and dread settled in her gut. Something was wrong... and not just in the obvious sense.

...Something was terribly wrong...

There was no home.

There was nothing. No hope. No salvation... nothing. It was hard to keep a positive attitude, when faced with such a depressing outlook. The Mansion was gone... she hadn't even been able to step foot on the grounds. There was no point. She had yet to run into any familiar faces, and after three days, it was becoming hard to look Charlie in the eyes. The promise she had made to him hung over her constantly, a weight always present on her shoulders. Day by day, it got heavier.

Not only that, but she had yet to find Saphirus... or any of her friends for that matter. Verdy, Drew... not hide nor hair. The mass of freshly dug graves set her nerves on edge... what if they were in there? Buried with all of the others... tears stung her eyes, and she bit down on her lip to keep from whining.

"..Andwea?"

She flinched, unable to pull her hands from her face just yet, and quieted her sniffles. Charlie didn't need to see her crying... he needed to see a smile, and strength. With a sigh, she pushed the feelings away again... somewhere deep down inside, and lifted her head from her hands as the boy woke fully and sat up. He rubbed at a sleep filled eye, before angling a questioning look her way.

"I had a bad dweam..." She nodded solemnly, lowered a leg, and held an arm out. An unspoken offer for him to wiggle over and cuddle against her. "Would you like to talk about it?" She questioned, resting a hand on the boys hair as he made himself comfortable against her. In the three days that she had known him, he had been quiet and reclusive. She expected nothing else, really... but he had also attached himself to her quite strongly. It was hard to even sneak off to use the restroom without him going into a full blown panic attack.

After a moment, he shook his head, and buried his head into his arms on her thigh. A small, genuine smile formed on her lips then and she stroked his hair. He was the one bright thing she had left. Without Saphirus at her side, Charlie kept her going. She needed to make sure he had food, that he was getting sleep, and that he was safe. Just the other day she had managed to find him some clean clothes... but it had been hard slipping away from him along enough to complete the task.

"That is okay, Charlie... you don't have to talk about it." She continued petting his hair, but let her head tip back against the wall. The apartment that they were currently roosting in seemed abandoned. It was devoid of most furniture, electrical things, and most luxuries... but it had a non-broken door with locks and there had been a few blankets left within. "Andwea?"

"...yeah?"

"Will you sing for me again?" The Greek chuckled. She leaned over and gathered his blanket to him, tucking him in to make sure he was warm, before she let her eyes slip shut. The song he mentioned was one she was well acquainted with... an old Greek lullaby that her mother had sung to her when she was little. She has sung it to him the first night after meeting him, when he could not fall asleep. They has stayed in his apartment that night, curled up on the small mattress in his room. His parents weren't there, or at least their bodies weren't, but most of the things in his home had been looted by the time they got there.

Compared to the apartment they were in now, it had been rather nice. A mattress to sleep upon was one of the things she missed the most. Softly, while fixing the blankets covering her own legs, she began to sing. The words flowed from her tongue like water, familiar and yet strange at the same time. After a few moments Charlie was still and quiet. She continued petting him until sleep tugged at her own eyes. It was to be the first night that she would sleep without waking twenty billion times, she had decided. The book case and other various heavy objects she had piled in front of the door were to make sure of that.

"...Good night, Andwea."

She paused her song, glancing down at the small boy, who's freckled cheeks were red with warmth. "Goodnight, Charlie."

It had been two weeks. Two weeks with Charlie at her side.... He had become her rock. The thing that grounded her to the world, and kept her going. The child filled an empty part of her... the part that had once occupied her friends, and Saphirus.

...She still had not given up hope, though.

Presently, she had more important things to think about than that. Like... food. Food was needed, as was water, and some other crucial supplies. She had taken to leaving Charlie locked in the apartment while she went out to look for things. Most of the time, she didn't have to go that far, anyway. The building she was in had a few mostly intact floors, and there was a shop across the street that at one point had been a bakery.

The majority of the problems she encountered centered around other people. Small and large groups, or simple stragglers running around. She had nearly need caught three times, and had taken to darting around in shadows in a rather paranoid fashion. At the current moment in time, she was hunkered down behind an abandoned car. She had already pulled as much out of it as she could manage.. from seat belts to use as needed, or from the meager first air supplies she had found buried in a trunk full of trash. Across the wide street from her, was a small group of people.

All of them were male. Varying in age as she could see, from a young teen to early fifties... maybe. She wondered if it was a family unit, one that had possibly managed to stay together. One father figure, and three younger sons? Whatever the case, they were busy carefully pulling out the last few glasses of a busted in store window. The four of them looked... haggard, she could say. Worn down, tired. She wondered if they had been through anything similar to what she had, or maybe even worse...

She felt guilt wash over her, at all of the things she had stashed in her backpack. At least a loaf and a half of bread, as well as a damn near perfectly packages salami. She knew that she and Charlie needed the food as badly as others might... but couldn't stop herself from wanting to share her findings with other needy people. Who was she to withhold help from others?

It would be inhuman...and in such a desperate world, she needed to cling to her humanity the most. Without it, she'd be nothing more than an animal.

Gulping, the Greek started to rise from her hiding spot. She was still nervous about approaching people after the last incident... but, she needed to have faith in her fellow humans. She had barely gotten out from around the car, when the crunching of gravel underfoot alerted one of the boys to her presence.

"Dad!"

So, she had been right about that, at least. "It's a mutant!"

She flinched, one hand resting on the hood of the car, and froze on the spot. The eldest male turned, one hand diving deep into the pocket of his dirty coat. A small handgun was withdrawn, and pointed her way.

"Don't you come a step closer..."

She didn't. She didn't move an inch. Fright bloomed in her chest, digging in icy claws, and Sloth whipped his head around faster than he ever had before. The other snakes followed suit, forked tongues flicking out to taste the danger on the air. The man evaluated her for a tense second. "What's in that backpack...?" He sounded desperate... his kids looked equally desperate.

"Dad, just shoot it. They are what caused this whole mess!"

"Be quiet, Billy!"

"Maybe she can help us...?" One of the older kids hauled the younger one behind his father. What she assumed was an angry lecture followed close behind.

"Just... Just toss over the backpack and I won't hurt you. I promise."

Andrea stared, fear running tingle up her spine.. but she slowly started to shake her head. She had been willing to share some of it. A little bit of it... but she could not hand over the whole thing and let Charlie starve.

"...I- I can give you my half... if you would like, just.. please, put down the weap--"

"The whole thing! All of it! Toss it over, or.. or I'll.." His thumb flicked up and pulled the hammer back with a swift, sharp click. Andrea jumped at the sound, but still shook her head.

"I cannot..."

"Dad! Just Shoot her! If you won't I will!" The one who looked to be the oldest son stepped forward, the same one who had demanded she be shot in the first place. His father shot him a look that she was sure would have normally put the boy in his place... but, desperate times called for desperate measures... right?

"Get. Back." Before her very eyes, a small fight for dominance broke out. The son lurched for the gun, the father tried to jerk it away. Andrea saw her chance to flee and took it. She darted back behind the cart, sprinting along the ruined sidewalk until it was sidewalk no more, then hooked a harsh left and scrambled up over a pile of collapsed wall. It didn't take father and son to agree that what was important was robbing her, and abandon the fight. She could heard them steadily catching up, and faulted halfway down the other side of the pile.

An ankle twisted, she stumbled, and rolled the rest of the way down.

At the bottom, it took her longer than she wanted to get back to her feet. With a new set of scrapes and bruises, she hauled herself away as quickly as she could. In a way, her fall had bought her some time. It took the two men more time to climb the rubble him and then get back down in once piece. And by the time they did, she was long gone...

Twenty minutes later, she arrived back home. The door was still locked, and when she tried to open it, she found that it was also still blockaded from the inside. Good boy, Charlie.. she mused to herself, rapping on the door four times, no less and no more. A moment later, she was greeted by the sounds of a bookcase being pushed across hardwood floor, and then the lock clicked.

"Andwea!" Charlies smiling, gap toothed face greeted her when the door opened. He all but hurled himself out into the hall, wrapping small arms around her waist. She ruffled his hair affectionately, stole a swift hug, and then ushered him back into the apartment.

"I was so wowwied!" The Greek grinned, allowing him to lead her in by the hand, before she turned and helped him set up the barricade again. "I'm sorry, I did not mean to be out so long."

"Did something happen?" She glanced at the boy. The innocent wide eyes locked on her, and smiled warmly. "No, nothing happened... but, I do have a surprise for you!"

The fear in his face was instantly replaced by wonder, and then joy. She evaded his attempts to latch onto her backpack, and coaxed him into the kitchen. Over the weeks she had managed to find and drag a small table back with her, as well as to makeshift chairs. She found that it did wonders for both her and Charlie in the sense that it made things seem more normal. They had a pretty nice set up now, blankets galore for huddling under at night, and a fridge (non-working of course) to put their scraps of food in. It was... home.

Plopping her backpack down on the table, she glanced over at the boy and grinned. "You must close your eyes, and turn around. I will tell you when you can look... okay?" The boy's eyes widened, but he nodded and spun around on a sock clad heel. Quickly, before the curiosity became to much for him to handle, she set everything up. A few moments later... everything was ready.

"Alright... go ahead and turn around!"

Charlie turned, and what greeted him wiped his face clean of expression. Their small junkie table was covered in a clean white table cloth. On top was two small dinner places of mismatching colors, and two small plastic cups. The brick of Salami sat in the middle of the table, as well as the mound of bread, and his plate had been piled with a hand full of wrapped taffy candy. She tried to stifle a giggle when the boys eyes widened like saucers, but couldn't hold one back when he squealed and rushed the table.

"Do you like it?" She question, scooping him up to set him in his seat. "OhmyGOSH Andwea! It's AMAZING! Where did you find aww of this stuff?" She grinned, and shook her head gently. "It is a secret.. are you ready for dinner?" He nodded, understanding, then nodded again. "Did you wash you hands?" His nose wrinkled for a moment, before he realized she was poking fun at him. The apartment hadn't had running water for a full week. What water they did have she had gotten from bottles, jugs, and pipes in the basement of the building.

He poked his tongue at her, still smiling, and clasped his hands before him on the table. She sat herself, and copied him. Though she had stopped praying before the disaster, she had taken it up again with him around. He prayed every night, sometimes in the morning, and always before dinner.

"Thank you fow the food we are about to eat, and fow Andwea... and pwotect all of the people left behind." She cracked an eye open to peek at him as he spoke, noting the look of concentration that adorned his face. Sadness was there also... it was almost always present.

"Please tell my momma and daddy that I love them, and that I miss them... but not to wowwy, because Andwea is taking weally good cawe of me...." While he continued on, rambling about other things, she closed her eyes and let her thoughts go to her own concerns.

Please... God, let my friends be okay..

Or... at least at peace. "Andwea?" She glanced up, saving any further thoughts for later once he was asleep. "...Can... can I eat it now?" She giggled. The little trouble maker already had a piece of taffy unwrapped and hovering before his mouth.

"You know the rule, Charlie! No candy until after dinner!" The disappointment that flashed across his face was soon replaced with a determined look. She lifted her pocket knife, sliced him a few pieces of salami to go with his bread and sat back to fix her own as he set about devouring each and every last bite.

She loved the little tyke... that much was certain. The flavor of her own food was lost to her, so enraptured was she in the boys show. He seemed utterly determined to finish his meal as fast as possible.

It was adorable...

Food was becoming harder to find. Only a week has passed, but it seemed that every conceivable place to find a meal had already been scavenged. Every day, her search bubble was getting wider. She needed to travel farther and farther away from Charlie... and she wasn't liking it. Traveling an hour out of the way to try and locate supplies meant Charlie was left alone for longer and longer periods of time.

Something was going to have to change soon, or they would surely starve to death...

Another thing that had changed recently, was the presence of other survivors. She wasn't sure what had happened, whether people had died or simply moved on because of the lack of resources, she did not know. All she knew was that the normal groups of stragglers she usually saw were absent. It was slightly... concerning, in a way.

Whatever the case though, she had a mission at hand that she very much needed to complete. The rations of bread and meat at the house were beginning to run low, and spoil for that matter. She needed to re-stock, as well as find fresh water. She currently found herself picking through the rubble of what had once been a grocery store. Most of what was left on the shelves were chemical products. Laundry detergents and house hold cleaners. Things that people hardly needed after the end of the world.

...and... she was beginning to wonder if it was really the end. She hadn't heard nor seen a peep from police officers, firemen, or soldiers. It was as if everyone had vanished besides the other unfortunate (dangerous) souls stuck with her. Sometimes, she found herself believing that it really had been the rapture.The boom, the wide spread death toll. There were so many signs... Charlie, bless his heart, had even asked her about it. In a meek, timid way, he had questioned her on what the apocalypse was.

She honestly hand't known what to tell him. Someone his age? Just a child who could barely even sound out his r's, and he was supposed to understand something as complicated as the Rapture? She'd dodged the question as gracefully as she could, telling him that one day, when he was a little older, she'd let him know. ...it hadn't hurt that she'd still had a piece of candy to bribe him with, either. Unfortunately, there was no such tactic available to keep the thoughts from her mind.

If it was the end... why had she been left behind...?

Was... was she really that sinful? Was it because she had lost touch with her faith, and if so... would she be able to correct the mistake? What about Charlie if that was the case... he was just a child. Innocent as they day he was born, and yet he prayed every night. Why had he been left behind as well...?

Shaking the thoughts from her mind, she pressed onward. There was still a good amount of store left to cover. Much of the roof had caved in, and though nearly everything was covered in dust and grime, it held promise. She wandered down half of an aisle, most of which had been ruined by the elements and water damage from long since dried leaky pipes. She found a few packages of rubber dish washing gloves, which... honestly were needed. Her own latex gloves were wearing through on the joints and fingertips. She had become fearful of holding Charlies hand more than she liked, because of the damned old things.

Slipping new ones on, however silly the were with pink and blue daisies, would make her feel a lot better.

As she was stuffing a handful of packages into her backpack, she heard a noise.

Rustling.... The sounds of something, or someone, moving around quickly. With an empty stomach, the jolt of fear that accompanied such a sound nearly landed her on her rump. A sudden dizziness hit her full force, and it took her a few seconds to full collect herself. When she was able to move again, she hunched over and quietly slipped along the side of the aisle. The sounds were coming from deeper within the store. She paused at the opening of her aisle to consider whether it was worth investigating, before she remembered exactly how much food she had left at home with Charlie. It was enough to get at least him through two more days...

She was desperate, she needed to find out who or what it was. Silently, on dirty bare feet, the Greek made her way toward the sounds. From across the dark inside of the store, she could see the opening at the other side. It wasn't the one she had entered herself, but it sure explained how someone else had gotten in around her. When she finally reached the sounds, being as careful as she could not to make a sound, what she found shocked her.

A woman, bent over an open army bag, was reaching into a hole in the floor and withdrawing handful after handful of prepackaged goods. It had been weeks since she had seen twinkies, and poptarts... The backpack she had was nearly filled to the brim with unhealthy junkfood, but it honestly didn't matter to Andrea. Food was food. She was rooted to the spot as the woman continued digging, until finally her stomach growled softly, and she woke from her stupor. This lady had a lot, and she was hoping that she would be convinced to share it. Perhaps if she explained that there was a child she was taking care of, she would understand...?

One green foot stepped into view, long toes pushing rocked out of her path as it landed. The woman noticed her shape step from the shadows from the corner of her eye, her head whipped up and wild green eyes landed on her. Messy hair that was graying in streaks bounded around her oval face. She looked like at one point in her life, she would have been nice to know. Kindly, even. Now however, she looked like a startled rabbit. Andrea froze on the spot, three or four arms lengths away from her, and the woman stopped shoveling things into her bag. "...Um--"

The word was barely out of her mouth, but the sound of it was all the woman needed apparently. She bolted to her feet faster than a woman her size should have been able to, snatched up her bag of goodies, and took off toward the exit. Andrea started, then bolted toward the hole she had been digging through. It was nearly empty. Still, she stooped to snatch up the few small packages of things left and stuffed them into her back pack, before looking up toward where the woman had run off too...

"STOP!"

She gasped. Her lungs were starting to hurt... she didn't know how much longer she could keep on running. "STOP! PLEASE!"

The woman up ahead of her had gotten quite a good distance on her, and it seemed like every time she turned a corner the lady was farther away. Really, she wanted to ask the woman for help. She didn't want to have to chase the woman down like some kind of...of... animal... but she really had no choice. That woman had food. She had food, and god only knew if she had water too.

She couldn't afford to stop... She just couldn't. Charlie was waiting for her. He needed her. She needed him...

She had to bring food home for him, no matter what!

A renewed determination to out run the woman and force her to stop and listen over took her, and the Greek sped up her pace. Even though her thighs were burning, her feet were sore and bloody from haphazardly tromping through sharp broken concrete, and her lungs felt like they were on fire... she kept going. The woman needed to listen! She needed to stop, and help her! It was selfish of one person to hoard that much food to themselves, and damnit, if she didn't choose to share, Andrea was going to take away the option.

Anger bubbled to the surface under desperation. She could hear Charlie in her head, asking her why she wasn't eating with him anymore. Her lips flattened against her teeth, sweat dripped down her cheeks, soggy hair clung to her forehead. She could not lose this... This chance was life and death for herslef and a child. She could not lose this! The anger doubled. This woman wasn't even giving her a chance... it was clear that she was intent on keeping her greedy paws on the entire back, come hell or high water.

Well... Andrea would be bringing her hell soon enough. Squinting against the pain, she pushed herself with what was left of her energy. The heavier woman didn't have the same trump card, and as swiftly as she could, the Gorgon caught up with her. The twenty four year old slammed into the woman from behind. With a startled cry and a grunt, the both of them toppled over. The fall was cushioned for the Greek, since she landed on top of the struggling form of the lady, who in turn took the full force of two people slamming into pavement all on her own.

"Just... stop and...listen to.. ME!" Just because the woman was older however, did not maker her physically weaker. The bag full of goodies landed and flopped off to the side, while a pudgy fist was kindly planted into the side of the Gorgon's head. It hurt, but didn't stop her from climbing atop the woman in an attempt to hold her down. Another flail of fists, and Andrea felt one connect rather solidly with the bridge of her nose. Her eyes squeezed shut instinctively, and her glasses were swatted from her face. She struggled to end the rain of loosely thrown shots at her head, before something inside her snapped and she started tossing her own punches and slaps back. The two of them exchanged rather pitifully placed blows, before Andrea managed to capture one of the woman's wrists. It was then, while she felt like she had the upper hand, that she opened her eyes again and glares furiously down at the human woman.

...The last thing she saw before the lady conked out was a set of fiery orange eyes locked on hers, masked within a black curtain of hair, with a large angry white snake hissing directly in her face. It was something she was sure to never forget... but that was also not important at the moment.

The woman would be out for at least a few minutes...maybe even longer. Andrea couldn't pass up the chance to drag home all of the food in her bag to Charlie.

She panted, pushing the woman's arms away from her, and let herself flop off to the side. She was exhausted... the sprinting and then the wrestling match... it had taken all of the wind out of her. Without a word, she reached to re-claim her glasses, and then crawled on all fours toward her reward. The pain from the various injuries she had received all washed away when she got to the bag and pried it open. It was full of food. FULL! Enough to at least last them another month with proper rationing. She even found a few water bottles tucked away at the very bottom.

Happy tears pricked her eyes, and she sniffled, quietly securing the bag closed again. It... it was a blessing. A godsend... But, a glance over her shoulder brought the woman back into view. It was a gift alright, but it wasn't without its consequences... Andrea pushed herself to her feel, knees wobbling momentarily, and slung the bag over her shoulder. She now owned to backpacks... one significantly larger than the other, and filled to the brim with life sustaining food. The price to pay for this gift was the suffering of another.

The woman...

She would surely have a hard time finding food again, harder than Andrea had. But the need was too great. Charlie came first in her mind. Far above the rank of one old woman. She would suffer with the guilt of her actions later, after both her, and Charlies bellies were full.

The Greek started the long path home, for once not able to care that she was leaving a woman alone and unable to defend herself for an undetermined amount of time.

....Charlie came first.

They were awakened rudely. Things went from calm, to terrifying in an instant.

BAM BAM BAMBAM

"Charlie, now!"

People were trying to break into the apartment. Her back pack was quickly slung over her shoulder. It held only a bottle of water, and a handful of food that she had packed in.

....it would have to do.

BAMBAM BAM!

One of the windows in the living room was already open when she stepped out of the kitchen. Charlie was waiting, tears in his eyes. He was just as frightened she was, if not more so. She glanced toward the front door, which was starting to break around the edges of the lock. Whoever was on the other side, they were determined to get in.

... and succeeding.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

They needed to flee. It was a sad decision... the small apartment had become home for them over a number of weeks. They were leaving behind every small thing they had managed to scavenge.

The door shuddered, wood splintered as the lock broke free from the frame, and a gap opened up. Andrea watched as an arm reached in and struggled with the chain still holding the thing shut. The only thing keeping whoever it was out of the apartment was a heavy bookcase and a thin lifeline of metal. They didn't have much time! Forcing herself to move, she bolted across the room. By the time the door broke in and the bookcase was shoved forcefully out of the way, she had Charlie out the window and onto what was left of the fire escape outside. It was broken in quite a few places, twisted in others from the parts of the building that hadn't held... but it would at least get them out of the line of danger.

"There! That's her, like I told you!"

The male voice that popped up behind her as she slung a leg out after the boy was nearly lost on her. The Greek was more concerned with getting to safety, than she was with finding out who the intruders were. Charlie was already clomping downward one metal step at a time. Andrea was halfway out the window, heart pounding away against her rib cage... when someone latched onto her arm. Suddenly she was in a tug of war with one of the males, who was attempting to drag her back into the apartment.

"Don't let her escape!"

"Andwea!" Charlie spotted her, at the bottom of the first set of stairs. His shrill, terrified voice set her nerves alight. She was having a hard time remaining outside, as they slowly started to pull her in...

Another set of hands latched onto her backpack, and she clung to the outside of the window. "Keep going!" She shouted down at the boy. He was most important, even if she didn't make it. Two against one was hardly fair, but she wasn't willing to give up just yet. As the brief struggle went on, she caught a glance over her shoulder at the strangers. Ira took that moment to lash out at the male holding her arm. Half inch long teeth sank into tender flesh, and with a yelp she was released.

The wound left behind hardened instantly. There was no blood, no mess. Just a new stone patch under the skin.The other set of hands refused to let go of the backpack, and in a wiggle of desperation, she chose to let go of it. The moment the pack left her shoulders, she was out the window and taking the steps two at a time down to meet Charlie.

The both of them continued on down the rickety escape, metal creaking in a threatening manner under the added body weight. She picked Charlie up on her way past, letting him latch on and bury his face in her shoulder, before she hurried onward. The men in the apartment didn't follow... there was too much to scavenge, abandoning it to go after a scared mutant and a child would be crazy.

As she came to the last remaining strip of stairs attached to the side of the building, she noticed that the bottom portion was missing. A six foot drop awaited her... but she had to take it. The Greek tightened her grip on Charlie, lowered herself down, and slid off the lip of the stairs as carefully as she could. When she landed and fell over, she made sure to angle her body to keep the boy on top.

As quick as she could, she was back up on her feet. The little pains were hard to ignore, but she managed as she took off down an alley.

The faces she had spotted while fleeing the apartment stuck with her as she ran. She knew them well. The father and three sons... somehow, they had tracked her down.

She had made a mistake in heading straight home after her encounter with them. They had realized that someone with supplies was hunkered down somewhere in the area, and they had searched until they found her. It was a hard lesson to learn, considering that the consequences were so great.

...but she would never make that mistake ever again.

A few months had passed... Luck had smiled upon them, as they had been stumbled upon by a rather large group of people. They had been mistrustful at first, because of her mutation, but after she had shared her story with them they had welcomed her into their merry band of survivors. Andrea had been worried, no... terrified at first. She expected any of them to turn on her at any moment, or demand something from her that she could not give. But... slowly, she saw them for what they really were. They were good people. They stuck up for one another, watched each others backs, and never asked something from someone that was more than they could handle. There were even other kids with the group. Family's either whole, or torn apart... but Charlie had kids his own age to play with for the first time in nearly a near.

Andrea settled in with them. She offered up what she could, and used no more than she absolutely needed. She was rewarded with kindness and friendship. Every night she went to bed next to Charlie with a full stomach, and was blessed with dreamless sleep.

But... not everything had been so perfect. There were people in the group, a small number of them, who didn't like the way things were run. They felt that only those who contributed should share the rations. That point of view left the sick, elderly, and young to starve. One individual, source of the discourse, had even voiced her thoughts on the groups handful of mutants. She was of the mind that they were monsters, freaks of nature who had caused the devastation in the first place. She wanted to cast off any with mutations, and any who associated themselves with such abominations.

Andrea had kept her head down and mostly ignored the woman's depraved ravings. There weren't enough people on her side to start worrying about an uprising anyway. But, when Charlie admitted to her one night that some of the other boys had been pulled aside by the woman and a few of her goons and that those same boys had refused to play with him after because of his “Mutant caretaker”, Andrea's fraying nerves finally snapped. She had never wished so much harm upon one person before in all her life. An anger filled her as she hugged Charlie to her, like a blossom of pure rage blooming inside her chest. The desire to hunt that woman down and end her hateful existence in the most painful, savage way possible sprang to life like an invisible parasite, and was attached to her for weeks.

Every time she spotted the woman, her blood boiled. She saw red like a mama bear on a rampage, and often had to remove herself from the area before she lost control of herself. No one messed with Charlie like that. No one messed with her Son.

A month after the incident and things had finally calmed down a little. The leader of the group, Joseph- an ex-solider who had years of experience leading large groups of people through dangerous situations, had threatened to exile the trouble makers from the party. That day, when everyone had gathered together in their small square under a highway bridge, Andrea had watched the whole proceeding. Edna, as she was called, had been beet red in the face with anger. The Greek hadn't been able to keep a sick, satisfied little smile from her lips while watching the woman being verbally put in her place.

...The peace didn't last, however. Not a week later, and a small uprising from Edna's warriors sprang to life. Three people were injured in the scuffle, until Joseph had been forced to fire a warning shot into the air. Edna and her lackeys were exiled right then and there, cast out of the group like the trash they were. A warning was issued as they departed that if they ever came back, he wouldn't be aiming for the sky when he unloaded the clip of his gun.

A tense calm settled over them in the following weeks. The group moved twice, once to make sure the cast offs wouldn't be able to find them again, and another time to relocate somewhere not quite so close to neighboring settlement. It was bad enough having to deal with the odd scavenger's who would wander in and beg for food, often resorting to violence when they were turned down. Andrea wasn't even aware that the usual pang of sympathy from her bleeding heart was absent in such cases. She had tuned the rest of the world out, and focused her attention and energy on the one person who needed her still. The one person who still got her to giggle and laugh, or shed a few tears when he fell asleep in her lap.

Charlie. He was her world now. Everything she did revolved around him. She didn't sleep, eat, or breathe unless it somehow benefited that child. Even now, as she was elbow deep in grime and dirty water, she was thinking of him. Of how the dishes and supplies she was busy cleaning would ensure that he had a full meal, and warm place to sleep. She found comfort in that. He needed her just as much as she needed him, and as long as he lived and breathed she would have a purpose. A reason to continue on, and hope for a better future.

Such a manner of living, though, had consequences of it's own. She had ceased to care about herself. She could skip a few meals here and there, giving the boy an extra big dinner as a present on random days. She worked her fingers to the bone, cleaning, repairing clothing, scouring with the rest of the search party for supplies. She had gained bulk, muscles that hadn't been touched in all her life were suddenly on their way to being toned. She was able to out run many of the others. She could lift just as much as most of the men, and she could swing an axe to chop wood like the best of them. She'd even taken to hunting, lurking in the dead of night for stray animals who ventured too close to the camp. Many of the group's members were a little put off by her. She had heard whispers behind her back about 'losing her mind' or 'fallen off the deep end'. She'd responded with a sharp tongue and such an anger in her words that the men and women had backed off at once. Gradually, as time crawled by she distanced herself from the others. She wasn't here to chat and gossip. She wasn't present to boast about who slept with who, or how so-n-so had gotten the rot between his toes for not taking his boots off at night. She had one purpose, one goal... and none of the others mattered in her eyes. They were more tools to be used, people to guard the walls and supply the food.

Soon, the whispered has turned into fearful glances. Some of the other mothers had even restricted their children from playing with her's. That set in motion an argument that had spiraled into a fist fight. Joseph had been forced to step in and pry Andrea off of one of the other women before permanent damage was done. It ended with her losing her rations for three days, but she had walked away with a satisfied fire in her belly, and the woman's blood decorating her fists.

She'd do anything for Charlie.

Things were quiet for a while. People learned to leave her alone, but unfortunately that meant that Charlie was left alone as well. They grew closer together as the days passed, forced to take comfort in each others presence. Andrea saved her love only for him... her laughter only for him... her tears... only for him.

He was her world, her reason for living.

But... life was cold-hearted, and nothing good ever lasted. The peace that had settled over her life was shattered in an instant by one bullet. One small, deadly projectile. Before her very eyes, her world, her existence ended.

Charlie fell.

The screams of others barely reached her ears. The echoes of gunfire were distant thumps in her chest. The world around her narrowed like someone had slapped blinders on her, until she could see only his face. Feel only his hand in hers; his head cradled in her lap.

"Charlie!"

Bodies were falling everywhere... some dead by the time they hit the dirt, others shrieking and writhing in agony. The faces were people she'd spent a great deal of time with. Men, women... children. None of them mattered.

The child in her arms, laying prone while he gasped for breath, was more important. A slowly spreading stain started to crawl across his shirt, and she could only press down on the wound and stare. He was dying... dying... dying!

Her child was DYING!

He twitched, his body jerking of its own accord, and a sob broke through Andrea's clenched teeth. Tears pushed past, rolling down her cheeks in dirty streams. She stared into his eyes, horrified by how fast the light therein was fading. "...CHARLIE!" Drawing him to her chest, pressing his face into the crook of her neck, she shook him gently. "You stay with me, do you hear me?! Stay with me!"

... but he didn't respond. No words passed his lips. No gently mauled r's... no Andwea's. Nothing... Silence greeted her pleas. Bullets whizzed by as people tried to hold the camp. She didn't notice. She was painfully aware of how warm Charlie was... how limp he was.... like he'd fallen asleep in her arms again.

"Shhh.. Charlie, shhh..." Her voice cracked, softly hitching as she clenched her teeth together and curled her body over his. "It's alright... everything is alright. Mommy is here... Right here, baby..." Why did her chest hurt...? Like... someone was gradually ripping her heart out?

...everything would be fine...

"Hush little baby... don't say a word..." She could hear the screaming now. People dying all around her. "...Mommies gonna buy you a mocking bird..." Sloth tightened around her throat as tension rose in her body. The other snakes writhed within her hair, hissing and baring their fangs at anything they could.

"...and... if that mocking bird don't-... don't sing... Mommies gonna..." Why couldn't she hear him breathing?... Why wasn't he breathing? "... gonna...buy..."

The gunfire got louder, almost deafening. She pulled a hand to her eyes, pressing her palm into her glasses in order to try and stop the flow of tears. "gonna buy you..... " Slowly, the hand dropped. It brought with it the glasses. Orange eyes locked on the face of her child. Pale and placid. The color was leaving his cheeks, and there was blood matted in his hair.

She laid him down delicately, as if he were so fragile the he would shatter if she weren't careful. His shirt was ruined, more ruby than white. A hand rose to her own chest, where the fabric that covered it was darkened in a matching stain.

A metaphorical shot through the heart. Had she died as well, then...?

Her eyes rose, finally locking onto the scene before her, and she felt every muscle in her body tense. A wave of anger washed through her, igniting like a wildfire inside what was left of her heart. These people... they had taken away her child. They had stolen his flame, his light... for what?

Far ahead of her, she could see the backs of some of her comrades. They were hunkered down behind whatever cover they could find, and from what she could see at first glance, so were the people that had attacked the camp. Monsters. Filth. Vermin. They deserved no mercy... no kindness. They deserved pain, suffering, every torture she could imagine. Slowly getting to her feet, she dropped her forgotten glasses and started to peel her gloves off.

She would teach them their mistake... she would inflict upon them the pain she could feel clawing away in her chest.

She would make them suffer.

Her mutations had never been more of a gift, than right now. No one could withstand her gaze. Every single man and woman who laid locked eyes with her fell prey to her power. She abused it greedily, as she stalked toward the small group of raiders who had chosen to attack her home in the middle of the night. A few fell to gunfire as she moved ever closer, being unable to flee from danger. She ignored the bodies that fell, her gaze locked on those that were still standing.

It wasn’t until she was within arms reach of one man that she felt something snap within her, and with a snarl, she launched herself at the unconscious man. Both of them dropped to the ground while she wrapped her hands around his throat and squeezed as hard as she could. She knew, deep down, that she didn’t need to try and cut off his air with sheer strength alone. Just her touch would be enough... the venom sinking into his skin, turning everything once soft and squishy as hard and useless as rock. Within minutes she had ruined the main arteries in his neck, as well as destroyed his only means of sucking in air.

She didn’t bother sticking around to watch him expire, either... there were many more pests to take care of before her work was done. Leaving the man to die, she stood and hurried onward. Her eyes were sure to leave people comatose, she knew that much, but the length of time for each person varied greatly. She needed to act with haste, lest any managed to slip away from her before her revenge was completed.

Three more fell like the first, left to flail and claw at their throats before they ultimately died. She left another bunch to the gun fight, deciding to curve away and follow two that had decided to abandon the mission. One turned to look back at the wrong time as he fled, ending up with a face full of stone venom, courtesy of Vana. That man fell with a shriek, and Andrea was upon him in an instant. As the sound of gun fire died down behind her, she sat atop the struggling man, and wrapped her hands once again around the throat.

Each death brought her nothing. No happiness, no peace. She grew angrier and angrier, until she could feel her blood pumping throughout her body. Her eyes locked on the back of the last opponent, hurrying to escape a losing battle, and she snarled again.

No one was going to escape from this.

She was up on her feet in an instant, sprinting effortlessly after. The trail of bodies she left behind a distant memory as all of her hate, anger, and pain boiled to the surface. By the time she caught up, it no longer felt like she was in control of herself... and she didn’t care. Her target cried out in surprise as the Greek tackled her from behind, bare hands clenching as she locked onto a coat and forcefully flipped the woman around.

The face staring up at her, horror clearly written on her features, was one she knew well. Edna, the vile shrew of a woman who had been cast off from the group only three months prior, locked eyes with her and instantly went still as a statue.

The very sight of the woman sent Andrea right over the edge. Any grasp of control she had over herself vanished instantly. The cry that left her lips was feral and animalistic at best, and with fists clenched so tight that her nails dug into her palms, she proceeded to rear her arm back and plant it straight into the woman’s cheek. She didn’t stir, caught within Andrea’s spell, but before the Greek lifted her fist again... she paused. She could pummel Edna to death... she knew she had it in her, but that wasn’t enough in her mind. It was too quick... too merciful. No. She was going to have to make this vile creatures punishment much more painful.

Without waiting for Edna to wake up, she proceeded to drag the woman by her ankles into a more open area...

An hour later, she woke up. Groggily at first, and then panicked. Her hands and feet here bound. She was alone in the dark... and her face hurt like hell.

“Good... you are awake...”

A thick, lazy accent greeted her. An accent she recognized after a few hazy minutes of glancing around. She tried to scream, but quickly discovered that there was a wadded up rag stuffed in her mouth. The sounds of feet padding quietly toward her reached her ears, gaining her full attention. The vision that greeted her blurry sight was Andrea, who’s legs and front were stained with long since dried blood... and, there was something in her arms... What was it..?

“... Do you know what you have done..?” The Greek questioned quietly, finally stepped close enough that Edna could make out the form of a child in her hands. She recognized the boy as well... the one the mutant girl had doted on hand and foot as if he had been her own.

“You and your kind... you took away what was most important to me...” Carefully, she set Charlie’s body down next to the woman, an arms length away, before standing again and stepping around him.

“He was innocent... never did anything wrong, not a single thing...” The Greek stopped at the woman’s feet, her arms hanging casually at her side. Glasses had been slipped back onto the bridge of her nose, in order to make sure that Edna was awake for everything she had planned.

“"...I am going to leave you alive..." She muttered, stepping over the woman until she could comfortably straddle her stomach. “I am going to take away every piece of you that isn't vital... I will take away your eyes, your ears, your tongue...." She stared down at the woman, rocking slightly as she attempted to buck Andrea off of her. In the past it would have been an easy task for anyone bigger than her, but now, with all of the muscle she had packed on, she wouldn't be able to manage it in her current physical state.

"... and then, when I am done with you... when you are nothing more than a helpless, worthless stain on the world... I am going to leave you here, cast to the curb like the piece of S#!& you are. You are going to live everyday with the knowledge of what you have done... until wild animals come to eat you alive, or you slowly starve to death..."

Squatting, she plopped down harshly and leaned forward so she could look the terrified woman in the eyes. “You deserve so much more... so great are your sins... but I will make sure you feel everything. Every. Single. Thing. that I put you through... and if you pass out, I will wait for you to wake up again.”
Dry, cracked lips peeled back in a feral grin, exposing yellowed tusks... and she reached out to grasp the woman by the chin. The instant pain that seared through her from just a mere touch curled the Greek’s grin further, until it stretched nearly ear to ear.

“... are we ready to begin...?”

Pressing up and in, she forced the woman to open her mouth, fished out the cloth gag, then immediately shoved her fingers inside. Edna gagged, attempting to thrash her head from side to side, but Andrea held steady to her chin. The moment her fingers came in contact with the woman’s tongue, it started to shift. Seconds ticked by into minutes, and when she was done Enda was unable to shut her mouth anymore. From her guns to the roof of her mouth, everything had been changed into her own special brand of stone. Forever locked in a wide, agonized scream.

With a gleam in her eyes, the Greek took a greedy moment to admire her own work, before she moved on.

“...and now, those eyes...”

***

Hours later, her task was complete. She had reduced Edna, a once mouthy, opinionated hate spewing sack of human trash, into a sightless, voiceless, earless husk of a creature. She wasn’t able to scream, only gurgle pathetically. She wasn’t able to cry, seeing as her eyes had been turned to stone in their sockets, and she could no longer hear anything of the world around her. She had only one thing left to do... and that was to rid the vile being of her arms and legs.

Lifting the axe from her side, she hefted it above her head high, before swinging with all of her strength.

WHACK...


WHACK...


WHACK...


WHACK...


The wounds left behind earned gurgles like some mutated animal slowly dying. Dropping her weapon, she knelt to press her bare hands against the gushing wounds, effectively sealing them shut. Cauterization, without flame.

She’d reduced the object of her hate, her anger, to nothing. A pitiful excuse for a human, who wouldn’t survive for very long without someone to take care of her. Of course, there would be no such person. She would leave Edna to her fate, alone and vulnerable... Unable to defend nor care for herself.

She imagined animals sniffing what was left of her body out, tearing in mercilessly. She imagined Edna being trapped inside her own head, unable to utter a single word, see a single thing, or even hear the sounds of her own death.

... The Greek smiled bitterly.

Gathering up her weapon, she secured it through her belt, and knelt to pick up her son’s body. She needed to find a place to bury him properly... somewhere away from scavengers and prying eyes.

And then... then she didn’t know what she would do. The camp held nothing for her now. With an uncertain path ahead of her, and no plans for survival, she started away from the camp. Determined to put as much distance between herself and that place as she could before sunrise...

... and as she walked, she heard howling of wild dogs in the distance. Her smile only grew wider.

Glancing up from her map, Megan shielded her eyes from the sun hanging over head. The scenery was right, she was sure of it... but something wasn't right. The small settlement that was supposed to be here was missing. She knew that they moved every now and then to keep trouble from finding them, but was pretty sure that the whole damn thing wasn't supposed to just be up and gone right now. As she traveled further into the shelter of a giant, ruined building, her boots sent bullet casings bouncing across the concrete.

"Damnit... something much have happened." Tugging the length of cloth that served to cover the bottom half of her face down, she surveyed the area cautiously. There were spots of old blood dribbled here and there, and trash had been left scattered across the floor. The people who'd been camping here had been forced to leave in a hurry... either that, or they weren't walking with the living anymore. "... There was a pretty big fight here, judging from the amount of casings left behind..."

Moving from her companions side momentarily, she followed a larger smearing of blood that trailed away from where the camp had once been. No more then forty feet away, she stumbled across something that gave her reason to pause. The absents of bodies when compared to the amount of blood left behind was suddenly explained by six recently dug graves. The earth was still unsettled as far as she could see, which meant that the fight had probably only happened a few days before. Surveying the scene, her gaze wandered past something in the distance, close enough that she could squint and make out vague details of it's shape. Some sort of rock, maybe?... Oddly shaped... almost like it had a head and sh--

Having wandered close enough to see it for what it really was, Megan found herself stunned speechless. She honestly didn't know what she was looking at... but whatever it was, whoever it had been, the end result was mindbogglingly horrific. With hurried steps, she rushed back to her companions side. "... You're going to need to see this.." The lack of color in her face, and perhaps the way her voice sounded hollow and frightened, should have been warning enough. Words just wouldn't explain correctly... he would need to see it himself.

Not wasting another second, Megan hauled herself back over to the site of her grim discovery.

Dim eyes were able to make out shadowy images, but his extra sense, and guide were much more effective. "Maybe Clive was involved... We'd better not linger here too long, we don't want to lose his scent." He shook his head as she wandered off to take a look around... She was always too curious for her own good; he would have to train that out of here...

Sure, there were probably people to punish here, but they wouldn't make it to the next week with that @#^hole planting grenade traps outside of their front door every day. "Megan, we can't stay much longe-""... You're going to need to see this.."

"Hilarious. I'm laughing on the inside... What is i-" He stepped forward, pausing as he made out the shape of what she was hinting at, without even seeing it with his own eyes... "A victim? Clive? No... Too messy... I... I don't smell a lot of blood." He walked closer, ignoring her shock over the brutality of the murder... He'd seen Aura's work enough... This was bad, but it was impossible to match her sickness.

"... She didn't bleed out... She starved to death... There is something preventing blood loss... odd." A hesitant touch caused his heart to skip a beat. "... Stone..." He stayed there for a moment, his mind buzzing with chaotic thoughts... no... It was impossible... Someone was using her. Someone was forcing her to help them torture people...

"We need to find who did this, Megan... NOW. Did your spiders see anything? Did they?" He stood and turned toward her, advancing aggressively... For a moment, he was a different man... A man stricken by panic and worry for another. He was almost... human.

"... She didn't bleed out... She starved to death... There is something preventing blood loss... odd ... Stone..."

Stone...? Eyeing the body, she thought back to the wound her companion bore on his chest. Someone had mutilated the woman, then left her to die. That someone had the power to turn things to stone, which was frightening enough on it's own, but.. that someone had also attacked the Judge and more or less won the fight.

Whoever that someone was, was dangerous. Dangerous and running around freely. She suppressed a shudder, and turned her attention to the handful of scout spiders she had wandering around within her range of control.

"We need to find who did this, Megan... NOW. Did your spiders see anything? Did they?"

The tone he was using and the suddenly very different body language caught her off guard. It was almost frightening, seeing him stalk toward her, clad in the Judge armor and everything. But... that wasn't really what she could focus on. There was an element of desperation in his voice, which was something she'd never seen come from him. Was he... worried?

Though she hadn't flinched away from his closeness, she had to admit to herself that it was enough to make her nervous. Closing her eyes, she reach out to her children again and tried to establish the strange connection she'd discovered that allowed her to see through their eyes for a few moments at a time. Concentration wrinkled her brow, and when she opened her eyes again she wasn't seeing the Judge before her, or any of the surrounding scenery. She was seeing glimpsed of things from up to three miles away, looking into nooks and crannies, and crawling through shadows. As it had the last time she'd played with her power, she was greeted with blurred vision and the feeling that she'd been crossed eyed for a long while when she finally came back from the visions. She was starting to think the blurriness that left her feeling somewhat blind, and the throb of a headache were going to be constant side effects when she pushed the limits of her new-found ability. Considering that she'd really pushed them this time, for her partner's sake, it felt twice as bad as it had the last time.

"...I... No one's been here for a while. There are no tracks that I can see... no shelters. There are a few more bodies off toward the west that have similar stone markings... though, not to such an extreme level as this one..." She pointed off in the direction the other bodies lay, rubbing at her eyes while she did so.

"There's also another grave a half a mile to the east... It was pretty small... Maybe a child." Had the monster that had done this killed all of the people, both buried and not? With her eyesight starting to slowly return to normal, she blinked a few more times in an attempt to speed up the process.

The whole situation had her on edge now... the bodies, the absence of the campers... the way her companion was acting... "Whoever did this moved on a while ago..."