Hawk shakes my shoulder a while later, and wakes me up. "Jay!" He hisses. I yawn, and rub at an eye. My eyebrows furrow in a frown as a low rumbling sound reaches my ears. "What's that?" I ask. Hawk thinks for a moment, before his face falls.

"Oh, come on! Seriously! I thought we'd at least make it a bit farther! Jay, we've gotta go. I'll get Arrow, so pack up the blankets."   

"What's going on?" I stretch my arms out to my sides with another yawn.

"Jay! Move it! Can't you hear? The-." His voice is cut off by the rumble of footsteps and shouts. He angrily throws a hand their way with a glare. I'm on my feet in an instant, but stumble a few steps as my head starts spinning again. I thought this would be gone by now. The pain subsides, and the world returns to normal after a few moments, though it feels like forever. I sling the backpack over my shoulders, and make my way after Hawk.

The footsteps and shouts grow closer. I glance over my shoulder, only to see countless Wasteland guards running after us. They wield swords in their hands, and their eyes glow a bloody red. "Um... Hawk? I hate to be that guy, but how are we supposed to escape from however many Wasteland guards are behind us? We've had bad odds before, but we can't win against this many."

"Just keep running. We have to do this; Adrien's counting on us, and Arrow'll be happier if he- er, she isn't at the Wasteland." Hawk speeds up a little, but the Wasteland guards draw closer still.

I push myself to run faster. Faster. Faster. Faster! In the back of my mind, I know there isn't a way to outrun the Wasteland guards, and there's absolutely no way to fight them off if they caught up to us, but I push the thought to the back of my mind and lock it in a box. We run for what seems like forever. The sun beats down on us relentlessly, as if it's harboring a grudge against us. My mouth feels an awful lot like the desert we're in, and my muscles burn. You can't stop. Just a little while longer. You can do it. I push myself a little faster against the will of my legs. Sweat rolls down my back like a river.

Hawk turns looks over his shoulder at me. "Any ideas? They're just getting so close. I'm not sure how much longer I can keep this up." It takes me a few moments to process what he said.

"I-I... ca-can't... either." I force the words out of my mouth as I gasp for breath. Every time one of my feet hits the ground, it sends a jolt up to my head, as if someone is driving a nail through my skull. I wince.

"We've just got to keep going," Hawk murmurs. Easier said than done. At least he's carrying Arrow.

We run for what feels like forever. My mouth has turned to sandpaper, and my only thought is for rest. "Get them!" One of the Wasteland guards cries. No. Hawk turns around, "Jay, take Arrow. I'll cover for you. Just keep running. No matter what, do not stop." I nod, and take Arrow from him. The added weight slows me down, but I continue to run, fantasizing about water, rest, and food. Hawk Blends himself behind me, and I hear the shimmer of light as he takes on his other form. He snarls, fending off Wasteland guards as I run in a wiggly line away from them. My head spins, and the world tilts. I curl my lip as my mind roars, and pain explodes behind my eyes.

"Stop right where you are." A Wasteland guard holds out a hand in front of me as he draws his sword from where it's sheathed at his side. I slow. He steps so he continues to block my path when I try to dart to the side. I duck beneath his swinging sword, and run a few paces to the side. "What part of stop didn't you understand?"

"The stop part? I don't really feel the need to get back to the Wasteland," I say while panting, jumping back, and drawing Arrow closer to my chest as the Wasteland guard swings his sword again. The tip bites a diagonal gash across the back of my hand, causing me to hiss through clenched teeth. When the Wasteland guard lunges, hand outstretched, I dodge him, and speed up to a sprint.

I hear the footsteps of the Wasteland guard behind me. "Hand over the boy, and I might even be nice enough to let you live."

"I-I... Won't... L-let you... Take... Her!" My sides heave for breath. I can barely speak. The only thing I want is to sleep for days after a gallon of water. The dry sand isn't helping my parched mouth. Thin clouds, feeling merciful, drift into the sky, and block the sun. Shadows spread across the shifting ground. I dig my toes into the dust and sand, propelling myself faster as the Wasteland guard's hand brushes my shoulder blades. "JAY!" Hawk's desperate cry throws me off balance. Sand sprays as I trip and fall, landing in a cloud of dust with a thump. Arrow is thrown from my arms. I scramble to a low crouch. A Wasteland guard has Hawk's head pulled back, and a dagger at his throat. My brother strains against his grasp, but he can't break free.

When I stand, I'm shoved back to the ground, and I squeeze my eyes shut as I try to block out the pain and spinning in my head. Arrow. I push myself up to my feet, and shake my head to clear my mind. The Wasteland guard who was chasing me is dragging her across the sand. "Let her go!" I shout as I run after him, feet slipping on the sand until I'm able to settle into a steady pace. He looks up, sneers at me, then proceeds to move faster. But this time, he picks Arrow up, and carries her. I give chase, running faster as Arrow draws further away. My feet pound against the dust as I start to catch up. Sweat rolls down my neck and back. I can't lose her. A Wasteland guard tries to wrap his arms in an attempt to restrain me, but I shove him away. "You've got this, Jay!" I roll my eyes at Hawk's comment. He yelps as the dagger presses a little harder against his throat. I blink away tears. Arrow comes first. That's one of the rules- the mission comes before everything else, even family. I want to turn around, but I can't break the rule. It's the biggest one. They're supposed to be followed, and Adrien will be oh so mad. Please don't die, Hawk.

I draw closer and closer, until Arrow and the Wasteland guard are just a few feet in front of me. She's so close. So close. Arrow's not getting away. I jump over a fallen Wasteland guard. His sightless eyes stare blankly up at me. Blood trickles from his open mouth. I continue on, racing after Arrow. My gasping breaths are all I can hear. Exhaustion pummels me with its fists, begging me to stop. With every step, its hits grow stronger and stronger. I block it out as best I can. My eyes only see the Wasteland guard with Arrow in his arms.

My legs falter, and that provides the perfect opportunity for a Wasteland guard to knock me off my feet. His arms pin me to the ground. I strain against his grasp, and manage to kick him in the stomach. A small smile crosses my face at his gasp as he hunches over, arms wrapping around his middle. I start after Arrow and the Wasteland guard again, but they're nowhere to be found. "Where'd Arrow go?" I turn and see my brother. He's removed his Blend, and stands beside me as a human.

"I-I don't know," I murmur.

"I know what you're thinking; how did I get free? Well, great question. I-."

"Hawk. Would you just stop it? Please, shut up for a minute. Arrow is gone, and I don't know where to start looking."

"I noticed."

"Don't even start." I glare at Hawk.

"One teeny tiny thing, take a look around. We're surrounded by quite a few angry looking Wasteland guards."

"I am aware of that. You're starting to sound an awful lot li-."

"Shut up, Jay!" Hawk's eyes are wide as he claps a hand over my mouth with a curse. I frown at him for a moment, before I realise what I was about to say. You're starting to sound an awful lot like Adrien. I can't slip up again. Even just a name can make our operation come crashing down. We're so close.

"Starting to sound an awful lot like who?" A Wasteland guard asks, tilting his head to the side as he steps forward. His feet are silent against the shifting sand. "I was starting to sound a bit like my brother here." Hawk jabs his thumb my way.

"Oh, really?" The Wasteland guard raises an eyebrow.

"Yes, now would you be so kind as to return the girl to us? Oh, and let us go, pretty please?" Hawk brushes a few locks of hair from his forehead as he speaks.

"No, we're keeping her."

"Pretty please with a cherry on top?" Hawk tries again, and makes puppy dog eyes, but only gets a sharp glare from the Wasteland guard.

"What would you want with her?" I sigh.

"We're looking for Arrow. She'll have answers."

"No, she won't."

"How are you so sure?"

"You're not getting her." The Wasteland guard starts laughing, and the others join in.

"Y-you and your b-brother against a-all of us?" He nearly starts rolling across the ground as he cries with laughter. I take this time to look for Arrow, but I don't see her anywhere. Arrow, where are you? However tempting it might be, trying to muscle my way through the crowd would just be a death sentence. I stand on my tiptoes. Hawk pulls me back down. "You're really going to try that?" The Wasteland guard asks, looking up from where he's hunched over his knees. I look him right in the eye.

"Yes. Look for somewhere else for Arrow. The girl isn't him. She's a girl, and Arrow's a boy." The lie slips smoothly through my lips.

"What if Arrow's a Blender?"

"He's not, and the girl's not, so please, give us the girl." I tell a second lie with just as much ease.

 "Your brother is a Blender."

"And?" There's no way I can deny that- he Blended himself, and removed his Blend in front of everyone.

"You know the punishment for being a Blender."

"You wouldn't dare," I snarl, wrapping an arm around my brother.

"But I would. Who knows, maybe you'll even turn out to be a Blender too." The Wasteland guard smiles a fox-like smile.

All the Wasteland guards close in on us, swarming around from all sides. Hawk and I stand back to back, trying to fend off the Wasteland guards for as long as we can, but our movements soon become sluggish and clumsy. A gash rips itself across my arm, and Hawk cries out as blood drips down his palm. Someone tears off the bandage over my neck as they dig their fingernails into the wound. I scream, backhanding the Wasteland guard across the face. My feet slip on the sand. Hawk pushes me to the ground as he dodges a swinging sword. When a Wasteland guard lunges, I kick up dust and throw a handful into his face.

A roar echoes across the sandy plain. There was something so familiar about the sound. What was it?

Thank you for reading my story! Please consider a vote, and feel free to comment! Sorry, this took a bit longer to write than I intended, but now it's out! 

What's going to happen with Hawk and Jay? 

Will they find Arrow? 

Who does the roar belong to, and why does Jay recognize it? 

I'd love to hear your thoughts! Thanks again!

-Werewolf14-