Jason's POV

"We've been expecting you and your people for quite some time," a woman says, walking towards me calmly. She sits down on the bed. "Just not such a small number, let alone a gang of kids."

"Yeah, well, that's what we get for living so close to The Walls. We should've moved a long time ago," I mumble.

"Did you lose your parents to them?"

"Yes."

I also lost my little sister, and many other loved ones. I don't mention it because the sympathy in her gaze unsettles me. She's looking down upon me, when I'm the leader. I'm the one who's in control.

The woman smiles gently. "Well, you're welcome to live here where it's safe. I've already talked to the authorities, and they said it's alright as long as you follow our ways."

I snort. "No, you've got it all wrong. We didn't come here to hide, we came here to get more numbers so we can take down The Walls."

"Let's get you washed up."

"Are you even listening!?"

She opens my cell door and gestures towards the exit. I have my feet firmly planted into the ground. I do see two men, body guards I suppose, outside.

"Wash and then we'll talk," she says. Her voice is cold this time.

"No, we'll talk now," I growl.

The two men grab both of my arms in attempt to drag me out, but I see it coming. I slam my head into one's nose, making him stagger back. His nose swells twice its size, gushing blood.

I run out the door as fast as I can. I see Scarlett and she gasps at the sight of me.

"Jason! You're... what happened to you!?" Scarlett exclaims.

I laugh. "Don't worry, it's someone else's blood!"

I dart past her, weaving through the halls and picking them at random. I have to say, the last time I saw a place this big was back in The Walls.

I'm grinning, looking behind me to see if they've caught up yet. I slam right into Carter's chest the moment I do. He grips a hold of my shoulders firmly.

"Jason, what are you doing?" He scolds, as if I was a child.

I shove him off. "I'm not being kept as a prisoner. They're not forcing me to do anything."

"I thought we were hear to make peace. Besides, they're trying to take care of us. You're the only one who's going to be kept prisoner if you keep acting this way."

I open my mouth to say something, but I'm grabbed by the shoulders and yanked back.

"Carter, don't just stand there! Help me get them off!" I yell.

"Sorry bud, but you're not the leader anymore. And it's about time, the group is beginning to wonder if you've lost it," he replies.

"Me? Crazy? Hah!" I grit my teeth and try to yank out of the men's grip, but the woman called for stronger reinforcements.

I'm dragged away and thrown into a small room. I touch the walls, which are made out of cool tile. At the end of the room, there's an odd contraption with a curtain. Inside, a metal switch and a wire hanging above with something on top.

"What is this!?" I shout furiously. Images of Kat's torture device comes to mind. Is this one of those?

The woman walks in. "That's a shower. There's a sink over there, with a toothbrush and some toothpaste. Here, I'll show you how to use them."

My fascination takes over. I've heard about showers, something lost a long time ago. I've always wondered what they looked and felt like. Much better than bathing in a lake, I'm guessing.

"Err... alright."

Clear water spouts out of both the sink and the shower. I put
my hand under it in awe.

"Where does it get the water?" I ask.

"The pipes," she answers.

"Where do the pipes get it from?"

She giggles. "Just wash up, okay? I'll be right outside if you need anything."

I spend a couple of minutes wondering how long it might take to sharpen the tooth brush into a proper cutting instrument. Then I strip from my clothes that are caked in dirt and step into the shower. I turn the temperature on as hot as I can stand.

I close my eyes and think about Kat. Not because I'm naked in the shower, but because I remember her talking about showers. She never talked about her life in The Walls unless I asked. And even then, she would quickly change the subject. A part of me wonders if I'd be willing to give up freedom for good food, warmth, and hot showers. I don't think I would.

Sweet smelling soap and shampoo. I close my eyes as I rub the shampoo into my hair. I don't know how long I'm in there, but I finally decide to get out when my fingertips begin to wrinkle.

I almost scream when I see my reflection when I get out. It's a mirror. Sometimes, we would find rusty and old ones that were over 100 years old along with the ruins of old towns and cities. But otherwise, we've always used metal and water to look at our reflections. Mirrors are much better.

I wipe the condensation off it and stare into my own eyes. Carter has a point. I do look like I've lost it. My eyes are wild and angry, I have a long scratch right against my cheekbone. Looks like I need a good shave and haircut too.

I brush my teeth and shave. Then I put on the clean clothes they set out for me. A white button down shirt along with regular pants and shoes.

When I open the door, the woman is still there. "Good. I'll give you a haircut and then we can talk. My name's Quinn, by the way."

"Jason," I mumble.

"Nice to meet you, Jason. I hope you know there's no reason to fight. You're perfectly safe here."

Yeah. And a prisoner.

The haircut doesn't take long. I find Naomi wandering the building afterwards.

Her cheeks flush red. "You clean up nicely."

"So do you," I answer.

She averts her gaze. "I know we came here to get reinforcements, but we're welcome here. Maybe we could live here, you know? Why try to make a war when there's not a threat anymore?"

"Kat is with them, in case you forgot."

"We're not starting a war to get back your girlfriend," Naomi retorts.

My eyes narrow. "She's not just my girlfriend. She's a part of this family. I would do the same for all of you."

"She's not a part of our family! Jason, don't you see? She's like the rest of her people. Shallow and fake. I'm not going to let you risk your life for your gorgeous girlfriend that probably doesn't even want to be saved!"

The fires of hell have no fury like mine at this moment. The whole group is falling apart. With just a whiff of the easy and good life, everyone is already turning soft. At least, I know three of them are.

"I'm going to find Kat, without you guys or not."

"She's just a stupid crush! Quit this insanity already!" Naomi protests, grabbing my arm.

I yank it away. "Fuck off."