I woke up on a bed cot, cloth partly covering my eyes.

"Awake!" Someone yelled.

"Cover!" Yelled another.

Hand grabbed me arms and legs, securing me. I flinched, confused. Didn't they say they were friends?

"Um? Hello?" I scrunched my nose. "How are you all?"

"What? Shouldn't she be scared?" I recognized a gruff voice.

"You're the guy who cut me free." I remembered.

"What...? What's wrong with this one?" I heard a whispered voice to my left.

"Says the people who are holding me down." I muttered.

"Alright release I guess." Someone said.

I pulled off my cloth, wincing. Sitting up, I touched a hand to my head. It came back stinging, covered in blood.

"What's this?" I murmered, confused.

"Here." Someone offered me a small piece of glass.

In the reflection I could see a carved symbol embeded in red blood. A 'T' with a short third line that ran horizontally from each side, starting at the middle.

"Who did this?" I asked, looking up.

"Wasn't us. I mean, we're violent but not crude." The familiar guy answered. "It was that small girl. She did it while you were asleep. Besides the point. We need to show you around and have a talk."

Hands hoisted me up off the cot. Looking around I saw I was in a small room with four other cots, all unoccupied. The room was similar to the infirmary at the Defensive District, with metallic walls and tiles flooring.

I looked at the people around me. One was a man who looked in his twenties. His head was covered with a bag thing and curly hair was poking out of it. There was a woman next to him, thin and lean, standing with arched eyebrows.

The other guy looked like he was in his early twenties, yet seemed extremely boyish. His eyes were close to black and his skin was dark.

"Alright. I'm Rain." I said, sticking a hand out.

"Corwin." My captor responded, shaking my hand.

"That's Veeno." he nodded to the girl who offered a smile.

"They call me Bit." Muttered the eldest who shook my hand as well.

"We call him Bit because he's good with electronics. And because his old name was shit." Veeno laughed.

I was slightly taken aback that she swore so easily and without being angry, but shrugged it off.

"Let's go." Corwin turned around.

"Wait a second. I need basic info first." I said sternly.

"Welcome to the Vaughn. We are the Disruptors. You were a Loyal, till you changed. Now let's go." I muttered, still walking.

I rolled my eyes, following him out.

We ended up in a long hallway.

"Food, friends, fighting?" He muttered.

"What?" I asked confused.

"Food it is." Declared Bit.

We sauntered down the hall, stopping when there was a large hole. I could see a lot platform at the bottom.

"What's this?" I could hear snickering behind me.

"The Drop." Veeno answered, shoving me off.

In my moment of terror I thought I would die. The Drop went down about fifteen feet, then stopped.

I hit the bottom, my back taking most of the impact.

"What was that for?" I yelled as Veeno, Bit, and Corwin dropped next to me. They landed on their feet, one hand lightly grazing the floor.

Corwin smiled and held out a hand.

"You just three me into a twenty door hole." I snorted, standing.

"That was me." Veeno muttered.

"Same thing." I shot back, standing on my own.

I heard Corwin laugh as he walked into the cramped room.

"Cafeteria." He pointed to the small room we were in that couldn't have been more than thirty feet each direction. "Food." He pointed to two large containers along the far wall. I could see cans piled, almost overflowing. There were teenagers and adults alike killing around, eating on the floor in small groups. Most were dressed in jeans and sleevless tee shirts.

"How often can you eat?" I asked, wondering ir ir diffrentiated from back home. Home? Not home.

"Anytime you like, which is fortunate. That Chad guy was complaining about how that hardly got any food." Bit replied.

"Chad?" I exclamied excited. "Well let's go!" I said, looking for the exit.

"Alright. Back up we go." Corwin turned and led me back to the Drop. Taking out gloves, he pulled them on. He put a foot on one wall, using hands to steady himself.

"Come on," He turned back to me, holding out a hand. "You don't have Anti's yet."

I grabbed his hand, wondering what Anti's were. With a surprising amount of strength he pulled me up with him, climbing with the special gloves and shoes.

We clambered out awkwardly and he stuck the gloves in his pocket.

"That way." He pointed down the hallway.

We headed off, a little bounce in my step. I pulled open a door that was right next to the room I woke in.

I yanked open, to see Chad, Sky, Zoe, Quinn, and Lila sitting on bed. They all had wires coming out of their ears, and everyone's head was jerking around randomly.

"What are you doing to them?" I screamed, horrified. No one looked up. They lost sense of sound.

I ran to Zoe, trying to help.

"Calm down, they're fine." Corwin laughed, pulling a wire out of Zoe's ear.

"It's called music." He explained. He quickly pulled out everyone else's wires.

"Say hi to your friend people." Corwin stepped back.

"Rain!" They all shouted simotamiously, standing up for a hug.

"Hey guys. But what are you doing here?" I said, turning to Zoe, Chad, and Sky.

"We left after we heard what was going on with Lukkas and you guys. We just went out the Gates, and wandered out here till they picked us up." Sky rambled, nodding to Bit and Veeno.

"You knew the Senator was corrupt?" But exclaimed.

"Yeah, just realized too." I said in sync with Zoe.

But gave us an odd look, but glanced away.

"Well we're those wires?" I asked confused.

"Its called music," Corwin repeated. "Here. Try this."

He handed me a set of wires that connected with two small circles at the end. I stuck them in my ears.

At first I was startled by the speed of the music. I could hear a few words over the noise, "...they gonna rip up your heads, your aspirations to shreds, another cog in the murder machine..." I wanted to keep listening to the sound, but I saw Corwin mouth something.

"What?" I said, pulling out the wires.

"Did you like it?" he asked.

"Yeah. A lot. But what's a murder machine?" I asked.

"Its like a system of corrupt higher ups but the people following them don't realize what they're doing is wrong." Veeno exclaimed.

"Oh I love that song." Corwin pulled out his own set of wires from his pocket. "You all catch up. We're gonna go chill. Your bed is there. Wrap up in thirty, we have to talk more." He stuck the wires into his ears and slipped out with Veeno and Bit.

After a moment of silence I turned and sat on a cot. "So a lot is happening." I said. "Who wants to fill me in?"

"Alright so we were all knocked out," Quinn said, hands flying. "We woke up where you did and got probably the same tour. So apparently we lived in what they called a 'corrupted society' and were being brainwashed." he rambled.

"Long ago there were people who had things like music and books and animals for everyone to enjoy." Lila jumped in while I wondered what books and animals were.

"And then our community happened and one day they decided they were going to start rescuing people. And here we are." Finished Chad. "In a nutshell at least."

"Holly," I murmered looking up. "Where Holly."

"Still at the Defensive District. She said what we were doing was wrong and called us traitors. We told her she was right and I guess she believed it because she didn't tell anyone." Chad frowned.

"And... Lukkas?" I winced, asking the question I had been fearing the whole time.

"They wouldn't tell us till you were ready and awake." Quinn said quietly.
"I'm sorry Rain."

My stomach flipped. It wasn't like Lukkas was dead, he told me he was going to be okay. He promised.

I nodded, eyes unfocusing. I could hear everyone continue talking in the background but was too distracted by my own thoughts.

After what felt like minutes and years alike, the door pushed open.

Corwin stepped in, holding a small metal thingy.

"Where's Lukkas?" I demanded standing.

"Gee is he your brother or something?" Cowin teased.

"He's my soulmate." I replied.

"Well that's a lot to say about a guy but okay." Corwin said, pushing the door open and leading us out.

He kept the metal thing out, and led us down another hallway. Inside we could see rows of rooms in either side, kind of like the Training Room.

"Right here." He murmered, swiping a key card and opening the door.

"Stay here." he instructed.

"No way." I pushed past him.

"Careful! He's dangerous!" Corwin yelled, lifting the metal thing.

"Lukkas?" I said.

He was slouched in a corner, eyes vacant. They snapped to me.

"I- I pledged loyalty to t-the community." I whispered, shielding his face with his hands weakly.

"I'm not going to hurt you. I love you." I said, voice cracking as I sat next to him and felt him flinch.

"Are you crazy? He's insane and unpredictable!" Corwin whispered, pointing the metal thing in his direction.

"No, he isn't." I insisted. I put a hand on Lukkas' knee. He three himself into the wall furthest from me like he was magnetized to it.

"I-I pledge!" He screamed in a pleading voice. "I pledge loyalty!" He screamed.

"Its okay." I tried pulling him closer to me, but he struggled against me.

"I pledge! I pledge loyalty to the communtiy!" He screamed.

"Lukkas, it's okay. I promise." I grabbed his hand. "You just have to remember."

He went awkwardly limp at my touch.

"See? It's okay." I tried to comfort him.

His eyes drifted to mine, connecting only through sadness. His lips were moving rapidly, an incoherent and silent jumble.

He stopped, eyes focusing and reaching mine.

"Please... Just don't hurt me." He whispered.

Lol. Ain't Corwin a funny name? I find it hilarious. Let's talk about that and not how certain friends are going to kill me yes?

Okie dokie as you've noticed (hopefully) Corwin starts with a C.
Now, if we were in English, this would symbolize trust, Lord knows why. But since this is the real world, it just means I like the letter C. Technically I only like the letter C because (let me throw you a whole bunch o letters here) a) Sea, I like swimming, b) There is no b and c) My aucustis name is C, because my favorite chord is C and I like the Sea. Don't you see now?

That probably took you a while to read and if it didn't cootos to you. I however mentioned me having a guitar which means I'm thinking about it and must go play to my hearts content because one hour a day is absolutely not good enough.