(Luke) Oh no…

  Everyone turned their heads back toward where they st saw the figure that still slept in a deep slumber.

  All of them taking a step back from the edge, all looked at one another with pushed-up faces and gritting teeth.

  (Fred) So what now… if she’s on the ground, ying down there, then … doesn’t … that mean she’s—

  (Luke) She’s not dead.

  Luke clenched both of his hands against one another, his eyes gring into Fred’s as he lit up a shivering smile.

  His eyes betrayed the look that he was fine, and his smile continued to weaken and falter. If Gwen was really out of commission, or out of the fight, then how will—

  No.

  Walking toward the silver-haired young man that was his age, Luke pced both of his hands onto Fred’s shoulders, the slight height difference making it seem as if Luke was begging or pleading with Fred. Tears were unable to pour out of his eyes, the only thing that he could muster up was a slight chuckle from out of his mouth.

  (Luke) D-D-Don’t question that… she’s just tired … Maybe that isn’t G-Gwen … J-Jack said it himself, we’re way too high for us to see.

  Looking toward both Jack and the others that darkened their faces, Luke’s eyes began to widen evermore, leading his body to hunch forward. Letting go of his left hand, he still gripped Fred’s right shoulder with his right hand, his own heart punching against his lungs as he had his left hand covering his chest.

  His breaths becoming audible, Hope quickly grabbed a hold of Luke’s left hand, having both of her fingers caressing his knuckles.

  (Hope) W-We could heal her still! G-Gwen is tough, so if she holds out a bit longer, then—

  (Jack) She’s not going to make it you guys…

  The world stopped for Luke alone.

  His feet were wobbling on the very smooth surface that unabled him to stand up straight and managed to fix that very thing. His shins, thighs, kneecaps, everything that made a part of his lower body; soon was stuck in a state of absolute zero, with not even the motion of blood tracing along his feet.

  Feeling as if tiny needles were pricking beneath his heels and soles, Luke slowly turned his head to view Jack.

  And in that single moment, the frustrations that burdened his heart let out a tiny slip.

  (Luke) What the hell are you saying…

  Luke’s side bang that covered his right eye managed to cause Jack to showcase both of his empty palms in defeat. Taking a step back, beads of sweat rolled down onto his nose and cheeks, much more than what he let out when Luna was angry at him.

  Constraining his vocals, growling his voice, and biting both corners of his lips, Luke walked toward the scared red-haired man who closed his eyes as he looked his head away.

  (Jack) There’s a hole in her stomach! Look man, I’m just observing the situation—

  Luke used both of his hands to grab Jack’s colr, his fingers digging into the very fabric that soon started to wrinkle under the immense pressure of his grip. Tilting his head down, he didn’t let Jack nor anyone see what was beyond that darkened face of his.

  Hope began to tug on his left shoulder, her breathing fastening as the earlier anger that she saw during that water pump facility was soon returning…

  (Hope) L-Luke. It’s ok. If I go down there right now, then I might make it.

  (Jack) P-Please think realistically! No one has survived having a hole in their gut! I think—

  Luke moved his head upward.

  With just one motion, Jack noticed the facial expression that Luke had under his curled-up fists and growling throat.

  As Luke’s cheeks were stained with small rivers that effortlessly flowed out from the corners of his eyelids.

  Still having a strong enough grip on Jack’s colr, the convulsions of his throat continued to jump forward and back as his vocals pushed each other around. Unable to muster up a single sentence, the only thing that he was able to push out from his throat was the whispers of a few words.

  (Luke) We were so close…

  Out of all of the Dark Angel members who had their faces darkened, Jack’s was the most darkened.

  Letting his hands stay motionless to his sides, he let Luke’s tears hit against his bck leather boots that were riddled with dirt and dust. Puckering up his lips, his thumbs rubbed the skin of his pointer fingers in an arithmetic sequence.

  (Luke) I was so close … This pn almost worked, but in the end, it was all for nothing…

  His grip on Jack finally loosened.

  Pcing both of his hands toward his own body, Luke turned to look at the desote city that was blocked by the reddish clouds that they were above. Continuing to let out a light stream of tears in his eyes, he pced both of his hands on the edge of the stone that was on the edge of heaven and hell.

  With his eyes stinging upon the salt that got trapped inside of his eyes, he let out a long sigh as he stared into the hellish clouds.

  (Luke) I don’t … I don’t …

  Luke closed his eyes, his vision being eliminated as not even the light from the clouds didn’t enter.

  Trapping air into his lungs, the feeling of stabbing needles prickling the soles and heels of his feet began to tighten evermore. As if his luck was running out, his eyes continued to stare beyond the edge of the horizon that even he couldn’t decipher.

  (Luke) I don’t know what to do…

  But then he heard a voice.

  Amid the darkness that he was enveloped inside of his eyelids was none other than a motherly voice that he longed to truly hear.

  Unable to hear even the chilling wind that blew against the back of his head, his fingertips froze against the brick that separated the roof from the heavens.

  As he still had his eyes closed.

  (???) Luke…

  His jaw cttered as the voice surrounded his entire being.

  (???) Luke…

  Feeling the cold morning air stick him in pce, his eyelids wouldn’t even open to the hellish sight that reality stuck him in.

  But in a world of his own, he was the only one there.

  As if he opened his eyes, he saw the world bnketed in a bleach-filling white, as all of his senses were transferred to this world alone. Looking around the world that his mind created, he looked around the white room or world that trapped him consciously.

  (Luke) W-what…

  His mind and body being separated, he continued to see the endless horizon of just pure white.

  Gulping a load of saliva down his throat, he moved his head in every direction with both of his hands close to his body. Unable to see a person or creature in his world, his fingers began to stab his palms.

  (???) Luke…

  That same voice.

  (Luke) Just, please tell me who are you?

  And again.

  (???) Oh, Luke…

  His own body froze up even in this world.

  And this time, the voice that whispered in the white world that he resided came from one single direction.

  Turning his head slowly to the right, his eyes caught a whiff of a figure with a hoodie and sweatpants, a woman appearing to be in her early to mid-30s. Having dark brown hair and pointed half-elf ears, the woman standing in front of him was none other than his…

  (Luke) Mom…

  Having his feet on the fake floor, he remained still as the woman slowly walked toward him, having her hands csped as she remained them down to her crotch. Having her right thumb on top of her left, no sound was emitted from the bck sneakers that should have squeaked.

  The woman standing in front of him, the only thing that Luke motioned was none other than his own eyes, as they began to push upward. Using his upper lip to softly close down his lower lip, they both trembled as his nostrils soon began to release a warm watery liquid.

  (Mary) You got so big.

  Luke immediately pulled the woman toward his arms, wrapping her upper back as he used his fingers to grasp her shoulder bdes.

  Nuzzling his face onto her shoulder, he began to stain her hoodie with his salted tears, the area beginning to soak up from the water. Not pulling away, not motioning his feet to pull back, he cried and cried so that he couldn’t shed any more tears.

  Caressing the back of his head with her right hand, she used her left hand to pat his upper back, while rubbing it as if she was cradling a baby.

  (Mary) Sorry, I didn’t get to reunite with you.

  Continuing to tear and soak her hoodie, Luke couldn’t let out a response as his own throat jailed his vocals from speaking any further. Tightly wrapping around her even more, Mary pulled her head back as she saw the face that she longed to see.

  Moving both of her hands, she trailed them along his smooth youthful face as she finally reached both of his cheeks, having her thumbs pced beneath his eyes. Her eyes barely contained the tears that wanted to sprout out, she let out a small smile as her own hands began to be soaked by the running tears from Luke.

  (Mary) I’m so proud of you… you kept your promise…

  Letting go, she dropped both of her hands as she walked backward a couple of steps.

  Unable to even reach his hand outward, his hand trembled and twitched as he gritted the ends of his teeth. Trying to jerk his right arm forward, his reddened cheeks that were stained by tears soon began to wither away as the world of white...

  Soon began to crumble.

  Like the static of a TV, the world that he resided slowly was being brought back to the real world, as even the woman standing in front of him soon began to crumble as well.

  Still unable to jerk his right arm and hand forward, he pushed his vocals as he arched his body forward, enabling him to create one loud yell.

  (Luke) Mom!

  His chest began to fasten under the invisible timer, he finally pushed a single step forward with his right foot.

  (Luke) Please help me!

  Her legs already fading away into the static that buzzed and whistled, she had her hands csped against one another again.

  Still having a small smile that Luke focused his entire being on, both corners and ends of her lips slowly formed a simple statement.

  As the world cut to nothing.

  (Mary) Don’t change, grow.

  ______________________________________________________________________________

  He opened his eyes.

  Seeing the reddish clouds that blocked the view of the city, Luke let go of the edge of the building that scraped against both of his hands. Taking a step back, he turned his head in the back of him as everyone began to slowly move themselves forward toward him.

  Extending out his right hand, he then used his pointer finger and thumb to snap them repeatedly.

  Making a simple repeated snapping sound, he looked down onto the marbled floor that he had both of his boots glued to, staring it down with both of his red eyes. Putting his left hand to cover his right eye, he dug his fingers into his face as he hunched his body forward.

  (Jack) Uh … Luke?

  (Miles) What is he doing?

  (Stan) I think he’s thinking.

  (Fred) Never saw him think this deep before…

  Stopping the snapping motion, he extended his right hand and pointer finger toward the young man who had silver hair.

  Lighting up a warm smile, Luke made sure that both corners of his lips didn’t reach the height of his ears, as he straightened his back and legs.

  (Luke) Fred, remember during the robotics competition six years ago, when I decided to put those rocket boots onto the robot we were making?

  Fred put his hand toward the end of his chin, tapping all four of his fingers in a repeated flowing motion. His nails tracing along the hairless skin, he stopped midway as he turned his head toward Luke.

  Widening his eyes, Fred snapped his fingers once as he also pointed toward Luke, which caused Luke to drop his hand.

  (Fred) I remember now! Come to think of it, it was a pretty stupid idea.

  (Luke) Yeah, yeah. Anyway, remember the prototype that I tried to make, but ended up failing?

  (Fred) That was because it was impossible to make in the first pce.

  Luke put both of his hands inside of his leather jacket, looking down onto the marble floor as he nodded up and down a couple of times.

  Still having a small smile on his face, he turned his attention toward Stan, Gary, and Diego, who were right beside Fred. Walking toward the four of them, Luke cleared his throat while clicking the marble floor with the heels of his boots.

  (Luke) Then how about we make it then? That same prototype.

  (Stan) Are you insane? How can all five of us invent something in under 15 minutes?!

  (Gary) Even for me, that’s overkill.

  (Diego) We don’t even have the parts to make it!

  Luke’s face darkened at the responses coming from the four of them, tilting his head down onto the floor as he still had his hands inside of his pockets.

  Fred had both of his hands upward as his palms faced the open sky, while they were on the same level as where his hips were. In a pleading stance, Fred took a slight step forward with his left foot, having his body weight shifting onto it.

  (Fred) Look, Luke. Realistically speaking, there is no way that someone can use rocket boots efficiently. You have to be a master at bance and luck to even use it normally. Even then, no one is going to just have the same thing as—

  A suitcase glided across the marble floor.

  Hitting alongside the back of Fred’s left ankle, he quickly turned to look at the bck suitcase that y motionless near him.

  The rest of the five nerds looked up to see that the person who threw it like a bowling ball was none other than a bowl-haired cut man with a fedora, his chubby face recognizable from a mile away. Putting both of his hands inside his bck suit, Boris shifted his attention toward Luke.

  (Boris) Use that. What you want is right inside of that suitcase.

  Luke let out beads of sweat from both ends of his temples, as he had his palms showcasing outward. His hands soon turning sweaty and sticky, he looked up toward Boris who continued to stare at him.

  (Luke) R-Rocket boots? Inside this suitcase?

  (Boris) You heard me.

  (Luke) How did you even manage to find these, let alone create them then?

  Boris used his right hand to put it on top of the fedora that covered his forehead, gripping the bck fabric of the hat. Taking the luxury hat off, it showcased his many white hair that soon rippled onto the floor below, as if a dog started to shed its winter coat at the beginning of spring.

  Seeing the many strands of hair inside of his hat, Boris pced the hat toward the side of his body, as he pushed his gsses upward with his left finger.

  (Boris) Someone I know gave them to me, saying that it might be useful for someone.

  (Luke) But who?

  (Boris) Let’s save that for another day. For now, we gotta stop that thing before it destroys the entire city. We both have one goal in mind, so I’m ordering you to put them on.

  Letting out a huge gulp from within his throat, Luke bent down on one knee as he extended both of his hands onto the metal locks from the center. Clicking both locks with both of his thumbs, the bck metal suitcase opened upward as all five men sparkled their eyes upon the sight that fell upon them.

  Pulling two objects out, Luke held both boots in both of his hands, feeling the icy cold bck fabric that froze the ends of his palms. By merely pcing them down on the ground, the heaviness of the metal from where the heel was alone was enough to wobble the ends of Luke’s elbows.

  Its shoeces untied, along with the metal canisters that were on the back of the boots, Luke took off both of his normal boots as he swept them away with just one kick. Putting the new pairs of boots on, he took a step forward, but even one single step was enough to cause a slight grunt in his throat.

  (Luke) It’s a little heavy.

  (Boris) You’ll get used to it. It’s not for the damned and the unfortunate. You know Luke…

  Luke started to walk toward the edge of the building as the others followed suit, all seeing the reddish clouds that were right below them.

  Not even bothering to pce both of his hands on the stone edge of the building, he pced both of his hands onto his sides. Keeping the air in, he pced one foot on the edge as he lifted himself, as he now was standing on the edge of the tallest tower in the city.

  (Boris) Gamblers and soldiers are a lot alike.

  Exhaling out, he gnced at the two uzi’s in both of his hips, while he checked to see the fulminated mercury and mustard gas that he had in his jacket’s pockets.

  The rest of everyone, including the four nerds and four dark angel members that followed Boris gazed upon the sight of Luke staring down below hell itself.

  (Luke’s thoughts) Guess I’m all ready now… But before I go.

  (Luke) Give me the water bomb Fred.

  Fred safely gave the heavy metallic bomb toward the weak Luke, wrapping it close toward his right armpit. Tightening the grip on the metal water bomb with both of his hands to secure it, Fred tugged Luke’s bck pants with just the tip of his fingers, as Luke didn’t even bother to look back.

  (Fred) W-What’s the pn Luke?

  Silence fell upon the crowd of soldiers and friends that remained staring at the deliverer of Hope. Perking their ears up, they awaited what came from Luke, whether it be a groan or hum as all of them didn’t even let a simple breath out of their lungs.

  Finally, Luke tilted his head upward, as he looked at the bckened sky that blocked the stars from above.

  (Luke) Well … try to have my back for the time being. You guys do what you do best.

  With just a simple thrust of both of his heels, Luke leaped out from the edge of the tower, the stone cracking along the edge.

  Causing him to plunder feet first into hell.