The Voice of Angels

Shit.

If it weren't for Jayson's poker face, he probably would have given something away to Jyo after being accused of being "off". Yeah, he was off. He had no hearing and was no longer brainwashed into being Ruler's clueless zombie, unlike Jyo. He felt bad...for all of two seconds before he noticed the look his friend was sending him. He was being examined and he didn't like it one bit.

"Jyo..." he sighed, smiling softly. "I had a piece of equipment blow up in my face. Turned me into a pincushion." With his free hand, Jayson lifted his shirt to show the slowly healing wounds on his ribs and stomach where metal had once sat lodged in his skin. "To be honest... I'm a little shaken."

That was a big, fat lie but he played it well, grinning sheepishly and smoothening out his shirt again. He couldn't have Jyo investigating his weird behaviour. At least not until he was ready to save the man from the broadcasts and clear his mind. "But enough about me, okay? How have you been? How's your sister?"

Though I know you won't ask about mine... You don't even remember her. A week ago, neither did I.
 
Jyo barely managed to swallow his mouthful of beer, he started coughing when Jayson told him something blew up. Pounding his fist against his chest and clearing his throat, Jyo stared at his friend. "Did you go to a hospital?" he asked, a worried expression taking over his face. Of course, that had to be what was wrong with Jayson. Jyo would be shaken up if something exploded on him too.

At the mention of his sister, Jyo's eyes clouded. "Truth be told...I'm not too sure on how Jayde is..." He sighed and went on, "She's been leaving the house an awful lot. She's more secretive than she used to be...Do you think...maybe she has a boyfriend or something?" Jyo asked it as if it were his worst fear for his sister to have a boyfriend.

But that wasn't the worst of his fears. However, he didn't want to accuse his sister of being in Group in front of Jayson, though the thought had crossed his mind plenty of times.
 
The moment Jyo reacted to the news of Jayson's accident, the latter couldn't help but cock an eyebrow and chuckle a little. It wasn't the first time equipment had backfired on him but it sure as hell beat being shot at. Jayson may have been a techie but he was still a member of the law enforcement and often went on patrols. The inner city of Angels might have been for the most part crime free but the boarder was another story. A lot of crime happened on the outskirts of the city because of bandits that lived in the wilderness. Now that Jayson thought about it, that was probably due to the fact that the broadcasts never reached that far.

Watching Jyo's face carefully as he spoke about his sister, Jayson struggled to keep the surprise from his face. Jayde's been leaving the house a lot and being secretive? It couldn't be that she... But that would almost be too easy, Jayson thought to himself, taking a sip of his beer. How the hell was he going to convince Jyo that it was something innocent?

Then he heard what the man had to say next and it was his turn to choke on his drink. "Well, Jayde's a beautiful girl. I wouldn't be surprised if she had a guy. She probably doesn't want her brother knowing because he'd, A, freak out or, B, do an embarrassing background check on the guy." He finished off his beer and grinned, leaning forward to set the empty bottle on the table. "And if it is a boyfriend, just be glad she won't turn out like me: late twenties and still single..."

He paused a moment, just to let that sink in before he continued with the joke, lifting a hand to his mouth agape in mock surprise and appology. Jyo was only a year younger than Jayson afterall. His amusement, however, seeped through his half-assed ruse just to let Jyo know he was teasing.
 
Jyo couldn't help but laugh, even though he felt a slight tug on his heart. He was single too, maybe he should start thinking of getting a girlfriend? "I guess that is a pro- to Jayde having a boyfriend..." At least it eliminates the chances of her being in Group, right? Jyo thought.

Jyo blinked a couple of times as something Jayson said sunk in. "You think Jayde is beautiful?" he asked the other man, a small smile on his face. He didn't mind, he wasn't THAT overprotective, that he would go crazy when some guy complimented his sister. As a matter of fact, that made him quite happy, to hear that people thought his sister was pretty.
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Jayde stared blankly at Emil as he freaked out and ran into a wall. "Oh, maybe they haven't towed it yet?" she said, trying to reassure him. She thought for a while. "At least...I don't think they've made their patrols in this are yet, you may still have time to go and move it. Where exactly did you leave it?"

She wanted to help the guy. He seemed like such a worry-filled young man. At first, it had been kind of funny (as bad as that made Jayde feel, she had to admit it) but now, it made her worry about him.
 
Pulling his face from the wall, Emile shakes his head. "They probably haven't........ But I do need to move it. I've done this more times than I'd like to admit." Emile shakes his head, rubbing his nose a bit. A bit of a smile crosses his face, and he raises his pointer finger in indication of a grand idea.

"hey! How about we all go out and get something to eat! I'm a little starved.... and this is a perfect opportunity for us to all go out and get to know each other, eh?" Emil holds out a thumbs up, showing off another wide smile. "So.... there's three of you, that means all of us can fit in my car! You guys can consider me your chauffeur!" He proclaims proudly, patiently awaiting the responses of his cohorts.
 
She stared at him, her mouth opening as if she were going to say something. She was at a loss though. Finally she said, "I wonder if...the broadcasts are over now." She knew that they probably were, but it was hard to tell, being underground and all. She looked at Celso and Yi-ting.

"What say you guys?" Jayde asked them.
 
Why did Jyo look...surprised? Jayson arched an eyebrow with amusement. In response to his friend's question, he smiled a little and let his gaze wander. "Well, yeah," he replied, shrugging as if it weren't a big deal. "I mean, she's not the most attractive in the family but she's definitely got the looks." And just to mess around with his old friend a little, Jayson stretched out a hand to gingerly caress Jyo's cheek while he spoke, locking their gazes for a moment before looking away and dropping his hand.

Maybe there was a little truth to that, but with everything happening at that moment, having a little crush on his friend was at the bottom of his "To Do" list. With a sigh, he pushed away from the fridge and shuffled over to the cupboards to hunt for something to eat that didn't require cooking. It was how he'd been living for the past week, save for ordering takeout a few times. Unfortunately, his change of position in the kitchen put his back to Jyo.
 
Jyo jumped a little when Jayson's hand caressed his cheek. "Funny. Jayson. I'll take that as a compliment!" he told his friend, sticking his tongue out playfully. He chugged down the rest of his beer, rather nervously. Thoughts of what Jayde could be doing were still running through his mind, though he didn't show it outwardly. "What kind of guy do you think Jayde is into?" he asked as Jayson rustled through the cupboards. As he awaited a response, he peered into his empty bottle debating whether or not he should ask for another. He'd always been told that he couldn't 'hold his liquor'.

After a minute of no response, Jyo looked up at Jayson. Had he spaced out or had Jayson not answered? "Yo. Jayson, did you answer?" he asked. After a while Jyo figured that he was being ignored. He stepped forward and poked Jayson's side. "Hello~?"
 
Cereal, instant rice, chips. Damn, Jayson really had to restock his cupboards. He moved through each shelf, hoping something a little more dinner-like would present itself. What a waste of time. Sighing with disappointment, he hung his head in defeat. He'd order takeout yet again, but after Jyo left. He didn't want to give the guy a reason to stay longer, only because Jayson couldn't afford to waste any more time. He had to keep working.

A poke to the side jolted him back to his senses and he realized, with a skip in his heartbeat, that Jyo had been talking to him. For a moment, he froze with fear, though his expression remained calm on the surface.

How to fix this... Dammit, he's looking at me curiously!

There was only one option and that was to lie yet again to his best, if only, friend. "Sorry. Did you say something? I got a little lost in thought. You know how I get..." Jayson flashed an apologetic smile and silently resolved to keep his attention on the other man from now on.
 
Lost in thought? Jyo wondered. He shrugged and nodded, although he was wondering what exactly Jayson had been thinking about. Jayson was a space-y sort of guy.

Jyo repeated himself, "What kind of guy do you think Jayde is into?"

It didn't really matter but...Okay, it did matter, it mattered a lot. What if she was into trouble-maker guys? What if she was into rebellious guys, the kind that would be in Group?

Jyo's breath caught at the thought of his sister dating a Group guy. That'd be as horrifying as if Jayde were in group herself! Jyo prayed that neither of those things were true.
 
"Meh." Celso shrugged. He wasn't sure. "I think we should stay put for a little while longer, just to be safe."
 
What kind of guy? Probably the bad kind; the rough and tough type of guy, able to handle that girl's own toughness. Jayson had only met Jayde a few times but she'd definitely left an impression on him.

Noting the worry on Jyo's face, Jayson chuckled and furrowed his brow with a mixture of amusement and pity. "You shouldn't worry about her. You and I both know Jayde can take care of herself." It was true, though mostly he wanted Jyo to leave it be only because it would be easier to follow Jayde without having to keep a look out for her worrisome, protective big brother.

Jayson glanced quickly at his watch and immediately wished he hadn't. A bit of frustration returned as he realized he'd wasted nearly a half an hour talking to Jyo and he couldn't quite keep his expression from turning into a bit of a frown. When he caught Jyo looking his way, he forced a smile and spoke again. "Buuuut if you're really that worried about her, I could always be creepy and follow her for a day or two, see if she's meeting some guy or up to something weird?"
 
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She slipped away when the others came over to speak to the stranger and propped herself back onto her sofa chair, laptop on her lap. When Jayde mentioned the broadcast, Yi-Ting looked over at her and then back a the screen. She typed away, getting an auditory visual of the sensors she'd set up outside.

"Yup, seems like it is." She answered with a smile.

Her stomach growled lightly and she laughed delicately. "And it seems like I'm hungry, too."


She smiled over at Emil, "Thanks for the offer!" the thought of food made her smile. It was a long time since the last time she ate with friends.
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Emil nodded happily in response to the answers of the fellow members of the group. This would finally be a good opportunity for him to get to know the other members, and perhaps make new friends! In a much more enthused state, he nearly jumped up and down with happiness, however, saw it best not to embarrass himself any further that night. Instead, he waited a moment, then lifted the concrete door slightly to ensure the coast was clear. So far, so good. He gave another quick nod and a thumbs up to indicate that nobody was waiting to burst in, and that the broadcast was finished.

"I think it's safe to go now.... and I gotta get to my car before someone tries to tow it! I'll meet you all outside!"

Emil slowly creeps from the apartment, making sure nobody sees him, before bolting out to his vehicle, hoping that he could make it before an officer did. Unfortunately for him, it seemed an officer was approaching his vehicle, followed by a massive tow-truck vehicle. "This isn't good..." he murmured, before picking up his pace as he approached his vehicle. The officer caught a glimpse of Emil, and gave him a stare that could cut through his heart. However, in this instance, Emil wasn't going to just give up his car and lose what little he had to live for because of some silly parking violation. Not this day. Summoning all of the courage and might in his body, he forced himself to sprint as fast as his body could take him to his car, just barely making it before the officer could. In the blink of an eye, he was back in his vehicle, and out of the no-park zone, somehow. In the very next instance, the tow truck and police car had arrived. The officer gave a very threatening stare at the now moving vehicle before returning to his car, muttering something unintelligible into his mic. Emil lets out a relieved sigh as he drives out of view of the officer.

Emil pulls into a more legitimate parking space, and awaits his fellow rebels. He was hungry as a fasting monk, and nothing would get between him and food tonight.
 
Jayde yawned a little and stretched. "Boy, I'm tired..." she muttered quietly. She left the hide-out shortly after Emil. Fortunately, no one was there and she was able to walk out casually. She looked around, hoping to spot Emil and his car. When she did, Emil was parking his car somewhere else.

Jayde walked to the car with her hands in her pockets. Whistling a little as she approached. "Pretty nice car," she told Emil, smiling.
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Jyo knew that Jayson had a point. Jayde was strong-willed...and liked guns. "Yeah," he muttered pensively.

When he saw Jayson check his watch, he realized that his friend probably had better things to do. "Oh uh...I gotta go," he said quickly. He laughed a little, then his expression turned serious.

"As much as I trust you, I don't think you should stalk my sister. Although," he paused to wink, "Whatever floats your boat, eh? Just do me a favor, if you think I won't like the guy, if there is one, just go ahead and kick his ass." He laughed more and turned. "Anyway, I'll see you later. I'll let myself out."

With that Jyo left his buddy's house and walked back home.
 
He had sat silently, sharpening a knife that was, for the most part, already sharp. He looked up several times as the others spoke, and gave out few comments. Lance drew his attention elsewhere. Not on the knife, not at the things around him, nor the people. His ears were drawn to the sounds of the alarms outside. He was underground - safe, so what worry should he have? Perhaps there wasn't worry, but maybe burden. A burden that would weigh heavily on his shoulders forever.

A fiance, a sister, a mother, and a cousin. These were the people that stayed at the tip of his mind and his potentials. He had been the only one he knew of that was able to make it underground that day. The people that were dear to him, even his most loyal dog, had gotten left outside. Outside where the contaminated world awaited them. A world that was full of venomous words that yet...sounded so right. A brainwashing creature voiced day after day to the people. He told them what to do, how to act, how to say, and how to react. This creature, this foul demon that called itself a ruler, a man above everything, had his hands clutched around the Earth. Lance could only imagine. Imagine the evil smile that coiled around the man's face as he thought of ways to 'perfect' the earth.

In his shaking hand, the knife was almost hidden in his knuckles. Lance spied downward at his hand, almost frightened. A reason, he could only guess, that it was not a good idea to think of the outside world. A slight trickle of blood ran down his wrist and onto the floor. Pat. The drop spread among the floor. He stared idly at it for a short period of time before reaching a lean arm towards a box of tissue. Silently, the young man wiped up his blood and threw the tissue into the nearby trash.

As he did so, he faintly noticed that the alarms had stopped sounding. Lance turned his head upwards towards the underground ceiling. He heard the shuffling of the others as they stood up, guessing that the announcements of the outside world had finally ceased. Lance watched as some of them went out of the doors. He gathered some of his belongings such as his wallet, keys, and cell phone. He shoved these into his pockets before putting on his faded jacket. Lance gave a smile to some of the people still left inside before making his way out.

Outside, Lance drew in a deep breath of air. His blue eyes shut for a moment before they re-opened. They looked idly at the surroundings. First he moved his left leg, and then the other, then his left, and then the right, before he fell into a rhythmic pace. He stopped at his black truck and silently climbed into it and started the engine. He sighed a little as he strapped on the seat belt. He silently watched as his fellow rebels all came outside. He would follow Emil to wherever they were going to eat. Lance leaned back in the driver's seat, waiting patiently.
 
Good. So he wouldn't raise Jyo's suspicions if he was caught following Jayde. Jayson sighed with relief as he closed the door and shuffled back into the kitchen. Maybe he should take a little time and go buy some real food. He could also pick up some parts for his project that he would definitely need later on.

Deciding it was probably the best option, Jayson first turned off the tv, then headed into the bathroom to strip out of his slightly sweaty clothes and shower. In the last few moments of that shower, he spent it with his hands against the tiled wall, head bowed, willing his heart to slow down. He hated moments like these where he had nothing to occupy his mind from the weighing realization that he was running out of time. Someone was bound to notice and if Jyo kept popping up randomly, Jayson could bet that that man would be the one to do it. He didn't even want to think about how that confrontation would go down. Squeezing his eyes shut, Jayson took deep breaths to calm himself down... And then an image flashed in his mind; a beautiful city so unlike Angels. Had he visited this place? He couldn't remember.

Sighing heavily, Jayson turned off the taps and stepped out of the shower, drying himself off with a towel. In the bedroom, he took a moment to pull on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, then returned to the bathroom to dry his hair. Looking in the mirror, he practiced talking for a moment. He watched his facial features, making sure he made normal expressions, remembering how it felt to speak with that expression on his face right down to the way he inhaled and how he forced the air out of his lungs to produce the right sounds. Then reluctantly, he pulled away from the mirror and gathered his wallet and keys, slipping on his shoes and jacket by the door. He paused on the doorstep only to light up a cigarette, then continued down the steps to his car. He'd pick up the required items, then stop by a fast food joint for a quick meal. Then back to work and hopefully no distractions this time.
 
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