Chasing Time

Reminiscing

Unknown Sector, Middle Terragon.

09:07, 17th July, 3000.

"I can't anymore!" she screamed and pushed him when he tried to help her up. They were already in the tunnel leading to their hideout. They miraculously managed to stay out of sight as they made their way through the market. Gaya had showered Layana a hidden path from their tunnel to the market and Layana had showed them. That day it seemed all the Defenders had decided to neglet their work. Not a single one was around, no one came to their aid but Stanley was glad for it.

"We have to get you to the...cave. Layana might have something to help you," he offered in the most soothing voice he could muster.

"I told you, I'm not moving from here," she groaned and leaned against the wall of the tunnel, placing her hand right above her rapidly bleeding wound. The sleeve Stanley had used to cover it was soaked through and blood had dripped down half the way to where they were.

"So what do you want me to do?" he asked in despair.

"f**k off," she spat back. He sighed and scratched the back of his head.

"I'll go get the others," he said and got up but she grabbed his arm.

"Don't you dare leave me," she told him. His brows drooped in concern and he stared at her scared face.

"Okay, I'm here....I'll call them," he held her shoulder with one hand and reached into his pocket with the other. Julia was shaking and had gone pale from the blood loss. Her mind was racing. She had lost too much blood. She did not plan on dying but even this seemed a better death than been torn apart by those tiny demonic creatures. Images of how her brother got devoured suddenly filled her mind, she could barely hear Stanley talking over the phone.

"Hey, hey, stay with me," his voice drifted to her and she realized her eyes were closing. When she opened them, she was staring up at him. He sat next to her and pulled her closer, so that her head was resting on his chest. He felt so warm and she felt so cold.

"Who was that guy?" Stanley said. He knew from his training that he had to keep her awake. She had lost too much blood. He did not know how they could save her without going to a hospital but he remembered that Layana was formally a nurse, maybe she could actually help.

"He...he and Travis used to be best friends," she said and started to relay her past to him "he's part of the Scorpions. When we were younger, the Scorpions were protectors, their group created to help Lowers which they did for a long time. They would attack dirty Defenders who tried to shake us down. They stopped theives and got people out of debt. All those type of things. Rej, Travis and I used to be very close and we were part of the little kids that followed the Scorpions everywhere and they took care of us," she paused and looked at him. He held her tighter and smiled as gently as he could.

"When I was 8 and Travis was 10, our parents died. The Middlers had this loan shark that most Lowers went to because he was willing to give anyone money. My parents borrowed some money from him but they couldn't pay back the way he wanted and-

"Anyway, after they were killed, the Scorpions took me and my brother in. They fed us and clothed us. Their leader then Kanan was nice and warm, he became everything to me and Travis. His second in command was the exact opposite of him, Huncho. He wanted to start a loan shark thing too and take over from the Middler guy, a lot of the other Scorpions agreed but Kanan didn't want that," she swallowed and adjusted slightly before continuing.

"A month before I went to the academy, a internal fight happened. Huncho and his supporters tried to take over the Scorpions and it became very bloody. Rej had become one of Huncho's men while my brother and I were still loyal to Kanan. We couldn't stop them though, they were more people who supported Huncho...Kanan died that night...Rej was the one who killed him.

"After they took over, Huncho gave the rest of us the option of pledging loyalty to him. Travis and I were never really members and we could leave at any point but Huncho said we had to pledge loyalty to him or face the consequences. I had already received the acceptance letter into the academy, so Travis made me go. Then, he...I..." she burst into tears. Stanley pulled her head into his chest and let her cry.

"Julia!" Travis voice echoed down at them. Stanley looked up and saw Travis running towards them with Layana in tow.

"Travis..." Julia whispered and smiled weakly. Stanley started rethinking his decision, he should not have let her talk for so long, she was already tired.

"How long has she been bleeding for?" Layana's voice drifted into Julia's ears. She vaguely felt herself being lifted, she felt very light headed and tired. She felt someone stroke her forehead, so she turned her head up and rested her eyes on the person's neck. Then everything went dark.