Alana gave him a small smile and followed after him. "Wow, that makes us like... brother and sister doesn't it? I don't really understand what it means to be defective. Do you?"

Arland sighed, "You don't want to know." He said as his attention returned to Mark, "Look, the other humans I have found have been egregious - I only took caution."

Felix just stared at the people around him and shrivelled into a small ball.

Alana looked confused. Why would she not want to know what she was?

Mark hesitated, "How can you help us?" He asked, moving over to his gun and picking it up, instantly placing it in his pocket - signifying he no longer looked for a fight. Mark then glanced over at Felix and Alana, "Stay in my sight." He said before turning back to Arland and crossing his arms.

"I can give you information no one else knows and give Alana back her normal life." Arland said, staring at Mark, "By the way, I am Arland. You?"

Alana nodded softly at Mark then her eyes widened and she stared at Arland incredulously. "You're kidding..."

Arland looked back at Alana, "Do you want your original life back?" He asked, placing both hands in his pockets, along with the syringes of different coloured liquids.

Alana nodded frantically. "Yes. I want to see mom and dad again. I want to go back to school." She said hurriedly.

Arland nodded and smiled, recollecting memories of school and family... and then the men in black. HBe stopped smiling and cleared his throat, "Anyways, will you let me help you?"

Mark hesitated for a moment, "Alright - but if you slip up once - I will kill you." He said before moving out of the house in an instant, "We have things to do."

Alana looked after him nervously and grabbed Felix's wrist. "Come on will you?" She said dragging him out after Mark.

Arland followed and Felix let her bring him out of the door. Arland stared at the two before passing a hand through the sheet of fog, pollution and dust. "Where are we going, Mark?" Felix asked curiously as he rushed ahead.

"We need more supplies before we go on to Arland 'little quest." He said a little too rudely and sarcastically, not bothering to look around as he took lead of the four people band.

Alana watched the two and walked beside Arland, her mind obviously a million miles away, lost in memory.

Mark then turned a corner and ceased with the progression. "Looks like we're going to have to go into the city." He said as he noticed his usual store he'd take advantage of had been burnt down and all that was left was ashes.

Alana's eyes widened in horror upon seeing the place. "What happened...?" She asked.

"I have no idea." Mark said as he stared at the destruction and Felix just stood there, stopping by the man's side. Arland progressed forward and moved his finger through a pile of ash and brought it to his nose.

"This only happened recently." Arland said as he flicked the substance from his fingers and turned toward Mark.

Alana stared in awe and horror. "How do you know...?" She asked.

Anorak wrote:

"I have no idea." Mark said as he stared at the destruction and Felix just stood there, stopping by the man's side. Arland progressed forward and moved his finger through a pile of ash and brought it to his nose.

"This only happened recently." Arland said as he flicked the substance from his fingers and turned toward Mark.

(I was supposed to say 'recently,' not 'instantly.')

Arland brushed his feet along the concreted ground and blew at a pile of ash as it broke apart and flew through the air, "The ash has a stronger smell - obviously this happened only a few hours ago." He said as he then brushed a hand through the air, parting away a sheet of smoke.

Felix came forward and pressed his nose against the ash and it came up his nose. He reeled back, coughing and spluttering as how showed his blackened face.

Mark stared at the two and scowled before turning on his heels and taking lead of the group once again, heading toward the exit of the poor side of the city and entering the rich.

Alana rolled her eyes a little at Felix to stifle a laugh, this wasn't the time, she looked after Mark nervously and followed him.

Felix laughed a little as he brushed the soot from his face and followed the proposed leader, crossing his arms as he did so. He then turned to Alana and spoke in a hushed tone, "Why exactly am I following you guys?" He asked.

Alana looked over at him and shrugged. "That's what I've been wondering. You could leave you know, you don't have to be a part of all this. You still have your life." She said sadly. In all honest she didn't want him to go, it was nice to have some connection to her old life still with her.

He sighed, his eyes lowering downcast as he moved closer to Alana, "That's not true - you'll get your life back, I promise." Felix then took her hand nervously and smiled, "And I'll be here to help you get it back."

Alana looked over at him, pleasantly surprised and smiled happily, squeezing his hand softly. "Thanks." She said with a smile.

Felix was then startled by Mark's grim voice, "Felix, come over here." He said in a gruff voice as he stopped at the border of the poor par of the city and looked out at the glistening skyscrapers and quiet streets. Felix let go of Alana's hand and hustled over to Arland and Mark and stood by their sides, looking up at their tall figures.

"What's up?" He said, pushing back his nervousness and putting on a deep voice.

Arland peered at the streets before retreating to the gloom, letting Mark speak to the boy. "I need you to patrol the streets, can you and Alana do that for me?" He then grabbed two bulky phone looking devices from his bag and passed them both to Felix.

Alana hung back, wondering what they were talking about.

Felix nodded then glanced at the devices, raising them to his chest, "What are these?" He asked nonchalantly and as he glanced back at Alana and gestured her to come over with a nod of the head.

Mark smiled for the first time in the past few hours and tapped the bulky devices, "Us humans call them walkie-talkies." He gave them a slight wink before pulling another of the devices from his bag. After showing Felix how to use them, Mark and Arland ran off through the seemingly desolate streets before talking through the radio, his voice distinguished with a slight crackling noise, "Felix, you hear me?"

Alana walked over and looked at the 'walkie talkie.' "Wow, that's cool." She said with a smile taking one and talking into it. "Alana to base, Alana to base, can you read me?" She said with a soft laugh.