Chapter five- Be Thankful for the Girls

"THIS IS WAR!" A voice boomed from overhead everybody. Bandit knew that voice. But he was too weak to say anything. He knew the bullet wouldn't miss him so he let it hit him in the torso instead of the heart by jumping in the air just getting the bullet to not pierce his heart. He had fell to the ground and he heard that last sentence before he was out cold.
Aaron saw the people before he shot the gun and he knew they would kill him- again- they already thought he was dead so he shut his eyes but when he did, he saw a body. Not just any, Catherine. He saw her brown curly hair sprawled out around her. Aaron looked around and saw Bandit jump then fall to the ground. He heard Derek shout but Aaron couldn't do anything but force himself up, ignoring the pain from his side and scooting over to Catherine. Aaron looked at Nancy who was still leaning over Catherine. Aaron placed his hands on her shoulders and shook lightly. Catherine's eyes fluttered open. Thankfully.

*******


                      Jay didn't know what was going on. He knew Bandit fell to the ground and the Bankoks were shooting more of the villagers. A couple times they shot at him but he would dodge them or throw something to collide with the Never-misa-target bullet so that it would never hit its target. He fell back when a normal, bullet shot at him and he fell noticing Catherine standing up rubbing her head, she was trying to say something by she just pointed over to the spot where she had dropped the gun she had. Jay took a deep breath and pushed off the ground running over to the gun. A never-missa-target bullet was shot at him and it skimmed his arm as he grabbed the gun. He shot it and that one shot went straight for Derek. It hit him in the head and Derek fell back to the ground. Over all of the commotion, Jay still heard the bang of his head hitting the ground. Jay dropped the gun, he had sworn he would never kill a man but what did he just do? The rest of the group that was still bad, the ones that were still alive and out of the ten there was about seven. Four of them stopped and went over to Derek. Blood was spilling from his head. The four of them looked up at Jay, they somehow seemed shocked but then they fell back. All seven of them that were still alive. Jay looked around at the very few villagers alive. Most of them dead laying in the street. Jay went over to Bandit whom was out cold. Catherine came over and knelt next to Bandit. She placed her head to his heart, there as a faint beat but it wasn't full power. Catherine eloped up at Jay. "He's alive. But we have to go. Then you and Aaron can explain everything to us. We can figure out a plan to stop the, If there is anything left to save." Catherine said pushing on Bandits wound. Jay nodded, as he watched Nancy help somebody up. Somebody that he knew people were talking about but thought was dead. Aaron. Jay suddenly felt himself not being able to breath. His best friend was alive. The all so powerful Derek hadn't kill the all so powerful Aaron. 


"Catherine. Be careful. We did just fall down win a building." Aaron laughed, limping over to them. Jay threw himself at Aaron, hugging him.
"I thought you were dead. Like do you know how sad I was to think that Derek killed you?" Jay pulled away from Aaron crossing his arms and looking away from him, into the unknown.
"But than you killed him. Didn't that make you feel better?" Aaron asked leaning over to the side of Jay where he could see half of his face. "And besides, you're on the good team now." Aaron said punching Jay's arm. Jay winced at the hit and he grabbed his arm. It was the one that had been skimmed by the never-missa-target bullet.
"Guys. I hate to interrupt this-whatever this is. But Bandits body isn't reacting. It's almost like he's paralyzed." Catherine said feeling for the pulse in Bandits wrist. "God damnit! Are you sure he is paralyzed?" Aaron said hitting the ground with his hands. 


"I mean. He- umm, well....." Catherine trailed off and bit her lip. How did you know when someone was paralyzed? i mean he could have just fainted.
"Give him CPR." Jay said looking at Catherine.
"I don't want to. I mean I don't need to. he's breathing. you only have to give CPR when they aren't breathing. like normally when they almost drown is the most common use for CPR."
"Why? you don't want to kiss Bandit?" Jay asked mimicking a girl's voice and fluttering his eyelashes really fast. Catherine opened to mouth to say something but instead shook her head and crossed her arms.
"No. I don't. I would only do it if it were Aaron." Aaron and Jay exchanged glances. Than they looked at Catherine which realized what she said and she turned to look at the boys and opened her mouth to say, "I- OH MY GOSH." she placed her head into her hands. Aaron smirked and Jay felt his face go straight. He wasn't amused.It was dark. Bandit opened his eyes to see nothing at first but when his vision cleared he was this room. A room with a chair that was set up like a throne and a window to the right of it. Bandit looked around and when his eyes came back to the throne, this time there was a person there. He was messing with some gloves, one one his hand and the other he was holding.


"I'm surprised in you. I didn't think you were ever going to survive this long." The person said, glancing up through his eyelashes up at Bandit. He stood up and continued to speak in the same nasty way he did to everyone, "I just, I never thought this much of you. You know, since you always stole stuff." Bandit watched him smirk and Bandit knew who it was. Right there in that second, that was the same way he did when he last saw Bandit.
"What do they call you now? Bandit isn't it?" The man asked snapping his fingers and pointing to Bandit. "You know my name. My real name. I mean, you did give it to me after all." The man seemed confused but he started circling Bandit again and rubbing his fingers across his hairy chin. 


"I can see how I named you Bandit. I mean, I was the one that stole that bread and I was the one that said you were a thief so. Yeah I see where you get at that." Bandit scoffed shaking his head. The man laughed and as well as in an instance his face seemed to go serious.
"You're waking up? How is that possible?" The man asked turning from Bandit muttering about the bullet apparently not working because it was suppose to put Bandit in a forever sleep.
"What do you mean i'm waking up?" Bandit asked stepping towards the man, whom looked back at Bandit. "I guess you have figured out the plan." He muttered. "Well, I hope to see you again. And I want you to take this...." The man pulled a knife out of his pocket and held it out for Bandit. "And kill those traders." Bandit sat straight up. He was breathing in and out of his mouth so fast he thought like he was running out of air. When Bandit opened his eyes again, four people were surrounding him, their faces full of a devastating look. Bandit searched their faces for two in particular. Once he found Jay and Aaron he looked at them. 


"He's my father?" Bandit choked out, he was trying to steady his breathing but he was failing. Jay and Aaron exchanged confused faces than they looked back at Bandit.
"What?" Aaron asked. Bandit looked at them with sad eyes and then pulled his legs up to his face and silently wept into his legs.Careful not to let anyone see them. He had just found out that his father was The Boss and that he was responsible for all these deaths. His dad wanted him to kill his friends. What could be worse than that? Oh yeah, BOMBING THE ENTIRE VILLAGE!??!? Bandit took one wipe across his face with his arm and there were no more tears. He looked up at his old and new friends. 


"You mean, You didn't know?" Bandit asked, sniffling watching as the two that use to work for The Bankok's exchanged glances.
"No. Of course we didn't know! I mean if we did I would have blurted.... It.. ou," Aaron started but trailed off than looking at Jay, "All this time, we have been working for the man that helped kill our fathers!"
"Oh my......" Jay started but stopped by shaking his head continuously while lowering his head into his hands."Well that's good." Nancy said and she got strange looks from everyone.


"None of this is good mom. What is good out of this situation? I've been so mad about dad's disappearance that I easily agreed to join a group that is destroying everything. Our home, our lives. Everything and you think that that is good!?!? How on earth is that even a little bit good?" Jay shouted at his mother looking away, not ready to get shamed for his actions. Instead Nancy understood his feelings and pulled him into an awkward hug.
"I know how you're thinking and it is understandable but there is always a good thing in any situation. At least now we know who this person is and you two know where to find him. So we just need to be ready to fight against him." Nancy took Jays hand and put their palms together.
"Jay, there is something you should know." Nancy seemed to kind of fall away in that moment. Jay interlocked their fingers and looked at his mother.
"What is it?"
"How much do you remember since you were.... With Buck?" Jay seemed confused by this question. Where was Nancy going with this? 


"Not much I guess. I remember hushed whispers in the kitchen and then- Oh my gosh!" Jay pulled his fingers away from his moms and stood up walking around frantically.
"I have to get away from here. Now. I can't stand to be here. No, this can't be happening." Jay said putting his hands through his hair walking away from everybody. Catherine, Aaron and Bandit all looked at Nancy hoping she would give them an answer.
All of a sudden Bandit felt dizzy and he had to lean on something. The closest thing was Aaron but he just seemed confused as heck. Bandit felt the pounding in his head as he tried to think about something else not the pain but then he saw it. His dad standing in this little townhouse building and talking with another man.
"We need more people to be on our side. We have to start now!!" Snarled Buck. "Are you sure you want to do this? Won't the children be heartbroken?" The other man asked. 


"Don't worry. I won't harm your son under any normal circumstances but you have to do your part of the plan." Buck said, it was like that man wasn't the kid's father. At least according to the way Buck said it. The man nodded, looking disappointed probably in himself about doing whatever it is he was doing. "You mean your son? Apparently I'm just his pretend father, so I shouldn't feel this heartbroken. Should I?" Buck laughed and then the scene skipped to the holding a match behind the building and Bandit watched as the man dropped the match and the match lit up the house. The man pulled his hoodie over his head unaware of his son being inside. Now Bandit could see inside of the house with a little boy maybe about seven looking around frantically. His mother leaped from the flames."Jay! You have to listen. You will be fine. I have to get you out quick. I need you to trust me." The little boy nodded and his mother picked him up. Taking him to a window she gently tossed him out. His mother was crushed from some falling wood panels and her leg was stuck under them and one hit her in the head. The building collapsed. The little boy couldn't dare go towards the fire, his eyesight was still fuzzy, his clothes still smoldering from the heat of the fire and his skin all smoky from the smoke. The mother sat up from the rubble and the little boy lit up with excitement. But it left when he saw his dead father under the rubble. He had heard his mother call out for their son and had rushed back but had been crushed by the falling of the building. Nancy had been lucky enough to only get a couple of wood to fall on her. Nancy held back her son and took him away from the smoldering house. 


Now it was with Buck, he was in the same building as he was when Bandit sort of talked to him. Although, it was a lot nicer. He was pacing back and forth."I must get that boy. I shouldn't of blamed the other one." Buck muttered. Was he talking about blaming Bandit? And who else was he talking about? Jay? Was he the other boy? 


"But sir, he was in that fire. Did he even survive?" A scrawny little man asked standing next to the doorway.
"I don't know but you must find him. At least make sure he is alive. I might not be a good father, to either of my boys but I need them both alive. I know Brooks is. For at least five years. I just can't go troubling him in all of this. I mean he is my favorite son after all." Buck said. 

*******


Bandit was back and he sat up again, the same way as before.
"Are you okay? You kind of fainted." Aaron asked, but Bandit completely ignored him and looked at Nancy.
"Jay is-" Bandit stopped as Nancy nodded, "and that means your my-" Nancy nodded again. This time Bandit had to stand up and walk away. He had just learned about his twin brother and his father trying to keep them safe but apparently failing and needing one of them for god knows what. "Please explain everything that is happening to us." Catherine said looking at Nancy, with pleading eyes.
"I think it's best if one of the boys does." Nancy said smiling. They heard a crash from behind them and a running Bandit came back from the other way. He grabbed Aaron's arm and pulled him up and held out a hand for Nancy and Catherine, "We have to go. Now!" Nancy stood up herself and patted away the dust on her skit and nodded towards Bandit, "Where are we going?" Bandit shrugged and Catherine grabbed Aaron's arm to pull her up. Bandit took back his hands and wiped them on his pants."Bandit." A voice cooed. "Jay." It said in the same tone. "I know you're both listening. Only you can hear me. You have to understand why I did what I did." Buck was next to Bandit and everyone jumped. One clean shot from Bandit's fist and Buck was on the ground holding his chin. 


"Go." Bandit whispered angrily to his friends. "I'll be right behind you." Aaron shook his head and stared at Bandit for a moment hoping he knew what he meant.
"I worked for this man for so long and now? He is your father? I want to make him hurt like he did my father." Bandit nodded but when they heard another voice from behind them, they were once again shocked.
"I'm with you to. He almost let me die in a fire." Bandit smiled mostly to himself, maybe all this time, these visions or flashbacks he got, they meant that Jay got them to. "Ahh. Now you're ganging up on me? Where is the trust Brooks?" Buck asked standing back up. Bandit was confused for a second, he has been so use to the name Bandit that it just felt like his name.


"You lost that ten years ago." The boys got ready to fight but when Buck realized he would easily lose, he disappeared.
"Ten years ago?" Jay asked out of the blue it stumped everyone for a moment but Bandit nodded. Jay seemed to frown, Bandit noticed to at the same time about the fire ten years ago to. Bandit smirked a little. Than he interrupted the silence, "Okay, can we go now? Before something else happens." Nancy asked. The others all laughed but nodded and they walked past most of those building in ruins and out of the city before stopping and grabbing some food. There was this time when they had been going to get bread but no one was there and Aaron had said, "You take it Bandit, it's not like you haven't before. And now you really are the bandit." Bandit shook his head and grabbed some bread stuffing it in the little bag he had.

Comment