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Let's take a few steps...(DudeGuy and Selena)

Selena followed him into the complex, examining all of the deflated and broken items. She was glad that there were some things still in tact that they could possibly use to their advantage.

As they continued on, Raphael a good 10 feet ahead of her, Selena stopped right in her tracks, looking downwards once again. This time, however, she didn't see a bomb, but a shadow. She turned around just in time to see a PRAT soldier, who then suddenly grabbed her neck, pushing her hard against a wall. One hand holding a gun pointed at her chest, the soldier spoke in a low sultry tone towards Raphael, "Heh heh, your face looks familiar. That doesn't matter though. Put your gun down or else your little girlfriend will pay for it." Selena gasped, her hands trying to pry his tight fingers away from her neck.
 
Raphael had been examining all of the things that were on the floor here in the room, seeing what anything and everything they found could be used for when he heard a shuffling behind him, and then, the click of a hammer being pulled. Someone had either pulled a gun on him or Selena. It didn't matter who it was, it mattered that it happened in the first place. His heart nearly stopped. What to do in this situation? He couldn't risk her life. He needed to listen to this man and there was a chance that he would be able to find an opening soon to attack him.

As he was told, he placed the gun down on the ground. He went a step further by stepping over it and holding his hands above his head. In one swift motion, he turned around and kicked the gun over to the man, folding his hands behind his head as he did so. The PRAT soldier would recognize the gesture, it was the same kind of thing they were taught in their training. Or rather, it was very similar. It was trick that was used to lead your enemy into thinking you have given up. The rest of the trick involved kicking the gun back up into the air while falling forward, firing the gun at the same time.

Raphael couldn't risk hitting Selena, that was this soldiers saving grace. "For the sake of saving the world, sacrifice many for more," he said, the PRAT motto. It wasn't unknown by those who kept up with the news prior to the attacks. I can't believe I used to believe such bullshit. . . he thought as he looked at the soldier. That man could have been him. And he could have been the one ready to take the live of an innocent and sweet person. The thought alone was sickening. "You're supposed to shoot on sight. Taking hostages is only done in dire situations. Why are we still breathing," Raphael suddenly asked, his tone demanding.
 
The man looked Raphael in the eye, his hand still wrapped aroun Selena's neck. "The situation is dire. Since our big attack, the World Government has sought to have us dismantled. After the words caught up with th leaders of PRAT, they gave us the orders to kill any survivors, by any means necessary." He replied, smiling an evil smile. "Plus, why don't I have myself a bit of fun while on the job?" He said, looking back at Selena,tightening his grip more.

Selena couldn't scream, but she did try to hit him with her free elbow several times, unsuccessfully. This guy is nuts..what are his plans...why didn't I see or hear him coming?! she thought, feeling absolutely horrible. Her hands were slippery with sweat an she couldn't pry him off of her.
 
"What the hell did you expect for them to do? Sit by and let you continue to do as you bastards pleased? They should have eliminated PRAT nine years ago, but they let you continue. They agreement was that so long as the attack plans were destroyed and the group remained just a group of protesters, you would have been left alone. But you idiots had to go and carry on those attacks. There's a reason they're hunting you down, it's what humans do to animals," Raphael said. Instead of getting riled up himself, he wanted to get the PRAT soldier as upset as he could. Raphael had a plan.

"Some big bad dude you are. Sneaking up on a girl, holding her at gun point, choking her, all so what? You can rape her? If I were you, I would give up now. If you try anything more, I swear, I'll kill you." That was not an empty threat.
 
Selena shut her eyes as Raphael spoke. He..he's not going to kill this man, is he? she thought. In one sense, he wanted this man dead and gone because he was suffocating her. In another sense, she knew he had been brainwashed, but deep down inside he was a human being...wasn't he?

Selena struggled against him, but his grip only tightened more when Raphael's words angered him. "You'll kill me? I was, and have always been, higher up in the ranks than you were in PRAT!" the man exclaimed, obviously remembering Raphael when he was a member in this group.

Selena was finally linking the two together. Raphael..he was a member of PRAT?!?!
 
"The only thing that means is that you were crazier than I was back then. It had nothing to do with your level of skill, just how thoroughly brainwashed you are," Raphael said, biting his tongue to keep his cool. It was hard to stop himself from attacking the man and ending his pathetic existence where he stood. By threatening Selena, the only other person Raphael had seen since he woke up in the ruins of the building that hadn't tried to kill him, this man got on Raphael's bad side. By bringing up his history in prat? A nerve that should have never been touched was stroked. Raphael would not take kindly to that.

"I'm warning you now, drop your gun and step away from her," he said coolly, his eyes narrowing dangerously.
 
Raphael's continued statements made the man even angrier, and he pushed the gun even harder down onto Selena's chest. "PRAT has been correct the whole time, warning us about you asses who wouldn't conform to our ways!" the soldier stated, clearly being brainwashed.

Selena opened her eyes, her brows narrowing. There was a true look of determination and anger in them. Think about that enemy in softball.. Selena repeated in her head over and over again. In one quick move, Selena landed elbowed the man's arm out of the way with true force before quickly giving him a square punch right between the eyes. The soldier fell down; he was out cold.

Selena looked at her palms.. "Did..I do that?" she said, looking towards Raphael before coming up to him and giving him a big hug, "Thank you..th-thank you..." It must've been my adrenilene, my determination...how did I do that.."
 
"PRAT is nothing but a self righteous cult. If God wasn't going to show us the way, he wouldn't have let us get to the point where there were so many people on Earth," Raphael said. The soldiers mind had been thoroughly programmed by the higher ups in PRAT, his beliefs, his thoughts, everything. . .poisoned to the core. Raphael used to be like that himself. Seeing this, hearing the things that this man was was saying was only pissing him off more. Just when he was about to act, Selena surprised him by knocking the man out. A single hit, right between the eyes. The man's brain had been rattled, his head snapped back violently. He was down and out for the count.

"Yeah, good jo - "before he could even finish his statement, she hugged him? For what? He thought that she would have been running away from him after hearing that he had been in PRAT at one point in his life. "I. . .don't know why you're thanking me, but you're welcome. I guess," he said, resting a hand on her shoulder. "We she hurry and get what we came here for. I don't want to stick around and give anymore of those guys a chance to kill us again."
 
Selena quickly stopped hugging him, a rosey blush on her checks. "I..um..its just..the things you said to him, that look in your eyes...you were really going to kill him." Selena looked downward. "If that doesn't convince me that you're not believing PRAT's beliefs, then nothing will convince me. I just...I can't believe you were one of them." Selena replied, her breathing still heavy like the nervousness around her

He's not a undercover PRAT guy is he? That look in his eyes..the seriousness of his voice..it can't be true. I..I guess he has changed his ways...?

Selena shook her head. He hadn't done anything bad. He was the only good guy left that she could tell. She had to work with him. Selena nodded, "Alright, let's go get them." She said, referring to the athletic equipment.
 
"I'm not one of them. Not anymore, you don't have to worry about that. I'll explain everything later," Raphael said. He just wanted to assure Selena that he didn't plan on turning psycho and kill her too.

Before Raphael went to collecting supplies, he searched the soldier's body. On it, he found another small radio, a handgun, several spare clips of ammo, and a bullet proof vest. All very useful things. He set the vest aside, tucked the radio and the spare clips of ammo into his cargo pants - which he was thankfully wearing today - and tucked the handgun into the back of his belt. He then grabbed several jump ropes and used them to tie the man's arms and legs together. A third rope was wrapped around his head several times and stuffed in his mouth, so that he couldn't talk when he woke.

When he was done, he kicked the man out into the hallway and shut the door behind them. He then broke the leg off of one of the tables in the room and placed it between the handles so that no one could come into the room with them. Thankfully, there was a roof over their heads and walls all around them.

He grabbed the vest and dragged it along with him as he began to search the area with his eyes. "This isn't the room that had the trap door in it. It was the one to the right I think. Even so, we don't have far to take all of these things. There are some tool kits in the tunnels, so I can use those to modify these things if need be," he said as he crouched down and began to take a look at the things they could use.

Catcher's armor, baseball bats, even cleats. There were nets, poles that the track team used, chalk that the gymnastics team used, even cloth bandages. This place was quite literally a gold mine for them.
 
Selena watched in awe as Raphael got down to business like it was his career. As he was picking up many things, from ropes to bats to nets, Selena replied, "Here, let me help you carry some of those." Taking some of the equipment into her own hands. She also grabbed some ice hockey skates' unattached blades that were lying around. These blades must've just been sharpened last week... She though as she ran a finger over the very sharpened edge. "Could we use these?" She asked Raphael, holding up the sharpened blades.

Selena glanced through the door's window at the man who was out cold, her hand running over her sore neck. How she wanted to just kick that man...she clenched her fist and shook her head. "It's not worth it."
 
At one point in time, this had been his career. Shooting people, looting their bodies, and moving on to shoot more people. The children that PRAT raised were often put into real-time combat situations with one another. Not simulations, but situations. They were given real guns with real ammo, put into an arena set up but the big wigs, and pitted against one another to test their combat skills. Many of them were hurt or killed in those mock battles, which they had been told were training exercises to prepare them for the real world. In truth, it was blood sport for these men to further their own goals and get some entertainment all at the same time.

The thought alone was sickening.

Raphael examined the ice skates that Selena suggested. "Yes, I'm sure we can," he said. "Before we go, have you found any bows or arrows," he asked. If those were the weapons that she had been the best at using, he wanted her to have them just in case she needed them. If not? He'd have to see if he could find the materials he needed to make such things for her.
 
Selena looked around the room, her dark eyes glancing over many an object. "Actually," she replied, "I was a part of our school's archery club, kinda went along with the competitive archery thing. Usually we brought our own bows, quivers and arrows..." She then found the cabinet she was looking for, opening it up to reveal old, worn bows and arrows laying hap-hazardly about the shelves. "..the school was supposed to supply us with archery equipment in case we would need them."

Selena picked up a left-handed compound bow, pulling the draw back to test it. She brought her draw hand up to her mouth, anchoring it there. "Hmm, this one should work." She replied, letting the bow string slowly return to its groove on the bow's gears. She grabbed an old leather quiver, filled it with the best practice arrows she saw lying in the cabinet, and then placed the strap of the quiver over her shoulder. "Too bad these are practice arrows...their points aren't as sharp as broadheads could be, and these practice bows don't have a high draw back weight..which means less force is applied when an arrow is shot, opposed to a hunting bow's draw back weight's force."
 
"I'll see if I can find something to use to modify it later. As for the arrows. . . we'll figure something out," Raphael said. He was trying to remain optimistic about the situation, but there was a part of him that was just. . .a mess of emotions now. He was so angry after talking to that PRAT soldier, he had to bite down into his tongue to keep him from attacking the man. With all of their newly acquired gear, they could take some time to work on developing some kind of tactics and prepare themselves for what could be months of fighting before they were rescued. He hoped it wouldn't take half that long but these PRAT guys. . .they didn't give up so easily. They were insane. First class, Grade A psychopaths.

The trap door into the service tunnels was found tucked away in a corner in the room next the the one they were in, not on the right like he thought but on the left. Once they were down inside with all of their gear, Raphael tightened the lock on the underside. They normally remained open, just in case of emergency, but now, they needed to be closed and locked. Every single one of them.

"Before we do anything else, we need to make sure that all of the other hatches are locked. This one is taken care of and I took care of the one that we came through before. There are eight more entrances to go. I know that at least two of them are covered by debris. As for the larger entry ways? Those are always locked. Unless there is a vehicle coming through them. We shouldn't have to worry about those," he said. Just in case anything happened while they were checking these hatches out, Raphael would bring both of the firearms he now had on his person with him.

For the moment, he found himself at a loss for words. How could he even begin to explain his involvement in PRAT to this person who had come to trust him? This surely had to shake up her faith in him. Somewhat. At the very least.
 
Selena listened to him speak, her brunette sideswept bangs falling down past her darkened eyes. She found him to be a rather tactful and to-the-point type of person, which wasn't bad, epecially in situations such as this. He just...was strikingly different from her when it came to showing emotions. And of course, being the genders the two were only helped fuel the way in which each showed their emotions. Guys tend to hide their emotions whereas girls aren't afraid to cry and whine and express theirs freely. He was also trained by PRAT at one time, so he must've learned how to not show his emotions, especially fear. Selena, on the other hand, was raised in a reletively loving enviroment surrounded with family and friends. He must think I'm so weak...I came from such a different world than he did...

After she realized that he was a former PRAT member, she couldn't help but think differently of him. Why did I hug him just moments ago...why... she thought, a very puzzled expression on her face.

They continued to lock up the remaining entrances, Selena rather quiet as she pondered. Why do I trust Raphael...he could've been the PRAT member who was holding me against a wall by the neck..but he...he went against a soldier of a group he once was part of! I have to wonder if I have my trust in him only because of this dire situation, or if... Selena shook her head as her mind continued wandering.
 
"Do you remember nine years ago? When all of those child soldiers were found. The orphan's that had been taken in by PRAT members? I was one of them. Since the moment we were all taken in by those people, they had been programming us. We were used by them, for their entertainment, and ultimately, we were supposed to be the ones to do their dirty work. The original plans didn't call for mass bombings, but small scale terrorist attacks that we were supposed to carry out in the name of PRAT. It was supposed to be done when we were around fifteen or sixteen, but the group had been infiltrated by the Intelligence Agencies and the plan had been foiled.

"We were eleven at the time. Brainwashed into thinking that the only way the human race would survive would be for us to kill off a considerable amount of people. Different things happened with all of us. Some were too deeply programmed to be fixed, so they were sent to mental institutions. Some of us became murderer's, rapists, killers, or terrorists. And then, there were people like myself. We adjusted to normal life. Living with a foster family, deprogrammed. . .we've come as close as we could to being normal.

"I wanted to forget about PRAT and all of the terrible things they tried to make us do but now that we're in this situation? All I can do is what they taught me to do. Fight. Only, I have no intention of dying. I plan on living, and I plan on helping every single person I can do the same," Raphael explained. He didn't want Selena to be afraid of him. She had no reason to be. He wouldn't hurt her, he only wanted to help. These people had influenced a part of his life, and as negative as that influence was, so many good things had come out of it. He knew how to handle this situation. He knew how to fight to protect himself and others. But most of all, he knew that he wanted to live through this and continue living afterward.
 
Selena looked at him with her dark eyes, walking up to him slowly as she let his words sink in. She rested her hand over his heart reluctantly as a serious look formed on her face. "I...I'm so sorry that you were put through that." She replied, casting her eyes downward for a moment before looking back up at him straight into his eyes. No wonder..this explains everthing now... Taking a deep breath, "Raphael, if it makes any difference, I have full faith and trust in you, regardless of your past. What's done is done, and does not have to be further discussed. I understand."

Selena's hand slipped off of his chest casually, letting it rest once more by her side. "Plus, it looks like I don't have much choice in who to trust right now." She replied in a joking tone with a smile, trying to make the moment more humorous.
 
Raphael didn't want her to think that this was something that had just happened. That up until a few weeks ago, he had been a part of PRAT and decided that he didn't want to do such things anymore and tried to live as a normal college student. This was something that happened a long time ago, when he was just a kid that didn't know any better. Knowing that she trusted him? It actually made him feel relieved. Nothing would have been worse than being feared or hated by the one other person you knew was alive.

"That does make a difference. A big one," he said. Though he didn't smile, she would see in his eyes just how much that really meant to him. After her little joke, the two of them headed throughout the tunnels securing all of the hatches and making sure that everything was locked up and safe. Thankfully, there were several entrances that were blocked off. The larger hatches were blocked off by debris as well. Also along their search, they found a couple of trucks that had been underground when the explosions happened. One was stocked full of snack food while the other carried water and sodas in it. The drivers had both been found dead above ground near the nearest hatch.

On their way back, Raphael threw some of the things they found in one of the trucks and drove it down closer to the central junction. It was a deeper part of the underground service tunnels that had it's own lockable doors that lead into it. This was the place that he was thinking would serve as their stronghold while they were here. He left briefly to get the other truck and brought it back to the junction, then locked the door behind him. Food, water, weapons, armor, two vehicles, secure location. . .everything seemed to be in working order, though there were a few of the doors in the junction that concerned him. He'd have to work on fixing those later.

"I think. . .this is enough for today," he said, leaning back against one of the trucks. Right now, he was ready to eat something, drink something, and go to sleep. Tomorrow would be an even longer day. They needed to arm themselves, and they needed to do another run through the tunnels to see what they could do so far as setting traps and making sure that any poor soul that did wander down here without knowing what they were doing would have a hell of a time trying to around here.

He also needed to take down a few more of the PRAT soldiers, and work on increasing their arsenal.
 
Selena nodded in agreement, stretching her arms above her head as she yawned. Sleep had been pacing in the back of her mind for the last couple of hours, and now it was finally almost time for the two of them to get some sleep. "This seems like a wonderful place for the stronghold to be, seeing as its hidden undergrond with all of these complicated tunnels and doors surrounding it." She replied, actually beginning to feel as if she was somewhat safe.

"Where shall we sleep within this place?" Selena asked, glancing around at what would be her "home" for an unknown amount of time.
 
That was a good question. Where could they sleep? Raphael took a look around and came to only one conclusion. There wasn't much in this hub like area. Several doors that lead out to tunnels, a small office where the security personnel would be controlling everything down here. Then he looked behind him. That was when he realized that they practically had beds already. Just not the usual, convenient kind. "The trucks. We could sleep on the seats or clear out the cargo and sleep in the back. These drivers came from a long way so I'm sure there are blankets, pillows, and other things in them," Raphael said. It seemed logical enough to him. If he just had to, he'd be able to fall asleep on the bare floors without a problem.
 
Selena pondered a moment before her eyes lit up. "That's a great idea!" She replied with a smile, remembering how her uncle used to be a trailer truck driver and had all of the bed-related things one would need for a good night's rest. "So...we have two trucks. Would it be safe if we each slept in one, or if we both slept in one together?" She couldn't word it any other way, but she wondered which would be the best choice for safety. "If we each sleep in one, then if one of us gets hurt, the other won't.." She shook her head. "If we sleep in one together, however, there will be at least one person there to fight back, I suppose.."
 
It was good to know that they were both in agreement about where they would sleep. But how would they sleep? If they each slept in a truck, they would have their privacy. But if someone attacked them while they were resting? It would be good to have the other there to help just like she said. Raphael was confident that they were safe here, but just in case, he wanted to make sure that they were both as safe as could be until they secured this location. "Maybe we should sleep together for tonight. Tomorrow we can work on making sure that this area is fortified and we could sleep separately," he said.
 
Selena sighed, secretly relieved at his reply that they sleep in the same truck tonight. She probably wouldn't catch any sleep if she had to sleep alone in her own truck tonight, especially with all that occured today- it really shook her to the core. Of course, she probably wouldn't catch much, or any, sleep this evening anyway due to what occured. She did come to the conclusion that it would probably would be easier for her to at least rest knowing that he was around.

In one sense, Selena envied Raphael. Here he was, easily staying focused with his knowledge and experienced skills in warfare and fighting, while she was at home in a lecture hall. I must seem so..weak and naive to him.. In another sense, however, Selena felt sorry for him. His knowledge and expertise came at the cost of being part of PRAT and all the horrible crap that came with it.

Shaking her head to forget about these thoughts, "That sounds like a plan." she replied, yawning as the lull of sleep began to call her name.
 
Raphael may have appeared calm on the outside, but on the inside, he was fraught with all kinds worries. Unlike Selena, he knew all kinds of tactical things. He knew about warfare, and he knew how PRAT operated. Or at least, how they did operate. If anything, he suspected that they were even worse now than they had been before. Life meant nothing to them. They would kill anyone they felt like killing at any time, whether or not they were in their organization. PRAT was a cult of people brainwashed into relishing in the final event that took place in everyone's life and making it come quicker than it should.

They took in anyone - killers, men, women, children, anything in between, wild animals, weapons, enemies, and allies - and used them up until they couldn't use them up anymore. Never in his life had he ever met such a despicable group of people. And now, just when he was finally starting to ease into his new life, they were right back here in it. They destroyed his home, killed his friends.

And while Selena may have thought herself weak in his eyes, he was actually quite impressed that she had been able to keep up with him for so long. Then there was her ability - her amazing sight. She could see things that didn't even register in his own field of vision. If anything, he was worried that she was afraid of him. "You can go on and lie down if you'd like. I'll get some water and some food out of the back of the trucks," he said.
 
"Oh, okay..." She replied, then smiling, "Thank you." Selena figured that it might be best if they both slept in the back of one of the trucks instead of on the seats, due to space issues. While Raphael was getting food out of one of the trucks, Selena was moving cargo around in the other to make room for a place for them both to sleep. She managed to stack most of the items up in the truck so that there was most of the floorspace of the truck available to use for sleeping.

Selena grabbed some pillows and covers that were stashed behind one of the truck's seats, making them both an area where they could sleep in the back of the truck. Once her work was done making the sleeping arrangements, Selena sat down inside the truck, her back against the truck's side with her knees brought up to her chest. She rested her head on her knees, her mind moving furiously from one issue to the next. Shaking her head, she started singing a little song very softly that her mother used to sing to her when she was very young. By now, this song would've been many years old, since it was sung even from Midevial times. She was suprised it had lasted this long, even into these times. The song brought back memories of times that were carefree and loving. It may have seemed childish to her, but it did help relieve some of the day's aweful stresses.

"Sing a song of sixpence,
A pocket full of rye,
Four and twenty blackbirds
baked in a pie.

When the pie was opened,
the birds began to sing;
Was not that a dainty dish,
to set before the king?"
 
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