~The Host~

Danger

~Damian's pov~

I watch Tommy and Toby fumble around like idiots for a few minutes. Toby had wondered over to a generator, and had pinned his fluffy bangs out if his face as he began to pull parts out of the machine, shoving them into his backpack to take along with us. His engineering skills have rapidly been increasing, even without any help. His current hyper-focus is bombs... He's probably going to try to make some when we get back.

Meanwhile, Tommy had broken into the cash register, pulling out some old money, claiming in a loud voice that he was "A dirty crime boy" And that "Wilbur would be proud."

Like I give a damn what Wil thinks. Money is only useful if we use it to start fires. Tommy is barely old enough to remember the siege and takeover of our world... It was probably like, eight-ish years ago..? Yeah, that sounds about right. So Tommy would have been nine.

Darryl and I were fifteen, living in a smaller city in an area that was once known as Colorado...

When the invasion started, our parents didn't take the news seriously. 

But I did. I convinced Darryl to run off and hide in the woods with me, only until this whole thing cleared up...

Only it didn't... No matter how our forces fought back, we were out numbered, and the invaders had superior technology...

Those filthy parasites took everything... Corrupting anyone who was unfortunate enough to get caught.

When we were eighteen, we met Jef and Callie, and two years after that, the group of us merged in with a larger group of people. The Crows, lead by an older man, Phil, and have thrived ever since...

I look around at the people surrounding me, not being able to see Jef from where I'm standing, but knowing he was outside keeping watch.

I glare around, before slipping my hand into my pocket, fingering a small, velvet box I stole a while back.

I've know that Jef is the person I want to spend my life with, I just... haven't had the time to ask him...

He'll say yes. I'm sure of it. I've already asked Callie, getting the 'All Clear' from her...

I want to ask him tonight... If it doesn't rain, that is. I want this to be special. We haven't gotten very many special moments recently since we have been super busy... But I want tonight to be a night of joy.

My train of thought was derailed by Sapnap's voice.

"Guys! Car! Move out!"

Everyone seemed to freeze up for a moment, before I shouted.

"You heard the fucking man! Run!"

The car was shiny and silver, and there was a man inside. His eyes were purely a reflective, crystal blue, a telltale sign of the infected.

He didn't seem to be a hunter though, simply a parasite driving on a road.

But we were spotted, and all of us grabbed our bags as it began dialing a number on its phone.

Pest control... people who rounded up "wild humans" for fun...

I quickly barked orders to make a break for the tree line, and then to split up and not to directly go to the base, instead to run the opposite way first, so that the thing gave a false report.

All of us came tearing out of the building, but instead of crossing the road, we looped back behind the building, running as a unit through the trees.

"You know our meeting point guys! Now. Break!" My orders were heeded, and the group broke apart once we were out of the view of the man, all of us running different directions, steering clear of occupied areas.

~~~

The sun had begun to set by the time I reached the meeting spot, about a mile from camp. Clay and Sapnap were already there, because of course they are. More surprisingly, however, was that Tommy was also there, and Toby came crashing through the trees just seconds after I arrived.

"Were any of you followed?" I ask the routine question, and as always, everyone shook their head.

But something wasn't right...

I scanned the trees for a few moments, before turning back to my group.

"Do you guys know which way Jef went..?"

Everyone eyed each other, the silent question flicking between their eyes.

In the distance, a siren began to screech.