Hackers

The Afterlife

What. I had never heard of this, what was this creepy girl talking about? The confusion is real.

"You and I are gonna get along quite well I see." the girl smirks. "so, to get to know each other a bit better, let's go shopping!"

"What kind of sick joke is this?" I ask, trying to make my tone of voice menacing.

"What, girl, this organization is called 'The Afterlife'. It's like a sort of..... Agency that uses bad kids for the greater good and maybe, just maybe they can live a normal life."

"That makes no sense to me, what so ever." I comment and trying to sound confident.

"Let's just get this strait, you now work for me. If I think you've lived up to the job, I'll let you go, under terms and stuff but yeah, you're free. Or if you like it here, you can stay."

"So... When you took me away... This is the place? What happened to Hughes and Carter?"

"They're here somewhere. I'm sure they'll be fine as long as they don't mess around." she then giggles. "let's go shopping. You really need a new outfit."

"Why should I trust you? I don't know your name."

"Well," her voice is now quiet and soft. It's almost as if her character has completely changed. "I have no valid reason for you to trust me... So I guess you've just gotta follow your gut."

I left out a sigh as I think. She was honest about that but she's also right, I have no reason to follow or trust her.

I sigh again. I've got no choice.

"I'll come with you." I whine.

"Happy to hear that." she smiles. "Sorry fo sounding rude earlier. It's just part of my introductory speech that my father made me, I have to sound menacing to scare the new recruits. Make sure they don't get any ideas."

"Oh." is all I could reply.

Carefully, she grabs my hand and leads me quickly out of the door. We turn right and left into many different hallways. For each door she secretly types in a password and the door opens. After all of this repeating countless times, we finally step out into the sun.

I close my eyes,trying to protect them from the shining sun. I spread my arms out, letting them soak everything in. And I let out a sigh of relief. The warmth feels great on my skin and I feel as if I could stand there forever.

But nothing gold can stay, the words of Robert Frost hum in my head.

Then just as Robert Frost quoted, loud noises entered my ears. I frown and open my eyes. There standing before me is Carter and Hughes.

Carter shines his bright smile at me and runs in for a hug. It is tight and loving, it makes me feel so at home that I hug him back. I feel him smiling even more when I hug him.

"God, I was so worried about you." he cries like he was my mother.

"Please, I'm the one that should've been worried about YOU, be so helpless." I tease. In the distance I hear Hughes laugh and mess with my hair.

"Have no fear, I was with the trouble maker the whole time." Hughes tries to convince me that I had nothing to worry about.

"Says you." I laugh, even though I just met Hughes, I had a sense of being home for the first time.

"Come in for the group hug!" demanded Carter.

"Nah, I'm not much of an emotional guy." he declines.

However the girl from The Afterlife decides to push Hughes into us and being Carter, he grabbed Hughes with this chance and I follow along.

"H -hey guys, get off me! You guys aren't my type!" he yells but we ignore him and continue to laugh.

At the corner of my eye I see the blonde girl standing beside us and watching blank faced. Her face flushed and eyes looking down onto the ground. I remember that she's shy.

I let go of Carter and Hughes to walk up to her.

"Hey, sorry about that.... Uh.... Wanna go shopping yet?" I ask being polite.

She looks up at me with shining eyes.

"Yeah... Just waiting for you guys to get acquainted, guess you all knew each other already."

"More or less." we say in unison.

"Great, let's go." she says as a blue 1969 Mustang rolls up beside us. A man in a suit rolls down the drivers window.

"Hop in." he says with a charming smile.

Carter quickly jumps in shotgun and the girl goes into the back.

I follow her but notice that Hughes hasn't moved an inch. Before I can say anything the girl chirps up. Her face blushing like crazy.

"I like the 1969 Mustang too. It's my favorite...."

Hughes snaps up of his dreamland and grins at her. "Love this car."

Her face managed to heat up even more.

"Good to know." she forces a smile. "Come in the car, though. My dad's waiting for you."

Quickly Hughes jumps into the seat beside me, making me swished in the middle between the girl and him.

"My names Haruka Smith. Though people call me Haru as a nickname." she finally introduces herself.

"I'm Lena. Well actually it's Eleanor Sakata but... It's a code name."

"The names Carter.... Do I have to say my real name? I really don't wanna tell everyone."

"Oh, I know your full name, Terre LeCiel. I had to if I wanted to recruit you." Haru says sheepishly.

"WHY DID YOU HAVE TO SAY IT?! HUGHES BACK OFF ANS SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" Carter shouts as he covers his ears. "Eleanor, why didn't you tell me your real name?"

"Cause Lena is my real name, but just not my legal name. Same question to you." I respond shrugging my shoulders.

Hughes burst out laughing. "Hughes Ford." he manages to cough out between laughs.

"Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!!" Carter screams in distress, making Hughes and I laugh even harder. I even see Haru suppressing a smile. "Haru! You don't look Asian, but you got an Asian name! Why don't people judge you like they do to me?!"

"My parents love anime, and my mom is Asian." she says. "But guys, I need to get you caught up on what's going on during this car ride."

We all fall silent.

"Though we might be shopping, we are actually on a mission as well, let's call this a test. While we shop we are looking for some suspects, some kids that are confirmed pick pockets. You guys need to find them and stop them while shopping. This test will prove if you are with me or not, if you make it, I'll give more details about everything you could ever want to know. And by the way, I suggest working together."

She pushes Hughes and I out of the blue car and pulls Carter out after. Hughes seems psyched about an on field mission, Carter not so much. I personally don't know what I think, everything is moving so fast and is so confusing.

We step into the mall.

Our first mission starts now.

Authors blah: OMG I did it, finished this chapter somewhat on time!! Yayayayayayayayayyayayayayay
God this story is going everywhere....
That's why, if you haven't noticed, I posted a fanfic, I needed to vent a little and take a step back into the box. I'll be updating that story too now so bare with me guys, I'll try my best. I've been suffering from writers block...