Setting the World on Fire

Chapter 9: We Stitch These Wounds

"I think that we should definitely get a look at this place. They could help, even if Zachary is kind of an ass." Jake said pointedly while Jinxx got himself together again.

"We have to make sure that they are friendly, completely friendly." CC added with a final poke at the table to punctuate his meaning.

Andy agreed with both of his friends. He then asked Jinxx about his thoughts as he had been mostly silent and didn't speak up too much normally. Jinxx's response was a small shrug before he said that he agreed.

"Also Ashley better be alive when we check on him." CC said concerned. "I've known him for eight years."

"The bullet passed all the way through so, he should be fine in a few days." Jinxx said while glancing at Jake for support. Jake nodded and reached over to squeeze Jinxx's hand. CC and Andy shared a questioning look with an eyebrow raise.

"Janxx." CC muttered under his breath, loud enough only Andy could here as the table was very long and they had sat in the middle across from each other. Andy and CC were nearest the door and Jinxx and Jake faced the door.

"Let's check on Ash." Andy suggested, barely hiding a small chuckle at CC's joke.

"Yeah." CC hoped to avoid being yelled at by his two friends and perhaps even Andy for what he had said.

"Okay." Jake and Jinxx said almost simultaneously. Jake hugged Jinxx supportively as they walked. Ashley had been the one to find Jinxx, before any other Wild Ones had met. Jinxx's parents had fought F.E.A.R. but had been killed in front of him and it has scarred him. He and Ashley were very close, most times they didn't have to speak.

They continued walking, Andy in front as he was the leader, CC behind him and Jake and Jinxx together in the back. Everyone who saw them decked out in their leather looked and saw they were the Wild Ones. They would whisper about them and how Deviant had been shot.

"He's crashing!!" A masculine voice yelled from a room and the Wild Ones broke into a sprint, Andy pushing past everyone in his way, the others doing the same. They ran into a room down the hall and saw Ashley, being recessitated by a two medical professionals, a nurse and doctor.

"Ash!!" Andy screamed before someone yanked them away from the room. They were put into a waiting room where Jinxx bawled and Jake comforted him while Andy and CC fidgeted. Andy ran his hands through his hair and muttered "fuck" while CC held his face in his hands. An old lady walked up to them and sat with them.

"Is that man your friend?" She asked very kindly, to which Andy put his brave face on before she cut him off, "No need for that, responsibilities or no, you are allowed to be concerned for your friend." She then rubbed Jinxx's shoulder which calmed him down slightly. She appeared to be about sixty or sixty-five. Jake thanked her with a nod and resumed holding Jinxx.

A nurse walked up to them. She looked at the four men, and then theold lady who she raised an eyebrow at. "Deviant is stable. He'll live. You can't see him now, but in a few hours you can. When you see him, he may not be conscious yet though." She warned.

"He's gonna be fine, see?" Jake squeezed Jinxx a little tighter before he let go completely.

"Where are out guests? I need to impress them with out militia." Zachary's voice asked a few yards away.

"In there."

"Ahh. Wild Ones. Mildred? Why are you here?" Zachary asked with a quizzical look at the woman.

"Now, sweetie I'm your mother, call me
Mom." The woman, Mildred, requested of her son, Zachary.

"Whatever. Prophet, do you and the other Wild Ones have time to see our militia? It's not much but most of our 'Army' is helping other rebel colonies get established.

"Jinxx? Can we go?" Andy asked his tearful friend.

"You guys go, I'll stay here in case they let Ash have visitors."

"I'll stay here with Jinxx, if that's okay." Jake said as he patted his friend's back and placed his right hand in Jinxx's right shoulder.

"Zachary?" Andy asked impatiently.

"If they must, I suppose they can." Zachary responded spitefully.

"Dear, be nicer, this is why you aren't married and I still don't have grandkids." Mildred scolded

"Mom! Are you sure you don't scare everyone off?" Zachary retaliated harshly.

"Let's go." CC resolved the conflict by disrupting Zachary's train of thought.

"Right." Zachary spat. He turned on his heel and left without telling CC and Ashley to follow so they jogged to catch up.

"Oh dear." Mildred told herself quietly as she looked where they had just been.

"Your son" Jinxx sniffled, "doesn't seem nice." He looked up at Mildred with red, puffy eyes.

"When Angela died, that was his girlfriend, he became stricter and he became depressed." Mildred explained as she turned to face Jake and Jinxx.

"That must have been hard." Jake reasoned.

"Yes. It was very hard for Zachary, that's why he isn't Zach anymore. Angela would call him that and I guess it's too much." sighed Mildred before she plunked onto a seat and started reading a book.

CC and Andy had been keeping up with Zachary and they had arrived. There were most likely about 200 men and women doing a workout. Roughly 50 people sat on benches cleaning weapons and chatting easily.

"So this is our military force for the HQ. I have another company at Beta Wolf base. But yeah. I'm sorry I've been a little rude, it's just-nah, forget it." Zachary waved aside his thought.

"Tell us, we don't care." CC encouraged.

"We've been under a lot of pressure to spearhead the fight of F.E.A.R. and last week there were three hundred people sitting here." Zachary gestured to the empty lockers in the corner of the gym/training hall.

"Ouch." CC cringed a bit for emphasis and to show his concern.

"Yeah, anyway, I have to go deal with paperwork. My mother can show you how to get places you can't get to, just ask." Zachary walked away while rubbing his fingers into his temples in vicious circles. He also ran his left hand through his hair once.

A/N: What's up people who apparently read this? Finally I've written a chapter with a decent ending, I think. Luckily enough this weekend I should have writing time so maybe you guys will far an extra chapter, we'll see. This chapter was difficult for me to write because I ship Jandy (Jake and Andy) more than the other ships. So Janxx is happening? Probably, mostly because I'm currently working on starting the first few parts of a Jandy fanfic which I'm excited for, but since this is what people are actually reading (the other one isn't published yet) if I do publish it it won't be as regular with updates, as this is my first priority. Now that I've made an Authors Notse longer than the actual chapter, I'll say goodbye. Sorry it's late!

-Ronnings