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Something Amiss

Josh pulled his hat down farther onto his head in a failed attempt to cover the dark bruises on his face. He had gotten into a bad fight while trying to "earn" money for his starving family. Because stealing wasn't bad when you promise (mentally) to give it back, right? It had just been a little bit of food.

With hands shoved deep into his trench coat pockets, he quickly shuffled into an alleyway, looking over his shoulder just incase anyone saw him.

He ducked into a small door, keeping his head low and his collar high. Quickly closing the door behind him, Josh breathed a sigh of relief. He was safe, for now.

Reaching into his coat pocket, Josh pulled out a small, green box.

____*

Derek jumped over a pile of junk and sprinted down the street as the yelling behind him increased. He attempted a glance over his shoulder and saw two police men quickly gaining on him. Six whole months living on the streets with a clean chart and suddenly he gets busted for something he doesn't even think he did.

Derek's dirty hair whipped in the wind and the freezing rain stung his eyes but he pushed himself to run harder.

Finally, after a good thirty minutes of running, Derek heard the yelling and cursing behind him fade and eventually stop altogether.

Derek gasped in huge gulps of air and tried to calm his racing heart. He felt light headed and dizzy. Suddenly a thought formed in his muddled mind and he patted his pockets like a mad man. Eventually, his hand curled around a small box and he fell to his knees in relief, a sudden feeling of exhaustion overcoming his body.

Derek's hads shook as he silently pulled out the small, white box.

____*

Nate frowned as he messed around with the bowtie around his neck. He stole a look at his watch and realized the time. Man he was busted. Maybe he could jump out the window and escape the horror and abuse of his stepsister.

Sadly, fate has a strange sense of humor.

Right as this thought crossed his mind, Evie came storming into his room with the force of a hurricane. Nate jumped and spun around to face his raging half-sister.

"What do u think your doing, you idiot?" Evie screamed and marched over to him. "Your going to be late for your so called 'date' with that wretched girl! I bet you want to crush every girls dream, just like you crushed mine by coming into my life!" Evie ripped the bowtie out of his hands and pulled him close to do it herself. Nate didn't have the courage to tell her she was choking him.

"The only reason she likes you is because you have money. She doesn't really care for you. Your worthless!" she screamed the last word in his ear and he winced. She dragged him to the door and practically threw him out. "Now GET AWAY FROM MY HOUSE BEFORE I CALL THE POLICE! And don't even THINK about coming back unless she throws you to the curb. But even then I might not take you in, you evil scumbag. You would probably deserve it." and with that, she slammed the door in his face.

Nate fought back tears as he climbed to his feet and brushed himself off. his clothes were wet in some places from the soggy ground and a far off thundering promised more rain.

A single tear traced its way down Nate's cheek as he picked up the small blue box that had fallen from his blazer when his wicked "sister" had thrown him out.

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Teddy fell to the ground next to a dumpster in a heap, sobs wracked his body. He didn't care if anyone saw or stared at him. Most people kept walking and giving him a blind eye. This just made him cry harder. He had just watched his family die in front of him. He was right there.

Teddy and his family had been walking across the street to a diner for his younger sister's birthday party when out of nowhere, a huge semi-truck had sped down the street and mowed his father, mother, and sister down. It had never even stopped.

People screamed and panic erupted around him but all he could see was the blood running through the streets, see his mothers blank stare, the expression of horror still frozen on his father's face, and the light fading from all their eyes was enough to send him running.

That was how he ended up next to a dumpster crying his eyes out and the hole of loneliness growing in his heart.

"Hey kid." someone was speaking to him. Someone had actually come and noticed him. "Hey, you ok there?" the voice was closer now.

"Go away!" Teddy screamed and lashed out blindly. His fist connected with something solid and that was enough to jar him out of his stupor. Did he actually hit someone?

Teddy's head shot up and he rubbed his eyes in disbelief. There was no one there. No person was in sight. Teddy's hands shook as he slowly took a small, black box out of his pocket and examined it with sad eyes.

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Jake sighed in defeat. He just couldn't do it. He couldn't eat. He just couldn't. His stomach rebelled even at the thought of chocking something down. He know he should but.... No. He had to be perfect. And that meant no candy, no pastries, no cake, no meat, no veggies, no food. Nothing. Just water.

"Hon, are you gonna eat that?" his mother asked from the other side of the table, her eyes furrowed in concern. His father looked up from where he was reading the paper and looked at his son.

"Oh, naw. You can have it." Jake said and pushed his plate away a bit. "I'm not that hungry today."

"You 'haven't been hungry' ever since that one guy said-" "Look I know what he said!" Jake felt ashamed once he said that. It had just.... come out.

"I gotta get home. Thanks for the meal." Jake hastily stood up and grabbed his jacket and hat, slamming the door behind him.

He made his way to his car that was parked in his parents driveway and quickly drove away. Jake gripped the steering wheel harder as his stomach growled in annoyance at once again being denied food. Jake grabbed the large water bottle at his side and took a gulp. It just made him hungrier. He took another drink.

Not. Enough. He put the bottle down and pressed on the gas, tearing through the streets. He didn't even notice he was pulling out a small, orange box hidden in his pocket.

____*

*Somewhere unknown*

"I think they're ready. No matter what happens, there will be a successful Fight Force."

"But sir, the other four-" "The other four don't matter! They were all failures; experiments. But this force... I don't know but I can feel it. They are the ones. The ones who will set us free. They can, and will, help everyone- every family around the world. The Family Force 5."

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This is just the beginning. Feedback is appreciated. See y'all in the next chapter! :)