EXISTENCE: Recovery

CHAPTER 19: Project Jonah, Part II

"Andre!"

Vivi quickly ran to her friend and tried to lift him upright. The boy clutched his side, horribly wincing after the initial attack. Vivi tried to contain the tears. "Andre...talk to me!"

Andre kept his hand on his side, slowly opening his eyes. "Damn...I knew...I should've... eaten with... my boys."

Adam looked back at the scene in shock, a split-second flashback of Juan and Gabriel dashing through his mind. He fixed his gaze on the figures behind the clearing smoke and glared, dashing right through the smoke and flinging his fist at the figure, feeling the fist connect to a face. He heard the scream of a girl, and turned to face the other figure. The smoke finally cleared out.

Standing in front of him was Roll. Laying on the floor was Rock. Roll looked mortified. "What...the hell?" She turned to Rock, who was knocked out, and quickly back to Adam. "I told you this was a terrible idea!"

Adam cracked his knuckles. "I'm giving you five seconds to explain yourself, and five more to beg for my forgiveness." If looks could kill, Roll would be dead where she stood.

The girl backed away. "Th-there's n-nothing you need to k-know!"

Adam dashed forward and grabbed her by the head, ramming it towards the nearest pillar in the courtyard. He maintained her head against the wall, glaring at her the entire time. The girl looked up at him in fear, clutching onto his arm. She gave a grin and channeled energy around her hand, digging her fingers into Adam's wrist, eliciting a wince from the boy. Roll watched as the boy's blood slid down his wrist, and quickly pulled out a small bottle, trapping the drops of blood inside.

Adam looked at the bottle, raising an eyebrow. "What..?" He turned back to Roll, who grinned, and was quickly jerked from behind by his hair, his eyes meeting with an upside-down view of Rock's face, who also had a grin plastered across it.

"Don't mind us, we're taking what we need," Rock calmly stated, wiping the blood off her face. She was quickly blown back by a large fust of wind, sending her slamming another pillar head-on. Hopping down onto the scene was Virgil, who looked to Adam, watching the boy collect himself, rubbing at his head, before turning his attention to the fallen Andre. Virgil quickly made his way over to him, who still had Vivi by his side.

"Oi, bigman, you holding on still?"

The black boy slightly opened his eyes. "Oh...it's you..."

Virgil nodded. "Pleased to see you're still among the living. How's your side? Let me see the wound."

Vivi quietly looked on, watching as Andre slowly lifted his hand from his side, revealing a very bloody hole seared into his skin. She was just about ready to faint.

Andre winced, cracking a small chuckle. "What, they give you a first-aid kit in London or something?"

Virgil's expression remained unchanged. "You could say that." He swatted away the boy's hand and moved to the side of his wound. He placed his hands on the wound and closed his eyes.

Vivi watched as a thin film of energy began surrounding the British boy's hands, moving into the wounded Andre. Andre looked on, slowly opening his eyes wider and wider as Virgil remained silent, eyes closed, and in a state of focus.

Within minutes, Virgil removed his hands from Andre's side and stood back up. "Oi, bigman. Stand up. You're fine."

Andre looked at the tear in his shirt, where he had been wounded. There was no wound; his skin looked as though it were untouched. He looked up at the blonde youth. "Bro, what-"