"Hero-Ish."

Chapter 23: An Uninvited Guest.

CHAPTER 23: An Uninvited Guest.

The break-up—if one could call it that—didn't go well for Desmond. He didn't know how to handle Allison leaving him and flying half-way across the world. He couldn't handle it. He felt as though someone took out his heart and stomped on it like a cockroach. But, life went on, and Desmond continued with his pathetic existence.

Of course, moving on from someone you love is never easy, is it? Desmond found it hard to eat, sleep, concentrate, or pretty much do anything. It was as if his life was withering away. The worst thing? He hasn't seen or heard anything from Derek—who was supposed to be his best friend. Maybe he scared him away, too? Maybe both Allison and Derek flew to Italy together and left him to wallow in his misery.

Desmond was home alone one weekend while his mother was out with Travis on a date. He couldn't believe that his 45-year-old mother could keep someone but he couldn't. Desmond sat on the couch and enjoyed a re-run of "Big Bang Theory" on television when a sudden knock shot through the door. He sighed and groaned at the noise that invaded his privacy. He stood to his feet, tossing the remote control on the couch, and then walked towards the front door.

As he walked, the front door suddenly exploded. Debris of smoke, wood, metal and flames flew in his general direction. Desmond flung backwards and landed on his back; his head slammed hard on the wooden floor and pain rendered in his skull

Desmond coughed and choked as the fumes and flames poured into his home and assaulted his nose and eyes. He heaved and gasped and rolled on his side, holding his stomach. He then sat up; his eyes widened as several men entered his home, dressed in SWAT armor and each one held an assault rifle. Desmond didn't know who these people were, or why they blew up his front door, but he knew one thing:

They weren't friendly.

As Desmond's senses finally returned to him, he held out his arm and a low rumble of force erupted in the air. The intruders screamed as they lifted into the air and their bodies floated aimlessly about. They were then shot backwards and collided against the ground in the hallway.

Desmond stood to his feet and held his head as he stumbled his way towards the hallway. He stepped over the fallen bodies and floundered his way towards the stairway of his apartment complex. He pushed his way to the elevator and clicked the end button. However, nothing worked. He clicked it again—still nothing. He clicked it again and again, but nothing happened.

"Fucking hell!" He swore.

Desmond turned away from the elevator and wobbled his way towards the emergency stair exit and burst his way through the doors. He stopped in place and peered down to the abrupt sound of heavy footsteps that prodded against the metal steps below.

Desmond pulled away from the stairway and looked around for another exit but couldn't find one.

"Desmond!" A voice called out to him.

Desmond's head turned and his eyes widened—down the end of the corridor stood Allison in blue jeans and a leather jacket and what seemed to be combat boots over her feet; she looked like a completely different person from the last time he saw her.

"A—Allison?" He gasped.

"Desmond, this way!" She called out and when Desmond didn't move, she shouted and roared like a lioness, "Hurry!"

His sense finally kicked in and Desmond ran towards Allison.

"Watch out!" She shouted out to him.

Desmond looked over his shoulder to see several more men arrive at the top of the stairs, each one dressed as the men before and carried the same weapons.

"Get down!" Allison shouted as Desmond neared her.

Desmond did what was commanded of him and Allison held out her palms. He watched as a purple glow emerged from her hands and a beam of energy shot outwards towards the men. Screams shouted from their voices as their bodies immediately disintegrated and left behind nothing but ash. Desmond, while still on the ground, turned over and looked at Allison with shock.

"Get off your ass!" She shouted.

Desmond did what he was told once more and stood; he nearly stumbled over his feet, but managed to regain his posture and continued running towards her. He stopped when he finally reached her, panting.

"A—Allison?" He breathed in panic. "W—what the hell did you do...why aren't you in Italy?"

"No time for questions!" She snapped and grabbed his hand—her palm was still warm from earlier—and pulled him towards the end of the hallway in the opposite direction.

"Allison," Desmond announced as the two of them came towards a wall. "That's not an exit," he turned his head towards her, but Allison pressed on. "Allison—that's a wall...It's a wall! Allison!"

Allison shot out her free hand—another purple blast shot out from her palm and struck the drywall; an opening appeared and they leaped out of the hole of the wall—Desmond screamed on the top of his lungs as the duo descended. He closed his eyes and waited for the sweet embrace of death, but, surprisingly, it didn't come, and the only thing he felt was the abrupt shake of the earth below him.

His eyes opened and his head lowered as the two of them landed on the floor; a small crater cracked apart the concrete and busted the cement into a spider web with pieces of rubble scattered amongst the destruction.

"H—Holy shit!" He cried as he looked at the floor. He then looked up and eyed the hole in the wall from the five story building they just jumped out of. Finally, Desmond glared at Allison and asked, "H—how?"

"Look," she suddenly snapped, "do you want to stay here and play 20 questions, or do you want to get out of here? Because honestly, if we stay here and chit-chat, they'll be more of them, and when they show up—and trust me, they will show up-we won't have the time."

Desmond stared at Allison with his mouth hung open like a horse's ass. He then jerked his head up and down in confirmation.

"Good," Allison said, "then grab my hand and let's go!" She held out her hand.

Desmond looked down at Allison's hand and reached out, taking her hand in his.

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