New Generation

Treehouse Extreme

        "So, I take it you know these forest folk?" I ask after an intimidating ten minutes in silence. The boy with the revolvers raises an eyes brow at me, as if asking if I could have asked a dumber question. Well excuse me, Mr Sassy. 

        "They practically raised me. Found me half drowned by the lake when I was real little. I learned to become one of the best, nothing compared to them, of course." I resist the urge to roll my eyes. This kid doesn't stop boasting, does he? 

        "Uh, right. You said a lake? i didn't know there was a lake around here..." Once again, I get the "are you stupid?!" look, so I decide to shut up for once. Just as I make this decision, the kid stops and kicks a tree. I find the action dumb, until I realize he pushed open a door. Well, it makes since now why the creepy vanishing boy pointed over here. 

        "Uh, so, do you want to go first or-" I get pushed inside the tree, right into a carved ladder. What is this place?! What kind of people live in the trees?! 

        "Climb up and try not to fall. Try anything funny, and you're dead. Slip up and come crashing down the ladder may kill you, too. Depends on how high you get. Now get going! I'm still not sure I can trust you yet." Geez, calm down kid! 

        "Yeah, I kinda got your message on the whole not trusting thing." I mutter. I'm going to save you the time of describing the climb in a horrible, drawn out way. To put it simply, it was long and filled with splinters. When I got to the top, though, it was worth it. 

        "Whoa... This... This is impossible. There's, like, an entire city up here!" I gasp. The kid behind me laughs, for once not in an intimidating way. He sounds proud to call this his home, and I fully respect that. Box like houses and rooms sit on every tree branch that can hold them, and everything is connected by rope ladders and platforms. There are a few kids, twenty maybe, wandering around. Some are armed, some are not, all are dressed similarly to Mr Sassy. 

        "So... Uh... Wow." Not what I intended to say in the least, but i forgot what I was going to say the moment I opened my mouth. It's just to brilliant!

        "I'll take you to Ryan. He's in charge right now, as the other two are out on boarder patrol. Come on, let's go." I nod, and take one last look behind me at the place we climbed out of the ladder. I yelp and jump back in surprise, seeing the boy who vanished earlier leaning on the doorway, relaxed as usual. 

        "Whos' that?!" I turn around to face Mr Sassy, pointing at the door. He gives me a look like I'm insane. 

        "There's no one there, psycho. Come on." I shake my head and turn around. I was planning on walking over to creepy boy and dragging him over to Sassy, but he's gone, again. 

        "Not possi... But... How?" The boy guiding me sighs. 

        "Come off it. No games, just follow me." Completely confused, I do as I'm told and follow the kid to what looks like a weaponry. Cool, but not my style. There's a guy there, working on a sword. He's wearing a tattered batman hoodie, grey pants, and black shoes. He stops what he's doing the second he sees my "friend" here. 

        "Indy, who's this?" I blink and look at the kid. 

        "Indy? Are you being serious? I'm sorry, that can't be your real name." Over the bandana, his cheeks turn a little pink. 

        "Hey! I'm sure yours isn't much better! Ryan, I found this kid wandering around weaponless in the woods. He said a man named Ethan came to his house to warn his parents about an incoming threat. His dad told him to retreat to us, I found him under an hour ago." The guy, I'm guessing his name is Ryan, nods. 

        "Well, what's your name, and who's your dad? I know I recognize you, but I can't tell from where." I open my mouth to speak, then close it and think. Don't tell anyone you're related to Seto... 

        "My dad's first name is Brice, but I'm adopted so it's just chance I look like him. My name is Max- Max. Just Max." Indy scowls at me for having such a normal name. I almost said Maxia, but I'm not giving him the satisfaction of having a more common name than me. 

        "Huh, the Gold Solace's kid. I can see that. You do look a lot like him..." Ryan looks unconvinced, then again, he's not the only one. I find it strange as well. Before I can be questioned, though, a bell rings near the ladder. 

        "Crap. Indy, get the medics! What did these idiots do this time?!" Ryan says. I'm guessing that's an alarm bell from the people on patrol. A kid a bit older than me is standing near the bell, and goes to work with a complex looking pulley system. A few other kids appear out of nowhere and help him turn a wheel that I'm guessing is pulling something, or someone, up. Sure enough, moments later three people show up on a platform. The bell stops and some slightly older people, late teens early twenties, rush over. 

        "Who the Neather is that?" Indy asks. He's staring at a person being dragged onto the main platform that serves as the ground. Two guys, covered in mud and out of breath, kneel next to the person. One of the guys is wearing a checkered shirt over a tan long sleeve shirt, with faded jeans and red shoes. The guy next to him is in a tattered suit, with a fuzzy animal hat. 

        "Mitch! Jerome! What happened?!" Ryan asks. The checkered guy speaks first. 

        "I heard a splash... I swear, I thought they were Adam for a second. Must've been trying to get across the creek. Look at them, what the Neather did they go through?!" I step forward, dispite Indy hissing at me to back off, and crouch in front of the person. 

        "Once she wakes up, get her something to eat. Someone get some alcohol on the cuts on her feet, if she was running barefoot through the woods, they could get infected. Something warm would be a good idea, too. She's going to freeze to death if you don't get her something." I say. I looks up, and everyone looks surprised with me. 

        "Well? Get moving! She could die, damn it!" I snap. The medics nod and pick up the girl, carrying her to a closed of box house thing. The platform is silent. Yeah, Seto taught me first aid a while back, saying it would be helpful some day. Guess he was right. 

        "My gawd. Who the Neather are you?" The giy with the fuzzy hat asks.  I shrug, but smile slighty. I feel useful, actually useful. 

        "My name's Max, I think I can help you out on figuring out what happened to that girl back there."