Surprise

A:

"I hate the bus," I say as Alfred, Alieen, and I all walk together. "I hate the bus so much. I hate it. I hate it. I hate it."

"Will you calm down," Alfred asks. "So someone spilled some soda on you? That happened to me once and it wasn't even the worst thing."

"I am afraid to ask what the worst thing was."

The sun is setting as the three of us walk on an empty street with what looks like abandoned and forgotten buildings on both sides. There is trash all along the streets and graffiti pained all over the walls and buildings. There are a few lights already on but most of them are flicking, not staying on.

"Enough," Alieen says, quieting the two of us. "A, are we here? Is this the alleyway where you first woke up?"

Stopping in front of a narrow and dirty alleyway, I look around the said alleyway. I walk in and look around some more.

"This is it," I say, more than halfway into the alleyway. "Yes. This is definitely it."

"Not to doubt you or anything," Alfred says from the sidewalk, "But how can you be sure? I mean, this doesn't seem any different from the other alleyway San Francisco had. What makes you so sure this is the right alleyway?"

"Believe me," I say, looking at Alfred. "I would recognize this place anyway."

I look toward the end of the alleyway. There, I see a similar trash pile to the one where I woke up two years earlier.

"Well," Alieen says, spreading out her arms and she and Alfred walk into the alleyway with me. "Anything? Is any of this sparking any memory?"

"No," I answer, looking around the dirty, narrow alleyway before looking back at Alieen and Alfred. "No. None of this is bringing back any of my memory. At least, not any memory I do not already have."

"Okay," Alfred says, looking around. "So if this place is a bust, then where to next?"

"I cannot answer you," I reply.

"Why not?"

"Because besides this alleyway and my gas station, there is no other place that holds any value to me."

"There are no other places," Alieen replies.

I nod my head and explain.

"As I told you and the others, shortly after waking up here, I simply wander around. I had no place to go or go back to. I did not know what to do or where I could stay until I stumbled upon the gas station."

"Well, I guess we need another plan," Alfred says, winding up his foot to kick an empty car on the ground. Kicking the can into a nearby trash pile, the same can then shoots out and hits me in the head.

"Hey," I say, rubbing my head. I look at Alfred who is stepping back with both his hands in the air.

"I swear," he says, "I did not do that. At least, I don't think I did."

Still eyeing Alfred while rubbing my sore spot, I turn when I hear something. The nearby trash pile starts to move.

"Get behind me," I say, pushing Alieen and Alfred behind me. As they get behind me, the trash pile bursts open and the shadowy figure appears.

"Get out of here," I say, now pushing Alieen and Alfred out of the alleyway. Alieen grabs Alfred's hand and together, the two run. I turn back to see the shadowy figure flying toward me.

I cross my arms as the figure kicks me into the wall of the alleyway. The figure flies toward me again with an arm pulled back. Stepping to the side, the figure punches the wall instead, breaking and leaving behind a hole.

Now, with an opening, I slam my hands together and blast the figure with a telekinesis blast. The blast knocks the figure into the air and while in mid-air, I jump and grab the figure by his neck. Slamming him into the ground, I keep him there.

"Who are you," I yell, tightening my grip on his neck. "How did you know where to find me? Tell me. Tell me!"

The figure doesn't answer me. Instead, he tries to pry my hand from his throat but my grip is unbreakable. I pull back my fist and send it flying forward.

Punching and cracking the ground near his head, I force him to look back at me.

"I will not miss again," I say, "Tell me who you are."

I pull back my fist and look right at the figure. The figure still does not answer me. With this, I cannot hold back anymore. I send my fist flying forward. However, I stop, my fist only inches from him.

"Alieen," I say, hearing the sound of Alieen screaming. I cannot ignore Alieen's scream but I cannot ignore the shadowy figure either. Especially when I have him trapped.

I growl and grind my teeth.

"This is not over," I say, throwing the figure back into a trash pile. With that, I run over to where Alieen and Alfred are.

Alieen:

"Alfred," I scream, helping Alfred up as the teenager with ripped jackets and pants approaches us. He, along with his four friends corner us.

"I'm fine," Alfred says, pushing me away. "Listen. I'll try and hold them off. You go back to A."

"Alfred," I whisper, grabbing his arm. "Don't do this. You're not a fighter."

"Maybe not," Alfred says, rubbing where he was hit, "But I can be one heck of a distraction. Go!"

Alfred pushes me once more and charges forward. He tries to punch the teenager in front but the leader teenager punches him first, knocking Alfred to the ground.

"Alfred," I scream again, running to him but the other teenagers get in between and stop me.

"Do yourself a favor," the leader says, "And leave. You can't fight the five of us."

I step back, watching as the four boys step forward. They all crack their knuckles and slam their fist into their palms.

I feel my legs shaking. I feel my throat go dry. I want to run, but I can't. Alfred needs me.

About to run through them, hoping I can surprise them with a sudden tackle, I stop when I hear a familiar voice.

"She cannot fight the five of you," A says, walking up from behind me. "But I can."

A grabs my shoulder and pulls me back.

"I don't need your help," I say, looking around. "Besides, aren't you busy? Where is that person before?"

"I had no choice but to leave him," A answers. "After all, you and Alfred need my help. Am I wrong?"

"No," I sigh. "Listen. Please, try not to hurt them too much."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes. Just try and hold them back. I grab Alfred and we'll all leave."

"Fine."

"Hold us back," one of the teenagers says with a laugh. "Oh yeah. Try and hold this back!"

The teenager swings his fist and tries to punch A but A easily catches it. The teenager's fist stuck, A pulls him back and throw him behind us. He flies through the air before landing on the street.

"What the hell," the teenagers say, stepping back when A turns to face them.

"I am stronger than I looked," A says, stepping toward them. While A handles them, I sneak over to where Alfred is. Still laying on the ground with a sore cheek, I'm about to reach him but before I can, the leader stops me.

"Not so fast," he yells as he pushes me back. Falling onto the ground, the leader of the teens pulls out from his jacket a switchblade. "Get out of here! All of you! Get out of here now or get sliced!"

"A," I shout, pushing myself up.

"Alieen," A says, seeing the knife. He steps forward but with his back to them, all the teens pile onto him, forcing him down.

"I don't know who the hell you people are," the teen leader says, swinging around his weapon. "But I do know this. None of you are leaving without a few cuts."

The teen leader takes a step toward Alfred who is crawling away. He raises his blade but as he does, someone appears behind him.

"The figure," I say, watching as the same shadowy figure that fought A and kidnapped me rises up from the ground. He grabs the leader's hand and crushes it, forcing him to drop the switchblade.

"Leave them away," the shadow figure shouts, grabbing and turning the leader around. Before the leader can say anything, the figure spins and throws him away.