New friends

The trio of friends pulls up to the building nearby an abandoned mine.

Outside the structure is a muscle car blasting heavy metal with Darick as well as Lisa sitting on the hood making out passionately while two other men and a little girl stand in the distance.

The men were firing round after round at a row of bottles several yards away, hitting about every nine out of ten shots.

"Damn Darick, didn't take you long to find some new friends" exclaimed Gara jokingly lighting up a smoke as Darick looks up from his business to greet his friends.

"what are you talking about Gara, we have been waiting here for hours?" Darick laughed "thought you would get here first since I've been all over town with these guys before even coming here. Heard a dinosaur showed up in the city.. you guys run into any trouble on the way or was Tral pointlessly drawing attention trying to make life work?"

Tral hops out of the back with vigor clearly sobering up from his sleep. "yhea apparently I caused quite the commotion while blackout aaand Major flaming douche chased us all around the country side so we should probably get the hell outta here in a timely fashion… Hey gorgeous I'm Tral, wanna ditch this loser and have some real fun?" Tral teased Darick's new companion completely ignoring of his sisters displeased look right behind him.

"shut up you! Don't mind him, my little brother is an idiot" Gara said with a friendly smile while Tral protested "we're the same age!"

The girl gave them a strange look saying "My name is Lisa, this stud here says you folks are trying to avoid the military which just so happens to be their specialty." while the two men and little girl came over.

"I'm Tony, this is Lenard and the girl is called Sofie." Listed a haggard man who looked like a lumberjack that never left the woods. "you must be Darick's friends. Heard a lot about you, you all have decent powers right?"

"Damn it Darick, do you just go around telling everyone we are powered renegades? No wonder you make friends so easily." Gara scolded exposing sharp teeth as she wagged her finger at him.

"Hey now, I'm not the one who advertised to the world that we have a heavenly class power user here by creating an extinct Dino in the middle of a heavily populated town." Darick defended himself as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Hi, I'm Arc and these two are highly unstable twins you may have seen on wanted posters." Arc introduces briefly before taking another drink from his thermos.

"The church must be right on your tail if you are what you say you are" declares the child Sofie suddenly while looking at Tral inquisitively. "I heard stories about your group but they seemed a little ridiculous although the church wouldn't put out that kind of bounty as a joke."

"Ok it's not like the dino will live long as I'm no biologist and what's with the child? This isn't a picnic and I'm not making it a picnic" asked Tral jokingly.

"Don't talk about the boss like that wimp!" demanded the man who looked like a body builder named Lenard pointing vigorously at Tral's face.

The trio looking at each other with the confused expressions all over their faces while Darick laughs hugging Lisa by the waist.

"calm down Lenard, it's ok I'm use to it" insisted Sofie. "I may only be 12 but as a sky class telekinetic, I have made my place in the resistance and if you have a problem with that I can throw your toy truck at you with but a little thought"

"Hey now, no need to go overboard little boss lady" Tral relented "Did you just say your with the resistance, like the hiding in holes and scavenging supplies resistance that constantly attacks the military?"

"The church isn't exactly forgiving to non-sheeple and the resistance is strong with both casuals and powered of all kinds." Stated Sofie while twirling her blond hair. "My dad runs a group not far from here and you all would be more than welcome to join. We have a cloaking system that keeps us out the eyes of heaven so you wouldn't need to run anymore."

"Let me guess.. it comes at the low price of me making you weapons and vehicles right?" Tral asked as if this wasn't the first time he was being hastily recruited.

"well we do insist everyone help out but we have weapons and all that … it's more of a food problem we where hoping to solve. You see we take in refugees hunted by the church but we are loosing our people to basic supply runs to keep everyone fed, clothed and fueled. Otherwise we would be able to help a lot more people get to safe communes free of religious persecution." Sofie described with passion.

"Mr.Inherst is truly a great man sheltering many from the harsh treatment of society" Tony praised in administration.

"kinda sounds like another cult to me. I don't see a point to trading one set of devotions for an other" Tral retorted setting both Tony and Lenard into a rage only to be calmed down by Sofie. "it's ok we understand and we plan help you regardless. As far as we see it, it is better that you do nothing at all than be captured by those puritans"

"well that just makes me sound lazy but ok thanks. It is so rare that anyone would help without demands but I guess I'll owe you one if you help us out here" Tral exclaimed cockily just before his sister slapped him on the back of the head.

"thank you for you're kindness despite my brothers lack of manners. If it isn't to much trouble we will be in your care miss Inherst" Gara apologized for Tral's behavior as if this is customary. "I assure you that my brother and I honor our debts despite how casually he says it."

Sofie looked very pleased with herself and offered for the party to enter the mine stating that one of the tunnels leads to a convoy that will transport everyone to the safe heaven hidden from the eyes above.

As everyone was ready to leave a dust cloud appeared down the road as well as the sound of choppers.

"quick everyone get in the mine, I'll collapse the tunnel behind us" called Sofie as she ordered Tony and Lenard to take positions at the entrance their rifles already firing at the oncoming helicopters.

Very quickly the air filled with bullets and tranquilizer darts. Lenard got a shot off on one of the helicopters sending it spiralling through the air but received a bullet in the shoulder and tranq to the waist for his effort.

"leave me behind, I'll buy you some time. Just get everyone out of here" Lenard cried while spitting up blood just before throwing a pill into his mouth with a determined expression on his face.

"Die free my friend" Insisted Tony as he grabbed the now crying Sofie, carrying her into the mine. As the sound of gunfire grew fainter in the distance everyone ran until the sounds of battle faded away.

"It's time Sofie. Bring down the passage behind us." Tony reluctantly told the child who's face was covered in tears. "but Lenard is still back there!" cried Sofie while she tried to wipe the tears from her eyes.

"we don't have time for this, I'm not going to waste his sacrifice. There better be another way out" Tral declared as he blocked the following path with solid steel that was over 10 feet thick.

"YOU JERK how can you leave him back there?" hollered Sofie loosing all composer "remove this barrier at once!"

"He did the right thing Sofie, Lenard is already gone.. he took the red cap, please calm down and keep moving" reminded Tony with a sigh filled with sadness as he tried to calmed down the unstable telekinetic.