Chapter 2: The First Day

His face left me speechless. It wasn't like I had never seen him before; his face was plastered everywhere across the GTA, but I would never have dreamed I'd see him up close.

Jay Drake was something of a modern pop star And my personal hero. Being the leader of one of the most wanted groups in the city, his infamy rivaled even that of Solomon's Demons, a gang notorious for their shady dealings across town. Though the government likes to overlook them as it boosts the economic wealth. Jay and his Dragons, however, took on the daunting task of painting the town and returning some colour to the world.

"So you must be Seth. Looks like I owe you those ten sectums Josh." he said patting me on the back and moving us inside. I notice that the path branches off several times along the hallway, but we move too fast for me to get a good look.

"So as you can see Seth, we have many facilities here, bedding, gardens, rec room, we even have a pool, and all thanks to Dr. Roberts and his son here. Anyway, I'll leave my sister here to show you around as Josh and I have some important matters to discuss. Come on Josh." He said, though I only caught half of it. 

"Oh come on Jay, don't leave me with the greeny."  Clair whined.

" Hey, I'm not the one who got caught." Jay teased and walked off with Joshua.

"But he's not even cute."Clair called after him to which he simply shrugged. I couldn't help but stare at the squabbling siblings.

"What are you looking at Slackjaw?" she snapped at me. I immediately felt my cheeks heat up and I closed my mouth. 

"Come on Newbie."

As Clair showed me around the Den I tried to make a mental map, but I was soon lost. Including the main hall and the places Jay had mentioned there was also a laundry room, an art studio, an exercise room, a bar for the older members, several meeting rooms, and the mess hall. Not to mention several kilometers of tunnels connecting to all corners of he PATH. Though strangely no washrooms.

"So, have you got it all now Newbie?" Clair asked, startling me out of my thoughts.

"Um.... Do you have a map?" I asked and she stormed off in frustration, leaving me stranded in the gardens.

I wandered the rows of crops idly; waiting for Clair to come back and eventually found myself in a walled in area, not unlike the castle gardens had in the past.

"Can I help you?" A boys voice called from across the inner garden. He sat upon a small stone bench, so thin and still I had thought him a scarecrow. His dirty blond hair fell across his face like straw, adding to the illusion.

"S-sorry, I hadn't noticed you.". I said.

"Not many do their first time here." he said and chuckled to himself, easing my tension. "I'm Neil, I take care of the garden and animals here."

"There are animals here too?" I asked.

"Yup, the Den is self sustaining after all. So that we can wait out the Minders if neccesary."

Right, the Minders. The governments toys bent on destroying the Dragons. 

As part of their fabricated peace, the government built a series of metal policing droids. The first prototypes were pathetic little things that required constant human servaillence, but for the most part they got the job done. That is, until the Dragons appeared. Their arrival put the governments plans for domination in question, so obviously they had to be eliminated. The government set up a robotics division and the Minders became a real threat. Their carbon fiber bodies were lightweight, their intellect was impressive, and their red gaze was enough to instill fear in grown men. The government tried to mock the Dragons, giving their monstrosities the appearance of knights. But these things were anything but heroes. They were suppressors that were supposedly impossible escape, but here was an underground civilization, thriving under their metal noses.

"Woah, man, come back to me." I heard Neil say and I jump a bit.

 "Do you do that often?" He asked. I scowled.

"So, I've told you my name, do you have one?"

"Oh, um, my name is Seth, sorry." I say.

"Nice to meet you Seth." He said extending out a hand.

"Nice to meet you too." I reply shaking his hand. "Um, Neil?"

"Yeah?"

"How do I find Clair? She was showing me around." I asked to Neil's amusement.

"Trust me, when she wants you to find her, you will, if not, well good luck looking."

I stood there awkwardly unsure what I should do next.

"Want to get something to eat?" Neil suggested and I nodded my head. "Alright greeny, the mess hall's this way." He said linking his arm through mine and marched me down yet another hall.

*****

"Really? There's a secret passage in that garden too?" I asked between mouthfuls of mashed potatos.

"Yup, we can never be too careful." Neil replied.

"Hey shortstop, so this is where you ran off to." Clair said loudly as she spotted me and Neil. "So what are you two newbies talkin' about?" She asked.

"We were just talking about he esca..."

"Yeah, yeah, thats wonderful. My brother needs us to do more recruiting. Not that it'll help much. Come on."

"But I'm not done yet." I said.

"Are you questioning me?!" she asked while glaring at me. To say it was worse than a minder's glare would be an understatement. The instant I stood up she grabbed my arm and pulled me along. I was surprised at her strength, considering her small frame, not that I had much strength to compare.

"You need me for recruiting already?" I asked

"Of course, newbies are the best for finding new recruits. That way even if they get caught they don't know enough to get us in trouble." She said. So it was because I was expendable huh?

"Now stop talking and move shorty." She said. I was about to comment that I was taller than her but she cut me off.

"Now, now, you wouldn't be thinking of arguing with the second in command now would you?"

All I could do was glare.

"Wait Seth!" Joshua called out as the door started to close. He hit a button on the inside panel and the door stopped. He was out of breath and flushed, an odd combination considering he hadn't even had allergies since he was seven. 

"Take this with you." He said between breaths, and handed me his old mans iron pocket knife, which it turned over in my hands. It was Joshua's treasure, a momento from when we were little. 

"Man, I can't take this, it means so much to you. Besides, I doubt it will help against the minders."

"That doesn't matter.  Just keep it on you at all times." He said and ran back the way he came.

"Awe how sweet, your boyfriend is worried about you." Clair joked as the door closed shut.

"Shut up." I told her, to which she replied by laughing,  still, what was with his reaction. Clair was getting away though so for now it would have to wait.

Reviews

[Lucy Morningstar &heart..]

3 - "Really? There's a secret passage in that garden too?" I asked between mouthfuls of mashed potatos.

"Yup, we can never be too careful," Neil replied.

"Hey shortstop, so this is where you ran off to." Clair said loudly as she spotted me and Neil. "So what are you two newbies talkin' about?" She asked.

"We were just talking about he esca..."

"Yeah, yeah, thats wonderful. My brother needs us to do more recruiting. Not that it'll help much. Come on."

"But I'm not done yet." I said.

"Are you questioning me?!" she asked while glaring at me. To say it was worse than a minder's glare would be an understatement. The instant I stood up she grabbed my arm and pulled me along. I was surprised at her strength, considering her small frame, not that I had much strength to compare.

"You need me for recruiting already?" I asked

"Of course, newbies are the best for finding new recruits. That way even if they get caught they don't know enough to get us in trouble," she said, "Now stop talking and move shorty." I was about to comment that I was taller than her but she cut me off.

"Now, now, you wouldn't be thinking of arguing with the second in command now would you?"
All I could do was glare.

"Wait Seth!" Joshua called out as the door started to close. He hit a button on the inside panel and the door stopped. He was out of breath and flushed, an odd combination considering he hadn't even had allergies since he was seven.

"Take this with you." He said between breaths, and handed me his old mans iron pocket knife, which it turned over in my hands. It was Joshua's treasure, a trinket from when we were little.

"Man, I can't take this, it means so much to you. Besides, I doubt it will help against the minders."

"That doesn't matter. Just keep it on you at all times." He said and ran back the way he came.

"Awe how sweet, your boyfriend is worried about you." Clair joked as the door closed shut.

"Shut up." I told her as she laughed. I was confused by Joshua's reaction, but I couldn't worry too much now. Clair was getting away though so it would have to wait.

[Lucy Morningstar &heart..]

2 -
I wandered the rows of crops idly, waiting for Clair to come back and eventually found myself in a walled in area, almost like a courtyard in a castle.

"Can I help you?" A boys voice called from across the inner garden. He sat upon a small stone bench, so thin and still I'd thought him a scarecrow. His dirty blond hair fell across his face like straw, adding to the illusion.

"S-sorry, I hadn't noticed you," I said.

"Not many do their first time here," he said and chuckled to himself, easing my tension. "I'm Neil, I take care of the garden and animals here."

"There are animals here too?" I asked.

"Yup, the Den is self sustaining after all. So that we can wait out the Minders if neccesary." I nodded knowingly; the Minders were the government's metal toys set to keep order.

As part of their fabricated peace, the government built a series of metal policing droids. The first prototypes were pathetic little things that required constant human surveillence, but for the most part they got the job done. That is, until the Dragons appeared. Their arrival put the governments plans for domination in question, so obviously they had to be eliminated. They set up a robotics division and the Minders became a real threat. Their carbon fiber bodies were lightweight, their intellect was impressive, and their red gaze was enough to instill fear in grown men. The government tried to mock the Dragons, giving their monstrosities the appearance of knights. But these things were anything but heroes. They were suppressors that were supposedly impossible escape, but here was an underground civilization, thriving right under their noses.

"Woah, man, come back to me," I heard Neil say and I jump a bit.

"Do you do that often?" He asked. I scowled.

"So, I've told you my name, do you have one?"

"Oh, um, my name is Seth, sorry," I say.

"Nice to meet you Seth." He said extending out a hand.

"Nice to meet you too," I reply shaking his hand. "Um, Neil?"

"Yeah?"

"How do I find Clair? She was showing me around," I asked to Neil's amusement.

"Trust me, when she wants you to find her, you will. If not, well good luck looking."

I stood there awkwardly unsure what I should do next.

"Want to get something to eat?" Neil suggested and I nodded my head. "Alright greeny, the mess hall's this way." He said linking his arm through mine and marched me down yet another hall.

[Lucy Morningstar &heart..]

1 - His face left me speechless. It wasn't like I had never seen him before, his face was plastered everywhere across the GTA, but I never dreamed I'd see him up close.

Jay Drake was something of a celebrity and my personal hero. Being the leader of one of the most wanted groups in the city, his infamy rivaled even that of Solomon's Demons, a gang notorious for their shady dealings across town; the government likes to overlook them as it boosts the economy. Jay and his Dragons, however, took on the daunting task of painting the town and returning some colour to the world.

"So you must be Seth. Looks like I owe you those ten sectums Josh." he said patting me on the back and moving us inside. I notice that the path branches off several times along the hallway, but we move too fast for me to get a good look.

"So as you can see Seth, we have many facilities here, bedding, gardens, rec room, we even have a pool, and all thanks to Dr. Roberts and his son here. Anyway, I'll leave my sister here to show you around as Josh and I have some important matters to discuss," he said, though I only caught half of it.

"Oh come on Jay, don't leave me with the greeny," Clair whined.

" Hey, I'm not the one who got caught," Jay teased and walked off with Joshua.

"But he's not even cute!"Clair called after, and he simply shrugged. I couldn't help but stare at the squabbling siblings.

"What are you looking at Slackjaw?" she snapped at me. I immediately felt my cheeks heat up and I closed my mouth, "Come on Newbie."

As Clair showed me around the Den I tried to make a mental map, but I was soon lost. Including the main hall and the places Jay had mentioned there was also a laundry room, an art studio, an exercise room, a bar for the older members, several meeting rooms, and the mess hall. Not to mention several kilometers of tunnels connecting to all corners of the PATH. Though strangely no washrooms.

"So, have you got it all now Newbie?" Clair asked, startling me out of my thoughts.

"Um.... Do you have a map?" I asked and she stormed off in frustration, leaving me stranded in the gardens.

[Lucy Morningstar &heart..]

So as I told you when we were texting, I do really like this. However there are a couple little things again that might make it flow smoother as well as correct grammar. There is just a few sticky spots for me but you know how I am with grammar. I'll just do a breakdown of the different sections in a few comments on this post if that's okay. Just a few little things:

-Where was Clair before? She just kind of appears out of nowhere without any explanation in both parts. Maybe have Jay introduce her or something.
-There were a few little bits that felt a bit unnecessary but I changed them up a bit; see if you like it or not. They are just suggestions.
-What door? That part seemed a bit off to me so it might require a bit of extra explaining. It didn't say they were near a door so again its like it appears out of nowhere.

Again, this is amazing. And you know I am the BIGGEST fan of your stories, and fully expect you do to the same when I actually get back to writing my stuff. I'm just very picky.