apocalypsejack | Christmas Time in Hunger City

The sound of the choppers, the horses and their own hearts pounding was completely overwhelming. When they picked up speed, Isamu lost count. He clamped his eyes shut and practically choked his horse, desperately clinging just to stay on.

At first, Minoru didn’t even notice. Jack was coming up behind them, and the Financial District was dead ahead.

But those orders... don’t look back...

Even Minoru screamed in utter terror when more gunshots beget even louder rocket launchers. He couldn’t help himself. He turned toward his brother, and saw Jack in the periphery - fighting to keep them alive. It was brutal. It was horrifying. This whole world was heart-wrenchingly horrifying...

“You have a job to do, Fan Man.” He spat at himself, taking a deep breath as the horses continued to sprint underneath the battle.

“Isamu! Directions! Now!”

“I can’t!” He spat between heaving breaths. Rarely did Isamu speak in contractions. He was panicking, and understandably so.

“Yes, you can!”
“Can’t!”
“Breathe! In! Out! You gotta open your eyes! I don’t know where to go!!”

“...”

“Bro!!”

The answer was a squeak compared to his usual voice, but it was an answer. “...park... stay right... Liberty... is five streets... past park... then left...”

“We’re almost there!”

Jack is riding at a full gallop, no hands on the reins and gun in his hands. He's waiting and watching in case they try to box them in.

The rocket launcher is a welcome sound and he uses his knees to bring his horse closer, the proximity edging the other two on to the sidewalk and up against the building. The debris falling out of the sky just behind them may be part of the building or a chopper. However, Jack is taking his own advice and keeping his eye forward and not looking back.

"Go through the Park by the City Hall." Jack barks at them because the overgrown trees there would offer some cover to break up their silhouette. "On the other side, take Beekman down to William and go right. Chase is on the right. Just past the Federal Reserve."

As they get to the park Jack peels off again going a different direction and coming around to lay more fire on the chopper. If it lands everything will be worse and Jack knows it. Firing at it should keep them off the ground.

“You got that, right?” Minoru shouted at his brother as he led them into the cover of the trees.

“Oh god, oh god, oh god...” the elder twin gasped for breath.

“Breathe!! Beekman! Where is that?!”
“Th..there! Just... bridge! Go toward the bridge...”

The trees did provide some cover, even muffling the sounds of battle just a little bit.

“And William? Come on, bro!”

“Few blocks... before Brooklyn Bridge...” the words kept catching in his throat. “Hospital... right at the hospital... if there is one...”

There were certainly ruins of what might have once been a hospital. That, and the only large bridge still standing, were enough that Minoru could roughly figure out where he was.

Isamu nearly fell off the horse again on the next turn. Had they not been side by side, and Minoru given him a quick shove back in the other direction, he might have actually fallen.

“We’re almost there!”

“...can’t do this...” he gasped.

“Yes, you can! Count the blocks!”
“Minoru!”
“Count the blocks!”

“Five...” he stuttered, forcing himself to open tear-filled eyes. “Four now...”

“You’re doing great! Keep counting!”

“Three...” The blocks felt like they stretched on forever. The sounds of gunfire continued. Jack was still back there somewhere, firing up at a chopper. “T..two... Fed... federal reserve... there...”

“I see it!!”

Donya is waiting for them out in the Chase courtyard, which is also overgrown with trees, with Diamond who had made it back long before they did. The glass door propped open for the horses to come right into the building.

"Where's Jack?" They call to the twins as the horses come running in.

It will be a few minutes before Jack comes from a different direction. His horse coming to a stop, pawing and skittish from whatever he had run into... a fire fight on the ground though he didn't say anything about it. Sabre came inside and Donya closed and locked the door behind. Jack had long ago worked on replacing all the glass with bulletproof varieties. Though once back in the recess by the elevator few would likely see them.

Jack just slumps forward patting his horse's neck. He had hoped this wouldn't happen but the alternative was bringing them through in the dark which had its own problems.

“Covering us!” Minoru shouted. “How do you stop these things?!”

Either with help, or through dumb luck, he stopped and then dismounted with a leap. He dropped the oversized satchel at Donya’s feet in favor of helping his brother, who was still clutching the horse for dear life. He was pale as a sheet, gasping for breath and shaking like a phone on vibrate.

“Bro! Bro, we made it. Come on!”

“That... over? ...Safe?” The normally verbose twin couldn’t even get more than a word out at a time. And he certainly couldn’t seem to will his body to actually dismount. What Jack said about him being sore tomorrow didn’t even compare to how he felt right now.

“Almost. We just need to get inside.” He took the backpack off Isamu’s back and handed that to Donya as well. “It’s okay. I’ve got you. I promise.”

“Oh god...”

“You saved my butt out there, memorizing a map of Manhattan.” Minoru insisted. “Couldn’t have made it without you counting.”

When he finally coaxed Isamu down from the horse, they sunk down to the ground, and Minoru just held him. He’d had some practice at this with Ziggy, but it probably didn’t help that his own heart was pounding just as quickly.

“Easy does it. Breathe... in, out... in and out...” he kept repeating - just as much for himself as he did for Isamu.

It wasn’t long before Jack came riding in. Isamu jerked, and Minoru held him tighter.

“It’s just Jack. He’s all right. They’re shutting the doors. We’re safe, bro... it’s okay... we’re safe.”

By the time Jack actually dismounted and the horses were all round up, the panic was beginning to subside. His voice was weak, hoarse from screaming, but he sounded a lot more like himself when he muttered, “...Minoru, while I have no intention of breaking my promise to better support you in your endeavors... can you please, please... choose at least a few less dangerous endeavors?”

Donya does their best to help and when they eventually sit brings over a blanket to wrap them. They have seen shock before and this looks very much like they may be in shock to the teen.

Donya sets about removing the saddles and wiping down the horses before tying them up in the makeshift stalls. Jack still hasn't dismounted though Sabre walks toward them. The horse nudging at the twins with its big nose before walking back toward the other horses.

That's when Jack pitches off the back of the horse and Donya barely has time to grab him so he doesn't hit the ground. Donya knows exactly what has happened a mix of coming down from adrenaline and endorphins. Though, if the twins are paying attention they will see blood on Donya's hand where they are attending to Jack's shoulder. The teen knows he'll wake soon enough.

Isamu in a panic attack was about as clingy as a grieving Ziggy. But Minoru didn’t mind the one, and he certainly didn’t mind the other. He just kept rubbing Isamu’s back and reminding him to breathe.

“This might have been sliiiiightly more dangerous than I thought...” he admitted softly.

“That still qualifies as an understatement, Minoru. Please do not tell me you are still intending to go back outside and scale the building...”

“No... no. I’m good.” He whispered soothingly. “I’m good.”

Isamu had his head buried in Minoru’s coat, so he didn’t watch Jack practically falling off the horse. Minoru, meanwhile, could only watch. He did notice the blood, but didn’t say anything out loud. He was trying to calm Isamu down, not rile him right back up with what was probably a bullet wound. Never mind an unconscious Jack in Donya’s arms.

All of that had been way too close for comfort.

Donya gets Jack's arm patched up and he's already starting to wake up. The wound isn't bad, a graze on the shoulder, but obviously enough to cause him to black out with all the other stressors. Donya helps him sit up and then heads back over to the twins.

"How are you doing?" They're wiping their hands and smiling. "You two did good for a first gauntlet. It happens sometimes when they notice Jack's on the ground and moving."

“Thanks. You must be Donya, right?”

Minoru was a lot calmer now, with the danger having passed. Isamu, on the other hand was still a little shaken.

“It happens sometimes...” he muttered. “That is the kind of response I would expect to hear about the beginnings of an unexpected rain shower or the tripping over a rug because you were reading rather than assessing your immediate surroundings... not.... not what we just encountered...”

“Aren’t you glad we picked horses instead of taking the scenic hike on foot.”

Isamu glared at Minoru, but he couldn’t deny it. The horses were the right choice.

“Is Jack all right?” He asked quietly, glancing over his shoulder.

Isamu whipped his head around anxiously. “Please do not calmly say that happens sometimes too.”

"Yeah." They nod. Though they sigh at Isamu.

"Your friend is the most wanted man on a continent... probably is anyway. They're always coming over here bothering us."

Donya glances over at Jack who is sitting up on his own. "I think so. A bullet nipped his shoulder. Pain blacks people out sometimes when they come down from adrenaline."

Donya hadn't studied medicine but you can learn easily in these surroundings what is happening. They're sympathetic to new people but shrug.

"Jack does a lot to take care of us. He puts his life on the line most nights. I've seen him stumble in a lot worse."

Well, to their credit, Donya didn’t say those exact words, but they sure answered calmly enough. Their tone alone spoke to the harsh reality of what was normal for a Diamond Dog. And for Jack, which was far more than he’d let on.

But before Isamu could argue, Minoru elbowed him.

“Come on, no time to bah humbug. We’ve got two packs full of food and gifts sitting over there. It’s a big holiday where we come from, and we came to share that with you and the rest of the kids!”

He stood, dragging his brother to his feet as well. Isamu clutched the blanket around his shoulders, still shivering a little.

“I’m Minoru, by the way. And this is Isamu.”
“...greetings and salutations.”

"Holidays were banned here, burned out of the books and written out of the history. Except the ones that celebrate the Ministry. Only a few of the old people remember any of them." Donya tells them. "You and Balthazar will get to teach the kids what it's supposed to be."

Donya is trying to refocus them before standing up and laughing while they go to help Jack get up. "We even saved up enough in the batteries to use the elevator up to 40. You won't have to march all the stairs."

Jack is mostly awake though a little woozy. It was mostly just the shock and over-stimulation. The wound really isn't that bad.

Balthazar made his way into Hunger City as he always did; the way he preferred using his angel wings instead of PINpoint. He rarely used his wings enough in the Nexus and didn't do much flying, so right now he was taking his time, flying high up witnessing the grim view below from high above. The deprivation still getting to his heart as he slowly sensed where Jack was in the Chase building.

Landing at the first floor he sheathed his wings inside of his body, which was like extinguishing a bright flame, as he walked inside. It was then he noticed the twins, Isamu and Minoru, as well as Donya.

Then, there was Jack.

"Oh shit--"

Was he injured? Balthazar instantly walked to his lover's side, assessing what was going on. Had there been a fight? Were they shot at? So many thoughts flashing through the angel's mind. His eyes shifting towards the twins then focusing on Donya.

"What happened?"

Before Isamu could express his gratitude for that elevator ride - his legs honestly felt like jelly at the moment and the prospect of 40 flights of stairs was not an inviting one - the angel came through the door. As high-strung as he was right now, he literally jumped.

Minoru, though, recognized the angel instantly.

“I told you we were going to bring presents for the kids, remember?” He smiled, pointing to the two large backpacks in the corner. The smile faded a little when he admitted, “...It might have been a little harder to get here from the portal than we thought.”

“A little?” Isamu choked out. “A little became grossly inaccurate when one drone became four, and at that point, not a single shot had even been fired yet!”

Minoru explained what he could, at least in terms of there being choppers, gunfire, rocket launchers and Jack covering them while their horses ran as fast as they could. It felt like an eternity while they were running the gauntlet, but now, it felt like it all happened so fast that he couldn’t keep track of what happened and when.

Jack is glad to see the angel and walks over to him. He's a little dirty but the only wound seems to be a small wound on the shoulder. He gives Balthazar a hug and laughs,s till a little high on endorphins.

"The Ministry tried to start something. We took care of it." Jack reassures him before letting go.

"More exciting than free running?" Jack asks Minoru with mischief in his voice. He was used to this.

The angel was fussing as always over his reckless hooligan and his friends the twins. Was Donya alright? Checking them over with his concerned blue eyes, Balthazar turned back to Jack, he glanced over to the shoulder wound and sighed, exasperated.

"Did you get the bastards that did this to you? I mean, if they are still out there taking pop shots at you then I'll sort them out right now."

His expression was that of worry and anger. Someone had taken a shot at Jack. The man he loved. Angel fury threatened to overwhelm the situation at hand. Yet, he almost forgot the twins and Donya were still standing there.

"Are you alright, boys? Donya? I just worry. Sorry, bad habit of mine."

Goodness, they could have been killed and he wasn't there. At least Jack and the others were safe. Now, to get them all up to the top of the Chase safely, since like always, the elevators didn't work.

“I think I like freerunning better without bullets.”

Another understatement of the century. While Minoru had been yelled at by law enforcement many times, and even arrested before, nobody had ever pulled a gun on him for it. Trespassing usually just netted him a few hundred dollars in fines and a mental note of what buildings to avoid. This went well beyond that.

“We are unharmed... Physically.” Isamu specified, at least for himself. He was already sure he was going to have nightmares about this for months. “Mentally and emotionally... wholly and completely shaken.”

Minoru didn’t argue, but he did squeeze his brother one more time. This had been quite the harrowing experience, and one he was eager to replace with something far more cheerful.

Jack sighs at all the fuss. "There are always people shooting at me."

He's exasperated by all the worry. This was how his life had been for years. Donya confirms they're alright and go to finish taking care of the horses before they will come up with the others.

Jack goes over to the twins and frowns. "I never know when they're going to show up. I didn't mean for us to get chased like that."

They're always showing up at inopportune times to be sure. Damned Ministry. Jack takes a moment to check on Diamond who had been trained to run home if there was gun fire. She too had made it through safely without any problems or injuries.

Jack sighing at all the fuss still wasn't enough to stop Balthazar from worrying about his eye-patched partner. The world was cruel and full of bastards out to get them. It was just the deep set need to protect partly coming from his celestial nature of being an angel. Those who protected. Still, Jack seemed fine for the moment as he walked out to finish taking care of the horses.

"Such fine creatures you have there, Jack. Have they got names? I don't think I've asked this before."

Balthazar walked up to the horses, gently stroking the nearest one's muzzle gently. They looked strong and more than capable of supporting the Diamond Dogs through Hunger City. Turning back to the twins and Donya, the angel offered them comforting smiles.

"Do you need me to fly any of you or all of you up to the top? Because I'm more than willing to do that."

Since Jack might still be weak no matter how "fine" he says he is.

The twins knew Jack was telling the truth.

“It was a risk we were willing to ta...” he stopped short of finishing that sentence. “Okay, so maybe it was a risk I was willing to take.”

While he was certainly well enough to climb the stairs (and had originally intended to free climb the skyscraper with Jack), a flight to the top sounded great in Minoru’s book. Getting up and off the ground was always fun.

“While it was mentioned before you arrived that enough electricity had been generated to power the elevator, I am certain that, given the circumstances, that power could be put to better uses than ferrying people. And I would be... very appreciative of a lift...” Isamu bowed politely. “Slowly... please...”

“I can get the bags, bro.” Minoru added, going to fetch everything they’d brought.

Jack is good at covering anything that might give away that he is bothered by the encounters. "TimTim and Mocha are the two smaller ones. They're usually the kid's mounts. And this is Sabre, my big boy. I think he used to be a carriage horse."

Donya shook their head at the offer. "I need to take care of the horses first."

After such hard riding they would need food, water, and a good brushing. Jack patted the horses and relents to a lift up to the top floor. From where they were the angel could easily fly them up the center of the emergency stairwell to the 60th floor.

The top floor office had been converted. The front reception into a living room and kitchen area. It's cold in this area, as cold as outside almost though there is a kerosene heater by the sink area to keep things a little warmer. The main executive office is what Jack had turned into his bedroom. It is one of the side offices though that Jack will take them into.

This room has some couches and is warm, heated by kerosene space heaters and the sun blazing through the windows. There's a view out toward Liberty Island from this side of the building. Hannah is sitting in the room watching Choko and Charlie who are sitting on the floor busily coloring. The crib is also in this room where the family sleeps most night when it is cold.

Jack gives Hannah a kiss on the forehead while Charlie toddles over to feel for the familiar voice. He easily picks up the boy for a snuggle and introduces the twins to the family. The kids are friendly but Hannah has a very suspicious and fearful look at first. It will take her some time to get used to strangers though she will warm up quickly.

Once Balthazar had lifted them all up to the top floor he allowed Jack to do what he needed to do involving the family. Hannah had to be looked after as did the kids. Choko and poor little Charlie. It warmed the angel's heart every time just seeing the little mite walk up to Jack, knowing the familiar feel and scent of the man.

As for the twins, Balthazar offered them both a smile as they got to witness life on top of Manhattan Chase. Jack's world. It was part of the angel's life now too that he was part of the family, even if it was still new to him. He loved them all.

"Are you sure you don't want me to dress that wound, love? It could become infected."

Balthazar walking over to Jack, just gently eyeing up the wound to his shoulder briefly. Not wanting to make too much of a fuss but still caring being Jack's doting angel partner. A quick glance to the twins and the angel was stepping out of Jack's way so he could do what he needed to do.

"How about I make everyone a cup of tea? Boys, what will you have?"

It was the first time either of the twins had seen where Jack lived. Naturally, they looked around at everything while following others into the family room. It was such a stark contrast to the world outside, and even the reception-turned-kitchen. With the large windows, gorgeous view and plenty of sunlight, it was pleasantly warm and inviting.

Minoru set both bags down by the doorway and hurried over to meet everyone. Which probably didn’t help Hanna’s nerves.

When introduced, they bowed politely.

“It is a pleasure to meet all of you.” Isamu replied, his voice still a little shaky from everything that had happened.

“Hey there Choko! Good to see you again!” Minoru waved. He’d seen her friendly face at the physical therapy clinic where he was volunteering. “Doing your daily exercises?”

“Tea sounds particularly good right about now, thank you.” Isamu nodded gratefully to Balthazar. “Though after the eventful arrival, perhaps something with less caffeine?”

"She is always reminding me." Hannah answers reflexively but the faint smile is still nervous as she watches the two people who have arrived. Charlie also seems to have buried himself in Jack's chest and doesn't want to see anyone. Though anyone who knows kids will see the tired in the way he balls his fists up against his unfocused eyes.

"Are you sleepy?" Jack asks Charlie before turning his attention to the conversation. "There's dried mint and lavender in the cabinet but leave the willow and calendula. You might want to make a bottle while you're out there too."

Jack did keep a stash of herbs for minor things and when medicine was in short supply. He was not a master at herbs though, just merely picking up a little from the others in the city when he can.

"You can sit." Jack offers the twins. There are two couches, and of course the thick rug on the floor if they wanted to sit with Choko.

Less caffeine.

Well, if Isamu wanted less caffeine than perhaps something along the herbal variety might help. Listening to Jack's words, Balthazar rummaged around and found the dried mint and lavender placing a few in a teapot and adding the hot water once it boiled. Carrying the teapot into the room, he also brought in some cups so that the twins and Jack could have some tea.

"Here we are. Lavender and dried mint tea. I should thank Jack for procuring said items most perfectly."

Balthazar moved to fill his cup up taking a drink of the beverage. Not bad. Then, passing Isamu his tea and tipping some into Jack's cup, passing his. This was also accompanied with a kiss to his cheek before the angel sat down, smiling.

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