Talon was testing his knives on his outer forearm when a small knock came from the door. He listened to Liz's call, feeling a bit sour and a bit sweet. She's lucky I wasn't sharpening knives or I wouldn't have heard that knock.
He grabbed a old, pale, rag and wiped at the slices vigorously. They still bled. Nothing to do about it then. "On my way, Liz." He opened the thick iron door slowly and grinned at Liz evilly. "I'm ready capture and torture some adult--" He mouthed a word rhyming with pushy.

"With a cherry on top?" Len crinkled his nose on mock thought, as if debating weather or not to ask around. After a moment of thought, he nodded and stood up.

"Come on. I have an idea where Liz is, but I don't think you like that part of HQ." He was pretty sure that she knew what he was talking about. Liz loved to hang around Talon and his knives in the Torture room. (And honestly, he didn't like the fact that there was a torture room- it was too morbid for his likings.) Most of the children thought it was a scary place, and he too didn't like it much, but the room was an essential place to their missions.

"After I ask her, I'll be setting up in the living room." he shrugged lightly before turning around, the whip of hair hitting him on the other shoulder. He then started to walk down the dark and dreary hallway, finding Liz and Talon talking.

"Adult, what now?" Len mumbled. He hated how the kids would just say stuff like that. Not all adults- especially if they lived outside of the country- were brainwashed.

"Nevermind. I need a log of what happened in the meeting. A few of the other members missed the meeting." He crossed his arms and leaned his back against the wall.

I jumped off my bed and ran out of the room. My stomach was killing me. I hadn't really eaten at all the whole morning so when I get to hungry it makes me sick. Whenever the other people here see me running through the halls they know that I am either running for my life or running to the kitchen. I ran down the hall and slightly to the left. The break room door was open meaning there was not a meeting going on. I slipped in and ran to the counters and fridge. I slowed my pace when opening the door the food int the door would not fall out into a saucy avalanche. I scanned the contents of the fridge until I found a pumpkin spice muffin wrapped up in plastic wrap on a paper plate. I pulled it out and set it on the counter next to the fridge. Next I pulled out the container of orange juice and set it next to the muffin. I closed the door and reached up for the cabinet and got a cup. Next thing I knew I was sitting at the conference table with muffin crumbs everywhere and a drop of orange juice left in the cup. Clearly I was very hungry. I sat there for a few seconds and finished the drop of orange juice. Then I stood up with the plate and cup in my hands and walked to the sink. The dishes were cleaned and the table was crumb free. I could walk around now and not be blamed for any mess whatsoever. I walked out of the room and headed back for my room. Once through the door I kept the lights off and stumbled to the bed.

I snuck into Merian's room. She was the only one I really had to confide in. I was, not for the first time, hopelessly lost."Hey Merian? Are you up? I really need to talk to you."I tried to be as quiet as possible just in case she was asleep. I could tell that she was having a restless sleep from the blankets being.. everywhere and her pillow on the the ground. I had to admit i was kind of concerned. This was very out of character for our sweet , hyper active, Merian.

" Hey Kiran! Sorry! I've been running around like a crazy person. We had to start a new patrol around the edge of the forest. We found out guards are getting a little to close for comfort. Talon is leading the group. You're welcome to join them if you please. I'd perfer there be another of us to go with those kids just in case Talon gets a little out of hand. I have limited his prisnor amount to two a week, but who knows what goes through his hard head."

Before exiting the HQ, Talon called out to Liz. She had sharper eyes than he, and could spot a guard faster. The 'LIZ' echoed through the halls undeniably loud. She might be angry now...
Talon's sullen red eyes scanned the horizon in the dying sunset. While waiting for any other children to arrive, he decided to scope out the perimeter. Familiar deep brown woods and textures invaded his eyes, along with deep greens and tints of yellow here and there. He couldn't see anyone, but he could quite clearly smell the stench of a cancer stick somewhere up wind of him, west. Burning cigarette smell made his eyes water. Talon wiped his eyes grouchily.

"Okay, so, why did you drag me out here? I want a straight answer not some stupid riddle or one liner." I was freezing and honestly didn't care if I was being rude. He could deal with it.

Talon took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, resisting the urges to hug her or to punch her in the side of the face. Anyone else. Anyone else would have their throat slit. You're a very lucky girl, Liz Baker, for your life has been spared this freezing evening.
"I simply wanted you to join the team. You can't deny that you have excellent eyesight, and could spot a guard faster than I could smell or hear him. Eyes watering over a forge tend to lose their sharpness. " He stopped to consider his statement. No stupid line in there at all. "And because you'll warm the air up out here." T wondered if she'd understand what he meant.
Abruptly, he got up and walked to the HQ entrance again. "Children! I require your assistance!"

"And because you'll warm the air up out here.", Talon said before abrubtly walking off. Was he saying what i think he was saying?... No no no it couldn't be. I... I have to ask. " Talon,My cheeks heated, but I couldn't back out now " Did you just try to hit on me?I.. I ... never mind forget i said anything. My cheeks flamed so much I practically felt the pink on my face.

Talon bit his lip again. It's going to bleed if you don't stop! A voice in the back of his mind whispered. He bit down harder, tasting blood behind his teeth.
Stop, now. This isn't worth it. Shrug it off. No, you weren't hitting on Liz. No, you are not mesmerized by her--- everything. Yes, you will avoid thinking about Liz in the future. Yes, this is your conscious speaking. Talon quickly tried to make up a response that would fit the criteria of a good lie. "No, I was remarking--" He paused, unable to come up with a lie. Think! "On the way the sky seemed to clear when you walked out. Sun makes it warm, ya know?" He hesitated again. Staring at the leaves beneath his feet intensely, like he was going to set them on fire with his gaze, he continued. "Employees aren't allowed to hit on their boss. You're out of my range, remember?"
Talon- Code Name Blade- walked a few more paces away, pulling out a small dagger to slice at a nearby convenient tree. It's a wood, there were quite a few convenient trees.

" Well FIRST of all, you're not my employee and I'm not your boss, I just take care of you guys. All i did was give you a home and a few --- chores, if you will, to do. Second of all you're the worst liar ever. I can always tell when you lie. You see I wouldn't have cared if your were hitting on me, I care when you keep things from me. Your supposed to be my best friend, we're supposed to tell each other everything. I tell you when somethings bothering me, or if you ask me a question I don't try to cover up what I'm feeling with some stupid lie. What did I do to deserve that from you, Talon, what did I do? I want an honest answer from you. Even if it's the only honest answer I ever get from you, I want it."I felt the watering in my eyes and had to blink several times to get it to go away. I really didn't want to cry, especially not here in front of Talon.

Talon had put his knife away when she started talking. He stood completely still, taking in every word and phrase she used.
"...Even if it's the only honest answer I ever get from you, I want it."
Taken aback, he felt himself pulled at the wave of emotion he had held back over the many years he had known her with a dam of apathy and blood. Tears filled his own eyes. I caused her this pain.
Head down, hair covering his eyes, he approached Liz silently. He folded her into his arms in a tight hug, burying his face into her hair. "I'm sorry" He meant it, too. Hesitating a bit, he continued. "I love you. But even if you returned my feelings, our duty is to the cause, to bring down the dictator destroying our lives. You don't have the time to worry or think over me, and for that, I'm sorry. I'm also sorry I've cause you pain, because that was never my intention. Rather, I hid this from you to save you from pain, and it's bitten me in the a--." Talon pulled away from her. Looking down at Liz, he wiped her eyes with his thumb. "Don't waste your tears."

"Oh Talon,"I soothed "It's okay, and I completely understand.I just want you to know I love you too. I don't know how I'd survive without you being my pain in the ... well ya know what I mean."I let out a nervous laugh. I was still shedding tears ,but I wasn't as sad anymore." I'm just really surprised that this was how you've felt. I...I ...I couldn't find anything else to say ,so I just snuggled my head against his chest trying to hold back the tears that still wanted to over flow. It was the perfect moment and seemed to good to be true, and it was. I heard the crackle of a leaf and turned my head. There at the edge of the forest I saw him. One unlucky gaurd about to become, let's face it, Talon's new toy. " Talon, we've got company."

A slow grin grew on Talon's face. His eyebrows narrowed sinisterly. He could already imagine the many ways to make this man scream for mercy.
He pushed Liz behind him first, so as to get her away from his own swinging blades. Deftly, he removed his favorite knife from his hunting boot, and threw it. It hit home with a solid thud into the guard's shoulder. Before the guard could raise an alarm, Blade was there, ramming the hilt of another heavy dagger of his behind the guard's ear, knocking him out. The man's body crumpled to the ground in a wrinkled heap.

ϟ✶❊☢❦✥

Eric, Miranda, Kayla, Mark, Erin, and Thomas walked out of HQ, guns ablazing with fire. They looked comical in their enthusiasm, but they were a bit to late to witness a fight.
Erin, with her commanding presence, spoke first. "Where are the guards? The boys want to fight." She rolled her eyes in the general direction of the rest of her group. The team was sniffing around the perimeter, scanning the horizon for any suspicious patch of trees.

ϟ✶❊☢❦✥

"Talon, I'm heading to bed... uh goodnight." If the children weren't there I'd ask him to join me ,but oh well responsibility came first. I hugged him and left him to dragging his new "toy" back into HQ. I for one was beat, and wanted nothing more than to sleep until next Caturday.

Talon's hair covered his face while he watched Liz enter HQ.
He turned to the body he was dragging. The cold would wake this man up before he was bound by chains if Talon didn't get him to the Torture room fast enough. He efficiently grabbed the man's arms and dragged him through the camouflaged HQ door, the poor guard's back scraping against the rough stone floor.
Once he got through the door into the HQ foyer, Talon dropped the guard and bounded over him to the door. Quickly, he said, Scope the woods withing 1/4 mile radius of here. Take out any guards you see, discreetly, and take them somewhere they won't be found. Anyone who has markings of high rank, bring to HQ. Orders stated, Talon returned to his task of dragging the dead weight into his torture room.

" Hey Landon come here. I found a really cool way to organize tonight's party!"I flashed a grin in his direction.

"Wha..What?"' I say a little peeved at the fact she woke me up." Can't this wait 'till later?"

" NOOOOO! Get your butt over here. Preettyy please?I put on the best pouty face I could.

"Okay Okay."I sighed. "So who all is invited tonight?"I suspected it would be everyone exculding Lenn.

"He is such a fuddy duddy when it comes to this stuff."

Merian woke up and looked at the time. She jumped up and ran out the door. She began to walk down the hall and went to the Breakroom. Merian walked in and all she could see was a chair. Everything else was blurry from sleep in her eyes. SHe stumbled to the chair and plopped down. So comfortable.She leaned over the table and put her head on her arms.