Opening his front door Eian stumbled unto a strange scene, which evoked a strange series of emotions.

Confusion, fear, anxiety, relief and a touch of anger.

His mother's back was bending over a collapsed fat man, while another athletic semi-nude man chewed his nails with eyes that darted everywhere.

The shirtless man was covered in thin lacerations, which had to be excruciating as well as ugly to look at.

The blood trailing the floor and Eian was sure it wasn't from the semi-nude jittery man, his mother's back was also spotless.

Judging from her frantic movements his mind registered the blood was from the fat guy.

Turning, both his mother and the slimmer man saw him after the door shut.

"What's going on?" Eian measured his words, he didn't want them freaking out.

Rushing he went over to his mother, the blood had him on edge.

"Sweetheart!" Elisa rushed over to him, covered in blood.

"Are you hurt, Ma?" Eian held her blood-soaked hands with concern.

"No! I'm fine. It's not mine!" His mother assured him, patting him from cheek to chest.

Checking her over, he reached the conclusion she was fine.

She kept hugging him though, muttering about how much she loved him, it was actually a bit embarrassing when he realized they had company.

His mother still would not let go, despite insisting he was fine.

The other guy was actually ignoring them, a dead look in his eye as he stared at the other man on the floor.

"Please Miss El, I didn't mean it. Honest." Martin's voice broke, on the verge panic.

"Mister Martin?" Eian stared, he looked stronger, a lot stronger actually.

Martin was covering his mouth with both hands, looking a bit ill.

"What happened?" Eian was at a loss, the fat guy on the floor made him nervous.

"Jay's dead!" Martin was definitely panicking now.

*****

"Okay. The most important thing to do is to stay calm." Eian looked at both of them, having already given them some water.

"Sss..st..stay calm? Honestly? FUCK! The cops are going to lose their shit and I'll end up in a cell!?" Martin's voice trembled, before breaking out.

Eian glared at him, they had to think of something and Martin wasn't helping.

"It was an accident, Martin. We can explain everything, it was self-defense." Elisa spoke softly and comforting.

"Self-defense? They'll take one look at me and say I could have restrained him or something." Martin lowered his tone, but it was still a bit shakey.

"Come on, there's a lot going on right now. I don't think this is the most important thing right now either." Eian reasoned.

"World might be ending, that just means people will be jumpier to put me down. California has the death penalty." Martin argued.

'Wow, this guy is starting to piss me off with this.' Eian rubbed his face, he could relate to his fright but from what he understood it was an accident.

His phone ringing saved Eian from further torture, rushing over to his room at the speed of light.

Checking the caller he realized it was Ed, still, it was a much-needed distraction.

"Hello? Ed?" Eian asked.

"Fuck nigga? I called like five times already, you ain't-a zombie or something right?" Ed sounded a bit nervous at that.

"Zombie? No, I do have a problem over here though..." Eian hesitated.

Eian wasn't sure if he should tell Mike, on one hand, Mike could not just go to the police, on the other telling anyone might be a bad idea.

"You and everyone else brother. Look you should pull up by my place, I got my people and the girls are over. My old man should be coming over too. We are ready for everything short of a nuke." Ed sounded serious.

"Ugh...I'm not sure my mom will be okay with that dude." Eian winced, she would actually say no straight up.

"You got guns?" Ed asked sarcastically.

"No." Frowning Eian mumbled.

"Look E, I know your mom's gonna flip but you gotta admit things'll get nasty quick. You'll both be safer over with me." Ed continued.

"I...Yeah Ed, but I got another problem. I...got a body." Eian winced, that sounded bad when he put it like that.

"....So? I have a body too." Ed sounded confused.

"Not MY body. I mean, you know....a dead guy." Eian stopped breathing and closed his eyes.

The phone was silent.

"...You're fucking with me? Like...for real?" Ed sounded skeptical, not accusing like a regular person would be.

"Yeah." He stated simply.

"What. The. Fuck. E? Look we gotta talk about this face to face, so I'll go there with a guy. Stay right there, you hear me? STAY RIGHT THERE." Ed sounded worried and then hung up.

Eian took a deep breath before calming himself down, he wasn't sure if Ed could help, but he had more experience with dodging the law than him.

His main problem was going to be explaining all this to Elisa, she knew Ed was into shady business and had therefore explicitly stated he wasn't welcome.

Eian himself felt strange still speaking to Ed but they were once close friends and Ed had not done anything to offend him personally so he simply spent less time with him citing his mother's reluctance.

Walking back into the living room Eian prepared himself for a scolding, a challenge and a neighbor with problems.

*****

Eian tried not to look at his mother, whom he knew had a grumpy frown on her face.

Martin looked like a lost puppy who had finally been given a chance, they had tried bandaging his wounds with old but clean clothes.

Eian had taken a refreshing quick bath and was still waiting for Ed to reach.

"I don't think this is a good idea. He's a bad influence and could get us in even deeper trouble." Elisa grumbled.

Eian remained silent, it was well past 7 o clock at the moment and he was beginning to have doubts.

"Miss El, please I don't want to go to jail," Martin begged, holding both hands together similar to prayer.

"I know, but I still think the police would see it our way." Elisa reasoned.

"I don't know if I can run that risk. Please, just let him say his piece first." Martin sighed at the last comment.

Elisa remained quiet, sighing after a while and nodding as well.

Eian took a deep breath, that was as close as he would get he supposed.

The sound of a vehicle parking outside alerted them.

"I'll go check," Eian said.

"Me too." Martin was quick and jumpy.

They all made their way to the only door into the building, taking a peek.

Eian inspected the vehicle, a moderate but long van, which could likely accommodate a group well over ten.

Smiling Eian recognized a familiar face, stepping out of the shotgun-seat beside the driver was Ed.

The driver also stepped out, a bulky heavy-set man in all black clothes who had black-shades on his forehead above his eyes, the driver went straight to the back of the vehicle extracting a bag of items.

"Bro that you?" Ed asked from a distance of the door.

Eian took a quick look at his friend, he still had a gut with that weasel nose and an inch or two shorter than himself.

"Yeah come in, come in." Eian opened the door and gestured them inside.

Stepping in Edward lowered his head towards Elisa.

"Miss Elisa, lovely as always." Ed kept his voice neutral and evaded eye contact.

"Hello, Edward. Welcome." Elisa answered, keeping her tone polite but neutral.

Eian could see at a glance that his mother's posture was defensive.

"Upstairs? We have to... Talk." Edward kept his usual slang out of his speech when speaking.

Passing up the stairs, they made their way past Jay's body, Edward motioned his accomplice and whispered a few things to him before addressing the rest of the group.

"Alright, who exactly uh... hurt him?" Ed asked carefully eyeing them all.

Eian, Elisa, and Martin stayed quiet for a moment.

"Well? I need details if we are going to help." Ed continued, slowly.

"It...it was me." Martin gulped.

Edward nodded, a flash of relief might have passed his face but Eian might have imagined it.

"Okay...Good. Eian, Miss Elisa, can we step inside while my friend, Mister Jacob, here discusses Mister~" Ed waited for a prompt.

"Martin," Martin added nervously.

"Yes. While he discusses Mister Martin's options with him." Ed finished.

"What options?" Elisa frowned.

Edward licked his lips and cleared his throat.

"Please it is best we not discuss...that, not that I don't trust you both, but in regards to liability we want both of you to be able to claim ignorance. Just in case." Edward looked at the door briefly.

"I don't quite like that..." Elsia sighed.

"Ma, I think it's for the best. Just say we don't know. For Martin's sake." Eian reasoned that was the fastest way to get out of here.

Eian was still not sure it would matter later on due to the impending apocalypse but it would be better to be safe than sorry.

Elisa sighed and relented with a nod.

"Mister Jacob, I'll leave Mister Martin in your capable hands." Ed nodded at Jacob.

"Just remember our deal Edward," Jacob stated it clear, with what might have been an implied threat.

"Yes, yes. Later." Edward's face visibly soured.

Eian briefly glanced over this large 'Jacob' fellow, the bag he brought could likely fit half a body but it seemed to be bulging full of items.

"Let's go inside please." Ed insisted.

******

Watching Edward, Eian saw his friend visibly deflating as he closed the door behind him.

"Fuck bro. I thought YOU did in the guy." Ed complained to Eian.

"Language in the house." Elsia folded her arms and looked at him distastefully.

"Sorry Miss El." Ed laughed nervously.

Eian gave him a sympathetic smirk, he had realized how it might have sounded but he hadn't been answering later calls.

"Yeah sorry." Eian scratched his neck.

Elisa stood up, getting both their attention.

"Eian, you told me you were not in Edward's little ring. Do you realize we could both get deported? Not only that but my brother could get in serious trouble!" Elisa growled.

"Wow, wow, wow. Mom, I'm not in his gang." Eian raised both hands defensively.

"Well actually~" Edward started.

"Quiet, not a word. I am speaking to my son." Elisa glared at Edward.

Edward backed away looking offended, muttering under his breathe.

"Well?" Elisa looked at Eian.

"Look, I'm not in his gang. We were friends in high school remember?" Eian asked trying to explain in a way that wouldn't look bad.

"Yes! And when he joined that little crowd of miscreants I told you to not associate with him." Elisa growled.

"I...Well we were friends. I mean...it's not like I visit him every day. We just hang out once in a while after work. Maybe once a week tops." Eian explained.

Grimacing he saw rage filling his mother's face, turning her crimson and the childhood part of his mind screamed at him to flee.

Lasting for all of a few seconds before sighing Elisa's face turned a more moderate color, breathing Eian urged his mind to think of something to say.

Finally, Elisa rubbed her face and went to get a seat on the couch, once seated she shooed Edward into Eian's room.

Once Edward was in Eian's room, with the door closed, Elisa started.

"Sweetheart, you aren't a baby anymore. I can't control your decisions, but please take us all into consideration. We have a life here and we were so close to finally getting out of poverty and living well ourselves." Elisa stared at him, the look of disappointment was a knife to his heart.

"Mom, Eds not like that~" Eian opened his mouth to continue, but Elisa cut him off with a raised hand.

She gestured him to sit on the other side of the same sofa, a small distance between them.

"Edward sells drugs because he is lazy, his grades were on par with Russel's early on. He is well smart enough to have studied and applied for a respectable career, instead, he is making all of us look terrible. Do you realize it is people like him that started the whole prejudice against our people?" Elisa raised a brow.

"....I.." Eian couldn't find an argument to that.

"Not only THAT. He brought a man who seems experienced in cleaning Bodies. BODIES! Sweetheart do you really want to associate with someone like that?" Elisa looked him in the eye.

Looking at the floor, Eian was trying to come up with an excuse or an explanation.

"I didn't even know he knew someone like that," Eian said lamely.

"And what else don't you know? What if he kills people for their organs or kills people for some other reason?" Elisa asked him.

"I don't think he does that ma, he just...I think he just sells drugs to have an easy life." Eian deflated, rubbing his face.

"Eian, Sweetheart, please just think about it some. He's not a good friend for you. Speak to him also. Maybe he can change his ways, but until he does I don't want you being blamed for his crimes." Elisa finished.

Getting up his mother looked at him one last time, a frown clearly visible.

"I'll go bathe and rest, it has been a long day." Elisa yawned.

"Okay." Eian sighed.

He saw his mother wash her bloody hands in the kitchen sink, come out of her room with a change of clothes followed by the familiar click of the bathroom door locking.

Once the shower started Edward came out.

"How bad was it?" Ed looked nervous.

"On a scale of one to ten? Twenty." Eian smiled.

"Wanna talk about it?" Ed licked his lips, looking at the floor.

"Not really, it's what you'd expect." Eian sighed, he was doing that a lot lately.

There was a momentary lapse in silence as Edward stood there fidgeting.

"Errr...E, you should really come over to my place you know. We got people and everyone else's family is doing the same." Edward rubbed the back of his hand.

"I don't think she'd like that. What did Russel say?" Eian looked his old time friend over.

"He's not even answering me." Edward sounded exasperated.

"I didn't think he'd be keen on it either way. By the way, who the hell was that Jacob guy? Guy's weird, and gives me chills." Eian couldn't help but feel a trace of accusation entering his voice.

Freezing, Eian saw Ed swallow and clear his throat, before laughing awkwardly.

"He's ...from a bigger group. You know the more...scary ones that have this sort of problem." Edward rubbed the bridge of his nose, not looking at Eian.

Eian stared at his friend as though he'd grown a second head.

"You're telling me. You brought a...a murderer into our apartment?" Eian sized up his friend, his mother's lecture fresh on his mind.

"No! Well...I don't know if he actually kills people, but they were the only guys I knew could help in this sort of situation! Bro, I thought you did in the fatty!" Edward's eyes got large.

"Fuck Ed, what the flying Fuck. Guy's probably a psycho or something." Eian looked at Ed, who was beet red.

"Nah, well maybe a bit, but we have a deal. I mean, what is he going to do? Hand me over to the cops?" Ed was getting defensive, his tone growing flustered.

"Ed, that's crazy man. I don't know, what if he backstabs us or something?" Eian pushed his point.

"E, relax. They sell we buy, nothing big, mostly Meds and Nines, but the Bossman has a whole network cooked up. Bad-business to 'back-stab' a consistent customer." Ed explained.

"I still don't like it and I thought you said you guys don't do anything big." Eian accused.

"And I wasn't lying, we aren't even a real gang. No Tatts. We just sell Med's on the side for a few groups and the Nines are mostly to scare off trouble." Ed said.

Eian quieted.

"Look bro, it's safer if we go together. Let's just deal with this after everything blows over. The drive was crazy by the way." Ed was frowning.

"My mom's not going to like that one-bit dude, I don't think we can change her mind." Eian sighed, confused.

'Why's everything so complicated.' Eian closed his eyes briefly pondering his choices.

After a silence, Edward tried again.

"And what'll you do when people break in? Looting started already E, I saw a few stores being robbed on the way. Also, a guy was getting beat then robbed too. How long till you get a mob outside your door? E, my man, listen to reason. Please." Edward rubbed his forehead.

Eian sat there pondering, he was confident in handling a small crowd, especially once all his powers came back, the only problem was everyone supposedly had powers now too so that might even the playing field.

Edward was pacing back and forth, growing more agitated by the second, Eian looked at him trying to make the right choice.

On one hand, his friend had a point, strength in numbers, on the other convincing his mother would be hard and she would likely still give him attitude the whole time.

'If the calls are any indication, the police must have their hands full and that likely includes the military. Civilians will have to fend for themselves till the situation comes under control.' Eian wasn't a genius but even if the government could handle this it would still take some time.

"Fine, I'll try." Eian sighed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes it was getting late.

"Don't try. Do. I'm serious here bro." Edward folded his arms, frowning.

The shower stopped and Eian racked his brain, he had to come up with something and fast.