c.o.m.m.u.n.i.t.y. is {family} -crystal-

[~echo~]

Apocalypse. It was the only way to describe it. Mark Oleander lost everything the day the world went to h*ll. His parents. His siblings. Everything but his best friend, Braden. He was convinced that everything would be better if everything was controlled. They set up a base. It was well-protected, well-supplied. Almost nothing could get through the walls. Braden and Mark saved several people and brought them back to their base, made a community based on rigid routine. But Braden didn't agree with it and so he left. Mark was heartbroken and swore to find him again. It wasn't safe out there, right?

Mark gestured to the team with him to go around the side. He thought he had found Braden again and was intent on bringing him back to the community. He held his gun out to his front and entered the little mobile home. "Freeze!" he said. But no one was there. He cursed and kicked an old beer can to the side. "We missed him!"

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Braden hadn't sensed the team--his best friend had become too good for that, almost as good as him. The difference was that Mark had grown soft running his community, while Braden had months of training as a STARS operative. He was trained to hear every sound, note every movement, because one mistake could be his last. He slipped into a building and watched the team from the window, his eyes narrowed.

[~echo~]

Mark kicked another can and then headed outside, glaring up at the sky. He would give anything to have his friend back. But he had come to the conclusion that he had done something that Braden couldn't forgive. His goal now was to find him, ask him what it had been and then fix whatever it was.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Braden turned and took the back door out of the building, then headed back toward the STARS HQ. He didn't want to face his old friend; he didn't think he could.

[~echo~]

The man growled under his breath. "Split up," he said. "Find him." He went off in the same direction in which the STARs headquarters lay.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Gabriel nodded to him as he walked in. "Did you find anything?" he asked.

Braden glanced in his direction, his expression shadowed. "More than you know," he murmured before walking off.

[~echo~]

Mark swiftly found himself near the STARS headquarters. He looked suspiciously at it and then decided against approaching until he thought it was safe.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Braden went to the kitchen to grab himself something to eat. He had no concerns that Mark would find him there, or at least that he wouldn't dare come near.

[~echo~]

Mark approached the gate and yelled for somebody to come.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Gabriel was the first to hear it, so he headed out the door and walked to the gate. He narrowed his eyes at Mark, his hand going to the gun holstered on his hip. "Who are you?"

[~echo~]

"I am but a simple traveler," he lied smoothly. "I have lost my friend and I was wondering if somebody named Braden had come through here."

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Gabriel narrowed his eyes. He automatically sensed something off about this guy. Maybe it was the look in his eyes or the way he said 'but a simple traveler.' "Sorry, no Braden that I know of," he said. "I hope you find him."

[~echo~]

Mark's eyes narrowed. "Are you quite sure?"

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

"Yes," Gabriel said calmly. "Can I help you look? I know a couple of refugee places."

[~echo~]

Mark glared at him. "I know that this man would come here. He would want to fight."

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Gabriel narrowed his eyes. "Why do you want to find him?" he asked.

[~echo~]

"I fear for his life. He is my best friend- he is all I have!"

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

"You know what, let me go ask if any of the others has heard of a Braden in these parts," he said. "I'll be back."

[~echo~]

Mark nodded thankfully. Finally they were getting somewhere!

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Gabriel turned and walked back into the complex. He found Braden still in the kitchen. "There's some dude here looking for you. There's something off about him."

Braden stiffened. So Mark had been stupid enough to come here. He strode out of the kitchen and down the hallway to the armory.

"Where are you going?" Gabriel asked, jogging after him.

"To get some guns."