Chewing your lips and tapping your foot restlessly on the floor, you sat on the stool in front of your desk and let your eyes wander over the numbers. For months you have been calculating everything, checking the facts and data that you had, more or less legitimately, collected.

But no matter which methods you applied or how often the numbers changed, in the end the same result always came out and it wasn't a nice one.

"Shit.", cursing, you threw the pen in your hand at the wall and caught it again as it bounced back.

A heavy sigh made your chest quiver. You stretched, your joints cracking and loosening. It had been several hours since you had moved, but it was too little time to actually get up from your work and take care of less important things like your physical health.

You had to laugh at the thought.

The basement where you had set up the lab was a cold, stuffy place with no natural light. Only the white glow of the neon lights allowed your eyes to see something and gave you the feeling of not being locked up.

The walls were covered with plant hybrids that you had specially crossed, hoping to be more efficient and less monster friendly food. But they didn't survive long in the climate outside your house, and instead served as a natural air filtration system for the basement. So you didn't have to ventilate and didn't suffocate while forgetting the time.

A win win situation.

Again you threw the pen against the wall and caught it.

Your thoughts wandered to the storms that had been making life difficult for people for ages. Briefly you thought about asking for information from someone who had been around longer than you and who had more experience with the matter. But for that you would have had to leave the house.

The thought alone was enough to send a shiver down your spine.

"Then back to work...", you gasped, writing down the same numbers and dates you'd been studying for years, to test out another idea.

But not five minutes passed before the door of the underground garage that connected the basement to the outside world opened behind you with a loud creak.

A warm gust of wind stroked your back. You shivered at the touch.

A shadow fell into the garage.

You didn't turn around. There was only one person who regularly bothered you with his presence.

Without removing the dirt from his boots, he entered and rubbed through his short, blond hair. Dust rained from the strands.

You rolled your eyes.

"How many times have I told you not to bring that dirt in here, JD?", you asked, throwing the pen at him without looking.

Grinning, he dodged the attack.

"It's just dirt.", he defended his mess with a shrug of his shoulders. "You're overreacting."

He placed the pen next to you and cast a curious glance over your shoulder.

With a wave of your hand, you shooed him away.

"The gate is still open.", you said, giving him an expectant look out of the corner of your eye.

He shrugged.

"So?"

You sighed.

"Close it."

"Are you allergic to fresh air?", he laughed.

"Yes."

"Ugh, really funny (Y/N). A little outside wouldn't hurt you."

With a raised eyebrow and a smirk, you turned to face him fully.

"JD.", you said in a sarcastic tone. "You of all people should know that one step out of this basement will kill me."

The blond, blue-eyed giant rolled his eyes, but couldn't help grinning.

You and James Dominic Fenix had been close friends since childhood, though you two couldn't be more different.

He was brave, social and sometimes a little stupid when it came to making good life choices. You, on the other hand, were cautious, admittedly a bit fearful, and tried to avoid everything and everyone with a pulse as best you could.

But even though you were like night and day, no one could deny that you two made a good team. Even if he liked nothing more than to get on your last nerve.

"Come on.", he crossed his arms in front of his broad chest and raised his chin. "How long have you been down here? Be honest."

Sourly you pulled a face.

"Two days...", you mumbled, avoiding his gaze.

His eyebrow rose as he leaned down to you.

"I told you to be honest."

Suppressing an uncomfortable grin, you rubbed the back of your neck. Your eyes jumped to the gate, where bright daylight mixed with the green of plants and the red of sandstone.

"Five days?", you guessed.

He looked down at you.

"More like a week. Or longer... my good you smell worse than my socks after patrolling."

You frowned, grinning.

"Thanks, JD. I really appreciate the honesty.", you pushed him away to jump from your seat and escape the fresh air.

But he grabbed you by the wrist.

"Not so fast. Do you really think I'll let you go like this? Come on, we barely see each other anymore. Don't just leave me."

You rolled your eyes.

"Well I'm not the one who decided to join some outsiders on the other side of the city."

"You're funny saying that as if you're not living outside the walls either."

"Fair enough. But still, you could have stayed with Marcus. He's still living close."

His gaze darkened.

"He's mad.", he said.

You frowned in confusion.

"So? He always is."

"I wonder how he's my real dad. We're totally not alike."

"He told me you're your mother son.", you eyed him, from the broad shoulders to his muscular arms and chest, up to the soft, boyish face with the dirty blond hair. "You have her beauty that's for sure."

He gasped and pushed you away.

"Shut up!", he complained. "I'm a manly man! Call me handsome at least."

"Shoot me if I ever do that."

"I'd shoot you right now if we wouldn't be friends.", he joked and wiggled with his gun in the air. "So. Put on some proper outside clothes and let's go."

"JD...", you said his name like an annoyed child. "I don't want to go..."

"You have to. I found some neat stuff you might want to check out. Trust me."

"Can I ask you to shoot me instead..?"

He rolled his blue eyes.

"Let's go!"