Chapter 2: What We Came Here For

Old 2014 Disclaimer: I do not own Race to Witch Mountain or any of the characters except for my OC, Terra.

I just wanted to let you guys know that I will be using the main plot and sequence of events as the movie, but I've decided to change things up a bit. Seth is going to be a little older than he appears in the movie, and so is my OC, but I was also thinking about adding in a couple scenes; just as a warning. Thanks for reading! Hope you guys enjoy, be sure to review and follow the story as it progresses.

The once lively scenery of Las Vegas soon turned to an open expanse of desert as the unlikely group rode on. Sand began to cover every inch of land for as far as the eye could see while dozens of green plants bred for the heat provided a pop of color here and there. Terra had never been so far away from the city and could be caught staring out the windows of the cab like a child at almost every turn; her green eyes wide with curiosity. The siblings at her sides were much the same, though their curiosity appeared much more subdued as Seth's face still held a look of contempt no matter how many times Sarah tried to soothe him. He had yet to turn his head since the whole incident, Terra was choosing to call it, and she still had no idea what any of it meant. If anything had even really happened.

Their journey continued on within the confinements of their small yellow taxi, and the redhead started to count the number of cacti they passed by out of sheer boredom. It had been what seemed like forever to Terra since she'd seen those ocean blue eyes of the boy beside her, and yet they managed to cloud every aspect of her thoughts, leaving little else to think about. It was infuriating having Seth act so cold towards her when something had obviously happened between the two of them. She at least deserved an explanation. With a frown, Terra just hoped he'd come around before Jack let them out of the cab, otherwise she may never find out what it was that left the surface of her skin closest to him buzzing with warmth.

"Are your parents gonna be okay with you kids spending all this money?" Jack finally broke the silence as he eyed the meter. They were wracking up an awful tall toll.

Seth again leaned forward, his lips drawn in tight. "We have previously agreed about our financial deal. If your concern is regarding your compensation_"

"My concern is the fact that I've got a couple of kids, Terra not included - in the back of my cab with a big wad of cash, and a drop-off location that's pretty much in the middle of nowhere. Now in my book, that's a little chapter called running away," Jack stated, rolling his head to the side with his words. Accustomed to that particular tone in his voice, Terra cringed, knowing they were bound for a lecture. Though the cab's radio crackled to life right as Jack opened his mouth to continue, thankfully sparing them.

"Jack, you better be getting desert miles on that fairer, and they better be able to pay! And you better get me an ETA, capiche?" The mumbled voice sounded through the radio, rising in volume with each demand. Both Jack and Terra both rolled their eyes as he picked up the small extension. Dominic was such a pain sometimes. "I'm losing reception Dominic," her friend lied, which had Terra laughing from the backseat. They'd get an earful when they got back to the station, but it'd been worth it. Anything was better than listening to his boss yelling twenty-four seven.

"Jack! Jack_" the man in question shut the radio off completely after returning the extension to its holder, not the least bit bothered after having brushed off his boss. Sarah and Seth looked to each other quizzically at the interaction, neither saying a word.

The cab had almost returned to the same quiet air following the one-sided radio conversation when a tension seemed to take hold of the blonde siblings. Terra watched warily as Sarah sprung up from her seat, whipping around to face the back window with a silent gasp, which soon caused Seth to do the same. Within the blink of an eye, both siblings were now facing the front, an uncharacteristic sort of desperation pulling at their faces as they grasped the back of the front seats. "Jack Bruno," Sarah called, using his full name as she had since first getting in the car, "The vehicles behind us are indicating a pattern of pursuit."

Without looking, Jack simply huffed. "There's no vehicles following_" his calm gaze lastly landed on the rear-view mirror, eyes growing the fraction of an inch wider at the sight of large black SUV reeving up over the hill not far behind them

It was Seth who chimed in next, "With your current speed versus theirs, they will overtake our vehicle in less than_" "Oh relax kid, I'm just gonna let them pass," Jack settled, brushing his suggestions off despite the note of unease in his own voice. Terra turned, along with Seth and Sarah to see what the fuss was about, noticing a black SUV about half a mile behind them. With a casual comment poised on her tongue, the teen was stopped unexpectedly by the sizable shrink in distance between the two vehicles the longer she watched. The car was actually acting like it was trying to catch up to them.

Thinking back to that morning and the close encounter with the two suited men had an anxious hum rattling up her throat, "Um…Jack?"

"Oh, not you too," he grumbled, rolling down the window to gesture back with his arm for them to pass. "Open road people! It's all yours!"

Now within a hundred yards of the cab, the SUV did indeed pull around as if it were making to pass. Heart beginning to beat the slightest bit faster, Terra knew she should have been comforted by the fact it moved, had another identical SUV not appeared exactly in its place behind them. Now she was just panicking.

The original vehicle crept eerily slow alongside the cab, allowing both Seth and Terra to see the densely tinted windows while it passed by. She couldn't shake the feeling that someone was staring at them on the other side. "See? What did I tell ya?" Jack smiled, "No one's following us. I'm the king of these roads, and_" "Jack Bruno!" Sarah shouted while throwing her hand forward. The SUV that had sped ahead of them had brusquely slammed on its brakes, angling its body to block the entirety of the open road. Swerving to avoid a collision, one of the now two identical vehicles behind them clipped their tail end, sending the car spinning wildly to the side.

Jack somehow managed to turn the car around and successfully dodge the SUV ahead, his foot hitting the gas pedal like a ton of bricks. Racing down the abandoned road with the other two cars behind him, Terra's old friend clutched the wheel tightly, "I said I was out, and I meant it!"

"Who is Mr. Wolfe, Jack Bruno?" Sarah's wide eyes pleaded with him for the answer, startling both Jack and Terra with her knowledge of the name. Brows furrowed, the redhead turned on the girl to her right with a scowl, "How do you know about_" A surge of force thrust them all forward as one of the three SUVs rammed into the back of the taxi, leaving the girl winded from the force at which her seatbelt constricted. "Get down now!" Jack ordered.

Crouching as close to the floor as possible, all three teens wrapped their arms over their heads for protection. The cab continued to shake and rattle as it was pushed around by the other cars, and Terra was honestly surprised the older model managed to hold its own. Nevertheless, that didn't keep the unpleasant thoughts of what would happen to them if they were caught from her mind. After all, the name Mr. Wolfe didn't exactly give off a very forgiving vibe.

Hands trembling, Terra worriedly tugged at her beanie, where only a second after a sudden warmth came to encase one of her palms, gently prying her fingers from the hat until they were interlaced with another's. Looking up ever so slightly, the teen was met with a pair of concerned blue eyes - the same blue eyes that had her heart literally melting hours ago. Brows knitted together, Seth's mouth opened a fraction as they stared at each other, as if he wished to say something, though his brooding conscience must have gotten the better of him for his jaw snapped together rigidly a few seconds later, back tense. Though his grip on her hand did not lessen.

At least they were getting somewhere, Terra sighed.

There was a power, an unmistakable energy that radiated off his body like electricity. Terra could feel it from his hand alone. Pondering her previous assumption and the current situation they were in, she questioned if it truly was it foolish to believe that the two siblings were something a bit more than ordinary. Perhaps they were the true reason for all this trouble. Or was that too far-fetched?

All three SUVs began to enclose the cab in every direction, causing Jack to ram into their sides again and again. It was almost like bumper cars, the way the cab jostled them around, and given her unfriendly history with amusement park rides Terra had to take several deep breaths to ensure she didn't get sick. Sarah and Seth, however, seemed to be fine, sharing a silent conversation with their eyes alone.

"Hold on," Jack grunted while pressing the gas pedal to the floorboard, throwing two of the SUVs off the road in a large cloud of dust. Popping their heads back up, the three teens lastly looked back in fear at the sight of one more vehicle following them. If they could somehow manage to evade this car, they would be home free.

"Jack Bruno it would appear we have not eluded them," Sarah stated, directing his attention back to the car. With a huff of frustration and gritted teeth, Jack clutched the steering wheel tightly, "I am so over this. Stay down! Stay down!"

Returning to their previous positions, Terra gripped tighter to Seth's hand, feeling him squeeze back. A determined tilt took to his jaw as he faced the two girls, Sarah immediately shaking her head, "Seth, no. That is not a good idea."

"I have to try." He finished, unwilling to argue.

The power she previously felt coming from his form seemed to strengthen, growing in intensity until it was nothing short of an invisible cocoon of crackling sparks. Terra couldn't help but to release a gasp as her fingers began to tingle, the sensation fizzling up her own arm with minuscule embers of static energy in a way that made her shiver. Whatever Seth was about to do, it would involve a serious amount of power – apparently superhuman, yet the teen could not find it in herself to be disturbed. Something inside her was strangely, comforted by the energy, allowing her tense shoulders to ease. Though, her hand did tighten as the impression of his palm against hers slowly faded away.

"It's too dangerous," she whispered, uncharacteristically distressed at the thought of him getting hurt. She had no idea what he was about to do, but she knew whoever was chasing them would not show him mercy just because he was a teenager. Squeezing his fingers, Seth appeared to materialize wholly once more, his hand now just as heavy and present as it had once been. He looked at her, eyes analyzing her face before he dipped his own closer. Terra's heartbeat skyrocketed, thinking he was going to kiss her as their lips grew close enough to touch. It was when he rested his forehead coolly against hers that she calmed down, a resound wave of reassurance stripping her anxiety away. "I will be back," he soothed, earning an instinctive nod in return.

Without another word, Seth faced the front once again, an eerie blue light emanating from the surface of his skin. It flashed like scales, absorbing his body through the interior of the car until he was no longer visible; his hand slipping out of Terra's as she stared wide-eyed at the display. Looking back, the two girls found him crouched on the road just behind the cab, growing further away with every second Jack continued to lay on the gas pedal. He stood up so calmly, despite the impending nature of the large SUV racing towards him, which had Terra briefly wondering if he had faced something like this before.

Merely turning his body, Terra gawked as the entire front of the black car was crushed against his form – folding as if it had collided with a brick wall. Seth stood completely still, not having moved an inch from the impact while the light blue energy again radiated off his form. The vehicle proceeded to soar straight over his head and land upside down on the road separating them with great force, pieces of metal and glass flying everywhere.

Sarah threw her hand forward in a fist, forcing the cab to come to a screeching halt that jerked her and Terra both towards the front. Jack, oblivious to the blonde's motions, whined in frustration while banging against the steering wheel, "Oh, what now?" Flipping her palm, the blonde sibling ushered the vehicle into reverse, speeding backwards down the same road in an effort to collect her brother. Stopping again an inch away from the side of the mangled SUV, Sarah locked eyes with Terra, brows twitching in curiosity after all that she had seen. The redhead in question, was surprisingly composed, her wide gaze being the only indicator of alarm. Yet Sarah was more interested in her thoughts – the continuous moments of déjà vu and familiarity that passed through the other girl's head. Seth would need to be made aware immediately.

"Are you three okay?" Jack asked after catching his breath. Nervously looking back to him, Sarah was too distracted by the girl at her side to competently answer, "We are…" "Fine," Seth finished while phasing back into his seat, "We should just…keep…moving." Oblivious to the superpower show, Jack threw open the door with a crowbar in hand. His mind certain that the men responsible were sent by his former employer. "Wait here."

Once left alone, Terra straightened in her seat, analyzing Seth for any injury before their hands again found one another. "Are you alright?" she asked, a bit breathless. It was still crazy for her to think that the very boy in front of her had literally phased through the back of the car and survived a head-on collision with another. Whoever these two were, they were powerful and definitely not your average human. Had they been experimented on or something?

Seth nodded, trying to avoid her eyes all the while holding her hand tight, and it was clear he did not wish for any more interaction than that. The fluctuation of his mood was maddening, having him comfort her one minute yet act cold the next, and Terra was fed up with his moodiness. For goodness sake, he was acting like a child! "Seth, I have no idea what happened between us," her annoyance towards his actions fueled her voice, "But you can't keep acting like this. I don't know why, but it hurts…"

His brows twitched as he turned to face the window, where Terra again felt an unusual pain claw her chest, her lip unknowingly beginning to tremble. Stern eyes zeroed in on her brother, Sarah not willing to sit by and watch his stubbornness ruin what she knew to be going on. "Seth, you will need to face this eventually," she stated, her tone final. As an answer, Seth turned on her, jaw set and eyes glaring. "We will discuss this later," he lastly answered, leaving the cab in a thick cloud of tension.

Jack returned precisely at that moment, restarting the car and persisting further into the desert, blissfully unaware of the interactions going on behind him.

"How are you kids holding up back there?" Running a hand over his shaved head, Jack glanced in the mirror to his three passengers. Sarah peeked over her shoulder, seeing only Terra's downhearted appearance and Seth's emotionless stare out the window. Neither of them made any motion to answer. "We are fine," the blonde sighed, slightly irritated herself.

A mimicking sigh came from their driver, his eyes downcast, "I'm sorry I dragged you three into all this." "There is no need to apologize Jack Bruno," Sarah eased, "You're not always the one to blame." Unfortunately, the sanctity of the moment was ruined as soon as a certain male passenger inserted himself into the conversation. "But the urgency of our trip has not decreased," Seth pressed, frustration far too present. Regardless of this, Jack simply nodded, "Look, don't worry, I'll get you two where you need to go. You've earned it."

The search for their destination led the group down rocky desert slopes, up grass-covered hills, through forests made of hulking boulders; all causing large clouds of dust to cake into the air behind them with each mile that passed. After what seemed like forever, the gray shambles of a roof came into view, giving way to a deteriorating shack situated right in the heart of nowhere. The tension that had previously clouded the cabin lifted slightly as the air of excitement radiated from the two blonde siblings, and Terra took a moment to breathe after having been suffocated for so long. "We're here Jack Bruno," Sarah announced with a bit of eagerness coloring her voice. "Here?" he asked, having not seen the shack resting down another slope, "There's nothing here."

Sharing a glance, Sarah nodded towards her brother to what seemed like a silent question as they drew closer to the shack. Drained of all its color from the hot desert sun, the one-story structure sat in a thick platform of sand and gravel, almost as though it had been waiting for them there. Terra's eyes narrowed the closer they got, not liking the feeling that crept up into her shoulders as the front windows of the shack reflected the sunlight back at them. "Someone's expecting you two, right?" Jack asked, sounding every bit the parental figure Terra had come to know, "It doesn't look like anyone's home."

"Don't worry Jack Bruno," Sarah grinned, "We will soon be reunited with relatives."

The small red numbers on the meter blinked at all of them as the car came to a halt. "Okay…seven hundred twenty dollars and fifty cents, but after everything that happened today, how about I knock off twenty-five percent and_" "Here," Seth handed him a wad of cash while sliding across the seats. His hand did not let go of Terra's, if anything, it grew tighter, which she assumed meant she was to follow as he pulled her out of the cab. Running across the sand, the three teens rushed inside, leaving Jack to himself out in the car as he counted his money. "Hey, you guys overpaid!" he shouted after them, noticing how a figure with red hair was amongst the siblings when entering the house.

The entire contents of the home was spread across the floor in disarray, tables flipped over, chairs pushed away, only leaving a single light bulb to provide any means of light while a fan hung from the ceiling swung around and around releasing a squeaky sound with each turn. Sarah and Seth both studied the mess with caution, being sure when they heard a noise to duck down behind a couch, dragging Terra down with them. That noise, however, turned out to be Jack. "Hello?" he called, opening the door just a hair.

Spying him from their hiding spot, Terra's instinct was to stand and usher him to safety, though her attempt was thwarted as Seth tugged her back down into a crouch. Green eyes sharpened as they narrowed into a glare, refusing to leave her friend vulnerable. Yet Seth seemed indifferent, his focus remaining on the surrounding area.

Jack quickly progressed when looking around the place, picking up a makeshift weapon along the way just to be safe. When he was close enough, Terra tried to gently grasp the bottom of his jacket. She should've known better given Jack's quick reflexes, as the table leg in his hand would've knocked her out cold had Seth not taken the blow. Just like in the car minutes earlier, a strange blue rippling expanded across the part of his body that would've been affected by the weapon, allowing it to phase right through until it hit the back of the couch they were nestled against. Jack studied the phenomenon in total bewilderment, "W-what just happened?"

"Jack Bruno, you should not have risked your life by following us," Sarah enforced, her words serious. A sort of beep came from Seth's side pocket, where he materialized the same device from before, fingers flying across the screen. The older man did not look impressed, "What sort of trouble are you two in?"

"I suggest you return back to your vehicle," Seth commanded, unwilling to look up from the screen, "Your services are no longer required."

"Seth, he's just trying to help," Terra objected.

"We don't need his help. Someone's already been here looking for it. We simply cannot trust any of them, just us." Seth's eyes traveled to the redhead beside him as well, delivering the message soundlessly that she was included in the us. Sarah seemed to agree, "We appreciate your efforts to assist us, Jack Bruno, but my brother is right. We can involve you no further."

As Seth continued to click the screen of the small device he held, Terra leaned against his side, her nerves beginning to get the best of her. The gravity of the situation was slowly weighing on her shoulders, and she herself was not sure that she should be involved. "Seth…" His head snapped up at her shaky tone of voice, eyes sweeping across her face with precision. The warmth of his hand again enveloped hers, squeezing twice for good measure, but a brief glimpse of his reassuring smile is what appeared to calm her down the most. "It will be alright," he settled, certain.

Jack looked between the two, hand falling to Terra's shoulder. "If I'm leaving, you're coming with me. This doesn't involve you either." "She will not_" Seth began to protest though a quick look from Sarah had him quietening. With big blue eyes, the young blonde bowed her head, "I'm afraid my brother will need Terra's assistance in the remainder of our journey. She will be safe, I assure you Jack Bruno."

"Got it," Seth instructed, pulling the two females at his sides up from their place on the floor. Jogging away to another part of the house, Jack stared at them with a mixture of frustration and intrigue. "Hey, just tell me what's_" he stood, watching as the kids disappeared around a corner before he again brandished the short table leg for protection. Something about this place just didn't feel right to him.

"This way Sarah." Their whispers stuck out in the silence surrounding them all, amplifying the sounds even more as Seth lastly opened the large door of a refrigerator to peer inside at the empty rusted shelves. Placing the blinking device he carried on the side of the fridge, an unusual sort of glow took hold of the shelves, shifting their rusted metal away until an open passage became visible.

"What is that? Whoa, whoa hey!" Jack stood at the door of the tunnel while Seth disappeared inside. His hand reappeared to assist Terra in after him, followed by Sarah, and before he knew it, Jack was standing alone in the eerie house. "Don't go in the pimped-out fridge Jack," he whispered to himself, loud enough for Terra to hear as she giggled while navigating the dusty secret corridors. The tunnel floor tilted ever so slightly, indicating they were traveling underground, and the redhead felt the butterflies in her stomach take flight as she caught sight of footprints in the dirt off to the side. Someone had been there. Recently.

Oblivious to the finding, Seth again placed the device on the side of a collapsed shelf where the same blue lights collected their glow and forced the wall of broken wood to move aside. A blue lit tunnel gave way to a large cavern filled with the plants, which the siblings recognized immediately as vegetation from their home planet. Taking a deep breath each, the two instantly felt at home and comfortable in their surroundings despite the imminent danger.

Huge colored balls of what looked to be mucus hung from the ceiling, leaving Jack and Terra dumbfounded as the objects began to shine, the only source of light in the entire cave. Finally, the older man asked the question that was on both their minds, "What is this place?"

"This way," Seth directed while following the beeping gadget he held ahead of them. Terra scurried through the jungle-like plants in haste, trying to keep up with the two blondes as Jack tailed her. Questions filled her head as she studied her surroundings for the entire atmosphere felt oddly familiar to her in some way. Brushing along the tip of a leaf from a tall plant they passed, Terra felt a tinge of energy pulsate through her fingers, exciting her nerve endings in a mysteriously pleasurable way.

The plants seemed to be alive, in a much different way than the ones she was accustomed to on Earth.

Marveling at such a feat, her attention was abruptly caught by a short plant mirroring the orbs on the ceiling. With bulbs of strange mucus making up its upper half, Terra couldn't help the slight tilt of her head as she drew closer. Seth too, noticed the peculiar thing, "Sarah it's here!"

The small blonde rushed over, prying something from around her neck which she placed on top of the bubbly-looking structure, making its blue exterior morph to a shade of red. She stuffed her small hand through one of the openings, an action which nearly caused Terra to gag, and returned with another small device; one which made both Seth and her smile.

"What is it?" Jack spoiled the moment of excitement with his question, though Sarah's grin did not falter. "It is what we came here for Jack Bruno." Clutching the minuscule thing to her chest, the blonde looked almost in tears, which had Terra stepping forward rather quickly. "Really? Is anyone else looking for it?" she reminded them, thinking back to the footprints she had seen, "Say the person who trashed everything upstairs?" Their smiles faded at the realization that another was here, and a serious look immediately overtook Seth's face once more. "We think so," he clarified, "It is very valuable, which is why it was so vital we locate it first."

"Well, what makes you so sure that whoever else wanted it isn't still looking for it?"

The group was answered with loud footsteps and the sound of several twigs snapping in rather close proximity. Jack ushered them all back into the thicket, wielding his table leg weapon as if it were a baseball bat. Once they were tucked beneath the heavy greenery, the group paused to listen as the movement around them stopped. Several silent seconds went by before they all rose from their place on the jungle floor, scanning their surroundings in search of the unwelcome guest. Terra was especially frightened, given she had no idea what to expect. Considering the power display she had seen hours earlier, whoever was following them could possibly be trying to kill them, and she definitely did not want to die at the hands of some weird potentially super-powered treasure hunter. Seth grasped Terra's hand in one swift move, having seen the person when she had not. Jack too must have caught of glimpse of their stalker, for the next moment he was shouting at them to run.

"Run! Run! Run!" Jack yelled, sending them all further into the brush in attempts to escape.

Seth forced her down into a crouch beside him once they'd ran deep into the underbrush, and Terra gaped in horror at the figure that appeared behind them. The size of a mountain, a tall masked android-like man stalked forward, pausing briefly as Jack sprung from his hiding spot and whacked him once in the chest with the table leg. Similar to Seth's ability, an unnerving blue light mimicked the position of impact on his torso, though the man himself took no damage. In fact, the blow didn't seem to affect him at all, and with one arm, the man sent the cab driver flying back into the bushes.

"Oh shit," Terra released under her breath as her heart began to beat faster.

The quiet that followed quickly became chilling as the teens remained crouched beneath many large plants. The man stood mere feet from them, his masked face analyzing everything around him soundlessly. Once his head had made a complete rotation of the area, he extended an arm and fired at one of the large bulbs hanging from the ceiling which caused them all to gasp as it caught fire, exposing their location. "Jack Bruno!" Sarah shouted in desperation. "Kids!" he hollered just before the fire caught on to another bulb, igniting on instant with a loud roar of heat.

The plants around them began to catch aflame as well as ashes dripped from the ceiling, and soon the air became cloaked in a mist of forming smoke. Senses on edge, Seth turned to Terra, seeing the specks of ash begin to dirty her bright hair. Fear emanated from her in waves, and the teen knew he had to do something to keep her safe. "Go! Go! Run Terra!"

One final shot hit the ground next to the trio before anyone could move, propelling them back onto the dirt floor several feet away. Unable to breath from the impact, Terra struggled to stand, though Sarah roughly jerked her to her feet. The three started running again aimlessly, avoiding both the encroaching flames and the man following them. Sarah stopped suddenly in a small clearing to call out to their missing cab driver, but that one second was enough for their foe to catch up.

The large man appeared behind her, knocking the device from her hand into the dirt as she screamed. Instinctively, Seth and Terra both leapt at the man together, though he swung them to the side with ease. The two collided hard with a nearby wall, and while Seth remained unaffected, Terra could feel an unbearable ache begin to pound the back of her skull. Sarah outstretched her palm just as the man reached for the device, which caused the strange thing to sail straight into her hand. Having regained his attention, the familiar frame of Jack sprung out from the bushes, tackling the man to the ground as he tried to grab hold of Sarah once more.

Despite the valiant effort, it was clear Jack was far out of his league as the man quickly deflected his attacks and managed to wrap his own arms around the cabbie. Holding him in a tight headlock, the man threw Jack to the side, forcing him into a tree with a painful thud.

Tossing her hand out to the side, Terra watched in wonder as a wide-eyed Sarah hurled a ball of flames towards the masked man, sending him flying off into the thicket several feet away. Given this may be their only chance to escape, Jack hurried over and helped the young redhead to her feet, handing her over to Seth as the group reconvened.

"We gotta go! We gotta go!" Ducking their heads as more explosions went off around them, the group raced back up the tunnel, huddling themselves into the small dusty room. As the last two through the door, Terra and Seth both stopped to push the shelf back into place in attempts to slow the man behind them. Pushing with all their might, the deteriorating shelf moved at a snail's pace, and an air of fear hitched both their breathing as a large blue orb of light was fired their way. It crept closer and closer, and Terra could feel the heat that would undoubtedly incinerate her if they didn't close the door. Grunting and shoving with all their strength, the two successfully managed to seal it shut at the very last second; the resulting explosion on the other side caused the very walls of the underground tunnel to shake with tremendous power. Catching only a glimpse of the blonde form beside her going down, Terra gasped as she too was sent to the floor from the quaking, landing on top of an unconscious Seth.

Crying his name, the redhead shook him repeatedly in an effort to wake him up. Seeing him coated in ash and dirt sent shockwaves of worry throughout her chest, and the pang of tears struck her eyes. "Seth, wake up! Please, wake up!"

When the two did not appear through the last door, Jack knew something was wrong, and hurriedly retreated back to the fallen teens. Finding Terra in tears over the unconscious boy on the floor had his teeth clenching together in determination. He stepped in, slinging the teenager over his shoulders, and turned back to the entrance where Sarah stood, concern written on both the girls' faces. "Keep moving! Keep moving!"

Closing the fridge after everyone had made it out, Terra started after the trio ahead of her; screaming once the fridge's door was blown off its hinges by another explosion. Jack kicked down the front door to the house, sprinting to the taxi, and laid an unconscious Seth in the back seat as Terra and his sister climbed in after.

Explosions continued going off everywhere around them, missing the taxi only by inches when Jack put the pedal to the metal to get them out of there. Dusting the strange snow-like ash from her hair, Terra leaned over and secured Seth's seatbelt, her hands lingering on his chest longer than necessary to reassure herself that he was at least alive. The boy's face was smudged with dirt, along with hers she was sure, and his short blonde hair appeared greasy with the amount of dust and rubble it had been exposed too. She slid her hand into his in hopes of calming herself, and was surprised to see Seth's eyes immediately reopen.

Blinking curiously, the two shared a long look, fingers interlocked tightly as the cab raced away from the burning shack. Wishing silently that the worst was over.

Boy, were they wrong.

2019 Author's Note: Hi guys! Hope you like Chapter 2!

I really appreciate all the support for the revisions on this story, and I'm so happy to see some familiar users in the reviews! Welcome back! I can't promise a regular uploading schedule, but I can promise you that this story will be completed as it once was! Please feel free to send me any questions, comments, or concerns as I love hearing from you! And I will see you all in Chapter 3!

Thank you again!