A/N:

All the praise/criticism this story earns should be split between me and CJFANG.

This idea came straight from his mind. I am merely the one who put it together.

Don't forget to review. We both need it!

Enjoy, everyone...

Chapter 1:The Cure

Travel to the remote, snow-covered town in Minnesota known as Moose Lake, and one will find a bookstore. Inside that bookstore lives a fairly-young woman sporting bright red hair and gaudy glasses, along with a blue-haired boy who is normally reclined in a wheelchair.

The two beings in question are still asleep at this early hour, hidden away in their upstairs bedrooms.

Usually, in the later hours of the day, the woman, Linda, would be dusting the tome-laden shelves. The boy, Tyler "Blu" Gunderson, would undoubtedly have his head buried in a book.

One would think that this was a happy family, living their lives in the quiet solitude of a quaint little town, but such is not the case.

Now sixteen years of age, Tyler was a content and incredibly bright teenager, but his life had been forever scarred by an event that occurred five years prior.

He had spent the winter and spring of 2006 with his parents, Jessica and Matthew Gunderson, in Minneapolis-St. Paul, his birthplace. As that glorious spring drew to a close and school finally ended, he and his family took a trip to drop him off at his Aunt Linda's house for summer vacation.

While they were driving north along I-35 – the lonely interstate that led to Moose Lake – in the dead of night, a sudden blizzard came down upon them and plagued the journey. With the visibility near zero and the road growing slick with snow, his father struggled to stay on the road.

Thirty minutes after the blizzard struck, Tyler was thrown into a hell on Earth.

A careless deer had been caught out on the road and disoriented due to the whiteout conditions, and the 2009 Cadillac CTS that Tyler's father was driving struck that very deer. The poor animal was thrust through the windshield, turning into gory chunks of meat and wreaking havoc upon the innocent front passengers.

Matthew was blinded by the shredded deer, causing the car to veer off the road and barrel roll down an embankment before coming to a brutal stop after smashing into an unyielding and truly massive pine tree.

The driver was instantly killed by his head being bashed against the side window, while Jessica had bled to death from being sliced up by countless shards of glass. Tyler's lower back had been broken in the accident, leaving him unable to move his legs.

He managed to stay conscious for several hours after the tragedy, giving enough time for the blizzard to clear.

He used his last reserves of energy to find his mother's cellphone and call his aunt for help. Once he hung up the phone, he fell into unconsciousness and slumped over in the seat, battered, bloody, and alone.

Linda eventually found the crash site and called for medical assistance immediately. Once they arrived, heavy tools were needed to pry the three humans from the mangled wreckage so that they could be evaluated.

Linda broke down upon hearing that her brother-in-law and sister were dead, but she managed to find comfort in the fact that her nephew was still alive, if just barely.

Matthew and Jessica were bagged and taken away, while their son was rushed to Duluth, the closest town that had a reasonably-advanced hospital. Once he was admitted into the hospital, he was instantly sent to the OR and operated upon.

Try as they might, his spine had been damaged severely, and they had not the means to fix it. When Linda received the crushing news, she thought her life was all but over. Still, she knew that she had to be strong for her nephew; she was all he had, and vice-versa.

She stayed by his bedside for three weeks – for his recovery was painfully slow – and most of his remaining family flew to Duluth and visited him. His body eventually healed as much as possible, but Tyler would still be confined to a wheelchair.

Nonetheless, over the next few months, Linda enrolled him in grueling therapy sessions to see if some use could be brought back to his legs.

Their efforts were rewarded when Blu's right leg became functional again, but his left leg was only able to be used sparingly. Tyler could get around without the wheelchair, but it was difficult and humiliating, and so he chose to remain in it and use his arms to get around whenever Linda couldn't help him directly.

The profound reorganization of his life and the constant attention he would need forced Linda to home-school him, and the place she would educate him was none other than her bookstore in Moose Lake.

Tyler found it hard at first and came close to giving up many times, but he eventually adapted and continued his life with as strong a sense of normalcy as possible. Tyler was a remarkably intelligent young boy, and over the course of those five years, breezed through his home-schooling at a swift pace.

His fondness for books was nurtured by his education and had become his absolute favorite hobby. His new residence in Aunt Linda's bookstore only bolstered his affection, for there were countless books to be read, memorized, and re-read.

On the quiet days when Linda was away, he would often wonder deeply about ever being able to walk again, like a normal human.

Many offers and claims had been proposed by adventurous researchers in the years following the accident, but Linda refused to subject her nephew to the inherent risks they carried.

Although it was now 2011 and not much had changed, he possessed a new appreciation for life, along with all of the joys and pitfalls it harbored; the sixteen year old boy took nothing for granted.

He still mourned deeply for his parents and wished that they had survived along with him, but he was a firm believer in the saying: "everything happens for a reason."

The accident had stolen much from his life, but just the same, it had given much to him in return. He constantly reminded himself that the effects of a miracle had gotten him this far, along with a hefty dose of perseverance on his part.

As such, Tyler Blu Gunderson waited patiently for the day when another would be bestowed upon him...

Tyler was in the midst of a pleasant dream when, all of a sudden, he heard a muffled voice echo in his head: "Tyler... Tyler... wake up, sweetie. It's seven o'clock..."

The dream twisted and contorted as the sounds swirled around inside it, and within seconds, it was gone. Tyler creaked open his eyes and spied the smiling face of his Aunt Linda peering down at him.

"Good... morning, Mom..." he replied while yawning.

The devotion Tyler received from Linda – and the fact that his real mother was no longer living – made him feel obligated to call her "Mom."

Linda understood the reasoning just as well as her nephew did, and so she did not object.

"Good morning, dear. How's your leg feeling?"

Tyler threw off the offending comforters and sat up on the edge of the bed, one leg youthful and bold, the other limp and frail. He twitched his left leg and slightly wobbled his foot around, but beyond that, the limb was unresponsive.

"It hasn't gotten any better or any worse."

A sorrowful light appeared in her eyes, but it faded away rather quickly.

"Well, life goes on, sweetie. Now come on, let's head to the kitchen, and I'll make us some breakfast."

Tyler threw his left arm over Linda's shoulder and leaned heavily on her as she stood up. They hobbled to the bedroom door and opened it, but Linda stopped just as she entered the upstairs hall.

"We have a problem, Tyler."

"What?"

"I think you need to shower. Go clean yourself up and I'll start breakfast. By the time you're out, the pancakes will be ready."

"I do not stink that bad! It's biologically impossible for my sweat glands to foul my body in just twenty-four hours, and plus, we live a high-latitude city."

"I don't care how much logic you throw at me, Tyler. Shower. Now."

He snorted and replied, "Fine. I'll be out in ten minutes. Can you get me a fresh change of clothes?"

"Yes, I will."

Linda guided him a few paces forward, at which point he reached out and braced himself against the frame of the bathroom door – which was conveniently located just across the hall from his bedroom. She released him and returned to his room, her footsteps loud and clear.

He pushed the bathroom door open and heaved himself in, the thick muscles rippling beneath the skin of his arms.

After five years of pushing his wheelchair, helping Linda with her daily tasks when he could, and hauling himself between rooms, his upper body strength had been boosted above that of a regular teenager.

All of the energy that would have been used to develop his legs had been diverted elsewhere, and thus he had grown considerably ripped in his arms and chest.

He closed the door and staggered over towards the shower, barely managing to balance himself on one leg while he undressed. He stepped carefully into the shower, cranked the water on and set it at a reasonable temperature, and got to work.

He first worked a handful of shampoo into his deep blue hair – he had kept it dyed that way since the accident, and for some reason, its growth had been frozen and the color made permanent. Tyler felt it reflected his personality – and better yet, his middle name – than his formerly dark brown hair.

He left a thick lather of shampoo in his hair while he washed his deep beige skin. It wasn't ghostly white, but it wasn't as rich as a Latino's, either.

Once Tyler had deposited a thick layer of Axe body wash on his body, he ducked under the steaming flow of water from the shower-head and rinsed himself clean. Once that was completed, he stuck his hand past the shower curtain and fished around for the towel, which hung from a bar on the wall to the right.

He nabbed the soft cloth and wrapped it around his waist tightly, so that it wouldn't slip off as he stumbled from the shower. He made his way over to the toilet and lowered the lid before sitting down, relieving the pressure on his legs and breathing a sigh of relief.

Man, that feels good! I can't wait to get into my wheelchair and relax with my mom downstairs. Come to think of it, I really need to finish Fire Bringer today! Rannoch and his friends have an arduous journey ahead of them, that's for sure. I have to find out the meaning of the prophecy he is obviously a vital part of...

Tyler dragged his clothes from the nearby sink and hastily slipped them on. He then staggered to his feet once more and braced himself against the sink to comb his hair. Just before he did so, he took a long look at his reflection in the full length mirror attached to the rear of the door.

He had a well-rounded face and was quite handsome, his hair complimenting his chocolate irises nicely. His white t-shirt and sturdy denim jeans made him resemble a classic, rugged teenager, or even an intimidating bully.

His physique led one to believe he was all brawn and no brains, but such was not the case. Only by seeing his frail left leg would one know that he wasn't as perfect as he appeared. His brawn was only concentrated in his upper body, but he had a brilliant head on his shoulders that wasn't outwardly discernible.

Looking good today, Tyler. Too bad no girl would ever want to date a cripple like me. Intelligence and a bit of muscle isn't going to sway anybody at a first glance. Am I destined to live out my days alone, never to secure a wife and create adorable children? This life is both a blessing and a curse...

Shaking his head to clear away the depressing thoughts, Tyler raked the comb through his hair like one would tend a zen garden.

After ten repetitions of this, he opened the off-white door and shouted, "Mom, I'm out! I need your help over here."

From the kitchen down the hall, past the winding staircase, a cheery voice replied, "I'm coming, son! Let me take the pancakes from the skillet first."

"Take your time."

Eventually, Linda came bounding down the hall and secured him in her grasp once more, leading him at a loping gait towards the kitchen.

Yes, blueberry pancakes! My favorite! Wait a minute, is that hot chocolate I smell? Just as expected, Mom sure knows how to get me in a good mood...

Linda sat her nephew down at the rich cherry wood table, in the chair nearest the door-less entryway.

She slid him a ceramic plate topped with a three-high stack of blueberry pancakes and a fork, causing it to come to a stop right next to the mug of hot chocolate.

Their sides bore rivulets of syrup, and a half-melted square of butter sat on top.

Linda plunked herself down directly across from him with her own stack of sugary, doughy nourishment steaming in front of her, along with her own drink mug.

"Thanks so much, Mom!"

"You're welcome, Tyler. Let's dig in!"

With that, they pierced the pancakes with their forks and tore off soggy sections that they quickly stuffed into their mouths. Even though the confections were rich by themselves, the hot chocolate was a necessity, and so they drunk it at regular intervals during the meal.

It took them all of fifteen minutes to consume their nourishment, and once they had wiped the gooey remnants from their faces, Linda dropped their plates and silverware into the sink. Tyler watched lovingly as Linda scrubbed them clean, using nothing but her bare hands and a bright yellow sponge.

The pair of highly-polished plates and gleaming forks were stashed away in the dish drainer to dry.

Linda then strode up to her nephew-turned-son and asked, "How about we head downstairs and get the bookstore ready for business? Then I'll put you in your chair and let you read to your heart's content."

"Sounds good, Mom! I'm going to try and finish Fire Bringer today. I'm at page 278 out of 498."

Linda chuckled and replied, "I see. Well, I don't want to hold you back! Here we go..."

They assumed their side-by-side pose and exited the kitchen, traveling halfway down the hall before turning around and loping down the stairs. Once they dropped from the bottom step, the sharp odor of both ancient and freshly-bound books tingled their olfactory organs.

Ah... home sweet home... mused Tyler dreamily.

Linda helped him across the room towards his sturdy wheelchair, which sat in the corner to the left of the front door.

As usual, the street outside was smothered in the crystalline tears of winter.

Tyler dropped heavily into the chair and sighed loudly once again, causing a cloud of dust to be thrown into the air. He waved it away with his hands and grasped the wheels on either side of him.

He felt a new power well up inside of him and clear his mind. He was now in his element, and he could manage his transportation device with extreme skill, since he had five years of solid practice under his belt.

"Let's do this, Mom! I'm ready!"

"Alright then, dear. Find the duster and clean the shelves. Oh, and don't forget to straighten the books! I'll be checking the inventory on the computer."

"You got it."

He wheeled off in search of the duster while Linda rounded the desk that lay on the left side of the store, jiggling the mouse to jump-start the computer.

He found the feather duster pinned against the end of the middle bookshelf by the row of books, and so he stretched his arms out and snatched the bundle of feathers.

He dashed about the room, first working on one side before moving to the other, cleansing the tomes of their powdery coating.

He then scoured the shelves once again and straightened any books that were out of place, upside-down, or backwards.

Linda's inventory was lacking some popular titles, and after making a mental note to take care of that, she strode to the door and flipped the open/closed sign around.

She then waited until her son finished his routine; he was entirely focused on the mission, and she did not want to spoil his amazing dedication. By the time he finished, the clock that was mounted above the door showed it was seven forty-five.

Tyler returned to his window-side spot and plucked the book from the large shelf that rested against the sill.

"You go ahead and get started on that book. I'll be in the back room unpacking our shipments. The sci-fi and children's shelves need to be restocked. Let me know if anyone stops by."

"Sure thing!"

He watched as his mother slipped past the wooden door at the back of the store, and once she had vanished, he looked down at the book in his hands.

A graceful Red Deer stood nobly on the cover, a white oak-leaf emblazoned on his forehead.

The words "Fire Bringer" were inscribed in yellow, and they sat just above the deer's stately antlers.

Alright, let's finish your mysterious tale, Rannoch...

He studiously flipped to page 278 – the page on which chapter 15 began – and immersed himself in the lore of the book.

Thirty minutes into his read, Linda returned from the storeroom and silently refilled the shelves with the missing books, being careful not to disturb her engaged son. Another thirty minutes later, she concluded her task, having worked up a decent sweat from the ordeal.

As she headed for the staircase – with the intent of taking a cleansing shower – the bell that straddled the door jingled loudly. Tyler jerked his head up from the book while Linda threw her gaze towards the door.

A semi-tall, smart-looking man dressed in a pure white lab coat walked in and marched straight up to Linda.

"May I help you find some books?"

The strange man straightened his glasses and replied, "I'm not looking for books, Ma'am. Is your name Linda, by any chance?"

"Why, yes it is. How did you know that?"

"I'll get to that. But first, let me introduce myself. I am Tulio Monteiro, head researcher of experimental medicine for Brazil. Pleased to meet you."

He extended his right hand towards Linda, who shook it gingerly and stared curiously at the man.

"I came across your article detailing the boy's accident late last year. I came here to ask for his participation in my research project."

As soon as he said the words, Linda's face blurred into a scowl.

"What kind of 'research project?' "

"You see, I have been studying a possible cure for paralysis for the past seven years, and I believe I have created that very cure. Take a look at this..."

Tulio pulled a thick cloth from his coat pocket and revealed a fearsome syringe filled with a deadly jade fluid.

"I concocted this shortly after reading your article. I bring you a proposition concerning this paralysis antidote."

Her expression softened slightly, but she crossed her arms and leaned against the banister questioningly.

"And what is that, Tulio?"

"Before we can verify this as a genuine cure, it has to be tested on a viable human. I flew nearly six thousand miles, from Rio de Janeiro to here, because I hoped that you would be willing to offer him up as a sort of 'lab rat.' His story is most tragic, but this medicine could keep him out of that wheelchair... forever."

Linda was shocked out of her negative expression, and her eyes peered deep into his.

"You're joking."

"I am not, Linda."

"Wait a minute, what do you mean by 'could?' "

Tulio drew in a raw breath, for the next words would undoubtedly cause the human to lose it.

"This medicine has a... fifty-fifty chance of success. Either he is allowed to walk again, or he is killed."

Linda dropped to the stairs, bewildered, and Tyler rushed over to her within seconds.

"It is a massive risk, but I merely came to see if you will accept or deny my request. We've tried it out on one other test subject, a young boy from Rio, and I expect to find out the results within the week. You will be with him every step of the way, and I will be with you."

"Mom, are you okay?"

"No," she rasped while standing up from the stairs, "I am not okay. How dare you suggest such a cruel thing! I will not sacrifice my nephew. This conversation is over. I want you out of my store! Go back to Rio de Janeiro and murder some other poor family member..."

Linda placed both of her hands on his chest and began to drive him back towards the door.

Once she ejected him out into the cold weather, she said hotly, "Have a nice flight." She shut the door roughly and trudged away, still fuming.

"Linda, Linda, please listen to me! If we don't do this, your nephew will never walk again..."

His muffled voice cause her to freeze, but she did not turn around. He bent down on his knees and peeked through the tiny mail-slot in the door.

He managed a pleading gaze and concluded, "Just... think about it, okay?"

He slipped a tiny information card through the slot and walked away, a brief shadow sliding across the window shelf.

Tyler rolled over to the door and picked up the info card, but instead of studying it, he returned to Linda and held it up to her pointedly.

She hesitantly took the card, crossed her arms, and burrowed into her nephew's eyes with an indescribable gaze.

No words were conveyed between the two, and after a heavy silence, Linda climbed the stairs with tears in her eyes...

The hours trickled by, and Linda did not descend from the stairs.

Tyler took the liberty of closing the bookstore just minutes after she hid herself away upstairs, since he knew she was in no condition to deal with anyone else that day.

He retreated into his book and passed the time by reading, eventually finishing the book by one o'clock. He was having a hard time processing the validity of Tulio's proposal, and knowing that his aunt was depressed beyond measure drained even more of his energy.

I am desperate to resume the life I had when I was eleven, a normal life, but is it worth it? Should I, in essence, risk death just to live again? I... can't even answer that question. Maybe a long nap will help...

He locked his wheelchair down behind the staircase, removed his shirt and placed it over his eyes, and dozed off.

He dreamed he and Linda flew to Rio de Janeiro and met up with Tulio, who administered the medicine to him in a fancy-looking laboratory.

He felt a strange sensation flood his body, but most strongly down his lower back and left leg. It felt like liquid fire that scorched his bones, muscles, and nerves, but then he noticed his leg jerking about.

Once the deadly pain subsided, he hesitantly commanded his leg to straighten, and it did. He then commanded it to relax, and it obeyed once again.

He knew then what had happened: the medicine had restored the broken connection between his spinal cord and his limb. He threw himself from the chair and came down hard on both legs, unable to contain his limitless elation at the fact that he could walk again.

He whirled around and saw Linda gawking at him, but further back, another figure stood.

The shape was distorted and blurred, and so all he could discern was that it was a female human. He waved to the guest, but she did not respond.

He then ran straight towards Linda, but his body passed straight through her fog-like composition. He tried again, but to no avail. Linda was without substance, and both she, Tulio, and the unknown female began to evaporate.

He cried out for them to stay, but it was too late.

All of a sudden, his left leg grew limp once more, and he collapsed to the ground. Moments later, his dream world was swamped by a jade tsunami, causing him to wake.

He found himself staring into the puffy eyes of his aunt, and just to make sure she was real, he reached out and touched her face.

"I need to talk to you, dear. Come out from behind there..."

He followed Linda as she trudged towards the large window next to the door. Judging by the glow of lamplight flowing in from outside, it was already well past nightfall.

Blu stopped next to the shelf and faced Linda, who sat upon that very same shelf.

She took her hands in his and muttered, "I've had some time to think this over, and I've decided that... we should try to get your leg back, dear."

He recoiled in shock, for he had decided against receiving the medicine.

"I... don't want to go through with this! I'd rather live a substandard life than no life at all..."

"I know, Tyler, but just think of how much better your life could be if it works. You could drive your own car, go to college, find a girlfriend, get married, and have kids. Don't you want to at least give those things a shot?"

"I... uh... I just don't know..."

He buried his head in his hands, unable to stifle the flow of tears. She hopped down from the shelf and knelt at his feet.

"Look, I wouldn't make you do this if it wasn't the right thing to do. Can you trust me this one final time?"

He slowly lifted his head and stared deep into her eyes. Her sincerity was irrefutable.

"What do you say, Tyler? Rio?"

He knew he would cross an event horizon with his next words: "I'll... do it..."

She hugged him tighter than she ever had before, causing tears of joy to flow from both of their eyes in torrents.

After nearly a full minute of hugging, Linda muttered, "Get some rest, sweetie. We're leaving tomorrow..."

The very next day, as soon as they had both nabbed eight hours of sleep, Linda woke her nephew and set on packing just enough clothes for their trip. She phoned Tulio at ten o'clock, and he skidded to a stop in front of the bookstore not fifteen minutes later.

They piled the two suitcases, along with the wheelchair, into the trunk of the rented white Chrysler Town and Country, and then carried the invalid boy into the van next.

Once they were all strapped in, the Brazilian researcher manned the vehicle and blasted off in the direction of Duluth.

They progressed terribly slow through the airport, and Tyler was repeatedly checked by several security officials. This was basically Tyler and Linda's very first trip to the airport, and needles to say, having to experience the critical security measures was a massive thorn in both their sides.

Nearly one hour following their arrival, they were seated first-class in a Boeing 767 painted scarlet, tangerine, and cobalt, the redesigned color scheme of Southwest Airlines.

The plane roared down the runway and launched into the air after sitting for twenty minutes on the tarmac, due to a small flurry of snow that swept through Duluth.

After the airliner reached cruising altitude, Tyler fell asleep, leaving his aunt and her guide to converse heavily on the matter of the antidote.

Due to the massive distance that lay between them and Rio, they had to make several intermediate stops along the way and switch flights. The afflicted nephew was aggravated by these constant disturbances, but that could not be helped.

The trio of humans skipped across the country in a southerly direction, eventually crossing over into Mexico and then Central America for the final leg of the trip.

The unrecognizable plane that held the three humans eventually landed in Rio at around ten thirty the following evening, and they were simply too tired and sluggish to request anything but sleep.

Tulio drove them to his laboratory – which lay just a few blocks away from the favelas in Rio's North Zone – in the company Jeep he had left at the airport, and once he got there, he noticed that all of his staff had gone home for the night.

They managed to unload the supplies they had hauled, but no more. They all crawled into the in-house bedrooms of the laboratory and fell instantly to sleep.

Linda and the researcher dreamed about the possible consequences that the following day would bring and prepared for the absolute worst.

Tyler, however, sent up a prayer for God to protect him and allow the medicine to heal his body, or welcome him into the realm of Heaven if it didn't...

The party of three was promptly awoken by the blazing Rio sun the next morning, and due to their weariness, postponed the event for another day. Tulio fashioned them a decent breakfast and engaged in lighthearted chatter with his two friends, avoiding the taboo subject of the medicine at all costs.

Once they had finished their meal, showered, and changed, he took them on a sightseeing trip around the Cidade Maravilhosa.

If it was one of Rio's major icons, they visited it.

They touched the base of the Cristo Redentor, gawked at the imposing form of the Maracanã Stadium, and buried their feet in the fine sand of Ipanema beach.

They rode a cable car to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain, trekked through the jungle on the outskirts of the city, and dined at some of Tulio's favorite restaurants.

They truly enjoyed seeing the amazing liveliness and splendor of this city – which was worlds away from the drab, unattractive speck of a town that was Moose Lake. Evening fell upon them like a painless hammer, knocking away the sun and bringing to life the alternate reality of Rio at night.

The overjoyed but still-weary trio returned once again to the lab, all too eager to throw themselves into bed and drift off to sleep.

On the second day following their arrival, Tulio whipped up another enticing meal, but then got down to business at around eleven o'clock.

They spent the entire day engaged in heavy conversations with Tulio, and he gave them one last chance to refuse the treatment.

They remained steadfast in their decision to have it performed, and so Tulio proceeded to hand Linda an array of documents, waivers, and contracts to sign and affirm.

He then spent the rest of the day recapping the highlights of his seven year research endeavor, all the while doing his best to put the technical language into perspective for both Linda and her nephew. Not one of the three humans left the building once that day, all dreading and anticipating the coming injection equally.

Once again, the sun was dragged down below the western horizon, allowing night to take hold and the stars to flash brightly.

As if they were a part of a mad scientist's fiendish mission – which, in a sense, they actually were – Tulio gathered them in the largest exam room inside the building and lowered the lights to a reasonably dim level.

Tyler was placed in his wheelchair and shown two syringes: one held the bright green healing serum, and the other held a powerful anesthetic, to ease his passing if the reaction to the first was negative. A small vital signs monitor had been strapped to his upper left arm, the fast-paced chirp of his heart rate plainly audible.

Linda had never been so terrified, and yet so ecstatic, in her entire life.

Tyler's emotions were not much different.

There was an equal chance, fifty-fifty, that he would either gain new-found freedom or turn into a distant memory. They all knew that the ultimatum was about to be fulfilled, but what would come after that was anybody's guess.

"This is it, Tyler. Are you prepared for whatever may happen, whether you you live or die?"

"Yes, Tulio. But first, can I say a few words to my aunt?"

"Of course."

"Aunt Linda, I just wanted to say... I love you. We've come so far together, and I want you to be strong, if our journey comes to an end here. Just know that I'll see Jessica and Matthew in Heaven, if I do end up dying. If not, then we'll have our whole lives ahead of us, a fresh clean start for a teenage boy and his aunt."

Linda, who was brought to tears by her nephew's blunt speech, leaned down and hugged him.

"I promise, Tyler. Not that I want you to go... but if you do... say hi to them for me. If you don't, then-"

she couldn't finish the sentence, as an anguished wail seemed to echo from somewhere outside, barely audible.

"What the hell?" exclaimed Tulio as he lowered the syringe to the table and stomped from the lab.

Linda followed in his wake, but before leaving, she whispered, "Stay right there, sweetie..."

All was quiet until Tulio and Linda arrived at the front door, at which point the wail returned, now sounding dangerously close.

"Should we go out there, Tulio? It sounds like a lost girl!"

"I don't think we have much of a choice. How would she know where this building is, unless..."

Tulio's thoughts flashed back to three days prior to leaving for Minnesota, when a lovely Brazilian teenage girl and her crippled younger brother burst into the lab and demanded that the boy receive Tulio's so-called "paralysis cure."

On top of the fact that the boy had zero ability to use his legs, he was seriously ill and needed treatment.

That very same day, Tulio brewed a dose of the antidote and injected it into the boy. The antidote's effect was inhibited by the boy's condition, and so his sister led him away from the lab to monitor his recovery.

She had told him they had been living as best they could in the favelas of Rio for well over three years, as their parents had been killed in a money-heist gone wrong at one of Rio's premier banks.

He had told her in return to seek out his lab as soon as any developments manifested in her brother.

Tulio began to shake at the real possibility that the crying human being they were hearing was her.

"Is something wrong, Tulio?"

"I guess we'll find out... when I open... the door..."

Tulio slid the door open, causing a loud squeak of protest to erupt from the hinges. The distraught crying fell silent as the screeching of the hinges pealed out into the night.

The multicolored glow of the nearby buildings poured out across the parking lot of the research station, and while Tulio was scanning the lot, Linda spied a shadowy shape that seemed to take cover behind the left wall of the building, not twenty feet away.

She froze and drew back from the door a few steps while whispering, "I saw something out there, to the left of us. I'm really scared..."

She slid back even farther and watched as Tulio slowly eased the door shut.

"Just calm down, Linda. Everything will be-"

Without warning, the front door was forced open violently, throwing the Brazilian man a good four feet back.

The door thumped loudly against the rubber doorstop on the floor, and then the shadowy figure launched herself through the entrance.

She lunged straight for Tulio and clasped her hand around his throat before dragging him around and pressing him against the wall to the left of the entrance.

"You... killed him! You killed my brother! First my parents, and now him? He was... all I had left..."

Tyler was watching the scene unfold from behind the window of the lab, and try as he might, he could not take his eyes from the girl. Her hair was a bold ocean-blue color, many shades lighter than his own. Her skin was a light bronze, halfway between chocolate and cappuccino.

Oh. My. God. She is so hot! She's got some real curves. Check out her face... her chest... her ass...

Only adding to his excitement was that her clothes were shredded in some areas and were slightly revealing. Nonetheless, as soon as he saw her choke Tulio, he sprung into action.

Now would be a good time to put these arms to good use, and see how her skin feels...

He pushed out of the lab and yelled, "Hey, let go of him!" before racing up to the female and using his rolling momentum to half-jump from his chair.

He landed heavily on his good leg and almost toppled over, but he grabbed the female's arms and locked them behind her back, pinching both her wrists between his hands.

Tulio wheezed for air and fixed a half-angry, half-sorrowed gaze at the girl.

Linda was incredibly confused by all of this, but she had a hunch as to who she was.

"Is she... the sister of your first test subject?"

"Let go of me! I need to give that murderer a piece... of my mind!"

She struggled and writhed in an effort to break free, but Tyler's hold was too firm.

"Not until you calm down and tell us what's going on!"

She craned her head back and threw a venomous glare at her restrainer.

"Ask Tulio. He knows what happened... to my brother..."

The rage he could feel coursing through her body now melted away into aching currents of loss, and he felt her slump in his grasp. Tears began to flow once more from her eyes in the midst of heavy sobs.

"Yes... yes she is. Her brother's name was Santos Rodriguez,, and her name... is Cynthia Rodriguez. Looks like the-"

"That's not my name," she muttered tragically. "I lost that name... when my parents died. My name... is Jewel..."

"Fine, Jewel. As I was saying, it looks like the medicine... didn't work the way she and I hoped."

"Sounds like Captain Obvious doesn't give a damn..."

"Jewel, you knew what would happen if-"

"Shut up!" she shouted as she raised her head and glared at at Tulio.

Tyler could not see her face directly, but he had a legitimate guess as to how poisonous it looked.

If looks could kill, Tulio would be a soulless heap of skin and bones...

"Will you... release me now, asshole? You're hurting my arms."

"Should I?"

"Go ahead, sweetie. Just make sure to grab her if she turns violent again."

He dropped his arms to his sides and plunked back into his wheelchair, right behind Jewel. She turned slowly around, contempt in her eyes as she spoke.

"Who the hell are you? And why are you here?"

So much for the warm greeting from the sexy chick... he thought flatly.

"My name is Tyler Gunderson, but my nickname is Blu, like the color, but without the 'e.' That woman over there is my aunt, Linda. As you can see, I'm paralyzed in one leg. We came here to see if Tulio's medicine will heal me. I'm really sorry about your brother, for all it's worth."

"You can't be serious! This guy won't heal you, he'll send you to a quick grave. Where are your parents?"

He peered deep into the sea-foam green orbs that were her eyes and replied, "Just like you, I don't have them anymore. They were killed in a car accident five years ago. That tragedy left me paralyzed. I know how much it hurts..."

An honestly sympathetic light flowed from her gaze, but it was soon masked by fragments of anger and loss.

"I guess you do, but I would get out of here as fast as I can, if I were you. Don't throw your life away for this guy. Life may suck for you, but it's better than being dead."

Her voice carried a slight Portuguese accent, and it flowed into his ears like an airborne river of milk and honey.

"Look, I am terribly sorry about your brother, but there's nothing we can do. I told you the risks, but you were insistent upon having him try out the serum. At least he's in a better place now and doesn't need to suffer anymore earthly pain."

"I'll never forgive you, Tulio, but at least I won't kill you. Thank goodness you helped ease my sadness, if only just a little bit."

The Brazilian man nodded slightly and straightened his awkwardly-positioned glasses.

Jewel wrapped her arms around herself and said, "So, Tyler, are you still going to go through with this?"

He shifted in his seat and said, "Call me an absolute idiot, but yes. You'll never understand what it's like to lose the gift of walking, Jewel. Losing a family member is one thing, but this is terrible in its own right. You take your legs for granted, and you never realize how precious they are until you can't use them anymore. I'm tired of dealing with this."

His powerful, blunt speech silenced her for a few seconds.

He's right, she mused sadly. I don't know what it's like to have to roll around for five years straight. I just don't want him to waste his life. I might as well stick around and see if this treatment works...

Linda coughed gently and asked, "I don't mean to change the subject, but can we give my nephew the stupid medicine already?"

Tulio sighed and marched to the lab without another word. Linda motioned for her nephew to follow and joined the researcher.

"What are you going to do? The door's open. If you don't want to witness another death, you can just leave."

"Does it really even matter? I don't even know you. I'm numb now, Tyler. Physically and emotionally numb. I'll stick around and see what happens..."

Jewel trudged towards the lab, with the boy rolling in just behind her.

She purposefully stood as far away from Tulio as possible, completely silent and unmoving.

Tulio plucked the serum from the table and held it inches above Tyler's left arm, a small crystalline drop suspended on the tip of the needle.

"Now, let's pick up where we left off. If this works, I'll be able to mass produce it and save countless more lives. If not, then it's game over for you and me both. One death is acceptable. Two, and I may just be out of a job."

Linda slammed her eyes shut as the needle inched closer to Tyler's arm vein, and even the boy couldn't watch.

Jewel merely sighed heavily and crossed her arms, rubbing them up and down each other as if she was cold.

Just before it punctured Tyler's skin, a loud shuffling could be heard, from inside the building this time.

"Again! Let me go see what's going on..."

He slipped from the lab and turned towards the left. Moments later, a gruff voice ordered, "Don't move, or I decorate this place with your brains."

A click-click sound was heard, causing all three humans to tense up and move closer to the door.

It was suddenly thrust open, and Tulio walked in, his hands at his sides.

Behind him was an obviously native Brazilian man, who had a gun pushed against the back of Tulio's head.

"Tulio! Who the hell are you?"

Linda shouted and charged at the dark-skinned man, but she was stopped short as another human barged into the space.

His hair was a deep silver, as if he was elderly, but his rippling arms and powerful face said otherwise. He brought up yet another gun and pointed it straight at Linda.

"I would stop there, if I were you."

He grabbed the top of the gun and slid it back, cocking it.

Jewel uncrossed her arms and appeared to be as innocent as possible, but she was shaking with real fear.

"What do you want from us?" cried Linda.

The man who had subdued Tulio shoved him away, but still keeping the the pistol trained on him.

"Do you know how many bad movies I've seen that have asked that exact same question? You're not as intelligent as you look, that's for sure. My name is Marcel, and this guy next to me is Nigel, my right hand man. I see something on that table that interests me very much."

"Are you talking about the serum? How in the world do you know what it is? How in the world did you find this place?"

"Quiet, Tulio! You see, I have been keeping tabs on your research project for a good three years now, and I know all about what you were trying to create. It seems that you actually did, so bravo."

The man called Marcel clapped sarcastically with the gun still in his hand.

Tyler squeezed the armrests of his chair, positively furious at the fact that he could do nothing.

Marcel cleared his throat and continued, "I am an avid customer in the Black Market, and that little syringe there could keep my pockets stuffed for a few years alone. Still, that is not enough for me. I came here to borrow it, so that I could make more and more, whenever I wanted. I am as well versed in experimental medicine as you."

Tulio smirked and replied, "Do you know how risky that stuff is? Half of the people you sell it to will end up dead."

"You are correct, but I am no fool. I am going to take these two teenagers with me, since they will be used to prove that your, no, my medicine works. All I need to do is show my potential buyers that it works, and then they will be all too eager to pay me large amounts of cash. If one of them does die, I have an extra subject to try my luck on. Think of it as a kind of insurance. And plus, the girl is quite attractive and has more... pleasurable uses."

Marcel turned and winked at Jewel, who turned away in disgust.

"I do not want to overstay our welcome, so we'll be leaving now."

Marcel turned around and commanded, "Nigel, lock the boy and the girl together. Since he is crippled, they will find it near impossible to escape from us."

"Right away, Boss."

He withdrew not one, but two sets of handcuffs from the back pocket of his faded jeans.

"You, get over here so I can bind you. Now!"

He thrust the gun towards Jewel, who obeyed without question. He grabbed her left arm once she was in range and jerked her forward, bashing her left knee into Tyler's chair.

"Damn, that hurt! I hate you."

"Silence!"

He smacked her in the head with the butt of the gun, causing her to drop to her knees while a trickle of blood ran down her face.

He held her left arm up and closed one end of both handcuffs around it, much tighter than necessary. He then hooked the remaining ends around Tyler's right wrist.

"Well done, Nigel!" cheered Marcel warmly. "Now let's go, I'm very tired and need to sleep. We'll deal with our two victims tomorrow."

Marcel snatched up the syringe that held the cure and clenched it carefully in his left hand.

"Get up, both of you!"

Nigel grasped the chains between the cuffs and lifted the two humans to their feet with a mighty pull. He was definitely as strong as he looked, and could prove more than a match for Tyler.

The boy had trouble staying up due to his limp leg, and so he had to lean on Jewel for support.

"Man, you're heavy! I can't wait for them to lock us up with nowhere to go, and for you to get the hell off of me."

"You think it's any easier on this end? You're sorely mistaken..."

Nigel prodded Jewel in the back with the barrel of the pistol, causing her to walk awkwardly forward and leave the lab. Nigel followed after them and guided them towards the building's side door – no doubt the way they had entered a few minutes earlier.

The silver-haired henchman grew anoyed with the monitor's constant beating, and so once his victims were outside the building, he tore it from Tyler's arm.

"I don't think you will be needing this anymore..."

In an obvious show of skill and power, Nigel chucked the device into the air with a flick of his hand and landed a single shot on it, causing a shower of plastic chips to rain down.

He cocked the gun and said sarcastically, "Oops."

While Nigel controlled the humans outside like a pair of dogs, Marcel backed out of the room with a massively proud expression on his face and declared, "Have a nice night! Don't try to follow us, or I won't hesitate to blow your legs off..."

Nigel corralled the two humans down the alley that ran behind the research station in a northerly direction.

The wash of light from the bustling city began to fade quickly, and as Jewel surveyed the surroundings, she trembled with fear.

"They're taking us into the favelas. There's no way the cops will find us! There's too many buildings, too many places for them to hide us."

"Quiet!" ordered Nigel. "It will not be pleasant for any bystanders you happen to attract."

They kept walking for a few more seconds, but the sound of pounding footsteps caused Nigel to halt their progress.

Tyler and Jewel hoped it was a good Samaritan coming to their rescue, but Marcel's raspy voice dashed their hopes instantly.

"They won't be coming after us for a long time, Nigel. I didn't think our heist would go so smoothly!"

"We did a great job, Boss. I can't wait to see the look on Tipa and Armando's faces. They're going to wish they had gone with us!"

"Yeah. They are both such idiots. Come on, the warehouse is only fifteen blocks away."

Marcel took the lead, his lively jungle-printed shirt and blue sweat-shorts shadowed by the lack of light.

As Nigel pushed them forward, Tyler thought, Linda! Tulio! I hope you're okay. I never knew this was going to happen. Trust me, I'll find my way back to you somehow. Just be strong for me. These punks won't get what they want so easily. I'll take care of Jewel as well...

As they loped along towards the warehouse Marcel had mentioned, Tyler's weight strained her shoulder, and she silently denounced him for all that had happened. He was cute, and even handsome, but his crippled leg basically ruined his image and appeal.

As soon as we get separated, no matter how long that takes, I am leaving this kid! How am I supposed to enjoy my freedom when he's chained to me like a dead weight? Living all by myself in the slums of Rio may be hard, but at least it's better than being chained to a cripple and held captive by a pair of madmen! Tyler Gunderson, I just want you to know that I hate your guts...