Rio 1. The Cure

**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...**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1:The Cure<strong>

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...

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><p>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..."<p>

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...

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

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...

* * *

><p>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.<p>

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..."

* * *

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

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..._


	2. A Troubled Escape

**Chapter 2:A Troubled Escape**

Onward down the dark alley Tyler and Jewel walked, trapped between two evils: Marcel leading the way and Nigel corralling them from behind with his pistol.

Many times Marcel disappeared around a corner or slipped between a gap between two rotting buildings, confident in his march through the maze of deteriorating structures that made up this dank maze.

Even though Jewel had called the favelas home for well over three years, this particular neighborhood harbored a mysterious chill that not even she could understand.

There had been plenty of chances for them to break away from Nigel and flee into the twisting maze, but his armament prevented them from doing so. No, they would not risk their lives any more than the danger they were already in. Not for the moment, at least.

Nigel kept them well-hidden from the prying eyes of the less-than-fortunate citizens of this favela, sticking heavily to the shadows and guiding them beneath the flimsy supports beneath the stacked structures.

The dusty, dry, and trash-littered ground had no effect on either Tyler or Jewel, for the former was wearing tennis shoes, while the latter's bare feet had adapted to the abrasive terrain and grown thick with callused skin.

The journey seemed to take much longer than expected, and as they rounded the fifth corner, they noticed Marcel standing at the doorway of a relatively large shack of aluminum and wood.

Tyler's right leg was aching severely from the strain of his walk, and he longed to be thrown into a containment area so he could rest. Jewel, on the other hand, was sweating heavily, and the shoulder that had supported her "guest" was sore beyond belief. She, too, longed for the boy's dead weight to be removed from her.

"Go on, you two. It's very late, and the sooner we lock you up, the sooner Boss and I can get some rest. Move!"

They walked forward under Nigel's command, and as the doorway loomed large, Marcel eased it open as if welcoming family.

"Welcome to my warehouse," he remarked sarcastically, "I am sure your stay will be most enjoyable. You'll come to like it here. Trust me..."

He slapped Tyler in the back forcefully, and the two humans lurched into a well-lit area that resembled a living room.

A few pictures were strewn about the walls, which were painted a deep green hue. A three-seater couch took up a large amount of space in the tiny room, and it sat facing an antique TV set clad in dark wood.

The most obvious feature in the room, however, were the two dark-skinned humans plastered on that very couch.

The one closest to Tyler and Jewel looked skinny and frail, his legs long and, from what they could tell, hairless. A crown of bushy, curly black hair sat atop his head, resembling a restrained afro.

The man on the right side of the first was a stark comparison. His stomach bulged out beyond his yellow shirt, and that same chunkiness was mirrored on his arms and legs. He had much less hair on his head, as evidenced by the short sideburns and straight hairline above his forehead.

Their eyes grew wide as they noticed the two bound teenagers, causing them to immediately spring from the couch to examine the quarry.

The fat one said, "I thought you were just going after that guy's medicine? Who are these two, Boss?"

Marcel waited for Nigel to enter the room, and as soon as he did, Marcel closed the door gently and replied, "I happened to find them messing around with Tulio and some woman. This boy is crippled, and Tulio was about to give him the medicine. That was when I took the syringe and brought them along. I came away with three prizes instead of one, Tipa."

"So, what are we going to do with them, Boss?" questioned the skinny man.

"You and Tipa were stupid enough to stay here and watch soccer, so _you _don't get to deal with them. That will be me and Nigel's job, and we'll see how much use we can get out of them tomorrow. But for now, Armando, they're going to be locked up."

The lanky man known as Armando shoved his friend roughly and muttered, "I told you we shoulda gone with 'em!"

Marcel walked past his victims and stopped at the foot of a rotted staircase, cupping his hands around his mouth and yelling, "Fernando, get down here now! I have a job for you..."

Marcel backed away from the staircase as the creak of a door resounded, followed by heavy footsteps. Moments later, a teenage boy about Tyler's age stepped into the light, the shock on his face quickly replaced by a triumphant grin.

"Well, well, looks like your little raid was more of a success than you hoped. Did you get the medicine too, Boss?"

Marcel withdrew the syringe from his shirt pocket and tossed it into the air a few times, like a child enjoying a new toy.

"It was so easy, Fernando. You can make people do whatever you want when you threaten them with their lives..."

Nigel laughed a deep laugh behind them, and even Fernando chuckled loudly.

After the energy died down, Marcel donned a serious expression once more and said, "Fernando, take them upstairs and throw them in the closet. And if they try to get out, use this to deal with them."

Marcel tossed the boy his black pistol, and Fernando caught it deftly, clutching it in his right hand.

"You got it, Boss."

The leader then fastened his free hand tightly around Fernando's left arm and added harshly, "If you do use the gun, _do not _kill them. I need them alive for my tests. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Boss."

"Good. Now get moving!"

Fernando moved around behind them and guided them towards the stairs, keeping the gun plastered against Tyler's upper back. The degenerate stairs groaned under the weight of the three humans, and all but the Brazilian boy feared that they would collapse.

As they neared the top of the stairs, they heard Nigel's gruff voice order, "Go to sleep, you two! And turn that TV off! Boss and I can't get our rest if you have that damn TV on all night..."

Fernando pushed them all the way down the dimly-lit hall before stopping them and opening the hole-ridden door that lay at its end. A pitch black space seemed to suck them in, and as their hearts began to thud with fear, the armed teenager shoved them inside roughly.

Tyler's leg fatigue caused him to trip over the threshold, bring Jewel down with him. Their knees met the oddly-sturdy floor hard, sending jolts of pain up their spines.

"Gah, that hurt..." groaned Tyler.

He and Jewel then turned around and found Fernando still standing there with the door open.

Once the two handcuffed humans had seated themselves on the floor, Jewel asked sadly, "Why are you doing this?"

Fernando sighed, but his expression remained hard.

"Sorry guys, it's nothing personal. But Marcel's the Boss, and I have to listen to him. If I don't, I'll be out on the streets again..."

He shut the door with a commanding slam, and then the two humans watched through the holes as he disappeared down the gloomy hall.

Minutes later, he returned with a length of chain and a lock, the heavy links clinking loudly as he approached the door. He fastened the chain around the handle and locked it to a large hook that protruded from the wall, out of Tyler and Jewel's line of sight.

After the disheartening _click_ of the lock echoed from the walls, the gun-toting boy walked down the hall once more and entered a room on the right, the gun in his hand briefly illuminated by the light that poured out.

Tyler sat back against the wall and drew his right leg up against his chest in the fetal position, then using hs arms to do the same with his debilitated left leg.

"Well, it looks like game over, Jewel," he stated mournfully. "We'll never get out of here. We'll be kept as Marcel's slaves until our usefulness is exhausted, unless the serum kills us first..."

Tyler closed his eyes and felt the handcuffs move, but he thought Jewel was merely slumping in defeat. He was then startled by Jewel's cutting voice, and as he threw open his his eyes, he realized she was _very_ close to him.

"This is _all your fault!_ If you hadn't shown up for the stupid-ass treatment, I would never have been caught! I would rather be struggling to live out on the streets than be stuck here with _you._ I hate you so much."

Tyler immediately grew angered with her, raising his voice to match her own.

"How in the hell is this _my _fault? Do you think I can predict the future? I'm sick of living a one-legged life!"

"So you'd risk dying by taking a supposed 'cure' with a fifty percent success rate? You're nothing but a gullible piece of American trash."

"Oh, so now you're insulting my culture? Well, judging by the slum we're currently stuck in, I'd say Brazil isn't much better! I thought that maybe you'd have a heart for my situation. I guess I was wrong."

"You don't know how wrong you are. Leave me the hell alone, you got that? I'll figure a way out of here by myself."

"Whatever."

He turned ruefully away from her as far as the handcuffs would allow. With their backs nearly facing each other, they attempted to concoct an escape plan, taking into account their circumstances and the possible tools they could use.

After five minutes of heated thinking, Jewel turned over onto her hands and knees and began rummaging around in the darkness. Tyler had to constantly move with Jewel, for the handcuffs would only reach so far.

"What are you doing? There's nothing in this closet but us. Do you actually think you'll find anything in this blackness?"

"Shut up and let me look. Better yet, why don't you make yourself useful and help?"

"Help _you?_ Get rid of the condescending attitude, and maybe I will. If we're ever going to bust out of this place, we'll need to work together. There's a saying in America that goes: 'Two heads are better than one.' "

"Ugh, fine. But try to keep quiet. If that boy hears us, we're screwed."

Tyler lowered his voice and did his best to take the edge off of it.

"You see, that was your first good idea so far. Try to come up with more..."

Jewel huffed in hesitant agreement.

They tried to keep the pounding of their hands and knees to a minimum as they fished around the closet, but the solid floor made that difficult. After running into each other several times – along with inadvertently touching each other in less-than-ideal places – they realized that the closet was quite small.

They swept from one end of the space to the other, crawling like snails, before retracing their steps and going back the other way.

They scoured the dusty wooden floor for nearly twenty minutes in this sluggish manner, but as they came to a stop near the wall farthest from the door, they had found nothing to aid their break-out.

Tyler sat down cross-legged and rubbed his hands through his hair in frustration.

"Great. We should've known that this allergy-inducing pit would be completely barren. Now what?"

Jewel's distraught voice replied, "Hell if I know. The door is chained shut, so obviously that won't work. Maybe there's a hidden switch in the wall, like all of those bad mystery movies."

"Yeah right," said the male incredulously, "This isn't a movie. This is _real life_."

"Well, I'm going to give it a try, whether you like it or not." she replied pointedly.

_I used to think that Jewel was a decent person. It's like she has a split personality! The sooner we get these handcuffs off, the better. She can run back to her favelas, and I can reunite with Linda..._

Tyler followed behind the female as she inched along the walls, feeling them gingerly with her hands in the search for the elusive "hidden switch."

Ten minutes into the search, Jewel decided to see how high the walls were. She unbent her legs and helped Tyler to his feet, but they would soon come to another painful conclusion. They had not risen halfway to their full height before their heads knocked into the low-lying ceiling, the loud _thump_ forcing them back down rapidly.

"Just how tiny is this room?" muttered Jewel as she rubbed her sore cranium.

"I would say its eight feet by three feet by three feet."

Jewel did not reply for a few seconds, leading him to think that his confident answer had shocked her.

"How do you know that?"

"I am much smarter than I look, though it's hard to tell without any light. I guess you could say I have the proverbial brains _and _brawn."

"Is that so? Maybe we can put those things to good use after we-"

A series of loud taps on the door silenced Jewel immediately.

"Keep quiet in there," Fernando warned, "You don't want to wake Boss up. Trust me, he'll make you regret it..."

After Fernando's footfalls faded away, Jewel whispered, "After we ditch this madhouse."

"Perhaps we will. Now come on, we still haven't covered all of the walls yet."

"Right. You know, I have to say that it feels good to be working together, rather than fighting. A common goal is what I would call it."

_Huh. That's the first compliment she's given me since we were captured. Maybe there's a whole other side to her that I don't even know about yet..._

Emboldened by her sincere comment, he took up the slow task of feeling along the time-worn walls once again. They tested the remaining three walls before returning to their starting point, but their search proved fruitless.

They were both seated next to the far wall once again, pools of frustration now churning about inside of them.

"Ugh, this is so stupid! There has to be a way out, other than through a chain sealed door guarded by a kid with a gun! I hate being cooped up like this. I really do, Tyler."

"Are you claustrophobic?" he asked while tapping his chin with his finger.

"Claustra-what? Your big-brained talk isn't helping."

"Claustrophobia is a mental condition that bestows upon its owner an irrational fear of confined spaces."

"So, in other words, it means being scared of teeny-tiny rooms?"

"That's the dumb of way of saying it, but yeah."

Tyler felt her change position, as if formulating her answer.

"No, that's not the problem. Having to live on my own and... take care of my brother changed me, Tyler. Everything I was, everything I had, died with my parents. More than anything else, I value freedom and the need to make my own choices. You can't make it on the streets if you're a softie. Having to provide for myself and Santos at the same time was hell, but I did it.

We had this short-term mindset between us. All we did was look forward to the next meal, the next place to shelter, the next sunrise. That was how we survived. Now that he's gone, it makes it easier on me, but that doesn't mean I wanted him dead in the first place. Now that I'm stuck with you, all of the freedom I so enjoy is gone. The sooner we get out and get these handcuffs off, the better."

"You know, freedom is big in America too. That's one of our core principles, as established by the Founding Fathers. We fought many a war to be free, and we eventually succeeded. You'd be happy in the States, that's for sure. Maybe, after this is all over, you can come back with me and Linda."

Jewel reached out and placed a hand on his right knee.

"Thanks for the offer, but we need to focus on our immediate futures right now. Forget about all of that. It may not even happen. We may never even live through this."

Her tone was matter-of-fact, and to him, it carried decent credibility.

"You're right. Okay, let's focus. The door's locked, and the walls are perfectly innocent. What next?"

After a tense silence, she replied, "Can we dig our way out? Or punch our way out?"

"I doubt it. There's probably nothing behind these walls but more wood. They'll probably be reinforced. Who's to know how many other prisoners Marcel's kept here."

"That's true. He's a sick man, that Marcel. If I ever got close enough, I'd knock his lights out. Like this!"

Jewel balled her hand into a fist and threw it straight out, landing a solid blow to the narrow wall just ahead. Tyler flinched as the loud _crack_ split the air, and he closed his eyes in preparation for her scream of pain.

When his ears detected nothing, he popped his eyes open, only to be shaken fervently by the female.

"Tyler, look! I think I just created an exit route for us."

He stared at the wall where she had supposedly planted her fist, and he felt his heart somersault as he noticed a faint beam of light filtering in through a hole.

"What dumb luck, Jewel!" he whispered hotly. "This must be the outer wall of Marcel's warehouse! That must be moonlight coming in."

"Are you sure? I won't be able to tolerate another dead end attempt at escape."

"It has to be! Let's see what else we can find. Gently tear away whatever material the wall is made of."

They scooted closer to the aperture until they were side by side, and using their hands, they set about widening the hole Jewel had created. The material crumbled away like aged sheetrock, leaving Tyler to wonder how it had even been installed in the first place.

_Sheetrock is a commonplace construction medium in the United States, but Brazil? How odd. I can't help but think that Marcel has been carrying out dastardly deeds here for a very long time. He must have had some reason to put this stuff here..._

The desperate humans worked diligently, sending cascades of dust and chalky chunks to the floor. The pile that formed helped to silence the sounds of the bits of rock as they skittered about, but the plumes of dust burned the prisoners' eyes and led to coughing fits.

"Oh man, this is dirty work! I... can barely breathe! There's no fresh air in here to clear out the dust, either."

"In the States, there's this guy called Mike Rowe who does these sort of things for a living. Still, this is a walk in the park... compared to some of the jobs he's volunteered for, so we better be grateful."

"Really? Well, if all of you Americans have a mind for filth, then I think I'll stay in Rio."

Blu ignored her derogatory comment and said, "We're almost out! Wait a minute, my hunch was right. Look..."

He pointed to the defaced surface as the last sections of sheetrock came tumbling down. A myriad of pale rays now brightened the closet significantly, flowing through the gaps in an array of two-by-fours.

"You see. They boarded it up. Someone must have gotten loose in an earlier time."

Jewel plunked down on her rear and said, "What now? My fingers are already sore enough, and how in the world do we rip _those_ out?"

Tyler was truly stumped now. He assumed a pose like The Thinker, and remained that way for several minutes, brooding heavily. Suddenly, he connected the dots between the sheetrock and the boards.

"If the outer covering was that fragile, those pieces of lumber might be decayed enough to give way. We'll just have to put some elbow grease into them."

"I'll let you handle that. Back at the lab, you convinced me that you have more muscle strength than most people I know."

"Compliment number two. Thanks for that."

Tyler lifted his hand for a hi-five, but Jewel was confused.

"Uh, what does that mean?"

He chuckled softly and said, "Just slap my hand with yours."

"O-kay..."

She smacked her palm against his with satisfying force, still unsure of what the hidden meaning was.

"There you go, girl! It's break-out time. I suggest you cover your head..."

Jewel plastered herself against the surface to the left of him, her face properly shielded behind her arms.

Tyler established a good grip on the lowest board and thought, _Muscles, don't fail me now. Show me what you can do!_

With a calculated heave, he contracted his arm muscles and tore the board away with little resistance. A few rusted nails were thrown across the room, clinking loudly upon the floor.

"Woah," exclaimed Jewel excitedly, "That was pretty neat! Either you're really strong, or those nails are really weak."

"How about we agree that the former is true?"

"Whatever you say, macho-man..."

One by one, he stripped the offending planks from their positions, accompanied by the cracking noise of splitting wood and the skittering of yet more dislodged nails. He had worked up a fair sweat by the time the last one was pulled away, as evidenced by the random pile of boards behind him.

A thick river of moonlight now flooded the closet completely, and for the first time in over an hour, the humans could finally see each other clearly.

Tyler found himself staring at Jewel's luxurious body, but another series of footfalls sent him into panic mode.

"What's going on in there? I told you to keep quiet! Why don't you just go to sleep already?"

It was Fernando.

Tyler eased himself out of the gaping hole and peered down, pleading that the drop wasn't too far. He was in luck, as the corrugated aluminum roof of a neighboring building butted directly up against the warehouse below.

"We have to go. Now!" wheezed the cripple.

"How far is it?"

"I'd say it's a four foot drop, maybe more."

He tried to ease her towards the hole, but she refused by placing her hands on the sides of the aperture.

"We have to think this through, Tyler! What if the roof caves in and we end up in someone's living-room? What about your good leg? If you land wrong, you'll break it, and then where will we be?"

"I'm coming in there in two minutes, and I'm bringing backup with me! All I have do is get the key..."

"All we can do is pray, Jewel. We have to jump! I'll go before you. That way, your weight won't pull me down and make me fall faster."

"Okay, okay I get it. Just go already! I'm not going to feel any more terrified than I am now."

Tyler sat himself on the edge of the hole before pushing off with his arms. He felt a slight pull as his companion jumped with him, but the brief free-fall experience took over his mind. He straightened his arms out to take the blow while closing his eyes.

_Please don't let her land on me! My back may be ruined, but that certainly isn't going to help..._

There was a deafening double crash as the two humans piled onto the aluminum, leaving them stunned for several precious seconds. The metal buckled deeply from the impact, but did not collapse entirely.

The humans shook away the daze and searched their bodies for injuries and were immensely relieved to not find any.

"Hey, there they are! They're trying to get away!"

Tyler and Jewel whirled around and spied Tipa, Armando, and Fernando gathered at the hole in the warehouse.

"We gotta go, Tyler! Come on!"

They scooted over to the edge of the roof and glanced down quickly, spying a narrow stretch of dusty ground awaiting their leap.

"Another jump, buddy. You ready?" said Jewel frantically.

"No." countered the other.

"Too late!"

Jewel dropped from the rim, pulling her one-legged accomplice with her. They landed awkwardly on the ground, and Jewel heard a loud _snap_. Fearing that Tyler had broken a bone, she surveyed his body quickly. Something was odd about how his left shoulder was oriented.

"Damn, are you okay, man?"

"Hell no," he moaned, "my shoulder's dislocated. But don't worry about that now. Help me up. We have to lose them in this maze!"

Jewel hoisted him onto her left shoulder and sped along as fast as she could manage. They heard a pair of grunting noises behind them, and without even looking back, they knew that Tipa and Armando were trailing them.

"They're going to catch us if we don't do something!" shouted Tyler.

"And what do you suggest?" she retorted.

"Is there any place we could hide? Sorry for answering a question with a question."

"I have my own place, if that's what you mean."

"Is it far from here?"

"About twenty minutes."

"We'll have to head into the more populous neighborhoods and attract attention. Then, we'll have to double back towards wherever you live. They won't follow us if we catch people's eyes."

"Got it! Hold on, 'cause this ride is going to get rough..."

Jewel harbored intimate knowledge of the favelas in Rio's North Zone, and so she was able to exploit that knowledge to increase the distance between her and her pursuers.

She and Tyler ducked under ramshackle houses, darted down hidden corridors, and even cut through a few still-inhabited abodes, earning her many curse words and shouts of anger, all in Portuguese.

As she plodded through the living room of one such shack, she ignored the stream of slander that assaulted her and thought, _It's a good thing he doesn't know a single word of Portuguese..._

After an exhausting five minutes of hobbling, they stopped in front of a row of shacks, and noted the glare of the city down the street.

"How are you... holding up... Jewel?" asked Tyler between heaving breaths.

"I haven't... had a run like this... in quite a while. I am close... to dropping to the ground,... but it still feels... really good."

"This is the... only break we can afford. Can you... fix my shoulder now?"

"Just give me... thirty seconds... and then I will..."

Tyler mentally counted off the allotted time, and once it was up, he drew in a rich breath and yelled, "Grab my shoulder... and push it really hard."

Jewel led him to the side of a shack to offer resistance, and then spread both of her hands across his swollen joint.

"I'm going to push on three. One... two... three!"

Using a great deal of might, she shoved against the displaced shoulder. A sickening crunching sound filled her ears, along with Tyler's shout of agony.

Ah! There, it's back in. Please stop!"

"I'm sorry, but it had to be done!"

"Yeah, I get it! We have to get moving again."

Jewel hoisted him back onto her left shoulder, steeling herself for a second round of exertion.

They broke into a steady sprint once again, and moments later, they heard: "We're still coming! You'll never get away from us, you idiots..."

The street seemed to lengthen at a rate that exactly matched their awkward pace, and they attributed it to their pounding hearts and oxygen-starved muscles.

Eventually, they charged headlong into the wealthier sector of the North Zone, emerging onto an avenue lined with gourmet diners. They swerved around the corner of a building and bounced down the sidewalk. They saw not a single soul outside, but plenty eating happily just a few feet away.

Halfway down the avenue, they could truly run no longer, and so they stopped for a dire rest.

"I... think we... lost them. The plan... must have worked."

"Let's hope so, Tyler..."

Their ragged breaths slowly dissolved into more controlled inhalations, and the full minute of rest they achieved made them feel almost high. However, they detected a steady rhythm of footsteps issuing from the gap between two nearby buildings.

"I bet that's them, Tyler." said Jewel angrily.

Sure enough, the contrasting duo of Brazilians stepped from the gap and stood directly in their path.

"It's all over. Give yourselves up, and just maybe Boss won't have a reason to beat you up."

"We have to take them on and take them out, buddy. You ready?"

"I don't condone violence, but this situation desperately calls for it." whispered Tyler.

"Time for a classic trick. Do you know what I mean?"

"Perfectly, Jewel..."

"Alright, you win! We're too tired to run anymore. Come take us back..." shouted Jewel.

"That's what I thought!" retorted Tipa.

They approached the handcuffed humans with evil smiles on their faces. Little did they know, those smiles were about to be wiped from their faces in the most brutal of manners.

Right as they drew within two feet of Tyler and Jewel, the humans nudged each other tellingly and sprang into action. They leaped forwards in unison and went on the offensive.

Tyler drove his right hand into Tipa's face, feeling the satisfying crunch of his nose beneath the knuckles. He then followed it up with a deadly blow to the throat, sending the overweight man to the ground in a spluttering, bloody mess.

Jewel landed a righteous kick to Armando's groin, and, as he fell to his knees, nailed the side of his head with yet another kick.

She rushed over to her friend – who had lost his balance after taking down Tipa – and hauled him back onto her shoulder.

"They're taken care of. Now's our chance to lose them!"

"Right on, Tyler! My house is about ten minutes away. Trust me, they'll never find it. But we have to hurry, so here we go..."

They limped to the end of the street and veered left once again, leading themselves straight for the unforgiving – yet strangely safe – arms of darkness that were the favelas.

They walked together in complete silence – both from the creeping exhaustion and the uncertainty of their futures.

They were able to relax somewhat once immersed in the maze of run-down dwellings, but the anxiety was still very much alive within their souls.

Jewel navigated the maze with ease as she sought out her home, and once she arrived, she felt like exploding with joy.

"Finally, buddy, we're here..." she said smoothly.

Tyler gazed upon the face of a large three-story structure, and thinking the entire thing was Jewel's dropped his jaws in shock.

"Impressive! How did you claim this for yourself?"

She shook her head and gazed at him seriously.

"Oh, that doesn't belong to me. I live _below_ _it_, Tyler. I'll show you."

_Below it? But... but... how? Oh, this is going to be a really long night..._

She trotted up to the towering structure and pointed to the base with her finger.

"Look near the bottom of the wall. What do you see?"

He obeyed casually and caught sight of a small glass sheet.

"Is that... a window?" he said, confused.

"You bet it is. But watch this..."

Jewel sat down on the ground and pushed against the window with her bare feet, forcing him to squeeze in behind her. To his amazement, it folded back and allowed them to slip inside, at which point it swung down to its starting position.

Jewel caught him gingerly before he lost his balance, and for a moment, their faces were separated by mere inches. They quickly broke the trance and rubbed the back of their heads.

"Were we about to..."

"I think so, Jewel. That would have been very uncalled for, don't you think?"

"Completely uncalled for. That's the last thing on my mind right now..." she replied flatly.

"So, this is where you live? Could you give me a quick tour?"

"It's just one big room. Well, big by slum standards, at least."

She pulled him along in the terrible seeing conditions in the direction of the corner furthest from the window.

"Where is it? I know I left it right here."

"Are you looking for the light source that you use to fill this room with photons?"

"If you mean lamp, then yes. You're really going to have to stop that."

"Sorry. It's how I think, but I'll suppress it while in your presence."

She eased over to the next corner and fished around with her hands. She felt a smooth, curved surface come into contact with her palms shortly after.

"Yes! I found it. How about I brighten this room up a little bit?"

She turned the tiny plastic knob just beneath the bulb, setting the distorted glass shape aglow. The lampshade projected a circle of light onto the ceiling, revealing the aluminum underside of the shack above.

The remaining light suffused throughout the room, staining everything with a mellow golden shade.

Tyler waited for his eyes to accommodate before surveying his acquaintance's abode. A large, thick blanket lay curled up haphazardly on the dusty floor, along with a smaller blanket and two measly pillows.

Not much lay on the window side of Jewel's house, and so he turned around one-hundred-and eighty-degrees.

To his left, in the first corner Jewel explored, rested a small cherry-wood dresser with three drawers. On its upper surface lay a single faded book, its title in Portuguese, unreadable.

"What's in there?" he asked innocently.

Jewel muttered, "Just... books. And family pictures from before the day they were killed. There's not much to do around here, except read and reminisce. That's all I managed to collect before the government gutted my family's house."

"Can I look at them?"

"No. Maybe later, but not now."

To his right, in the other corner, sat a small end table, nothing but the lone lamp perched atop it. A musty smell lingered in the air, leaving him hesitant to ask about its origins.

_Man, this place is terrible! I could never imagine living like this. No wonder most Americans take everything for granted..._

"I'm ready to hit the sack. Where should I sleep? You call the shots around here."

When a reply did not arrive, he turned to Jewel and saw her wiping tears away with her right hand. He drew closer to her and grasped her left arm softly.

"What's the matter? Did I say something I shouldn't have?"

She shook her head and sobbed, "No. Those pictures... are all I have left. Three years later... and I still miss them. For about a year after they were killed, I used to dream that they never left for the bank that day. That they were still alive. Those dreams have faded away..."

"I know it's hard, but you're doing just fine. You've shown the world that you're strong enough to fight for the right to live. All you have to do is keep believing in yourself. That may sound cheesy, but it's the truth. How old are you? Fifteen years old? Sixteen?"

"Sixteen," she whimpered.

"So am I. Both of us still have the chance for a bright future, even though the present may seem grim. I'm not going to give up until these handcuffs come off. I'm not going to give up until I find my way back to Linda."

"But... what about the serum? Are you going to take it? Marcel still has it."

"I've made up my mind, Jewel. I am going to take it. Eventually, we'll have to go and get it back. But for now, we need to get ourselves separated. Do you know anybody that could help?"

"I know a friend that knows someone that could help us."

"Good. We can go see him tomorrow. Now, how about we get a good night's rest?"

"Alright. I agree with you there."

He and Jewel scuttled over to the blanket and reclined on the ground, their bindings meaning that they had to sleep side by side, a fact that discomforted them both.

Jewel tossed him her second blanket and pillow, and the best use he could find out of it was converting the blanket to a sleeping bag.

He rolled himself inside of it and then planted his head on the soft cushion, leaving his left arm protruding from the side. The joint was still incredibly sore, but as long as he kept still, the pain was manageable.

"Good night, Tyler."

"Likewise, Jewel."

Now that he was bathed in a calm atmosphere, the myriad of emotions and implications of the prior events rushed upon him with unreal force. He was barely able to contain the onslaught, praying desperately for his mind to shut down and cast him into the realm of dreams as quickly as possible.

Fragmented images of Linda and Tulio, Marcel and Nigel, guns and needles; it was too much to bear.

_There are so many things left to do, people to meet, villains to plunder! Only by the grace of the Lord will I get through the comings days. After all is said and done, after Jewel and I are separated, I hope the serum works. It would be an unbelievable shame if I die from its effects. Until then, I will stay by Jewel's side and protect her. Maybe, just maybe, I can convince her to seek a better life in the United States. She's a dazzling girl and carries a bold spirit, two things I deeply admire about her. Who knows, maybe I can convince her to seek a better life... with me..._

His mind and body warmed by his last few thoughts, he managed to drift off into unconsciousness after five minutes of lying awake. The steady sound of Jewel's breathing also persuaded him to release his grip on reality.

Whatever the road ahead decided to throw at him, he would be ready. He desperately needed to see Linda again, even if for one final time.

He had already formed a rudimentary bond with the female next to him, and only time would tell how that bond developed, if it developed at all.

When they found the means to separate themselves, he would give her the choice to leave or stay. Although he prayed for the latter, he knew it was a very unlikely possibility. Thus, he opted to savor the moments while they lasted.


	3. Break The Ice

**Chapter 3:Break The Ice**

While still dreaming of his serene home back in Moose Lake, Tyler felt a warm spot plant itself on his face and hover there. He grew increasingly restless, eventually surfacing from his lucid dream and rising into a sitting position.

Rubbing his eyes – with his right hand due to his restricted left – to clear away the haze, he found himself staring head-on into a gentle river of faint sunlight, which was peeking into Jewel's unorthodox entrance window.

He scooted unknowingly to the left, moving out of the path of the light, but in the process bumping into Jewel's back.

She rolled over languidly and sat up, fixing him with a half-irritated, half-dazed look.

"What was... that for?" she moaned while rubbing her eyes, forcing him to raise his left hand to keep up.

"The sun was bothering me, so I moved out of the way. Sorry for waking you." he said softly.

She looked towards the photon-filled window and hardened her gaze.

"No, it's alright. It's time we got up anyway. It's going to be a crazy day today. If all goes well, me and you will be going our separate ways before sundown. Isn't that something worth looking forward to?"

"You bet it is!"

"_Not if I die, it's not._" he added mentally.

"My thoughts exactly, Tyler. Now, if you don't mind, I-"

Jewel's eyes went wide before contorting and giving her face a pained expression.

"Are you alright?" Tyler asked dutifully.

"Not really," she muttered, "I have to... uh... use the restroom."

He flinched, visibly shocked and disturbed.

"_Oh no! Could there be anything more awkward and violating that this?_" he screamed silently.

"Great. What do I do now?"

"Hey, I'm no more or no less of a human than you, Tyler. All you can do is... close your eyes, I guess."

"Ugh, this is so awkward! Just get it over with, so we can move on to more innocent matters!"

Jewel stood up and propped Tyler onto her shoulder, leading him over to the rear wall and grabbing an ordinary-looking aluminum wall panel. She pulled on it with light force, throwing it to the ground and creating a small cloud of dust.

Tyler waved away the dust with his hand and stared deep into the haunting darkness.

"Whoa, that was unexpected. What's in there?"

"Just my spare clothes and... yeah. I'll leave it at that."

They stepped into the pure darkness together, now unable to observe a single detail of the space around them. They loped over to the left a few paces, with Jewel guiding him confidently over to what Tyler presumed was the corner.

She bent down and rummaged around, jerking more than he would have expected for someone who was using the restroom.

"What are you doing? I thought you were going to-"

"I'm gathering a new change of clothes. I've worn these same clothes for three weeks straight, and if you didn't notice last night, they're not exactly doing their job of covering my body up. I'll use the restroom, and then I'll change."

He shivered and thought, "_At least it's completely dark in here. I can't even imagine having to see her..._"

"I've got my clothes. Now come on, the toilet's in the other corner."

"Wait, what?" he said, confused. "You have a toilet?"

She replied flatly, "Duh. I wouldn't sink that low, buddy. Besides, it was already here when I found this place. I have to thank whoever lived here before me for that. Now come on, my bladder's yelling at me right now..."

They walked along the left wall until coming to the far corner, at which point he felt Jewel squirm around. The ruffling sound of pants sliding down her legs sent a bolt of nervousness through him.

Even though shutting his eyes wouldn't help him whatsoever, he pinched them shut anyway. He then clamped his hands over his ears.

Sensing his movements, Jewel said, "Does it really bother you that bad? Suit yourself..."

Tyler couldn't hear her, so he mentally counted to twenty, hoping Jewel would be done relieving herself by then. When the barely audible rush of the toilet flushing echoed in his head, he slowly peeled his hands from his ears.

"Hey, it's all over. You can relax now. Just let me change, and we'll be outta here."

More ruffling ensued as she stripped her torn pants off, along with her overused panties. With surprising calmness, she slipped on a fresh pair of underwear and slapped on a graceful pair of jeans.

Halfway done, she began to remove her shirt, but once she got it down to the sleeves, she encountered a problem: the notorious handcuffs prevented her ragged shirt from coming off.

"_Well, this shirt is old and tattered already,_" she thought, "_I'll just finish it off._"

With the left sleeve of the ragged shirt hanging on to her arm, she grabbed the rest of it with her free hand and started tugging. Tyler resisted the pull on his arm, allowing her to rip the shirt even faster.

"Are you... tearing your shirt? Don't you have a limited supply of clothes?"

She finished removing the last sections of the butchered short-sleeve shirt, piling the stained fabric at her feet.

She shrugged and replied, "Not really. I can get more anytime I want, but I usually only keep to or three sets at a time. I have to keep a low profile, because making enemies in these neighborhoods isn't a smart thing to do."

Intrigued, he asked, "How so? Isn't it fair to say that everyone here looks out for each other? A pack mentality, if you will."

"No one's ever looked out for me, but that might not be the case in other parts of Rio. Maybe it's because no one would ever want to be caught with a thief."

Startled by her confession, he said, "You're a thief? Why?Isn't there another way to-"

Hearing where he was going, she cut him off.

"Hey, don't judge me. You expect people to hand me everything I need to live, just like that? That may be how it is in the States you like to talk about so much, but not here. I do what I can to be as civilized as possible. It's that simple. Now, can you help me get my bra off? It's kind of hard for me to see what I'm doing. Lucky for both of us, it's strapless."

Unwilling to respond elaborately to her argument, he dropped the topic and replied, "Yeah."

He reached out with both hands to feel for her back, but his right hand touched something other than his intended target.

He jerked said hand back from her chest and yelled, "Hey, I'm sorry! I can't really see what I'm doing."

"Just this once, I'll forgive you. But don't try it again. I don't take kindly to being felt up. By anyone."

"Wisely said, Jewel. I understand completely."

She used her hands to guide him, finally locating the pair of hooks that clasped the bra together. He unhooked them with a quick _pop_ and then shied away. Her exposed skin was dotted with goosebumps, and she could not get her new bra back on fast enough.

"I need your help again." she said flatly.

"Putting your other bra back on?"

"Yep."

"You got it..."

After Tyler was done pulling the stretchy fabric and locking the hooks in place, Jewel grabbed a wonderfully soft t-shirt. Seeing no way to fully cover herself without modifying it, she worked it on while leaving the left side draped over her shoulder.

She ran her hands through her hair and declared, "There. Now, I think it's time we get out of here and get down to business."

"Lead the way, Jewel..."

Once they exited from the auxiliary room, Jewel replaced the aluminum panel and headed straight for the hinged window. After she helped him back above ground, they faced each other and gave their assessments.

"You look like a classic American teenager, Tyler. Rugged clothes, wild hair, and body odor."

He smiled at her semi-compliment and replied, "Well, you don't look that bad either, except for your half-covered left side. If I had seen you passing by, I never would have known you were living such a terrible lifestyle. And just for the record, all that running we did gave you a bit of a stench, too."

"Thanks. Well, once we get to Rafael's, we can clean up nicely. After that, he can take us to Luiz and get these things off."

"I see. What are we going to do until then? Is Rafael's house far? What about Luiz's?"

"It's a decent walk to Rafael's, and even farther to Luiz's. We may not even have to see him today, though. If we can find someone in these favelas who has some decent tools, our problems will be solved."

"So, where should we start? Do you know any other people who could help in the meantime?"

"Of course. Just act normal. They won't hurt you if you don't give them a reason to."

He nodded resolutely, hobbling along in time with her.

"_The sooner we get split apart, the better,_" he told himself. "_But then again, there's the healing serum that I have to steal back from Marcel, and then take. Will she be there to watch me get better, or watch me die? At this point, I'm not sure..._"

His mind, confused by his burning desire to be free once again, along with the dread he felt at having to take the serum, lowered his spirits.

There was a chance that all he was going through was to be for nothing, but on the other hand, there was an equal chance that he could be given a second life and have plenty of memories to cherish.

As Jewel ferried him towards the first stop of many in their separation oriented adventure, he found himself lost in his terrifying thoughts like a lone ship trapped in a whirling storm.

They traversed back and forth across the sprawling favelas in Rio's North Zone nonstop, occasionally jumping from a prosperous neighborhood to a degraded one, and then back again.

The sun climbed higher and higher as they walked, and every time they made a stop at the home of one of Jewel's acquaintances, they always left empty handed and still bonded to one another.

Jewel had a gut feeling from the start that no one was going to be able to help her.

They could barely forge a life for themselves, let alone offer aid in the form of tools to a couple of chained-together individuals. They only stocked what was necessary, and tools were far down on their lists of necessities.

It was past high noon by the time they mutually agreed to give up and chart a course to Rafael's house. Tired, depressed, and smelly, they reluctantly began the journey from the North Zone to the West Zone, where Rafael's abode lay.

After slogging their way out of the favelas, they emerged into the more developed and postcard-worthy streets of Rio. Their sweat-stained attire, rank odor, and Jewel's poorly-applied t-shirt drew garnered them looks of disdain and shock from the onlookers.

An intangible bubble of space seemed to form around them when the crowds grew thick, and they could only ignore the public's reactions and carry on.

The transition to the West Zone was easily recognized by Jewel and Tyler alike. Each sector of Rio carried its own unique style and personality, something they both picked up on.

As they meandered down the avenues, the most apparent difference was the utter lack of shantytowns.

Stately houses of every design, shape and color imaginable lined the streets and saturated the neighborhoods. Some of the more modern blocks reminded Tyler of the architectural style often present in the United States.

He grew homesick as his train of thought shifted from the U.S. to Minnesota, and then to Moose Lake, but he suppressed the emotion. He was unsure if he would even see the inside of the little bookstore ever again, so he did all he could to prevent himself from being dragged down anymore than he already was.

He clung to Jewel as she steered him towards their first objective, finding comfort in the fact that he had at least one friend he could depend on – if only for a few more hours. He had not kept track of how far they had walked, but his aching feet and burning right leg convinced him it was a plenty-long journey.

He and Jewel turned onto a fairly secluded street and ambled down the sidewalk, spying pitying looks from the passers-by as they left their houses or climbed out of their cars. The street was fairly regular; well-constructed and attractive houses spaced evenly on both sides, all with lush lawns and solid driveways.

Tyler and Jewel crossed the scorching asphalt to the other side of the avenue quickly, for it burned even her reinforced soles.

They stopped in front of a two-story abode graced with red clay roof tiles and warm green wooden walls. The roofs were stacked like a pair of inverted V's, and near the apex of the upper roof lay a large circular window.

After they had regained their breath and stilled their racing pulses, Tyler tapped Jewel's shoulder and asked, "So, is this the place?"

"Yeah. This is where Rafael lives."

"Does he have a family? A two-story house for one person is quite excessive."

"He has a wife named Eva, two twin sons named Marco and Carlos, and two daughters named Manuela and Sophia."

"That explains it. Are they nice?"

She punched him playfully in the chest and replied, "You kidding? If they didn't have their hands full with their four kids, they'd take me in as one of their own. Still, I'm just too adapted to this lifestyle to give it up. I babysit for them sometimes, and they give me a few reals when they can."

"_Maybe there's some way I can convince her to head back to the States. As pretty and brave as she is, she doesn't deserve to live in filth. I bet it's because she's reluctant to let go of all the things she's ever known. Her brother, her parents, everything..._" he mused with melancholy.

"Uh, hello? Why are you looking at the ground? Don't you want to go inside and meet them?"

He broke free of his stupor and looked at Jewel, cracking a sheepish smile.

"I was just thinking. Let's head inside."

She took two steps and then stopped.

"Thinking about what?"

"Oh, nothing. Just random things."

"Whatever you say..."

They trudged up to the front door, and Jewel took the initiative to knock on it firmly.

"They should be here" she said as they waited.

He looked around, noting the empty driveway.

"I don't see their automobile. Maybe we missed them."

"It's probably in their garage." she replied pointedly.

"Now that's a thought..."

Jewel proceeded to ring the doorbell three times, which somehow instantly received a response.

The carved oak door slid open quickly, revealing a somewhat-tall man dressed in a gray cotton t-shirt and navy blue jeans. His hair was a rich black and well styled with gel. His skin was a mocha brown shade, nearly identical to Jewel's own.

In a smooth, heavily accented voice, he exclaimed, "_Olá, amiga! É tão bom ver você de novo. Quem é esse menino que você trouxe? Espere um minuto, por que você está algemado juntos?_" **{Hello, friend! It's so nice to see you again. Who's this boy you've brought? Wait a minute, why are you handcuffed together?} **

Tyler was completely unable to process the Portuguese they were speaking, hoping to get an explanation from Jewel once they were done talking.

Jewel affected a humorous gaze and replied, "_É uma história muito longa, Rafael. Eu vou te dizer uma vez que temos dentro._" **{It's a really long story, Rafael. I'll tell you once we get inside.}**

He nodded in agreement and stepped back from the door, motioning them with a sweep of his hand. "_Faça-se em casa. Estou realmente ansioso para ouvir tudo sobre a sua situação!_" **{Make yourselves at home. I'm really anxious to hear all about your situation!}**

They crossed from the outdoors to the indoors, meeting a fresh wall of hearty odors and joyous sounds. They were making their way into the fancy living room when a burst of laughter from the hall on the other side of the room caught their attention.

"Uh, who's that?" said Tyler, trembling.

"That sounds like all four of his kids. They're full of energy every time I see them."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"You're about to find out."

Four squealing children: two boys and two girls, spilled out from the hallway and froze as they caught sight of the two teenagers.

One of the boys pointed and yelled, "_Temos visitantes! Pegá-los!_" **{We have visitors! Get them!}**

Both boys charged for Tyler and Jewel's legs, while both girls climbed onto the dark green leather couch and jumped off of the back like acrobats.

The two girls locked themselves around Tyler and Jewel's chests, hugging them tightly, while the boys barreled into their legs with surprising force. Needless to say, they were quickly brought down by the onslaught, landing hard on their rears.

The boys proceeded to tickle Jewel's feet, while the girls released their holds and began to slap and punch Tyler randomly.

"Ah! Rafael... save me! I can't... take it anymore!" yelled Jewel between bursts of laughter.

"What about me? I'm getting pummeled over here!" protested Tyler while covering his face with his arms.

Rafael rushed in and took charge, removing the little monsters one by one and tossing them gently onto the couch.

He looked sternly at them and declared, "_O que eu lhe disse sobre o ataque aos nossos clientes? Você quer que eu chame sua mãe?_" **{What have I told you about attacking our guests? Do you want me to call your mother?}**

After yelling "No!" simultaneously, they bounced from the couch and dashed off back down the hall.

Rafael helped them back to their feet and said cheekily, "I'm sorry about that. Especially to you, boy. They're a handful, let me tell you. Still, all I have to say is that I'm calling their mother, and they're gone. Works every time!"

Noticing that Tyler needed to be propped up by Jewel, along with the sight of his dangling leg, worried Rafael greatly.

"Hey, is something wrong with your leg?"

Tyler hardened his expression and replied, "That's part of the reason Jewel and I are here. We-"

"Before we get to that, do you mind if we take a shower? I got all sweaty from the journey here, and so did he."

Seeing that they were clearly and strongly joined, his face contorted into one of extreme confusion.

"But, how are you going to clean up when... he's stuck to you like that? And the same goes for you, Tyler."

"Well, he'll just have to sit outside the shower. When it's his turn, we'll have to switch. It's incredibly awkward, I know, but what else can we do?"

Rafael tapped his hand on his chin for a few seconds, but could not conjure up a single solution.

"You're right. Well, the bathroom's down the hall, the second door on the right. If you want, I can give you both some fresh clothes."

"It's your call, Rafael." said Jewel.

"Alright then. I'll toss some clothes on the sink for the both of you."

"Hey," asked Tyler strongly, "where's your wife?"

Rafael smiled longingly and replied, "She's out running some of her errands. She left about an hour ago. I hope she's back soon. I miss her..."

"_I can see why,_" chided Tyler silently, "_You've got four kids together. A certain couple sure must enjoy each others company..._"

As they wound around the couch, Tyler looked back and said, "Thanks so much, Rafael."

"Hey, no problem. A friend of Jewel's is a friend of mine," he said sincerely.

"At least, I hope you're friends..." he added softly.

They padded their way down the hall, the lush beige carpet under Jewel's feet comfy and cool. The muffled chuckles coming from behind a door on their left assured them that Rafael's offspring were playing in there – and not due to come out for some time.

Jewel walked a few more steps down the hall and paused in front of the bathroom door.

"He's got some crazy kids, that's for sure," whispered Tyler, "or maybe crazy monsters."

She smirked at his accurate comment.

"You got that right."

Jewel flicked the light on as they stepped into the cozy and somewhat large bathroom, gazing around at the delicious decorations.

Each light-brown wall was textured and bordered along their edges with white crown molding.

To their left lay a three foot wide sink topped with beige marble and bearing several drawers beneath it. The faucet and handles were a gleaming gold hue, reflecting the room just like the large mirror that sat above the sink.

An array of lights above the mirror, attached to four downward curving stalks, were responsible for bringing the room out of the darkness, the spiraled fluorescent bulbs burning with energy.

To the right of the sink was a golden towel rack, and even beyond that was a pure white toilet topped with a floral print seat cover. The entire right wall was mostly unused, save for the marvelous shower occupying the far right corner.

They approached the shower steadily, yet Tyler was the only one amazed by the splendor present all around him.

"Man, are Rafael and Eva rich, or what? I wish Linda's bookstore bathroom looked like this!"

"Rafael works at Rio's airport as the head security officer. Eva is the one that stays with the kids. I don't know how much money he makes, but it's pretty decent."

"I can tell..." he replied, still lost in wonder.

"I think we've stalled long enough. Once again, the faster we get past this awkward situation, the faster we can be on our way."

"You're right," he sighed, "so, you want to go first?"

"Fine by me. Just... stare at the door or something." she declared seriously.

"Better yet, I'll do this."

He grabbed the bottom of his shirt and flipped it inside-out, making sure it was taut against his face. The outline of his cheeks and forehead could be seen pressed into the fabric.

"Wow, you look really funny!" she giggled.

"That was the point. Sort of..." replied his muffled voice.

"Hey, whatever gets the job done." she said, still chuckling.

"Stalling again, Jewel?"

He could see nothing through the tightly woven cotton fibers, but his ears still functioned perfectly.

"Oh, right. Here I go. I'll try not to pull you into the tub."

He shook his handcuffed arm pointedly and countered, "I'll give you as much slack as you need."

After plopping himself down on the narrow edge of the tub, he trained his gaze on the door as she whisked off her sweat-stained and foul clothes, still managing to breathe through the thin web of fabric over his head.

He heard the metal on metal screech as she pulled the floral-print shower curtains aside, followed by the heavy thuds of her feet upon the floor of the tub.

After sliding the shower curtains back – leaving his arm trapped beneath them – she turned the temperature nozzles one by one. He felt his arm being tugged as she skittered away from the bone-chilling flow of water that spouted not from the spigot, but from the shower-head.

"Damn, that was cold! Just my luck, you know. Freezing water on the chest is not a very nice feeling, especially for me..."

"_Spare me the details, okay?_" he thought irritatingly.

Moments later, after fiddling with the handles some more, Jewel locked the temperature at a level that suited her. "Man, I haven't felt water this soothing in forever!" she declared happily.

Tyler decided to peel his shirt away and restore his vision, being as the curtains were thick enough to block out all of Jewel's features, save for her outline. Nonetheless, he kept his gaze oriented away from her, darting his eyes around the room languidly.

It was then that a rancid odor filled his nose, actually stinging it slightly. He craned his head back and noticed billows of steam spreading out above him, fine drizzles of moisture raining down all over. It was the smell of hot water mixed with the stench of sweat and grime, and it was by no means pleasant.

He plastered the collar of his shirt over his nose and asked forcefully, "Can't you smell that? You're killing me over here, you know."

"Hey, I bet you won't smell any better! I'm just as disgusted by my odor as you, so just keep your mouth shut."

"Whatever."

His makeshift mask filtered out the odor, so he had that much to be thankful for.

Rafael popped in just as she began to wash her body, handing Tyler a pile of brand-new clothes topped with a pair of tennis shoes, waving to him as he departed. He plunked the items down between his feet, resting his free hand on his chin in an incredibly bored posture.

Nearly ten minutes following Rafael's delivery, he tapped the shower curtain and asked, "Are you done in there? Are you another statistic in the 'girls who take ridiculously drawn-out showers' category?"

"Just for that, I'm going to stand here and do nothing. Taking a short shower is bad, but taking a long shower never hurt. Like I said, I don't get to clean myself this thoroughly every day."

"It must be a genetic trait common to all females, injected into the human gene pool over thousands of years."

"Your nerd talk doesn't impress me. Cover your eyes, I'm about to get out."

He did so, and as she climbed out onto the fluffy mat, still dripping wet, she noticed the towels hanging halfway across the room.

"Come on, walk with me. I have to go get a towel."

"I'm the one who has to lean on you. Guide my hands, so I don't touch you anywhere inappropriate. I got your stuff."

After wrapping his left hand around her neck, she towed him over to the rack and snatched up a towel, looping it around herself firmly. She then pulled him over to the sink and scrubbed her body dry. She released the sodden towel and put on her clothes and footwear rather quickly.

She attempted to study herself in the mirror, but Tyler intervened.

He pulled his shirt down and studied her, giving her two thumbs up on her attire. Apparently, Rafael had slitted the left side of her short sleeve shirt and fastened it with safety pins.

He assisted Jewel by undoing them and allowing her to slip her left arm through the dissected sleeve, then re-fastening the pins to finally cover her left side up. The shirt was slightly distorted on one side, but as long as at did its job, she didn't complain.

He and Jewel then switched roles, and indeed, even Tyler was mesmerized by the lovely heat of the cleansing water. Jewel experienced the bite of the rancid steam he created, displeasing her once again.

Even though he was immersed in the water due to his bad leg, he worked much more rapidly than she. He was out and drying himself a mere ten minutes, having applied his attire not a minute after.

Jewel complimented him on his outfit: a stark white muscle shirt – which exposed his visibly buff arms – and knee length shorts. Feeling obliged to return her praise, he in turn complimented her on the gray blouse and laid-back, mildly-boyish khaki jeans she wore.

Now that they were even, Jewel heartily blasted her hair with the blow dryer while he combed his. Once he was finished, he handed her the comb. She raked it through the sensuous light blue waterfall that draped down to her shoulders, taking her time to bestow a strong curl to the edges.

Lastly, they generously applied gender-specific deodorant to their underarms.

After giving each other a second look-over and deeming themselves presentable, they withdrew from the sauna-like atmosphere of the bathroom and emerged into the strangely quiet passageway. They marched down the hall with their fetid clothes bundled together, finding themselves in an empty living room.

They sank down onto the couch, almost succumbing to the fetters of sleep after their draining cross-town walk, along with the feel of the soft leather folds that shrouded their bodies.

Fighting away the desire to rest, Tyler asked sternly, "Where did you go, Rafael? Are you still here?"

The click of a door being shut gently caught his and Jewel's attention, and they turned around to see him striding out of the kitchen.

"The kids are all sleeping. Please be quiet!" he whispered pointedly.

"Oh, sorry. We thought you had gone."

"I was just in the garage, getting my phone out of my car."

He jabbed his finger towards the pile of filth in their arms and said, "Here, I'll wash those for you."

They handed him the soiled material graciously, watching as he trotted down the hall and turned into a small side passage, which they presumed to be the washroom. He returned shortly after and seated himself in the burgundy rocking chair to the left of the couch.

"So," he said inquisitively while clasping his hands together, "tell me how you met each other and how you got linked together like that."

"It's one ludicrous tale, man," replied Tyler, "and it all began two days ago..."

Tyler focused on telling his side of the story, beginning with the arrival of a Brazilian researcher named Tulio Monteiro in his hometown of Moose Lake, Minnesota, and more specifically, Blue Macaw Books.

He detailed the heated conversation between Linda and the sketchy man regarding the paralysis cure he claimed he had concocted. He then informed Rafael of the terrible accident that had paralyzed him in the first place for clarification, being as the black-haired man was openly confused.

Next came the delayed decision by him and Linda to leave with Tulio for Rio de Janeiro, and the sightseeing they did once they had their decent night's rest. He then spoke of the day when he and Linda finalized their choice to have him take the medicine, along with the break-in by the evil pair of Marcel and Nigel.

Clearly out of breath, Tyler handed the reigns over to Jewel. She detailed the motive of Marcel and Nigel and their subsequent abduction by them, at which point they were taken to their looming warehouse and stashed away in a closet. She followed it up with their daring escape and grueling flight from Tipa and Armando, throwing in the bit where they went on the offensive and disabled their pursuers.

She continued the recollection by about the dire rest they got, and the awkward morning they endured. She capped off the tale by telling him about their failed search for help regarding the handcuff removal, followed by their tiring trek to the West Zone and their arrival at his house.

Needless to say, the Brazilian father of four was speechless; a full minute passed before he drew in a breath and said with wonder, "My God, that _is _crazy, Tyler! I don't think I'll ever forget it, that's for sure. And Jewel, I think you're lucky to have been connected to him. If they just took you, you may never have escaped in the first place, and who knows what they could have done to you!"

She nodded her head slightly and replied, "I guess you're right. Still, I can't live like this forever! I need to be free, be my own person again. This restricted lifestyle is completely against my nature."

He leaned forward and placed a calming hand on Jewel's knee.

"I understand, but you've been through much harder times than this, right?"

"Yeah."

"There you go. You'll get past this rough time. I know you will."

Rafael paused before turning to Tyler and giving him an expectant stare.

"So, if and when you get separated, what are you going to do?"

He straightened his shoulders and replied, "Well, I need to somehow steal the serum back from Marcel and Nigel. Once that's done, I'll have to find my way back to Tulio's lab and... take the medicine. As you well know, there's an equal chance that I'll live or die. Thanks to that, I'm not sure about my future. But anyways, why don't we get to the main point of why Jewel and I came here in the first place."

"Oh, go right ahead. I think we've stalled enough."

"To put it simply, we need your help with these..."

He jangled the chains between the handcuffs for emphasis. Jewel then spoke up, grabbing his attention.

"We need you to take us to Luiz. He _has _to have some kind of tool that can remove these things. He's a mechanic, after all."

Rafael jumped from the chair at the proposition, obviously willing to help his friends out of their situation.

"Good old Luiz! I never thought of that. If you want, we can leave right now."

Charged with anxious energy, the teenagers replied, "Let's go!"

"The SUV's in the garage. All I have to do is grab the keys."

Tyler and Jewel trailed him as he marched into the kitchen, snatching the keys off of the circular table in the middle of the room and heading straight for the dark green door at the far end. He threw it open and waited for them to pass before resealing it.

He clicked the soft plastic button on the key, remotely unlocking the SUV, the headlights flashing as additional confirmation.

"Go ahead, guys. Climb in!"

They quickly realized the front seat was off-limits, so they tossed themselves into the middle row of seats. Tyler sat to the right of Jewel, leaving her with the window spot. They had barely clicked their seat-belts into place before he brought the vehicle to life, the fortuitous roar thrumming inside the confined room.

"Uh, the garage door isn't open. Are you going to drive right through it or what?"

"Check this out, little boy..."

The driver punched a button on the electronics-laden key ring, causing the aluminum wall behind them to rise up and out, flooding the garage with pure sunlight.

"Oh. That's pretty cool!"

Jewel rolled her eyes and smiled teasingly at him.

"What? Our bookstore doesn't exactly have very much technology, let alone an automobile storage area."

"Oh, come on! Even I'm smarter than _that_."

"I have to call Eva and see where she's at. I'll have to bring my kids if she's not coming back yet."

He withdrew his sleek cellphone from his pants pocket and dialed his wife's number. He carried on a fawning conversation with Eva that lasted much longer than necessary, and needless to say, both teenagers lost interest very quickly.

After a short eternity, he clicked his cellphone shut, stuffing it back into his pocket and craning around to face them.

"Eva's on her way back home. Now the kids won't have to be home alone for too long. I'd probably end up with a flattened house if they woke up while Eva and I were gone!"

He snorted with laughter at the thought before facing forward again and kicking the SUV into gear. While the vehicle swayed and rocked as Rafael backed out – pressing the door control key once again – Tyler retorted, "Hey, I don't spend my days reading for-sale magazines for homes. I don't know what add-ons you can buy. Like garages with remote-controlled doors, for one thing."

Jewel chucked and said, "Of course you don't."

Seeing that his defense was going nowhere, he shut his mouth. Rafael maneuvered out onto the desolate road and motored down the pavement at a respectable speed. After pausing at the stop sign, he turned right and joined a decent flow of other vehicles.

"So, how far is it to your friend's shop?"

"Oh, not long, Tyler. We'll have to stop at the trolley station and ride the rest of the way. _Eu estou quase sem gasolina._"

The last part of the sentence was nonsense to him.

"Huh?" he asked stupidly.

"He said he's nearly out of gas." translated Jewel kindly.

"Oh, thanks. Can I ask you to be my language converter for the time being?"

She placed a gentle hand on his left shoulder.

"Of course."

"_For some reason,_" mused Tyler, "_I'm kind of starting to... admire Jewel. Sure, we got off to a rocky start, and our time together is nearly over, but hey, she's a sweet girl. I wonder if... no, it'll never happen. She's already told me how accustomed to her lifestyle, despite all of its negativity. Come back to the U.S.? What a ridiculous thought..._"

As they cruised along the automobile-filled avenues of Rio's West Zone, Tyler actually felt comfortable while in Jewel's presence. With no awkward situations or heated conversations disturbing him, he could finally focus on her and see how fair and determined of a girl she was.

The likely fact that they were on the brink of separation disheartened him, for there was so much that he craved to discover about her; in their two days of confinement, he had only scratched the surface.

He masked his discontent with an innocent smile each time she looked at him, leading her to think that nothing was wrong.

She spent most of the trip observing the rolling scenery with her window rolled down, the brisk breeze stirring her hair into a rippling curtain of youthful attractiveness. The lovely sight only depressed him even more, and so he kept his gaze trained towards the front windshield.

The empty-tank chime resounded from the instrument panel five times – as counted by Tyler – before the SUV lurched to a stop at the trolley station. They heaved themselves from the car, and both teenagers noted that the station was somewhere up on a hill due to the downward slope of the pavement that stretched out behind them.

Rafael locked the SUV with his remote, with the car issuing a short double chirp in response. They strode up to the squat ticket box and waited patiently as Rafael asked for the run times.

"_Olá. Quando é o próximo bonde devido?_"

Tyler tapped Jewel lightly on her left arm, a silent signal that she quickly understood.

"He's asking when the next trolley is coming."

"I see."

"_Sinto muito, mas você perdeu. Deixou 10 minutos atrás. Ele vai voltar aqui em uma hora e cinco minutos._" responded the man in the ticket box. Before she could translate, Rafael approached them with an irritated expression.

"Well," he said, shrugging his shoulders, "the trolley isn't coming back for one more hour and five minutes. It left ten minutes before we got here."

"That's fantastic! What do we do now? That's nearly two hours we have to kill."

"I need to go get some gas. We can wait back at my house. I'm looking forward to seeing Eva."

He strode towards his car and unlocked it, and Tyler tried to follow, hopping slowly on his good leg. When his companion didn't budge, he froze and turned around.

"What's the matter? Aren't you coming?"

She stayed silent for a few seconds before shouting, "Wait! I can show you guys a very private spot of mine, something that I built with my bare hands."

"_O que você está falando?_" answered Rafael from a few steps away. **{What are you talking about?}**

"Yeah, whatever he said," added Tyler.

"About two minutes up the road is a break in the fence that blocks off the trolley rails. We can sneak into a patch of jungle from there and follow a hidden path that I created a year or so ago."

"Where does your so called 'path' lead?"

"You'll just have to see for yourself..." she answered slyly.

Weighing the option of heading back with Rafael and being trampled once again by his offspring against the prospect of witnessing Jewel's mystery, he eventually decided on the latter.

He limped back over to her and said, "I'm going with you."

"Great! What about you, buddy?"

Being as he was outnumbered – along with the fact that he was fiercely loyal to Jewel, he conceded. He re-locked his car with a quick push of a button.

"I'll come too, Jewel. But we have to make sure that we don't miss the _next trolley_, okay?"

"No promises," she responded mockingly.

She and Tyler began trotting up the sloped road, away from Rafael's vehicle. He fell in behind them, tucking his keys in his pocket and sighing gleefully. The walk up the road – which rose up and then tilted down, hugging the contours of the hill beneath it – was a quick one.

They arrived at the predicted spot, and sure enough, the three foot high wooden fence was partially toppled over near a bend in the tracks. Jewel crossed the border with a carefree hop, pulling Tyler along along for the ride, which he knew was breaking a myriad of Brazilian laws.

Rafael trailed not a foot behind, glancing on either side of him and relaxing once he saw that no one had seen them.

They skipped over the tracks and disappeared into the lush undergrowth of the jungle that acted as scenery for the tram riders.

Had the middle-aged man looked behind him just before entering the foliage, he would have noticed two figures huddled near the fence gap, eying him maliciously before tiptoeing in his wake at a careful distance...

* * *

><p>Once again, Jewel held fast to her words, tracing the barely-visible line of worn-down grass at their feet. It snaked its way deeper and deeper into the jungle and seeming to climb higher and higher. Before long, no more glimpses of the trolley's route could be seen through the foliage.<p>

They eventually came to a small overlook, which Jewel described to them was a cliff at the top of the mini-mountain the trolley orbited around for some time before heading downhill again. Perching themselves on the lip of the cliff, the faint serpent of steel that guided the tram was noticeable down below.

Tyler estimated it to be a fifty foot drop at least.

Jewel then tapped the two males on their backs and pointed behind her.

Their eyes instantly widened at the sight of a tree house-like structure sitting about eight feet off the ground, built around the trunks of two imposing – yet no longer living – cannonball trees.

An array of wooden beams that served as bracing struts ran from the sides of the house and into the ground, where they were embedded firmly.

"Told ya! Come check it out."

"I'm connected to you, remember. Where you go, I go." said Tyler merrily.

"Rafael?" intoned Jewel.

"Sure, I'll come. Lead the way, _meu amiga_!" **{My friend.}**

They all three ascended into the purely wooden structure via a rickety ladder, scanning around slowly once they were all situated. There were many books stacked in the corner to the left of the entrance hole, all in Portuguese. In the right rear corner lay a large stockpile of batteries next to an ordinary looking flashlight.

The other two corners were empty.

The most eye-catching feature was the assorted stash of fluffy blankets occupying most of the area of the floor.

Both Rafael's and Tyler's minds were positively swarming with questions, but it was the young man who spoke first: "How did you do all of this? And why did you build it to begin with?"

Jewel towed him over to the gaping cutout in the wall – which would normally be called a window – facing the cliff and sat down on the sturdy edge.

"It took me one difficult month to build, but I didn't do it alone. I had a favela buddy come help me out. We created it little by little, sneaking back here with armfuls of wood and bags of nails, hammering it together as much as we could each day. It came out better than I had hoped, to be honest. A sheet of nailed-together aluminum panels above the roof keeps the rain out, and if there's a bad storm, there's another aluminum sheet outside this window that I can pull down. My first house, if you could call it that, gets boring sometimes, for obvious reasons. This is where I come to unwind, read, and sleep comfortably under the stars."

He was positively stunned by her determination, and even Rafael was openly surprised.

"What happened to the guy who helped you build it?"

Jewel donned a mask of seriousness.

"I didn't want him ratting me out to any authorities, so I pushed him off the cliff over there."

"You what?" exclaimed a horrified Tyler.

"Whoa, calm down! I was only joking. I swear I was."

"Geez, it's kind of hard to tell when you put on a solid expression like that."

"That was the point. Oh well..."

Tyler stood up and turned around, bracing his hands against the rough wooden edge of the window and peering out over the cliff, being awed once again by the mesmerizing view of the city from his elevated vantage point.

"It's so... wonderful..."

She slapped her hand gently onto his left shoulder and said, "That's another reason I picked this spot. The favelas may be bad, but Rio also has a beautiful side. It reminds me of the great city I live in. It keeps me going, gives me hope."

From somewhere to the rear of them, Rafael declared quickly, "I'm going back down. I'll be sitting on the cliff if you need me."

Neither one of them responded as he skipped down the ladder and trotted over to his former spot.

Tyler turned away from the panorama and gazed at Jewel. Much to his surprise and elation, she imitated him.

"You know, Jewel, you're so determined and high-spirited, two things I admire about you. If anyone deserves to live, it's you."

She nodded in agreement, tickled internally by his truthful words.

"Thank you. You're pretty determined too. Having to live your life with a disability like that is an accomplishment in itself..."

Their eyes slowly met, and in that instant, something came over them that prevented them from looking away.

He found himself lost in the comet-blue shade of her irises, and just the same, she found herself lost in the rich seas of brown that were his own irises.

They inexorably leaned closer together, the distance between their lips shrinking and shrinking.

A split-second before they met, however, a joyous baritone shout from down below shattered their trance: "Yo, Rafi, what's crackin'?"

A somewhat higher, yet still enthusiastic voice added, "Man, we thought you was dead!"

The third voice, much more familiar, responded jointly, "Pedro! Nico! What up, family? How did you get all the way up here?"

"Nothin' much, Rafi." responded Pedro.

"We saw you back at the station and decided to follow you." added Nico proudly.

The confused humans threw themselves against the makeshift window and peered down. A somewhat chubby man sporting scarlet-streaked hair, along with a comparatively skinny blond male, were dealing their counterpart forceful slaps on the back.

Neither of them looked much older than Tyler or Jewel, perhaps in their late teens.

"Do you know these two?"

"No," responded Jewel sincerely, "I've never seen them in my life. They must be friends of our driver."

"Why don't we go introduce ourselves? They seem outgoing to me."

"Good idea. Just don't trip on the way down, because I'll fall with you."

"I'll manage..."

While the mysterious males were still conversing with Rafael, they climbed from the ladder and approached the rowdy pair from behind. Rafael stopped talking and peered past Pedro, waiting for him and Nico to get the hint.

The excited duo turned dramatically around and nearly exploded from what they saw.

The senior male walked over to Jewel's side and declared, "Nico, Pedro, meet Jewel and her American friend Tyler."

Their mouths simply hung open like the entrance to an enchanted cave, but they eventually found the resolve to speak.

"Man, you is rollin' with a hot thang!"

Tyler immediately grew hot with shame and said to the chubby male, who he presumed was Pedro, "No no no! It's not what you think! We're just cuffed-together-people. Really."

The blond-haired Nico said, "Hey, we're not judging you."

Pedro then concluded with, "Keep it spicy! Anyways, how did you two get hooked up like that? Drop the info on us."

Tyler stared at Jewel with a look that seemed to say, "Might as well. It'll help pass the time."

She nodded and then said, "Alright then! Let's go in my tree house, though. Tyler and I will tell you _everything_."

"You hear that, Nico? Hot thang and big-muscle guy are going to give us the low-down."

"Heck yeah! Let's go."

They dashed for the structure and bolted up the ladder, staring down the the remaining three humans expectantly. Getting the hint, Rafael went up after them, trailed by the so-called "cuffed-together-people."

Once the cluster of five had all situated themselves, the sole American sucked in a rich breath and weaved his tale, just like he had done at Rafael's...

* * *

><p>Despite the unending chain of expressions that ensued on Pedro's and Nico's faces, he did not lose his composure. Once he arrived at the point when his and Jewel's paths crossed, he allowed her to take over and spout out the rest of their harrowing adventure of danger and excitement.<p>

The recitation ate up twenty whole minutes, and once again, Nico and Pedro appeared bloated to bursting, this time with questions.

Tyler and Jewel inhaled deeply and gave them permission to ask away.

The question and answer session consumed thirty minutes, for they both responded with significant clarity to the excited duo's queries.

Once all was said and done, Nico and Pedro were completely in the know regarding their new-found companions' adventure.

The heated conversation then simmered down to something much more laid-back, instilling a peaceful calm in each of the five humans. Eventually, however, for fear that they would miss the trolley, the two bound humans and their driver suggested they head back down to the station.

The remaining two quickly agreed, not wanting to miss a chance to spend some more time with their new acquaintances. The trek back down the meandering path was tricky due to the steepness of the slope, and the irritating foliage wasn't appreciated either.

Five minutes later, they slithered innocently from the jungle and popped back out onto the main street, and three minutes after that, they were lounging around the ticket box, surrounded by a small crowd of expectant riders.

Rafael learned that the trolley was due back in ten minutes, giving them all a sense of good timing.

Their anxious pacing was brought to a halt when the nearby ringing of a bell signaled the approach of the electrically-powered tram car.

Once all of the tourists and locals dismounted and bled away, the party of five got in line behind the next batch of eager humans.

Once they reached the ticket vendor, Rafael bought one for himself, Jewel, and Tyler for a total of fifteen reals. Nico and Pedro bought their own.

The group of humans practically scrambled onto the tram, all heading for the back of the vehicle, as nearly all of the forward seats were taken.

Tyler and Jewel planted themselves on the right side, three seats from the back. Rafael sat just behind them, while Nico and Pedro bunched together in the seat to the left of Rafael.

The pair of glistening handcuffs earned the teenagers many curious and shocked looks, and so they were forced to provide an entirely false explanation as to why.

The nearby guests still eyed them warily, causing Jewel and Tyler to give up and ignore them.

As the deep-toned bell rang once again, the tram jerked forward, accompanied by the harsh grating of metal-on-metal. The crowd of riders growled their disapproval, if only for a few seconds.

Being as the left side view of the rolling scenery was blocked by the heads of an elderly couple, Tyler and Jewel both stared dreamily out of the right side. The floor-to-ceiling gaps in the side of the tram provided large viewing areas, allowing the rich scenery to be absorbed fully by the eyes of all on board.

He felt at ease once again due to Jewel's proximity. He could feel something between them; although faint, it was there. He believed their actions back in the tree house had broken the ice between them, which he knew was the first step towards a blooming relationship – if only they weren't on the brink of separation.

"_Might as well savor the last few hours I have with her. I doubt she'll help me steal the serum back from those goons. Perhaps that's best. She won't have to watch me kill myself_..."

He shook away the damaging thoughts and breathed in heavily, steeling himself to live up to his word.

"_I can do this. If we nearly kissed less than an hour ago, surely she won't mind a second try. I have to get one before we arrive at Luiz's..._"

As the trolley rounded a left-curving bend, Tyler felt a tap on his shoulder. He craned his head around, only to see Rafael motioning for him to scoot in closer to Jewel with his hands.

Setting his plan into motion, he nodded gently and faced forward, watching Jewel until her gaze wandered to the decorated ceiling.

He carefully raised his right arm – since he was seated on Jewel's left – and attempted to wrap it around her neck. Her head slowly lowered and turned towards him, a sly gaze painted on it.

He quickly jerked his appendage back and whispered, "Uh, is it hot in here to you? Check it out, I'm sweating for some reason."

Indeed, the underside of his sleeve bore a dark, wet stain of what could only be called perspiration.

Jewel responded with a startled "Oh," drawing her head slightly back and looking down at her sneaker-clad feet.

Tyler flushed with shame and lowered his arm regretfully. "_Way to go, idiot!_" he scorned himself mentally. "_Just act natural! Take things one step at a time..._"

He turned around after another shoulder tap. Rafael leaned in close and muttered, "Tell her 'you have beautiful eyes.' "

He gave the romanticist a thumbs-up and faced forward, his expression sly.

"Jewel?" "Yes, Tyler?"

He fought the urge to go into a trance as Jewel looked at him.

Drawing in a quick inhalation, he said sweetly, "I have beautiful eyes."

"Uh, sure. They're... they're nice."

Appearing freaked out due to his close proximity, she frowned and faced away from him.

Rafael face-palmed.

Nico and Pedro battled the urge to laugh, quivering in their seats.

"Come here, _amigo._ Listen close."

Tyler leaned in in Rafael's direction and opened his ears. "You like her, right?"

"Uh, yeah. I mean yes. Yes, I like her."

"Then you gotta be brave. If you can't handle compliments, tell her how you feel."

"Right. Be brave. Tell her how I feel. Here I go..."

He stared at the back of Jewel's head and tried to open his mouth, but with so many nearby people, a pang of nervousness held him back. He settled against the cushioned seat and sighed with remorse.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine. Just a ton of things on my mind."

"If you say so..."

He tried to calm his nerves by listening to rhythm of the solid tram wheels as they rolled across the track. They had been trucking down a long, down-sloped hill, and now they were on their way back up, the pull of gravity slowing the tram's ascent.

A chubby woman at the very front of the car stood up – reminding Tyler of a female version of Pedro – and started to walk down the center aisle. She cradled a wicker basket in her left arm, revealing its contents to be single-wrapped gumballs of assorted colors.

Only a few of the riders she offered them to refused, and so her trek towards the rear of the tram was reasonably slow. Eventually, she stopped in the aisle between the teenagers and the elderly couple.

Her heavily-accented voice asked, "Would you like a candy?"

"No thanks, I'm fine." answered Jewel.

"I'll take one. Thank you."

She tossed him a gumball, to which his quick reflexes easily caught it.

"You are a quite handsome boy. Is this your girlfriend? I see by those handcuffs that you don't want to let her go."

She winked as she said this, causing rose-pink patches to erupt on his cheeks.

"I'm not his girlfriend. Don't you have other people to give candy to?"

She snorted derisively and answered, "Someone is on their period..."

Her back quickly turned to Jewel, causing the female to smile over her small victory.

Tyler unwrapped the gumball and held it in his palm.

"Are you sure you don't want one?"

She replied in a soft voice, "Thank you, but no."

She eased his hand away, the touch swamping his body with a candle-like glow.

The feel of her skin contacting his – even if for those few brief seconds – filled him with another wave of confidence.

"_Alright. Time for round two..._"

"Jewel?"

She responded with a curious "Yeah?"

He popped the gumball in his mouth and chewed it briefly before confessing, "I've been wanting to tell you... that I... I-"

As his sentence grew in intensity, the trolley crested the hill, the uneven tracks bucking the vehicle sharply.

He was suddenly seized by the need to clear his airway – for the sticky wad of sugar had slipped down and lodged itself in his throat.

Jewel detected his pause and declared, "Oh, how sweet! You're getting choked up."

She brought her gaze over to study him, noticing his right hand was crushing the seat in front of him and his head was hanging low.

"Jewel, do something! He's choking!"

Rafael's cutting voice instantly spurred her to act.

Boyfriend or not, he needed her help, and she would surely give it.

She hugged his waist and locked her hands over each other, tensing her muscles. In between his splutters and wheezes, she would heave against his stomach with a fair amount of force.

On the fifth jerk, he issued a wet cough, causing a saliva-coated red glob to fly out and splat on the rear of the seat in front.

"What the hell happened? Are you okay, Tyler?"

"I don't know. The gum was... in my mouth one second... and in my throat the next," he said between residual coughs.

"I owe you one..." he added weakly.

She smiled genuinely and responded, "You're welcome. I couldn't just sit here and watch you choke."

"Yeah..."

As his words faded away and his composure was returned, he leaned his head back sorrowfully.

"_Yep, I just slaughtered the perfect chance I had to confess. All because of a stupid piece of gum! I think life is repaying me for the hurt I inflicted on Tipa. I guess it's true about Karma being a bitch..._"

He spent the rest of the ride in pure silence, cursing himself over and over for his inability to spit his words out and his misfortune of chewing the gum while trying to talk.

The other three guests merely shook their heads with utter shame and disbelief.

For one of the few times in their lives, Nico and Pedro were rendered speechless.

Their distraught emotions left them oblivious to the passage of time; only the quick deceleration of the tram jarred them back to reality. The group of five distressed humans were the last to leave the tram, and consequently, the last to file out of the station.

Rafael scanned the line of buildings across the street, easily locating the rusted facade of Luiz's shop.

In an attempt to lighten the mood, he pointed sternly with his finger and yelled, "We're here, everyone! Come on, let's get in there and sort our friends' problem out. This is what we've waited all day for, right?"

As soon as there was a break in the flow of automobiles, they limped their way towards the shop – Tyler and Jewel especially.

Once they were all gathered around a hole that led to the dimly-lit inside, Rafael said proudly, "Ladies and gentlemen, I give you... Luiz's garage!"

The ecstatic figure strode into the gloom, leaving the others with no choice but to follow.

As the dusty darkness swallowed them up, the teenagers in particular both experienced a revelation.

Jewel realized with fervent hope that her tiresome and restricting adventure was nearly over. Tyler, on the other hand, knew that although his first trial was over, many more were due to follow in its wake.


	4. One Last Chance

**Chapter 4:One Last Chance**

Tyler and Jewel crept into the shop, keeping their gazes trained on the back of Nico and Pedro's heads. The pungent odors of motor oil, sweat, and exhaust gases were present in near-asphyxiating levels.

They tucked their shirts over their noses in an attempt to breath, which gave them some relief. Their eyes, however, were left unprotected and grew blurred from the secreted tears.

From somewhere up ahead, Rafael called out firmly, "Hey, Luiz! We got a big job for you. Where you hidin' at, _amigo?_"

All five humans strained to hear a reply, but none came.

Then, all of a sudden, a respectable brightness flooded the room, assaulting their vision once again with a blast of light.

Once they adjusted to the new-found illumination, the entire expanse of the room was revealed to them.

Tools lay strewn about the walls, coupled with a myriad of vehicle parts piled on the floor, no matter where they looked.

A pair of fresh-looking muscle cars sat to the left of the entrance, their hoods raised like two mechanical mouths. The car on the left was missing its engine, which dangled from a net of chains attached to an overhead mini-crane.

A rough, mature voice from the back of the room said eerily, "Looks like I have some guests! I better see what's up..."

The rusty creak of a door rebounded from the walls, preceding the appearance of a tall, imposing figure that melted out from under a beam of light. His features were incredibly similar to Tyler's, save for the crooked leg, sapphire hair, and lighter-hued skin of the latter.

The individual standing before them wore no shirt, exposing his buff, grease-stained, and glistening chest. The faded denim jeans he wore were also marred by black stains, along with a few ragged tears here and there.

"Long time, no see, Luiz!" exclaimed Rafael as he jogged forward and slapped the man on the shoulder.

"Rafi! Where you been? You look good, _amigo_."

"Just livin', Luiz."

"Really? Whatever you say. So, why you come here? Your SUV actin' up again?"

"No, no, no. You see, it's really complicated and crazy. Almost too crazy to believe."

"Jus' give me the basics."

"Alright, _amigo_. You already know Jewel, so don't focus on her. You see that boy standing next to her?" said Rafael as he pointed towards Tyler.

"Yeah, what about him? He looks American."

"Alright, this is what went down. Two days ago..."

As briefly as he could without cutting out vital details, Rafael recited Tyler and Jewel's tale, beginning with the trip Tyler and his mom took to Rio de Janeiro and ending with the ruined trolley ride.

All Luiz could say once he was finished was: "That's just crazy!"

Luiz took several moments to collect his composure, drawing in a series of breaths to still his nerves.

He sauntered over to the teenagers and grabbed the chains in his left hand, examining them carefully.

"So, you need me to cut these handcuffs off, so that you can go your separate ways?"

"Right," they replied in unison.

"You don't need no mo' help?"

"No," they responded once again.

"Well, that bums me out, yo. I thought yous needed my help fo' real."

He let the linking chains fall out of his hand before sighing depressingly.

Rafael walked up to him and said confidently, "But they _do _need your help. Come on, _amigo_."

After a slight pause, he hardened his expression and declared, "You know what, I'll do it."

"There you go, man!" said Rafael.

"Thanks so much, Luiz!" exclaimed Jewel.

"Hey, no problem," he answered with a smirk, "Come on, we'll get to work on the right side of my shop."

As Rafael and Luiz marched off, Pedro and Nico came up beside Tyler and declared, "Hot thang and big-muscle guy about to split. Too bad they ain't kissed yet!"

Jewel punched Pedro in his chest playfully and retorted, "You'd love to see that happen, wouldn't you?"

"Hey," he said while shrugging, "you still got time."

Jewel rolled her eyes, causing Pedro to chuckle and Nico to smile.

The crazy duo trailed after Rafael and the mechanic, rounding a wall that projected from the right side of the entrance and stopped halfway across the room.

"Well, I guess the journey's over."

"The end of the line, Jewel."

"Yep. Bet you never had an adventure like this in Tiny-Sota."

He drew back in confusion, frowning before realizing Jewel's error.

"You mean Minnesota?"

"Oh, right, Minnesota." she replied curtly.

"Heh, Tiny-Sota, that's a good one. I'll remember that for many years to come."

"We better not keep them waiting, Tyler. I can nearly taste my sweet freedom..."

As they trekked towards Luiz and their final destination, Tyler couldn't help but become saddened by the events that were minutes away from unfolding.

"_I've only known her for less than a week, and yet, I can't deny that there's something in between us. I can't bear to leave her here, living a disgusting life, when there's so much more opportunity and pleasure in the United States. I just want to protect her, but she's so stubborn. She'll never leave Rio. I was a fool to think that she'd come back with me. Would Linda take her in, or have her adopted out to some other family? It kills me to realize that... I'll never know..._"

Tyler had lost track of time while busy musing. The sensation of his forward motion being halted tore him from his thoughts, bringing him back to the just-as-painful reality.

Rafael, Nico, and Pedro were leaning against what seemed to be the right wall of Luiz's garage. Luiz, himself, was scouting the walls in the search for an adequate tool.

He passed the reclining trio and skimmed the far wall, announcing his choice via a loud clanging noise.

He reappeared under the glaring light hanging down above the middle of the space, the sweat on his skin appearing like an oily sheen to his tanned body.

He approached them with a powerful smile, a large pair of bolt-cutters held securely by both his hands. Once close enough, he fastened the fearsome jaws of the tool around the chains between the cuffs.

The teenagers were intimidated by the apparatus, but ever-hopeful it would get the job done.

"If I break these first, it'll be way easier to work with you guys. You ready?"

"Uh, ready as we'll ever be..." said Tyler shakily.

"Alright then. Watch this..."

Luiz increased the pressure on the links by squeezing the handles closer together, the effort he was instilling made visible by the bulging of his arm muscles.

He continued to squeeze, but nothing happened.

He released his grip and drew in a heavy breath before trying again, beads of sweat dripping from his forehead.

Still nothing.

On the third try, his moist left hand slipped from the deadly tool, causing it to jerk violently and fly off, nearly dealing a painful blow to Jewel's legs.

"_Droga!_" yelled Luiz, **{Damn!} **"Those chains are tough! I've never seen metal that strong."

"Great! Now what do we do?" demanded Tyler, "they could be more than just ordinary handcuffs. Who knows where the hell Marcel and Nigel got them."

"I'll have to get out my cutting torch and melt them, yo..." responded Luiz.

"You've got to be kidding me."

"Sorry, Jewel. I'm not. That will split them apart for sure!"

He walked once again to the back of the room, creating more raucous noise before rolling out a large dolly bearing two fat tanks.

The tanks were bound to the dolly and each other by grimy bungee cords and loops of wire. A round valve with a flow rate gauge and a pressure gauge projected from the top of each tank.

A length of green hose was attached to the left valve, and a length of red hose was fastened to the right valve.

In his hand was a long, golden-hued shaft of metal, bent down at a ninety degree angle at one end.

"Let me get this set up, and then we'll make some progress."

Tyler and Jewel watched as he fitted the hoses into the straight end of the torch, making sure they were nice and tight. He checked the torch over and played with the flow knobs near the hose end. Lastly, he checked the responsiveness of the oxygen-blast trigger, a small metal rod projecting halfway down the torch.

"Well, everything looks good. Let me go slap on a welding mask real quick, yo."

"Hey, you don't happen to have two more masks for us, do you?" asked Jewel worriedly.

"Nope. You'll just have to close your eyes. You'll go blind in about five seconds if you don't..."

He breezed past them, rummaging in a line of tool chests against the rear wall.

The teenagers were legitimately nervous, but Tyler even more so, due to his knowledge of the fearsome temperatures generated by the cutting process.

Luiz soon returned with a painted steel mask strapped to his head, a small, pitch-black window projecting from the front. He reached his hand around and flipped up the filtering screen, allowing his eyes to be seen through the clear glass rectangle behind it.

"If something goes wrong, scream really loud, 'cause I can't see too good while the torch is on. Are yous nervous?"

Tyler and Jewel replied, "Yeah."

"What?"

"Yeah!"

"What did you say?"

"YEAH!" they shouted.

"Oh yeah, I can't hear too good either!" he warned while hitting his mask pointedly.

"WE KNOW!" shouted the bonded duo.

"Let's get busy, then. Come here."

He grabbed the chains with his left hand and dragged them over to a spot merely one foot in front of the compressed tanks.

"Remember, don't look at the flame at all!" He turned away to the others and repeated, "You too. Keep your eyes closed until I'm done!"

"You got it!" responded Nico, Pedro, and Rafael forcefully.

He faced his subjects again and said, "It's going to get hot and loud. There's gonna be sparks goin' everywhere, yo!"

"We get it!" retorted Tyler, "Less talk and more cut!"

"Alright, American boy..."

Luiz reached up to the valves and cranked them on one by one, adjusting them until the pressure and flow rate measurements pleased him. He then flipped the filter screen back down and felt along the torch until locating the ignition button.

He clicked it twice, causing a spark to jump from the angled torch head. A drawn out rushing soundlike the din of a match being lit ensued, and then the room was filled with the glare from a rich blue flame – which strongly resembled the hue of Tyler's hair.

Luiz fiddled with the pair of control knobs at the base of the torch, manipulating the flame carefully until it was composed of a deep blue outer ring and a light blue inner ring.

Tyler and Jewel shut their eyes and braced themselves against the heat that was flooding their faces.

Luiz oriented the blazing tool towards the ground and pulled their hands apart until the chains were tight.

"I hope he knows what he's doing! He's going to be working with a five-thousand, eight-hundred degree Fahrenheit combustion reaction just inches away from our arms!" stated Tyler over the roar of the flame.

Jewel shook her head and screeched, "You didn't have to tell me that!"

Moments later, they felt the force of the fiery jet contact the first chain. Luiz was cutting it away in the middle, rather than attempt to sever it at the base.

Doing this in such close proximity to living humans was a perilous and perfectly illegal act, but he knew his witnesses would not rat him out.

The metal links may have been able to refuse being snipped by the bolt-cutters, but such was not the case now. The links were utterly liquefied under the wrath of the burning acetylene, dripping to the floor in sticky, red-hot globs, accompanied by thin streams of jittery sparks.

The severed first chain split and fell away like two ends of a collapsing bridge, dangling limply from their respective cuffs.

Luiz then set about slicing the second chain, working with all the skill of a master, being as he had brandished the welder's trademark tool as soon as it was legal.

After ten seconds of baking the resilient metal, it too broke apart.

The sudden lack of resistance caused Jewel to jerk away and nearly stumble, while Tyler tumbled to the dusty floor, as his one good leg failed to keep him upright.

Luiz rapidly clicked off the torch, allowing a tense silence to settle among the humans.

From behind his forest-green mask, he asked, "Is everyone alright? Where did you guys go?"

"I'm... over here, dude! Why don't you take your mask off?"

"What did you say, Tyler?"

"TAKE YOUR MASK OFF!"

He reached up behind his head and peeled the zip tie-like straps apart, pulling the bulky metal mask off with a flourish and setting it down on the floor.

He studied Tyler for a moment, and seeing that the boy was shaken, but unhurt, scanned around for Jewel.

She was shaking her left hand rapidly, as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"Hell yeah! Finally, I'm my own person again!"

She then began dashing around the room, doing a myriad of tricks and stunts that awed everyone else.

"Luiz, you did it! Way to go. Hot-thang is lovin' it!" shouted Nico and Pedro.

"Great job, amigo!" added Rafael.

Tyler remained silent, unable to share her joy due to his disability and the blow dealt to him by his epiphany.

"_It's all over now. She's going to run back to her favelas and fade from my life like a fleeting shadow. All she'll be once we leave this place is a memory to me. A memory of a wonderful girl. A memory of what could have been..._"

He watched with a heavy heart as she trounced about like a gymnast, when suddenly, something happened.

The cuff caught on the projecting edge of a table that held a reciprocating saw, which sat half-submerged under the languidly rocking light.

Her arm was stretched to its max, and, as she continued to move, the handcuff was torn from her wrist. She immediately froze and clutched her wrist as the cuff clanked on the floor.

"Ow! Damn, that hurt! Wait a minute..."

Rafael donned a shocked expression and exclaimed, "Jewel, your handcuff came off! How did you do that?"

As Tyler took in the sight, he quickly deduced the science behind it.

"_The heat from the torch must have flowed into the handcuffs via radiation and conduction, expanding the metal just enough so that it was able to slip off of her wrist. Hey, I better take mine off quick, then!_"

Tyler gripped his cuff with his right hand and pushed mightily. He felt the metal slip and slip, causing him a great deal of pain as it ground into his skin.

After five seconds of effort, it scraped his knuckles and flew off, skittering a few feet away.

For him, the feel of it being removed bore a symbolic significance just as fortuitous as its literal significance. It was like a long-awaited release; a return of his individuality and the removal of his restrictions.

He suddenly sympathized with how Jewel was undoubtedly feeling.

This was the essence of being _free:_ no one holding you down, following you, or challenging you. She was now capable of living just as she had done for the past few years; capable of choosing where to steer her life.

His positivity was smothered when he realized something dreadful: he couldn't stop her.

Now exhausted, her initial euphoria having wore off, Jewel planted her back against the wall next to Nico and gripped her knees with her hands in a half-upright position. The three humans next to her stood up and surrounded her expectantly.

Pedro asked, "What you gonna do now, Jewel? You wanna come with us to the club? You wanna get loose?"

"Sounds good... to me. Let me rest... and then we'll head out..." she gasped between rich breaths.

"You comin' too?" asked Pedro as he faced Rafael.

"Sorry, Pedro, but I have to get back home to Eva. She's probably wondering where I'm at, and on top of that, I really miss her. I'll stay for a little while longer, though."

"Cool, man..."

Now that Jewel's fate was finalized, and that his chance to persuade her to join him on his travels was completely blown, he saw no reason to stay any longer.

Since everybody else was so absorbed with the female, Tyler caught Luiz's attention.

"Hey, Luiz, come help me up, so I can get out of here."

The mechanic complied and assisted the cripple, hauling him to his feet with little effort. With concern in his eyes, he asked, "You okay, man? Where you goin'?"

With a semi-angry, semi-hurt tone, he replied, "Anywhere but here. I'll have to try and find my way back to Tulio's lab. I just hope that my mom is there."

"No way, man. That's all the way in the North Zone! You'll never make it on one leg."

He brushed the mechanic's hands away and retorted, "Does it even matter? The only person I depended on, the person I admired, is going to a damn club, knowing full well I can't accompany her. I swore to take Tulio's cure, and if I'm going to steal it back from Marcel, I'll need their help."

A shocked Luiz said, "Go ahead then. I can't stop you. Take care, _amigo._.."

Tyler nodded in agreement and hopped over to the dividing wall, reaching out to grip it for balance. Now that he could walk without losing his balance, he rounded it and moved along it, making steady progress until he arrived at the entrance.

With one final, grave step, he exited the garage and immersed himself in a flare of warm sunshine.

"_Such a perfect day. Too bad it's making an absolute mockery of my life right now..._"

He calculated where the afternoon sun was going to set and determined roughly the location of the North Zone. Seeing an intersection at the end of the street he was on, he trekked his way slowly down the buildings, crawling away from Luiz's place steadily.

Shortly after, he heard a burst of rich laughter behind him, recognizing the masculine tones of Pedro and Nico melding with Jewel's milk-and-honey lilt.

Tyler ceased his walk and turned around, catching a glimpse of them from behind, momentarily stunned by her angelic outline. The view only stabbed his soul with the dagger of loss, and so he turned away as Luiz and Rafael emerged, blocking her from view.

By the time he had taken seven sullen steps, someone approached him from behind and spoke to him.

_She _spoke to him: "Tyler? Hey, where are you going?"

The burning innocence and concern in her voice melted him, but he was too forlorn to let it show. He rotated himself around to find Jewel staring at him inquisitively.

"Is something wrong?"

He snorted quickly and sarcastically.

"No. Everything's perfect. You'll be off to your sheltered favela. I'll be back with Linda. Exactly like we planned from the beginning, right?"

Nico and Pedro charged up behind Jewel, skidding to a stop behind her and slightly off to her right.

"Hey, quit stallin', Jewel! The club ain't gonna be open all day!"

Jewel's expression lost some of its previous jubilation.

"I... thought that... maybe..."

He exhaled quickly through his nostrils in response.

"That what? That you'd come back to the States? To Minnesota? Great! I guess I'll knit you a fancy scarf."

Jewel frowned at his frustrated attitude.

"No, that's not what I meant, Tyler. I-"

"Look, Jewel, I can't spend the rest of my life trailing you to every place you go."

If he was going to respond to her fiercely, she could do the same.

"Hey, it's not my fault you can't walk correctly."

He turned away after registering the bite in her words.

Rafael came sprinting down the sidewalk, sticking himself in between the dueling humans.

His expression worrisome, he declared, "I think you two need to clear the air. Just be completely honest with each other!"

At this, Tyler whirled around, his face tight with anger.

"You want honesty? Here's some healthy honesty for you! I never wanted to come here in the first place. I only did it to give my mother-slash-aunt hope. Had I never met you, I might have had a chance at a normal life. Or maybe even died and be given a more divine existence. Either way, our little 'adventure' prolonged the inevitable. I'm tired of living a life that really isn't a life at all! I'm done fighting."

This set her off like a missile taking flight.

"Fine! See you around, _cripple!_"

She spun around and returned the way she had came, hooking her arms around Nico and Pedro's necks and dragging them away.

As the raging humans went their separate ways, Rafael glared at the ground and muttered, "Ah, young love. Always so melodramatic! Reminds me of how Eva acted in our early years..."

Pushing away the reminiscent musings, he targeted Tyler and went after him – at a humorously slow pace. Casually falling in beside him, Rafael shoved his hands in his pockets coolly.

"Why are you still here? Isn't your house in the North Zone?"

"Is there some way I could help? I know you like Jewel, and even though it's not obvious, she likes you back. If you could just let her know how you feel, she might do the same for you."

Being as they had arrived at the intersection, Tyler braced himself against the corner of the last building.

"And if I do, how's that supposed to help me? That won't help me get through the treatment for my paralysis, will it? If I live, then that's just fine. If I don't, what can I do about it? I swore I was going to take the serum, but I'll need Linda and Tulio's help to get it back. I'll make it to Tulio's lab eventually."

Taken aback by a number of flaws in his argument, he replied, "But Tyler! The North Zone is at least an hour away, and that's if you drive. You'll never make it!"

Tyler glared at him with conviction in his eyes and responded, "I might as well try. That's all I've done ever since I was crippled. Try to live normally. Try to feel positive about my situation. Try to make it from one day to the next. 'Trying' and 'accomplishing' are completely different achievements..."

This time, his argument was solid; Rafael didn't know how to respond to Tyler's accurate portrayal of his life.

The distraught cripple took a step down the side street, only to have his progress be frozen by a panicked triple shout from behind. He revolved around and watched as Rafael was assaulted by the frantic bodies of Luiz, Nico, and Pedro.

"What is going on, _amigos?_" he shouted over their incoherent babbling.

The din of the three male voices died down, and it was Pedro who spoke up: "We gotta... he... car..."

Tyler drew closer to them as Rafael grabbed Pedro's shoulders and shook him.

"Slow down, dude! I can't understand your crazy talk."

Pedro sucked in a desperate breath and answered, "We gotta go! He pointed a gun at us. A silver-haired guy and some afro dude... got Jewel! They tossed her in a red car... and sped off!"

Tyler felt an explosion of dread at Pedro's description. He approached Rafael and jabbed his arm.

"It's Marcel and Nigel! They came back for her instead of me. This is all my fault!"

"We have to go after him! I could take us, but my car's back at the station."

Luiz threw his arms out in a flourish and declared, "I got us covered, yo! Wait right here!"

The mechanic dashed back towards his garage, leaving the others in a terrified silence.

A muffled growl was heard almost a minute later, followed by a startling sight.

With a raucous clatter, two aluminum panels – which had formerly constituted part of the entrance to Luiz's workplace – broke free of the building and landed in the middle of the street, mangled and bent. One of the muscle cars previously stationed in the garage exploded out with them, swerving in a wide arc with its tires squealing.

It plowed straight for the stunned humans, but at the last moment, fishtailed around and presented its right side to them. The passenger side window scooted down fully, revealing a fierce Luiz peering at them from the driver's seat.

"Get yo' asses in! Let's go catch those foo's and save Jewel!"

Without issuing a word in response, they threw open the doors and heaved themselves in. Tyler buckled himself down in the passenger's seat while the rest clustered in the row of seats just behind.

"Do you know where they went?" asked Luiz to no one in particular.

"I bet they're going to their warehouse! It's somewhere in the North Zone!"

" 'Somewhere' don't help us any, man."

"I'll try to remember where exactly it is. I only saw it once. Just drive already!"

"You got it, Tyler!"

He gunned the engine, blasting down the avenue and leaving a cloud of noxious smoke in his wake.

As Luiz barreled down the street, barely avoiding the occasional car that blocked his way, Tyler asked, "Is this your car?"

While carefully managing the twitching steering wheel, the driver replied, "No. I just 'borrowed' it."

Tyler panicked and said, "You stole it. This is grand theft auto! You better hope the Brazilian cops don't decide to engage in a pursuit."

"We ain't got a choice, dude. What would you do?"

That blunt reply shut Tyler up.

While hanging onto anything he could find for grip as the car careened like a V8-powered missile, he prayed, "_God, please let me survive this! I have to see Jewel one more time, and maybe even rescue her. But for that, I need to make it to the lab alive..._"

Tyler scrunched his eyes closed as he tried maniacally to fabricate an illusory picture of where Marcel's hideout was.

He easily recreated the side of the shack where he and Jewel had first entered, but the surrounding area was much more difficult to replicate.

With his sense of vision just a sea of blackness, he placed the image of Marcel's residence behind his eyelids, tacking on new information bit by bit.

He was on a time crunch to locate that house of horrors, and if Jewel was to be saved, he needed to know precisely where it was located.

Some time into the ride, Luiz informed Tyler that they were now cruising rapidly through the North Zone. He peeked his eyes open briefly to snag some of the scenery before slamming them shut again.

After another long pause, Luiz warned, "Oh man, the gas tank's nearly empty! Hurry up dude, we ain't gonna be drivin' for much longer."

As the car bounded over a small dip in the road and pounded the pavement after landing, Tyler was bestowed with a rush of knowledge. He stared out of the windshield, noting an intersection that was rushing towards them.

"I have it! I know where Jewel is. At the light, turn right!"

"Way to go! You call the shots..."

The car lunged past the light, nearly clipping the vehicles waiting to turn.

The mechanic obeyed Tyler's every call: turning here, going there, plowing straight down this road or that for so many feet. The possibilities were endless.

Luck was on their side, as the Brazilian police had not been alerted to the disturbance Luiz's hurried maneuvering was causing throughout the city.

After taking a silent cue from his whirring mind, he ordered the driver to stop next to the third shack on the left side of a narrow street.

"This is the place, Luiz. Wait here for me to come back out, so we can bail."

He then caught the attention of the three humans cowering in their seats.

"Rafael, you come with me as backup. Be ready for anything."

He gulped with fear, but still managed to nod his head.

Tyler unbuckled and limped his way around the hood of the muscle car, leaving his door open for his return.

Rafael caught up to him and assisted the cripple as they loped for the supposed rear of the two-story shack.

A curious entrance that carried a unique familiarity to Tyler beckoned to them, and so they went for it. They pushed past the strangely unlocked door and were greeted by a deathly silent living-room, motes of dust sent whirling from their break-in.

"Stay on your guard, Rafael. Watch my back..." cautioned the young male softly.

"Alright. She better be in here. But where?"

The staircase was the most obvious option, but would quickly give away their presence due to its destabilized nature.

They carefully ascended to the second floor, hearing a defiant shout as they departed the last degraded step: "Go ahead, give me the serum, idiot. I'd rather die than be your little experiment."

An uncannily gruff male tone countered, "Watch your mouth, young lady! I'm the one with the gun, you see."

A muted crack was heard, followed by a scream of pain from the female.

"It's Jewel! Nigel's probably got her in one of these rooms."

"Let's spread out and search. I'll call you if I need your help. I just hope you can take down an armed criminal with one working leg."

"I'll manage, Rafi. Let's get moving."

Tyler trudged his way down one end of the hall while the father of four headed in the opposite direction.

The first door the cripple checked lay on the right, but led to a space filled with assorted weapons and ammo.

The next door switched sides, revealing a small table cluttered with medical instruments and scattered papers.

He tried to slip away, but a gunshot tore through the soft wood, instantly startling the male.

"Who's there? Tell me, so I can shoot you through the wall!"

"_Jesus, that was Nigel! It's now or never. Jewel's well-being depends on it..._"

Tightening his muscles for use, he shoved the door aside and skipped awkwardly into the room.

He was nearly turned to stone by the image of Jewel slumped over in a chair, fastened tightly to it by several lengths of rope.

The demon known as Nigel was rooted across the table from her, black pistol clutched in his hand. Nigel was but two feet away from him, close enough to attack head-on, but also close enough that any bullets he fired were unlikely to miss.

He let out a bestial roar and lunged for the gunman, his arms stretched out for a secure grab.

"You! I just knew you'd come back for _her!_"

Nigel raised his gun for a point-blank shot, but his aggressor was already too close.

Tyler struck him full on in the gut, winding even the resilient and cocky Nigel. The table was sent grating across the oak floor as they collapsed to the ground, its slide hampered by Jewel's immobile form.

Nigel let out a deprived scream of anger, glaring maliciously at his attacker.

"I've always wanted to... do this to you!"

He brought his left fist up, ramming it into Tyler's side with the force of a UFC fighter's punch. He was thrown off and sent rolling away, doubled over on his hands and knees.

He looked up to see a blurred Nigel walking towards him.

"You're so weak," he said scathingly, "I could kill you. But Boss wouldn't like that. I'll settle for this, then!"

As Nigel's foot came towards him, the world seemed to slow down as if it had been plunged into a sea of clear gelatin.

"_I may be down... but I am not out..._" chanted Tyler mentally.

He inexorably reached his left arm out and waited for Nigel's ankle to run into it. The instant it did, he secured a powerful grip on the ankle and pulled his arm back in the same direction the foot was traveling.

The world flowed back into normal reality as Nigel lost his balance from the maneuver, finding himself tipping backwards under the influence of gravity.

Tyler's other hand then shot out and squeezed down on the other ankle. He jerked his right arm as hard as he could, feeling his biceps flex and ripple.

Nigel flipped backwards and fell to the floor directly on his back, the impact tossing the gun from his hand.

Seizing his chance, Tyler scuttled over to him and straddled the villain, crushing Nigel's midsection with his full weight.

"And I've always wanted to do this to you!" he shouted to a dazed Nigel.

He gripped the head of the man with the silver locks with his hands, placing them firmly over his ears. In one brutal motion, he raised it up and bashed it into the unyielding floor.

On the first hit, Nigel cackled as if drunk, his hand coming up to land another blow to Tyler's ribs. The hand fell back down as Tyler repeated the impact, augmented by a barely audible _crack._

Nigel's eyes rolled back into his head. The criminal ceased to move as runny blood began to trickle out, slowly tracing the gaps in the floor boards.

His chest heaving and his gut aching, Tyler sat up and immediately threw his focus on Jewel.

"Are you okay, Jewel? Answer me!"

She lifted her head languidly, revealing a large wound on her forehead.

"What are you... doing here?"

Her tone was slurred, and he judged it to be an aftereffect of the cranial wound she had.

"I have to... get you out!" he retorted, still panting.

"No! Marcel is... coming..."

"What do you-"

Before he could react, a stunning blow to the back of his head provided the answer. He rolled over in a half-conscious state, catching the grim smile of Marcel looking down at him.

"So, you stopped Nigel? Well, you can't stop me. And it turns out, neither could your dark-haired friend."

He tugged him up by his sapphire hair, sending a wave of fire across his scalp.

"Your worst nightmare... has just begun..."

Tyler was knocked out cold as his head met the floor from the action of Marcel's hand. He felt not a shred of sensory input or emotion as he plummeted into an abyssal canyon of shifting shadows, unable to dredge himself out.


	5. Selflessness

**Chapter 5:Selflessness**

When Tyler finally awoke, his slowly-clearing vision brought to light the dank room harboring nothing but a table topped with papers and medical instruments. Nigel's body was no longer present, but the lifeblood that had issued from his cracked skull was a dark cherry stain on the aged floor.

Marcel was not present either, presumably taking his henchman's body away and trying to revive him. Tyler wondered whether he had given him a lethal injury, but he did not feel any remorse over his act.

When reality crept back upon him, he peered down and noticed he was bound to a chair, just like someone he had recalled seeing earlier.

He looked to his left – his head and neck aching from Marcel's violent treatment that had rendered him unconscious – but saw nothing. When he looked to his right, he noticed the beautiful form of Jewel strapped to her own chair.

Her head was hanging in such a manner that she appeared dead, but Tyler refused to believe that.

"Jewel?" he croaked, "answer me. Are you alright?"

Miraculously, she lifted her head and tortured him with a pair of puffy red eyes framed by rivulets of dried blood from her wounded temple.

"I'm... in pain... but I'm still alive. You took care... of Nigel... but now we're both trapped."

"That doesn't matter, Jewel. I did what I had to. Somehow, we'll get out of here. Alive."

She weakly shook her head and replied, "Why? You said... you were leaving. Why did you come back?"

Knowing full well the true reason why, he drew in a breath and answered her with conviction in his tone: "I'm not going to run away and leave you to face this evil alone. We're cuffed-together-people, remember? I will fight with you until the very end."

Taken aback by his powerful words, she blinked several times before managing a weak smile.

"Thank you, Tyler. You didn't have to do anything for me. You could have forgotten all about me, but you didn't. You're so brave, so kind, so forgiving..."

He attempted to jerk himself closer to her, but he was too weak, and his one good leg wasn't enough to give him the push he needed.

"I don't know how to say this... but I... I really-"

"Well, well, well!" cut in a gruff male voice, "I see my two lab rats are both conscious again. The time for child's play is over. Now, the _real_ fun begins!"

The earth-colored form of Marcel entered the room, shutting the bullet-damaged door behind him resolutely.

"What do you mean?"

He twirled his pistol in his left hand and replied, "Such an uneducated question for someone so brilliant, you American fool. Today, one of you will be receiving a full dose of that idiot researcher's medicine. If you live, then I can actually prove that the serum works, and I can begin the process of manufacturing my own and tweaking the composition. If not, then that's just too bad. That's why I have both of you. One extra test subject just in case one of you doesn't survive..."

The teenagers glared at him with deep hatred, but he seemed unfazed.

"All I have to do is choose which one of you to give it to. Let's see..."

Marcel tapped the barrel of the pitch-black pistol against his chin thoughtfully while looking up at the ceiling.

After a short pause, he faced his captives and exclaimed, "Ah, yes. I am going to use an American classic known as 'eenie meenie miney moe.' Who should I start with first?"

In a calculated motion, he drew out a clean glass syringe from his back pocket, filled with an eerie green fluid. He strutted across the room quickly, planting himself directly between the rusted metal chairs that were their prisons.

He jabbed the syringe dangerously close to Tyler's neck and asked, "You?"

He then did the same to Jewel and queried, "Or you?"

"Go ahead!" she said tauntingly, "shoot me up with that junk. If I die, at least I won't have to look at your hideous face anymore!"

His face grew tight with anger, causing him to touch the sparkling tip of the needle to the pulsing vein on the side of her neck. Tyler stared with a heavy heart as Jewel shut her eyes in preparation for her likely doom.

He didn't want her to throw her life away so soon. If he could take the hit for her, maybe, just maybe, some help would come. Perhaps Linda and Tulio had found out from some outside source where this lab was. Perhaps they were heading to rescue him at this very moment, backed by the Brazilian police.

No, he would not stand for it. He swore to take the medicine, and what better chance to do so that this?

"No! Don't do it! Give it to me instead."

Marcel glared at him hesitantly, but then drew the needle away from her exposed skin.

"Oh, so you want to be a hero, do you? Suit yourself. It will be such a pity to lose such a confident teenager. What will Linda think when her so-called 'son' never comes home? How terrible. Oh well, your friend is too pretty to waste so soon..."

Marcel inched the needle towards his neck, but then stopped.

"Before I grant your wish, I need to stick some instruments on you. I can gather some valuable data on how your body reacts..."

He walked over to the nearby table and set both the needle and his firearm down, rummaging through the devices scattered about on the tabletop.

"Tyler, are you crazy? What are you doing?"

Jewel's desperate query turned his heart inside out, but he saw no other way out.

"I have to buy you time, Jewel. Help may be on its way, and if there's any hope for you, I'll do all I can to make sure you live."

"But, but, how do you know? No one besides Luiz, Nico, Pedro, and Rafael know where we are. We're done for..."

Tyler frowned deeply at the truth in her words, unable to counter them.

"I... know, and I'm sorry. I guess we weren't meant to have a happy ending. All we went through... was for nothing..."

Moments later, Marcel returned to his former spot, a small stack of devices clutched in his hands.

As he strapped the sensors onto his arms, he declared proudly, "It's a tragic situation, really. Rafael's out of commission, and your cowardly friends Luiz, Nico, and Pedro aren't coming back. They were still sitting in their car, so defenseless. I made short work of them..."

"No!" shouted Jewel, "what did you do to them?"

Marcel strapped a vital-signs monitor to Tyler's upper right arm and paused.

"That's something you may never find out. Now stay quiet! I have to focus..."

Marcel resumed working, tearing off Tyler's shirt and sticking electrical sensors all over his chest.

The twisted scientist returned to the table and secured the syringe in his right while grasping a good-sized rectangular box with his left. Marcel deftly inserted the wires trailing from his captive's chest into the machine, turning it on and programming it once he was done.

Marcel gently placed the wire-laden machine between Tyler's feet and stood up imposingly.

Tyler's mind raced with dread as he said, "Your time has come, weak American. This medicine may heal you, but even if it does, you'll never escape. Your life will remain a living hell for years to come. If it kills you, you might as well be thankful. But then again, your beautiful friend here will be taking your place."

Tyler struggled to break free, but to no avail.

"Then I will welcome my death with open arms. My entire recent live has been a living hell, and so I will be glad to gain respite from it."

He threw one last look at Jewel, who seemed too horrified to speak.

"Whatever happens, I'm sorry. I tried to protect you... and I failed."

She remained silent, allowing one crystalline tear to fall and splash upon the desiccated wood below. He turned away from her contorted expression and met Marcel's gaze with blistering fury.

"One day, you'll rot in Hell. Be ready, you murderous coward..."

"Silence! Your words do not affect me. And your sorrowful exchange was so childish and pretentious. It's really disgusting..."

He lifted the syringe and grabbed a large mass of Tyler's hair, jerking his head back to allow a clear view of his taut neck.

"Let's see what happens to our little hero now..."

"_It's all over. Whether I live or die, the end result is the same. We'll be forever enslaved to Marcel. Luiz, Rafael, Pedro, Nico. All gone because of me. Linda... if you can hear me... I love you. I'm so sorry I had to leave you like this..._"

As a glistening drop of water rolled languidly down his cheek, back-lit by the sunlight that suffused the room, Marcel slid the needle into Tyler's neck and depressed the plunger.

Tyler's arms flexed with the pain, gripping the arms of his chair tightly.

A grimace erupted on his face, but he managed to contain the urge to shout. Jewel rocked about with desperation, unable to break free of the binding ropes.

She could not look away as Marcel flooded Tyler's system with the viscous liquid, injecting it for a full six seconds before withdrawing the empty syringe.

He chucked the tool onto the table haphazardly, not caring that it slid off the other side and shattered on the floor.

He stepped back from the cripple and crossed his arms expectantly. He affected a vicious smile as the figure arched his back and let out a screeching growl of agony...

The cold needle tunneled its way into Tyler's flesh, immersing itself in the rapid pulses of blood that coursed through the major vein in his neck. The sensation was sharp and disturbing, the neurons in his brain assaulted by the pain. His brain ordered his face to contort and his arms to flew in an attempt to quell the protest of the nerves in his neck.

He managed to relax as the needle extracted itself, feeling an ethereal calm settle over him. He craned his head around to catch one last fleeting glimpse of Jewel, seeing her thrashing about, her efforts completely futile.

Seconds later, his vision began to falter, the stock-still of Marcel in front of him, along with the entire room, distorting as if warped glass lenses had been fused to his eyes. A myriad of colors and shapes then flowed into his vision, surreal and mesmerizing.

He realized his eyes were still open, but the world as he knew it became a fantasy land of impossible design. He drifted through a calm sea of red and blue, suspended as if gravity had been negated.

Just as he began to appreciate the strange beauty of what he was seeing, a torrent of oily blackness swept through and blotted out his eyesight like a waking nightmare, accompanied by channels of bright blue and green shades.

A powerful sensation, unlike anything he had ever imagined, descended from his neck and established itself throughout his entire body. It spread like a cold wildfire, numbing him, yet still burning his cells and tissues with its blazing fury.

The pain level skyrocketed to a crushing level as his body was being cooked from the inside out. As the chilling heat reached his spine, he could take no more. His back involuntarily arched as the fire roiled within him, seeming to concentrate at that one particular spot in his lower vertebrae.

His vocal cords thrummed with the effort of his scream, his lungs emptying their entire volume of air in seconds. He seemed deaf to his own cries, unable to tell how fortuitous they actually were. As if that wasn't enough, the dreadful feeling propagated from his spine and coursed down his ruined leg.

"_What the hell is going on? This is unreal! I can't take this level of utter agony! This must be what it feels like __to die! Just take me away, end it all..._"

The passage of time was meaningless to him; how long he remained in the grip of the deadly sensory input was a mystery.

As he continued to let loose hoarse shouts, the blistering temperatures in his leg and spine seemed to cool ever so steadily. The miasma of pain descended from critical to bearable, but still ravished his brain ferociously.

He felt himself flailing about in his chair: the only release he could find to combat his traumatized brain. His blindness only compounded his disorientation and hopelessness as to when he would escape his torment.

After what seemed like an eternity, he managed to get a grip on himself and stifle his yells, realizing that his vocal cords were raw from abuse. Through his blindness, he wheezed and coughed, as if he could not force enough air into his oxygen starved body.

As the agony exited his body, more and more legitimate information began to flow into the weary mass of neurons inside his skull.

The tickling of sweat as it scrambled down his chest, the ragged grating of his breathing, the rapid thudding of his heart.

The last place the fire dissipated from was the site of his injury, and once it was gone, it took him nearly one full minute to adjust and re-fabricate reality.

The lenses were removed from his eyes, throwing the world back into reasonable clarity.

His entire make-up felt like gelatin, sucked clean of bone and left unsupported. His eyes found themselves staring at the featureless floor, meaning that his head was drooping at a large angle.

A resounding echo pounded in his ears, deep, demonic, and barely understandable: "So, you survived? You put on quite a show for us. The sensors riddling your body have logged some impressive data, Tyler..."

Another echo followed the first, desperate and choked with tears: "Tyler? You're alive! I thought you had died. It was so terrible..."

Summoning all the energy he could, he removed his gaze from the floor and forced himself to locate Jewel. Her body was facing him, her once-pristine clothes dotted with moisture.

A horrid sound issued from his mouth as he spoke, revealing to him the aftereffects of the "show" he had recently put on.

"I... survived. Fate was... on my side..."

"The medicine... must have healed you..."

After drinking in her glorious statement, he found his left foot with his vision.

"_I'm alive. The moment of truth... is now..._"

He commanded his leg to move, sending a bolt of electricity from his brain, down through his spinal cord, and into the muscles in his appendage.

He could hardly contain himself as the leg partially extended before dropping back to its previous position.

He ordered his toes to curl, and they did.

He ordered his foot to twist, and it did.

The phrase "seeing is believing" could not have been any more true for the sixteen year old.

"_It works! After all these years, my leg is functional again! I am now a normal human being. I have Tulio to thank for this..._"

As the elation flooded his body, another epiphany barreled into him, swallowing him in negativity.

"_But it doesn't matter. I'll never escape from here. And neither will Jewel. My jubilation is hollow. My existence is still pointless. God save our souls..._"

"You got what you wanted, so let him go!" commanded Jewel.

Marcel hurled himself against her chair, fastening his arms around hers and thrusting his face near his.

"Did you actually think I would do such a ridiculous thing? He's already seen... and experienced... too much. And so have you."

His silent decree induced a violent pang of anger and depression in Jewel and Tyler alike.

His voice still strained, the male declared, "The police will find us eventually. It's only a matter of time, Marcel. Your whole nefarious operation will eventually be shut down."

He repeated his threatening stance in front of Tyler, his malodorous breath disgusting the teenager.

"Do you not realize how vast the slums in this town are? If I am ever threatened, all I have to do is relocate. You see, it's a cat-and-mouse game that will drag on forever. My cash flow will only increase, and no one will be able to catch us!"

He jumped back from the chair and laughed heartily, the perfection of his victory fueling him.

It was then that something in Tyler snapped, a burst of desire and hatred and disgust targeting only one entity: Marcel.

Images of Bruce Banner morphing into the Hulk played over and over in his mind, though he knew his experience was much more down-to-earth. A geyser of strength collected in his feet, slowly rising to fill every cell and fiber in his body. It rose past his brain and topped off, perfectly contained by the flesh and bone of Tyler's body.

He trembled uncontrollably as if being electrocuted, yet he detected a marvelous tingling, rather than the negative burn of the serum.

"_My muscles are still the same size, yet I somehow feel... stronger! I feel like a completely new being, a recipient of my own personal renaissance! This has to be a side effect of the medicine. There's no other explanation..._"

Tyler's unexpected display cut off Marcel's laughter and plastered a confused, worried look on Jewel's face.

"What's happening to you, American? Tell me!"

Jewel's distressed shout followed the scientist's angry demand: "Oh no! Don't tell me something's going wrong. Please..."

Tyler found himself glaring at Marcel with deadly fury, unable to look away.

"I said tell me! What are you feeling?"

Narrowing his eyes, he thought, "_No, Marcel. I won't tell you anything. But I will show you everything! It's time to repay you for the vileness of your acts..._"

Tyler contracted his biceps with all his gifted strength, his arms pushing madly against the ropes that tied them down. The grainy, coarse bindings grew looser and looser, until they could no longer stay fastened to the seat.

The loops unwound and flew into the air as Tyler's arms broke free, giving him the ability to stand on his own two feet. He quickly stripped off the devices from his arms and, in one dramatic motion, ripped the sticky pads from his chest.

He felt mild discomfort, but it was not enough to break through the flood of energy that saturated his being.

He bounded from the chair, spying a frightened look on Marcel's face before the scientist turned to reach for his gun.

He would never make it.

Tyler seized the man by his arms and shoved him away, throwing him into the wall left of the entryway.

"You'll pay for that, you little rat!"

Not wanting to break his focus by responding, he charged a second time at the man.

Marcel was smashed against the wall by his attacker's weight, who then proceeded to pummel his midsection. Marcel couldn't even speak as Tyler winded him with three blows to his lower ribcage. Now that Marcel was dazed, Tyler caused him to choke by pounding his throat with his closed right fist, using his left to hold down his enemy's left arm.

In the final maneuver, he calculated the exact spot on Marcel's forehead that was vital to consciousness and buried a solid blow right into it.

He could only splutter the word: "Damn..." before slumping to the floor.

"_And that's how to take down one sadistic human. Now, to get the hell out of here and find help!_"

The accomplished human scurried back over to Jewel and hastily removed her bindings.

"Tyler... you did it! I can't believe it! We're finally free!"

As soon as she was free of her restraints, she threw herself out of the chair and hugged him tightly. He took his time to soak in the purity of her embrace, but once he was satisfied, he hardened his expression.

He tilted her face up to stare directly into her swollen eyes.

"Not yet, we're not. We have to get far away from this place first. I don't think Linda's coming. We'll have to fend for ourselves for now."

"You're right. Let's hurry, then! What if Marcel wakes up?"

"I pray he won't. Come on!"

The humans burst out of the room and sprinted for the stairs, but were frozen by the sight of Rafael's body lying face down a few feet to the right of the stairs.

"Oh God! Rafael! Please be alive..."

They threw themselves down around him, rolling his still body over to check for signs of life. Jewel plastered her hands on his chest while her companion and savior leaned down close to Rafael's mouth.

"He's alive! I can feel his heartbeat."

The soft tickle of the male's breath on Tyler's face solidified his condition.

"I can sense his breathing, too. He's just unconscious. We have to carry him out of here!"

"Are you sure you can walk with all that weight? I mean, you barely stood back up. What if your leg gives out?"

He stood up and then bent down to secure Rafael's shoulders.

"It won't. I can feel it. It's perfectly restored. We can't stall any longer!"

Jewel nodded and canceled her reply before establishing a tight grip on Rafael's ankles.

"One... two... three... lift!"

Tyler's muscles trembled under his dead weight, but he forced himself to stay upright.

"I'll go down the stairs first. Don't rush me, or I'll trip, and no good will come from that. One step at a time, okay?"

"Alright. Man, he's a lot... heavier than he looks!"

Tyler inched his way down the creaking steps backwards, planting both feet on one step before transferring them to the next. Sweat was beading on his forehead by the time he reached the ground floor, and as soon as Jewel joined him, she too was actively perspiring.

"Let's take him out into the street. Maybe we can find someone, and have them call for help."

"Sounds good..." she replied, her chest heaving.

They slipped their way out through the front door – which was still wide open from Tyler's previous entry – and emerged into the orange glow of late afternoon. They trotted away from the warehouse at a wobbly pace, Rafael's body slung between them like a living hammock.

They scooted over to the narrow street that ran along the left side of the shack and laid the sleeping man down on the sidewalk.

A long strip of tire marks led away from the warehouse, carrying a distinct tread pattern that could only have been made by one class of car. Scattered around the marks were piles of crystalline chips of glass in a myriad of shapes and sizes.

Tyler bent down to feel the rubber streaks, but they were no longer warm. Nonetheless, he was emboldened by a flicker of hope.

"Jewel?"

"Yes?"

"I don't think Marcel hurt Luiz and the others. They must have fled when Marcel found them! I'll bet they went for help!"

"Were they the ones who brought you here?" she said, bursting with hope.

"Yeah. We'll have to keep a lookout for any police cars and wave them down."

"You got it..."

Both humans relaxed themselves on the side walk in a sitting position, with Jewel next to Rafael's feet and Tyler near his head.

Their bodies had eventually recovered from the exertion of hauling the unresponsive male, and so they wiped the residual sweat from their skin with their shirts.

Not a single soul could be seen along the lonely avenue where Tyler and Jewel waited, and as the minutes ticked by, their bright prospects for the future began to dim. Only adding to their distress was the fact that, no matter how hard they tried, Rafael could not be awoken.

As far as they could tell, he was free of any external wounds – save for a raw rash on his neck – leading them to think he had been choked by Marcel.

"Maybe we should... spread out and look for someone. Surely it wouldn't take this long to rally the police and lead them back here, right?"

Pondering their options, Tyler agreed that Jewel's way was best.

"I have to say I agree with you. It's not like Rafael's going anywhere. I'll go across the street, and you could go down that way, deeper into the favelas."

Jewel nodded and pushed herself to a standing position.

"Meet me back here in less than ten minutes."

"You got it, Tyler."

Just as they took five paces in their respective directions, a distant din hummed against their eardrums.

"Jewel! Do you hear that?"

From down the avenue, she replied, "Yeah! It sounds like... sirens!"

They hastily joined each other around Rafael's still form, their spirits soaring out of their previous gloom.

"Keep an eye out. They could come from anywhere..."

The enlightenment they experienced grew and grew as the wail increased in volume, and before long the jittery humans spied a wondrous sight.

A gleaming silver Jeep rounded a shallow bend far down the road, trailed by a trio of strongly patterned police cars.

Tyler jumped for joy and plastered a tight hug on his companion once he landed.

"Okay Tyler... I know you're happy... but I can't breathe..."

He released his vice-like grip and grinned sheepishly.

"Sorry, gorgeous. Whoops! Did I just say that?"

Jewel chuckled at the sweet – yet unexpected – comment.

"Yes you did, big-muscle guy."

Shaking away the hotness in his cheeks, he ran a few paces towards the vehicle-laden street and waved his arms fervently.

He narrowed his vision and noticed Linda in the driver's seat, accompanied by Tulio immediately next to her. However, a third entity in the back seat stunned Tyler to his core: it was Fernando.

He blinked his eyes as the cars rolled closer, yet the figure was still there.

"_Did Fernando have a change of heart? It sure seems like it. If Luiz and the others aren't with them, what other possibility is there? I owe that kid big-time now..._"

He cut off his musings as the cars all veered to a stop just over twenty feet away.

Linda hurled herself from the Jeep and sprinted towards her nephew-turned-son, her eyes beet red and spouting tears. Tyler ran towards her, meeting her halfway and unable to control his own emotions. They slammed together in a rich hug, with Linda spilling eye-fluid all over his shirt.

"Oh Tyler, there's... no way to describe... how horrible my life has been! I'm so glad... to have you back... and that you can walk..."

He patted her head to try and comfort her sniffling.

"I missed you... so much too... Mom. Against all odds... Jewel and I made it out... alive..."

"I love you... Tyler Gunderson..."

"And I... love you too... Mom..."

While the two humans were busy sobbing on each other, Jewel occupied herself by dutifully, yet carefully, dragging Rafael over to the waiting policemen.

Tyler and Linda's rapture was shattered when Tulio yelled from the nearby Jeep, "_Meu Deus!_ Jewel, run!" **{My God!}**

Tyler broke free of Linda's grasp and saw the confused figure of Marcel stumbling from the doorway, lurching directly towards Jewel.

She dropped Rafel's body and initiated a sprint away from the madman.

Without a second thought, Tyler ran madly for Jewel, but once he was ten feet away, he heard a loud _pop_ issue from behind her. In one dreadful motion, Jewel tripped and fell to the ground. Tyler skidded to a stop in front of her and was nearly deafened by her forceful scream.

Her hands were plastered to her right leg, about halfway between her ankle and knee joints. Her pant leg was being taken over by a visibly enlarging stain of burgundy fluid. If that wasn't horrid enough, the rest of Jewel's leg past her hands was pointing away at an odd direction.

"What's wrong, Jewel?"

"My leg! Oh God... he shot me! It's broken. I can feel it!"

"I'm getting you the hell out of here! Hold-"

Jewel steadied her fractured leg as he prepared to hoist her off the raspy pavement with a herculean effort.

He would never get the chance.

A pair of quick reports went off in front of him, followed by a short hail of gunfire that whizzed past Tyler and buried itself in Marcel's body.

Before the gunfire ceased, two rapid stings swarmed his mind, followed by a red-hot burning sensation that fractured his reality. He pressed his clean hands to his chest, and when he drew them back palms-up, they were spattered with blood.

While Jewel let out a ferocious scream of terrified defiance, Tyler's eyes rolled back from the miasma of fire. By the time he met the rough asphalt face down, he was gone...

* * *

><p>The once-crippled boy known as Tyler Gunderson found himself floating weightlessly in a boundless space painted in one solitary color: white. As it was, he felt no sensation, be it positive or negative. As for his other senses, however, there was plenty of stimulation to be had.<p>

A steady, monotonous chirping echoed throughout the ghostly realm, with no visible source. A strange, illusory shape hovered above him, its outline an even starker white than the hue of his universe. The form shifted and swayed, disappearing for some time before returning to its former spot.

He could travel in whatever direction he wished by merely flailing his limbs.

As he glided about in this desolate realm, he thought, "_So, this is Heaven? What a serene and odd place. Perhaps my experience is totally subjective. It may not be the same for everyone else..._"

A vortex-like distortion erupted in front of him, its distance meaningless. Feeling curious, he oriented himself towards it and stroked languidly through the zero-gravity enclosure.

"_I'll miss you, Linda. Be strong for me. I would have had an amazing life back on Earth, but I don't belong there anymore. And please take care of Jewel, no matter how what you have to do. She was the best thing that's ever happened to me, next to you, Mom, and Dad. She'll probably miss me too, and I feel just the same. She was so alluring, so charismatic, so brave... and I never even got the chance to tell her how I feel. I never got the chance to say-_"

Tyler's loss-ridden thoughts were cut off when the vortex reached out with cable-like extensions and pulled him in.

He felt his body grow heavier and heavier, which in turn led him to think he was falling ever-faster.

As his mind raced to try and decipher what was happening, he suddenly stopped moving altogether after slamming into a soft, marshmallow-like substance.

The repetitive chiming was still present, but now seemed to have a definite source: a stationary point off to his left. Tyler was reclined on the spongy material, with his gaze tilted directly upwards, as far as he could tell.

The entire dimension he was trapped in seemed to ripple and shift as if reorganizing itself. A myriad of shapes and textures melted from the background, forming an alternate reality.

The ghostly illusion still stationed above him then assumed definite color and form.

As if to finalize the transformation, the ethereal Tyler blinked twice. Words were useless to describe what he saw when his eyes parted after the second blink.

A dainty woman was hanging over him, her hand stroking his forehead rhythmically. That woman, he profoundly realized, was none other than Linda.

He was even more speechless when the brush of her face against his actually registered in his brain.

"Tyler? It's me, your Aunt Linda. Can you hear me?"

Her voice was also clear to him, its caring tone compelling him to respond.

Finding the ability to speak, he replied, "I... can hear you. Where... am I? How long was... I out?"

At this, her face morphed from a jovial one to a somber one.

"Please don't exert yourself too much, Tyler. You're in a hospital near downtown Rio. You were unconscious for five hours after your surgery. Marcel... shot you twice. The first bullet hit you in the chest and came out of your shoulder, with out hitting any vital organs. The second punctured your right lung. You... were losing so much blood. I thought... you weren't going to make it. I had to donate some of mine to you. I am so sorry... for all of this..."

Tyler raised his left arm – finding it restricted in its movement due to an IV that projected from it – and carefully weaved his hand into her silky red hair.

"No. Don't be sorry. I'm alive... and I can walk again. My existence is now complete..."

"You were so brave, going to rescue Jewel like that. She owes you her life. Those bullets would have hit her instead..."

At the sound of that ever-so-familiar name, his mind raced into overdrive, desperate to discover her whereabouts and whether she was alright.

"Where is she? I have to see her."

His voice grew slightly in volume, but squeaked at the end.

"Don't stress your lung, or it may start bleeding again!" she whispered hotly.

"Tyler, I'm over here. And I've been better..."

His heart did a back-flip as he rolled his head to the left, coming upon a traumatizing-yet-wonderful sight. Jewel was reclining in her own bed immediately across the room, a distance of four feet at most.

Her right leg – imprisoned in a plain white fiberglass cast – was suspended slightly above the bed by a loop of cloth on one end of a counterbalancing apparatus, round weights on the other end keeping it elevated.

Even clothed with a pond-print gown, she still possessed a high level of attractiveness.

"My leg's pretty busted up, and it still hurts. I'll be out of commission for about five weeks. It's kind of humorous, you know. You were a cripple, and now you're not. I wasn't a cripple, and now I am."

She let out a small chuckle, but one that shook her enough to disturb her frail leg. It rocked slightly and tapped the supporting rod for the apparatus. Her body tensed at the same time she let out a distressed exclamation.

"Oh, that hurt! I gotta be more careful."

"I'm so glad you're still here, Jewel. I know this sounds... odd, but you mean a lot to me. I wasn't about to let you die at the hands of that coward Marcel. Too bad I didn't get to rescue you as completely as I had hoped..."

Jewel's face brightened with confusion, but then put on a cheerful and somewhat-flattered expression.

"Really? Well, I'd say your heroic act pretty much speaks for itself. I sincerely thank you for trying to save me."

Another quick burst of pain wracked Jewel's body, but she fought it off and smiled.

"And before you ask, Rafael's just fine. He stopped by after I got out of surgery, but you were still being operated on. The doctors said he just had some bruising. Nothing too serious. He went home after that., most likely to a deathly-worried Eva..."

"That's good to know. Two victims of Marcel's twisted exploits is plenty."

"You got that right, hero..."

The two injured humans exchanged pleasant smiles.

A tap from Linda brought his head back, finding himself lost in her powerful gaze.

"When will I get out of here? What's going to happen after that?"

Linda placed her hand tenderly over the site of the first gunshot wound, her touch barely registering due to the painkillers that drowned his nerves.

"The doctor said from two to three weeks. Your punctured lung is basically the only thing holding you back. After that, we're heading straight to Moose Lake. A fitting end to the nightmare you and I have been subjected to."

He instantly grew nervous as to what would happen to Tulio, and more importantly, Jewel.

"Are you going to leave Tulio behind, then? Where is he, anyway?"

Linda donned a proud smile and declared, "He left for the bathroom right before you woke up, and when we fly out of here, he's coming with us. Our struggle to save you and Jewel has taught us a very valuable lesson: that we have much more in common than we think. He's a confident and respectful guy, plus, his looks aren't that bad either."

Her cheeks flushed as she said this, but she made no effort to hide her emotions.

"_Well, that's one half of the equation accounted for. But, what about her? Should I __dare ask? I really like her, but will she ever be convinced to join us?_"

"I have a confession, Mom."

Her eyes narrowed curiously.

"About what, Tyler?"

Steeling himself for any repercussions that may come his way, he motioned weakly for her to lean in closer with his right hand.

"I have some reasonable feelings towards Jewel. Just like you have for Tulio. I don't want her to remain here and have to live in the slums, but she's steadfast in her choice. I want her... to return with us to Moose Lake. I doubt you'll approve of it, and even if you do, where will she go? I can't help but think that it's a lost cause..."

"Have you told her what your heart desires? Do you know if she feels the same?"

"I haven't told her yet. I'm just too nervous. And no, I have no clue how she feels about me."

"Well, if your selfless act of bravery didn't warm her up to you, I don't know what will. I don't mean to sugarcoat your situation, but you almost _died_. Surely you can handle putting your true feelings out there. And if she really wants you, she'll let go of her life here and leave with us. We can make arrangements of some sort in the U.S."

Tyler shifted himself slightly, scooting further up towards the head of the bed.

Letting out a half-confident sigh, he responded, "You're right. As soon as Jewel and I are both well, I'll do it. Now I have something to look forward to, something to help me emerge from these tough times."

"I know you can do it. And trust me, I've been praying. Everything will turn out okay.."

"Thanks, Mom..."

A wave of exhaustion crashed down onto Tyler, forged partly from the influence of the painkillers that masked the hurt of his injury, and partly from the damage of the injury itself. He did not fight the flood, letting it take him away to a quiet reality of relaxation...

* * *

><p>Tulio reappeared a few minutes after Tyler fell asleep, and although he wanted to conduct a short chat with the victim, Linda dissuaded him. They instead passed the time by talking to Jewel about whatever topics they could fabricate.<p>

Linda felt the urge to divulge her nephew's secret more than once, but she controlled herself. She did not want to ruin his chance at the co-called "young love" he was getting himself into.

Once the conversation dulled, Tulio and Linda occupied themselves by talking to each other and reading the hospital room's magazines.

Two hours after Tyler entered his serene siesta, the mellow trio of Luiz, Nico, and Pedro showed up as midnight approached.

Being that Tyler was asleep, they cursed their bad timing, simply unnerved at the fact that they would have to wait until he woke up to converse with him.

Their first visit had occurred one hour after the gunshot victim had gone into surgery, and although they stayed at his bedside, he did not wake. They had gone home after two hours of lounging around, and now they were back.

They issued their heartfelt condolences to Jewel and Linda alike before abruptly shifting to more positive topics, in an attempt to boost the morale of everyone involved.

Now that the fearsome past was behind them all, spirits were quickly lifted, for everyone involved found it vital to focus on the much more prosperous future.

The clock was ticking until Tyler and Jewel would be released and be allowed to experience the joy of being free, all over again...


	6. Lives Unfold

**Chapter 6:Lives Unfold**

Hours slowly morphed into days, and days slowly morphed into weeks. Tyler's recovery had been extended a week and four days past his doctor's previous estimate, leaving him trapped in the dreary hospital room for that much longer.

His extended stay was made much more bearable by the fact that Jewel was but a few feet away, there to comfort him and lift his spirits.

Tyler was practically dying to get free of his bed, and when his four week rest period was up, he could hardly contain himself. Nonetheless, as per the warnings of both his doctor and Linda, he restrained himself, and so tested the resilience of his lung gradually by walking about the hospital.

After a final x-ray of Tyler's breathing organs, the doctor issued him a clean bill of health. He was then set free by his Brazilian acquaintance and given permission to head on home.

He felt a rush of jubilation and serenity unlike any other when he stepped out of the hospital's gliding front doors and was greeted by the glaring sunshine of a Rio afternoon. There was not one single thing he could complain about or regret.

His leg was perfectly mended and functional, his lung was back to health, and lastly, his life was finally restored.

As the salt-stained breeze whipped past him – borne from the relatively distant bay – he could now focus on his future. There were still countless thousands of experiences to be had, countless mysteries to unravel, and countless years to live out.

As far as he knew, his future was bright and extensive, and he would exploit it to the fullest.

As he relished the savory air of Rio, he heard the soft thudding of shoe-clad feet upon the cement walkway behind him. As he turned around, his heart flared with light as Jewel's steady, proud form ambled towards him, her once injured leg now exposed and gleaming.

His eyes widened as she strode up to him and wrapped him in a sensuous hug, her cerulean hair waving about in a glorious display. She stood level with him, allowing them to peer deeply into each others eyes.

Captivated, Tyler exclaimed, "Jewel! You can walk!"

Blinking sweetly, she replied, "After nearly five weeks of bed rest, my leg decided to heal. I am so glad to be able to walk again, but I am even more glad to see _you_..."

Astonished, he blinked in surprise, only to be melted by the ring of fire Jewel's lips left on his cheek.

As his cheeks flushed a rose color, he muttered, "J-Jewel, what w-was that f-for?"

While stroking his face, she replied, "That's how I feel about you. I figured actions speak louder than words, big-muscle guy..."

His mind refusing to believe what it had just heard, he asked, "Does that mean... you... like me?"

"That's exactly what it means. I used to think that I would always be free, be by myself. After seeing what you did for me, how dedicated you were to keep me alive every step of the way, I realized that freedom is just as rewarding when you share it with someone else..."

Tyler was fully blindsided by her confession of her feelings, setting off an explosion of warmth and confidence inside him that compelled him to respond.

Running his hand through her silken hair, he answered, "Jewel, I never thought I would ever find someone willing to like me, let alone love me. I was a cripple back then, so I guessed I was less hopeful than I am now. Ever since I met you on that dreadful evening, I was drawn to you, unable to pull away. Those handcuffs left behind a bond between you and I that I can never forget. I never thought I would meet someone so... powerful and graceful as you, and yet, here I stand, with you in my arms. I have one last thing to say: will you come back with me to Moose Lake, and leave this terrible place behind?"

She looked down, breaking their eye-to-eye connection, leading Tyler to think she would refuse. When she looked back up, his heart was turned inside-out.

"I know it's going to be hard, but I have you to depend on. Of course I'll come, Tyler. I'll come back with you..."

"I don't know what to say, Jewel. I'm so happy! I'll help you let go of this city and all the bad memories you have here, but also help you embrace the wonders of life in the United States."

"Thanks, Tyler. With your help, I know I can pull through."

"That you will, Jewel. But I still can't believe it! After all of the turmoil we've been through recently, I never knew this would be the outcome! Is it safe to call you my girlfriend, or will you beat me up?"

"Ha, I'm not your girlfriend!"

After seeing the horror on Tyler's face, she planted another quick kiss on his cheek.

"I was only joking! That title's perfectly fine with me..."

Tyler beamed and lifted her off of the ground, swinging her around in a quick arc before setting her back down.

"Thank you, Jewel. Now we're even. I saved your life, and you gave me a date. It all works out!"

She punched him playfully in the chest, knocking him back a few paces.

"Don't push your luck, buddy..."

He flashed her a sly smile, rubbing the sore spot beneath his green t-shirt.

Tyler and Jewel stood outside the towering hospital for what seemed like an eternity, reveling in the delight created by their proximity to each other.

Their arms folded around each other sweetly, they leaned in for a true kiss, only to be interrupted by Linda's commanding shout: "I hope I'm not interfering with your little romance session, but are you guys ready to go?"

Jewel rolled her eyes at Tyler, who smiled gleefully and shrugged.

"Where are we going exactly, Linda?"

From the fairly close hospital doors, she replied, "To the airport, Jewel. It's time we leave this place and get back to Minnesota. Have you made up your mind?"

Donning a proud expression, she replied, "I really don't want to not stay behind. If it's okay with you, I would like to start a fresh life over in America."

Linda sauntered over to them, with Tulio charging from the lobby in her wake. As they approached the teenagers, Tulio caught up with Linda and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Are you sure? Because once you leave here, you'll never be coming back. Not permanently, at least."

Jewel brought Tyler closer to her pointedly and responded, "I am very sure. Tyler here gave me a strong reason to go."

When both Linda and Tulio raised their eyebrows curiously, Tyler felt the need to explain, lest he face the consequences.

"Uh, Mom, Jewel and I are... you know... dating. Do you approve of our amorous connection, or would you rather we withhold it?"

"Well, if Tulio and are together, it seems only fair that you be allowed to do the same. But remember, you better control yourselves, because I don't want to have to give you both 'the talk.' "

Her face bore no traces of humor; she was dead serious.

"I will not allow Jewel to become a statistic in the ever-rising number of girls who have to deal with teen pregnancy. That I assure you, Mom."

"I'll hold you to that, Tyler Gunderson. It will be a very bad day if you slip up. A _very bad day_..."

Her loud voice caused her nephew to gulp and Jewel to stare at her with concern in her eyes.

Linda cracked her cold expression and said, "Oh, don't worry about it, you two! I am sure you will both behave like a young couple should. Now what are we awaiting for? On to the airport!"

Tulio patted her shoulder and said, "You all wait here! I'll bring the Jeep around..."

Tyler and Jewel recovered from Linda's forceful declaration and found themselves giggling as Tulio dashed off into the vehicle-thick parking lot stationed outside the hospital. When the silver Jeep rolled around, they all noticed that the cargo area had been filled with the suitcases that Tyler and Linda had brought over during their flight to Rio.

While the nephew and aunt duo wondered when Tulio had gone to the lab and collected their things, he beeped the horn and yelled at them to get in. They broke off their thoughts and dashed over to the waiting Jeep, cramming themselves in joyously.

Naturally, Linda took the passenger seat, leaving Tyler and Jewel to sit together in the remaining two seats.

As they peeled off and began the journey to their departure point, Jewel yelled, "Wait! We can't leave just yet."

Tulio slammed the brakes on the vehicle, bringing them to an abrupt stop near the outlet of the lot onto a quiet street.

"What is it, Jewel?"

She frowned slightly and replied, "I need to go to my house in the favelas, plus my tree-house, and gather all of my personal items. I can lead you there, Tulio, if you do the driving. All I have left is in those two places."

Tulio craned his head back and gave her an accepting smile.

"I understand, Jewel. You shouldn't be expected to leave _everything_ behind. Your treasures will allow you to remember your parents, and who am I to say you can't have them. Just show me the way, Jewel..."

Thanks so much, Tulio."

"No problem. No problem at all."

After managing to turn her frown upside down, she said, "Okay, my house is in the North Zone..."

Tulio left the hospital and motored his way through the city in accordance with Jewel's directions.

After seeking out and eventually finding her broken down residence in the North Zone, Jewel jumped from the Jeep and extracted all her belongings from the underground dwelling.

Returning with a decent stack of books and a few tattered photo envelopes, she planted herself back next to Tyler, tucking the items away between them.

They then blasted off to their second and final stop: Jewel's hand-forged tree-house. This time, she emerged from the hidden jungle trail carrying three semi-thick blankets, along with a second stack of books. The blankets were worked into the suitcases – if just barely so – rendering them fat and misshapen.

The rest of her books were buried next to their counterparts.

Their last trek led them across the city, to Rio's bustling airport. Jewel's precious books were teased into the suitcases, save for the tome she chose to read during the imminent flight.

After abandoning the Jeep, the suitcase-hauling humans slogged into the airport and managed to secure enough tickets for them all.

Tulio had used a variety of methods to scrounge up the money needed to evacuate from Rio, starting from the day he had decided to accompany Linda back to the U.S. The tickets ate up a large portion of his frenzied savings, but left him with a decent amount of money for him and his three charges.

They bounced onto their flight after spending nearly half an hour filing through security, exhausted yet pleased that the end of their two-continent trial was drawing to a close. After stowing away their luggage and planting themselves in the appreciable second-class area, they relaxed into their seats ruefully.

After the jumbo jet slipped away from the terminal and roared down the runway, it steadily ascended to its cruising altitude, eventually leveling out and allowing its occupants to loosen up.

Tyler was reclined against the wall of the jet, gazing out at the patchwork of clouds and earth far below. Jewel was sitting to the right of him, buried in her book, a Portuguese novel about a couple forbidden to be together, yet unable to be kept apart.

The turbulence was minimal, the flight smooth and peaceful. His gaze scanning the seemingly endless expanse of earthly beauty below, he felt a wonderful, melancholy feeling well up inside him and dance with his spirit.

"_Who knew? Who knew that a cripple and his aunt would be thrown into such an adventure of horror and joy after landing in a strange city so far from home? It sure was hell for both Linda and I, but all of that is in the past. Both she and I had came here with so little, and left with so much more. We both have found someone to appreciate and care for, someone admirable and kind. The worst disaster possible has given us a chance to live again, a chance to love. Linda has Tulio, and I have Jewel. Life just can't get any better than it is now..._"

Lost in his musings, he soon drifted off to sleep, his head resting on the flat oval of the window.

Jewel, after reaching the halfway point in her book, laid her eyes on him and saw his odd position.

"_He must be tired. Heck, I would be too, if I didn't have this book to read. He looks so handsome when he's resting..._"

After dropping her book onto her lap, she slowly, gently, pulled his head away from the window and slid the shade shut. She then brought his head over and rested it on her shoulder, not at all bothered by the extra weight it placed upon her.

He mumbled something obscure and squirmed around.

Jewel feared she had woken him, but her fears were dispelled when his left arm rose up and secured a loose grip on her waist.

"_Steady there, tiger. We're not in Minnesota yet..._" she thought playfully.

Jewel picked her tome back up and resumed reading, Tyler's arm resting comfortably against her stomach...

* * *

><p>Just as Linda and Tyler had on their first flight, the group of four enchanted humans were subjected to the rigors of the extensive journey. As they ventured north, they landed, switched planes, hopped to another major city, and repeated the cycle.<p>

Their first trek took them out of Brazil and into Central America, where they paused in Panama before skipping to Honduras. From there, they streaked off into Mexico, touching down in the famed capital, Mexico City.

They city of Matamorros was their next switchover, and after crossing into Texas, Tyler and Linda were much relieved to be back in their home country.

They touched down in Texas, Kansas, and Nebraska before, at long last, landing in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota.

They hired a taxi to ferry them the rest of the way, and after a dreary ride through a snow-covered landscape, found themselves standing in Moose Lake, Minnesota, outside the closed building known as Blue Macaw Books.

The key to the building was hiding away inside one of the suitcases, and so Linda and the others spent nearly ten minutes in the unforgiving weather searching for it.

After pulling it roughly from the mess that was Tyler's clothes, she ritually opened the front door and stepped inside. After the others were all sheltered from the biting cold, she closed the creaky door and relocked it.

After running her hands through her hair, Linda declared, "I know that words can't do this situation justice, but we are finally home! Home!"

She skipped over to Tyler and gave him a hearty hug.

"I know our vacation was way longer and more gut-wrenching than we could have ever imagined, but we survived. And it turned out better than we ever could have hoped..."

After releasing her nephew, she pulled Tulio close and gave him a rapid peck on the lips.

Jewel scooted closer in turn and fastened her arm around her lover's waist.

"It amazes me how you both managed to live in here, Linda! Even being as small as it is, it's second in terms of coziness next to Rafael and Eva's house. Well, it would be cozy if it wasn't so cold in here!"

"Yeah. This is where Tyler and I spent our days ever since his parents died. It may not be much, but it's what we got. The books keep us entertained on the boring days. And as for the temperature problem, I'll get right on that!"

Linda took off and practically flew up the stairs, the steps creaking as her feet pounded the dusty wood.

Tulio watched her until he disappeared, but when he turned around, his hands were behind his back.

"What do you have, Tulio?" queried Tyler innocently.

It seemed that he had pulled something out of his back pocket and was keeping it hidden.

He donned a mask of strong emotion and replied, "I have something very... odd to give you both. I've been watching over it since we left Rio four days ago. It has some meaning to me, but not as much as it does for you and Jewel."

What is it?" said Jewel, eagerness lacing her tone.

"Hold out your hands, Jewel."

She did so, and in one motion, he dropped a cube-shaped black box into her palms. A rattling sound issued as it bounced about after landing, hollow and staccato.

"Go ahead, open it!" he urged.

After flashing a quick glance at Tyler and then at Tulio, she grasped the tiny latch on one side and popped it loose.

Inside, laying listlessly on the gray steel, were three slightly-distorted chunks of metal.

One end bore a distinctive flatness, while the other was mostly round. A wave of shock and wonder flashed over her face as she deduced the identity of the three artifacts.

"These are bullets! Where did you get them?"

Tulio stiffened his stance in preparation to answer her awed question.

"Those were the bullets extracted from your bodies after your surgeries. The surgeons that operated on you both wanted to give them to Linda, but she wouldn't take them. I kept them instead and decided to wait until the time was right to give them to their 'rightful owners.' "

After drinking in the scientist's explanation, the teenagers tilted their heads down at the small metal shapes.

"They're so tiny, yet they wounded me and nearly killed you. We each have a connection to them."

Tyler plucked the box from her grasp and studied the items closely.

"Indeed, Jewel. They were the reasons why we were nearly separated, and yet, they ultimately brought us together. This box and its contents are keepsakes that we should definitely honor."

He slapped the lid shut and resealed the cube, tossing it around gingerly with his hands.

Linda bounded down the stairs a few seconds later, her descent from the second floor unleashing a large puff of dust from the filthy stairs.

"It should warm up here before too long. Meanwhile, let's unpack the suitcases and then get to cleaning this place. There is dust coating every surface in sight!"

"Sounds good to me, Linda." responded Jewel.

"Wonderful idea, Linda." added Tulio.

"Ugh, manual labor..." concluded Tyler.

"Hey, you've probably got the most muscles out of everyone here, buster! Man up and help us out."

Surprised by Jewel's straightforwardness, he nodded in agreement.

"Fine. You do have a point."

"You bet I do."

She flashed him a knowing wink, inciting a chuckle from Linda and Tulio.

All but Tyler grabbed hold of a bulging luggage tote and carried them up the stairs, rather than roll them. Still grumbling, he stuffed the cube in the back pocket of his jeans and grabbed a hold of the last baggage tote.

A powder-induced coughing fit accompanied him on the way up the spiraling wooden structure. As he emerged into the hall on the second floor, a stream of ruffling noises emerged from Linda's bedroom.

"_Now that I can walk again, my life is bound to get a whole lot more busy! I suppose that's the way it has to be. No more laziness! Maybe I can go to the gym and work out, get even more toned than I am now. Jewel can come with me. It's a perfect plan! But for now, I'll just have to work alongside everybody else. At least I'll be working alongside Jewel..._"

A dreamy, resolute look painted on his face, he strode into Linda's bedroom and zipped open the suitcase. There was no turning back for him now; his life was complete. He had all he could ever want, and thanks to Jewel, all he would ever need...

* * *

><p>As the newly created family of four settled down and tried to relax in the weeks and months following the disaster in Rio, they realized that their plates were still very much full.<p>

The first issue cropped up not two weeks after their return to the U.S., yet it was not a surprise.

Tulio's vacant lab needed to be dealt with, and so he contacted a number of Brazilian research companies in the hopes of selling it. Day by day, he received a number of offers from the companies in question, some lucrative, others near-scandalous.

He eventually decided to investigate a deal proposed by a therapy company who could convert it into a building more suitable for their line of work. Tulio was required to discuss the specifics down in Rio, and so he found himself back on a chain flight to the Brazilian city.

The flight was paid for by the company in hopes that it would sway him towards accepting the deal. The negotiations were swift, and Tulio readily accepted the bargain, but not before pushing up the price at which he would sell his lab.

He left for Rio with but a few hundred dollars in his name, and returned with a respectable five figure cash sum conveniently secured in a briefcase.

The incredibly pleased looks on Tulio's family following his arrival made him feel an accomplished man, the stacks of bills he showed to them even more proof.

Seeing no other ways to divine its use, he presented the idea of enlarging Linda's bookstore, to which she ecstatically agreed.

Being as Blue Macaw Books was relatively lone building, with much space on either side, Linda set about looking for a construction and remodeling business that would enlarge her bookstore for as cheap as possible. After one week of fruitless searching, a firm out of Minneapolis-St. Paul heard her out and stopped by a day later to give an estimate.

The duo of technicians said that, based on Linda's goal of doubling the bookstore's size, the operation would cost between ten and twenty thousand dollars.

The lab provided Tulio with seventy-five thousand, and so Linda asked them to predict the cost of tripling the size.

It shot up to between forty-five and fifty thousand dollars, and that is where Linda drew the line.

The deal was made with the classic handshake exchange, but the project would be postponed until the original bookstore was essentially gutted and stripped bare.

Linda's gracious parents – after hearing a shortened version of her and Tyler's recent life story – offered to let her and her extended family stay with them until the bookstore-slash-residence was completed.

The process of cleaning out and preparing the building for its overhaul was an arduous process, carried out in several discrete steps.

First was the packing and removal of all the books, which were then dropped off and stored at Linda's parents' house. Second was the extraction of all the upstairs furniture and clothing that the family of four now owned, along with its own storage next to the books. Lastly, all of the family members met with the contractors inside the desolate building to discuss how the end result would appear.

Linda opted to go with a more modern style, combining elements of both American and Brazilian techniques. She did this to make Jewel and Tulio feel as much at home as was possible, yet create a business space with enough American innovation to balance things out.

The building would remain two stories, but its length and width would be greatly boosted.

Linda – along with ample feedback from her family – gave the contractors the basic scope of their desires and left it up to them to improvise.

The four humans left the empty bookstore for the final time on a chilled June afternoon, very greatly looking forward to to the awe they would feel when they visited the completed structure in the not-too-distant future.

The presumed duration of the project was four months, and the contractors promised to do their best to stick to the plan.

The building was demolished and the rubble cleared away, giving the chance for the new-and-improved structure to rise in its place. The walls were erected one by one and then topped with the frame that would serve the dual purpose of ceiling and floor of the second level.

The process was the repeated for the second floor, topping off the structure with the placement of the angled skeleton of the roof.

The entire month of July was consumed in placing the frame of the building and making sure it was level and of the requested size.

The relatively quiet town had been awakened by the flurry of activity involved in the construction. The constant flow of supply trucks, heavy machinery, and clusters of workers was a sight to see in such a reserved area.

The naked array of two-by-fours that comprised the frame was then dressed with insulation on the inside and preliminary walls on the outside, a process that ate up the first half of August. The second half was spent actually installing proper walls and roof to the building, a step that, by the end of August, made the building actually resemble something concrete.

The inside then became the sole focus of the team, involving the fitting of the floor/ceiling layer, creation of the downstairs layout and upstairs living quarters, placement of the grand staircase, and addition of the bare sheet-rock walls.

Once the inside assumed its final orientation, all of the wooden wall shelving, freestanding book shelves, and carpet was hauled in. Once the lower floor matched the final design, the upper floor was then set upon. The furniture was placed, the floor was checked for strength, and the ceiling was inspected.

Following the insulation of the attic, the entire house was plumbed and wired, the walls, ceiling, and shelves painted, and every feature and specification compared with the blueprint.

By the beginning of September, a month ahead of schedule, the bookstore was nearing completion. The stability of the structure was checked one final time, the wiring and plumbing tested for flaws, and the compliance with building codes checked.

At the end of the first week of September, Linda's family was invited to see the unveiling of the bookstore.

To their surprise, the entire town was gathered as well, as if the situation mirrored the regular spectacles of Extreme Home Makeover.

When the giant tarp was jerked from the building, four infinitely pleased people all shed tears as the crowd cheered and applauded. The stately and graceful Blue Macaw Books was a marvel in its own right, surpassing all expectations of the four humans involved.

Tulio, Linda, Tyler, and Jewel could not be happier; they were shown the outcome of educated planning, intensive effort, and a fair sum of cash to boot.

In essence, the power and glory of the American dream was presented to them firsthand – especially to Tulio and Jewel.

In a sense, they were simultaneously living it and living _in_ it...

* * *

><p>By the end of September, Blue Macaw Books had been stocked to the brim with books and was a fully functioning attraction for tome enthusiasts.<p>

A great deal of seriousness had been infused into Linda and Tulio's lives, for the former was the owner and manager of the thriving bookstore, while the latter was desperately searching for a job.

After enlisting Linda's help to create a proper resume, he sent it out to as many research firms as he could. The dragging wait he endured for someone to be interested in his cure-oriented prowess was deeply unnerving, but knowing the momentous rewards that awaited him, he persevered.

After six months of no results or refusals – due to the outlandish nature of his cure and the strict standards of American medicine, he was given a job offer, once again from the metropolis of Minneapolis St. Paul to the south. He did not hesitate; he took Linda's aged Volkswagen to that very city and met personally with the head researchers.

After hearing him out, they deemed him a very valuable client and hired him after obtaining a few more doses of paperwork from him. He was hired by the middle of March 2012, ready to finally popularize his cure and pull in enough salary to to support his Moose Lake family.

The revenue from Blue Macaw Books was reasonable and helped them survive until Tulio's hiring, but they could not thrive – and keep the bookstore afloat – on it alone.

He commuted between Moose Lake and its grand counterpart to the south every workday, a routine that tempered his punctuality.

Tulio was tasked with replicating the paralysis serum, but that was the simplest facet of his work. He was also tasked with reducing the astronomical mortality rate to a much, much more feasible level.

Before he could even get started, however, Tulio was keen on familiarizing himself with the foreign devices and supplies of the lab, along with their standards and operating procedures. As soon as he was in the know and comfortable enough to apply his skills, he set about fabricating his serum.

Although it would see zero use, it would provide the basis for him to study it inside and out and come up with a way to minimize its unheard-of death rate.

Although he was up for a fresh challenge, this particular milestone was one of the most difficult in his life. Using his original serum as a standard, he tweaked its composition in one way or another, coming up with two to three new forms each week.

They were always tested on the classic lab rats – which had been surgically paralyzed in their hind legs – to verify the danger they posed to their human counterparts. Some of the rats died within minutes, while others stayed healthy for some time before dropping dead.

Variation after variation failed, incrementally adding that much more frustration and stress to Tulio's life. It seemed to him that his efforts were fruitless, and that he was never any closer to achieving the ultimate goal laid out for him from the start.

If it had not been for the support of his dear Linda, Jewel and Tyler, he would have lost faith. The example of Tyler's healing from his first crude serum was always enough to keep him going, to try just _one more_ day, in the hopes that his big break would come.

Six months after being employed, in the fall of 2012, it did. Tulio's fiftieth variation of the original medicine's composition showed respectable healing rates. More importantly, however, was the mortality rate, which had been judged at one in ninety thousand.

A small celebration was conducted at the lab in his honor, at the same time he received his promised payment of one million dollars. He was given a bonus of seven days off to relax at home and share the news.

With a bursting heart and a heavy check in his hand, he strode happily into the bookstore and threw himself into Linda's arms, assaulting her with his developments.

Needless to say, she was ecstatic, as were the two teenagers. That devilish sum of money was immediately sequestered away in a bank in Tulio and Linda's name, only to be used when absolutely necessary. The urge to spend it on so many countless things was strong, but the adults kept themselves in check and stayed money smart.

They did, however, indulge Linda's nephew and adopted daughter somewhat, buying them each a closet full of new clothes, a fresh Dell Inspiron laptop, the newest generation iPod, and brand-new Android cellphones.

In addition, Linda planned to buy a special gift suited for each of them, but only ended up getting her nephew one, since Jewel was content with all of her previous gifts.

He received a Kindle Fire, which he used to exploit his massive devotion to books.

Now swarmed with plenty of technological devices, they gave hearty thanks to their "mother" and lived a much more connected life.

The rhythm of life descended back down to a soft pace after Tulio's achievement, a period of peace that lasted for many months.

Then, just as 2012 teetered on the precipice of destruction, Linda found herself being proposed to out of the blue on New Year's Eve while out visiting her parents, Ted and Martha.

Unknown to her, Tulio and the senior adults had conspired and planned out the proposal since one month prior – with a little aid from Tyler and Jewel, whose relationship was still going strong.

After shedding amazed tears in front of a large portion of her relatives, she accepted. Tulio finalized the occasion by slipping the three carat ring onto her finger, inciting another round of applause from all the humans present and forcing them to kiss passionately.

The wedding was steadily orchestrated in the wake of that glorious and monumental day. The wedding dress was picked, the venue informed and reserved, and the appropriate guests notified. Three tense weeks after the proposal, Tulio and Linda were saying their vows at a glamorous ballroom in Minneapolis-St. Paul, with the entire festival running into the five-figure range.

The crowd was thick, and after being pronounced husband and wife, Tulio was brought to tears a second time by the sight of his parents – who had scurried their way out of Brasilia and arrived just in time to witness their son's union.

There was plenty of cake and ice-cream to be had, not to mention copious amounts of wine and dancing.

Although many of the party-goers ended up drunk, Tulio, Linda, and their associated families – save for Tyler and Jewel – only consumed scant amounts of wine, staying sober enough to hold proper conversations with one another.

The festival lasted for an entire crazy day, at which point everyone dispersed and returned to their respective lives and homelands.

The state of being for the changed family of four was essentially a roller-coaster: laid-back stretches of time punctuated by large-scale events and special occasions.

In the aftermath of Tulio and Linda's wedding, the activity charts of them and their "children" entered another dip in the cycle, which, this time,would last the longest.

2013 traveled on by uneventfully, but as 2014 established itself, Tyler sensed a growing compulsion to turn his boyfriend-slash-girlfriend connection with the still-gorgeous Jewel into something even more.

He now knew her inside and out, fully intuitive regarding her nature, wishes, fears, and countless other facets of her humanity. The same could be said of her knowledge regarding her counterpart, but she was not planning on getting _too_ serious with Tyler just yet.

Whenever the chance presented itself, he conducted secret talks with his newly-wedded overseers. The talks were stern and laced with questions about Tyler's ability to commit.

They had to know whether he was ready to marry Jewel, whether he was up for the myriad of challenges that that life life phase threw his way. The topic of children was touched on, but was perhaps the most uncertain issue plaguing Tyler's mind.

He had to keep a straight face around Jewel; he could not bring light to his intentions or his covert discussions.

After all was said and done, after all the pros and cons weighed against each other, Tyler could not find the will to resist his heart.

There was no question; Jewel was the one, the being who completed him, who made him laugh, who brightened his existence. He was, in essence, a flower yearning to bloom, to be catapulted to another level of purpose and fulfillment.

He was ready to make Jewel his, and he would have surprise on his side when he would find out if she felt the same. The proposal date was set for Independence Day, and the wedded pair pulled some strings both with the locals and abroad to make Tyler's – and hopefully, Jewel's – special day extravagant.

By the time the month of June dawned, he found it hard to contain his anxiety and – despite his previous confidence – his worry at how Jewel would react. Having to act normal around her was stressing him greatly, barely managing to keep his emotions in check.

As the prescribed date inched closer, he feared that she would begin to suspect. For that very reason, July 4, 2014 could not approach fast enough.

Whether he had skirted her curiosity or not would be proved on that event horizon of a day...

* * *

><p>That morning was the most distressing in his life so far – on equal footing with the near-tragedy he suffered at the hands of Marcel. He decided to occupy his frenzied mind by taking a trip to visit Martha and Ted – he was nineteen years of age by now and a responsible, licensed driver.<p>

He felt terrible to leave his stunning girlfriend behind, but there was no other choice.

Unbeknownst to him, Jewel's worry about his condition had plainly turned to suspect, and by now, she definitely knew something was up. He had left her with a kiss and tender words, but something deep inside her was giving off warning signs.

He returned late in the afternoon, sitting down and enjoying an early dinner with his family.

Many times she would ask him why he was acting so strange, but his replies were curt and falsely assuring.

He tried to gulp down enough food to satiate his mood, but that very mood prevented him from doing so.

As was the plan for the evening, at seven o'clock, the festive four traveled a short distance to the winter sports complex just outside of Moose Lake. Granted, it was no Olympics-worthy site, but it was still reasonable given the reduced population of its neighboring town.

The setting sun eventually relinquished its light and let the blackness of night take over. The air was slightly chilled, but the cozy attire of all the visitors kept them comfortable.

The stars only presented their twinkling faces for a short duration before being blotted out by a whirling, fantastic display of pyrotechnics that threw its booming and flashing out across the wintry landscape.

Tyler's mind was briefly taken off the crushing imminence of his act as the show dazzled and awed its observers, as was Jewel's prying attitude.

After the show had run its course, there was a brief lull in the sensory stimulation, a chance for the guests to cast their judgment on the attractiveness of this year's spectacle.

When a second round of explosions snagged Jewel's attention, her extreme curiosity returned. What she saw when the sky lit up turned her world upside down: carefully-sequenced bursts of fireworks spelled out, one word at a time, the question of "Will you marry me, Jewel?"

Those words were then repeated from a point beside her, and as she faced their source, she saw her lover presenting an open, padded box with a gleaming diamond ring inside. Illuminated by the last remnants of light from the display, the colorless stone shone in a myriad of sharp, beautiful colors.

Out of her peripheral vision, she noticed the crowd was now turned inwards, all eyes locked onto the two hopeful humans.

The tears she cried were not enough to express how she felt; an emotion describable only as divine happiness and enlightenment filled her from head to toe, and there was only one answer she could give: "Yes."

With that, the air shook with the victorious cheers from the crowd as Tyler slid the ring onto her finger and wrapped Jewel in a smothering hug.

They shared a powerful and true kiss, seeming to warm the air around them with the depth of their declaration.

The glints they saw in each others eyes were unmistakable; they both knew they were destined to be together, a glorious union borne from the most ostensible of origins.

The most important phase in their lives was now awaiting its fulfillment, and thanks to Tyler's secret planning, it lay less than two weeks away...

* * *

><p>Before either party could recover, Tyler and Jewel were striding down the aisle in the Twin Cities' Wooddale Church on July 17, the sonorous tones of Richard Wagner's "Bridal Chorus" raining down all around the crowded pews.<p>

Tyler found it hard to keep his focus off of his soon-to-be wife, for she looked absolutely marvelous in her pleated dress bedazzled with pearls and silken roses. The fibrous veil hing down on either side of her head, flowing gently with the sensuous waterfall that grew from her head.

Tyler, himself, was just as respectable, suited up with a pressed black tuxedo, red bow-tie, and black slacks. His own hair was slicked back with gel, all the ends hanging down over his neck and curved slightly upwards.

Their hearts were thrumming with incredible energy by the time they stood in front of the white-robed pastor, despite the melancholy music. The final act of this procession was imminent, the act in which Tyler and Jewel would fuse their destinies together, forever.

As the pastor conducted his ritual of quoting scriptures from the Bible, inching ever-closer to the final speech, they were barely able to contain the maelstrom of positivity whirling around in their souls.

The pastor took a pause and then looked directly at the couple, who were both facing forwards, the giant crucifix looming large on the rear wall behind him.

He shut his Bible, clasping it gently with his right hand, and in a raspy voice, declared, "Will you please, as an expression that your hearts are joined together in love, now please join your hands."

In one graceful motion, Tyler and Jewel turned and locked eyes with each other, their hands sliding together sweetly. Twisting his body slightly, he faced the groom and began the questions of intention.

"Tyler, do you take Jewel to be your wedded wife, to live together in marriage? Do you promise to love her, comfort her, honor and keep her for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health, and forsaking all others, be faithful only to her, so long as you both shall live?"

Tyler blinked and said, "I do."

Twisting once again towards the bride, he flipped the speech to suit her.

"Jewel, do you take Tyler to be your wedded husband to live together in marriage? Do you promise to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health, and forsaking all others, be faithful only to him, so long as you both shall live?"

Without a moment's hesitation, she answered, "I do."

"From this moment on, I declare you husband and wife, in the name of God and the Holy Spirit. Groom, you may now kiss the bride..."

While the church was rocked with applause, the most significant kiss Tyler and Jewel would ever know ensued, and they remained locked together for five amorous seconds.

The fresh couple faced the frantic crowd and saw them standing and cheering madly.

Before they returned down the aisle for the reception, Jewel gazed at her partner and whispered, "Now I can finally say I love you..."

"As do I, my lovely wife..."

Following the crowning moment of glory for Tyler and Jewel, the reception was a sight to see.

Those who weren't keen on dancing along to the down-tempo, swaying music occupied themselves by eating cake, downing glasses of wine, or even both.

The celebration continued well into the early morning hours, finally drawing to a close as the first hints of dawn brightened the violet sky.

Tyler, Jewel, Linda, and Tulio returned to their residence and, after a few final exchanges, both couples tucked themselves away into their beds and drifted off to their own respective dream-lands.

As the exhausted-yet-content groom lay facing the curtain-dressed window that framed the landscape, he felt a heavenly peace settle over him.

He was now forever connected to his lovely wife, and every experience, positive or negative, would now be shared between them.

Their vast future now lay ahead of them, awaiting its fulfillment as their lives rolled on.

As he sighed softly and wriggled gently in the bed to reposition himself, he felt the pressure of Jewel's arm wrap around his waist and pull him closer to her.

Soothed by her tender touch, he closed his eyes for one final time.

"_Everything is just... perfect. There is no happier couple on planet Earth right now,. I will forever be by Jewel's side, as she will be forever beside mine..._"

* * *

><p>In the weeks that followed, Tyler and Jewel grew accustomed to their new style of living, for Linda and Tulio had plenty of lessons to give.<p>

Linda honored her their marriage by buying them each a car of their choice, for Linda and Tulio only shared one vehicle.

He chose a 2014 Jeep Wrangler painted a vivacious blue color, while his wife picked a distinctly feminine, aquamarine, 2014 Chrysler PT Cruiser.

Now that everything was in order, Linda strongly persuaded her son to get an education and start on the path to a rewarding career.

After getting his paperwork in order, he applied to Inver Hills Community College in the Twin Cities. Needless to say, he was accepted due to his accomplished record during his home-schooled years.

He spent the fall of 2014 and the spring of 2015 there, tackling his basics and deciding upon what careers interested him. By the spring of 2016, his second year attending, he had completed most of his basics and was on the final the stretch to graduation and earning his Associates Degree.

The fall of 2016 heralded the end of his enrollment and, during the ceremony – in which his wife and parents were present – graduated with honors.

Following the acceptance of his framed degree and a brief graduation speech, which he wrote and recited, he emerged from the college an exuberant husband.

As an added token of his exploits, his wife gave him a heart-melting kiss just outside the hall where ceremony was held, much to the jubilation of their parents and many of the other students.

He was now fully capable of stepping up to the university level, but between him and Jewel, there was something missing.

That something was children.

Linda and Tulio had not planned on having offspring for the sole reason that Tyler and Jewel were their unofficial children, and gave them all the love they could ever need.

But between the American man and the Brazilian girl, the circumstances were different. Jewel had often proclaimed her desire to have children, but her husband held off until it was a feasible undertaking.

Now that he had successfully taken the first step on the road of higher education – plus the fact that he now had all the free time in the world – what better time for them to try than now?

Now that they were both twenty-one years old, they felt comfortable in starting a family.

The fact that they were still living with their parents was a glaring hindrance, however, and so in the months following Tyler's graduation, Linda and Tulio set about talking to them and gathering ideas for a house all their own.

The firm that was initially consulted to remodel the old Blue Macaw Books was called upon again, and after a month of planning and fiddling, a final blueprint for the young couple's house was finalized.

The construction was once again grueling, and, due to the nature of the design, estimated to take as long as five months to reach its end. During those five months, Tyler and Jewel were jittery with anticipation, for they desperately craved a place all their own and a sense of privacy.

The unveiling of the finished product was splendid, injecting a bolt of energy into its owners' lives that would last for days to come.

It was a two-story, inventive abode that screamed modern and grand on the outside, yet bore a rustic design on the inside. Tyler and Jewel were easily awed by the look and feel of their new residence, and knew that they could truly call it home.

It was situated at the end of Moose Lake's longest street, with nothing but the rolling plains stretching out behind it; a fitting spot for such an imposing structure.

Now that every facet of their lives was in order, they could _finally _indulge in their long-withheld desire and bring forth the next generation of the Gunderson family line...

* * *

><p>On a wintry, mild day in May 2017, all was well in the Gunderson household.<p>

If anything, life was succulent for the home-grown American man and his stunning Brazilian wife.

He was off in the kitchen washing the after-lunch dishes when a honey-like voice echoed throughout the lower floor of the abode: "Tyler, get in here! Dad's getting interviewed!"

He jogged quickly from the kitchen and sped down the hall before emerging into the mellow living-room.

He took a seat beside Jewel, who was plastered on the burgundy couch, her eyes glued to the opulent flat-screen TV a few feet away.

He wrapped his arm around her and was surprised to see Tulio – dressed in his unmistakeable lab attire – standing outside an advanced-looking building and talking into a reporter's microphone.

"So, Dr. Monteiro, what advancements have you and your colleagues made in the field of chronic disease treatment?"

"Our work here has been extensive, and over the past six months, we have created what could be the next treatment for Alzheimer's disease. Testing has yet to begin, but we are still very hopeful."

"I see. Have any other..."

"Wow, a cure for Alzheimer's. That's pretty impressive, don't you think, honey?"

"I sure do, Tyler. Dad sure knows his stuff! Maybe you'll be following in his footsteps one day."

Tyler scoffed at the notion and replied, "Sorry, Jewel, but human medicine's just not my thing. I'm oriented towards a more... engaging line of work, like an engineer or construction manager."

Jewel twisted her body and crossed her arms.

"Oh really? Well, if that's what you want to do, I encourage you to go for it. You have the brains for the job, that's for sure."

"Thanks, honey. I appreciate it. Once I get accepted to Metropolitan State University, that's the career I'll base my education around."

"Sounds good, handsome. Now could you help me get up? My back is killing me right now!"

"Sure, gorgeous. Anything to be close to you, I'll do."

"Oh stop it! You're making me blush..."

Tyler stood up from the couch and reached down to grab hold of Jewel's arms, but her hands flew down to her swollen midsection.

Startled, he asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. I felt a kick! Come here!"

She pulled back the fabric of her green blouse and motioned for him to come closer. Tenderly, he laid a hand on the spot where Jewel's own hand had just been, waiting for another a stimulus to register.

After a brief wait, a noticeable burst of sensation erupted from beneath her swollen belly.

Her eyes twinkling, she said happily, "Did you feel that?"

"Yeah, I did! One of them sure is restless!"

"I'll say. I bet he or she is tired of being cooped up in their for eight months straight."

Tyler lowered himself to his knees and rested his head over Jewel's belly button, pressing one side of his face onto her warm skin.

The faint pulsing of three young hearts could be heard, overshadowed by the much more potent pulse of their mother's blood-pumping organ.

With a dreamy, proud gaze, he tilted his head up towards Jewel and declared, "Just one more month, honey, and then we'll have innocent triplets to take care of."

A lovely smile graced her face as he said this.

"That may be true, but I wish they would come out now! If only men could experience the difficulty of lugging around babies for once, you know?"

"I think I'll pass, beautiful. Besides, your ordeal is nearly over. Instead of carrying them inside you, you'll be able to carry them in your arms. Won't that be simply amazing?"

She raised her hand and stroked it through his hair languidly.

"One of the best days of our lives, handsome. Our own three little miracles. If only my mother, father, and brother were here to see how far I've come... to see their grand-kids being born..."

Her face turned sullen and dark.

"I know you miss them, Jewel, but they're with you in spirit. You still have Mom, Dad and most importantly, _me_. That should count for something."

"You're right. In reality, they'll never leave my side. The same goes for the rest of our family, and that's all that matters."

"Wise words, Jewel. I love you."

"I love you too, handsome..."

* * *

><p>In that resplendent palace of love, the two humans could not feel any more pleased. As they mulled over the wonder of their soon-to-be born triplets, they felt on top of the world.<p>

In one month's time, they would inherit the last piece of the valiant puzzle of their existence, and fit it into place. The Gunderson family was essentially complete, a legacy that would last for decades to come.

Tyler and Jewel were indeed lost in the moment, but they couldn't help re-examining the past.

How they blossomed from just a pair of ordinary teenagers trapped in a cycle of villainy, to a loving husband and wife expecting three children, was an absolute mystery.

Regardless of what events had unfolded to bring them to the point they were at, said events were irrelevant. All that mattered is that they were _there_, and from that day onward, they would never forget the tale of how they were brought together, beginning on that distant and fateful evening in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

**Did you hate it? Like it? Love it? Let me know!**

**This story has come to a close, and I took ample delight from writing it.**

**Hearty thanks to CJFANG, who lent me this idea in the first place.**

**Now, it's onto The Scarlet Macaw's story!**

**Catch you guys on my next update!**


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Rio, Adventure, Hurt-Comfort