she closed her eyes once more, hopping that she would be able to get the image of the children out of her mind. She was wrong, as she closed her eyes for the fifth time that night a new image appeared, standing in the middle of a dark space was Shade, his back turned to her.

“Shade where are you?” No response as Rebecca walked up behind him and tried to touch him to find that she could, as she turned him around and only his cloths remained. “Shade?”

“How many times do I have to tell you to keep your distances, to leave me alone, to stay away.” Shade’s voice echoed in the dark void that Rebecca stood in, she turned every which way to find where it was coming from.

“But you’ve helped us several times, we just want to be your friends.” Shade appeared beside Rebecca looking at her.

“Why?… Why care for me?… Why risk everything for me?” Rebecca looked at Shade, and tried to touch him only to watch him vanish into a smoke.

“Because you’re doing too much, you’re taking on a burden that isn’t yours to take on.” Rebecca explained hopping the answer would be enough for Shade.

“Why you?”

“Because you’ve helped my family many times, please let us help you.” Shade appeared out of smoke next to Rebecca.

“And if helping me risks your family‘s well being, would you still try and help me?” Shade asked, Rebecca turned to look at him. “Is my life really worth your families?” Rebecca knelt down to Shade this time not trying to touch him thinking that he would only turn back into the smoke. “My family means a lot to me more than anything in the world.”

“Then why risk them for me?”

“Because I don’t think I am risking them for you.” with that Shade vanished leaving Rebecca to look around wondering where he had gone.

“That would be where you are wrong.” As Rebecca opened her eyes she found herself back in the cell, listening to Baloo’s heart beat, as she sat up slightly she could see the sun was starting to come up, remembered Spigots statement the day before she laid back down on the big bear and closed her eyes as her fears started to wash over her again. Elsewhere Kit was woke up by Molly who was walking around looking for Shade.

“SHADE WHERE ARE YOU!?” Molly cried out, as she started to head deeper into the cave.

“Molly don’t.” Kit said, as he ran up and grabbed Molly. “You could get lost, I’m sure Shade is somewhere.”

“He’s behind you.” Shade said, as he stood at the entrance of the cave. As Kit and Molly both turned and looked at Shade they could tell that his cloths where a mess covered in black soot, and dirt, from head to toe.

“What have you been doing?” Kit asked, as he walked up to Shade who only turned, and started to walk.

“Get Molly we’re moving out now.” Kit was about to protest but Molly started to run after Shade before he could say anything. As the three started to make their way past the village, Kit noticed something strange. As he stopped, and looked between two destroyed buildings, he noticed that inside the village there seemed to be markers all over the place. Kit looked at the markers then turned to Shade who was still walking with Molly, and figured out why Shade was so dirty. “Keep moving Kit, your falling behind.” As Kit followed, his mind raced with millions of questions now about the younger child before him, and when he figured out one answer it seemed like hundreds popped up in its place. As the three made their way across the frozen waste land of Thembria, Shade kept looking up into the sky and scanning the landscape around them. He was on edge looking for something, and Kit had a good idea on what it was.

“You're looking for the Hausers that ransacked that town aren’t you?” Shade looked at Kit and then nodded as he kept moving. “And what are you going to do when you find them, if you haven’t noticed there is no cops around here, you can’t just tie them up and leave them to freeze.”

“I’ll hand them over to Thembrian justice.”

“Alright, and what if you can’t take them on? What if it’s a small army? Do you really think you could beat them all.”

“If that’s the case, then I’ll sabotage their equipment, I’ll rig their guns to exploded, I’ll set fire to their ammunition.” Shade’s words sent chills down Kit’s spin as he looked at the younger boy.

“You’ll kill them if you do that, are you willing to take their lives?” with Kit’s question Shade spun around and slammed the bear to the ground holding tight to the collar of Kit’s sweater.

“They killed those people back there, men, women, and children. Why should I show them anymore mercy then what they showed those people, as they watched that building burn with them trapped inside Kit? Why should I show them anything more than what they showed those families?” Shade let go of Kit and started to walk once more, leaving Kit in shock as Molly ran up to him.

“Because you’re the good guy.” Molly said, as she looked at Shade getting him to stop in his tracks and look at her. “The good guy isn’t supposed to be bad, their supposed to uphold the law, to be better than the bad people.” As Molly spoke tears started to run down her check, Shade was scarring her, she had never seen him this way before. “You're supposed to be better than them Shade, you’re supposed to be the good guy.” Shade looked away from Molly and kept walking on.

“Keep moving we’re wasting time.” As Kit watched Shade push forward, he cleaned Molly‘s face so that her tears didn‘t freeze.

“What’s wrong with Shade?… Why is he being so mean?” Molly asked, and Kit gave her the best smile he could as he picked her up.

“He’s just not himself right now kiddo.”

“Well who ever he’s being tell him to stop; I want the nicer Shade back.” As Molly pouted, Kit looked at Shade, who wasn’t waiting for them.　

“So do I Molly.” As the three kept moving Kit didn’t say much as he kept watching Shade leading the way. It wasn’t until Shade stopped moving half way up a hill. “What’s wrong?” Kit asked, as he caught up with Shade and looked over the top of the hill to see another village destroyed. “Why hasn’t Thembria started to go after the Hausers?”

“Because they don’t know that their being attacked, look at the radio tower.” Kit looked at where the Radio tower would have been and noticed that it was snapped in half.

“Their trying to get in deep so that they can take attack from within while their man force attacks from another location, their trying to make a diversion so that their main force doesn’t meet up with a full Thembrian military.” Kit looked at Shade as he spoke these words. Shade’s eyes were cold as he glared at the scene before him. “We have to keep moving, we have to find away to warn the Thembrian government before it’s too late.” As the three started moving once more they walked past the village, Kit noticed that Shade slowed down greatly as he passed the village.

“Shade I thought you said we had to keep moving?”

“We do.” With that Shade turned and walked into the village after a few minutes there came the sound of an engine firing up inside the town. As Kit and Molly ran into the village they found Shade sitting in a Thembrian transport vehicle. “Come on we can use this.” As the two ran up and climbed into the vehicle Kit looked at Shade with more questions now. ‘How did Shade know that the vehicle was in the village? and how did he know it would work?’ while these questions and more started to fill Kit’s thoughts, back at the prison Baloo and Rebecca was up walking around trying to find ways to buy sometime. “Hey Dundar ol’ buddy, why don’t you help me and Rebecca out, and just let us out of here?” Baloo asked, as he looked at Dunder who was now standing guard over the two.

“Oh I can’t do that Mr. Baloo, coronal Spigot would be really upset with me if I did, he’s really looking forward to your execution, though he is rather upset that there won’t be a “This was your life” at it.”

“Well then don’t let us escape, how about you let me and Becky go find are kids and then we’ll be right back, it might stall the execution long enough that they will be able to do a this was your life special.” Dundar seemed like he was thinking it over for a second as Rebecca walked forward swallowing the lump in her throat.

“Please Dundar, we just want to make sure are kids get to see this, I mean if you had kids would you want them to miss your execution?” The words made Rebecca sick, but she hopped that they would work in their favor.

“Oh no ma-am, but you promise to be back right.”

“Oh yeah scouts honor.” Baloo said, as he held up his right hand and took off his hat.

“Alright then but hurry back I’m only supposed to watch you for four more hours.” With that Baloo and Rebecca headed for the door. An hour later the two found the Sea Duck sitting in the Thembrian impound lot, as they ran to it from the right side Baloo smiled as he jumped into the pilot’s seat and started to reach for the switches but stopped, as