Protectors of Earth

House of Memories

The only people Liam knew he could trust were the lads and Jacob, everybody else was a suspect. His first guess of the mole was Han, but Liam couldn't be sure. He had yet the chance to fully converse with everybody in the German group.

In order to keep the mole from knowing any new information, he stayed by his boyfriends sides for the rest of the journey to their old base. The journeywas fine walking through the woods, except for the occasional person tripping over a root. Jacob and Malene kept watchful eyes over their people, looking for any suspicious behavior. They were also watching Han like a hawk, making sure he never left their sight.

When they got close to the clearing, Liam couldn't help but slow down. He didn't want to have to walk through the place where he almost lost Louis.

It was painful walking through the meadow of the dead birds. He heard Louis bite back a whimper, but did nothing to comfort him. To Liam the birds were a reminder that they weren't safe, that they were being watched.

Louis was hit with a sense of deja vu, when he saw the dead animals. The memory came back to when the lads and him had their first mission to the city. He remembered the piles of dead bodies and how Zayn picked him up and covered his eyes. He wished Zayn would be his knight in shining armor again. He didn't want to look at the dead anymore.

Glancing over at Zayn, he saw the boy was hanging back and staring at scenery. "Brutal isn't it" Louis commented, grabbing Zayn's hand. "You want me to pick you up and cover your eyes, till we get out of the meadow?" he said, jokingly. Mostly he said it to get some kind of reaction from his boyfriend. Secretly, he hoped Zayn would sweep him off his feet and carry him out of the field of death.

"Why would you pick me up? You aren't strong enough to carry me" Zayn responded with a puzzled expression.

Louis frowned, turning away from Zayn. As he took another step, he felt a pair of hand wrap around his waist and pick him up. "Since Zayn won't carry you, I will happily take his place" Harry told Louis, holding him bridal style.

"Hey I want to be next" Niall whined, pouting his lip. A quiet squeak left his mouth, when Liam grabbed him around the legs and threw him over his shoulder.

"How's that?" Liam questioned, playfully smacking Niall's butt. "Zayn, want to go over my other shoulder?" he offered, after seeing the boy stand awkwardly to the side.

Shaking his head no, Zayn replied "no, looks like you guys are fine without me."

"Hey don't be like that" Liam muttered out, attempting to grab the boy's arm.

Zayn shook of Liam's hold, turning away from the boys. "I need to go clear my head and be by myself for a bit." He headed to the back of the group, making the others look at each other in concern.

The romantic mood was ruined, so Liam and Harry put down their boyfriends. "What is up with Zayn?" Harry questioned, accidentally stepping on a dead bird. He grimaced slightly, but continued to walk.

"I think it's been the stress of losing Adalard and the possibility of fighting another group with superpowers" Louis guessed, glancing behind to see if he could spot Zayn.

Niall disagreed, "I think he is worried about what we will find at the Freedom Fighters base. Simon was his mentor and father figure for years, and now he could be dead. I don't think Zayn will be able to handle it if Simon is dead."

The others murmured their agreement, beginning to pity Zayn. They thought of their mentors, and prayed that they were safe.

Relief filled Liam when they left the clearing. He welcomed the wooded area that provided shade and gave him a sense of security.