(( The scene fades in on a dirt field. Trees are spiratically placed, but provide to shelter from the heat. But, looking upon the run-down, broken appearance of this wasted place, it appears as though there would be no need for shade. There would be no one to shade.

        It is the middle of the day. A slight rain is falling, cooling the above average heat. The view focuses in on an abandoned housing project. It would appear as though this was once a shelter for someone. It is a one room building, wood framed, and a tin roof. There are only three walls, with the front part open to the weather and heat.

        Inside of this shelter, sitting far against the back wall, away from the stray rain, is Zero. His head is in his hands. His eyes are closed. But his head is slowly shaking from left to right. Slowly, he opens his eyes. They have the look to them of a man who has been without sleep for more than one day.

        Zero slowly blinks his eyes, allowing the darkness under them to show clearly. His eyes themselves hold a glaze that is coated in much confusion. Something has been troubling him. The normal assured look in his eyes is gone. It is now replaced with a more solemn, void expression.

        Zero slowly looks around at the tin walls and roof that surround him. He hears the rain drops on the tin; magnified by the thin metal coating of protection. He licks his lips, and slowly rises. In a slow walk, he walks to the left corner of the shelter. Slowly, almost as how a person who has not had sleep recently would. As he walks to the corner, he begins to speak. ))

Zero:

        " Everyone. Everyone has decided to make myself their business. It was not my intentions. I did not bring this upon myself. But why? Why is that such a hard question for people to understand?

        Simon, you have come to see me. You have stated that you want a friendship. You want to renew that friendship that we once had. But I.....I.....can't even remember what it was. What was our friendship? Was it an excuse for you to fit in somewhere Simon? Or was it that you pitied me? Me, the kid that had no home. Me, the kid that was everyone's ass for a day. Looking back, I wonder what your real reasons were for our "friendship". I wonder.

        How can I forget what happened? Even if you truly were a friend, even if you weren't using me, how can a real friend do such a thing? Simon, I would of rather of been a kid that you pitied, or a kid that you used for an excuse to say that you had a friend, rather than to actually think that I had a friend, and lost him in one day. Lost him because of his own selfishness. Simon, that would be you. And you can't erase something like that. "

        (( Zero slowly turns from the corner, and paces toward the open wall. The rain, luckily, is blowing the opposite direction, or else, it would be blowing straight inside the shelter. Straight into a forward walking Zero.

        He comes to one of the braces holding the roof up, and stops. He then slowly leans his back against the pole, to where one shoulder is almost out in the rain, while the other is still safely inside the shelter. A few drops of rain do land on his t-shirt, though. But they were not a distraction. Nothing was a distraction to Zero any longer. Everything was just threw into the pot with everything else that was happening, too suddenly, in his life.

        He reaches into his pocket, and grabs a cigarette. He inserts it into his mouth, and retreives his lighter. On first try, a gush of wind blew out the fire. So Zero tried again. He lit the lighter. It stayed lit. He brought it to his cigarette, but his hand was wobbly from lack of rest. His cigarette dangled in front of the lighter, unlit. Zero couldn't even light his cigarette.

        Disgusted, he grabbed the cigarette from his mouth, and threw it into the open arms of the rain. He threw his lighter against a piece of tin serving as the wall. It shattered, a fell to the ground in pieces.

        Angry at, well, he wasn't sure what or who he was angry at. But his inner demons were at full force on him. Zero couldn't get anything straight. He ran his hands through his short bleached hair, and then sighed. It had been a long time since he had felt like this. Depressed, not sure what is exactly happening in his life, and not sure why everything that is, is happening.

        He had felt like this before. And only one thing had brought him out of it, and back to a normal state. The advent of a woman. But, now Karen was gone. Not sure where she was, but Zero was certain that she had understood his dilema. He hoped she had understood. But, he figures he'll never know.

        He slowly turns, and walks back to the chair against the back wall. He starts to sit down, but, suddenly, picks up the chair, and throws it into the wall. Not only into the wall, but through the sheets of tin which served as the only protection from the rain. A hole tears, allowing rain to begin to seep in.

        He knew what else was wrong with him. HaVoC! Since Terror Inc. had taken over, HaVoC had made sure to make Zero's life hell. Pay back for leaving Terror? Only HaVoC knew for certain.... ))

Zero:

        " HaVoC! I do stay out of your way! I am just doing my job! But you see fit to enforce upon me rules and ideas that are unknown to everyone else. Ways that are "terror" for those who oppose.

        And I was the first to oppose you, and you're way of running things. I was the first to tell it straight that you were not who you try to make everyone think you are. Because, in reality, you are nothing without power. Power is the only thing that keeps you in a position. You cannot back up anything that you say. Only with a pen and a pink slip are you powerful.

        HaVoC, what happened Tuesday drew the battle lines. It was my warning to you. You and your philosifies have added to the wrecked mind frame that I'm still trying to retain. It's time to put an end to this. I am tired of hearing you talk, hearing you act like you control me, like you own me, like I am your servant and you are my master. Because, the roles are actually reversed. It's just you who are in the spotlight, and therefore, it isn't truly visible.

        But, we both know it. And it's time for it to come to an end..... "

        (( Right as Zero says those words, he falls to one knee. He is exhausted. How long has it been since he has actually rested? What could be troubling him the most? Is it Simon? Is it HaVoC? Is it both? Or is it something that no one even knows about?

        As Zero goes down to both knees, he lowers his head. The rain begins to fall harder, and now, even more-so through the gaping hole in the side of the "shelter". Zero is quickly becoming drenched. But he is unaware of the rain around him. Unaware.......

        The scene slowly fades to dark as we see Zero slowly rising back up to his feet, and begin to walk out into the rain. ))

midi: "Infected" by Bad Religion