"What!? What the hell is this?" 

Maw was furious at the sight before him. Only one was left in the line up. A scrawny young boy, no older than Audrey. The auctioneer replied coolly. "You said save you one…didn't specify which". Maw snatched the man by the shirt and proceeded to curse under his breath as Audrey took notice of the boy. His left arm carried the brands of 8...no 10 previous owners. The auctioneer was getting nervous and snapped "hey you don't have to buy him, I'll put him in his cage and do my business elsewhere". The two men begin to argue, meanwhile Audrey had approached the boy who stood like a statue chained and muzzled. A cool blue blinking light shines rhythmically on the collar around his neck.

Audrey inched ever closer, the boy stood motionless, staring intently at the shackles on his wrist and ankles. The argument between Maw and the auctioneer could be overheard in the background. "You playing me for a fool? I know a runaway reject when I see one! Who are you trying to screw over!?" 

Audrey started whispering to the boy in chains. "What's your name?…." She asked innocently but got no reply. "I’m Audrey Durwood…" she continued. 

The boy still refused to look up at her. The argument between the men was heating up. Maw was growing violent and the auctioneer shuddered in fear. "P…put..m m me down!" 

Maw slammed the man to the ground. All the auctioneer's belongings spilled out from his pockets. As he gathers up his things Maw spits over to the side. In all the excitement Audrey didn't notice the boy sneak a peek over at the auctioneer.

A raspy voice hummed into Audrey's ear. "Holder". 

Audrey  nearly jumped in surprise but calmed herself and began with her questions. "Hello Holder." was the only intelligible thing she said before the onslaught of questions flowed from her like water from a broken sink. After catching her breath, she asked one more question that sparked up the attention of Holder. "Can I help you…?". Holder nodded slowly and pointed at the auctioneer's wrist.

Audrey was startled and began stepping away from Holder. "No…not that…I can't." 

Holder turned away in disappointment. Audrey stood there a moment  before finally walking away. She walked right past Maw and the auctioneer as he slowly rose from the ground. The two nearly collided but Maw knocked the auctioneer back to the ground and away from Audrey before yelling out to the driver. 

"We're leaving!". Maw snarled and stomped towards the vehicle. 

The driver calls out for young miss Durwood to return as well. By then Audrey had returned to the shackled boy and was holding his hand. She answered the driver and ran to her seat in the vehicle. The Durwood private vehicle pulled away as the auctioneer dusted himself. After gathering himself up he orders the boy to follow. Without an immediate response he proceeds to activate the collar with an electric shock.
Holder staggers from the shock and walks towards the auctioneer cautiously. Upon arrival the boy begs for a drink of water. The auctioneer grudgingly tosses a ration pack of water and turns his back still furious from losing the previous altercation. 

"Pfft. All you do is cost me…I'll never sell a disobedient bastard like you." The auctioneer crosses his arms and marches intently towards the auction blocks. "Come on!" He yells. But the boy stood motionless. 

The auctioneer reached at his wrist for a shock and waited for satisfying signs of pain; but instead the boy sprinted towards him. His arms and legs somehow were freed and allowed him the maneuverability to rush the auctioneer. The boy spit the water on the auctioneer and tackled him while holding on tight. At that moment the auctioneer applies the electricity and shocks himself doing so. Holder, stunned but able to move, grips the collar around his neck and runs down the road.  A passerby standing alone in the distance saw the whole act and was yelling at the top of their lungs. 

Escape! 

The would-be good citizen gave chase but was quickly left behind. The uproar that followed only served to speed the steps of Holder down the road. Unfortunately, word traveled faster than he could and the all too familiar panicked screams caught the attention of the still agitated Maw. 

"We got a runner". 

He smirked as he jerked the driver's arms and forced a stop. Holder was heading directly towards the city limits. Maw had him in his sights. Maw jammed the choke control on his wrist mounted device to no avail. Then he noticed that the runner was without a collar. "Oh well…." Maw sighed sarcastically. "Guess I gotta put him down". He drew his weapon from the holster on his hip and aimed carefully.

Before Audrey could react Maw pulled the trigger. Holder was shot. The boy dropped to the ground instantly. Maw began to laugh but choked on his own spit as Holder began to rise up slowly. 

Maw snarled "Must have just winged it".

As Holder limped towards the city limits Maw lowered his weapon and approached the vehicle.

"Did you clean out the trunk from last night like I told you?" 

His gun fixed right at the driver. The driver silently shook his head and Maw opened the trunk. The sadistic man couldn't hide his excitement as he rolled a grenade inside his palm. Audrey went from relief to horror in the blink of an eye. The pin bounced on the ground as he raised a slender arm. Audrey sprung into action, wrestling Maw's arm to prevent him from throwing. 

"Not this shit again!" Maw was beyond agitated as he grabbed Audrey by the throat.

 Audrey cries out in pain before being tossed to the ground. When she looks up, her blurred vision barely makes out that Maw was also lying on the ground. Above her stood Holder with his hand out to help her up. Maw loses it at the thought of a slave laying hands on him.

He spots the open trunk of the vehicle… Full of munitions. A croak of a laugh creeped from his throat as he uttered a sarcastic "Oops" and let the grenade roll from his hand and underneath the car. 

Maw leapt to his feet and scrambled away for cover. While still on the ground, Audrey spotted the grenade and yelled out. But it's too late. The explosion engulfs the car and driver and sends the car rolling towards the two kids seconds before it fully detonates the contents of its trunk. The injured Holder raises his hand towards the sprawling inferno and stands firmly over Audrey. The flames come rushing in and engulfs them in seconds. 

She pinned her eyes shut but she could still see the red hue of the approaching blaze. Audrey waited for the burning sensation of death to sweep over her but it never came. Her amber eyes emerged to meet the steely gray stare of Holder. He had somehow kept the explosion at bay; creating a dome of deadly fire around them. The vehicle and its contents had already been incinerated, but the ground within the dome wasn’t even singed. Audrey had witnessed the abilities restrained by the collars before during a revolt at her father's compound. Only two escaped the collars but were able to throw a car with their combined power. Of course, Maw quelled the rebellion with his arsenal of weapons and lackeys. But not before half of the grounds were destroyed. Neither her or the sadist had ever witnessed a feat such as this; much less by an individual.

The flames dissipated to reveal Maw brandishing one of his favorite weapons; fashioned after the relic known as a colt 45. But this gun was able to fire charged projectiles past the defenses of any escapee; collar or not. Audrey rose to catch Holder as he fell in exhaustion. Maw took aim and pulled the trigger.