Strength of the World

Matt gasped as he shot straight up in bed after a nightmare. The same one he had every night.

She's out there, he thought. She's waiting for me to find her.

He rubbed his eyes after looking at the clock. 9:37am. He knew the guys would be coming over soon, even though all he did was sit there and kill himself trying to think of places his sister could be. He sighed and got up to take a shower to clear his mind. He always tried his hardest to forget about everything, but it never worked. He knew it wouldn't, but he tried anyway. He got out and threw on some black jeans with his Guns N Roses muscle shirt. As soon as he walked into the living room which was covered with pictures of his deceased family, the doorbell rang. He sat on the couch and the front door swung open.

"Dude, you gotta start answering the door," Zack said. "One day it might be Ka-"

"Don't say her name," Matt murmured.

"You need to move on," Brian tried saying as he sat down next to Matt.

"No. I don't. She's out there somewhere."

"It's been two years, Shads-"

"She's out there, all right," Matt yelled, standing and clenching his fists. He stomped off to his room, slamming the door shut with as much force as he could muster. He sat on the edge of his bed and held his head in his hands. He didn't understand how his friends, who had cared for his sister almost as much as he had, could possibly suggest that he move on. She was his entire life, he couldn't imagine life without her.

"Shads," Jimmy asked through the door. "You all right?" Matt took a deep breath.

"Yeah," he said. The door opened a little and Jimmy stuck his head in.

"Are you gonna come out soon?" Matt nodded. "Matt-"

"Don't say it, Rev." Jimmy closed the door and walked back into the living room. Matt sat there and thought about everything. There had to be something he could do to find her. After thinking for a while, Matt smirked and stood up, walking back out to where the guys sat waiting. He took his seat in the couch with the demonic smirk still on his lips.

"I think I know how I'll be able to find her," he announced.

"Don't do this to yourself," Zack said quietly. Matt ignored him.

"She's most likely still somewhere in the Huntington beach area. All mass murders have a reason to kill-"

"Oh God, Matt, you can't be serious," Brian said, kind of scared that his best friend was actually thinking this would work.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Matt looked at all of them. "I love her and I'm willing to do anything to get her back."

"You can't go on a fucking killing spree just because your damn sister was kidnapped," Johnny yelled. "Just let it go!"

"No, Johnny," Matt said calmly. "I will kill every fucking person in this city until I find her. I'm not going to change my mind, but I won't be able to do it alone."

"Please tell me you're not asking us to help you," Brian muttered.

"I am, and you guys know I need you... I need her more than anything else right now."

"Shads, we can't-" Jimmy tried saying, but Matt cut him off.

"My... our parents are dead because of the bastards that took her. I had to bury them knowing their killers are out there. Knowing her kidnappers are still out there. I need some peace with all of this."

"And give up everything we've worked for," Zack asked incredulously.

"We're not losing anything by doing this-"

"All we're gaining is the death sentence," Johnny exclaimed.

"We're gaining vengeance," Matt said. "I will get my revenge on the fuckers that took my sister and did only God knows what to her. I thought she meant a lot to you guys-"

"She does, Matt," Brian says. "But I'm not going to kill innocent people in hopes of finding her after she's been gone for two years." Matt stared at him.

"Do you love her?"

"Of course I do," he answered without hesitation.

"Then you'll do what needs to be done for the ones you love." No one said anything for ten minutes. The guys just contemplated on what to say and how to say it.

"He's right," Zack muttered. They all looked at him. He kept going. "We all love her and we all know we'd do anything to find her. Even if she..." Zack looked at Matt. "Even if we only end up finding a body. We need closure." He walked over to Matt and rested his hand on his shoulder. "I know this is the craziest idea I have ever heard, but I'm in." He sat back down in the recliner across the room and looked down.

"Same here," Jimmy said. "I miss her too much to forget about her."

"Me too," Johnny said. Matt looked at Brian.

"You've been by my side through everything, Syn. Be here for this one last thing," he said. Brian stared at him.

"I'm hoping this isn't the last," Brian replied. "I'll do it."