Rebels with a Cause

BrookeDi

BrookeDi

Well-Known Member
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Diana was forced out of bed by the sound of gunfire. It was rapid fire and she was scrambling to get out of bed. Throwing a sweater over her tank top she raced to the window just in time to see her brother gunned down.

It was the same dream she had every night. The location was sometimes different, but always she was never in a position to actually help her brother live. When Diana woke up for real there was just the normal sounds outside her window, animals and the sound of the two military soldiers who often patrolled her street.

Climbing out of bed, she groaned. Her body ached and every muscle twinged as she moved and she'd only been asleep for a few hours. Even that had been fitful, plagued by nightmares. Pulling on a sweater, much like her dream, she did go peek outside her window. No one was being gunned down.

The small two bedroom house was empty; her father was gone to work and the loss of Michael's presence still filled the building.

In the kitchen there was nothing to eat and her stomach growled, angrily. It would be flavored broth for breakfast. Again. She could go visit Amanda, who would often feed her, but rather than bugging her more affluent friend(?) she set about making the broth.

She was supposed to go and meet with a few of the guys from the rebel group this afternoon. They were planning something big and she'd finally be allowed in something more than the nighttime training sessions that had been kicking her ass since she had joined.
 
Jasper had been out and about town, since early that morning. He had been attempting to find some work for the day but so far he hadn't had much luck. These days he wasn't the only poor lad looking for odd jobs around town, nor did potential employers have much to spare. It seems what little was on offer had already been snapped up by other poor sods. His thoughts fluttered back to his mother and sister. They had still been asleep when he'd left their half collapsed shelter they called home that morning. He had to find some income today or they would go without dinner this evening. There hadn't been enough food to feed three for breakfast this morning, so Jasper had left it for them. After they had eaten that they would have chewed through all he'd managed to gather this week and be left with nothing.
The thought of his tiny sister going without again, tore at his heart. He knew his mother would be doing what she could as well, but she wasn't well and Jasper had promised her he'd take care of them.
It was times like this Jasper missed his brother more than anything. Connor would have been able to keep them safe and fed. He had always managed it. Jasper cursed the damned war that his brother had been called to. If only he had been old enough to go in his brother's place. Connor would have been far better at seeing their little family through this war, his life meant far more to their survival the Jasper's. Unfortunately, 16 was too young for the military and Connor would never have allowed him to go in his place. Now, keeping the family alive was down to Jasper.

He hoped to God the war would be over sooner rather than later, and more still that his brother would survive. They hadn't heard from him since he left, bar the tiny stipend they received once every few month for his efforts. It was the only way they could confirm he was still breathing. The last stipend had been 2 months ago, and the money had run out fairly quickly, what little was left was needed for his mother's medicine.

Jasper, lost in his thoughts, realised he's missed his turn off. He'd been meaning to head to the main strip to resort to begging for the day, instead he found himself approaching a part of town he knew the rebels had commandeered for their cause. It wasn't somewhere he liked to be. There were many there who disliked those who's family fought for the military, ridiculous though that was; to refuse when called was to ask for death. Besides this at 16, Jasper was considered to be of age to join the rebels cause, something he refused to do. Jasper wanted no part in this ridiculous war, he just wished to see it through to the other side with his family safe and sound.
 
As Jasper passed by a man grabbed the collar of his shirt; he was dirty, as most of the poor were, and his breath stank of someone who had a rotten tooth and no way to fix it. He looked between eighteen and twenty, though he was skinny and underfed like most others. "Look what we got here," He muttered to himself, turning the young boy to face him. "You're in the wrong part of town, wandering over this way, unless you're thinking about joining the cause?"

He let go of the boy's clothing, but shoved him a little, nothing but malice in his features. "Hey, I know you. Your brother fights for the war." He spit toward Jasper, landing just in front of his feet. "A traitor."

Walking up behind the guy a girl, closer to Jasper's age, and she stared angrily. It looked like it was aimed at Jasper but a moment later she shoved the older guy in the shoulder, "Leave him alone." She snapped.

He turned to look his head at Diana and snorted. "Of course you would come to his defense, Di, with your traitor brother and all." He barely got to finish his sentence before she had raised her boot and brought it down on the back of his calf, just below the knee, so that he lost his balance and was kneeling. She kept her foot in place, pressing hard, and then raised her right hand, punching him square in the jaw.

"Don't talk about my brother." She hissed and shoved the man's shoulders letting him fall to his side. She lifted her boot then, ignoring him cursing under his breath as he tried to pick himself up. She started walking again, pausing to call over her shoulder. "Walk with me." It was said as a request, but it was clear there wasn't a second option.
 
Jasper sucked in a breath as he was addressed by the older boy. This was exactly the sort of thing he was trying to avoid. Jasper didn't feel himself aligned with either side of the war and he knew his brother only fought for the family and not the government. Their family just wanted to survive this war, and if that made them traitors then so be it.
This boy didn't seem to want to let up and Jasper, not the sort to brawl, darted his eyes around for a way out of the conflict. Fortunately, a girl of similar age to him seemed to decide on intervening for him, knocking the bloke to the ground. Jasper couldn't help but be impressed with her efficiency and almost smiled at look on the blokes face as he lay defeated on the gravel road.

"Walk with me."

It took him a moment to work out she was talking to him, as she began to walk away. He considered refusing the "request" for a moment but a glance at the angry boy getting to his feet made his decision for him. His chances seemed better with her and he jogged a little to catch up. He walked a few steps behind her, a little awkwardly as he wondered why she had stepped in.
"Erm.. thanks, I guess." He tried, uncertain of what she wanted with him, "Actually I'm kind of busy... if you don't mind.."
He hoped she'd let him move on without further incident, he was wasting valuable day light hours and he hardly wanted to walk further into this rebel territory.
 
She waited until she turned in an alleyway and then she turned on her heel. "You should know better than wandering around in this area." She didn't know his name, but she knew of him and his brother.

"God," she ran her fingers through her hand. "Unless you're planning on joining, which I don't think you are, you shouldn't be here." Didn't he know he could get killed? He still had something, someones, to return to. She pointed to the end of the alley, "Safest and fastest way out of here. You're least likely to run into someone." She fidgeted a little. Caleb would be pissed off, but she'd deal with him later.
 
Jasper grumbled at her remarks,
"Like I would come here deliberately. I want no part in this stupid war."
None the less, he nodded his thanks to her, she had saved him from a beating after all. Another a glance at her to make sure it was no trap was enough before he turned from her, grateful for a quick release from this area. He'd have to spend the day begging for something if he didn't want to come home a failure to his family. He didn't much like demeaning himself to it, especially with much of the treatment he received for doing it, but there were still some kind people left in town, maybe someone would give him a bag of rice if he reminded them of his starving sister and sick mother.
 
Di shook her head after the guy. "No one does," She murmured in response to his comment. He was already gone, though, and she was talking to no one.

When she turned out of the alley Caleb was standing there, next to the guy she'd punched. "Diana." He sighed and she just shrugged a shoulder.

"That kid didn't do anything," She muttered, glaring at Rooster. What kind of nickname was that, anyway?

"We can't fight among ourselves." Caleb glared hard and she just shrugged again. "Diana." He tried grabbing her attention and huffing she looked up at him. "You know the punishment."

Chewing her bottom lip she nodded. Rooster grinned, maliciously. Diana would be going home with a broken finger and no food tonight.
 
By the end of the day Jasper had managed only to collect a small bag of rice from an old friend of his brothers who took pity on his his family. Although he accepted the offer gratefully, he couldn't help but feel the judgement. He couldn't provide like his brother could. He didn't have the muscles for the work in town nor the brains his brother had for survival. Besides that, his brother was a people person. Before he was called off, he had become beloved by the local shops and employers. Jasper couldn't help but feel a poor imitation by comparison.

It was beginning to get dark, not wanting to be caught out after curfew, he headed home with his meagre rations, hating days where he had to beg. The looks he had received not to mention several people who spat, yelled or even a couple who would throw a well aimed kick his way. It made for a miserable day. He kicked a stone as he walked, feeling the frustration building within him. That frustration quickly switched to panic as he neared his makeshift home. He could hear some sort of loud ruckus coming from what he thought was far too close to home. His heart raced as he as he sprinted the rest of the way, praying his family was safe.
 
Later in the day Diana was walking with Caleb and a few others when they saw a soldier in the streets. The man barked something and a few more soldiers showed up. "Great," she grumbled.

She was ready to go home and she had a feeling that this was going to slow that down. "You're past curfew." One of the soldiers snapped.

Caleb checked his wrist, despite not having a watch there, but he knew what time it was. "We've got fifteen minutes." The soldier sneered and Diana was busy counting the numbers. There were six soldiers and four of them. The odds weren't bad and the soldiers looked... bored, like they were hoping for a fight.

"Not for you. You have an earlier curfew."

"You forget that we run this town, despite the fact that you parade around here like you own the place. We're the ones who keep people fed while you starve them out." Caleb spat in the direction of soldier and everything just... moved very fast from there. The first soldier swung at Caleb who ducked and punched the guy in the stomach. The soldier brought the butt of his rifle up and slammed it into Caleb's back and after that Diana had trouble keeping track of her friends, too busy trying to keep from getting the crap beat out of her.

The soldiers fought dirty, but so did she.
 
As Jasper rounded the corner he noticed with relief his house was not the victim of the conflict. His mother and sister should be safe inside, staying quiet as to not draw attention to themselves. Creeping along the outer wall of his house trying to keep out of sight, he approached closer to what sounded like a fist fight. There was only one door to his 2 roomed, broken down house and they seemed to be blocking the entrance with the scuffle. He did not want to draw attention to himself, nor did he want to get involved but neither did he want to be caught out after curfew if he waited. Jasper peaked his head around the corner and was surprised to see the girl who had helped him out of a beating earlier today. She seemed to be in combat with a soldier with the help of another man. Foolish woman, did she want to get herself killed? Jasper had learnt long ago it was easier to follow authority; let them believe they held all the power over you, give them what they wanted. It was much safer this way.
Even before the war he had learnt this. His father had beaten it into him time and time again. Less chance of being beaten if you humbled yourself to their authority.
This girl, as he watched, was certainly not doing that. The nerve of these rebels was extraordinary, and once more he thanked his lucky stars that he'd avoided involvement in either side of the war thus far.

Why did she have to do it here and now? If the soldier survived the tussle he'd be furious and could easily take it out on Jasper for being out after curfew or even punish his family. If the soldier died, well, it was never good to have a murder scene out the front of your residence. In that case there would have to be a scapegoat and he didn't fancy taking up that role.

He found himself rooted to the spot, unable to make a decision. If his brother was here, he'd know what to do.
 
Diana's broken finger was killing her. There were tears in her eyes as she fought, just from the pain in her finger, let alone the other punches she was receiving. She punched one guy, square in the jaw and was going for a kick to his groin when someone grabbed her from behind, an arm around her neck. She threw her elbow back but was unable to connect with anything and the man's arm gripped tighter around her neck. The one that she had previously punched got his revenge by throwing a punch to her face.

She was so tired.

As she struggled to escape the grasp of the soldier, her eyes wandered to see the status of her friends, her family. They were all still in combat, but everyone was still ali... that kid. She caught Jasper's eye. He looked stuck, rooted to the spot and he was most definitely rooted to the spot. 'Go!' she mouthed and when the soldier in front of her turned to look at what she was seeing, she spat in his face. there was a bit of blood mixed in, but it got his attention and he didn't manage to notice Jasper. What was with that kid and being where he wasn't supposed to be?
 
Jasper's eyes caught the girl's and he ducked his head back around the corner. Damn, she had seen him. He wondered what she'd expect him to do. Would she expect him to defy a soldier to help the rebels? If he didn't, he may end up targeted by the rebel group, claiming his alliance sat with the military. If he did help them, his entire family would be endanger with the soldiers. Living on the outer area of town meant he was closer to the patrol of soldiers and they'd be an easy target. He couldn't afford to side with rebels but neither could he afford to be targeted by them. He cursed under his breath, even more unsure of what he should do. The girl had mouthed for him to go, but he couldn't leave with the fight happening so close to his family. Thinking quickly, Jasper played out possible scenarios in his head. None had ideal endings but he couldn't stand here all night. A distraction may be the best course of action. Taking a deep breath and hoping to channel his brother's bravery, he ran around the corner with what he'd hoped was a fearful and subservient look on his face, though that wasn't hard with his heart beating so hard against his chest.

"Sirs! Sirs! There's a group of men planning a riot in the main square of town! There's whispers going around town and I came to tell you as soon as I could!"
Jasper tried to yell over the commotion hoping that the soldiers would find this a worthier task than tousle with a few young rebels.
 
A few of the soldiers stopped what they were doing, though the one behind Di didn't let her go. "How'd you hear about this, boy?" One asked Jasper. "You shouldn't be out past curfew." Diana struggled to escape the grasp of the soldier with no luck.

"It doesn't matter," Another soldier said. "If there's a riot, we're going to have to be there." They eyed the current rebels, some of which were adjusting their clothes and stepping aside from the fight.

"Fine." the first soldier said and just before the soldier freed her, the one she had spat at gave her one last punch before they hurried off.

Her head was spinning.

"They're gonna come looking for you when they realize there isn't anything going on in the town square." Caleb said, grinning at the boy. He wandered over and threw an arm over the kid's shoulders. "Nice job."
 
Jasper let his breath go when the soldiers left, but immediately tensed up once more as the older boy addressed him . He hadn't done it for them, not really. Well, perhaps he had done it a little for the sake of the girl who had rescued him earlier, but mainly he wanted them all away from his family. He hadn't thought about the repercussions when the soldiers realised there would be no riot. Cringing at the rebels touch, he flushed at the compliment and looked away.

"Yes, right.." He replied awkwardly. His panic was rising and he wished more than ever his brother was here so he could just go back to being a kid. How on Earth was he to protect his family now?
Turning his head nervously to the boy who's arm still slung around his shoulder,
"I-I have a family... should I move them?"
It felt strange to ask a total stranger to input on such an intimate decision but he desperately wanted someone else to tell him what was best.
 
Diana shook her head at Jasper. He had helped them, certainly, but he'd created a second problem for himself. "We should protect them," She suggested to Caleb, before he could respond. The rebel leader gave her a hard look, but she didn't back down. "He helped us," She pointed out, "And he didn't have to."

"He's not one of us," Caleb retorted, tightening his arm around Jasper's shoulders, just a smidge. "We barely have enough people as it is, we need to protect our own and our families before we start worrying about the families of a traitor."

"He can't control his brother's actions," Di pointed out, "He didn't have much of a choice. Beside, he helped us that should prove he's not a traitor."

Caleb turned to Jasper, "Where do you live, kid?"
 
Jasper was at a total loss of what to do. The last thing he wanted to do was join the rebels, but here he was with little other options. He had tried so hard to stay neutral and non-involved in this God damn war, and yet, at this moment, it seemed all was lost. He hesitated before telling the boy where he lived, though in fact they were standing right next to it. Was it right to get his family involved in this? Would it make them safer or plunge them further into danger? His decision was made for him when a small voice floated over to them.
"Jasper..? Jasper, what's going on?" The small girl peered through a small window she had made between the door and its frame.
Panicking out of instinct, Jasper rushed over to the slightly open door in which his little sister stood.
"I thought I told you not to open this door, especially after curfew." He hissed before pushing it shut and forcing his sister back inside.

The boy glanced back over at the rebels, sighing with a slightly sheepish smile.
"Turns out, I live here."
 
Di nodded a little, in understanding. He'd been heading home... to a younger sister.

The image of him rushing to protect his sister, it tugged at her heart strings and she wandered over to Caleb's side. "I'll stay." She whispered and he looked her up and down.

"Isn't that the same kid that caused your broken finger." She wanted to retort that he had caused the broken finger, but instead she just nodded. "And you want to help him?" She nodded again. He considered for a minute and then decided, "You can stay in case they come back. Virgil will stay, too. Try and recruit the kid."

Without saying anything to Jasper he turned to go, only instructing one other rebel to stay with Diana and Jasper. She shoved her hand into her pockets and winced a little at the pain. "You should head inside..."
 
Jasper noticed the girl wince, pocketing the information for later. Perhaps she had been hurt in the fight.
"Y-you're staying?" He asked nervously as the group left, leaving two members behind. Extra protection was appreciated but he wasn't sure if their presence would do more harm than good.
"I can't feed you as well.." He pulled out the small bag of rice he'd gotten that day. It's all they had and it needed to feed his family dinner and hopefully a little breakfast as well. "My mother and sister need to eat."
He hoped they didn't expect to be fed, but he'd be forced to repay them somehow and the debt made him nervous.
"I'm Jasper, y-you can come in I guess."

The boy opened the front door, shooing Nora a little further into the house so she wasn't blocking the entrance.
"I have some friends over for the night to help keep us safe, let mum know so she doesn't worry, okay?"
Once he heard the patters of his sisters feet make their to the other room he opened the door wider to rebels.
 
Di waved a hand, "Don't even worry about it." She hadn't been planning on eating tonight, anyway. Virgil was the one who grumbled something under his breath but Di glared at him and he glared back. They waited while Jasper shooed his sister away and once the door was open to them she said, "Virgil's going to stay outside for a while, and keep watch." She told Jasper, following him inside and shutting the door in the other man's face.

"I'm Di, by the way." She offered Jasper a tight lipped smile, as she glanced around the room.
 
Jasper was a little relieved that he wouldn't be housing both of them at once, their house was quite small after all. Plus he had noticed the look of annoyance from the other rebel about the lack of food; he had no desire to share the enclosed space with him.
The front door opened into the first room of the, now, two bedroom house. Inside was a small kitchen, a mat where they would sit and eat, and a small old mattress in the corner. Along the pealing walls were two doors and another door frame that seemed to be boarded up.
"My mum and sister sleep in the other room and the bathroom's through there." Jasper said, pointing out the doors. Looking at the house now with company, it was almost embarrassing even though there were plenty of people living in conditions like these.
"We err.. had to sell most our stuff... and it used to be bigger but it's not in the best shape anymore." He blushed as he studied his shoes, unwilling to take in her reaction.

There was a patter of footsteps as the small girl raced back in. Jasper was glad for the distraction.
"Told mum!" She called to him before stopping right in front of Di and grinning "Hi, I'm Nora, you're pretty. Jasper never brings anyone home. Who are you?"
The words raced out of her so fast that Jasper would have been surprised if Di managed to catch them all.
 
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