The Forgotten Ring

While he didn't agree with Darius' words, Orion remained silent and just glared at the ground, hating everything and everyone at that moment. He loathed his parents, and while for the most part, had managed to shove them out of his mind, every once in a while, the fuckers came back to taunt him. It was moments like these, moments where he felt like he had failed to protect people that they poked fun at his inability to do anything right. Exhaling deeply while Darius moved the truck to the building that still housed the others, the redhead remained silent. He didn't care that Darius could make Zieg stop before taking too much, because it was still a risky thing to do, especially with his handler already being hurt.

Bitch. His gaze had fallen upon the still unconscious Morrigan as Alaska and Beck loaded her into the truck though he wasn't surprised she was still out. Hell, for all they knew, she was faking and was just waiting around to see what all they would do. Snapping his gaze back to Darius the moment the male fell out of the truck, Orion was already outside and moving to him before he even realized what he was doing. He hesitantly paused beside him, and while he snerked at the Thumbelina comment, the sound quickly died on his lips at the next thing that Darius said.

"No. I know I am supposed to follow your orders because you're my handler and shit, but no. You're hurt, and ... I don't want to leave you with just Zieg. Why can't Beck drive and Alaska hold the tranq gun to shoot the werewolf if it wakes up? I ... I can't lose you..." His voice broke, and he clenched his fingers into tight fists while his jaw tensed up. "Please..."
 
For someone in as bad shape as Darius, he was more than comfortable to take the reigns on what was left of the operation and dole out orders in the absence of Morrigan's kind and caring leadership. The power dynamic between the non-powered workers was a strange one, but one thing was clear -- Praetor Beck was used to receiving orders and following them. Didn't seem to much matter who was barking them at any given moment. The soldier crouched down, helping Darius up along with the stability of the truck until the handler was standing as upright as his pain and injuries would allow for a moment. Mouth opened to form words, but he was quickly cut off by the emotional outburst from Orion. The stress of the operation, the injuries -- all of it was clearly becoming too much for the redhead.

"Get it together," he barked, popping up and charging at Orion with his considerable frame towering over the young man. "Do you know what happens to that if you keep this up?" Icy eyes flared down to the wristband collar signaling's Orion's servitude. "And you do think you're the only one that's going to feel it if you go rogue?" He jerked his fist back with an extended thumb, gesturing to Alaska. He didn't bother with Zieg, but he damn sure didn't forget the presence of...that one.

"You try and go rogue right now and you're gone, she's gone, and what exactly do you think happens to your handler in that situation? Get it together."
 
Alaska bent to help Beck get Morrigan on the makeshift stretcher. As she did so, she spotted a broken piece of glass. Part of it was still smooth, but there was a jagged edge. This, too, was tucked into her sleeve and she worked to be careful not to poke herself as she moved her arm.

"Story of my life," she muttered back at Beck. She was expendable in the system, she was expendable on the streets, and here in this situation, it's the same. She blinked when Darius nearly fell over. Dude did not look good. Casting a glance over at Beck, she let out a relieved sigh. Weird to think how, physically, they had made it off alright. Everyone else, aside from the Fanged One, looked pretty rough.

(Psychologically, she was going to be replaying that instance with the gun and the POA for years to come, she could just tell).

Orion's overwhelming fear and worry for Darius was wreaking havoc on her own emotions; it overpowered the relief, and it was getting a difficult to separate her own from the redhead's. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she took a deep breath.

Calm.

Deep inhale.

Sitting by the riverbank, no one else around. The river flows by.

Slow exhale.

Calm.

Deep inhale.

That library in Elementary, the one with the librarian who brought you cookies. It was always quiet, aside from the sound of the standing fan.

Slow exhale.

Calm.

She focused on the few moments of peace and serenity that she could recall from her life, moments where she felt secure and cared for. It was what she used to do before a con, to relax and focus, but now she was attempting to get herself into a state of calm. She focused on trying to push that emotion out onto the others, the redhead specifically.
 
Darius was not in the position to argue with Orion. He was, quite literally, on one leg here. Thankfully though, it seemed Beck was a good second when it came to making sure orders were followed. At this moment, he owed Beck a cigar when this was all said and done. "We don't have time to argue this, kid. I'm old, I ain't dead yet. Beck's gotta ride fast, and he'll need the extra eyes. Now move!" He would have sounded harsh, if it wasn't for the fact he swayed at the end.

He blinked as a calm washed over him. He turned his attention over to Alaska and furrowed his brows but said nothing over it. If it worked on Orion, that's all it mattered. He backed away from the truck as best he could with Zieg's help and gave Beck a nod. "Don't stop until you get to the base. If they argue with you, tell them to take it up with me. And give me your truck's keys."
 
The moment Beck came charging at him, Orion shrank back immediately. His head ducked down and he stared at the ground, unable to look up at the male. His gaze fell upon the wristband and he scowled angrily, head shaking at the notion of going rogue. No, that wasn’t what he was doing. He would be staying with his handler. Why would that be considered going rogue? His eyes slid over towards Alaska and he bit on the inside of his cheek while attempting to subtly move back away from Beck.

“I… it’s… I wouldn’t be going rogue…” He finally managed to get out, though his words were slightly stammered during the attempt. He still greatly feared for Darius’ safety and although he doubted Zieg would try something, he was worried that the two would be attacked once left alone. Orion gazed at the band again before he finally shifted his eyes up at Beck. He was about to say more before something started to wash over him. The redhead slowly felt himself calming down and he just sighed deeply. The worry and fear were still present, just not as overpowering as before. Darius’s order didn’t help him feel any better, but it was pointless to try and argue.


“...Yes, sir…” Orion’s gaze dropped to the ground and he took the tranq gun before clambering into the back beside the werewolf to shoot him if necessary.
 
A clenched fist at his side waited for the inevitable comeback from the fiery boy. He'd never been able to contain himself up to this point, never been able to swallow a remark...until now. Beck waited, but the tension of the moment seemed to ease. White knuckles relaxed slightly. It was still a fist, but not one shaking tight. The powered stepped back, accepting his fate for the time being. Beck continued to stare forward for a moment, holding ground in the confrontation even though the diffusion flowed through him as well. It wasn't about being right anymore. It wasn't even about being angry. It was about the reminder that orders were orders. They could take it up later when no one was waiting for life-saving care. And Beck had just a mind to pick it right back up.

"Make sure to fill her up before you bring her home," he said, tossing the keys to Darius. "And you better not die or I'm gonna track you down and kick your ass."

Instead of stowing away his rifle, given the nature of their loadout, Beck tucked it in next to him in the vehicle with the weapon butt down by his feet and the barrel pointing up and away between his body and the driver's seat.

"Until we hit the checkpoint into the Rings, no such thing as friendlies. See it? Shoot it. That includes our sleeping cargo." He turned the engine and thought the better of his comment. "The nasty one." Better think it over again. "The new one."
 
The old man's legs wobbled dangerously as he fought to keep himself standing as he watched the three pack up and ride off. Some how Zieg had managed to hide most of the support he was giving the man from the remainder of the group. There was no time for them to stop and worry about whether they needed to pack him in too. There was no time.

Once he was sure they were out of visual, the man near collapsed where he was standing, gritting his teeth and let out growling groans of pain. "Zieg.. Get me in the damned truck.. And get me back to base.." He ordered through gritted teeth. "And if you smell that I'm not gonna make it that far.. I want you to drain me off."

Zieg made no noise as he picked up the injured man and cradled him much like a father would a child. The red hues gleamed in the darkness and the fangs lowered instinctively. "Now why would I do that, my master? Do you fear joining the children of the night whom you claim to protect?" He chuckled softly as Darius let out a cry of agony, and moved forward to follow the orders he was given. "Tonight was an interesting night for a stroll~"
 
As Written by Faithy and Knosis
Eyes fluttering open slowly, Robin groaned and grabbed her head. It took her a bit to figure out that at least she managed to remain out of the government prisons of Rayvale. Where was she, though? She had no clue.

It was a tad dark though, with a lamp not too far off burning just outside what looked like a tent flap. She slowly pulled herself up and looked around trying to piece together what had happened. Outside of her four tent walls, there were voices. A low rumble of a lot of voices, actually.

“Schuyler..?” She asked the area around her. “Schuyler, where are you?”

Incredibly worried about Robin, Schuyler planted herself by the side of the tent, where she would be able to hear when her friend woke up without being directly in front of said tent. Her ears remained perked up and anytime movement was caught out of the corner of her eye, her gaze shifted to ensure that no one was trying to do any harm to the unconscious female. Crossing her arms against her chest while sprawling on the ground, the redhead silently listened to the others talking about the revolution.

Hell, what did you get yourself into now, Schu? While not ignorant towards the inhumane ways those with powers were being treated, Schuyler wasn’t exactly a fighter. Her stomach tensed up when she realized how close they had gotten to being captured and knew that the guys from the bar had something to do with it. Cursing inwardly at her carelessness, she sighed deeply. There was no going home now, not until things changed.

Pressing her fingers against the bridge of her nose, Schuyler let her mind drift towards her twin and she wondered if he still lived. Even if he was still alive, he probably hated her for never coming to find him, but it wasn’t like she could stroll into the Inner Circle and get him. No, she needed to jailbreak him when he was elsewhere, but up until now, she hadn’t had the chance. Maybe now that could be done. Her attention soon drifted towards Jace, having heard about him from those that took her in happily. She knew he had rescued many collared and debated on talking to him about her plight, but anytime she got up the nerve to speak to him, he ended up surrounded by the others.

“Damn it..”

Hang on, bro… I’m going to get you back.

Her thoughts were disrupted by the sound of Robin’s voice calling out for her. Pushing up off the ground, the lithe female slowly moved into the tent and knelt beside her friend’s bed. Patting her on the thigh, she couldn’t help but grin impishly. “Have a good nap?” She teased, unable to help herself.
 
As written by Knosis and Faithy

Robin looked relieved when she saw Schuyler appear beside her. “Oh, yeah. Sure. If you think being pounded in the head by a million tiny hammers a good nap..” She muttered. “Where are we anyway? Where is my pack? I don’t feel them nearby..”

Schuyler snorted at the retort, figuring that Robin must be doing alright if she was able to be sarcastic. Shrugging ever so slightly, the redhead patted her bud on the arm and glanced around the tent. “We’re in the spooky ring of doom. No, seriously, we’re in the forgotten ring. Your pack is around, just not sure where. Everyone is just chilling right now. Relax, we’re safe.” Smiling faintly, Schuyler glanced up at the top of the tent, knowing without a doubt that her place was probably ransacked and she would have to start over again.

“Maybe next time we don’t go back to my place, hm?” She teased, tongue sticking out a bit.

Robin shook her head. “Yeah.. Sorry about that.” She muttered, sounding guilty. “The sound I heard, I only realized afterward why I could hear it, but you couldn’t. I can hear higher frequencies that normal humans can’t. One of the guys that barged in, he must have had one of those frequency things in the restaurant, and was watching my reactions to it. It confirmed what I was.” She sighed. “I’m a big dummy, Schuyler. I’m sorry.” She brushed her hair out of her face before slowly standing up. “I’m starving though.. Who has the grub?”

"Aha. That certainly made sense. It would explain why the men were so interested in us other than the obvious they thought we were super sexy reason.” Tapping her chin in deep thought, Schuyler finally just shrugged at the apology, knowing it could have happened to anyone. “Robin, you didn’t know what was happening, you’ve got nothing to apologize for. If anything, if we’re going to go into the public, you might need to figure out how to keep it from happening again. Then again, I am sure we’re wanted criminals now. I hope my wanted poster is at least one of my sexy model pictures.”

Grinning just a little in an attempt to keep herself from completely freaking out, Schuyler slowly slid to her feet and wrapped her arm around Robin, hugging her briefly before stepping backward to give her friend space. “There’s food outside. I haven’t eaten either, I was too busy looking after you and waiting for your lazy ass to wake up.” Another grin graced her face and she tugged her bud outside to the fresher air.
 
Written by Script and Faithy

Back outside, the hubbub of the settlement crescendoed, no longer muffled by the thick canvas of the tent. The resistance camp was a far sight from the structured order of the inner city, a haphazard collection of temporary structures that ranged from tents like the one Robin had been sheltered in, to improvised shacks of wood and rusty metal.

The people were packed together like sardines, clustered to keep the camp as small as possible, and spread over several layers of makeshift scaffolding. It wasn’t altogether unlike an ant’s nest - and indeed, the whole place seemed to be underground, lit by a scattering of lamps fixed to the walls and ceiling of what must once have been a simple sewer tunnel, long-since expanded.

The girls had only just emerged from the shelter when someone came over - none other than the blonde boy Schuyler had been watching a moment before. As he approached, Jace gave the pair of them a sceptical once over. The two looked remarkably carefree for having just come out of a life-or-death chase, and one that had almost led the feds right to their doorstep. The werewolf twins who were responsible for leading them here had already been given a bollocking for endangering the whole community - and for what? A pair of girls who would’ve looked more at home in a shoe catalogue than a rebellion?

He sighed. He supposed that danger aside, it was better than them getting caught. “Welcome back to the world of the living, sleeping beauty,” he called out to Robin before he reached them, offering an easy-going smile. “Good to see you on your feet. The two of you holding up alright?” he directed the question to both girls, looking between them.

Her gaze fell upon the male that she had wanted to talk to previously. As if on cue, he was walking towards them and Schuyler arched a brow, unsure why all of a sudden he had decided to talk to them. Shaking off the uneasy feeling that was slowly creeping up through her body, the redhead glanced over towards Robin at his sleeping beauty comment, smirking just a bit. He was definitely right about that. Her nose scrunched up at his next question and Schuyler shifted her attention back towards him.

“Mmm… Jace, right? I’m Schuyler Callahan and this cutie-patotie or as you called her sleeping beauty is Robin Legend. As for how I’m doing... I guess I would say that I’m holding up pretty well all things considering.” Her body slowly relaxed as she raised her arms above her head, stretching out enough to pop her back, neck, and shoulders. “I am sorry we sort of fled here, but we really didn’t have a choice. We were being hunted and I’m not ready to be taken by the government like my brother.” Schuyler growled at that, fists clenching as she thought about Orion.
 
As Written by Faithy, Script, & Knosis

Robin turned her gaze to the newcomer, wincing as Schuyler continued the ‘cuties’ bit. “Nice to meet you. Sorry about it all. I kind of got found out and well.. I’d rather run than be collared. Being a wolf, don’t want to be treated like a dog, ya know?”

“Hey, no need to apologise,” Jace shook his head, waving a hand dismissively. “I get it. When shit hits the fan like that, you do what you have to do to survive and keep your freedom. Legend, though, huh? Hell of a name to live up to,” he remarked with a smirk and a wink.

As he spoke, Robin looked around and noticed a short woman heading their direction as well. She had auburn hair and honey colored eyes. “Oh, good you’re both awake!” She grinned at them both. “Hey Jace! How’s the planning for tomorrow night going?” She carried a slight air of authority for one so short. “With things that happened, are we still on course?”

“We’re expecting them to be on high alert,” Jace answered, folding his arms behind his head and shrugging. “But you know better than I do that was always gonna be the case. Just means we’ll have to hit ‘em even harder and faster than they expect.” He nodded his head towards the two girls, then. “These two’ve caused quite the stir, but I don’t expect the checkpoints to change overnight. We get them in a panic, we’ll still be able to slip who we need through.”

He flashed the girls a grin. “You’ve dropped by at an exciting time. Little bit of a coincidence, so you’ll forgive us if we give the two of you a thorough search-over for any wires or means of getting word back to the bad guys. I hardly think you’re in cahoots with the people that’re trying to put collars on you, but it pays to be careful.”

Schuyler remained silent even as the shorter female moved over to their location. Her gaze shifted over towards Robin, a brow arching at their conversation before she once again glanced at Jace. Her shoulders rose impassively at the mention of being searched for wires, not bothered by their need to do so.

“Eh, I would expect you to check us all things considering. I have nothing to hide. Well, nothing in the way of wires or anything like that. You can even have my cell and check through the messages and numbers. You won’t find anything of interest though… unless you find modeling stuff interesting. In which case, knock yourself out.” Her voice was softer than before and she couldn’t help but be just a little sidetracked. Once again, she had found herself thinking about Orion.

“Have any of you figured out how to get the collars off the collared? If one were to be rescued… could that be done…?” Schuyler didn’t want to get her hopes up, but if they could get her brother free, then this would all be worth it in her eyes. Losing everything would be worth having him in her life again.
 
As Written by Faithy, Script, & Knosis


“Get them off? Easy. Get them off with the person still alive? Not so easy.” Jace frowned, shaking his head. “That’s part of what we’re looking to achieve tomorrow. Getting hold of an intact collar for our tech-heads to study.”

The woman nodded in agreement. “We’re still trying to figure that out. Even I have not gained access to that information yet.” She sighed. “You look strikingly familiar though.” She commented to Schuyler. “I don’t get off the base a lot lately. It is a bit too risky with things the way they are and the persona I keep up with.”

Robin looked over at Jace. “Is there something that I can help with? Anything at all? I really can’t go back, but I figure I might as well make myself useful.”

“There’s plenty of people around here that could use a hand, I’m sure, but it might not be quite what you’re imagining.” Jace grinned. “There’s laundry, maintenance, manning the kitchens, patrols, all kinds of grunt labour we’re short-handed for. Cogs in the machine to keep things running smoothly. Once we have a better read on you, and are certain you’re not a plant? Then we can talk getting you involved in the bigger stuff.”
The hopeful expression that had found its way across her face dimmed when Jace admitted they hadn’t been able to remove a collar without killing the person wearing the damned thing. Frowning widely, she managed a nod and clenched her fingers into tight fists at her side. She wasn’t going to give up and hoped that the collars they managed to snag would help them figure the mechanism out.

“I see… alright.” Schulyer managed, voice still soft as hell. Shifting her attention back towards the other woman, the boss apparently, she just blinked and cocked her head to the side. How could she seem familiar when she hadn’t seen this chick before? Her mouth was about to part to ask that question when the woman continued on to state something about not getting off the base much.

“THE BASE?! Like, the … where they take the collared?!” She couldn’t help but shout the first two words, a plethora of thoughts rampaging through her mind. “Just what the fuck is going on here? Is this a trap? A trick? Did my parents finally rat me out like they did my twin brother?!” She snarled her words out, stepping back towards Robin, the urge to bolt immense.
 
Written by Script, Knosis and Faithy

Robin nodded. “Sounds good to me. I can do menial labor until I earn trust, just like the rest of the pack has.” She said.

“Easy, there!” Jace held his hands up in a peaceful gesture, raising his eyebrows at her. “You’ve not been tricked, calm down.”

Schulyer’s outburst startled the shorter woman, but she somehow kept her composure. “You’ve been here for a bit now and your friend brought you here. I’d think you’d have more sense to think that she’d not betray you, at the very least.” She tapped her chin slightly. “Oh. You’re related to Orion, Darius’ charge. I know of him. I’ve had to study him recently as we’re being assigned together for tomorrow’s mission.” She said calmly. “You see, I’m one of the rebellion’s spies, but I am also one of the leaders so to speak.” She reached out a hand for Schulyer. “I’m Morrigan.”

“You’ve got a brother in there, huh?” Jace frowned with sympathy. “I’m not gonna make any promises, but we’ve got a lot of hope riding on what’s coming next. It’s a plan that’s been in the works for a long time, and it could mean the difference in us figuring out the collars. Like I said, no promises, but… don’t give up hope.”

He smiled, nodding towards Morrigan. “Besides, he’s in good hands. Even if he might not know it,” he added with a smirk. “I hear her cover identity’s got quite a mouth on her.”

Sure, their words made sense, but Schuyler still had the fight or flight instinct running rampant in her mind. Her gaze shifted towards Robin and it was with a deep sigh that she slowly relaxed. “I know Robin would never do that. I just…” Shaking her head, the redhead fought to keep from breaking down completely. No, she had been strong since he was taken and she would continue to be strong.

“You know him…?” Schuyler asked softly once the female admitted to having studied Orion in order to work with him. That made her feel a little better, but not much. Her fingers ran through her hair shakily and she slowly glanced over at Jace, nodding just a little bit. “Can’t get my hopes up… been dashed too many times.”

Shaking the female’s hand as she introduced herself as Morrigan, Schuyler tilted her head just a little, studying her. Dropping her hand back down as she glanced over at Jace, the young adult managed a slight nod. “I hope you’re right. I will do anything needed to get him back safe and sound. He’s… he’s okay, right?” She asked Morrigan, voice breaking as tears started to stream down her cheeks.
 
As Written by Faithy, Script, & Knosis

“As far as I’m aware.” She said. “He’s not my personal charge. I ended up with an empath. That may cause troubles for me in the next while.” She tapped her chin again. “Regardless, that isn’t any concern of yours. When I can, if I can, I will bring you news about Orion. I don’t usually come back here for a few weeks though.” She nodded.

“Well. I’m going to leave you two here in Jace’s hands. He’ll get you two working where it needs done. Jace, there’s going to be one last meeting tomorrow morning to go over last minute changes. They’re going to want you there too.” She waved at the pair and headed off.

“Right you are,” Jace nodded, then turned his attention to the two girls. “Right then, let’s get the two of you through screening and then find you something useful to do! I reckon the two of you’d make short work of some repairs we need done on one of the lookout towers - heavy lifting shouldn’t be any problem for a telekinetic and a werewolf, right?” Waving for them to follow, he started walking as he spoke.

While not exactly a yes or no answer to her question, Schuyler admittedly felt a little better with Morrigan’s response. Nodding her head, thankful that the female would at least try, and bring back more information, she managed to keep from asking additional questions, it clear the woman needed to get back. Once she was gone, Schu turned to face Jace and blinked a little.

“I’m umm…” She started, unsure how to put what she wanted to say. Instead, she just shrugged and nodded. “Sure thing, heavy lifting will be no problem. I’m good with that as long as I’m not expected to get my hands dirty or try to do any actual lifting. I’m a model, dancer, and a soccer player, not … anything else.” Schuyler’s words trailed off, shame crossing her face at her admission.

Picking up on the girl’s mood, Jace glanced over his shoulder and shot her a grin. “Hey, no time like the present to pick up new skills. Real talk, though, your whole world’s just been turned upside down, right? Don’t be too hard on yourself if it takes a little while to adjust. All anyone here’s gonna ask is that you’re doing your part as best you can, and not expecting special treatment.”

He turned back to face the way they were going, but kept talking as he did. “Almost everyone here’s been through what you’re going through at one point or another. There’s some that were born out here, but most are runaways, same as you. They’ve all had the rug pulled out from under them, however long ago it was, so they get it.”
 
As written by Knosis, Script, and Faithy

Between wanting to cry and being ashamed that thanks to her parents she pretty much was born with a silver spoon in her mouth, Schuyler started to wonder if Orion would even want to see her. Sure, they were twins, but because of her, he was forced into a life of hell. Well, granted it wasn’t her fault, but their mothers, but still. For the longest time she had felt guilty and now with everything that had happened, that feeling was intensifying. Wiping the tears off with the back of her hand while Jace turned back to face her, the redhead nodded briefly at his words, not quite trusting herself to speak yet.

Once he turned back around, the two still walking, she glanced up at the sky, knowing that she could never go back to her other life. Was that so bad? While she wasn’t sure, the lithe female knew that she needed to do her best for everyone here. “Sure, thing… I will do what I can. I definitely don’t expect or want special treatment. I’ve had enough of that to last me a million lifetimes. I…” Pausing, she ran her fingers through her hair, tilting her head a little.

“I meant what I said. I will do anything in my power to get my brother back and free along with the others trapped at the base.” She sighed, hoping that Ori wasn’t getting into too much trouble at the base.

“A lot of people here are of the same mind,” Jace replied. “Once we know how to break the others like us free, that’s when the tipping point comes. They’ve used our own kind against us for too long, because they know it’s the only way they can match us.”

His tone had turned slightly dark as he went on, heavy with a quiet anger. “When they can’t do that any more, they’ll get what they deserve. We’ll free everyone they have chained, and tear their perfect world down around them.”

“I just hope that tipping point comes before anything worse happens. I’ve sat back far too long and watched friends and others that I have known throughout my lifetime be taken because of who they were and I am tired of that happening. If I knew I could have stopped it each time, I would have tried, but one person can’t go against an army. So… yes, a tipping point would be great.” Schuyler scowled just a little, sensing the darker tone coming from Jace.

“I can’t wait to make them pay for everything they have done. I will become a force to be reckoned with. Or… just shoot them in the face, whichever.” Stepping up beside Jace, she patted his arm. “It’s going to work out for us, just might take a little bit of perseverance.”

Jace looked over to her and smiled, banishing the darker expression he’d been wearing a moment ago. “That’s the spirit. You’re gonna fit in ‘round here just fine, I think. Keeping putting one foot in front of another, looking for that next milestone where you can get stronger, get smarter, get another leg-up on them, and you’ll go a long way.”

He nudged her lightly with an elbow. “So leave your guilt at the door. You’ve got the chance to make the difference you’ve always wanted to, now, and you’ll be better served by looking forward than by looking back.”

The pair of them reached a small tent in the encampment with a few men and women gathered near its entrance, wielding mismatched weaponry and wearing improvised bits and pieces of combat gear. Jace waved one of them over and nodded to Schulyer and Robin. “Grace, this is Schulyer and Robin - they’re new arrivals, came here with the werewolf twins from earlier. Run ‘em through the standard checks, then find them something useful to do.”

Turning back to the girls, he offered a small salute. “Gracie here’ll get you guys searched and situated. Let her know what you can and can’t do, and she’ll be able to point you in the right direction. I’ll be back around later today if you need me, but for now, I’m out to run some last minute checks on some equipment out in the ring. Was good to meet the pair of you.”
 
Written by Script and Faithy

Returning the smile, Schuyler nudged him back, hoping that she would be able to do just that. Her guilt had always been something that stayed with her from the moment Orion had gotten taken, but she would try to leave it at the door. “It’ll be hard, but I will try. I’ve always felt guilty that Ori got taken just because he wasn’t a girl and wasn’t the perfect child they wanted. I will try…” She repeated, her nose scrunching up a little as they got to the tent.

Smiling at Gracie, she waved a little and prepared to get checked and all that jazz before being put to work. “Nice meeting you too, Jace! I hope to see more of you!” Grinning and perhaps blushing just a little, Schuyler returned her attention towards Gracie and waited for instructions.

“So… do we strip to show we don’t have any wires or what?” She questioned, her eyes glinting just a little in mischievousness.

Jace snickered, overhearing Schulyer’s teasing tone. “Have fun with that one, G,” he called back, taking a few steps as he set his eyes on the higher tier of the encampment that housed the route back to the surface. Electricity crackled briefly around his lower body as he bent his knee into a crouch.

“Don’t worry about not seeing more of me,” he directed to Schulyer with a wink. “I’m pretty hard to miss.”

And with a crack of lightning, he launched into the air, rocketing up and shooting quickly out of sight, lost amidst the layers of scaffolding.

Turning her attention towards Jace at his comment, Schuyler’s jaw dropped almost immediately when he launched into the air thanks to a crack of lightning. That was by far the coolest thing she had ever witnessed and she looked forward to seeing him again in the future. Returning her attention towards Robin, she shrugged and grinned before glancing over to Gracie.

“I was only sort of kidding. I understand you have to do what is best to keep everyone safe after all.” Smiling, Schuyler settled down, her mind going over everything that had happened in such a short period.

“Always a show off, that one,” Gracie sighed. “Alright then, let’s get the pair of you screened…”
 
After Grey's mother had sacrificed herself so that Grey could escape, he had slowly migrated outward from the city. Sneaking out into the Forbidden Ring was dangerous, and he was lucky not to have gotten caught leaving. But he hadn't, and two weeks had past hence.

Now, Grey watched the activity curiously. He'd been hiding out in the Forgotten Ring for quite some time, always moving, and he hadn't seen a great deal of other people since then. The occasional team of two passed through: a collared with their handler. He hid from those, and so far had been successful.

But Grey didn't see any collars here. And still, despite that, he was fairly certain he saw some People of Abilities. People like Dad.

People like him.

Grey dared to be hopeful, but he didn't dare to just walk up. That would be foolish. No, instead, he approached the encampment and tried to scope it out from what cover he could.

After a man darted off on a crash of lightning, which Grey reckoned was the single coolest thing he'd ever seen, he crept a bit closer, as stealthy as he could. Two girls were caught in conversation with a third girl, but he couldn't quite catch what they were saying.

A couple of steps closer and he swore he heard something about "stripping" and "wires." In Grey's twelve-year-old mind, he didn't know much about machines, but he figured maybe these girls were electricians or something.

He crawled closer still, trying to drop eaves on their conversation.

Of course, in his mind, Grey was being sneaky. In his curiosity, it turned out he had left cover 50 feet ago and was now out in the open, albeit crouched down. Children often lose sight of the big picture, and Grey was no exception.
 
Grey would of course be seen. A very tall, muscular woman slowly came up behind the boy. "Oi, scamp? Whatsa scrawny welp like you doin' 'ere?" She reached down to try to grab the back of his shirt. "You kids should be o'er there. If you're goin' to be snoopin' around, I'm gonna put ya to work."

She easily stood over six feet tall, with muscles that looked like they could crack the boy in half like a glow stick. In a hook on her overalls was a very large hammer. She wore a tanktop and one of the straps of the overalls laid loose at her side. Her arms were scarred and covered in soot. Her eyes were red like fire, and her short cropped hair stood spiked in a line.

"Well?" She asked, expecting an answer.
 
Grey gave a feeble yelp as he was grabbed by his shirt. In his surprise, he accidentally unleashed a powerful gale, which roared forth into the wall of the encampment he was near. The noise would probably attract even more attention, but that's the last thing on a child's mind. The recoil of the blast, however, pushed him even closer to his captor.

Once the initial shock was over, he struggled feebly, waving his arms and kicking his legs to try to free himself, but to no avail. As the reality of his situation came into focus, Grey stopped fighting. He just slumped and let his arms and legs droop. The large woman was expecting an answer, and in his struggle, he hadn't even heard the question.

Grey tried to explain the situation, but he could not work the stammer out of his voice. "I-I-I-I d-d-on't know w-what you m-m-mean!" Out of options, Grey began to feebly struggle again. He even attempted to fire a few more gales to confuse the woman, but now that he was actually trying to call upon his powers, all he could muster was a gentle breeze.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top