Teen Ink
teenink
TeenInk "Thinking is the best way to travel." - The Moody Blues http://t.co/5jzE5kVJyB
Thu May 23, 2013 10:55am Reply Retweet Favorite
TeenInk If this is the ending of the story, what is the beginning? http://t.co/gRzPosYXRi
Wed May 22, 2013 8:48am Reply Retweet Favorite
TeenInk I posted a new photo to Facebook http://t.co/Y2aXGHv5cc
Jem London
Jem's eyebrows furrowed slightly at Quentin's word's. He thought he was a...nobody? Just because he was a medic? It upsetted him slightly; that's what Jem was himself. A doctor, a medic, it was all the same line of work.
"I'm a doctor." Of coarse, he didn't say where. His file on Quentin didn't really say if he was heavily against the Gifted or not. Might as well play it safe. "And...I'm not sure, really. I only know that I was supposed to give you this message. I was given the same message by my General, and I'm sure we'll find out together what this all 'does mean'." Once again, Jem's features pulled into another apologetic smile. This must of been pretty...overwhelming.
Snooze Central America
Snooze reluctantly let go of Jo's hand. Even if it was her left one--her fake arm, if he remembered correctly--it still felt nice to hold onto something. He knew he should kick the habit soon--how was he supposed to be treated like an adult if he still held hands?--but he could never bring himself to do so just quite yet. Besides, Jo didn't seem to mind it. It's not like he cared she had a fake arm. Didn't she know that? Snooze wondered idly, moving down the line.
"She got mad when she heard me knock out the guards."Snooze replied with a cringe, leaning o his tip toes to grab an apple from a fruit basket. They were suddenly his new favorites, and he was glad he had long arms to reach it. "Lion Lady, or uh, Leona," She definately looked way more like "Lion Lady to Snooze,"Burst through the window. I don't like glass." That's al he said, not liking to relive that memory. It would probably be forever burned into Snooze's memories, now. As if he didn't have enough nightmares already.
He glanced up at Jo quickly, before continuing down the line. He still felt pretty crummy about not saying a good-bye. Snooze just hated good-byes, along with crying, bad dreams, and now, lions. Now that Jo and him were gettig along, he couldn't even think about a face to face depature. Snooze pushed the future away, swallowing.
Quentin: London
A Doctor? Quentin lifted his chin slightly at the news, he remembered when he had the chance to become a doctor, he had the experience and the talent, but he'd passed on the offer. Sometimes the reason he'd made the choice was forgotten at times like this. "You're Gifted."
He said the words quietly and without judgement. He had no interest in fighting the man, the Gifted or the humans, he had no interest in fighting anybody, really.
Quentin smiled lightly, his features tired and heavy, "You can stop smiling like that, man, I'm not going to attack you or anything. You know the old saying, 'don't kill the messanger'."
He laughed dryly, his eyes once more on the paper, "There was a time I used to give a cr.ap about things like this. But now? Now I think everyone is too far gone, too caught up in their hatred to let even information like this change how they feel."
His eyes flickered up to meet Jem's gaze, silently waiting for his reply.
Nx: Cat's Eye Inn
"Patience," Nyx said soothingly, grinning despite herself as she sat at the end of the bed, crossing her long legs. She brought the makeup between the two of them, staring down at it for a moment and then at the right side of Tesla's neck and jaw. She tilted her head to the side, considering, and then nodded.
"Besides, we've got all day. We won't want to be wandering around during the day. It'll look more natural if we're tired and cold and wet from the rain, looking for shelter, maybe even offerring some military experience, implying we lost our last troop." Nyx was rambling again, the plan forming in her mind as she spoke, half-thought out and half-babble. She did chance a grin as she started on the veins closest to Tesla's neck. "I can assure you, it will be a cold and wet night. One way or another."
Nyx hummed as she worked, going over the length of veins with concealer, lightening them to a dull gray before applying the powder, from shades of tan to pink, giving the appearance of faded scars. In some areas she even added shine to hint at more recent injuries, each line looking stark and visible but, Nyx was pleased to see, natural. Or, she ammended, as natural as any scar looked.
"I'll be showing my shoulder," she added. "So they'll see my scar. It's bigger, so it might draw their attention away from yours. A lot of this is waterproof, but it won't last for days at a time. I'll have to reapply."
And, with a happy clap, she jumped from the bed, her legs protesting from their long rest. She snatched the dye from the bed, bouncing to the bathroom eagerly and caling back, "You can come check your new scars out, if you'd like. The mirror's pretty big in here."
Leona: Central America
Leona could have sang when Hector finally---finally---read the note. She was even able to focus on something other than the smoke drifting from the cigarette, which made her feel immensely accomplished. Even Hector, whom she had been expecting a hint of sarcasm and more than a few skeptic glances from, took the note better than she had expected.
His question left her in a temporary moment of thoughtful silence. Leona wasn't foolish; she had expected Hector, of all people, to question her most closely. Her message was ominous, lacking little detail both for security reasons and, if Leona was being honest, a lack of information on her part.
So, with a sigh, Leona folded her hands under her chin, resting her head there as she gave Hector a long, measuring look. Then, her voice quiet, she began.
"I don't expect you to trust me. Not immediately, and quite frankly, not even after a few days of what I know you expected to be immensely enjoyable bonding time for the both of us." She paused, evaluating her answer carefully before speaking. "I'm a Commander, but you don't need to be told this for the hundredth time. No doubt you think my title has been handed to me, probably because I was the most available person at the time. I can give you the real story later, when you actually want to hear it, if that day ever comes. As you've guessed, I'm used to respect. I've been more than humbled and, you'll be happy to find, pleasantly surprised by coming here. I've had to work for my respect among my people in North America, I assure you. A nineteen-year-old taking on full power? That was laughable. But here I am."
She glanced at the cigarette for a moment and then looked down at the counter, arranging her thoughts before returning Hector's gaze once more. "I expect I'll have to do a lot to earn the respect of a man like you, which is a challenge I look forward to; but I do promise I'll earn it. Trust will come later, maybe even much later. I don't know how, or why, it'll happen. You probably don't either. But that's not what I'm asking you to trust."
She grimaced here, sighing. "Especially after my little escapade, I don't expect you to trust me anytime soon. But I'm asking you to trust the facts. Which I can give you, if only you ask the right questions."
Hector Valentin was, Leona knew, a turning point in her mission. There were other names to find, other people to sway, but convincing a man like him to fight for her cause could be the difference between winning and losing the War. He had men. He had an entire continent's respect. Leona could not go into this fight with divided numbers, with half of the people seeking freedom unwilling to fight. Hector could, in a sense, bridge some of that gap.
"The others I'm seeking won't have the information I'm willing to give you," she went on. "They will soon, but not now. You, however..." she trailed off, smiling slightly. "I can tell you everything. It won't be a secret, after all, not for long. I expect, as you put it, my mysterious General will not be so mysterious for much longer. Then everyone will know."
She paused again, laying her hands against the counter. "I can tell you everything. Just ask. Then you can make your judgement on whether or not to trust the truth. That'll be entirely up to you."
Bobbi: Fort Paris
Bobbi grinned when she saw Noah, flagging him down with a wave. He seemed as eager as her to head off, his pack slung over his shoulder. As expected, the first words out of his mouth were a question; Bobbi was already expecting it, and she nearly smiled.
"Fort London," she announced. "The heart of the lion's den. Figuratively speaking. It'll be a day's walk, maybe more. Once we get there, we'll be under the names of..." she trailed off as she dug in her pockets, pulling out the ID tags. She handed Noah's his, smirking. "A. Hopkins Parker and for me, G. Perciville Jullian."
Bobbi looked up at the front gate sentries and waved. The one she knew well, James, waved back with a grin, making a helicopter motion with his fingers. At his command, the gate opened two feet, its gears grinding. Bobbi waved, this time in goodbye and thanks, as she walked through the entrance.
"Once we get there," she went on, "we'll take on our fake identities. You'll be a Captain in Platoon five, I believe. That's the one under the General we're taking down. I'm...well, the human's version of our Administration, whatever that means. We'll both be close enough to the General to keep tabs on her."
Tesla: Cat's Eye Inn
Tesla pursed her lips, tapping on her knee as Nyx worked. Her shirt was draped slightly off her shoulder, just enough to show all the black veins. What she hadn't told anybody yet, though, was they were spreading. The more she used her gift the further they spread. It had taken over a year to grow all the way down her neck. They used to be only from her ear to the edge of her lips.
Tesla eyed Nyx as she rambled on about a plan, it felt strange, like a sleepover or something. Tesla let out a small chuckle at the thought. "Yes, I have no doubt that it will be, Petrova."
She gave a wry grin, her eyes amused, she had to admit, the girl's gift would come in handy. After Nyx finished, Tesla rose from the bed as well, though not with so much exuberence, and followed Nyx to the bathroom. Upon inspection, Tesla saw that Nyx had done a good job. The veins looked like scars, now, as if she'd been caught in an explosion and had to get stitched along her face and neck.
She looked at Nyx in the mirror, "Thanks." She blushed lightly, "I've never really tried make-up or anything before, when I was young I just wrapped a scarf around my face and wore turtle-necks."
Tesla turned around and leaned against the counter, crossing her arms. "Yeah, I think that's a good idea. We can say we got ambushed outside of England and seperated from our remaining troops. Walking in this weather would have taken us weeks so the state of our "injuries" would be explained."
Tesla fell silent for a moment, playing with the hem of her jacket, "We'll have to use alias'. I have two fake IDs, you'll be Amanda Wright and I'll be Kara Jefferson. Out story will be I'm the Captain of a group of soldiers, we were ambushed outside of England by a rouge group of Gifted, we lost our supplies and were cut off from the rest of our team. We knew Fort London was the nearest safe haven so we made out way here."
Tesla titled her head back and stared at the ceiling for a minute, "We'll say we need new supplies and weapons to go back and searh for my men. We'll find Sheppard and leave as soon as we possibly can. We give as little information as possible and we stay for as short a time as possible, we do not want our faces to be something they remember once we're gone. And we do not want to be caught."
Jury London
Jury wiped the sweat off his brow. He was taking too long in the range, he knew, but it was relaxing, and he needed to calm down. He fired two more shots at the target.
Hit.
Hit.
The flitting cardboard figure at the end of the room was scarred with dozens of marks by now.
The next person in line for the super-fast target drummed his fingers on the counter, clearly impatient. Jury grudgingly set his gun down, turned about, and exited the firing area.
“Hey Reed. I’m tired. We should go back to the barracks”
Normally, jury wouldn’t be the first to say that, but today he felt strangely drained. His usually sharp blond hair was rumpled, and the small tab of his blousing strap was hanging out of his shoe- a small offense, but extraordinary for the Judge. He grabbed his coat, and walked out without saying anything else.
Choo Texas
Choo’s heart had risen to her throat. She wanted to fight, but suddenly, the prospect became unappetizing... sickening. She watched through a window as some redhead girl pulled off contortions that the most skilled gymnast would be baffled by.
What am I going to do?
She told herself to relax, they weren’t going to just stick her in there unprepared, right?
Maybe they will...
Choo quit her ponderings when the instructor started talking.
“Okay, today we’ll be running through some basic techniques, learning about gifts, and how to use them in a fight. Then we’ll get down to business”
The instructor seemed to have a hint of glee in his eyes as he said “business” as if he thought watching a bunch of kids hit each other would be fun.
Here goes...
Someone waved the newbie group into the ring, and training began.
Smack
Thud
The kids next to Choo seemed to actually know what they were doing. One big guy, especially, looked barely out of breath after pounding relentlessly on a punching bag, each hit making a satisfying “Thwap”. The sound of Choo hitting a bag was... well, non-existent. Choo gritted her teeth, throwing all her weight into the next hit, but frankly, she didn’t have much weight to throw around.
I’m going to fail...
Jem London
Jem's eyes widened fractionally at Quentin's statement. How did he know? Was it his eyes? He clenched his jaw, hastily wondering how to handle this situation if it suddenly turned ugly. Jem flicked through various scenarios--making him go blind briefly, and fake a fist fight, or just do a good old fashions fist fight--before Quentin spoke again.
Jem relaxed, frankly, shocked. A man in the world of war who wasn't on either side was rare. Suddenly, Quentin wasn't a threat. He was a diamond in the rough.
"You don't strike me as one of those people."Jem finally replied, using his words carefully."One of those people who are too caught up in hatred, that is. I know that I am not."Which was true enough. Jem was caught up in being disowned by everything he loved in the world. Jem was caught up in an internal fear."Are you saying you won't come back to Arizona with me?"
Where my luck runs out in the form of Quentin.
Quentin: London
No, I'm not. Not nearly.
Maybe it was because he didn't want to acknowledge the feeling, or maybe because he'd never had anyone to talk to about it, but Quentin cared, he cared a lot, more than he could ever express.
He cared about the Gifted and the humans. He cared about the state the world had fallen to, the lost parents, siblings and children, the lost hope and the lost fight. He cared about it all, but what could he do? He was just a nomad, drifting from place to place, offering what meager assistance he could to anyone who needed it.
Quentin's jaw tightened momentarily as he stared down at the paper in his hands. After a moment, he looked back up at Jem, "No........I'll come."
Hector: Central America
When Hector finally read the message and asked his first question, it was almost as if he had released a waterfall for Leona, as he words began tumbling out. He took it in without interrupting---there were few times when he was actually serious, and discussing war was one of them (he did, after all, have to take some things carefully, to have gained his own position).
Humbled and pleasantly surprised? Hm. Well, I'm glad you now know what we think of your position as 'Commander'---which, however you may deny it, was handed to you.
Even so, Hector couldn't deny that she had gained lots of people's respect, even if he (and most of his men, anyway) wasn't among those people. And he could, in a way, relate---she had to show people in North America she was up for her job at nineteen, and he was only fifteen when he started trying to prove himself in South America.
He continued listening. So basically she was asking him to trust him for no reason? To put all his faith---everything that he'd worked for, the people he'd been protecting, the lands he'd won over---in her, for no other reason than...well, that was it. He stopped, though, when she said a certain phrase that caught his ear.
You'll tell me everything...
"Well, you can start by telling me these secrets of your General," he began, surprisingly straight to the point. "And then you can explain why everyone believes the humans enslaved the Gifted three hundred years ago."
If he was going to join this cause---whatever it may be---, Hector wanted to know whatever the he.ll was going on.
Jo: Central America
Jo couldn't help but laugh quietly every time Snooze called Leona Lion Lady- it was just too amusing. She added a soda to her tray of food and then went to sit by a small table in the corner of the room.
Snooze seemed a bit shaken by the encounter with Leona, but Jo thought he was actually taking it pretty well. At least, she assumed that most nine year olds would be more scared than Snooze was after getting tackled by a lion just hours earlier. He was still scared of course, but not overly so.
Jo didn't like the thought that Leona could still be around the base and possibly run into Snooze- the boy didn't need to be any more stressed out than he was. And while Jo could understand the rationale behind Leona's reaction to an eavesdropper, she couldn't help but being p.issed that she'd attacked Snooze. But hopefully she would never have to meet the cold North American commander.
"So you knocked out the guards, huh? That's pretty cool," She said. "So how does that work exactly? Your power I mean."
Noah: Fort Paris
A smile slowly spread across Noah's face as Bobbi finally explained their mission. London, eh? Since it was a human base Noah had never thought he'd get to see the old city, but it looked like now he would get his chance.
Noah had never really considered doing espionage work; it just wasn't his thing. He could definitely see how Bobbi would fit into that line of work, though. It wasn't surprising that she would be chosen to walk right into the heart of the human's territory. He sighed at the thought of having to walk all the way to London- walking would be less conspicuous than a car, but still a pain.
"A. Hopkins Parker- got it," He replied, taking his I.D. card. He smirked as she told him he'd be playing a captain. At least he'd get to play a captain for a little while even if he didn't get promoted to one after the mission. Playing a human captain might even turn out to be fun.
Noah turned to take one last look of Fort Paris before the gate closed behind them. He was excited to be leaving but the base really had been nice while it lasted- someday he'd have to come back here again.
"So I guess this general must be pretty important if we're being sent to take her out." He said, adjusting the pack on his shoulders and starting forward.
(Nacho: Just out of curiosity, are you, by chance, going to have Jem change his mind to give Hail the message? If not, that's fine; I was just curious, because, as fate would have it, several characters are now making their way to the fort, so there could be some interesting interaction if you want him to have it. ^_^ Either way, though, is fine with me.)
Nyx: Cat's Eye Inn
"I would love to see you in a turtle-neck." She couldn't help but grin at the mental image, her hair already damp from the water. She brought out the dye, squirting the chemical into her hands before smacking it on her scalp, rubbing it in with a wrinkled nose.
"Amanda Wright, gotcha. Soldier. Ambushed. Fort London to the rescue." Nyx mumbled out the information she picked up, her eyes narrowed on her hair, the purple slowly fading. When the dye was gone, she threw her hair up in a towel, reading the time she was ordered to wait for it to dry.
"No faces, no capture," she repeated, smiling lazily. "Don't worry. We'll be gone before they can search our names in their records. They lose platoons every day, just like we do; finding the right one, let alone the right Captain, will take three days, at least. They won't be worried; at the very least they'll think we're humans lying our way to some free fod and shelter."
Nyx brushed past Tesla, humming the same melody she always did, reaching for her change of clothes with a sigh. "I suppose we'll need to look ratty, won't we?"
Leona: Central America
Leona expected his answer, though it made her sigh. Start with the most difficult topic. Typical.
She turned to face him, her neck strained from remaining stiff for so long. She crossed her hands over her chest, losing all pretense of formality as she leaned back against the counter. "Right. The General."
Leona braced herself mentally, the information she was preparing to share something she had told no one. She hadn't even known herself until several years ago, but even so, she wasn't used to the idea of letting someone in.
"The General is the cause of the War," she began, frowning. "I'm not quite sure how old he is, though it's obvious he's well over three hundred. Even I don't know everything, but I do know the facts: He's the only Gifted known to have multiple abilities, all of which that have to do with the mind. Telekenesis, telepathy, general access to the mind and its memories or dreams.
"His name," she went on, "is Delias. And if you're going to know the answer to your second question, I'm going to have to tell you the entire story. Of him, and of...well, our ancestors."
Leona let out a deep breath, her shoulders tense. "As you already know, he was the first Gifted. This nice little story begins with loneliness, which is what he was: lonely." She waved a hand. "He bought the island---you know which one---and he built the prison Vrogad. His intent was to create more Gifted, to fulfill a prophecy of the future he'd been shown in a dream. The prophecy was...well, the War. To him, it was everything. His answers. His prayers. A world ruled by people like him, ruled by people for him."
Leona pursed her lips. "This is where any sympathy someone could have for Delias disappears. It wasn't about being lonely, not anymore. Now it was about a world ruled by Gifted on the backs of mankind. He may have started Vrogad, but I assure you, he didn't run it. He let the humans do that. Hired scientists. Armed guards. Brilliant minds and brute force." She shrugged. "You can see why we believed the humans did it. Delias was never around, not while children were being kidnapped or tested or changed into what the humans called mutants, not for years. He let the humans do everything. He was..." here she hesitated. "Smart. But cruel.
"That's why everyone believes the humans enslaved us. They did create us, even abuse our ancestors, but on Delias's orders. He created an island of torture to create an enemy of the humans, to eventually lead to the world we know today. Those brave few, the Originals who escaped and returned to destroy the prison? He allowed it. He had everything planned, Hector. There might even be proof the Originals knew of his evil...but with the prison destroyed, they thought he'd gone with it. If he wins...if we win, the prophecy is fulfilled."
Leona rested her head in her hand, propping her elbow against the counter. "I've gained this information through my very valuable informants; I assure you, you're not being misled. Prophets with abilities much like Delias's were used to find out these facts." Here she paused, gritting her teeth. "He also allowed me to see...some of his past. When we briefly met."
Luka: New York
Luka shrugged,
"Didn't really want to spend anymore time in the jail." he admitted, he shrugged, not really answering because he didn't have a developed ansswer to the question. He felt the plane start moving and grinned, they were getting away with sneaking out of the country on a plane that he'd helped reak into. He leaned against the wall of the plane and put his hands behind his head. He hoped once they hit the ground to change out of his itchey jail uniform,
"How long til we land?" he asked Selah because he didn't know how long it took to fly across the ocean, he had lost count of the minutes when he'd first been tranported here.
(Carson:As much as Jem wants to avoid his brother ((and all the awkwardness involved in that meeting)) he can't disobey orders from Leona. It's too...rebellious, for loyal Jem, that is xD It's definitely going to be interesting, especially with Eve's hitmen haha (: We're just waiting for Karma to reply, right? )
Jem London
Jem released a breath he didn't realize he was holding. He really didn't want to fight Quentin now. Someone who wasn't prejudice...that was someone who gains Jem's respect almost instantly.
"Good." Jem replied, allowing himself to give a relieved smile."I ah...believe you are stayin at The Cat's Eye, too?" He didn't really worry about sounding creepy anymore.
Snooze Central America
Like a puppy, Snooze trailed behind Jo obediently. He noticed many pairs of curious eyes--all with colored rings that seemed to be present in every Gifted--followed him and Jo. He did his best to ignore it as he sat across from her, beginning with his apple. He always saved his main course for last.
At the question of his power, Snooze chewed thoughtfully. He wasn't used to talking so much, let alone someone being interested in him as a whole. Snooze was kind of a wallflower. He knew nothing about Jo's power, but didn't mind. Like little kids often do, Snooze trusted her enough.
"It's like...like turning off a light switch." Snooze explained, after he was done swallowing."When you're awake, you're glowing. Not really, but,"He shrugged, as if Jo could understand what he meant,"That's what it's like. When I get really scared, or angry,"At this, Snooze looked slightly ashamed, before it passed,"It's works more. It's stronger."He paused, setting his half eaten apple aside as he folded his hands in front of him.
"You have interesting dreams."Snooze finally said, picking his apple up again."I can see those. And yours are always colorful." He smiled a little. He liked Jo's dreams a lot. It was one of the things he'd miss the most about her.
Hector: Central America
The next bit to come out of Leona's mouth was almost unbelievable---almost. A Gifted---the first Gifted, at that---ordering humans to abuse other Gifted, and even causing this war? Why would he even want to do that? Hector never held the General (if the whole situation wasn't so serious, the fact that his name was Delias probably would have made him crack up) much in high regard, and this only made him more irritated, or even angered.
That is the man who has been leading the Gifted, or at least the official armies? Leona seemed to actually be telling the truth, or at least saying what she believed to be the truth.
Even so...even if this is all true, even if I can trust her with everything, would it really be wise for me to join this cause? If I were to help, and then our side lost...what would become of me, my people? Would it really be wise for me to join now, without waiting to see how things will work out?
Rather than repeating his thoughts aloud, he asked a separate set of questions:
"How do you know, then, that you aren't playing into your General's" ---saying 'Delias' was a bit strange for him--- "game this very moment? How can you know he hasn't been anticipating this?"
(Imma rephase that last bit:)
"How do you know, then, that you aren't playing into your General's" ---saying 'Delias' was a bit strange for him--- "game this very moment? How can you know he hasn't been anticipating you trying to...gather people to rise against him, if that really is what you mean to do?"
Tesla: Cat's Eye Inn
Tesla opened her mouth and closed it a few times, confused and unsure how to respond to Nyx's comment. You really need to get out more, Tes.
Tesla silently watched Nyx rub the dye into her hair, a momentary bout of unhappiness flashed through her, neither of them should have to be hiding the things that made them unique....
Tesla gave Nyx a sideways glance and a light smirk, "Yeah, that may be true, but better safe than sorry, and by sorry I mean dead."
Tesla followed Nyx out of the bathroom and leaned against the frame, glancing down at her jeans and tanktop. "Well, our clothes didn't exactly make it through the travel and rain without injury, so I think they're almost ratty enough already. We just need it to look like we've been hiking across England for a few weeks, which we almost have been."
She looked up at Nyx, eyeing her, "I think I have a torn pair of cargos you can borrow if you need 'em. I only have one jacket, all the others were Gifted uniform, what about you?"
Quentin: London
A wry smile touched Quentin's lip as he looked at Jem, "It seems you know more about me than I know about you, Doctor."
He reached into his pocket for a cigarette, bringing one to his lips, but he paused for a moment, peering at Jem, after a second Quentin pursed his lips and shoved the thing back into the pack. he needed to quit anyway.
Quentin leaned forward, his eyes serious, "Where are you from, Doctor? Who gave you this message? Is it being spread?"
(Xiphias and Carson: Is it okay if we skip a few hours ahead at the school to nightfall, and perhaps have some kind of a bomb/air raid attack there?)
(Dolphin: Perfectly fine with me! ^_^ Sounds like it might be exciting, too. XD
And if you guys are ready, Dani and Leah, we can go ahead and make the skip, unless you want to put in another post or two for Jaden and Noah. I don't mind when; just let me know.)
Bobbi: Leaving Fort Paris
Bobbi pursed her lips, the importance of the mission falling onto her shoulders, as if it were actual weight. "I know. It's what's been bothering me...I mean, she's over two platoons, which is one more than usual. Rumor is she's close with the Commander's son, but that might be wishful gossip. My thing is: If it is true, then we'll be taking on more than her. They said if we could, if the opportunity rose...we could take out the Commander himself. If not him, then maybe his son, if he's even in town, so to speak."
Bobbi sighed here, rubbing her hair, smoothing it back into a neater ponytail. "But what really gets me is---and don't get me wrong here: Why us?" She shook her head. "I mean, I'm good at what I do, I'll admit. But I'm still new. And for them to let me choose a soldier, which they had to have known was going to be you---they know everything, I mean gracious---is odd, too. It's nearly like they expect us to fail. I mean, we'll be reporting back to them every couple of days, so they'll be getting updates on their defense, offense, structure...maybe that's all we were meant to be. Kids with a mission that's not even real, to give us some motivation."
Bobbi sighed again, throwing her hands up as the path before them became a road. They'd walk several miles on this before coming to the divide in the road, in which they'd take a right. Eventually, a marked path---Bobbi didn't know how it would be marked---would show them the way they'd need to go in order to stay below the radar on their trip to the human fort.
"I don't know. If you think about it too much, it gets to you, I suppose."
Nyx: Cat's Eye Inn
"Just what I'm wearing and a jacket." Nyx gestured to her jeans and T-Shirt. "I can rip a hole or two in them to make it look more authentic. The jacket...well, it's ratty enough as it is." Nyx held up the windbreaker, rolling her eyes at it. "I think we're good."
Nyx didn't even wait the full hour for her hair to settle; only twenty minutes passed before she threw down the towel and trotted to the bathroom, tying her hair back in her usual long braid, all traces of purple now gone. She looked at her tresses sadly for a moment, missing the color, before turning to smile at Tesla.
"Oh well. It'll come back. Anyway, we should get going; it's already going to be dusk in an hour or so, and I want you to meet Doc Boy."
Leona: Central America
Leona watched Hector take her words in with a surprisingly attentive expression, one that both pleased and shocked her. He was taking his business seriously, a side of him Leona had only heard of but never seen. It was refreshing, and she felt a small bead of hope begin to swell, even with his last round of quick-fire questions.
"I don't," she answered honestly. "Delias is, after all, his own prophet. I've had to collect this information over years, through multiple Gifted resources; he's had it all in his head for centuries. No doubt he's predicted a band of Gifted learning the truth behind the War and trying to put a stop to it, but thinking like that will drive you insane."
Leona waved her hand in the air, frustrated at the situation. "Believe me, I've turned over this for as long as the truth's been in my mind. And in the end, I've had to think of the worst possible situation, which would be that Delias does know about a group trying to rise against him. Perhaps our efforts would even prevent the humans from winning some way. Perhaps he's truly manipulating us at this very moment." She shrugged. "In the end, there's not much we can do. We can fight this War as we have been, and eventually, we will win. Gifted will rule, and Delias will get his desire, eventually overturning the power to himself in a ruthless dictatorship---I've seen that future, and I don't look forward to it."
She paused. "Or, we can fight it. Maybe even win the War for Gifted and humans seeking peace. Maybe, God forbid, we can all learn to get along again." Leona sighed. "At this point? I just don't know how anyone can want this War to go on. People are growing weary of all the death. An end is coming, but what end...well, that's to be decided."
Leona stood, brushing down her jeans, suddenly exhausted but, at the same time, tired of sitting. "I don't know about you, but I'd take my chances with the humans over a world where I'm a slave as much as everyone else, forced into a set of rules I didn't fight for or determine." She glanced up at Hector. "Because that's his prophecy, Hector. Not Gifted ruling. Him. He doesn't care about his people. That's why he allowed them to be tortured all those years ago. We're not in his best interest."
(I'm good with skipping, Carson :))
Jo: Central America
Jo leaned forward curiously in her seat. She had strange dreams? Really? That was interesting... Jo hardly ever remembered any of her dreams when she woke and to her it seemed like being able to see forgotten dreams must be a really cool ability.
She had many questions to ask about Snooze's power. His gift was an interesting one- complicated and complex rather than straight forward like most other gifts were. If he could make people fall asleep and see into people's dreams then Jo wondered what else Snooze might be able to do.
"Can you see your own dreams?" Jo asked. "Like, are you conscious whenever you're dreaming?"
Selah: New York
Selah resisted the urge to hit herself after he answered her question. Duh he'd go to Paris if it meant getting out of prison! Sometimes Selah really regretted her thickheadedness.
"Oh yeah," She replied, laughing awkwardly. "Sorry about that."
Hm... But so far Luka- his lock picking skills aside- was acting like any nice kid would, if a bit reserved. It was hard to picture him doing anything worthy of getting sent to prison for. Then again, in this time of war they were sending people to jail even if there were just suspicions of a crime.
"Um, if you don't mind me asking," Selah said. "What did you do to get stuck in that prison?"
Luka: New York
Luka paused, thinking back at the events of the past few days and trying to put everthing together so eh could give Selah at least a semi inteeligent answer, though he really wasn't sure why they thought he was a spy after he went through those days of interrogation without cracking, they obviously still did,
"I was at the House and snuck in to grab something to eat, I was caught and they thought I was a spy." he threw his hands up to show his own confufsion at teh situation.
"That was what I was told by the lovely interrogators anyway, I still don't think I even look liek a spy." he said lookingd own at himslef, "I'm way to handsome." he added jokingly, running his hand through his messy tangle of hair.
((I'm good with skipping))
Humphrey: Fort London
Humprey jogged after Jury,
"Hey, Judge, waht's up?" he asked, catching up and keeping stride with his friend,
"You've been acting kind of strange since you left the oub, did you have too much to drink? Did you eat something funny? Do you need a doctor or something? Or did something bad happen?" he asked, his questioning method rapid fire and resembled a prosocuter cross examining a witness in a very important court case.
(I'm at school right now, but I'll post for Tesla when I get back. And I'm up for the skip anytime!)
