Rogue. (IN REVISION)

38

                Avis came out of his tent to see his people crying out in devastation as they had found their family members, lovers and friends all murdered in the dark hours of the morning. He watched as the crimson blood filled the streets of his home, "Who...DID THIS?!" He shouted over the wailing crowd. Avis' happy and peace-loving façade had finally fallen to pieces. "Who did this?!"

Min came out of his tent to see the gruesome sight and she gasped, running to her tent to check on her loved ones. Avis walked the bloody streets of his order, seeing a dead body at every turn. He walked straight to Fallon's tent and threw the entrance open. "Do you have any way of explaining this?!" Avis asked angrily, looking at each one of the newcomers with fury. "What are you talking about, Avis?" Leo asked, waking up finally.

"My people have been slaughtered in their homes!" He spat. His eyes fell upon the Tomper who was watching the whole situation. "That Tomper! I knew it. That evil metallic monster did this!"

Gideon stood up and put his hands up to calm the man, "I assure you that it wasn't me. I promise."

"Why should I believe a Tomper?! Look at what you have done!" He opened the tent again to let the robot hear the horror that his people were going through. Gideon just shook his head, "This wasn't me. I assure you I am uncapable of killing anyone."

Avis then looked over at Fallon who had finally come through the back door of the tent. He came to her and embraced her, "Thank goodness you're alright. I didn't see you in here I thought- "

Avis' eyes narrowed; Fallon looked confused for a moment. She was uncomfortable being in his arms, especially after what she had done. He shook his head and met her eyes again, "I thought something terrible had happened."

"I-I'm fine." She spoke up. "What happened?"

"Someone has slaughtered at least thirty of my people." He said, he looked down at her, his eyebrow raised but his demeanor quiet. "Did you see or hear anything this morning?"

Fallon glanced at Venner before she answered, and she shook her head. "No. I was asleep." She lied. "Why would anyone do such a thing?"

"You're right, why would anyone do such a thing?" He asked back, his curious eyes scanning everyone in the tent. "I may need your company tonight; this has been such a terrible day already."

"She will do nothing of the sort." Leo told him. "She stays with us tonight. She won't be partaking in any of this nonsense." Avis' eyes shifted to Leo in agitation. "I believe I was speaking to Fallon, not you." He spoke.

"Aren't you a brave one, trying to overstep my authority. Who the hell do you think you are?" He stepped in front of his daughter and faced the cult leader.

"Stop!" Fallon shouted. She looked over at Avis and met his eyes, "I will be with my family tonight. I am sorry, Avis." The sudden emotion that flooded her eyes seemed to confuse him and he merely nodded. He left the tent and decided to take care of the mess that had been made of his compound. Fallon breathed a sigh of relief as he left. Leo looked at her and saw the guilt weighing on his daughter's shoulders. "Fallon...did you have anything to do with this?"

Fallon met her father's eyes, and she didn't have to say anything for him to know what had happened. "Fallon!" The authority in her father's voice made her cower in fear and she tried not to cry, "Why?! Why on earth would you do something like this?" He clasped his daughter's shoulders and stared at her. "Thirty people."

Leo shook his head in disbelief, how could she have done that in one morning? "Why? Just...please tell me why?" Leo asked with

"I couldn't just listen to the cries of those children, Dad."