𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭︱raven reyes, book 2

xxiv. 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙡𝙤𝙪𝙙𝙨.

June can't help but smile. She was so proud of her.

"It's beautiful here," she says because she can't help that either. Admiring the land, that is. It was one of the first thoughts June had when the dropship first landed. Earth had so many stunning sights and the more she found, the more she loved the planet. June allowed her thoughts to wander for just a split second.

It looked so peaceful here and June hadn't even seen the lab yet. She could hardly wait. She was well aware their time there was going to be full of working with Luna's blood, finding a way to spin it so they could save everyone, but it was away from a spot of land that held horrible memories, causing June's mental state to decline. Standing here already felt like a breath of fresh air and a chance to catch it before it was gone.

In that second, Murphy had responded, snapping June out of her thoughts. "Never thought I'd be here again," he admits although it was more to himself than anyone else.

"Ha, you shouldn't have come." Raven squeezes June's shoulder before stepping past her to bump against Murphy's side. Her voice lowers. "You're not fooling anyone, Murphy. You're still a dick."

June's smile is smug instead this time when she joins them and passes Murphy. Miller notices the other two grounders hanging behind and calls out, "Luna, Nyko, time to move." The guards start loading their guns.

June shoves through. She's still furious that Abby refused to allow any of them to arm her. The anger had been lingering for so long that she had been refusing to speak since she sat in the boat without a firearm in her hand or clipped to her belt.

Once word got out about June showing Murphy hell for everything she put her through, Abby wasn't angry in return. She was far from it, actually. She was worried. June had been a ticking time bomb that finally exploded for the first time and she took Murphy with her. The second the doctor uttered the words Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, June had laughed. She laughed so hard she had doubled over, clutching her aching chest, and couldn't catch her breath. The whole world has Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and sure, June has been through a lot - things no human being should have to live through - but she was a good shot. They'd feel safer if she was armed.

Plus, Abby armed John Murphy of all people? They were screwed.

The water lapping is left behind for the feeling of sand particles scraping their shoes. June's knees wobble as the group crosses the newfound land, she's never walked on this type of surface before, and the ground below has a sinking feeling as if she stood for too long, she'd plunge beneath it. There's a damp residue that stuck to the soles of her boots thanks to the body of water they crossed to get here. June can't imagine how much it already rains here, she only fears what would happen when the acid rain finally hits.

Emori suddenly stops when they come across a line of tall stones, their tops carved into the shape of a pyramid's tip. The people she led halted behind her. "What's wrong?" Abby asks.

"ALIE's rule. No Frikdreina past this line," Emori replies quietly. June's eyes shift to the arm she always kept hidden under bundles of cloths. Emori seems almost afraid of anyone seeing what was underneath the same way she feared continuing. "I've never crossed it," she admits.

"Frikdreina?" Jackson repeats.

"Mutants."

June sucks in a breath. She considered a long time ago that the lingering radiation had affected more than just animals and plants, but she's never come across someone with a deformed limb. She could tell by the fear on Emori's features that grounders didn't exactly worship them. And the word, Frikdreina - it sounded like poison dancing across her tongue as if it was a horrible slur used against her so many times it couldn't possibly stop hurting.