Legacy // H.S

37.

'I won't deny I've got in my mind now all the things I would do'

*

Harry

'And you're sure you saw no one?' I ask. I've already asked it a thousand times, but what else is there to say at a time like this. Atlas, alone in the city, where anything could have happened. And I know she can defend herself, she's more capable than most people I know, but the idea of something dreadful happening to her again, of potentially losing her, has had me pacing the bedroom since we got home.

She's laid across the bed, her normal attire now dressing her body, and her hands rest over her eyes as she tries to calm herself. Even now, ruthless in the face of danger, she's scared. That's what sets us apart from the people we call villains; our ability to humanise this chaos.

In the city, I found her hiding in one of the cafes opposite the Tower, busy enough to avoid a scene. Each seat sat so closely together that if anyone approached her someone would overhear. She was pale and shaken up, barely talking on the ride home. People assume that you can become numb after so many instances with danger or fear, but for Atlas, I often worry that even the slightest thing might overwhelm her. That's only because it frequently overwhelms me. After Zayn's dad died, I ran. I've never been the type of person to run. I face every challenge without resistance; it's how I was raised, I suppose. But after so many setbacks, how is anyone supposed to find the motivation to keep stepping one foot in front of the other?

'Yes, Harry, I'm certain. The only person I was with was the Tower staff. We passed by some tourists, but I kept my wits, okay? I never have my guard down anymore. I know better than that,' she tells me, some frustration sounding in her voice, exhaustion setting over her body. 'That text came right as I was going into the final tunnel, but there was no one else around. And before you ask again, I'm certain it wasn't the worker, because there was no signal.'

'I'm sorry,' I say. 'I'm just worried, alright. I need to be sure of all the details these days. Whenever we make progress, we always seem to miss something.'

She moves her hands away from her face, her features softening. 'I don't think we missed anything, though. It wasn't like someone was leaving clues like they've done in the past. This came from the inside. The mole that we've always known is there. It just complicates things because they've been awfully quiet as of late. It's almost like they'd switched sides.'

It's something I've considered, too. As we've found our footing on the pedestal of power with Hugo, the upper hand firmly secured over these weeks, any interference has all but disappeared. Usually, there are always signs that someone is listening, following, watching. We've come to identify them more clearly. But with the downfall of someone that once seemed impossible to topple, the person that worked with them has been silent, too. For a while I worried they had been punished, but no one in our team had been hurt, either. All possibilities made little to no sense.

The concept that perhaps this person has been playing both sides, though? Now that seems plausible. Waiting to see who is succeeding over the other, who is more likely to win this game of chess. I assumed we had reached checkmate, but the eyes that were watching Atlas only prove how cautious we still need to be, even if we find ourselves meeting several victories.

All those victories are down to Atlas, though. I can't take credit for them, and I don't want to. She is the leader of this group now, not me. In some ways, it feels as if I was just keeping that seat warm until she was ready to take the throne. A worthy queen of our kingdom.

'I don't think they have a side, Atlas. They're just moving against whoever is losing. All the progress we've made over these few weeks with the gangs pushed us to the front of the race, meaning they had more reason to help us than hurt us,' I muse.