Becoming Defiant •• OneRepublic {3}

Burden

Ramona's P.O.V.

Ramona finally let Zach mourn on his own and went to her own place - past the corner of the alley. She sunk to the ground against the brick wall and begun to sob harder than before. Her heart hadn't ever hurt like this and she didn't think it would hurt like this ever again.

Lynn was likely dead - there was an excellent chance she was or near it. She'd almost lost Johana as well, who was still struggling to heal all too well.

And it was Lynn, a woman who never did any bad thing in her whole life and only ever wanted to fulfill her dreams and be happy. And there she was, not breathing because she'd been shot by the terrorists who'd been leading the country straight into hell.

An anger filled Ramona up. First they almost killed the girls, then were a trigger's pull away from taking Ryan, almost got Jo, and finally succeeded in getting rid of Lynn. And with this rage, she wished to burn them all down to the ground - single-handedly.

Ramona got up, tears still streaking down her face alongside cold rain drops, and turned back into the alley. Zach was still buried in Lynn's soft red hair, and just behind him now, Daryl leaned against the wall looking somber. Cherry was a few feet away, hiding behind a car as she examined the scene. Ramona clenched her fists harder.

"How many more people are there?" She asked them. They both looked up at her and took a pause before answering.

"A good handful," Cherry answered, "Maybe twenty or so. The others are struggling to take a lot of them out and we need to get going before more come. Could use your help, if you're not t---"

"I'm fine. I'm going out there."

The other two didn't object and in fact seemed to encourage it. She walked back through the storm of falling droplets and gunfire to get what revenge she could hope to.

She wondered more why these men still followed orders without the President around - perhaps the officers had always been on the terrorists' side from the beginning. But nonetheless, without Carter and still operating smoothly, it was as if they were revealing themselves on their own. It was perhaps a sign of them falling apart without The Green helping.

It was easy to ignore Ramona's heartache when anger resided over it, and it was even easier to ignore the pain in her thigh for the same reason. Though sobs threatened to overcome her - even Ryan, hiding behind a large concrete pillar of the next building, noticed her emotional agony. He was at her side in seconds, pulling her behind a car. She shook her head immediately, to which he asked, "What's wrong?"

Tears came again, and they were flooding out of her eyes more than she would've liked. Ramona's mind gave her flashbacks all in tidal waves, each one a different moment with one of her dearest friends. From when they met to their shared laughs only yesterday.

"Lynn's dead. And I'm going to kill them all for it."

Ryan's mouth fell open and there was no mistaking the similar pain quickly overcoming him. He shook his head in what seemed to be disbelief, but Ramona couldn't bear to speak of it anymore. He knew and that was all that needed to be said.

"Ramona, I---"

"Please," She cut him off tearfully, "Please, not now."

Ryan's mouth shut and he nodded firmly, eager to do anything that would help her. Even if it meant silence for however long Ramona needed. It was something she greatly appreciated, for she knew she wouldn't keep silent for long. She suddenly wished for that night to come, so she could feel safe in his arms again and be able to sleep - it was only then that most of her horrors couldn't reach her.

Ramona got up again, making sure her guns were perfectly loaded. She thought of all the power she had not only on her, but within her. Then to her mind came vivid images of her father dying, her depression, her journey to get over it, the rebellion itself with all the good and bad to accompany it, Jo's near death and the recent confession of love, and now Lynn's horrific fate. It was overwhelming, but she carried it just as she'd been conditioned to.

My belongings are light, but my burden is heavy.

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I know I promised (on my mb) that I'd have this done yesterday, but right when I started to work, my internet cut out for three hours, and it was late at night. So here we are, when it's late again, updating a short (not even 900 words, damn it!)/not-so-great chapter. Almost a week after I was supposed to. And on top of that, I still messed up on the last three and they were all at least a day late. kms!!

Oh, and your update countdown reaches...FIVE.