--- credit to @yureinohana_ for most Faye dialogue. She's way better at writing sassy brats than I am. also wattpad's being weird and not allowing me to ping her lmao sorry---
"Tch. Formal as ever, hmm?" Faelynn rolled her eyes. "It's Faye. For the last time."
June didn't like her very much.
Alden smiled slightly, dipping his head again. "June, Fitz, this is Faye. You should've seen her at Foxfire some time or the other, she's in Level Five."
"And much more responsible than any of the other idiots," Faye added.
"Hey." Fitz frowned. "I'm in Level Five–"
"You're also an idiot," she stated coolly. "Learn to listen, hmm?"
June gritted her teeth, feeling her hand itch toward Glistensteel, a motion noticed by Faye, who offered a small smirk and rested her hand on the hilt of her own sword, which was poking out from a flap on her gown.
"This is getting bo-ring. I should've known it would be no fun with you and your little crew, Alden. And June... learn to control your temper, won't you? I'm sure it'll be very useful in the near future," Faye said, her sugarcoated words dripping with honey. "I mean, bo-ring! We've all gotten far too used to the stereotypical violent rebel female! How about something a little more... interesting, hmm?"
Don't attack her, Fitz transmitted. She's not worth it.
She insulted you. And she's such a bitch.
Doesn't matter. Wait for the Council to sort things out. I'm sure she's here for a reason, no matter how... he bit his lip. Distasteful.
Faye wore a self-satisfied smirk — don't attack, June thought — as she watched little yellow specks of light float around her. This bitch... June dug her nails into the palms of her hand as she glared at Faye. I want to kill her. I want to make sure she never sees the light of da—
I can hear you thinking that.
Gah! What have I told you about prodding into your girlfriend's thoughts? Not cool!
Sorry. He didn't look ashamed at all as he motioned for Alden to continue leading them down the dark hallway.
Faye's voice echoed down the hallways as she spoke. The tunnel wasn't as dark, not with the little lights that flew around Faye as she walked.
"So~o! Where to first... right, yes, the brown-eyed girl— I mean, your dearest darling sister, Sophie! She's crucial to the survival of your famil— I mean, the welfare of our lovely home! I must thank you, Alden and Fitz, for bringing her here... Hmhmhm~, what else? Right, yes, of course..."
I'm about two seconds away from murdering her right now.
June, Fitz said slowly, like he was Grady taming a lion, or maybe Edaline on one of her fangirl days. This is the Seat of Eminence. No blood will be shed here.
She insulted my family. No one gets away with insulting my family.
She will if we're in a Council building. Seriously, don't kill anyone here. At least wait until you leave.
Faye shot a wink at the two of them, flipping back her hair as she continued. "Now, it's obviously important to pay attention... who knows what'll happen here? Hmhmhm~! Lucky for you all, you have me as your guide.
Bitch. I thought Alden was our guide.
Let's not focus on that. Fitz rubbed his temples, drawing her closer. Let's... think about what the Council wants us to do. Something dangerous, probably.
"They'd never allow anything to happen to me, duh! Once, there was an assassination attempt on me... let's just say, it didn't go well, hm? Anyways..."
"I can bet you my assassination attempts will be much more successful," June muttered under her breath, purposely letting the words be just audible enough for Faye to hear.
"Hmm? What was that?" Faye asked softly, her head swinging around to stare dangerously at June. "We're all friends here, aren't we?"
Fitz spoke up, poking June in the waist before she could protest. "We should be," he told her. "You're making it hard for her."
"Great!" Faye cheered, clapping her hands before turning around once again. "Let's continue onward, shall we?"
Wind picked up slightly as June sighed, making more of a growl sound. "Please tell me the Council will arrive soon."
"Why should I have to tell you anything? Tch. Come on now, surely you can figure that out by yourself?" The faint lights around Faye grew more intense, but her voice still retained that childish lilt.
June huffed as she dug her nails into her palm again, drawing blood. She winced, mentally telling herself to cut them when she got home. If she had to spend any more time with Faye, that was a necessity.
"Oooh, she's angry~" Faye taunted, her eyes narrowing to slits.
Remember, diplomatic, Fitz repeated yet again. June frowned, searching for her gun as she patted her gown. Faye let out another sickeningly sweet laugh, smirking at her and spinning her gun around her fingers. June scowled, wiping her hands across her sleeves and staining them with blood.
"We're almost there," Alden told them, looking like he wanted to flee from the teenager drama unfolding before his eyes. "The Councillors will appear unified, and they should be here in a while."
The small wind died down as June's spotlight flickered. "Thank fucking god."
Faye tapped her painted nails against an unseen wall. "Mind your language."
Fuck you-
"Apologies for the inconvenience," Emery said, sweeping into the hall as his cape swished behind him.
The words reverbrated through the room as twelve spotlights gleamed to life in a wide circle around their group, illuminating each of the Councillors with a nearly blinding halo of silver. Between the strange lighting and their matching outfits, they looked eerily alike, their tailored silver suits and pulled-back hair making it hard to distinguish between different genders. Alden wasn't kidding when he said the Councillors would appear unified. They looked literally identical. Only their slight height differences differentiated them, and the Councillors looked like a choir of ghosts as a slow chime rang out.
They were wearing identical diamond crowns instead of their individual gemstone circlets. June found herself staring greedily at the ornate headpieces, and Faye giggled softly, tapping her shoulder. She whipped around, almost catching her in the neck and snatching her gun back as Faye retreated, snapping her fingers and making electricity sizzle.
You really shouldn't annoy Chargers.
I don't fucking care. I hate her. She's the most egotistical, arrogant, self-centered-
Just listen and try not to think about murder for the next couple hours, 'kay? I'm sure the Council called us here for an important reason. Not two girls trying to take each other's head off.
June grumbled, strapping her gun firmly to her gown and biting back insults.
A Councillor coughed.
"Welcome to the seat of Eminence," Emery said as spotlights dimmed enough to make the Councillors more recognizable. "Again, we apologize for the somewhat last-minute nature of the meeting. I'm sure you all have many questions about why we've brought you here, particularly since this place is accessible to only those who bear titles for the oaths they've sworn to our service."
Thunder snapped between Faye's fingers. "Tha~at's right! Like me, hmm?"
"You wish." She reached for her gun's trigger, feeling for the safety before Fitz stopped her.
"In your dreams!"
Emery sighed as another Councillor murmured something about teenagers. June couldn't agree more as he continued, "That is not changing, in case you were wondering. Those of you who required an escort to gain access today will not be permitted to visit again, unless you have a title of your own."
June's heart practically stopped as it jumped in excitement, barging against her rib cage. She focused all her energy into stopping herself from squealing, and Fitz rubbed her shoulder with a small but proud smile. Alden nodded at them from behind. Meanwhile, Faye giggled.
"Hmm, you really have been dreaming about this all your life, haven't you?"
Fitz had to grab her arm to stop her from immediately punching the obnoxious girl.
How does she know so much about me? she asked Fitz desperately, wanting to cry. He held her close.
It's just because you're famous, he reassured her. You're not getting stalked or anything, you know. Faye did not install any secret recording devices in your bedroom.
How do you know?
...Seriously?
"The Council wishes to recognize some of the major human issues. We've seen a drastic increase in terrorist organizations and attacks the past year the Neverseen have run rampant, and our Emissaries have confirmed the Neverseen are involved. We wish to address these issues and prevent the human world from descending into chaos, as contradictory as it may seem with our usual policy. So,
"Faelynn Umeko Kiara. June Adaline Ruewen. Fitzroy Avery Vacker. You have been invited to participate in Team Echelon."
Faye perked up, her voice taking a more joyous tone. "Great! So I'll take it as granted that I'm the leader?"
"Excuse me? Nobody wants a bitch as their leader," June complained.
Faye turned her glance to June. "So nobody wants you as their leader, then?"
"No, you."
"He~ey! I'm plenty qualified for this position. Unlike you! What qualifications do you have, dequalifications?"
"No, I'm highly—"
"Guys!" Fitz sighed in exasperation. "Just sto–"
"Uh, no?" Faye said, crossing her arms. "Puh-lease. I'm obviously the leader here. I'm experienced, I know how to handle this kind of thing, I'm practically the perfect candidate for this!"
"No, you're the least perfect one," June said, her finger directly on the safety of her gun. "Now shut up. I'm the leade–"
"What are you going to do, huh? Shoot me? Wow, I'm so scared. It's almost like your entire family— including your dearest darling sister Sophie and your dearest mother Edaline and your dearest father Grady— will all suffer dire consequences!" Faye cheered. "So go on, shoot me. I'll recover anyway!"
Small lightning bolts seemed to flicker around Faye's arms, specifically her fingertips. June swore she even saw one leap to the ground.
"I swear," she snarled. "If I really do take this shot" -- her fingers fidgeted with the trigger, feeling the cool metal barrel -- "you will be dead. Instantly. And I promise you, I will not miss."
"But you won't dare, will you?" Faye turned, resting her chin on her hand and leaning against a wall, sending jolts of electricity flying through the air and making June's hair stand on end. "Ha~ah. Go on. I'd like to see you try."
"Cold-hearted bitch," she wheezed, letting go of her gun and shoving herself back into Fitz, panting heavily and attempting to calm her emotions. Faye studied her nails, thunder hopping from finger to finger and arcing like a rainbow, flashing with multicolored light.
She gave her one more smug smile, tossing her hair over her shoulder and shooting Fitz a flirty smile. Glistensteel's blade never felt so cold against her pocket as June growled, crossing her arms so tightly they might not uncross ever again.
"Anyways," Emery finally said after a tense standoff. "We were originally not planning to have a leader. It is quintessential for you to work as a team. We were expecting all of you to communicate, confide, and collaborate in all your efforts."
"Unlikely," June spat quietly. "Not with that bitch around."
"We understand if you find each other too -- ah -- opinionated. If you, or we, have any reason to believe your missions will end in failure due to incoordination, your team will be disbanded, all related files destroyed. You will never use titles in public. All these measures are taken to ensure absolute secrecy. If anyone fails" -- he locked eyes with all three of them -- "you will all be disavowed."
June swallowed, gripping Fitz's wrist tighter. The small cut in her hand was starting to hurt a little, and she clenched her palm, holding in the pain.
"I'm down," Faye said after a while, playing with a loose diamond on her outer skirt and flicking the crystal around her fingers. She looked nonchalant, almost like it was just a normal day in Atlantis, and she grinned at June. "So, will you really work as a team, with me?" She drew out the last word, stretching out the syllable and smirking evilly. Thunder flashed behind her, flickering like strobe bulbs.
Fitz massaged his arm, which was turning a little white. "I think I'll join too," he decided, giving June a meaningful glance. "I'm not very good at the fighting stuff, but you'll need a Telepath for basically any operation."
"Exactly," Emery agreed. "This team was designed specifically to have two fighters and one Telepath. Again- you must coordinate all your efforts. There will be no exceptions. No working alone. No spreading out. You will remain together, even if anything -- anything -- happens. Is- that- clear?"
"Yes," Fitz and Faye both said immediately, though she picked up a 'yeah, whatever' and a discreet eyeroll from Faye. Then they both turned to look at her, and she gulped slightly, avoiding eye contact.
"I guess I'm in," she mumbled.
"What a shame," Faye whispered. "Little miss violent rebel stereotype doesn't want to leave her emotional support boyfriend. Let's see how long this lasts."
June shot a glare at Faye, her hand clenched around the handle of her gun.
Calm, Fitz tramsmitted with a meaningful look.
Emery let out a breath. "Very well, then. I must remind you -- an oath will be sworn. If you do not manage to uphold and maintain that oath, there will be consequences."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Faye said loftily, throwing the diamond and catching it. Light glinted in June's eye, and she could swear Faye did that on purpose with that sneer on her lips.
"Are you sure about this?" Fitz asked her gently. "I don't want to pressure you. If you don't think you can handle the pressure, or..." His eye flicked over to Faye. "You don't have to do this."
"Yes, I do," she told him, keeping her voice strong. "I will do everything in my power to help my world."
The edge of his lips flicked up. "That's the June I know."
"Alright," she said, looking up at Emery. "Count me in."