The city of Regona bustled as usual. Fake sunlight embraced those below going about their business. The school was empty – it was a weekend. Throughout the city the teenage population was quiet. It wasn't unusual, for on the off days they tended to sleep during the day and get up at the night. However, today was going to be different.
Sahara swayed back and forth on her hovering board. From on top of the building she had found she gazed at the city below. People chatted, people laughed. Those who did not belong here did not know what was coming.
She lifted her eyes to the clear sky. The stiffness in her neck from the morning was disappearing. Somehow she had ended up falling asleep while sitting on the couch. It hadn't been a peaceful sleep, or a very comfortable one. Her stomach churned, no doubt complaining about the little breakfast she had managed to swallow. She couldn't help it, it was the nerves.
Her eyes darted to her wrist. She swiped a hand across and a hologram clock popped up. 11:30...thirty minutes till it begins. She swallowed, trying to settle her stomach. The others will have called together their own crew as well as those in their area. She bit her lip as she remembered what she had learned yesterday.
"We'll call the crews together, all of them," Noah had said.
"How's that possible?" Sahara posed the question.
"An Omega isn't just leader of the top crew. They have power over their whole area," Glen revealed. "If they call a meeting, the others will come."
Sahara was doubtful. "And they'll listen?"
"It's in the Creed. They'll come."
"Call them as late as you can before we start. If they have little notice it'll be less likely that Lithium will catch wind," Terrell added.
Sahara bit her lip. The twins had organized sending out the message. Now the crews of the fifth area should be gathering in the location she had chosen. If any of them come... She wrapped her arms around herself.
"You okay?" Arden's voice called.
Sahara turned. Behind her stood the twins, Orion and Paige. Sahara's eyes drifted over them and she gave them a nervous smile.
"Terrified."
"You'll do great," Reagan assured.
"Did...did any of them come?" Sahara dared the question.
Paige grinned. "Oh, did they?" Her eyes sparkled. "It seems they're quite curious as to what the newest Omega has to say."
"So...some came?"
"Some?" Arden smiled at that. "I'd say all of them."
Sahara's stomach fluttered. "How many?"
"Hmm..." Reagan lifted his fingers, as though counting. "I think it's..." He turned to his twin. "Aren't you the one good at math?"
Arden let out a sigh. "Why don't you come and see for yourself?"
Sahara swallowed.
Her eyes turned to Orion, yet he was looking elsewhere, eyes troubled. He had returned in the morning and without a word joined the crew for breakfast.
Taking a deep breath Sahara nodded. "Let's go."
Her crew members nodded. They got on their own boards and waiting for Sahara to lead the way. She headed for the stairs. The five Falcons followed her down, one following the other in silence. When they exited at the bottom Sahara took a right turn. She went straight before turning sharply to the left and boarding to the area they often used for moonlight gatherings.
Buildings fell away and the familiar area opened up before her – a large courtyard surrounded by steps leading down into it. She froze as soon as it came in sight. Voices hummed, lifting into the air to form a loud chorus. Sahara's eyes darted over the hundreds and hundreds of teens squeezed into the area. Some sat on the steps, others hovered above on boards, and still others stood on the ground. Every space on the ground was filled, as was a good part of the air.
Now she understood why Terrell had said to give them as little notice as possible. With a crowd this big, it was only a matter of time for Lithium to notice something was up. Sahara took comfort in the fact that a similar thing was happening at the same moment throughout the other territories in the city.
As she took in the sheer size of the gathering every instinct screamed for her to turn around and run. Sahara wasn't good in front of crowds, she wasn't cut out for this.
Stop it, she scolded herself. You can do this. She closed her eyes. For Alegra...for Naomi...for Regona... Her eyes flew open. As her crew came to stand behind her she pulled up a screen on her bracelet. The twins had shown her the day before how to access the feature that would amplify her voice to all those before her.
"H-hello?" She began. She winced as her voice echoed above all the others.
Instantly conversations ceased. Hundreds and hundreds of eyes turned, all on her.
Terror filled Sahara at the realization.
"What makes you think they'll listen to us?" Theodore had asked.
"They'll listen," was Terrell's confident reply. "The tension is already there. Now you just need something to say that'll make it overflow."
"Alright then...what should we say?"
Sahara's eyes darted to her watch. 11:45. She took a deep breath. Be confident. Be a leader. Make them listen. She lifted her eyes to meet the sea of boarders before her.
"My name is Sahara." Sahar jutted her chin out, eyes sweeping over expecting faces. "I am the leader of the Falcons. I am..."
"I am," Theodore was saying at the exact same time from where he stood on a building facing a crowd as large as Sahara's.
"I am," Calvin stood in a large warehouse filled to the brim.
"I am," Glen said from a variety of screens broadcasting his face the filled courtyard.
"I am," Aaron was in what looked like a park.
From his own hideout Terrell looked up from the table he sat at.
Sahara paused. "The fifth Omega."
"The fourth Omega," Theodore said at the exact same time.
"The third Omega." Calvin sounded bored.
"The second Omega." Glen face beamed.
"The first Omega." Aaron lifted a finger to get his point across.
In that moment Terrell got up. "It begins." He pulled up the hoodie of his jacket and pulled up a black mask that covered his mouth and nose. The others in the room followed his lead. "Let's go and raise hell." They walked toward the exit.
Unaware of what exactly was going on every else, Sahara focused on the task at hand.
"Many of you are no doubt wondering why I suddenly called you together."
There were snorts from around her and a few yeahs mixed in as the crowd shifted.
Sahara took another breath as her chest tightened.
"I-It's because I have something to say..." she trailed of lamely.
"Come on," someone groaned.
"Then say it," a voice yelled.
Sahara froze. Fear took over, making her unable to move, unable to speak
"Oh come on!" another yell.
"What a waste of time," another.
Voices rose, noise grew. Sahara was rattled.
"Is she really the Omega?"
"This is a joke, right?"
A hand landed on one shoulder and another on the other.
"You can do this," Arden's voice whispered.
"Come on Sahara," Reagan encouraged. "Make them listen."
Sahara nodded. Her hand automatically went to the chain around her neck and her fingers clutched the familiar round object that hung at the end. A wave of longing suddenly swept over her and she realized how much she wanted to bury her face in that familiar chest. And then a calm filled her as Terrell's words from the day before filled her mind.
"Listen!" she called.
The voices around her rose.
Sahara's fingers clenched into fists. You need to make them quieten down...say something that'll make them listen... An idea popped into her head. "You're all idiots who suck at boarding!" She yelled.
It instantly became so silently one could hear a pin drop. Sahara thought she heard Reagan snicker, yet she didn't once tear her eyes from the crowd before her. The hands from her shoulders disappeared as the twins stepped back.
"I'm an idiot," she whispered, yet her amplified voice made everyone hear it. Sahara looked up. "It's been four years now...four years since the virus hit and took everything from you." Sahara's eyes searched the crowd. She had their full attention. As Terrell's words flowed from her mouth they became her own.
At the same time four Omegas were giving the same speech.
"Yes, we were abandoned..." Theodore was saying.
Calvin stared at those before him. "Yet we fought on and came this far..."
"Yes we have our differences..." Glen was no longer smiling, his eyes expressing sincerity.
Aaron lifted his head to stare at the blue sky. "Yet, we've all been through the same pain."
Terrell and a group of others walked through the dimply lit hallway that lead to the exit of their hideout. Drones flew on either side.
In Lithium a LCS member ran into the large dining room where the governor sat enjoying his lunch. "Sir...you should see this..."
The governor of Lithium looked up as the newcomer pulled up a screen.
It was split in five and showed an unusual number of teenagers gathered in different areas.
The governor's eyes narrowed. "Alert the forces. Call the others together and head for Regona."
"We've lost a lot," Sahara was telling the crowd before her at that moment. "We've lost too much. And now...now another city comes in and decides to take even more?"
"We all know people have been disappearing, and we sat back like nothing was happening," Theodore shook his head.
"Since when are we afraid?" Calvin asked the crowd. "Since when have we known fear?"
"Since when have we let another city decide what we can and cannot do?" Glen paused.
"Especially a city that seems to know who brought the virus in the first place," Aaron delivered the blow.
Shock filled faces, quickly followed by anger. Sahara could feel it growing.
Theodore stared at the crowd before him. "This!"
"Is!" Calvin yelled.
"Our!" Glen was saying.
"City!" Aaron boomed.
Sahara faced the crowd with unusual calmness flowing through her. "So why are we running?" she asked softly.
Silence.
"When the city first burned, what did you do?" She stood taller as her eyes searched those before her. "You argued, you fought, you burned the city, and you created new families only to tear them apart. You let greed take over and you lost one of the most important things..." She paused, "trust."
Eye contact was avoided, no one seemed to want to look.
"So why don't we fix that?" Sahara asked.
Eyes turned on her.
"How about it?" She reached out her hand at the same time as four other Omega's did the same. "Let's trust each other and rise up as one."
Sahara opened her mouth. At the same moment four other Omega's did the same. "Let's take Regona back."
One moment of silence before voices suddenly rose.
"Let's do it!"
"Take it back!" The shouts got louder and angrier.
"Kick them out!"
Sahara blinked as it rose into a roar.
Fists were thrown in the air as the crowd turned into an angry mob.
"They don't belong here!" Someone screamed.
"They killed everyone!" Another.
"Let's go!"
All around people got on their boards and started to head out, grabbing anything that could be used as a weapon.
The same thing was happening in four other locations.
At that moment the Phantoms emerged from their hideout, carrying a variety of weapons from metal poles to actual gun like weapons. As they walked, more and more seemed to appear from the shadows, falling in behind Terrell, some wore masks, and some did not. Terrell turned his head to Noah. The boy no longer had white hair. Instead it was dyed a dark red – the color of blood.
"I'll see you later." Terrell jumped on his board. "Send the signal." He nodded before he was off.
Noah lifted his bracelet and pressed a button.
It looked like a small action, yet it did a lot.
All throughout the city bracelets vibrated.
Two teenagers in a coffee shop nodded at each other. They got up. One grabbed a chair and threw it through the glass window. For a moment time seemed to slow. Chair hit glass. Glass cracked. Glass Shattered. Glass flew.
At the same moment teens poured from areas all throughout the city, heading out for a rampage, heading out for battle.
In another location a group of keepers glanced at their vibrating bracelets before looking up. They grabbed their boards and jumped on, heading straight for a group of LCS. A boy playing with a hologram dog cut the game as soon as his bracelet vibrated. He pulled on a mask and headed straight for the new store that had opened up. Two others joined him on the way.
The same was happening in hundreds of locations all around where bracelets vibrated. More and more boarders got up from every-day tasks and changed from cheerful teenagers to one's with one purpose – create chaos.
The glass from the shattered widow hit the ground and screams sounded from startled pedestrians.
From his window Rayne watched smoke rise from the city. "This is the second time I'm seeing my city burn." His eyes took in all they could. "You are indeed a scary one, brother." He turned from his vibrating bracelet. "I hope you know what you're doing." A screen was pulled up on the table he walked towards. He swiped his hand and as a result words flashed in quick succession. On tap and the screen turned red. "As you requested," he said.
"Sir!" In Lithium the governor was interrupted once again. He looked up in irritation. "The shuttle...the system is down."
This time the governor jumped to his feet. "What?" His eyes turned to the figure that sat at the other end of the table.
Slowly, Alegra looked at the hologram clock on the wall. It was noon. An innocent smile spread across her face. "Is something wrong, governor?"
The screens shoed the chaos breaking out in Regona as the streets were taking over by the crews. Anyone wearing an LCS uniform was targeted as riots began.
"You...did you plan this?" The governor growled.
Alegra shook her head. "You give me too much credit." She got to her feet.
"It won't work!" The governor called after her before turning to the LCS member. "Call the general. Get that shuttle to run. In the meantime get our crafts out! If we can't get the shuttle running we'll go in through the cargo dock!" He hurried from the room. "Use stun guns to calm them down...however..." He was almost at the door. "If anyone comes near the package then don't hesitate to shoot live rounds." his words echoed.
Having been forgotten Alegra turned and hurried in the opposite direction. She didn't have much time.
At the same moment Sahara was staring at the emptying courtyard. The screams made a wave of ice cold wash through her. All confidence disappeared and her legs suddenly felt weak.
"Say it and things will work on their own..." Terrell's voice echoed.
"Isn't that manipulation?" Sahara had asked.
"Words are a powerful thing."
"People will get hurt."
Terrell's eyes had turned on her. "There's no time to do this another way...You said you would do anything to get your crew back together."
Sahara felt Arden grab her shoulders in time to stop her from crumpling to the ground. "You okay?"
"It worked!" Reagan sounded excited.
"Is this really okay?" Sahara whispered.
"We have no time to think about that," Arden told her firmly as he turned her around. "Come on, we need to get back to the warehouse."
The Falcons turned and boarded off. They headed into the chaos, taking the back alleys in order to try and avoid it as much as possible. Sahara shivered at the noise. The smell of smoke filled her nostrils.
"It'll take the LCS some time to re-group," Reagan yelled. "If Rayne shut the system down it'll take them even longer to get backup."
They burst into the warehouse. Terrell was waiting for them. He was calmly leaning against a wall, lollipop in his mouth while his mask hung around his neck.
"You took a while," he told them.
"It was your speech so it's your fault," Arden informed him as he and his brother rushed past.
"I liked it though," Paige shot him a wink before she followed.
Orion hesitated before doing the same. They were all headed to the back room.
Sahara followed them, yet Terrell grabbed her arm and pulled her back. He gazed down at her, but Sahara avoided his eyes. Gently Terrell took a hold of her chin and turned her head so she was forced to look at him.
"Did you get my message yesterday?' he asked softly.
Guilt stabbed Sahara as she remembered the message on her bracelet she hadn't looked at yet. "Now's not the time for this," she murmured. As she tore free she thought she saw hurt flash through Terrell's eyes. Ignoring the guilt she rushed after the others.
She found them in the next room, already disappearing in the craft they had stolen from the concert and hidden there.
"Dibs on flying!" Reagan's voice yelled from within.
"Oh no you don't!" Arden argued.
"Why can't he?" Paige asked.
"Trust me, you don't want him flying this thing," Orion told her.
Switching her board off, Sahara followed them in. Terrell joined soon after.
Reagan leaned back to grin at the group. "Buckle up!" Somehow he had managed to get into the driver's seat.
"No taking it through the doors?" Orion asked.
"Fly it through the roof." Terrell sounded far from concerned.
"Okay boss!" The engines turned on and Sahara scrambled to a seat, quickly strapping herself in. Terrell's eyes swept all the empty seats before he came over and purposely sat down next to her.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Reagan called from the front. "This is your captain speaking. Usually I would go for a smooth ride but..." The craft lurched once. "I'm afraid we have a deadline to meet."
They suddenly jolted into the air. Sahara was thrown against the restraints. She heard the sound of shattering as the craft went straight through the roof of the warehouse. The glass bottom of the craft showed her the damage they were leaving behind below. The stab of regret lasted but a second before sickness took over.
"Can you fly this thing straight!" Arden yelled to his twin.
"I am!" came the reply.
"Oh boy, what did I get myself into?" Paige looked pale.
Orion had his teeth visibly gritted as he held on to the restraints that kept him from being flung across.
"Whoop!" Reagan yelled as the craft dived to the left.
Despite the unsteady ride, Sahara was able to see the city through the glass bottom of the craft. Smoke rose into the air and the inner city was filled with crowds. Though they were too far away to see what exactly was going on, Sahara was sure it involved a lot of violence.
"We did this," she whispered.
The craft lurched, momentarily breaking her line of sight as her head was jerked to the left.
"What if people die?"
"The LCS won't use live rounds that easily..." Paige began before the craft jerked again, cutting her off. She shot a glare at the driver seat before turning her reassuring eyes back to Sahara. "I can't say what the crews will do though..."
Sahara felt sick to her stomach. There was a tap on her shoulder.
"We need to talk," Terrell had turned his head to look at her.
"Now?"
"Yes, now," Terrell told her.
Silence.
"Are you still mad at me?"
"Not the time," Sahara replied through clenched teeth.
The craft lurched again.
"It's never the right time," Terrell told her. "We need to clear this up between us!"
"Why now?"
"Because it's killing me not having you talk to me!"
Sahara turned to find Terrell gazing at her.
"I miss you," he told her simply.
The craft lurched again.
"Reagan!" Both Sahara and Terrell yelled at the same time.
"Your lover's spat isn't helping!" Paige informed the two.
"Get me off this thing," Arden's voice moaned.
"Look, just tell me what you're thinking," Terrell told Sahara as they returned to the conversation at hand.
"Talk to you?" Sahara asked. They were all jerked to the right. "And say what?"
"Communicate! Tell me I'm a jerk!"
"Fine! You're a jerk!"
They were thrown to the left.
"That's it, I'm flying!" Arden yelled.
"You're a jerk and you suck!" Sahara continued. "You don't tell me what's going on, you shut me out and then you ask me to leave?"
"I know."
"You can't do that!"
"I know."
Sahara was breathing hard. It was difficult to glare at Terrell with the amount of jerking going on.
"If you know then why would you do that to me?"
Terrell let out a long sigh. "Perhaps if you'd read the message I left you would have seen how horrible I am at apologizing...otherwise I would have done it earlier."
"I can do it!" Reagan's voice protested.
"Give me the controls!"
The craft dived momentarily before it recovered.
"This is crazy!" Paige screeched.
Terrell reached out and grabbed Sahara's hand. He squeezed it. "I'm...Sahara I'm not good at letting people in...you're the first one in a long time..." He paused and Sahara met his eyes. "I shut people out, it's what I do," he told her softly. "Trust me...it makes life so much easier."
"That's not how a relationship works, Terrell."
He closed his eyes. "I know."
"For goodness sakes, just accept his apology and get it over with!" Paige yelled. "You two are making me sicker than Reagan's flying!"
"Taking over!" Arden's voice yelled. Suddenly the craft settled considerably.
Paige let out a visible sight of relief.
"I shouldn't have asked you to leave. I'm sorry," Terrell said.
Orion was watching the exchange in silence.
Sahara bit her lip. She tried to find the anger she felt before, tried to bring up all the reasons in her mind why the boy apologizing shouldn't be forgiven, yet the reasons never came and the anger stayed away.
"Am..." Terrell's eyes searched hers, "Am I forgiven?"
A smile spread across Sahara's face as all the reasons she loved the boy before her flooded through her mind. Once again she became lost in those green eyes. "Apology accepted."
Relief flooded through Terrell's eyes and his handsome face split into a grin.
"In case anyone is interested," Arden's voice interrupted the moment, "our target is coming up below!"
Sahara's mind instantly flashed to the conversation from the day before.
"With their eyes on the crews, Sahara and I will take care of getting Naomi back," Terrell explained.
Calvin shifted, a scowl on his face. "That sounds great and all...but us causing a riot sounds like it's all a big distraction for you to rescue your friend."
"It is..."
"Then what's in it for Regona? What happens when you get your friend out? We can start a riot, but they will bring reinforcements at some point and then what?"
"That's where Alegra comes in..."
"Sahara," Terrell's voice cut her off. "It's time."
In response, Sahara began to unstrap herself. Terrell, Paige, and Orion were doing the same.
Terrell turned to Paige. "Stay here."
"Here?" Paige shook her head. "Do I look suicidal?"
"That's why we need you to stay." Terrell jerked a thumb to the cockpit, "To make sure they stay alive long enough to pick us up."
Paige pouted but didn't protest. She sat back down with a huff.
"Are we leaving?" Orion asked.
"One moment." With a grin, Terrell turned to Sahara. Without warning he pulled her close. "You going to be ok?" he asked her softly with his forehead pressed against hers.
Sahara let out a nervous chuckle. "I'm terrified...Terrell, are we doing the right thing by getting everyone involved?"
"Do we have time for this?" Paige asked.
She was ignored.
"They became part of this as soon as the virus hit," he told her. He took her hand and entwined his fingers with hers and then pulled her so that her ear was against his chest. For a moment they stood there, embracing. Sahara listened to his heartbeat, every beat making her feel calmer.
"I wish I was stronger...like you," she whispered.
"It's not always strength that wins. You're kindhearted, open, and you trust way too easily which honestly frustrates me at times." Terrell held her back and pushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "But those are traits that make you who you are...those are the traits that make others follow you. You're a leader Sahara, even if you don't feel like one."
"But I'm weak."
Terrell shook his head. "No...you're truly terrifying."
Sahara met his eyes.
"You have the uncanny ability to pull people toward you and hold them together. And I'll be honest when I say that in itself makes you truly scary to those who try to oppose you." He took her other hand and also entwined those fingers with his. "Now stop protesting and let me kiss you." His lips met hers.
"The target is right below us!" Arden yelled. "Opening the hatch!"
As the back of the craft began to drop Terrell pulled back from Sahara, a grin on his face. Their fingers remained entwined. Sahara's hands stretched out as he took a step back. Their fingers brushed and then the contact was gone. Wind roared into the craft as the hatch opened completely.
"You know," Terrell said as he took another step back, his eyes twinkled, "I have a cure for everything, including fear."
"Oh really?" Sahara called over the noise.
Terrell nodded. "Just drink a glass of strawberry milk, who knows...it may solve everything." With that he spread his arms. "See you below." He tipped back and toppled over the edge.
Sahara watched him tumble from the craft. She ran to the edge, eyes rapidly searching. Below, a figure was falling, growing smaller by the second. Something rattled. She turned her eyes just in time to see the black board shoot past her. It dived down, heading for the figure who had summoned it.
Heart in her mouth, Sahara waited.
"Guess it's our turn." Orion walked up to her, board in hand. "You know..." he paused.
The black board had caught up to the figure below.
"You don't need to come..." Orion's eyes stayed on Sahara, almost pleadingly. "You can stay here."
"Are you kidding me?" Sahara didn't tear her eyes from the figure below. His board had reached him. Sahara turned her head to grin at Orion. "And let you guys have all the fun?" She summoned her board and it shot over. Sahara clutched it to her chest. "I'm done not doing anything." With that she let herself fall over the edge.