The sharp throbs of pain woke Greeny from his slumber.
He groaned, reaching weakly for his chest, and opened his eyes slowly to find the gray haze of daybreak peeking in through the windows of the car. From there, he was greeted by a grim-faced Blue and two still-sleeping teens in the backseat. He closed his eyes again, attempting to go back to sleep.
Sleep refused to come.
"Where are we?" he finally asked, giving up and turning slowly to face the team captain as Blue lightly twisted the wheel around and pulled the car into a small rest stop. "Why are we here?"
"We've been driving all night," Blue said quietly as he parked, raising his arms in a stretch. "We're about ten hours away from Catrial and pretty much all other signs of life. We need a break and Red needs medical attention. Now, he's the one who knows all this stuff, but I think we can at least help with the pain. I'm going to get more gas. Do you think you can make it to the store?" His eyes drifted to a small market with whitewashed walls, nearly invisible against the morning sun.
"Yeah," Greeny replied. "I think so. I already feel a little better." At the same time, the rest of him was screaming, "Don't do it, you idiot!"
"Great." Blue then proceeded to give him a list of things to purchase; gauze, homemade icepacks, duct tape and handed him the money to do so. And then Greeny was out of the car, grimacing, trying to wrap his head around where the teen could have kept so much cash.
The store was only a few moments walk from the car, but for Greeny, it felt more like a lifetime. Even as he reached the door and pulled it open, he wanted to break down and cry. Blood caked his clothes, and after a good straight fifteen hours in the car, he was sure he must have been a disheveled mess.
The bells over the door jingled as he stepped through the threshold, blinking and taking in the layout of the building in two turns of his head. A single level. Two doors. Front and back. Limited escape options. He hoped he wouldn't have to use them.
The girl behind the counter hardly gave him a second glance as he moved off to begin his search. He was grateful for her lack of attention and only smirked as he picked the first few items from his mental list, and moved on to the first-aid row to find icepacks.
They were fresh out, so he paused to think, trying to recall if there was any other way to make ice-bags.
And there was. He recalled Sky making one for him once when they were kids, and he thought he remembered the materials required.
So, hurrying back the way he'd come, he picked out a medium bottle of rubbing alcohol, a box of plastic zipper bags, and a bottle of water. He grabbed a bottle of acetaminophen for good measure and headed up to pay. As he went, he noticed the display of snacks and grabbed a bag of pretzels. As he reached the counter, he tried to turn his body so the blood wouldn't be as noticeable, but it didn't take him long to realize that the cashier was much more interested in what was on her phone than the wounded teen standing before her.
"Eight dollars," she said flatly, after taking up the items and scanning them.
Greeny handed her the money and something behind her caught his eye. It was a television. And it was showing scenes from the explosion at the mansion. He didn't know how there could already be a full report, but he didn't care. His eyes were glued on the subtitles flashing across the lower portion of the screen.
"...and reports have just come in that the incident that destroyed one of Griffion's most prominent homes was indeed the same as the disaster that befell Southpoint only days ago. Studies show that unfinished pipelines ruptured, causing the explosions."
Gas lines? Really? Greeny couldn't believe what he was hearing. That's a lie! It was Morto's hit squad! It was not an accident! He clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles went white.
"Here you are," the cashier said, handing him his items, eyes still glued on her phone where Greeny could see she was playing videogames.
"Thanks," he replied quietly, hurrying back toward the door and ducking down against the outer wall to catch his breath and steady his throbbing heart.
He found the others already up. Pinky was out of the car, hobbling about on her bad foot, a tight grimace of pain stretched across her face. Red was watching her worriedly from the open door. He still looked awful, but at least he was awake and moving. Blue twisted back from filling the tank as Greeny approached.
"They changed the reports," Greeny hissed, heaving himself into the car. Behind him, Red slid into his seat with a frown. "They made it look like just an accident! No one will believe it was intentional!" He ran a hand through his hair with a growl.
"That's not...the first time," Red wheezed, leaning up carefully, grimacing. "Morto's...been doing that...for...years."
Greeny scowled. "And no one has ever thought to look into it?"
"They're...all too afraid," Red replied. "Or...they don't...care. Morto's hold...on...on the kingdom...it's strong. Most...won't do...what you did. They don't...come looking for trouble."
"I wouldn't have either if Leah hadn't convinced me," Greeny admitted uncomfortably. Did that make him just as bad as the others for not paying enough attention to what was going on around him? Did anyone else even suspect anything was wrong, or where they too caught up in their own worlds to notice?
Red chuckled hoarsely. "Yeah. That...sounds like...Leah."
"How long did you know her?" Greeny asked. "I mean, how long did she work for you?" She pretended the whole time to not know who they were, while secretly helping them from the sidelines. And she pulled me into it as well. He was vaguely aware of the possibility of never having known anything about this hidden world without her. He had never been one to go looking for trouble. Completely unlike Leah. She was practically drawn to danger. Greeny had known that about her for almost as long as he'd known her and he'd never given it a second thought.
He realized now that he probably should have.
"Almost longer than I can remember," Red answered, shifting his position slightly and looking away from him. A large gash was visible across the lower half of his face and a large portion of his neck was black and swollen. "Before Blue...came to the...resistance...we were selected...to create an elite team of...well, spies would be the mildest word for it. We were supposed to...report back...on Morto's plans. That's how we found out about you. Leah went undercover in the school and I...reported back to the resistance. Blue and Pinky...arrived shortly after. We were...thirteen...at the time."
Greeny winced. That long? How had he never noticed the signs? Had Leah really been that good, or had he simply never suspected anything was amiss?
"Hey," Red said sharply, drawing Greeny's attention back to him. "This isn't your fault. You know that, right? You can't...blame yourself for any of this. We all knew what we were...signing up for. That includes Leah. And, hey, if Tapush has to have a lost prince, I don't think you're a...half bad candidate." He tried to smile, but it looked more like a painful grimace. "And I know Leah would have done it all over again if it meant keeping you safe from Morto."
Greeny nodded. That was something she would do without question. "It still would have helped if I had known about all of this before," he pointed out.
"We couldn't take that risk," Red replied. "We had to know...you were on our side. Morto has...has turned so...so many...b-back to...h-his s-side."
"I understand," Greeny said quietly. His gaze went back to his hands. They were shaking. Not in pain, but fear. "I just..." He didn't know how to begin voicing his concerns.
The CB suddenly crackled to life and both boys turned toward it in surprise.
"All units, all units respond. Reports of four resistors have been issued ten miles south of Harebrough and Anglecreek. Proceed with extreme caution. They are considered armed and dangerous. Shoot to kill."
Red and Greeny looked at one another.
"Well..." Red sighed.
"Yeah..." Greeny agreed. "Time to go."
"Buckling up."
Greeny heaved himself from the car. "So sorry," he called to the two teens near the pump, "but I think it would be in our best interests to go. Now. Fast."
Pinky's head shot up at this and she let go of a pole, nearly falling onto her face. Blue secured the pump and then hurried back to assist Pinky. They dropped against the vehicle a moment later and Red unhelpfully tried to pull them in.
"Someone turned us in," Red explained as he strapped in with a pained grimace and Blue threw himself into the driver's seat to start the engine. "It's on the police scanner. They know exactly where we are."
"Well, we'd better lose them then," Blue said simply. "Red, you good?"
"I'm okay enough."
"Bush?"
"I'm fine," the teen replied through gritted teeth.
"Oh, I'm okay too. Thanks for asking," Pinky interrupted.
Blue ignored her. "All right. Hang on. I'm about to break the universal speed record."
Greeny braced himself as the black-haired teen slammed his foot against the gas and the car leaped forward, leaving a trail of black rubber in its wake. In moments, they were back on the road, speeding away from the gas station.
"How far away from the resistance are we?" Greeny inquired, clutching the overhead handle tightly as the car drifted around a particularly sharp bend.
"There's an outpost about half-an-hour from here," Pinky answered, "but I don't think we're going to make it." She scanned through her phone urgently. "An amber alert has gone out for a vehicle of this description."
"How did they find us?" Red asked.
"Great question," Blue said. "But let's worry about that later. Right now, let's just focus on getting to that base before we get blown to the next galaxy."
Greeny inhaled sharply, looking out the window as the cornfields flew past. He frowned, thinking about the density of the crops. They would never be able to see another vehicle coming. How would they be able to outrun the entire planet's police force?
Suddenly, two heat signatures were visible at an oncoming intersection. They were traveling far too fast to be pedestrians.
"Blue! On your left!" he yelled and the same moment Red shouted, "Incoming!"
"Hang on!" Blue yelled, reacting immediately, whipping the wheel to the right, sending the car into a furious skid.
Everyone screamed.
Greeny squeezed his eyes shut as Blue overcorrected and went barreling toward the ditch. The car lurched violently into the crossroad and Blue hit the gas once more, sending them flying forward.
"Oh my word," Red hissed through clenched teeth. "I can't believe we're still alive."
"Yeah, really." Pinky sounded sick. "Where did you get your license? Clown school?"
Greeny twisted back to stare past Red out the back window as three black SUVs sped down the road after them, blue and red lights flashing. "Um...they're right behind us!"
"All units, suspects' vehicle has been spotted heading southbound on State Route 52, heading toward Anglecreek."
"Oh, shut up," Pinky growled at the communicator.
Shots ran out. Greeny ducked. "They're shooting at us!" he screeched as though he'd somehow had any doubt they would. He dared to sneak a glance at the side view mirror. It was blown off a second later.
Ducking low in his seat, Red began scanning his phone's GPS. "There's a turn about a mile up the road!" he called. "Bending Creek Drive! That should cut us across these fields and knock off a couple of minutes!"
"We can't lead these cops right to the resistance!" Pinky snapped. "We're going to have to lose them first!"
"Yeah, I know! Their jurisdiction ends about ten miles from here!"
But who's to say that's going to stop them? Greeny thought grimly. If this patrol didn't stop them, they would just radio the next county to take over, and if they escaped that one, then the next force would try. It would be a never-ending goose chase, one that Morto would ultimately win.
He's cornering us. Dread filled the pit of his stomach. He's cutting off our resources, one by one. First Southpoint, then the mansion. Somehow, he knew all the places to strike and the best time to do so. Greeny worried what else the king might know about them.
A bullet smashed through the back window, showering Red and Pinky with glass. Both teens yelled, throwing their arms over their heads and ducking down in their seats. Three more shots promptly followed and Greeny grabbed his glasses anxiously as he threw himself down too.
"Turn now!" Red ordered.
Blue obliged, spinning the wheel and sending them racing down a narrow dirt road. Corn flicked against either side of the car, and ahead, the path narrowed even further. It was hard to tell if it was a road or designed for a four-wheeler. Either way, they were about to find out.
"We aren't shaking them!" Pinky warned.
"I can see that," Blue replied. "I think it's about time we went off-road."
"Oh no."
Greeny gaped. "He's not about to--"
"Tighten your seatbelt," Red advised grimly.
Greeny heard his underlying words, "If you thought his driving was bad so far, you haven't seen anything yet." He obeyed, swallowing nervously.
"Now!" Blue shouted, jerking the car into the cornfield. Everything jolted to brown and Greeny could hear the cars skidding to a halt behind them, their pursuers probably in shock. His grip on the handle grew tighter and he tried to breathe past the panic. In. Out. In. Out. This is so much worse than Leah's driving!
"Blue!" Red was screaming. "Watch where you're going! LOOK OUT! Corn, corn, corn, corn, corn, cat!"
"Make up your mind!" Blue snapped as he veered sharply around a small gray kitten bathing, unaware of the danger of the vehicle. "Bush, take over!" he growled suddenly. "I think I know how to slow them down a little."
"Wait...what?" Greeny shot him a panicked stare. "But, I...I don't know how to drive!"
"Simple. Gas pedal. Brake. Steering wheel. Don't crash."
Greeny didn't believe what he was hearing. But he had no time to protest. Blue was already moving away from the wheel. Pinky grasped the back of his seat nervously as the two boys uncomfortably slid past one another and Greeny threw himself into the driver's seat, his heart rate spiking as he took control of the car.
"Good," Blue said, already rolling down the window. "Now just keep her steady."
"Oh, good plan," Pinky grouched. "Stick your head out. Let it get blown off."
"Um...what exactly is your plan?" Greeny asked, his eyes glued to the field before him as he tried to keep the car straight.
"You know how Blue seems to attract a lot of cats?" Red inquired.
"No?"
"Yeah, well, it's a bit more than that."
"I don't get it."
"They aren't following us," Blue announced, curling back inside and rolling the window up. "They're stopped back at the intersection. I don't understand."
Greeny didn't understand either. He squinted at the rearview mirror, unable to see the cars through the thick fields. "Wait...how did you--"
"Not right now," Blue cut him off.
"There's a second road just up ahead!" Red announced. "Cut across the field here." He pointed. "The base should be just over the ridge. And Blue, keep an eye on those smokies. Make sure we're not being tailed."
"Not a problem."
"'Smokies'?" Greeny echoed. "What...who talks like that?"
Red blinked, grinning weakly. "Me. Turn here."
Greeny obeyed, pulling the car over and back onto the dirt street.
"Stop for a minute," Blue ordered.
"What? Why?"
"Just do it."
He frowned, but did as he was told, easing the car to a halt. "Okay, we're stopped. But I don't understand why."
Blue just looked his way, smirking, before opening his door and stepping out.
Greeny leaned up carefully, ignoring the smart in his ribs. "Um...what is he doing? Hey!"
Blue let out a shrill whistle. A moment later, a blur of gray came bounding through the crops and sprang into the open seat.
"What?" Greeny yelped as the cat made herself comfortable on the leather and purred contentedly. "Oh, no. Griffons, no."
"What's wrong, Bush?" Blue asked with a smile.
"I'm allergic," Greeny responded sharply. "And I can't...I can't...ACHOO!"
"Oh, that's brilliant," Pinky snarked. "We are definitely bringing the cat now."
"Okay, that's it. You drive." He wiped his watery eyes and stepped out of the vehicle.
"Get back in the car, Bush," Blue sighed, picking up the cat and sliding back into the passenger seat. "I'll tell you where to go. We should get moving though. Those officers won't be disoriented for long. They're going to figure out what we've done. It's better if we aren't here when they do."
Greeny sighed, seeing their serious expressions, and obeyed. "Fine."
"Good," the captain said as Greeny closed the door and refastened his seatbelt. "Now, drive straight toward that hill." He pointed to one in the distance.
"But...there's nothing there!"
"Trust me."
Greeny exhaled again and shifted the car into drive. Slowly, he pulled away from the last of the cornstalks and started back down the road toward the hills. In the distance, clouds were gathering, and he couldn't help but glance at them.
"A storm is on its way," Pinky mumbled. "We'd better get to shelter."
"The outpost is less than five miles away," Blue said, holding the kitten close and watching the clouds as well. "I think we'll get there before it."
Pinky looked at him. "That's not the kind of storm I meant."
Greeny was about to ask what kind she did mean, but Red leaned over to show her something, and her attention was pulled away. Instead, he settled back and focused on driving. "So...what happened back there?" he asked Blue as the captain stared absentmindedly out the window.
"I don't know what you mean."
"You did something," Greeny insisted. "The way you saw those men, I don't know how you did it."
"I have good eyesight," he replied edgily.
"Not that good," Greeny argued. "So, come on. You mean to tell me you didn't do anything?"
Blue didn't answer.
"You know what I find hard to believe?" Greeny went on. "This team." He didn't care that the others were listening. What he was about to say, he'd wanted to for a while, and he wasn't going to back down again. "I mean, don't get me wrong, you're all unique. But, that's just it. You're different. Take Red for example. He has this incredible strength, much more than a teen of his size should and he's a Flareint, which is clearly a Tapushian power. Pinky...well, I haven't quite figured her out, but I guarantee there's something special about her. And then there's you, the leader. You act normal, but there are just things that don't add up. For one; the way you can see far beyond the scope of any human's eyesight. And then there's that." He pointed to the cat who was purring contentedly in the teen's lap.
"I'm not sure what you are getting at, Bush."
"What are you? And don't say Griffionese, because I know you're not."
Blue hesitated, and the kitten looked up at him with startling green eyes. "It's hard to explain."
"No, I don't think it is."
Blue sighed. "Look, Bush...Greeny...I can't explain it to you right now. And, I do mean can't. But I will. Soon. Let's just get to the resistance and then everything will make more sense, I promise."
"Yeah, about that," Greeny fumed. "What resistance? There's nothing out here!" He gestured to the hill before them.
Blue smirked and sat back. "Are you sure about that? Look closer."
Greeny growled, squinting at the landscape. It seemed normal to him. Nothing resistance-y about it at all. But as he looked closer...something didn't seem right.
And then the entire mountain shifted.
It's an illusion, Greeny realized with a jolt. That hill isn't real!
"It's...it's..."
"Pretty lit, huh?" Red said, leaning up carefully, grinning at him.
"Yeah..."
"Drive," Blue suggested, nodding to it. "Straight forward."
Greeny obeyed once more. The road ended several feet ahead and seemingly vanished into nothingness. But it wasn't nothingness. There was something else there. Something that couldn't be seen right off. Something hidden.
He didn't stop and he unconsciously braced himself to smash into a pile of boulders, but just as he was expecting the worst, the world suddenly morphed and stretched around them, spreading and changing color from green lush land to a dirt road leading into a barricaded wall.
Greeny gasped, eyes widening as his glasses exploded with words. He cautiously maneuvered the car to a halt and stared up at the outer wall of one of the largest fortresses he'd ever seen. Armed guards dressed in thick uniforms were positioned on all watchtowers, and civilians scurried amongst them, carrying all kinds of baskets and leading animals behind them on leashes. Everything seemed so alive and busy, that it was almost impossible to take it all in at once.
"Oh wow," he breathed.
"Neat, right?" Red asked.
Blue turned to face him with a smirk. "Bush, welcome to the real Resistance."