"Do you realize what you've done?" Gabriel hissed at the man angrily. He held the man by his collar, getting in his face.
"I couldn't let you leave for all mankind! You don't understand!"
I flinched slightly as Gabriel sent a punch flying into the man's face, causing Hope to shout at him. "Stop!"
After a few seconds, Gabriel let him go and the man ran out of the house. Echo was going to chase him, but Hope stopped her.
"He can't help us off this planet if he's dead."
I narrowed my eyes at the girl as I spoke. "You do realize we didn't need him, right? He just destroyed our one way off this damn planet. What makes you think he can help us?"
"If he doesn't, we're dead," Hope shot, causing my face to fall. The girl continued. "We have five years to train for a jump into the middle of a fortress guarded by thousands of highly trained soldiers to rescue the people we love. By then, he'll love us. That's why he'll help us. Trust me. I've done this before."
°°°
It's been a few hours since the memory viewer was broken. Hope, Echo, and Gabriel started planting some kind of food; tomatoes, I think. I stood off to the side, thinking. As I looked up at the ring in the sky, I muttered under my breath. "Five years..."
"Thinking about it makes it worse," Hope stated behind me. I rolled my eyes slightly.
"She's right," Gabriel added. "Give us a hand."
I inhaled sharply as I looked over my shoulder. "Playing in the dirt won't make the time pass faster."
"Maybe you're right, but it'll make our friend out there long for something," Gabriel added as he pulled a weed out of the dirt and tossed it aside. "Seeing the four of us working together as a team. Trust me. He'll want that."
"I say we hunt him down," Echo blurted. I pointed to her, thanking her silently.
"Is that how you make friends in the Ice Nation?" Hope asked. I just pursed my lips as I grabbed a hoe and dug into the dirt, pulling some grass out of the ground.
"It's just Ice Nation," Echo spoke. "There's no 'the'."
I watched as the woman grabbed another hoe and dug into the ground, digging into a still-living plant. I almost let out a quiet laugh, but didn't. After Mount Weather, I had helped around with the gardening, so I've learned a few things.
"And clearly no gardening skills, either." I looked at Gabriel who had a hint of a smile on his lips. "That plant is still alive. I'm guessing raspberries?"
Hope shook her head, looking at the plant. "Paint berries. Eat them, and they make you sick."
No one said anything as we continued weeding the garden. After a few seconds, Gabriel spoke. "Is that what you used on this? Is 'H' for Hope?"
The girl chuckled. "No. Hesperides."
°°°
"The Hercules roses are opening," Echo announced from outside the cabin. I smiled; finally. We've been on Skyring for three months now. As much as I hate the waiting, I'm trying to work past it.
"It's Herc-a-lees," Hope called out to the woman. I was cutting up some roots I had found just outside. "Don't pick them."
I let out a light laugh. "How much do you wanna bet she picked one?"
Hope smiled just as the front door opened and Echo walked inside. The two of us looked at the woman as she spoke. She told us that the man from before had shown up. And that he has pumpkin seeds.
I set my knife down, wiping my hands on my pants as the three of us walked out of the house to see the man running away. Gabriel was standing there with a bucket of water, a defeated look on his face.
"Three months playing happy family to lure him in, and you blew it," Hope spoke, stepping forward as Gabriel walked toward her, handing the water bucket to her.
"Screw that, look at the tomatoes," Echo muttered.
"He'll be back," Gabriel said as the four of us walked back toward the garden. "He's on the hook now. We just need to reel him in."
"Let's eat lunch outside again so he can see us." I nodded. "Bait on the hook."
As Gabriel watered the plants, Echo suddenly spoke. "I've got a better idea. We bait the hook... With you."
Hope let out a breathy laugh.
"That's not a bad idea," I blurted, crossing my arms over my chest. "He does seem to fancy you quite a bit, Hope."
°°°
Our plan was for Hope to act like she's drowning in the lake to lure the man in. Gabriel, Echo, and I would hide in the brush, and pretend like we were worried.
"Help! Somebody, help!" Hope screamed. As Hope continued to cry out for help, the man showed up, taking his jacket off.
"Hold on, I'm coming!" He shouted as he swam toward the girl. Gabriel, Echo, and I quietly made our way closer to shore as we watched. The man eventually reached Hope. Just as the man was about to reach the shore with her, we took that as our cue to run out into the open.
"Hope, are you okay?" I asked, worried.
"I am now," Hope answered. She turned to the man. "Thanks to you."
"What the hell were you doing?" Gabriel asked.
"I was trying to get to Bardo to save my family."
I looked at the man as he shook his head. "You can't. The bridge is too deep."
"Hey, we're your family, too, okay? We'll find a way."
I exchanged a look with my friends as the man spoke. "The only way off this planet is on my Absolution day. Four years, ten months, 22 days."
"It's your absolution day, maybe but they'll kill us," Echo stated, causing the man to look at her. "Hope, too."
The man looked at Hope and shook his head. "I won't let that happen."
Hope hugged the man.
°°°
"The garden will be producing soon, but for now, jellyfish éttouffée," Hope spoke as she set a bowl on the table. It's dark now and we had invited the man to dinner with us at the house. We learned earlier today that his name is Orlando. I let out a disgusted noise, shaking my head slightly. "Don't listen to them. They love it. It was my mother's specialty."
"Yeah, Navy Seal turned terrorist chef," Gabriel spoke as he grabbed the bowl. Hope sat in her chair across from the man. "Hate to see what happened if you sent it back."
"You okay?" Echo asked. I looked up to see her looking at Hope, who had a confused look on her face.
"Terrorist?"
That's when realization kicked in. Diyoza never told Hope about her past. "She didn't tell you."
"I was ten when they took her," the girl explained.
"She was a freedom fighter, not a terrorist," Gabriel corrected. "But that wouldn't have been as funny with chef, so..."
I pursed my lips as Gabriel passed the bowl to me. I filled my bowl with the jellyfish.
"It wasn't that funny," Echo muttered as I passed the bowl to her.
"I always wondered why she wouldn't let Aunty O train me. She was so adamant. Now it makes sense."
"She didn't want you to be like her. Wait till she sees you now," Echo said. Hope gave her a look. "Guys, we're being rude. Orlando, tell us about you. What are these?"
She's referring to the tattoos on his forehead. I took a bite of my food as the man explained quietly.
"Uh, it's, um--"
"12 symbols," Hope interrupted. "It means you're a level 12, right?"
I furrowed my eyebrows slightly in confusion. What's a level 12? I slowly took another bite of my jellyfish as Orlando spoke. "The L-7 who atoned here before me, he teach you that?"
The girl nodded. "Yes. Dev, and he taught me as much as he could, but we were afraid that I wouldn't have answers if I was stopped by anyone higher once we were inside."
"And was he right? Is that why you failed?" I felt the air grow thick with awkwardness around us as my eyes slowly went back down to my food, picking at it with my fork.
"Um... No," Hope answered. "We failed because I hesitated when it was time to kill. He's dead because of me. His body is at your skeleton picnic. Heh."
I blew air out of my mouth as no words were exchanged. As much as I want to leave, I can't.
"Um, so, tell us about Bardo, Orlando," Gabriel spoke, breaking the silence. He's trying to get rid of the awkwardness. "You know, I have a theory about how your people got there. Would you like to, uh--"
"The Shepherd delivered us," Orlando interrupted before turning back to Hope. "I'm sorry about Dev. I'll bury him with honor. You have my word."
I looked up to see Hope smile at the man. "Thank you."
"Was the Shepherd on Eligius III, as well?"
"Don't say his name," Orlando immediately spoke.
I pursed my lips slightly as I furrowed my eyebrows. "You still believe all that stuff even after they locked you up? Why did they lock you up?"
"Shepherd's law number four--," Orlando started. "Honor the day of rest to be efficient the rest of the week. I chose not to rest, and I was punished for it, and, yes, I still believe."
Just then, Orlando stood from his chair, causing the rest of us to follow suit.
"No, wait. Orlando, stay, please," Hope tried, but the man shook his head.
"Nah. Thanks for everything. It was-- it was lovely." As the man walked to the door, Hope said his name but he cut her off. "Ehh. Too bad your mom, the Navy Seal, didn't teach you how to swim. Heh."
I pursed my lips as Orlando left the house. "At this rate, we'll never get off this damn planet."
"Level 12 is hardcore," Hope stated, looking at the three of us. "If we can turn him, we'll have access to everything in Bardo."
"Well, it's a good thing we have time, because we're gonna need it," Echo stated with a slight roll of her eyes.
°°°
Echo and I watched through the brush as we waited for Hope and Gabriel to pass us. We're training, Echo and I being the attackers. Gabriel and Hope are pretending to be disciples.
"You ready?" I whispered to the woman beside me, who nodded. Just then, I saw Hope and Gabriel, meaning it's our time to shine.
The two of us ran out of the brush, Echo going after Gabriel, and me going after Hope. I grabbed ahold of Hope's arm, twisting it slightly as I brought her to the ground.
Just then, I heard Gabriel let out a shout. I looked up to see him holding his hand; Echo had cut him again. "Ah! Every time."
"You're dead," Echo said. I helped Hope off the ground.
Gabriel looked at her. "I'm not dead, you're dead. I'm invisible. And that really hurt..."
"Oh, is this a game to you?" Echo asked.
"Easy. He's back." The four of us looked to the right to see Orlando watching us. "And Gabriel's right. If they ghost, we're dead. Let's go again."
I narrowed my eyes slightly as Orlando just stood there. I scoffed as I crossed my arms over my chest. "Are we entertaining you, huh?"
"Aiden, calm down," Gabriel muttered.
I shook my head frustrated, walking toward Orlando. "No, you know what. I won't. My fiancé is on Bardo, most likely dead. And if I lose him, I will literally go out of my mind. So, is your plan just sitting around watching us like a bump on a log? Or do you plan to help us? Huh? Oh wait, maybe you'll just run again."
I stopped in front of the man, who was just watching me. "L-12, huh? Is that supposed to scare me or something?"
"If it doesn't, it's because you don't know what we can do," the man spoke calmly.
I scoffed slightly. "Now I'm really scared. I'll tell you what, if you win, you can have the cabin back. But if I win, you have to help us train. Tell us what we need to know."
"Need to know to kill my people?" Orlando spoke, narrowing his eyes.
I shrugged. "That's gonna happen either way. The only question is are you gonna die with them when they come?"
Just then, I sent a kick flying into Orlando's stomach, causing him to stumble backward. I went to kick him again, but he caught my foot. I used my other foot to bring both of us to the ground, trying to pin him. He tried grabbing me, but I moved, scrambling back. I pushed myself off the ground and, just as I was about to attack, Orlando kicked my feet out from under me, causing me to land on my back with a painful thud. I groaned in pain as the man pinned me to the ground.
I clenched my jaw slightly as I tapped his arm twice after a few seconds, causing him to let go of me. "You put up a hell of a fight, kid."
I narrowed my eyes at him as he walked past me. I crossed my arms over my chest.
°°°
"Ha! Aunty O would have loved seeing you get your ass kicked," Hope laughed. Because I lost, Hope, Gabriel, Echo, and I are sleeping outside. I rolled my eyes as I laid on my back, in hopes that it would help the soreness.
I guess training for six years and three months wasn't enough to beat Orlando. After Mount Weather, I had trained with Lincoln. After my wound had healed of course. And while on the ring, I trained with Echo, even when I didn't like her. It just gave me something to do. I guess it was kind of a way to take my anger out on the one person I hated without actually saying it.
"Careful, that stuff's dangerous," I heard Echo warn. Hope must've tossed some more jellyfish powder into the fire. It changes the color of the fire, which is cool. "Tell us about M-Cap again."
"Memory capture," the girl said. "It's not torture unless you fight it. Aunty O did, and apparently, so did my mom."
I licked my lips as I sat up. "Bellamy will, too. He would never give out information that could potentially hurt his friends... I don't know what I'll do if I lose him."
"I can see why he likes you, you know," Hope blurted. I looked at the girl confused as she continued. "You may be an idiot sometimes, but from what Aunty O has told me, you're a total badass."
I smiled at the girl.
"You won't lose him," Gabriel reassured. I looked at the man. "A year here for us has only been a few days for him... Well, from now on, you want to bet something-- ohh-- you leave my bed out of it."
I watched as Gabriel laid down on the ground. "Goodnight, Echo. Goodnight, Hope, goodnight, Aiden."
"Goodnight," I spoke as I laid down on my side, looking off toward the trees. I really hope Gabriel is right. I really hope I get to see Bellamy again.
°°°
I decided to take a few hours off of training today because of my back. So, instead, I watched Hope and Echo train. Gabriel took a bowl of vegetables into the cabin for Orlando.
°°°
I ran as fast as I could toward the cabin with Echo, Hope, and Gabriel. We stopped a few feet away from the gardens.
"Damn! Still not fast enough," Hope muttered. I took a deep breath as I crouched on the ground, trying to catch my breath.
"You don't kill anyone, you get your people out, you get out," I heard Orlando speak. I looked up to see him walking toward us.
Echo took a step forward. "Best efforts. You're a soldier. You know that in battle things can--"
"Done," the man interrupted. "I've got four years, eight months, and 17 days to turn you into disciples. If you survive, you may be ready... Get some rest. We start at dawn."
°°°
I've been waiting five years for what's about to happen tomorrow night. We've got about 23 hours until the disciples come for Orlando. In these past five years, I came to terms with the fact that it'll be a while before I see Bellamy again. Both Echo and Hope chopped their hair off short. Orlando has trimmed his beard and got a haircut.
At one point, my hair got so long that I had to cut it, but it's still kind of long; about my mid-back.
"Congratulations on reaching level 12," Orlando spoke softly as he painted a symbol on Hope's cheek. "Hey. Dev would be proud of you. I know I am. That goes for you three, as well." I sent a smile to the man. "I wish all my trainees were as determined as you. The war to end all wars would be a lot easier... Who's next?"
I exchanged a look with Echo and Gabriel.
"You go," Gabriel spoke. "I'm eating."
I let out a quiet laugh.
"You're always eating," Echo commented as she walked around the man, sitting in the chair in front of Orlando. "I can never eat the night before battle."
"I wouldn't know." As the man painted the symbols on Echo's forehead, the woman spoke.
"It must be hard dedicating your whole life to something that may never come."
Orlando shrugged. "Not really. I didn't know anything else until I met all of you."
"Once it's done and we're out of your hair, what're you gonna do?" Gabriel asked curiously, toying with the food in his bowl.
Orlando was silent as Echo spoke, a smile on her face. "He's gonna miss us."
I let out a small laugh.
"Of course I am."
"So come with us," Hope offered for the millionth time.
Orlando turned to her. "Where? Sanctum? Red sun toxin, immortal body-snatchers? Thanks, but I'll stick with honor and duty. Now stop talking, or I won't just take the beating I'm about to let you give me."
°°°
Our plan was for us to pretty much beat Orlando and tie him up to a tree to lure in the disciples. I watched as the disciples walked closer, seeing Orlando tied to a tree. They must've realized it was a trap because they ghosted, but Echo shot at them with an explosive arrow, causing them to go flying.
"Nice shot," Gabriel shouted. "Bridge closes in five minutes. Move, move!"
I ran out of the brush, walking toward one of the bodies.
"Get the armor off them and secure them before they wake up," Hope instructed.
I pulled the helmet off one of the bodies, as well as the rest of the armor suit when I suddenly heard grunting behind me. I spun around to see Hope had killed a disciple. Hope had saved Echo.
The woman thanked her. "How much time?"
"Four minutes, ten seconds," Gabriel answered. I quickly tied up one of the bodies before putting on the suit.
"She had no choice and you know it!" Echo shouted, most likely to Orlando.
"Orlando, we'll suit up and cut you loose."
We had all suited up eventually with two and a half minutes to spare as Gabriel just announced. "Time to go."
As Gabriel went to walk toward Orlando, Echo stopped him. "No. He knew that girl, trained her I'm guessing. How many more people will he know on the other side?"
I furrowed my eyebrows. "Echo--"
The girl shook her head before pulling out a knife and stabbing one of the bodies.
"Echo, what the hell are you doing?" Gabriel asked, causing the woman to look at him. "This isn't the plan."
"Plans change," Echo stated. "If we leave them alive, he'll tell them everything, and they'll come after us."
I pursed my lips slightly as Hope announced that we're running out of time. As much as I don't want to admit it, Echo's right.
"Echo, he'll be acting as our hostage," Gabriel said, stopping Echo from killing the last disciple. "He'll be leading us through the compound--"
"No, he won't," Echo shouted. I furrowed my eyebrows. What?
"We're leaving him here?" Hope shouted in disbelief.
"No. No way. He's our friend," Gabriel stated.
"Yes! But we are not his people."
I took a step forward. "Echo, we can't leave him here. He's our only chance at finding Bellamy."
Echo just shook her head. "Grab your helmets. I inhaled sharply as I grabbed my helmet from the ground as Echo walked toward Orlando.
"Echo, this is wrong," Gabriel stated, causing the girl to stop and look at him.
"Do you want to stay, or do you want the answers that are waiting for you on the other side?"
I watched as Echo walked toward Orlando, sticking her knife into the tree beside him before mumbling something I couldn't hear.
As the woman turned around, Gabriel spoke. "He'll be alone for years."
"The bridge is closing," I announced. "We need to go now."
I put my helmet in before turning on my heel and walking into the Anomaly with Gabriel, Hope, and Echo.
°°°
Yay! They finally got off Skyring and are heading to Bardo! Ngl, I'm not excited about the next chapter... And I don't think you will be either. I know this one was boring, and I'm sorry about that.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you in the next one.
Buh-bye.