9- Camaraderie and Heartache

Aster has been watching the back doors of The Keep for hours, a growing sense of dread crawling at her throat. She checks her watch for what feels like the hundredth time. 00:00. Midnight. If Oscar and Luca were coming they would have been here by now.

Desperately Aster glances at The Keep a final time… and freezes.

Two figures are sprinting towards her. Fear rises in Aster’s throat but the clouds shift overhead, causing a beam of moonlight to illuminate Oscar and Luca’s familiar forms. With a smile Aster fishes a flash grenade from Oscar’s bag, waiting in anticipation as the distance between her and the boys slowly shrinks. Bullets begin to scream through the air, but they miss their targets dramatically. The Scanners have clearly been caught off guard. Soon Oscar and Luca are only twenty feet from the fence, triumphant grins on their faces. Luca runs with a limp, but it hardly slows him.

Aster hooks her finger around the flash grenade’s pin, tenses… and stops. As she watches Luca’s limp seems to worsen. Within moments he is on the ground, screaming in pain as he clutches his calf.

Oscar struggles in vain to lift the larger boy to his feet, collapsing time and time again. Desperation hangs heavily in the air, a suffocating stench.

Without thinking Aster sprints towards them, taking Luca’s other side. She is dimly aware that she dropped the flash grenade somewhere in the chaos, but it no longer seems important.

Working together Aster and Oscar are able to pull Luca to his feet, and begin inching their way towards the tear in the fence.

“Was he shot?” Aster screams, struggling to be heard over the gunfire around them. Oscar shakes his head, tears cutting through the thick grime that coats his cheeks.

“I couldn’t heal his nerve endings. The pain from running must have been too much,” he responds. They are five feet from the gate now, but Luca’s breathing is incredibly shallow. With each step Aster and Oscar are forced to bear more of Luca’s weight.

A bullet nicks Aster’s ear before hurtling through the fence. She can smell the metallic sweetness of blood as it begins to trickle down her neck. In the distance she can barely make out the sounds of Enforcers as their bikes roar to life.

“We’re not going to make it,” Aster whispers. Though Oscar could not possibly have heard her over the gunfire he looks up, the same realization flickering in his eyes.

“Please… please leave me,” Luca chokes out, collapsing to his knees. Oscar’s eyes go wide with horror as he shakes his head mutely.

Then, Oscar releases Luca and takes a hesitant step backwards. As if making up his mind he sprints towards the fence. Towards freedom. Aster’s stomach drops. Was Oscar really going to run? After all they had gone through together? A numb grief spreads through her stomach. How could she have been so foolish? They all left her in the end. Her father. The Gentlemen. How many more people would have to turn their backs on her before she learned not to trust?

Suddenly an ear splitting noise sounds from behind Aster, accompanied by a searing bolt of light.

The flash grenade.

Aster staggers forwards, blindly feeling for Luca’s hand. Why had Oscar detonated the device? Was he not satisfied merely abandoning them? He had to make sure his friends were captured as well? Rage blooms in Aster’s stomach, masking the pain of her head pounding. She lets out a scream of frustration, which rings through the field for an instant before a thin hand claps over her mouth. Enforcer. The word flashes through Aster’s mind but she hesitates a moment. There is no electricity pulsing through the fingers over her mouth. The hand reeks of a damp jail cell and unwashed bodies and Aster stills, familiarity washing through her.

“Oscar.” She growls his name, turning to rake her fingers across the traitor’s face, but she is still disoriented from the flash grenade and merely claws at the air.

“I’m sorry, Ace. I’m sorry. We both know that all three of us can’t make it out of this alive,” he whispers, and Aster feels the hand he has covered her mouth with tremble.

“So you sacrifice Luca and I? To Myriad, of all people?” Aster seethes.

“What? No. You are the face of a revolution, and Luca will die if he returns to that damn prison, Ace.”

Oscar loosens his hand around her mouth and Aster wrestles from his grip, snatching her pistol from the back of her jeans in a fluid motion. She brings it level with Oscar’s head, but hesitates.

“Oz… what are you talking about?”

“I’m disposable, Ace. Just some street urchin who got lucky enough to make friends with people who actually matter. The rebellion needs you. They need Luca. I… I’m just a healer who can’t even heal completely. Right now though, at this moment, I can save you. Let me distract the Scanners. You cover Luca, and the two of you can escape. Please, Ace. You have to let me do this.”

“No,” Aster gasps, the syllable ripping its way from her throat. “Everything will be fine. You’ll see.” Aster blinks a few times and slowly her vision begins to return, the effects from the flash grenade wearing off at last.

Oscar crouches before her, a hand on each of her shoulders. He looks so fragile kneeling before her, but as the shouts of surprise from the Enforcers behind them give way to screams of outrage something hardens in his expression.

“I’m not going to let you use yourself as bait,” Aster says bitterly.

“I know. That’s why I’m not giving you a choice. It’s easier this way.” There is pain in Oscar’s eyes unlike anything Aster has seen.

“You don’t have to do this, Oz.” She wraps the boy in a tight embrace, which only makes him sob harder.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers, before Aster feels a sharp stinging at the back of her neck. She tenses for a moment, trying to push sounds of confusion through lips that have suddenly gone numb. The world spirals to darkness, and she is vaguely aware of her head striking the dirt below as she falls to the earth. For a moment she feels one of Oscar’s tears as it falls upon her cheek, but in the next instant it is as if she has been sucked into oblivion.

…

Aster’s body pulses on the ground several times before going still. Oscar looks at the syringe in his hand, guilt filling him.

It wasn’t like he had a choice, though. Aster was so hellbent on saving everyone that sacrifice was a word entirely forgin to her vocabulary. Oscar laughs bitterly, rolling Aster’s still body atop Luca. Luca lets out a muffled whimper but doesn’t move.

Sacrifice was a concept Oscar was all too familiar with. When his parents sacrificed themselves to save him… or when Theo, the only boy he had ever loved was killed trying to defend a woman who was practically a stranger to them.

As Oscar’s feet pound against the dirt below, taking him far away from his friends, Luca’s face flashes at the back of his mind.

Perhaps Theo hadn’t been the only boy he had ever loved. With a grunt Oscar shakes the thought from his head. Love is a dangerous emotion. Too much blood had been spilled on his behalf by those he cared about.

“I don’t love Luca,” he hisses under his breath. To love was to lose, and Oscar didn’t know who he was without Luca by his side. He wouldn’t lose him, though. This time he would sacrifice himself. This was not the work of a hero. He knew that much, at least. This was the work of a coward… one who was too terrified of loss to attempt to preserve his own life.

Oscar’s legs scream beneath him, but he forces himself to keep running. The Enforcers grow nearer with each breath, and he wonders how much longer he can keep this up. The distance between him and the far edge of the fence closes quickly, and suddenly he is a few yards away from the rusting metal. He makes as if to scale the wall, though he has no intention of reaching the other side. He clings to the metal desperately, mere feet above the heads of the Enforcers.

They step back as a single male Enforcer glides through their ranks, removing the rubber glove covering his right hand in a practiced motion. Static fills the air and Oscar can feel the hairs on his arms perk up. He lets out an involuntary shudder as the Enforcer closes the distance between them. The man extends a hand towards Oscar’s exposed shin, but the boy looks away, clinging desperately to the fence. As a final element of his plan Oscar turns to the empty streets beyond The Keep, screaming two desperate words.

“Luca, run.”

Then, it’s as if poison has been poured into his veins. Light explodes behind his eyelids and his muscles seize, fingernails cutting perfect crescents into his palms as his fingers tighten. Suddenly it’s as if his mind has been run through a blender. Thoughts flee his mind like feathers to the wind, and all he can feel is the pain. As he crashes to the ground below a single word escapes his lips.

“Luca.”

Everything goes dark.

…

It feels like an elephant has mounted Luca’s chest. His ribs scream as the weight atop them shifts, but he cannot muster the energy to care. He manages to open his eyes a fraction of an inch, watching as the evening breeze plays with a small leaf far above his head. A lock of hair blows across his face and he is brought back to simpler times, toying with Aster’s hair as they talked with Oscar late into the night.

“You were right about Aster needing to shave her head, Oz. Her hair is way too tickly,” Luca mumbles, watching as the light brown strands dance in the breeze. His comment is met with silence. Pain pulses through his mind, scattering his thoughts, but at the backmost corner of his mind a deep sense of unease falls over him. Eventually his breathing slows, and he falls into a deep sleep.

Though he doesn’t understand why a single tear makes its way down Luca’s face.

…

Aster forces her eyes open, though the darkness surrounding her makes it seem as if they are still closed. Confusion clouds her mind, and it’s as if she is clawing her way from it’s murky depths. Nothing makes sense. Red lights glint in the distance and she can barely make out the hum of an Enforcer’s bike among the city noise. She shifts her weight and the ground beneath her moves.

Luca grunts, flinching at the hip that has been driven into his side.

“Sorry,” Aster mumbles, the word feeling thick and forgin as it rolls from her mouth. Suddenly the Enforcer’s bike grows louder, rattling The Keep’s fence as it approaches. Without thinking Aster throws herself to the ground, landing atop Luca yet again.

He opens his mouth as if to speak but she presses a firm finger to her lips and he goes silent. Aster listens in horror as combat boots dismount from the bike, clattering against the gravel nearby. The footsteps grow louder for a moment and Aster scarcely dares to breathe, but the guard turns away.

A man’s voice echoes from across the field. “Patrol shift. You’re requested in the south quadrant for security.”

“Have you guys found that runaway yet?” A feminine voice responds, sounding eerily familiar. Aster is dimly aware that this is the same Enforcer who brought Fallon word of Luca’s arrest.

“Not yet, but we will. There are only so many places a kid can hide in this city.”

The female grunts something in response, but Aster can’t make the words out. The man continues jovialy. “Joke’s on the kid, though. His friend screamed his name over the fence. Pointed the bike squad to the exact quadrant he ran off to- we’ve got the whole place on lockdown. There’s no way he can get out now.”

“What’s the escapee’s name?”

“Lucas, or somethin’ like that.”

“Hm. I suppose I’ll get to my shift, then.” There is the sound of boots on gravel again, but it fades quickly and the field soon returns to silence.

Eventually Aster releases her breath, chest rattling as the air hisses from her lungs. She absently raises a hand to the back of her neck where her fingertips brush a small scab.

Memories flood her mind at once, flashes of color pushing the fog away. Luca falling. Oscar injecting her with some mystery drug. Falling… darkness.

As Aster’s mind clears one glaring fact doesn’t make sense. Why hadn’t the Enforcers come for her and Luca? They are well within the Tracker’s range. Aster knows the Trackers are unable to detect her because of her lack of power, but surely they had seen Luca, right? Confused, she squints at the boy still pinned beneath her. Then, she gasps quietly. What if…

Acting on impulse Aster finds the silhouette of a Tracker patrolling the roof of The Keep. Slowly she shifts her weight to the side, rolling off of Luca. The silhouette steps towards the edge of the roof, and is suddenly illuminated by a dim red light. They pause for a moment, as if determining the best course of action, but the collar around their neck pulses with light and their hand immediately covers the rifle slung over their back. Aster watches as the barrel glints in the moonlight, aiming at Luca’s form like an unblinking eye.

Instantly Aster throws herself over Luca, breathing heavily. After what seems like an eternity she dares to look back towards The Keep. The figure removes their fingers from the pistol beside them, gives a shake of their head, as if to clear their vision, and continues to patrol as if nothing had happened.

Aster lets out a frantic yelp of excitement in the darkness. Somehow the Scanners were only reading her lack of powers. Because she is blocking Luca from their vision they are unaware of his presence.

For a moment she is blissfully happy. Luca and her were incredibly lucky that the Enforcers had not circled back to capture them.

Then a pang of guilt rips through her core. This was not luck. Oscar had made the Enforcers think Luca had already escaped The Keep… and in doing so landed himself back in prison. Aster knew all too well that the guards would not be as lenient with him this time. She should have been the one behind bars. How was it that of the two people she had tried to free from prison one was on the brink of death, and the other was undoubtedly being tortured for his crimes?

Aster allows herself a moment of frustration, growling under her breath, but in the next instant she pushes the emotions away, save for anger at the Enforcers- at Myriad himself- for taking her friend yet again. Good. She lets the anger fuel her as she turns towards Luca, gently waking him.

…

Luca blinks wearily, grumbling as someone begins to shake his shoulders more vigorously.

“Oscar, stop,” he whines, curling into a ball. He hears a sharp intake of breath, and Aster’s signature scowl swims into focus. “Oh. Hey Ace,” he mumbles sheepishly.

“Hey,” she mumbles, voice breaking. She helps him to his knees, positioning herself directly between him and The Keep all the while.

“What are you doing?” he asks, leaning to the side to look around her, flinching as pain rips through his side. She instantly grabs his wrist, pulling him back in front of her.

“Don’t. The Scanners will see you if you don’t stay behind me,” Aster snaps.

“Wait… they can’t see me?” Luca murmurs, incredulous.

“Yeah. Something about me not having powers messes with their abilities. Oscar figured it out.” Aster’s voice is hollow.

“Ace, that’s amazing!” Luca grins, looking around. “Where’s Oz? Maybe that dumbass is good for something after all.” Luca scans the streets beyond The Keep’s fence, as if his friend would be standing just outside, waiting for him to come home. The streets are empty.

“Luca…” Aster chokes out the word, agony flooding her voice. Luca stills.

“No. No.” Suddenly Luca’s eyes go wide and he pivots towards The Keep, trying to lunge past Aster. Before he can pass her, though, she tackles the larger boy to the ground, expertly twisting to put him in a headlock. He gasps and struggles against her grip, but she holds fast. Eventually he stops struggling and she releases him, carefully positioning herself in between him and The Keep, more to prevent another ill-fated sprint than to block signs of Luca’s powers from the Scanners.

Luca looks up from the ground, hatred brimming in his gentle brown eyes.

“Oscar-” he whispers, a mangled sound. Aster cuts him off with a snarl.

“Don’t be an idiot, Luca. Sprinting after him will only get you killed.” Luca mutters something unintelligible under his breath, turning towards The Keep once again as if to run. A moment later, though, his legs give out beneath him and he collapses to the ground, shaking uncontrollably. Aster kneels beside him, gently pulling his head into her lap. “I know, Luca. God, I know. Oz was one of us. This kind of pain isn’t one that will heal.”

“But you don’t know,” Luca snaps. “You don’t know what they do to you in there… in the cells. It hurts, Ace. Oscar has been hurt enough.” Luca looks up at Aster, eyes brimming with tears. “Oz doesn’t deserve this.”

Aster can only nod, afraid that speaking will bring tears to her own eyes. She needed to be strong. For Luca. Blinking fiercely she pushes the tears away. The two sit in silence for a moment before Luca speaks.

“They’ll pay. They’ll pay for hurting him,” he growls, and Aster sits up with a start. Luca had always been the gentle one- the sensible one. Everyone has a breaking point, though. It had just taken Luca longer to snap than others. “I’m going to kill Myriad,” Luca whispers, his voice devoid of all emotion. Aster lets out a harsh laugh, helping her friend to his knees.

“Only if I don’t kill him first.”

In bitter camaraderie the two make their way to the fence, one limping step at a time.