P.O.V: Elizabeth Harmon.
Deacon did not go to his father’s base. He and Max- his little brother- stayed longer than I thought they were going to, Kaylee and Jacob insisting they still needed to question them, though they seemed to be in no hurry. My mind was still weighed down with the reality that someone in the base wanted me dead, and obviously didn’t much care how it got done. Each time I walked through the halls or passed another Keeper I couldn’t help but study their faces, wondering if theirs was going to be the reason I end up six feet under. They must know there’s a spy, the older ones at least. I can tell by the way they give me those knowing glances, even returning my scrutinizing stares with ones of their own. The only certainty I had was knowing I was safe with the others. I had no doubt in my mind that while going on a mission with just one other person was a risk, missions consisting of two or three other Keepers was about as close to safe as I was going to get. Solo missions were completely out of the question, because while I don’t necessarily love how things are at the moment, I’m not ready to sign off on my own death. The others simply refuse to allow me to go on any mission that at least two of them cannot go on with me. It annoys Kaylee but I think she understands. I begin to notice that many others have begun to do this too, preparing for the worst I guess. But one thing is certain, nobody would be too stupid or too desperate as to make an attack on anyone whilst they’re in the base. Doing that would not only almost certainly get them caught- considering there’s barely any privacy to have a private conversation, let alone commit a murder- but even on the off-chance that the spy would manage to slip by, they would be alerting everyone that even though most know there’s a spy, they’d be proving it. And right now, doubt is their greatest weapon against us all. Not only doubt that there is a spy lurking within the base’s walls, but that the people around us aren’t people we can trust. Not to watch our backs, or to protect us when we should be dependent on it. To create an air of wariness that prevents us from reaching out to one another when it’s needed most in fear of getting stabbed in the back. I shook off the thoughts as I preceded to the hospital, keeping my eyes strictly on the walls and floors. Jacob had told me that the doctor wanted to make one last checkup on my ribs. They still hurt every once in awhile, mostly when I run, but I found I’d actually gotten used to it. It still churns my stomach to see all the wounded Keepers in the hospital, their faces worn and ragged with pain from whatever injuries they had sustained. I pushed the bile down as I waited for the checkup to be over, my eyes flickering between the Keeper checking my ribs and the ones laying in beds. Then my eyes rested on one bed in particular. Donny was sitting on one of the beds, another Keeper checking his shoulder, so I could guess why he was here. His shirt was beside him, leaving his chest bare for the Keeper to clean his now infected bullet wound.
“I’m going to get some bandages and ointment, try to get this shit out of your shoulder.” The lady smiled at him and left. Her head had just turned the corner when the Keeper dismissed me. Donny looked as I jumped off the white-clothed bed and strolled over to him.
“How’s your shoulder?” I asked, peering at the dirty bandage covering his wound.
“It’s fine, I’ll live.” He rolled his eyes at my concern.
“How’re you doing Liz?” He asked, his voice measured.
Donny and I haven’t talked much at all the past two days. Every time I see him, I’m suddenly back on those stairs, looking at the fear in his eyes at the sound of the soldier’s voice. Donny had kept his distance, though I suspected it wasn’t for the same reason. I had resisted asking him any questions for fear the look would return, but it seemed my mouth had differing ideas with my brain.
“Who was the soldier?” I asked.
“What?” He was confused, but only for a moment. He ran a hand through his hair, face tense.
“I met him on another mission, nothing really.” He lied, giving me a shrug.
“Don, it’s not nothing. You looked terrified when you saw him, that’s not nothing.” I pressed, crossing my arms over my chest.
“Drop it, Liz.” He hissed, eyes narrowed at me.
“No.” I hissed back. I almost wanted to stick my tongue out at him and say ‘make me’ but I resisted. Mostly because, if he wanted to, he could make me.
“It doesn’t concern you.” He said simply.
I opened my mouth to protest but the Keeper that had been treating Donny walked back through the curtain. She didn’t acknowledge me at all as she cleaned his shoulder and put a clean white bandage on it. I stayed because I literally had nothing better to do, besides we were probably both going to the Training Center anyway.
Donny thanked her as he slid his shirt back over his head and walked with me out the door and up the stairs. We didn’t talk as we walked out the House doors. I still wanted to know who the soldier was, but it was obvious that he wasn’t going to tell me. We had just taken a step into the grass when I heard Deacon’s voice.
“Hey, Liz, hold up.”
Donny went still and his face became unreadable. He didn’t seem to like Deacon very much, and I thought it might have something to do with who he’d said his father was. I ignored Donny as Deacon came walking up to us.
“Hey Deacon.” I gave him a smile and I could feel my face heat up inexplicably.
“Ready for Gapeteriom? It’s only a few days away now I think.”
“Sorry?” I asked, thinking I heard him wrong.
“Gape-ter-iom.” He repeated real slow like I was a toddler.
“Damn you,” I heard Donny snap behind me. “She wasn’t supposed to know about that dumbass!”
“What’s Gapeteriom?” I asked them, annoyed that Donny wanted to keep one more thing from me.
“It’s-” Deacon started but Donny annoyingly cut him off.
“Say another damn word, I swear, and we gonna go.” Donny threatened him. I thought he was being a bit overdramatic but Deacon did stop talking and frowned at Donny.
"What is Gapeteriom?” I asked again. Why all the secrets?
“You’ll find out in a couple days.” Donny stated simply, ignoring the glare I was sending him.
“Deacon, what is it?” I turned to the older boy.
But Deacon just shook his head and held up his hands in surrender. “I’ll talk you later Liz,” he chuckled and walked away.
“You’re seriously not going to tell me, are you?” I asked in slight disbelief as we walked into the Training Center.
“Nope. You weren’t even supposed to know about it, but that dumbass ruined it.”
“Don’t call him a dumbass,” I protested and Donny raised an eyebrow at me.
Renae was leaning on a wall, watching as Thomas and Logan tried to pin Jacob down on the mat. They were failing. Jacob had Thomas’s leg under his own, twisted at such an angle that he couldn’t move an inch without hissing in pain and Logan currently had a knife pressed an inch away from his throat.
“Damn, you two suck at this.” Donny laughed at the sight of them and Jacob, grinning at his triumph, leg go of them both and stepped away.
“You try it, asshole.” Thomas replied with scowl. Logan said nothing, scowling like his little brother, as he came closer to us, rubbing his neck.
Donny took his place next to Renae and grinned at Thomas, happy to see him get beat by Jacob. Though I’ve yet to see anyone best him.
“So, are any of you gonna tell me what Gapeteriom is it not?” I demanded and their faces fell instantly.
“Who told her?” Tomas groaned, glancing at Donny.
“Deacon. Apparently he didn’t know that newbies aren’t allowed to know about it.” Donny huffed.
“Damn.” Jacob muttered, frowning.
“Why can’t I know?” I asked. Why were they all keeping it from me? And since when am I still considered a newbie? I didn’t consider myself one at least.
“Because it’s an induction of sorts, that’s all we’re telling you.” Jacob said simply. “End of conversation.” He smiled at me, knowing how aggravated I was with their secrecy.
“Come on guys. None of you are going to tell me? Really?” I pleaded.
They all shook their heads.
For the rest of the day, I tried to weasel it out of one of them, but to no avail. Renae clamped her mouth shut and pretended to throw away an imaginary key, smiling at my glare. Donny just rolled his eyes and asked if I honestly thought he was going to tell me. Jacob just held up his hands and said it was against the rules. Thomas just put his hands over his ears and said really loudly like he was deaf, “What? You’re going to have to speak up, Liz! I can’t hear you!” I finally gave up on them and leaned against the wall. I almost said fuck it when I remembered Deacon. So while the others were getting ready for lights out, I went looking for him. I found him sitting with Max near one of the dummies outside, trying to stay outside for as long as he could before he would be forced inside for lights out like everyone else. The only people allowed out of the House after lights is the guards- ten Keepers in total, shifting out so that five are out while the other five take their shift a few hours after- and the only exceptions, as Jacob kindly put it, “Someone better be bleeding, dying, or getting murdered, ’cause at least one of those will happen if they have to get Kaylee.”
“Hey,” I grinned at him as I sat down.
“Hey, shouldn’t you be inside?” He asked pointedly.
“Shouldn’t I be asking the same thing about you?” I replied.
He only shrugged. “Sorry about earlier, I guess your base does things differently than my old one. Then again, this base usually does.” He muttered.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” My eyes narrowed automatically, his comment sidetracking me.
“Well, my father said he had a few problems with your friends not doing what they were supposed to, that they were being difficult.” He had a superior tone as he spoke that I didn’t like.
“And how were they being difficult?” My voice was tight, measured.
“Oh don’t give me that look.” Deacon huffed as I glared at him none too playfully.
“Do you even know them?” He demanded. “I mean, really know them?”
I could feel myself shift under his stare. “Yes.” I answered simply.
“I don’t think you do, Liz.”
“And how would you?” I spat at him. I’ve spent months with them, trainined and eaten meals with them, joked with them, gone on missions and watched their backs. Yeah I think I know them by now.
He ignored my question and instead asked one of his own.
“Then you know about Jacob?”
The question have me a pause, and that pause have him his answer.
“Didn’t think so.” His voice had a nasty edge to it. “You know your friends so well then huh? Tell me what Jacob was before he came here.”
Somehow, I just couldn’t picture Jacob being anything other than a Keeper, so the idea of him being anything else surprised me.
“Wills, your friend, was Blood Order, Liz. You really know how to pick your friends don’t you?” His hissed and it felt like he just punched me in the throat.
“Y-you’re lying.” I whispered, not able to raise my voice any higher.
“Liz? What’re you doing? You should already be inside.” Renae’s voice reached me and I shot up.
I wasn’t going to listen to Deacon anymore. Why I even gave any thought to what he said I don’t know, but the idea of Jacob being in the Order haunted me.
“I’m coming.” I muttered as I came closer to her and her face fell slightly.
“You two should be getting a move on too.” Renae called back, her voice careful.
We only got to the hallway before Renae turned to me and said, “Okay what is it?”
In my mind, I had resolved to thinking that Deacon had lied about Jacob, but now I felt I had to be sure.
“Renae, was Jacob ever..” I wasn’t sure how to phrase it without sounding accusing. “Was Jake ever Order?”
It was like I’d flipped a switch and brought on hell itself.
“Let’s get one thing strait, right now!” Her voice dripped with unexpected venom and I backed up. “Jacob ran away from there because he didn’t want to be there, it wasn’t his choice, he was born into it. It’s that damn simple, he is not Order, he is a Keeper. Anyone who says otherwise can go fuck themselves as far as I’m concerned.” She spat, her eyes narrowed and furious.
“Okay, okay. I was only asking, Renae.” I assured her. But she had confirmed what Deacon said. Jacob was Order, only not by choice.
“Who even told you?” She demanded, but she had visibly calmed.
“Deacon mentioned something about it.” I murmured and she shook her head.
“Donny told me there was something he didn’t like about him.” She sighed. “Look, don’t tell the others what Deacon said, okay? No point in Donny or Thomas getting into a fight with him over it.”
I nodded. “Okay.” I was still cautious, not wanting to set her off again.
Her eyes softened. “I’m sorry, Liz. I just don’t like people thinking any less of Jacob just because of his past. Most people here don’t mind it, but with all this rat stuff going on lately... I’m scared they’re going to blame him.” I could hear the fear in her voice, just a trickle, but it was there.
“I don’t think they will.” I tried to comfort her, knowing fully well that I might be lying.
“I don’t know, I keep looking to see if anyone is planning anything, and I haven’t seen anything yet, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t going to happen.” She sighed and yawned.
“Come on. And I am sorry for blowing up at you.” She gave me a small smile.
“It’s fine, you’re worried for him.” I shrugged. I would be too, and now I am. People do stupid things when they’re mad...
Mia was the only one still up, silently pacing the floor waiting for her sister. I got into bed, yawning as Renae tucked Mia into her bed and kissed the top of her head. Mia made a motion with her hands I didn’t understand- sign language. Renae smiled at her.
“Love you too Mia, night.” She whispered to the girl before climbing into her own bed.
That night, I dreamt of a man in Order uniform chased me through the base. And when he took off his black mask, it was Jacob, his blue eyes piercing mine and I screamed.
***
“Liz?” Renae’s voice, not Jacob’s. “Liz wake up, you’re scaring me!”
I jolted up, breathing raggedly. The others were already up, getting dressed. Renae sat on the edge of the bed, her wide eyes staring at me.
“What?” I asked. What did I do now?
“You were thrashing around and looked like you were scared. Your bed kept shaking too. Nightmare?”
I remembered the dream, even though I didn’t want to. I remembered the ones after too. “Yeah, just a nightmare.” I didn’t tell her that the nightmare was about Jacob, I couldn’t. I felt ashamed of myself already, ashamed that I thought Jacob was anything like the other soldiers.
I got dressed and walked with Renae out to the field. Deacon was sitting with Max near the Training center and I intentionally avoided him when he tried to get my attention. We got to the field before the boys so we waited for them. The first thing Donny said when he saw us was,
“Damn Liz, don’t you believe in beauty sleep at all? Don’t look like it.” He laughed when I put up my middle finger.
I was up most of the night, not wanting to see the nightmares, so I could imagine how tired I looked.
“And you know what? I still look better than you on your best day so shut it.” I snapped.
“Ouch, that hurts Liz.” Donny pouted but his mouth turned up into a grin so I knew I was forgiven.
“You do look pretty tired Liz.” Jacob agreed, smiling as he threw himself down. “You stay up all night?”
“Sorta,” I shrugged, and when I looked him in the eyes, I felt myself relax.
Jacob was nothing like the Blood Order soldiers I’ve met, because Renae was right. He wasn’t one. All I saw when looking at him was what he’s done for me, taught me, helped me. I saw the four of us training, goofing off, mocking one another. I didn’t see the cruel glint I’ve seen in Order soldier’s eyes.
Throughout the day, I begged for one of them to tell me anything about Gapeteriom, but like yesterday, they all refused. Deacon continued trying to get my attention, and I continued to ignore him. I had absolutely nothing to say to him. Nothing happened that day, and everyone was excited for whatever tomorrow was supposed to bring. The others were so excited, and somewhat giddy, that even though I had no idea what they were excited for, It seemed it was infectious because I found myself smiling and laughing for no apparent reason. Nothing happened that day, nothing at all, which seems odd when you think about it. Because there always seemed to be something going on, just not that day.
Looking back on today, I would’ve laughed. Laughed at how naive I was to think that I could have a peaceful day without paying for it in the full later.
***
When I went outside that next morning, there were two very obvious changes. One, the guards were out. Five of them, one stationed directly outside the House doors, the other four roamed about the yard, talking to everyone. They didn’t sound happy. Guards are usually out at night, when there’s no one in the yard, and resting in the day or doing missions. From the sounds of their conversations, Kaylee, Jacob, and Donny were being extra cautious lately and wanted the guards out at day too, only for a short while they said. But I didn’t see what difference it would make, really, because virtually every Missionary had a weapon on them, if not multiple. Second, no walls were moving. Nobody was coming in or out of the walls. On a normal day, they would be moving constantly, letting Missionaries in and out as they were assigned missions. But now, well, now the walls were behaving like normal, regular walls. Huh. Now I think walls acting normally is weird. Then again, weird is my normal. I had gotten here before the others because I’d skipped breakfast, but now they’d caught up with me.
“Why in hell are the guards out?” Renae asked, not bothering to hide the surprise on her face.
I told her what I’d heard, and Renae, Thomas, and I looked toward Jacob and Donny.
“Just as a precaution,” Jacob assured us holding up a hand too silence or unspoken questions.
“Against what?” What did we have to fear behind these walls? Outside the base was different, there was plenty to fear then- but inside? I was pretty confident that the spy wouldn’t try anything inside the base, but maybe Donny and Jacob weren’t quite as sure.
“Hopefully nothing, the Council just wanted everyone to up their security is all.” Jacob shrugged.
“What difference would it make though? No offense to the guards, but we all have weapons. It’s not like something’s going to happen and we’d be defenseless.” Thomas argued, mirroring my thoughts exactly.
“We put something in the guard’s bands. They now have partial control of radio transmissions with the other bases nearby and they can lock the walls if needed.” Donny said, taking a seat beside Renae.
“Did they lock the walls then?” I asked nodding towards them.
“Huh? Oh, no, we always do that on Gapeteriom. No missions today, unless they’re Council missions.” Jacob shrugs.
We sat on the lawn for longer than I ever remembered us sitting. They told me stories about stupid things they’ve done- most of which result in Thomas and Donny getting told off by Jacob. Renae told me about Kayla and meeting the others. She apparently came here four years ago, so she was like the newbie before me. They even weaseled some stories out of me, some of the things I’ve done in my life that, in retrospect, seem silly and childish compared to now. The darker it became, the more excited they looked until it was almost time for lights out and everyone unanimously started towards the House. Instead of going up the stairs, we headed for the room that served as our cafeteria. When I raised an eyebrow at Thomas, he merely grinned at me. The room had been ridded of the normal lunch tables and instead replaced with old, but comfortable looking, couches and chairs that scattered the room. The front of the room had a space cleared and a couple tables lined the walls with cups. Donny pushed Jacob toward the front of the room as we headed for the nearest seats. Donny and Renae took a small couch and Thomas and I took a couple chairs.
“Alright, everyone shut up.” Jacob’s voice boomed. He stood at the front of the room, leaning back against the wall, a smile drawn across his face.
“For all the newbies,” as he said this, he motioned to multiple people, including me and I rolled my eyes at him. “this is your official induction into our lovely little base. Congrats- you made it.” There were chuckles and Thomas grinned at me.
“He does this every year, don’t worry. He’ll get on with it.” Thomas whispered to me with an eye roll.
“For everyone else, you have to hear the same thing again, but you’ll live.” Jacob assured them. “For the newbies, you’re going to hear our history for the first time.”
It had gotten so quiet you could hear a pin drop, and Jacob took that as his que to start.
“Years and years ago, before humans even knew mutants existed, is where this story begins. Three children were born, triplets. Hamado and Da Kenshi is what two will later be nicknamed. In Katane, Da Kenshi means ‘The Deceitful.’ Hamado means ‘The Executor’. The third child was a girl, but her name was never known. When the three were fifteen, their powers began to appear. Hamado and Da Kenshi were Blood Benders- but I’m going to assume that most of you knew that already- and most believe that the girl was a physic. This was a time when mutants were considered devils and their powers were proof of their witchcraft. Their father was a priest and was terrified of what the three could do. He hid them and fought to rid his children of their sins. He did everything he though possible, he tried exorcism, but, of course, that did not work. And when it didn’t work, he began to get more and more aggressive as time went on. He tried to beat the devil out of them, but it only made them hate him more. After a while, he got desperate. So desperate in fact that one night he went to his church and prayed for God to take their sorcery from his children. A man came into the church, and believe me, he was no Christian. If any mutant could be considered a child of the devil, it would be him. People named him Adaka, literally translating into ‘The Devil’s Servant’.” He looked around at everyone before continuing. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Donny whispering something to Renae and she covered her mouth to muffle her laughter. I thought of Renae’s father, how he beat her and her sisters for merely being mutant, for being different. Maybe I really was lucky to have been raised by mutant parents.
“Adaka told the priest he could rid his children of their powers, and the man was so stupidly desperate that he took him to them. Instead of keeping good on his promise to take the three’s powers, he did the exact opposite. We believe that Adaka was an entirely new and different type of mutant, one more powerful than even Hamado or Da Kenshi. He pushed their powers to the max, made them stronger than any mutant before them. Made them more powerful. Hamado and Da Kenshi gained the abilities to control another mutant’s power and to not be able to be hand by another mutant’s abilities. Their sister acquired the ability to see farther into the future than any physic of her time, or any time really.
Nobody knows why exactly Adaka did it, maybe he was crazy, or maybe he didn’t like the idea of what their father was trying to do and this was his was of punishing him. We truly don’t know. All we know is the effect, the effect that we live in now.”
His voice was solemn, and I could tell that this story had no happy endings. It definitely didn’t have that much of a happy beginning.
“As the three grew up, they learned to hide their powers from their father, from the world. But then the secret escaped about mutants. There are things about the past that people wish to forget, things they choose to ignore. There were riots in the street, mutant against humans-”
A girl in the back interrupted him, calling, “Damn, Jake, you gonna be this dramatic the entire time or what?” The people around us laughed, and Donny snickered, but I thought that was mostly at the look of annoyance on Jacob’s face.
“Aww, look he’s all mad now!” Donny chuckled with a wide grin and Jacob turned to him, giving him a glare.
“Really? You wanna get up here, wise guy? I’d be glad to switch places with-”
“No, no, no.” Donny quickly waved him away. “You’re much better suited for this.”
“Really, cause you seem to like talking quite a bit there, Don.”
Another round of laughter, mine included, this time at Donny’s expense.
“Alright ladies, you’re both fucking ugly,” A new voice, a girl’s. I turn to see Kaylee leaning against the door frame with her arms crossed and a small tight smile on her face, or what would’ve been the door frame if there actually was a door.
“Wow, Kaylee decided to come out of her burrow for once!” Jacob teased.
“Yeah, yeah. I’m here to make sure you actually get on with the stories for once, and you’re obviously failing.” She added with a pointed look at Donny.
“Somebody’s got to be the comic relief here.” Donny grinned at her with a shrug. “’Cause he ain’t cutting it,”
“Can I start again now? Or is anyone else feeling like being a comedian today?” Jacob asked with a playful glare around the room.
“Naw, maybe later.” Donny gave a wry shrug and motioned for him to continue.
After giving everyone a long look, which earned a couple nervous laughs, he continued.
“There was a riot one night and the three got caught up in it. We’re not too sure exactly how it happened, but Hamado and Da Kenshi’s powers went off. That night, police found twenty bodies on the sidewalk, with no suspect. As time went on, things began to get worse. More roits, fights in the street... and then Da Kenshi started the Blood Order.”
There was no voice besides Jacob’s now, everyone else had completely ceased their conversations.
“We know what the Order is today, but that was not what it was then. When Da Kenshi started the Order his brother agreed to join him, their sister stayed out of it. And wisely so. The Order started out with the two brothers, but quickly grew. Da Kenshi started the Order as a way of protecting his fellow mutants, but it began to transform into a roaring hate for the human population. When the Order was as strong as ever, Da Kenshi and Hamado began to try to take over completely. Tried to make them in charge, put mutants in power this time. Then Hamado broke the rule. The three had one rule, and they took it very seriously: no children. They didn’t want their powers passed to their young, so the three made a pact that whatever might happen, they were never to have children. No wives, or in their sister’s case, no husbands. But as some say, promises are made to be broken. Hamado met a young woman while he was with his brother and fell in love with her. Not only was he going behind his brother’s back to see the woman, but she was a human as well. They kept their relationship a complete secret, well,” Jacob paused.
“they tried to keep it a secret.”
“Da Kenshi found out about them, and to make it so much worse than it was before, the woman was pregnant with Hamado’s child.” There was a couple hoots and whistles followed by laughs and death glaresp from Jacob.
“The one rule that the three agreed to, and Hamado broke it.”
“Da Kenshi wanted Hamado to kill the woman and their child immediately, but Hamado refused and started to draw away from the Order and their vision. He had fallen in love with a human, he no longer had a wish to kill off her race. When the child was born, a baby girl, Da Kenshi decided to take matters into his own hands. He found out where Hamado was and attempted to murder his wife and newborn daughter. Hamado caught him and they both nearly died in the aftermath of their fight. Their confrontation left Da Kenshi with a horrible scar from his chin to his scalp, letting anyone who saw him immediately know who he was. After that, Hamado took his family into hiding. Hamado had realized what a monster his brother truly was, what he was. Hamado began to think up a way to fight Da Kenshi and his seemingly unbeatable army, to stop them. Hamado began to seek help from both humans and mutants alike, to form his own any as a way to fight his brother. Now, there is one vital thing about Da Kenshi you must understand, when he put mutants out on missions and ordered them to complete it in any way necessary, he meant any way necessary. When his soldiers began killing without mercy, murdering men, women, and children who had nothing to do with their task, well, they made enemies real fast. That’s when people began to despise the Order and sought to find a way to fight them themselves. So when they heard Hamado was rounding up people to fight them, people flocked to his side. Hamado had no name for his tiny army, because he did not care about the force he’d gathered. He only cared about destroying his brother, the people that fought for him he couldn’t care less about. He would sacrifice an entire country just to get one man. That was the beginning of this war, and it was a horrible beginning.
“At first, we were losing, oh we were losing. Dropping like flies, one right after another. Hamado had set up a base, the first Gate Keeper base ever. They called it Sadila Masane. In Katanie, it means Stand Alone. Because that base stood alone, the first of many, against the Order with none at it’s back. While the base was being built, Da Kenshi decided to fight fire with fire. He had a child, a boy. One who is now know around the world for his powers. Rafe. A few years after, he had another boy. But nobody knows what happened to him, don’t even know his name. Some believe he was born human and his father killed him, but rumours are rumours.” Jacob shrugged.
I didn’t like the way he said it so off handedly, like it didn’t matter or that he couldn’t care less. Maybe to Jacob it didn’t but the thought of anyone, even Da Kenshi, killing their own child made me recoil in disgust.
“That’s two broken promises. We believe that their sister was the only one who honored the agreement, the only one who never had children. But we could be wrong about that too. Hamado began to train his followers to fight. As he trained them, he devised a plan for his brother. A trap to trick Da Kenshi into coming to Hamado alone, where he could kill him once and for all. He told Da Kenshi their sister was deathly sick, and like a fool, he believed him. Maybe he went to kill off his brother like Hamado planned to do to him, but still he went. Hamado had this planned for a long time, trained for it, but he wasn’t prepared at all. Hamado, above all other things, is a coward. When he went to fulfill his plan, instead of killing Da Kenshi, he changed his mind and decided taking his powers from him would suffice. When he managed to weaken his brother and while he was down, gathered all the strength he had in him and extracted Da Kenshi’s powers from his body. Every ounce of power Da Kenshi formally vaunted of, prided over, was gone, leaving him as powerless as the humans he despised so immensely. Hamado had planned on keeping his brother’s powers, but he soon learned that wasn’t going to happen. His body wasn’t meant to house that much power, it was already strained to the max housing his own. Hamado realized this but he didn’t want to transfer Da Kenshi’s powers to anyone else. He went back to Sadila Masane and went to a spot only familiar to him. Legend has it that he conjured a gate, a prison to house Da Kenshi’s stolen powers. Seeing his job as done, Hamado went into hiding with his wife and daughter. Never had anything more to do with his rag-tag army ever again. Legend goes on to tell about a mutant with a violet aura who’s supposed to not only hold the genetic keys to opening the gate, but gifted with power as well. Years after Hamado left, disappeared into thin air, rumors about the gate began to rise. Upon hearing these rumors, Da Kenshi began to search relentlessly for the gate that so many said were keeping his powers, but he never found it or the mutant . That gate, the rumors of it, is what gave us our name. The Gate Keepers, because we’re supposed to fight against the Order at all costs, and keep Da Kenshi away from the gate. But, of course, there is nothing validating that the gate actually exists. And no mutant with a purple aura has shown up, so take from that what you may. Newbies,” he glanced at each of us in turn.
“You may be wondering why we tell these stories, why we take time to tell them. Part of it is so that we never forget where we come from, the origin of this war, what it is we’re really fighting, and what we’re fighting for.” His voice had a ring if truth, of sincerity to it as he told his head and smiled.
“And also, let’s admit it, we all like having the day off.” He added and the room laughed.
At his comment, the room relaxed and people gradually fell into their own conversations. Thomas was talking to a pretty blond girl who laughed at every little thing he said as he smiled and talked politely to her. It was obvious she wasn’t the person he was wanting to talk to. Everyone was smiling, laughing and teasing. I stood off to the side, thing of Brannon and not wanting to ruin their fun. Were his Gapeterioms like this? Did his base tell the same stories? I was wiping away an escaped tear when he walked up beside me.
“You alright, Liz?” Jacob asked quietly, concerned. I didn’t think anyone would notice me.
“Yeah, I’m fine Jake, thanks.” We both knew I was lying, but he decided not to call me it on it.
“So, how’re you enjoying your first Gapeteriom?” He smiled at me.
“Well, it’s definitely not like other parties.” I gave a small laugh.
“Oh yeah?” He chuckled. He’d obviously heard this before. “How so?”
“Well, to start, I don’t see any alcohol.” I motioned to the cups. I knew because I had checked.
“Yeah, we don’t allow it on the base. Last thing we need is a bunch of drunken teenagers running around, most of which are trained in a variety of weapons.” He answered.
We both looked up as we heard an excited yelp and a crashing sound echoing followed by laughter. Someone had been wrestling and been thrown into one of the tables. 428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8VOkNfkApn
Jacob only shook his head and laughed. “You’ll have to forgive them, they tend to get pretty crazy when Gapeteriom rolls around.”
“I see that.” I agreed laughing as Donny and Thomas squared up, ready fight but we’re intent at making it as funny and over dramatic as possible. Renae was laughing at them as a bunch of Keepers cheered them on.
His eyes turned soft. “This is your first Gapeteriom, Liz. Enjoy it.” He suggested gently and pushed me in Renae’s direction.
When I turned around, Jacob was talking to a group of Missionaries I’d seen hanging around. Enjoy it. Alright. I leaned against the wall by Renae and helped her cheer them on. She cheered for Donny and in turn I cheered for Thomas. The longer the night went on, the more I felt the giddiness of the rest of the Keepers. I focused on the fight, laughing when someone went down, cheering for the next challenger. Donny lost to Thomas the first round then, after a rematch, Donny got Thomas on the floor.
***
P.O.V: Donny Keeney.
Grabbing Renae’s hand, I led her outside. She looked surprised but didn’t resist as we sneaked past the couple of guards that were still outside, which were talking and laughing so loudly they didn’t even notice us. I led her to the back of the Commander’s Building where the guards wouldn’t see us. For a few minutes we just sat there on the grass, her head on my shoulder and my arm around her waist.
“Do you ever think about where we would be if we weren’t here?” Renae asked me quietly.
If we weren’t here? Did she mean if there was no war or if we just weren’t in it? Probably the ladder. I knew where I would be, an orphanage probably, without Renae or Thomas or Jacob or even Liz. Besides, what was the point of talking about something that was never going to happen? That could never happen? But I didn’t say any of that, I didn’t have the heart.
“Well, I’d probably be at home, thinking of a beautiful red-head I saw at school, daydreaming about kissing her since I didn’t have the guts to do it.” I murmured smiling down at her, playing along.
“It took you so long to kiss me,” she laughed, looking up at me, remembering that moment.
“If I do remember correctly, I think it was you that kissed me, because I didn’t have the balls to make the first move.” I found myself laughing with her.
“Ah that’s right, I do remember now.”
“I’d try to ask you out to a school dance, then with my luck, another guy would have already took you.”
“You make it sound like I would have said yes.” She let out a soft, whimsical laugh.
“Thomas and Liz would be there, poking fun at us, dancing.” I continued quietly, painting a picture in both our heads
I could almost imagine it, all of it. I could picture Renae twirling, a wide smile on her face that wasn’t tainted with horrible memories. Thomas grinning and telling dumb jokes, trying to impress a girl. Liz smiling, that look of sadness washed from her eyes. Yes, I could see it. But that didn’t make it possible. I was trying to shake the thought from my head when Renae frowned at me. She knew what I was thinking, always has.
“Maybe one day it will be possible, Don. After this war is over and done with, after we win it.” Renae has always been the hopeful one, the one that saw the best of options. The one that, even though she saw the worst possibilities of the future, choose to hold onto the best. The one that saw the best in me.
I leaned down and kissed her and I could feel her smile on my lips. She put a hand on my neck, her fingers in my hair. I felt it only a second before Renae let out a yelp, jumping to her feet and covering her mouth to muffle the sound. Sharp, piercing white ice spread over the ground where she was sitting a second ago, rising like a frozen wave. Her hand shook and I saw the slight trickle of blood on her palm. I stood up slowly, making sure I was under control before walking over to her. That was the bad thing about Bending, you can’t always control it. Hell, I can never control it. My emotions are a trigger for my powers, no matter if I’m scared or excited or anything. Any emotion can trigger it, and I often forget that when I’m with Renae.
“I’m fine. Really, I am.” She insisted when I gave her a look.
I gently reached for her left hand, the one that was bleeding. She let me, knowing I wasn’t going let it slide or forget about it. Her palm was tinted a slight blue color, a contrast to the bright scarlett running down her fingers. A clean, strait cut going one, maybe two inches deep. The ice must have cut it, which explained the hypothermia. That feeling of guilt settled in my stomach even though I tried to ignore it. I placed my hand just over her palm and concentrated. I felt my eyes turned red as the skin began to seal itself back together again, turning back to her natural color by the time I moved my hand away. That was one of the better things about Bending: healing. I can’t heal everything, only small things and it takes a lot of concentration, but it’s still useful. Renae gave me a small smile.
“I’m fine,” she held up her left hand as proof. “good as new.”
She leaned in and her lips brushed mine but I took a step back, not wanting a repeat of what just happened. I haven’t lost control like that with Renae in months, I wasn’t about to let it happen again but she grabbed my hand tight.
“Practice, right?” She whispered, taking a step forward, crossing the space between us. She wrapped her arms around my neck and gave me a playful smile. I tried to smile back at her, but the image of her jumping up, that scarlett liquid dripping off her fingers was imprinted in the forefront of my mind. Suddenly, her lips were on mine, driving the memory right out of my head. Before I could push her away, she backed up and grinned at me as if winning a bet.
“See? No harm, no foul.” She said, holding her arms out wide, palms toward me to show there were no cuts this time.
I sighed but couldn’t help but smile back at her. Her smiles were contagious to me.
“So where were we with that story? Something about a dance...” Suddenly, she grinned, a look of mischief in her eyes that I had seen too many times before not to know it by now.
“What’re you thinking?” I asked cautiously, wondering what was going on in that crazy mind if hers.
“You said you’d ask me to a dance,” she grabbed my hand and pulled me toward her. I could guess where this was going.
“No, get it right, I said I’d try to ask you to a dance. Never said anything about succeeding.” I opposed immediately. Dancing was not my thing.
She gave me a look. “Come on, I’ll show you.”
She grabbed both my hands and placed them on her sides then wrapped her arms back around my neck.
“This is dancing?” I chuckled. There was only enough light to see by, but somehow that just made her green eyes just a bit brighter, her hair seem more aflame. More beautiful.
“Well, usually with dancing you would move your feet, but yes. Congratulations, Donny, you’re dancing.” She laughed and I grinned at her in return.
Even with the comment about moving my feet, neither of us did so. We stood there, her head on my chest my arms around her, content.
“Maybe one day things really will be normal for us.” She murmured softly against me.
“Normal? Who wants normal?” I laughed, my chin resting on top of her hair. “But maybe.”
I’m not sure how long we stayed like that. I’m sure I could have stayed like that for the rest of my life and I wouldn’t have cared. But we did eventually move. There was a movement not far from us and we both looked up. I was expecting one of the guards to come around the corner and reprimand us for being outside when Kaylee and Jacob appeared instead. Renae’s face was red as she loosened her arms from my neck and stepped back. I let go of her waist and took a rather unnecessary step back too, my face hot. Kaylee merely raised an eyebrow at us, amusement warring with annoyance on her face. Jacob started laughing, loudly, at the looks on our faces, grinning from ear to ear.
“Shut up,” I muttered meakly, feeling my face growing hotter by the second.
“Not a chance.” He said.
“What do you guys want?” I demanded. I knew what I wanted, I wanted to go back to holding Renae and hold her and dance with moving our feet.
“First, you’re not even supposed to be out here.” Kaylee said pointedly. “Second, we just got a call from Dalama. They have something they need to talk to us about- at their base.”
That was odd. Usually if one of the bases needed to talk to us, we’d do it through a computer at the Commander’s Building, not go to their base personally. By the tone of Kaylee’s voice, she obviously thought the same thing.
“Okay-” I began but Jacob cut me off, still smiling.
“Me and Kaylee are going to go, we need you to stay here.” He gave me a pointed look. I knew what he was saying, he just didn’t want to say it in front of Renae. He would if Kaylee weren’t here, because he knows that she, nor Thomas or Liz, would say anything. Kaylee didn’t understand that. They wanted me to stay to make sure nothing happened to the base, because of the raids. I nodded.
“Sure. You guys have fun with the meeting of Congress.” My turn to grin this time. It was sure to either be a debate or a snooze fest, either way I was glad not to be going.
“Yeah, yeah.” Jacob waved me off. “Thomas is going to portal us close to the base then he’ll come back.”
There was a “See ya,” from Jacob as the three- Thomas now among them- asked the guards to open the Tunnels and they were gone. Nobody can portal or teleport directly inside the base, Kaylee made sure of it when she became Commander. She laced the outside walls with Black Metal so that no mutant can use their powers whilst outside to attack the base. Some bases, like Vemos’s, have adapted that, others opposed it.
“Come on,” Renae said, looping her fingers through mine as she began leading me back to the House. Now that Jacob and Kaylee were gone, the air felt different. Like that scene in a horror movie just before things get creepy. Renae must’ve felt it too. We walk back into the House like we never left and that creepy feeling faded away like a silly dream. Liz seemed to be enjoying her first Gapeteriom, smiling and laughing at the stories that other Keepers were telling her. When he came back not long after, Thomas was started talking to Logan, stealing glances over at Liz every little while. When he caught me looking, he gave me this look that said ‘don’t you dare say it’ but, of course, I had to say it.
“You stalking there, Tommy?” I asked, grinning, as I walked over to him.
He rolled his eyes at me like I was an annoying little kid. Something people do often. “No, but of course that’s where your mind goes to. What were you and Renae doing, huh?”
Damn. I didn’t think anyone would notice our absence, but of course Thomas the observant would.
“That,” I paused dramatically. “is none of your business.”
“Yes sir!” He gave me a mocking solute and in return I smacked his forehead, shoving him away as we both started laughing.
It was then, at that moment, that things began to change. It began with Renae, freezing up in a way I knew all too well. Then her eyes changed to that bright white and her mouth fell open as she screamed.
***
P.O.V: Renae Aloe.
I was talking to Alicia when the world went black in that way that was only familiar to me. Images danced across my vision, moving like a horror movie in slow motion. First, the pounding like waves crashing against rock on the base walls.
Boom, boom! Boom! Crack!
Then the screaming and surprised, horrified faces around me filled my vision. I whirled around, looking for the others. I knew it wasn’t real, not yet anyway, but my body didn’t of course. Liz was trying to fend off an Order soldier twice her size and age, then suddenly, the scene shifted. She was still trying to fend off the soldier, but just where my other vision had ended, he drew a gun and before Liz could stop it, he put a bullet in her head. I wanted it to stop, but it wouldn’t. The scene shifted again. This time Liz got the upper hand on the soldier, getting out of his grip and turning his gun on him. I looked around for Thomas, and finding him not far from Liz. It even seemed like she was positioned like she was protecting him. Thomas was opening as many portals as he could, letting kids run through them to escape. It shifted, my vision going black for a moment before a new scene met me. Thomas wasn’t making portals this time, he was fighting Order soldiers, Liz at his back. I heard the roar of flames and I realized that it was another vision. One of the Order threw a bomb and, with Liz and Thomas still in it, the House went up in flames, windows shattering and flames licking the walls. They were not getting out of that. Then I was back in the House, before the bomb was thrown. One of the soldiers tore off his black glove and planted it on the closest wall. It began to melt, the walls near it smoldering and catching fire. Then I was in the yard, and every Missionary and guard, even Keepers that had never touched a weapon, were fighting off the Order, who’s numbers seemed to doubled ours. I wanted to scream, but my mouth made no words. Sharply, like a lightning bolt, I was ripped from the vision, like I always am when my mind had as much as it could take. To my surprise, I didn’t black out, instead, I saw other Keepers leaning over me. How many of them had I watched die? How many different ways had I seen them be killed? Donny’s face was in front of mine, anxious and scared. I was on the floor, the cold tile bore truth to that, and I managed to sit up with Donny’s help.
“What is it?” Don’t asked as soon as he was sure I want going to pass out. “What’d you see?”
How many times did I see Donny die? I looked to find Thomas and Liz only a few feet away, their faces mirrors of worry.
“The base- It’s going to be attacked.” Was all I could gasp out before images were dancing behind my eyes again and I felt like puking from looking at the horrific scenes playing in my head. If I passed out now, I wouldn’t have cared.Nothing could’ve been worse than seeing my friends die over and over. At least, at the moment there wasn’t.
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