Chapter 2- Fighting

Night time had fallen as quickly as day had come. Riley and Julia were asleep on the couch while Robert payed attention to his laptop. Steven and Drake where nowhere to be seen, as I looked over Robert's shoulder  to see his screen. It looked like he was matching my body type to different armor and weapons. I don't know when I agreed to become part of their rebel group, but I guessed I didn't have a choice considering the situation I was already in. Robert stopped typing, and looked over at me, his green eyes and short brown hair shining against the light in the room. "Why don't you go talk with Drake? He's on the roof." Robert mentioned, pointing up. I made a scowl, fine if he wanted me gone, I would go. Pulling myself up I walked outside for the first time I was here, to dig into my surroundings.

We were on the top of a large building, one of the old industrial buildings. It over looked the clean city and from afar you could see the smog. The clusterphobic was in the middle, some ways away, but the night was silent and in the sky, were never any stars as  always. The apartment was right below the roof, where a ramp lead up to the metal roof where  Drake was sitting. He was looking at the city, just dazing off,  until I climbed up and almost lost my balance, taking a seat next to him. But, I didn't say anything to disturb his dreamy state.

"Drake....." His attention turned towards me.

"What?"

"Why are you fighting against the capitol, I mean I understand why, but, how did it all start? You said your father was a government official." I twiddled my thumbs. Drake  stopped for a moment, but smiled.

"I don't mind telling, as long as you'll listen." I got closer to him. Hugging my knee's up to my chest.

"Of course I'll listen." Drake snickered. Taking in a deep breath as he looked out towards the city again.

"Me and my sister Riley, never had an easy life. Our mother died when she was two. And my  father agreed to serve the government as long as we were taken care of. Which meant, we spent most of our life in ground zero. I was a straight A student, joined the kendo team, and won almost every tournament, and my life was spent looking after my sister because my father was almost never there. When I turned ten, I tried to stand up to my dad, because I was.....different, but he said if I had anymore outbursts he would throw me and Riley into a correctional facility. I just think he was afraid of what I might do and what others would think of it. So, I didn't ask him, and he decided to train me to be like him. Each and every day the training got more and more intense, until I found someone I liked, and wanted to spend my days with them. My father didn't like it, it didn't sit right with him. So he tried to lock that person away, in which he succeeded. That's when I turned 15, and I refused to let myself be a slave to him anymore. I destroyed both mine and Riley's id bands and ran, in the process my father disowned me and Riley, but we haven't looked back since. And well, it just opened my eyes about how cruel and oppressing the city is, and I don't want people to live that way." Drake shrugged. As I straightened my back in interest of the story.

It was sad really, my father had vanished when I was five, and lived with no siblings. My grandmother had taken care of me until my mother managed to support us. Yet, now, my mother was stuck in a correctional facility, and hell knew where my gandmother was. I clenched my fists, and stood up. Drake looking at me, as I turned to him.

"Drake, I want you to train me. I want to find my mother and save her. I don't give a crap about this rebellion stuff, I mean I'm happy for you, but my family is the most important thing to me." Drake's eyes closed for a few moments as he gave a snicker. Standing up to his full height, making me blush to notice how tall he was. Drake came closer and wrapped his arms around me, pressing my head against his chest.

"It's not going to be easy, but...." I stopped flinching as he crouched down and pressed his lips against my forehead. "I'll see what I can do." My face turned hot red as he jumped down the ramp and headed back into the apartment room. Leaving me on the roof to take everything in. I turned and looked outward to the city. All that I was thinking in my head, was I was going to save my mother.

The training grounds, another floor of the building that the rebels owned. The place was covered in targets, not to mention weapons of all sorts. But, Drake figured I was better off, starting with a pistol. He pulled it out in front of me and put it in my  hands, pulling me over to one of the stalls where he pulled the ear phones on my ears. His face got close to mine so I could hear him, making my face blush and turn red. "Okay okay, I got it" I pushed his face, sending the gun off. Drake pushed forward and grabbed my hands. For a few moments  the two of us were frozen,  then he finally let out a sigh.

"Be careful, these are real bullets, you could kill one of us." I swallowed.

"Then I don't want to use it." Drake rolled his eyes.

"We have to see what your good at, if you can't handle this, we will go on to the lazer swords or something easier." Drake said, pulling his arm onto my back, he was a major jerk that is what I thought. I stopped and tried to relax myself, which wasn't possible at the moment. As Drake tugged my shoulders, he gave me instructions and I followed, able to look and aim through the small gun. "Okay, now try shooting a few rounds, there will be a bit of a recoil, so try not to..." I let the gun go off and slipped falling on the ground on my butt. Drake groaned and shook his head with a smile. "You should have listened to me"

"It's not my fault! I've never handled anything dangerous in my entire life okay" I complained crossing my arms. The gun went off again and Steven had to jump out of the way to avoid getting hit.

"HEY watch where you shoot that thing" I dropped the gun and pushed it away from myself.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry" I repeated attempting to stand up as Drake helped me.

"Okay, maybe guns aren't really your thing then" Drake told me even making me more disappointing.

"No Drake, your just a bad teacher you have to show her first" Steven pulled me over his stall and grabbed a pistol, loading it and clicking it into place. He didn't even where ear phones either. He pulled the pistol arms length away, his eyes concentrated on the target. Then with a steady click the pistol went off, once, twice, three times before he pulled it back and made the target slide closer to us. "See, that is how it's done, you have to stay calm, take a deep breath and when you pull the trigger, keep it in groups rather then just shoot one bullet at a time." I looked at the target, it was right in the middle, three shots making a tiny pyramide. I narrowed my eyes.

"Yeah like that helps" Steven shoved the pistol in my hands and pushed me forward.

"Try it." Steven ordered, so bossy. I pulled my lower lip over my upper and he put up a clean target. I looked through the gun and took in a deep breath, making sure the gun was at arms length. For a few moments things stood still, as I hit the trigger three times, nearly wincing as the three bullets exited the gun. I dropped the gun on the counter and cheered.

"I DID IT" Steven shaking his head threw me off. "What?" He pointed, the three bullets were well away from the center target. I frowned once more and shoved him. "Fine, I suck at guns, lets move on." Steven laughed as he returned to his own stall. I pulled off my ear phones and set them aside as Drake patted my shoulder.

"Why don't we go outside, and see if your any good at swords? We'll start with your average wooden one then work up from there." I looked at him.

"Are we really just going to keep going and going till you find out something that fits good with me?"

"Pretty much" Steven yelled from his stall. I sighed.

"Fine, but it doesn't mean you'll find anything useless outta me besides being a bookworm." I said with a shrug. Drake started to walk to the outside hall, where I followed him, down to the lower levels onto the field of dirt. Where Julia was shooting targets to the side with her sniper.

"Drake your going about it all wrong, you can't just go through each and every weapon until she gets it" Riley spoke as I stood in between the two.

"Why not, she's my property" I rolled my eyes. How come I was his property?

"She not an object baka" Riley crossed  her arms.

"Hey, don't you call me an idiot I'm older." I stood back a little bit and turned to the table behind me in the dirt. It had a series of weapons on it ranging from nun-chucks to ice picks. Wait...those were grappling hooks. Next to them was a rack, with a bow, and a canister of silver arrows. My hands drawn to them grabbed the end of the bow and the box of Arrows as Drake and Riley continued to bicker behind me. I pulled the strap over my shoulder and stood with my feet shoulder length apart. Grabbing an arrow I plucked the string back and place it on, aiming for the target ahead, which happened to be in between Drake and Riley's heads. I pulled back the arrow, and took in a deep breath, letting it go as it snapped back on the string and hit the target's middle. Riley  and Drake suddenly shut their mouths and turned to me.

"What?" I asked, shrugging as I set the two objects back on the rack. Riley and Drake were still dumbfounded, looking at the target I had hit.

"You can use a bow and arrow?" Drake asked.

"I took archery classes in school, if that counts for anything" I replied sitting on the table and swinging my legs back and forth. "But, I was tired of you two bickering so I shot the arrow." I moved across as Julia  stopped  and looked up at me.

"Well, at least we know what to build you off of now." I turned towards Steven and Robert who stood next to the dirt gates. Everyone was here now, but it didn't look like Steven was very happy. "But, for now, we need to move." Steven moved forward and whispered in Drake's ear. Drake snapped up.

"I want Julia and Riley to go on scouting, We'll cover over higher ground to see what's going on" Drake grabbed my arm and tugged me along. What was it with him and tugging me around. I shoved him off and stood up straight giving him a glare. He turned towards me. "Didn't I just say we need to cover higher ground"

"And for what I might ask.

"You don't need to know, all you have to do is follow orders, otherwise you'll die."

"Says you, I came face to face with the enemy and survived because I disobeyed your orders, your not my father Drake, and I'm not your toy." I hissed. Drake clenched his fist.

"Fine stay here, we'll see what happens" Drake turned around and started to move again, everyone following as Steven dragged behind.

"Sometimes you'll learn it's better to just listen to him" He patted me on the back and vanished with the others, leaving me in the dirt arena alone, with a heavy sigh I sat on the ground and thought for a moment.

Why should I listen to someone who wants to order me around? As if I was some sort of slave? Though I had to admit, the situation I was in, didn't help anything. I stood up and dragged my hand against the weapons table, looking back at the bows and arrows. I grabbed them again and looked at  the target. Pointing an arrow as it released from the wire. Slamming right through the last and hitting in the same spot. I sighed and pulled the bow next to my side, perhaps it was a hidden  talent I had for it, but I hadn't really been one to fight at all, though I was used to violence. I stopped and turned around. The place was oddly quiet without anyone here. It was rather nice, if not peaceful.

Back on the couch, I was left looking at the bow and arrows I brought with me. I had claimed them as my own, after all, I was more useful with them then a gun. Or swords even. I hugged my knees close to my chest as my  long hair fell over my body. What had felt like forever passed around me just sitting there waiting for the others to return. But, when the knock at the door began I was nearly hesitant to answer, having a bad feeling. I tucked myself under the small space of the couch, with an arrow. I tucked my hands and legs together to make more room for myself as the door came tumbling down I made sure to keep my mouth shut.

"Are you sure this is where her last signal came from?" A muffled voice said. I stopped at the large thud of metal boots against the wood floor. A man in a mask, and heavy armor was holding two swords, that looked rather deadly. "I understand that, but she might have taken off by now." He said again, he was obviously talking to someone on a headset. I stayed still as he picked up my bow. "There's just a bunch of weapons here, nothing else." I let out a breath of air in relief. As he stopped to turn and sat on the couch. "Alright I'll scout the area" And within those few moment, he left, shutting the door behind him. I finally heaved a sigh and crawled out from underneath the couch. Grabbing my bow and arrows wrapping them on my back as I set one in the string. Maybe, I could follow him.

I opened the door and headed outside, as I spotted him turning the corner. Holding the bow at my side I made sure to keep quiet as I walked pinning myself on the corner to peek. He was looking for something, and under all that armor, there wasn't a point where I could strike him, even with the silver tipped bow. I held my breath and hid again as he came over. I could hear his breath steaming against the air. He turned back around and the silent noise of his boots I could feel through the ground as he headed downstairs. This was the most dangerous thing I had done in my life, if not for the time I had jumped out in front of the strange man.

I came to the edge of the roof, and looked at him he was now in the training session area. Looking at the weapons. There, underneath his helmet there was a space of flesh I noticed. It was right at the base of the neck, almost  as small as the targets on the target practice. Though he was moving, so it would be much harder then just target practice. I drew the arrow and strung it to the string. Pulling it back to feel it on my fingers I took in a deep breath and aimed it steady. I released, but to my bad luck he moved and it silently slammed into the dirt behind him. "S**t" I whispered and ducked down below the ledge as he turned. I didn't move after. Not able to see what he was doing, but he wasn't heading up the stairs so that was a good sign. The others were on a mission, so I was left to protect camp, but no doubt after this we would have to move.

It was a few minutes when I peeked over, he was now looking at the targets. He had payed no mind to the arrow in the ground. I sighed, it was time to move. As I headed back the other way, I came down the corridor of the other  side. Down into an alley, where it opened up into the small out of town neighborhood, though I definitely could get lost easily out here, after all I had no idea where I was.

I moved my hand across the broken slabs of rock and stone as I tried to navagate my way to a safer hide out. For all I knew I could be heading into a trap, now I was well away from the old one. Luckily I had kept my bow and arrows with me attached to my back when I needed it. Considering I couldn't save the other weapons. Silence dragged on as I moved, all I could hear was the sounds of my steps, and the feeling of heat coming down from the sun.

"Vanessa! I thought we told you to stay at base." Drake and the others were coming back with supplies, as I stood up.

"Yeah, and risk getting killed no thank you. Your little evil armor friend raided the base, guess we have to find a new one." I snorted. Drake was rather 'friendly' today. I can't believe at first I thought he was cute. He was such a buzz kill it wasn't even funny.

Riley was holding her arm as Steven helped her along. It looked like she had been injured.

"Riley what happened" I exclaimed, moving closer over to her. She smiled at me.

"I'm fine, just got nabbed by one of their mutts on the arm."

I frowned, I didn't like this at all, I looked up at Drake and flung my arm around.

"Your one hell of a leader you know that!" I yelled.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Drake narrowed his eyes at me.

"First off I didn't even want to get involved in this, you seemed like a nice person but now your just an jackass. You call me property and don't show any care to your members when they get hurt? Some leader you are. Jack a*s." I turned around and came back to Riley. "I'll give you first aid when we  get somewhere safe." I whispered.

"OH, and you have the right to talk back to me, you've had an easy life. You didn't have to fight for your right to survive." I turned up and glared at him.

"That doesn't mean, you have to be cruel." I walked up to him and shoved him in the chest. "Show some feelings for others for once, maybe then I'll respect you as  a leader. But the way I see it, you don't fight for them,  you fight for yourself." I looked him down and up as he stood up to me. His eyes blaring with rage, but I would hold my ground against him.

There was a few minutes of silence as my and Drake had a stare down. My eyes blazing with anger, his own deep blue eyes trying to hold his non existent authority over me. I gripped my bow tightly until Steven broke up the stare down, pressing his hands on each of our collar bones and pushing us away from each other.

"Now, now you two this isn't the time for fighting. We need to find a new base, as we heard from Vanessa, our old one's been raided." He waved his arms.

"Looks like we'll have to find new weapons though, all of the good one's were there." Robert said pulling a hand to his chin. I snorted and turned around starting to walk the other way.

"And where do you think your going?" Drake asked.

"TO GET YOUR STUPID SUPPLIES" I growled as I started to leave him in the dust with the others. I could hear them suggesting against it, considering that /they/ would probably be there now. But by this point, I was tired of listening to them, I was going to go my own way and do it right. There wasn't one thing that could change me mind, not the fact that Drake used himself as a living excuse to justify his actions. Anger welled  up inside me as I clenched my fist on my bow, when I came to the training area, it was completely empty, and the armored man, was now gone.

It seemed odd that they'd  just leave  the place as it was. At least, burn down the base or something like that. That'd be the smart evil guy choice. Then again, this wasn't a matter of good or evil, in the eyes of the capitol we were a bunch of brats seeking to destroy this fake utopia of control over peaceful people. As I entered the training grounds I hear howling in the distance. Sort of like a blood hound, but far different. Blood curling noises shot through the air making my ears seer in pain, as I dropped my bow and covered my ears to try and stop the noise. Spotting a pack of strange dogs at the other gate of the training grounds.

The lead hound stood in front of them, with shaggy brown fur, over one eye was a strange sector. Almost like a target pointed glass, over it's eye. One of it's  legs made up of hard metal, as it looked as if it was intelligant. It was a repulsing creature, pieces of fur were missing, and blood dried at the base of the scarf it had, the others were the same, just without a scarf. Which was how I was able to detect him as the alpha from the rest. On it's back was a heavy machinary item, almost like a giant metal container. It's back opened, and a missile launcher was exposed. Launching the explosive device straight towards me. Acting quickly I grabbed my bow and barely dodged it, the explosion hitting my back and sending me into the table of weapons.

The rest of the hounds started forward, around five of them including the leader where there. I grabbed one of the knives off the table and threw it, stabbing one in it's eye and it collapsed right there before getting up again with a vicious growl from within it's gullet. One of the hounds latched onto my arm before I could reach for another weapon, clamping it's jaws into my skin as I screamed in pain the heat beginning to built at the site of injury. As I brought my legs up and kicked it off, latching an arrow to my bow and shooting it in the head. It died there, but the others continued to come. My exit was blocked by the after fire from the missile the alpha had shot from the strange pack on it's back.

My arm was bleeding profusely as I got up off the table and began to move over to the other side, avoiding the fire. I thought I was cornered, until when the alpha jumped at me, there was a gun shot, and suddenly a hole in the mutts head. It fell to the ground and I was able to string another arrow to shoot another dog. Now, there were only two left. The two of them looking like mindless beasts. Usually if the alpha died, a pack of wolves or otherwise would be left confused, and would run. These ones, looked at if they were in the strength of a million.

"Vanessa, stay still!" I hear Drake voice through the fire at the one gate.

"Why should I!" I yelled at him. S**t, this wasn't time for arguing. Naturally I guess I was just still angry at him.

"JUST DO IT MORON" It was Steven this time, who came at the other gate and started running towards me. One of the dogs bolted off towards him, the other, towards  me. He pulled out a empty sword case that suddenly became illuminated in a blue light. He dragged it into the dog, cutting it clean in half, as  the one that came after me, was shot with another bullet. But didn't go down, Julia had missed and scaled it's shoulder. It  jumped as I brought my injured hand forward and punched it in the snout, here finally a bullet pierced through it's head. Yet I fell back in pain holding my sore arm. It was still bleeding, but by the looks of it, it wasn't broken.

I was uncertain of weather or not me and Drake were done fighting when he came to me sitting on the ground with a pile of weapons around me. The first thing he grabbed was the weapons, instead of checking to make sure  I was alright. He really was starting to push my buttons. But with the pain in my bleeding arm continuing, I couldn't stand, very much move from my spot as Riley and the others came up at a fast rate. Riley, was the first to check on me, peeling back my sleeve to get a better look at the wound  the hound had inflicted upon me.

"We better get this stuff and fast, it won't be long before they realize we wasted their hounds." Steven said as he began putting everything into a wool sack. My eyes returned to Riley as she put a hand on my palm.

"Can you stand?" She asked, as Drake came over and pulled his arms from underneath my armpits and pulled me into a standing position. I shakily stood leaning against his stomach.

"Come on, we have to move you can get medical attention when we get to the new base" Riley came to my side to support me as the other quickly packed up, and we started to move again. This time, we were obviously moving past the ruined town, to someplace else, yet I wasn't quiet sure where. The entire time I struggled too keep up, and looked over at the clusterphobic, wondering, if I'd ever get my mother back.

We walked with what seemed like forever, and ended up near  the outskirts of the cities, near the huge wall. Where it seemed like I couldn't move anymore, we had to sit and rest. We hid  in the alleyway's quietly conversing with each other as we passed around the rations of water. I got more then the rest being the one more injured, even though I had insisted on having the same amount, both Drake and Riley thought otherwise. Everyone eventually fell asleep, soon after.

I starred up at the smog covered sky from my spot in the pavement. As I restlessly sat up wincing to the pain in my right arm. Luckily Riley had bandage

d it up in a makeshift cast, at least until we got to a place where we'd be safe. I sometimes wondered if I was actually fighting to get my mother back now, then again, it didn't matter as long as I got to her in the end did it?

"I'm sorry" I looked over at Drake, who was leaning against the alley wall, looking out towards the street. The empty lit up street, typical of an outskirt town. I smiled and looked at him.

"I am too, we really shouldn't be fighting when our lives are like this." Drake stood up and came closer to me, grabbing my shoulder he tugged me against him, making my heart skip a beat slightly as I stayed there in that position.

"I'm sorry for bringing you into our mess in the first place. All you wanted was your mother back after all." Well he did have that right, but somehow I found myself growing fond of this makeshift family of mine. Though I promised, that in the end I would be leaving them, they were not my family after all. My loose arm tugged on his shoulder, I wish I could cry, but I had my face dry in all this. I just couldn't cry anymore, not yet at least.

"You don't have to be sorry for that." I whispered, and fell asleep in his shirt.

The next morning it was the same deal, everyone had their rations, and we had started on the move again. Me and Drake somehow kept out distance from each other, but we still weren't fighting anymore which made Riley glad. Robert and Julia tended to trail behind making sure that we were not in any danger here. We were still living in enemy territory, and somehow I had a strange feeling Drake was trying to get us across that wall, but how? We stopped at the park when two officials spotted us.

"This isn't good Drake." Steven commented as the two of them started running towards us. My quick mind caused my good arm to point towards the golf cart on the side of the road.

"THE CAR" I yelled out, and everyone started moving. Hopping into the mobile car, as I caught my hand  on the bar, Riley pushing me inside as Robert began to hot wire the car. "Can't you go any faster?" I yelled into Drake's ear as Steven got on the roof of the white small car. Though, it wasn't much of a car in my opinion. As he released his swords he waited as the two men shot at us. Steven blocked the bullets, or more like melted them as there was a sudden start of the engine and we were moving down the road at a fast rate. Steven kept his balance on the roof as I starred forward and tapped Drake on the shoulder. "Watch out!" He swerved as we began to run from one of the police cars now. People in the streets ran out of the way as we stood as a rebellion against the government. Well, wasn't this my normal life now, I guess there was no choice but to use my proper skills to get myself in the position of being able to reach my goal.

"Steven get in and everyone duck!" Drake yelled out loud as Steven grabbed onto the roof and pulled himself in side. Me and riley held our heads down as Drake led us into a tunnel where the roof was peeled clean off, and now we were suddenly underground. Drake slammed on the brakes and it sent us forward, I landed on top of Julia as she struggled to get me off of her. When the commotion had finally died down, Julia rolled me off and Drake helped me up. "Is everyone alright?" besides for the fact that I had been almost completely unaware of what had just happened, I was alright as before. With my injury, I wasn't exactly mentally capable of taking in all my surroundings like I thought I would have.

"Nice quick thinking Vanessa" Steven said as  he hopped out of the car, and helped Riley up. I looked down the tunnel and looked over at Drake.

"I'm taking you all to a friends place, so come on." Drake patted me on the back as we started forward. I was feeling dizzy, but I didn't want to bother them so hugging the wall was my best bet, and taking frequent rests. As did Riley stay with me, I knew I wouldn't last much longer though. Sweat forming around my body, even though the cold air from the tunnel did not help. I eventually stopped and slid down the wall when we hadn't gone more than a few feet. Which made Drake crouch next to me. I was practically fighting to keep my lunch down.

“Boss we have to keep moving we can’t just stay here in the tunnel. They’ll find us.” Robert said as I tried to catch my breath, though it wasn’t working. Drake pulled up his hand and set it on top of my forehead before setting his own against mine. I blushed, not being able to tell because his head was cold as hell or the fact that he was so close to me. Drake grumbled under his breath and moved away from me for a moment. Pulling my arm over his shoulder he helped me up as I coughed slightly. I pressed my injured hand against my side like I was penguin as we continued to walk, until finally we made it to a ladder leading up and out.

“Come on you go first.” Drake said pushing me forward. “I’ll make sure you don’t fall”  I nodded and swallowed the pain as I raised my left hand and pulled myself up onto the ladder. Keeping my steps steady, but not too slow as I climbed up to the source of light. Crawling out of the hole I looked around and waited for my eyes to focus as I sat down on the dirt. What I saw, surprised me.

Reviews

[Terohime]

Wow!! This book is off to a good start. i love it. ^^