The Wastelands

Everyone was frightened by a loud bang and the rocking aftershock that followed after. Major Hatten temporarily left Druid's side to talk loudly to one of his guards. He didn't seem to like what he heard.

Major Hatten returned and addressed everyone. "Ladies and gentlemen, there is nothing to worry about, that was merely a trap malfunction. It's already taken care of." He picked up some wine and raised it. "So, eat, drink, and dance! Have fun!" Everyone laughed and smiled at one another, reassured.

'That idiot,' Bryson cursed silently, when he realized that he couldn't contact Lilia, he cursed a second time

*Do you want me to go after her?* Shadow asked.

At least the connection still works. Bryson thought before he replied, *No, proceed with the plan.* He straightened his tie, with gritted teeth he added, *As painful it is to admit, Lilia can hold her own.*

There was a pause before Shadow answered, *We agree to disagree…but fine.* That 'fine' empathized that if Lilia wasn't 'fine,' then Bryson was the one Shadow would go after. He had firsthand experience of how capable Shadow was. Their past encounters weren't pleasant, and very painful on Bryson's end.

*Terran, be at the ready with immediate medical care,* Bryson ordered. *I have a feeling that we are going to need it.*

*Roger,* Terran replied with a sombre tone.

'Not to mention his comb-over. How crass.'

It was like a circus or a costume party where he portrayed himself as the Commander-in-Chief, and everyone else was salivating for his attention. With their ill-fitted clothing and jewels, they found salvaging; they were as fake as the Major was.

He researched Major Hatten's history. Before the war, he was a car salesman. When the war began, and any able man and woman were obliged to enlist, he hiked out and hid behind one of his rich cousins, leaving his wife behind in the process.

Now, Major Hatten was put in charge of a compound because he had relatives in high places. His ruthlessness and his salesman's charm got him the rest of the way. He was sc.u.m.

Usually, Bryson would be very opposed to Druid consorting with such a man. But the way she was leading that odious man in a merry dance was a very amusing thing to witness.

While taking a sip from his drink, Bryson watched as Major Hatten tried to lead Druid further towards a room adjacent to the ballroom. She was having none of that, and gracefully danced away from his touch, followed by a teasing laugh indicating that there were no hard feelings.

Anger overtook the 'good' Major's expression, and Bryson lightly touched his shoulder, reminding him that Druid was not alone.

"Major sir, if you are going to take her to another room, then I must come along," Bryson stated firmly.

"What are you, her bodyguard?" the Major sneered back.

He nodded his head towards the bookish-looking man who had escorted them in.

"Besides, your guests will miss your commanding presence," Bryson continued, raising his voice higher, catching the notice of nearby party-goers. "We wouldn't want that, would we?" Bryson glared at the man, making sure that the Major understood his threat.

The look on the Major's face indicated that he had received the message, and he wasn't happy about it. But like a good salesman that he was, he plastered a smile on his face and stated, "Thank you. lad, it's quite refreshing to see the younger generation taking an interest in politics, and right now, it is time for me to greet my other guests." Taking the way out, he offered his hand.

Bryson took a second to take his gloves off before reaching for the offered hand. Then he internally braced himself while Major Hatten's past invaded his mind.

When the sideshow finished, the Major was out of earshot.

Bryson wiped his hands with a handkerchief and folded it up as it had very neatly. Before putting back on his glove.

"You didn't have to do that, you know," Druid whispered beside him, taking his arm and leading him to the dance floor.

"What?" He widened his eyes in false innocence. "Touching him, or taking your toy away?"

"Both," she said, gracefully guiding him to lead while throwing her moves in the mix. A smile broke out. It made him proud to see her in his arms when she was in her element when she was happiest.

"And you play it so well," she admitted with a smile, and he could practically hear the panting of the men and some women, not realizing that every move she made, she did so with a clear path in mind. "Besides, he was getting a bit too 'hands-on' for my taste," she said, showing a little bit of her vulnerability. Bryson liked to think that he was the only one Druid showed that side of her.

She, like him, had an aversion to touch. Druid, due to an incident that had happened in her past. And he, with every human touch, he received a piece of their memories. With his perfect memory, it was another stain that he wished to forget.

Like the memory, Bryson had when he accidentally touched Druid years ago.

***

The fire was everything and everywhere, …and with it the smell of burnt flesh. A younger-looking Druid covered in black soot. She fell to her knees, screaming while her surroundings went up in flames.

***

Druid's memories, like many others, were still fresh in his mind. But they were Druid's memories like everything else about her; they were important to him. Something awful had happened to Druid, and everything in him wanted to help her to make it better. But he wasn't so crass to bring up something too painful for her to talk about.

"I am sorry that I put you through that, I only want to confirm what I fear is true," Bryson replied, trying to focus on the plan…and not on the past that he could not change.

"The full party is a trap to gather all his roadblocks in one place, and a couple of riff-raff to keep the official off the scent. He is planning to kill us all." Bryson stated with a tired sigh. It was one of the possible scenarios that might occur, so it wasn't a surprise, "On his puppet-master orders."

"The Major never met him." Bryson knew how bad that was.

"Well, that's not suspicious." Druid sighed. "Headmistress Weatherly won't like this."

Before he could say anything more, he was interrupted by...

*We have to hurry! This place is rigged with explosives!* Lilia shouted out with panic.

Druid and Bryson glanced at each other with widened eyes.

"Major Hatten doesn't know anything about that," Bryson confirmed before everything went to hell.

***

He slammed down his fist, and she stumbled under, feeling the wind slice the air above her. Lila ran through the hole that he made, and she heard him charge behind her.

While Lilia avoided another punch from the man, it wasn't hard; the guy had only brute strength and no finesse. But with the condition her body was in, she doubted that she would hold up for long against his fist.

Lilia glanced warily at her opponent. You could tell from all the scars, surgical and otherwise, that this guy had gone through the wringer.

He was barely recognizable as a human being, and his crashing about indicated that he was feeling no pain. The worst part was he had no brain activity. Nothing for Lilia's telepathy to hold on to, there was no point reasoning with him. It was like fighting an overcharged zombie.

He also had a vine tattoo crawling up his neck. Was he experimented on because he was a Vine survival? In any case, experiments, to this extent, were forbidden since the Lumeye Wars.

If Lilia brought this guy in, Major Hatten was finished, but it was becoming increasingly clear that the only way to stop him would have to be something drastic.

'Oh well, hopefully, Shadow will find something more portable.'

A big fist came toward her. It was too late to dodge it. So, she held her ground. Lilia could feel the punch force transferring through her body and slamming into the wall behind her.

He moved in to sweep away her feet. She barely dodged by using his leg as a springboard and bounded backwards through the now open wall.

'Goddamn.' Before Lilia could stop herself, she punched him. Appalled, she watched him crashing backwards, the wall crumbling down on top of him.

"No!" Lilia cursed. She wanted to avoid attacking him.

Lilia jumped further into the room to one of still standing pillars and place her hand on its surface. She moved her hand away, satisfied.

'Good, still solid. At least for now.'

Lilia gaze swept around her, seeing the disaster that she and the zombie man created, she couldn't help but laugh in exhaustion. It looked like it wouldn't take much for the ceiling to tumble down.

'At least she had more room. Wait! What was that smell?' Her mind connected the dots, and a smile began to form.

Just barely slipping away just as the zombie man tried to flatten her yet again.

"Okay, I am getting tired of this." Lilia looked up before she dashed towards the big guy and slammed her fist into the side of his face.

'Good thing, his defences are shit.'

He stumbled and fell to one knee, but it didn't take him down. Lilia was counting on it. "Come on, come on," she waited, but she didn't have to wait for long. The big guy slowly got up and gave chase.

'That's it!'

Lilia ran, making sure that the big guy was running behind, trying to smash her with his massive fists. She had to make sure that his focus was only on her.

At the very last minute, she allowed her claws to form and cut through the wall, using the rest of her body to slam into it, hoping the debris and dust would mask what was about to come. Then she did the same with the next wall.

She grabbed the edges and flipped in and up.

The zombie man didn't.

Lilia watched as he fell into the sea, crashing into the cliff on the way down.

It took all her strength to prevent the wind from slamming her into the building. She quickly climbed back in before she lost her grip.

Lilia doubled over, breathing heavily. She wanted to crawl up in a ball and scream. The shock and the pain finally catching up to her. Terran would have a field day, trying to fix her up. Although she was a fast healer, they all were, the pain was just as intense.

'No, not now, I need a distraction, something, anything.' Lilia brushed against her fatigues. She stumbled back to her feet.

Lilia dusted herself off, glancing mournfully at her ruined fatigues. It looked like Lilia went through the wringer. They would draw too much attention. She should find something nearby.

She swallowed back her hysterical laughter. All too aware of how ridiculous her situation was. Lilia of all people caring about how she looked. But it got out of her head at least.

As soon as she calmed down, Lilia stilled, as she smelled something…gunpowder?

The saltwater smell was hiding it, but it was gunpowder.

With a growing feeling of dread, Lilia looked around.

And Lilia spotted something, a dozen of somethings attached to the supporting posts.

With a start, Lilia called out to the rest of her team telepathically, praying that the message will get through.

*We have to hurry! This place is rigged with explosives!*

***

Rachel felt the explosion before it registered in her mind. 'Oh, it must be another trap malfunction.' The next second, she felt Statson's heavy body slam her much smaller one onto the floor and roll her next to a wall.

Looking over her shoulder, Rachel looked at the scene before her in shock: terrified people, screaming and shouting, pushing and pulling. Rachel winced when she saw a guy pulled under and disappear under the stampeding feet.

They rushed towards the door, banging their fist against the solid frame. "It won't open! It's stuck!" Cries of despair echoed.

All she could do was watch. When people thought their lives were in danger, there was no reasoning with them; they turned into crazed animals.

'I could have been in that mess.' Rachel was so thankful for Statson's quick reflexes.

"You'll have to be on your toes, Girly," Statson advised while he helped her off the floor. He picked up his hat, which had fallen nearby.

"Shit, the doors are not opening!" shouted a panicking voice.

"I figured," Stanton calmly stated. "That is one sadistic bastard."

"Major Hatten?" she asked, but dismissed it instantly, spotting him cowering under the banquet table.

"No, a bastard who likes to watch." He nodded his hat towards the cameras in installing throughout the room. Rachel counted about twenty. "At a safe distance."

It dawned on Rachel. "Generally, In the Cities, security cameras are common but here."

Statson nodded. "Right, here they are too expensive to maintain. On Compounds, I see them around, sure, but not so many in one room. And this is an Outpost, only useful for temporary use, why even bother."

"We can't shoot at them. It will spook the crowd even more," Rachel said in frustration.

"I may have a better suggestion," a sweet voice, with a hint of seduction, said from behind them.

They turned towards those dancing green eyes that were oh-so captivating, before noticing the girl was not alone.

Bryson stood by Druid's side, with their chaperone close behind.

Even closer, they were even more beautiful, but then she noticed a dangerous air about them... one that was so familiar, and yet she couldn't put her finger on it.

'Oh well, it will come to me.' Rachel thought, dismissively.

Statson reacted instinctively, reaching for his gun, But Druid was quicker, moving with incredible speed. She had Statson's gun in her hands before Rachel could blink, holding the gun like a harmless toy.

"We know that you have no reason to trust us, but we have nothing to do with this. We are here to gather information, nothing more," Druid spoke in soothing tones, then she turned her head in thought. "Well, I am not saying that things didn't go a little sideways."

"For Ayden." Statson gritted his teeth.

Bryson's sneer was answer enough. "He would sooner kill us, to him we are...defective," he replied like he was chewing glass.

Rachel was confused. "Ayden, who…" Then her eyes widened. "You don't mean the Lumeye who started the war thirty years ago. But that would make you…"

"Lumeye, yes," Druid finished with a nod.

***

Two guards ran down the corridor. "Trap malfunctioning was one thing but this. Nobody told us about the explosives," the guard with the light brown hair cursed out.

The darker-haired guard answered, "Yeah, this is way above our pay grade. Let's get the hell out of here.

Then suddenly, the light brown-haired guard shouted out in surprise. "Crap, something scratched me." He halted in his tracks, surprised.

The dark-haired one stopped a little ahead before turning around to face the other guard. "Ha, John, why'd you stop? We don't have time…" he paused, his eyes widening. "What's that?"

The light brown-haired guard, John, turned around and looked. "I don't see anything. Come on, Craig, are you playing tricks on me?"

Craig shook his head. "No, no. I thought I saw… Well, I thought I saw a girl." He shook his head harder, trying to clear out the cobwebs. "Shit, I must be losing it."

"No, it's probably just dust," John said, before starting to run again. "Come on; we need to get out of here."

Craig took one last look back before following his friend.

A few seconds passed before someone stepped out from the side corridor. It wasn't a girl, but the replica of light-brown-haired John. Well, except for the eyes. They were cyan.