Arise (Cruel and Beautiful World Book 3)

by L. Stoddard Hancock

  There was a moment’s pause before people started protesting. Talon told them to quiet down but, while the majority did, the group of people who knew they would be affected by the announcement kept arguing.

  “You see, this is what I’m talking about!” said Sam in a booming voice.

  All noise halted.

  “This man is your commander.” He pointed at Talon. “While many of you may have some complaints, the general consensus here is that he is a good leader, so why such damn disrespect?”

  No one had an answer.

  “Because he made a call that some of you don’t agree with,” Sam answered for them. “Well, guess what? That’s life out there in the real world and, instead of whining and picking fights, you need to trust those put in charge. April and I have made a list, along with the help of your leaders.” He pointed to Talon, Piz, Matilda and Laramie. “While you already work in pairs, we will be placing you in groups of four for offense fighters, and groups of six for defense fighters. There will be one leader in each group, just one and they are the only one to report anything to other group leaders. If you’re not on the list, you will leave first thing in the morning for the faraway base for nonfighters.”

  Deryn felt great satisfaction when she noticed Hera recoil.

  April brought up a large hologram filled with names. Everyone rushed forward, even those who very likely were not on the list.

  Nita laughed from beside Deryn. “Oh look. I’m the leader of Adrian, Everett and Evangeline. How shocking!”

  “Don’t fix what isn’t broken,” said Harper. “And I’m the leader of a defense group filled with my apprentices. Also shocking.”

  Deryn spotted her name.

  Offense. No shock there.

  Not the leader. Also not a shock.

  Xander was the leader. That was a shock.

  It wasn’t that Xander wouldn’t make a great leader, but Dakota was in their group too and he was often a mission leader in Blackbird. He worked solo the majority of the time, but still.

  April was their fourth.

  She walked up to them, her hard face lit with a smile as she noted their reactions.

  “I don’t understand. You and Dax are both leader material. Why are you in the same group?” asked Deryn.

  “Our group is hardly traditional. We have the renegade Guardian and the escaped slave they’re after. We won’t be charging in, guns blazing. There’s a bigger plan for us.”

  “But why me?” asked Xander.

  “Because you are the enemy. Who better to guide us through their pit?” said April. “I don’t know this place. I shouldn’t be in charge. Dax is too impulsive and Deryn doesn’t have the most stable of track records.”

  Deryn frowned. She wished she could argue but after freaking out over the disappearance of her chocolate bar she knew she couldn’t. She still had too many demons that brought out the broken slave girl.

  “Now, come along. We and two other groups have advanced training today.”

  Deryn looked around until she spotted Dakota a few feet away. He didn’t look happy but still returned the smile she gave him. She motioned to him before following April.

  “Are you not in a group, Sam?” asked Nita as she stood with her usual team.

  “No, I will be leading my Peace Ops in a similar way as Talon leads all of you. Are we all here?”

  They were all there. The third team Sam had called forth was Laramie’s. He was the leader of two men and a woman. Deryn recognized but didn’t know any of them.

  “Great. Let’s go.”

  Sam and April, each carrying a bag, led the eleven of them toward Blackbird’s exit. This was the first time Deryn would be going down without Talon. She glanced back at her brother, who was dealing with all of the complaints about the groups. This was where he excelled as a leader. He was far more patient than she would ever be.

  She laughed as he calmly told someone to ‘shut the fuck up’.

  Once the thirteen of them were down on the ground, April sent out their flying security cameras while Sam pulled out a hologram map Talon must have leant him.

  They ended up in the ruins where Deryn and Dakota used to play as children. When she’d met Talon there several weeks earlier, she didn’t have the time to stop and look around. This was the only place from her childhood that had not changed. It was as run down and beautiful as she remembered.

  She turned to Dakota with a wide grin and said, “Our place. We’re finally back here together.”

  “It’s been a long time,” he said, grinning back at her.

  “I listened to your broadcast every day after I discovered it. It was comforting knowing you were still coming here, waiting for me. Meanwhile, I was stuck with that one.” She pointed at Xander and made a face.

  Xander sneered and swatted her finger. “Aren’t you fucking hilarious.” He looked around. “Why was this your place?”

  “This was where we came to escape annoying grownups and big brothers as kids.”

  “It’s also where you first kissed me.” Dakota looked from Deryn to Xander and winked.

  “You told me the two of you didn’t get together until you were in quarantine,” said Xander, staring daggers at Deryn.

  “We didn’t. I kissed him and ran away,” said Deryn, laughing.

  “She avoided me for two days.”

  “Which was really hard to do in a small village,” she added. “But then the Utopian guards came and took us away in the middle of the night. We were thrown into quarantine for six months and it became impossible to avoid him. So I kissed him again.”

  “There was nothing else to do in there,” said Dakota with a shrug. “So we made out. A lot.”

  “Yeah, we did.”

  Dakota and Deryn slapped hands.

  “I liked it better when the two of you weren’t talking,” said Xander. He turned away and walked over to Sam, who was taking something out of that heavy bag of his.

  Deryn ran after him and took his hand. “I like how you get upset over something that happened when I was fifteen. You do realize I actually had to listen to you have sex with numerous women through a wall only four months ago?”

  “That’s different. I didn’t have feelings for any of those women.”

  “Just me! Oh, what a lucky girl I am.” She kissed his cheek.

  “The two of you are so adorable I could vomit,” said April with no inflection as Sam adjusted a metal backpack he’d placed on her shoulders.

  “She means that quite literally,” said Sam. “After a night of drinking she went up to a kissing couple and vomited all over them.”

  “It was coming out either way, so I figured I might as well get some use out of it.”

  “That’s a fun story,” said Nita, and she really meant it.

  “Okay, let’s get started,” said Sam, moving in front of the crowd. “The twelve of you have been chosen by myself and Talon, because you are the most skilled and trustworthy fighters in the Resistance, or because you’ll work well as bait.” He smiled at Xander.

  Sitting on the ground, like the good student she was, Nita raised her hand. “Why is Dax in that group and not me? My bounty is set higher than his.”

  “Not according to our most recent data,” said Sam.

  “What?” Nita jumped to her feet. “But mine’s been higher than his for years! Years!”

  “His went higher when he killed Aila Parrish,” said Xander.

  Dakota crinkled his brow. “I didn’t kill Aila Parrish. You did.”

  “Yes, but I did it in secret. I had to pin it on someone and you were the only Resistance member in the area at the time. So I told the president it was you and your bounty went up. You’re welcome.”

  Dakota actually smiled. Nita was about to pounce on him but Sam held up a hand to stop her.

  “Irrelevant. You already have a team you work well with so we never would’ve transferred you. The point is, we have plans for all twelve of you and you’ll need a specific skill to car
ry them out. April, show them how it’s done.”

  Sam flipped a switch on April’s metal backpack. It began to make a deep, rumbling noise. She took a thin, silver band - the same one she wore the day they arrived to access Peace Ops data - and strapped it to her head. As soon as it was in place, she stared up at the trees, jumped into the air and took off.

  Higher and higher she went, flying through the open air. She took out her gun and aimed it at the group. They all dispersed as she fired. She landed on the scorched earth.

  “Was shooting really necessary?” asked Sam.

  “Absolutely. I was letting them know that if I actually aimed they’d all be dead.”

  “How high can that thing go?” asked Laramie, walking up to her and running his hands along the metal pack.

  “As high as I want. But it gets uncomfortable when the air starts to thin.”

  “Thin?” repeated Deryn, staring in awe at the device. “How high have you gone?”

  “Only to the tops of a few mountain ranges. I don’t care much for the open sky. Sam, on the other hand, likes to fly up until he has trouble breathing and then just lets himself fall back down.”

  Sam smiled proudly. “I like to throw exclusive dance parties in the sky. April’s always invited but she never attends.”

  “Because it’s stupid,” said April.

  “That’s what makes it fun! Why have a dance party on the boring ground when you can have one in the sky? It’s just logical.”

  “Logical,” scoffed April. “Like when you flew into those storm clouds?”

  Sam rolled his eyes. “I didn’t fly into the eye of the storm. And we’re off topic. The point is, we have two of these with us and another ten in our ship. And you’ve all been chosen to learn how to fly them. April, you stay in yours. Laramie, you’re up first.”

  Nita’s team left to patrol the area while Laramie and his team were taught how to use the strange flying machines, which they learned were called gravpacks. April stayed in hers throughout the training, having to constantly catch people when they took off with too much momentum. One of the Laramie’s group nearly collided with a tree. April snagged his foot and swung him back just in time, but he still hit the ground with quite a bit of momentum.

  Deryn, Xander and Dakota sat on the edge of an old stone building. It had collapsed on itself after many years of decay and felt as stable as anything. It was actually where Deryn and Dakota used to always share their lunches when they were small.

  “When I was younger I thought hover-bikes were so cool,” said Dakota, his eyes on April as she did a couple backflips in the air. “That there couldn’t be anything higher-tech than a hovering, zooming bicycle. And now ... these people can literally fly like superheroes. I wonder what else they have.”

  “What’s a superhero?” asked Xander.

  “They’re from these things called comic books. I think you’ll like them,” explained Deryn. “Dax has a collection. I’m sure he’d be happy to show you.”

  Both Xander and Dakota glanced sideways at her, accidentally catching each other’s skeptical gaze.

  “Stop trying to fight it. This friendship is happening,” said Deryn.

  “Dax!” called Sam from below. “You’re up next.”

  Dakota jumped down from their ledge and followed Sam over to where the last person in Laramie’s team was removing the gravpack. Once it was strapped to him, Sam went over the basic controls before letting April take the lead.

  Sam observed Dakota for a moment before glancing back at Deryn. She was watching Dakota and April fly with a dreamy look in her eye. He frowned and went to her, climbing through the rubble of the old building until he was standing on the ledge.

  Deryn and Xander both looked back at him. “Come for a better view?” she asked.

  “No, I actually wanted to speak with you for a moment.”

  “Me?” While she hadn’t known Sam for long, she already recognized when he was worried about something. He had a different tone. Deeper, more solemn.

  Sam sat beside her. “While this may not be a problem, I’m a little concerned that you won’t be able to work the gravpack.”

  “Why?” she asked.

  “The thing is, it’s pretty heavy and it takes just as much muscle control as it does brain power. Lowering it should be easy enough but getting a good amount of height might be difficult. I don’t know your exact muscle mass, but considering you’ve been training for less than two months after years of limited activity -”

  “You don’t need to go on, I get it.” She frowned as Dakota flew around so easily, applying such little effort. “But I’d still like to try.”

  “Of course. We want you to learn.”

  “Does your plan really consist of me and Deryn flying one of these things?” asked Xander. “I thought we were bait.”

  “We have multiple plans. It doesn’t seem like Saevus is very tactical and we hope to use that to our advantage. But no, if everything goes according to plan you won’t be using a gravpack. But when does anything ever go according to plan?”

  “Fair point,” said Xander.

  “You want us to learn so we can run.”

  Sam and Xander both looked at Deryn.

  “I’m right, aren’t I? Use us as bait and then get us out.”

  Sam bit his cheek. “There will be a target on your back. It would be better for you to -”

  “You’re a soldier. Have you ever run?” she asked.

  “No, but I’ve also never been in your situation.”

  Deryn shook her head. “Talon put you up to this, didn’t he? He doesn’t think I can fight.”

  “He thinks you can fight,” said Sam.

  “But he doesn’t want me to fight.”

  “There’s no shame in -”

  “I’m fighting,” she snapped, turning her fierce eyes on him. “I deserve to fight, just like everyone else. Maybe even more so.”

  Sam leaned back on his hands and shrugged his shoulders. “Probably, but that doesn’t change the fact that you can run and no one would blame you for it.”

  “Well, isn’t that touching,” she said derisively.

  Sam and Xander exchanged a smile over her head.

  “I saw that, assholes.”

  When Dakota was finished with his turn, Deryn jumped down from the ledge and marched on over.

  Sam and Xander were quick to follow her.

  “Did Sam talk to you?” asked April as Deryn approached her.

  “Yes, now put the damn thing on me so I can see how much more work I have to do.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” April happily took the pack off of Dakota and slipped it onto Deryn, one strap at a time. She held it up while Deryn adjusted to the weight of it. Dakota took off the band and placed it on Deryn’s head.

  “Should I turn it on?” he asked April.

  “Not yet. Deryn, I’m going to release some of the weight onto you. Are you ready?”

  Deryn nodded. “Yes.”

  April loosened but did not release her grip on the pack. Deryn grunted as the bulk of the weight pressed down on her shoulders. She wobbled but stayed on her feet.

  “Shit, that’s heavy,” she said through clenched teeth.

  Dakota raised his eyebrows. “Really? It didn’t seem that bad to -”

  Xander grabbed his shirt and pulled him back several steps. “Not the time, you fucking idiot.”

  Sam came up and readjusted the band on Deryn’s head. He pressed the on button, causing it to light up. “April is going to put it all on you in a moment here. I’m going to need you to keep your mind focused. If all of your concentration is on the weight then nothing is going to happen.”

  Deryn nodded. “I’ve got it.”

  Sam looked at April. “Let go but stay close.”

  April gave one nod before releasing the pack completely.

  Deryn’s knees buckled as the entire weight of the pack pressed down on her shoulders. She stopped herself from collapsing to the ground but stil
l stood unevenly. Once she had herself straightened, she tried to take Sam’s advice and focus on the task at hand.

  She was going to fly, dammit.

  Like the blackbird.

  It was a dream she never knew she had but was determined to make a reality. She was going to fly, she was going to fight and she was going to celebrate their victory with a fucking dance party in the sky.

  As she focused on that vision of the future, her eyes aimed at the tops of the trees as she imagined herself brushing the leaves through her fingertips, her feet slowly began to lift off of the ground.

  April rose with her, staying close as Deryn worked hard to keep that focus.

  She could do this.

  She could float off the ground.

  She could fly through the trees.

  She could fight.

  She could kill.

  She could protect.

  She could -

  A S.U.R.G.E. flew out of the trees right where she’d been staring.

  Deryn gasped, losing focus and falling backwards into April. They hadn’t risen very high yet and April was able to grab hold of the falling girl, but she herself was smashed into the ground, the weight of Deryn’s pack landing on her stomach and knocking the air out of her.

  Laramie jumped up and used his Repeller gun to bring the S.U.R.G.E. down.

  It landed with a thud beside Deryn, who was kicking her legs in an attempt to get off of April, trapped on her back by the weight of the gravpack.

  “Poor little trapped turtle,” said Sam, laughing as he lifted Deryn off of his lieutenant. April swiveled onto her knees and upchucked before gasping for breath.

  “We need to move to another location,” said Laramie, kicking the dead S.U.R.G.E. into the forest. Dakota was already using his two-way to contact Nita and her team.

  “No matter how many damn cameras and people you send out, one can always slip through,” said Sam. He took off Deryn’s gravpack and tossed it over his shoulder. “You did better than I expected, vixen, but I think that’s enough for you today.”