Go Down Kicking (Legion of the Black)

Alice lay unconscious on the baked ground, her hair flowing freely behind her as the whispers of a breeze approached the camp. Her left arm was splayed carelessly across the ground whilst her right rested over her heart, her hand in a tight fist. Now that the blood had been wiped away, an inky bruise was visible on the scarily large lump dominating her forehead.
A pair of chocolate brown eyes watched her hopefully, waiting for any sign that she might wake up.
Ashley sighed. He was beginning to think she was in some sort of coma, maybe she would never come around. He grimaced and shook the thought away with a slight shake of his a head.
As he was about to walk away a gleam of silver flashed from inside of Alice's clenched fist.
Intrigued, he edged closer and slowly loosened her hold on the metal.
His jaw dropped as he pried her last finger from it. In her now open palm lay a small silver necklace with some sort of cross attached to it. It was similar to the traditional Christian cross, but with two horizontal lines instead of one:
The symbol of F.E.A.R.
Wide-eyed and speechless, he carefully placed the emblem back into her pale hand and ran off to tell the others. He sharply turned a corner, kicking up dust clouds as he went.
* * *
"That's too soon" Andy said, cutting off Erin.
"If we wait any longer we lose the element of surprise, we should attack whilst they're still unprepared." Erin continued.
"We can't attack if half of my rebels are injured. That's suicide." He folded his tattooed arms. Andy was starting to get impatient with this strange girl.
Erin considered this for a moment, glancing at the hoard of injured rebels. "Fine. But a month's my limit."
Andy nodded, closing his eyes as he leant against the iron supports of the staircase they were sheltering under. He pulled on his lip ring with his teeth. Erin stood, watching him, mesmerised by the way the sun through the metal lattice cast shadows on his chiseled face. She gently shook her head, as if to dismiss a silly thought.
His icy eyes flew open in alarm as Ashley skidded over to them, panting.
"She -just lying there- in her hand- I saw- F.E.A.R-" Ashley rushed, his sentences merging together as he gasped for air. Andy grabbed his shoulders and looked him dead in the eye. "Ash, slow down. What did you see?" Ashley pointed back in the direction he had run from.
"That girl, you know, the one I took back, she's one of Them."
Andy and Erin stood in shocked silence, their blue eyes meeting in shared confusion before Andy eventually managed to speak.
"Shit."
* * *
"DEMON!" Alice screamed hysterically, shoving the black haired girl away. "Don't touch me!"
"I-I'm sorry, just get up so we can clean you up, okay?" Cami said, her stormy eyes full of worry. Alice pressed her hands over her ears, trying to block out the demon, so did not hear the patter of several footsteps as they approached her.
Cami pressed her finger to her lips; signalling for the group to be quiet. After a moment of thought, Andy cautiously stepped towards the girl, the sand crunching underneath his boots. Her hazel eyes flashed open and took in the group. Their tattoos, piercings and dark clothes screamed Satanic. Alice's fear was reflected in her tear filled eyes.
"It's okay," Andy whispered, crouching near her. "We won't hurt you." Despite his comforts, Alice automatically flinched back, as if he were vermin. He sighed and turned to the group.
"Cami, get her some water" he said and Cami ran off, relieved to be away from the screaming girl. Alice stood up and brushed the red sand stains from her white shirt before Cami returned with a bowl of murky water.
"Here you go," Cami murmured, holding it out to Alice. Alice eyed it skeptically and folded her arms indicating she wasn't going to take it. Cami, who had run across the whole camp to get this ungrateful girl the water, let out a noise of irritation and jerked the bowl towards Alice. "Drink some. Come on, it's not that bad." Alice shoved Cami away, causing her to topple backwards onto the desert floor, her back making a unnatural THUD as it hit the ground. The water soaked into the sand and evaporated as quick as it had spilled.
"DON'T COME NEAR ME!" Alice shouted, stepping away from the fallen girl. Cami winced, knowing she was going to be decorated in patches of black and blue tomorrow.
"HOW DARE YOU!?" Erin shouted, running forward and tackling Alice to the ground. The girls struggled and spat curses at each other, before Alice's weak body gave in for a moment and Erin's trained arms easily pinned her down. With her forearm pressed against Alice's neck, Erin hissed "If you ever touch one of my rebels again, I will make sure it's the last thing you do. Ever."
Alice swallowed nervously, her wide eyes never leaving Erin's disgusted face.
Erin eventually got up and turned to Andy, her usual tranquillity not quite masking the storm behind her sea blue eyes. "What are we going to-" Erin was cut off as Alice slammed into her back. Erin spun around just before Alice's hand raked across her face, trails of glossy crimson appearing where her fingernails had broken the skin. A pair of tanned arms restrained Alice from behind before she could attack again, pulling her away from Erin.
But Erin was done with walking away.
She charged forward and landed a solid punch in Alice's gut. A grin spread across her face as she saw the anger and pain in Alice's green eyes. A second pair of tattooed arms snaked around Erin's waist and pulled her away, flailing.
"Stop it." Andy ordered as Erin kept trying to break his hold on her. "She's not worth it."
Erin calmed down immediately when she saw Ashley drag Alice out of her sight, but Alice's hysterical screams echoed around the camp all of that night.

Notes