Violet’s POV:

“We need a plan, and we need to make it fast. So if any of you have an idea, you’d better lay it on me.” I bark out my orders as I stalk down the long corridors, making our way as a group to the meeting room.

At least that’s where we were supposed to go.

Instead, my legs, having determination of their own, carry my further, until I am face-to-face with the sturdy, metal door to the weapons and training room.

“Violet?” A hesitant voice calls, but I ignore it as I push through, my brain already on autopilot.

I know first-hand what F.E.A.R is capable of, and therefore I know the kind of torture that Andy could be going through at this very moment. He’ll go insane. Even the toughest of soldiers could crack under the pressure, and while I don’t doubt Andy, I also don’t doubt F.E.A.R.

Andy once asked me how I managed to survive there for so long, and I never gave him a direct answer. Because really, at the time I didn’t even know. While in captivity, I used to fall asleep each night to the sound of people’s final screams of anguish and pain before there body would combust, their hearts would stop beating.

But I was different.

I had nothing to lose.

It was the truth. By being stuck in a cell for so long, I forgot all about warmth and love, and by that point all of my family was long gone. I survived for so long because they had no way of mentally breaking me, and without that, they couldn’t break me physically. Sure they could rip a apart my flesh and burn scorch marks into my skin, but they couldn’t truly ruin me as long as I was emotionally stable, and somehow, I was.

But Andy won’t be. He was everything to lose. His friends, all the innocent people who are counting on him to lead us to victory, and me. He won’t a chance against them, which worries me the most.

A hand briefly comes into contact with my shoulder and I flinch. Ashley comes into view with an apologetic, yet hard expression.

“We need to plan our rescue mission, Vi. I get you miss him, which is why you aren’t coming with us whenever we do rescue him.”

My mouth drops open and my hands slacken instantly, the thigh sheath I was holding clattering to the ground below.

“What?” I manage to get out.

Ash shakes his head, “you’re too emotionally connected to the target and to the mission; it wouldn’t benefit anyone for you to be there. So no, you aren’t going. You can help us plan, but nothing else.”

I shut my jaw, clenching it tightly as well as my fists as I give him a curt nod, stiffly turning away fro him.

It happens all so fast.

One second I’m considering just making my way back to my tent to cry my eyes out and the next I ma back in Ashley’s face, only it is contorted from pain. I ram my knee into his crotch and grip his shoulder tightly, using my leverage to fluently flip him to the ground, before aiming a knockout kick to the side of his head. It won’t do any real damage, but it’ll hurt like a bitch whenever he wakes.

I drop to the ground in a crouched position, retrieving the thigh sheath as I whisper a quick ‘I’m sorry’ to my fallen friend before I really get to work; I’ll need to move fast.

I’ve equipped myself with as many weapons as possible while staying undetected. Most of them are better for long-distance which is what I am hoping for. If all goes to plan I won’t need to even come into contact with a mindless guard.

My upper arms and thighs are sheathed with freshly sharpened knives, all of them best for throwing. In my ponytail I’ve somehow managed to shove two particularly sharp spears into my hair, and have even hidden extra ammo and smaller throwing knives into my boots. Around my waist is my pistol along with six more blades. Hopefully this will be enough.

I roll my neck a couple of times before I dart out of the weapons room, sneaking along the edges of walls as I make my way to the garages. Sooner or later Ashley will come to and alert the other Wild Ones but I’ll be long gone by then if all goes to plan. I’ve just got to do this; I am Violet the Iridescent, this is my task and I must accomplish it alone.

I smile a secret smile to myself when I spot my familiar getaway vehicle; my motorcycle. It gleams in the dim light as I get on, and the roar of the powerful engine fills my ears as I take off into the desert, towards the city. Towards F.E.A.R. Towards Andy.

Notes

-yasmin