I’m much more nervous than I thought I would be to actually meet the rest of the legion. It takes both Sammi and Lauren to drag me to the polestar for dinner, although I’m starving. What if no one likes me? What if they don’t think I’m strong enough and they kick me out? I survived on my own for a long time but I’m not sure I could do that now that I know there’s something more.
I expect everyone to stare at me when we walk in and I’m not disappointed. Most just smile or cheer a little but there is a group of about four girls who give me a death glare from across the room. I drop my gaze to the floor. The best day of my life, it was fun while it lasted. Sammi rolls her eyes.

“Oh, c’mon Raven. Just ignore them. They’re only jealous because you spent the whole day with Andy and they didn’t get to.” She throws them a sarcastically sweet smile and wave before linking arms with me and pulling me into the crowd where I experience pats on the back and handshakes and countless introductions before we even get to the food table. But my thoughts are far away, fixated on what Sammi had just said. She had spoken casually but her choice in words implied that there might be something going on between me and the Prophet. I close my eyes for a second to escape the pandemonium around me. Of course Andy is kind, and ridiculously handsome and… my eyes snap open in alarm. No. I can’t allow myself to fall for Andy, there is no way he could ever feel the same. He is a legend and I am nothing special. Well… I guess I do have powers, but if I have them then it can’t be that uncommon right?
“Hello? Earth to Raven?” Lauren’s voice snaps me away from my girly thoughts about Andy.
“Huh? What?” They’re both looking at me.

“Well, space cadet.” Sammi jokes. “I was asking you to give us the details on the whole ‘saving Andy’s ass’ thing.”

“Yeah.” Says Lauren. “We heard some rumors about it that definitely couldn’t be true. You didn’t really attack three shadow men on your own did you?”

“Well.... kind of” They stare at me incredulously. “One of them stayed behind to fight Andy.” I say hurriedly. “I didn’t think I was going to beat them or anything I just wanted to distract them long enough for him to get away.

“Wait, why did you attack if you didn’t think you were going to make it out? You didn’t even know Andy.” I take a deep breath, knowing my story is already questionable enough and hoping they’ll believe me. “My mom used to steal confiscated items, books mostly, from the F.E.A.R. building where she worked. One of the books she brought me was a version of the prophecy. I knew that if there was a chance he really was the Prophet then I had to help” Gratefully, they seem to accept my word.

“So why were you all alone in the desert?” Sammi asks, leaning forwards with her elbows on the table. I tell them the story of my life in F.E.A.R. and about how and why I escaped. The years in the desert don’t take very long to describe. After all I was just trying to survive and that kind of took up all my time. Both of them are extremely supportive and remorseful about everything that’s happened to me. It’s amazing to me that I could have made such good friends after so many years in complete isolation.

We each are given plates with some strange dried meat that I don’t recognize, a scoop of peas, and a slice of bread. I gingerly poke at the meat with my fork, wondering what it is.

“Desert addax.” Explains Lauren. “We don’t usually eat it but we’re running low on fresh food. We really need to go on a raid.” I nod and take a bite. I’ve eaten plenty of desert addax before but I didn’t recognize it dried. It would have made sense to dry some and carry it with me but I never stayed in one place long enough to cure any food. Sammi picks up where Lauren left off.
“Speaking of the raid, I also heard that you are coming along. How on earth did you manage to swing that?” I shrug and finish off my peas.

“I honestly have no idea. Jake didn’t think it was a good idea at first but Ashley just told him that I’d already proved that I had the guts.” They both laugh. The lights suddenly dim and Lauren claps her hands excitedly.

“Oooooh. I almost forgot it was concert night!” She squeals. Somehow during the conversation I didn’t notice that someone had put a prefabricated stage at the other end of the room. Floor lights illuminate the stone walls behind the stage along with some amplifiers, a microphone, and an instrument I vaguely remember from the book on music that I used to have, I think… A drum kit? The people in the room fall silent as the sound of a keyboard rings out from the speakers. It sounds almost too delicate of a sound for such a rebellious place but there’s something empowering about it as well. To my surprise the Wild Ones run up onto the stage, the true Wild Ones from legend, with their full war paint and jackets. Jinxx and Jake are holding guitars while Ashley grips the neck of a four-stringed bass. CC stands at the ready with his drumsticks in hand. All at once the drums and the guitar start up. The music makes my heart beat faster, makes me want to run and scream and fight. Andy steps up to the microphone and begins to sing in his deep, powerful voice.

Here we go!
Holding onto lies, holding onto ties that vanished
Cut the rope!
And fall into the sky, the devil filled our minds with sadness

The world's a gun and I've been aiming all my life
Got something to live for, I know that I won't surrender
A warrior of youth!
I'm taking over, a shot to the new world order
I Am Bulletproof!

Here I go!
Another prison flight, another perfect sky I damaged
Now I know
Just who created life and why I set my sights to save it!

The world's a gun and I've been aiming all my life
Got something to live for, I know that I won't surrender
A warrior of youth!
I'm taking over, a shot to the new world order
I Am Bulletproof!

And as they take their final breath, I have built the truth
I'm taking over a shot to the new world order
I Am Bulletproof!

Got something to live for, I know that I won't surrender
A warrior of youth!
I'm taking over, a shot to the new world order
I Am Bulletproof!

Got something to live for, I know that I won't surrender
A warrior of youth!
I'm taking over, a shot to the new world order
I Am Bulletproof!

The legion goes wild, screaming and chanting their names. I look at Andy. The grin on his face is clear, despite the paint and the dimmed lighting and his blue eyes shine brightly through the darkness. He looks alive. In another life, this is all he would be.

Notes

Not sure how much I like this chapter but I wanted to update tonight. I'm so sorry that this is a bit late I'm just swamped with summer work. :( I'll do my best to update every day but if I can't do it I will update at least every other day.

On a different note, I would like to thank you all for your wonderful comments and subscriptions, thanks for voting as well. :) To be honest, when I started this story I figured that no one would read it, it being only my second story ever, but you guys supported me from the word go. That means the world to me. This is one of the best things in my life at the moment and sometimes it's what gets me through the day. So thank you, from the bottom of my heart. <3

P.S. If you read that whole thing, you're awesome. Always feel free to message me whenever, I have absolutely no social life so I'm probably on the site half the day. :)