Return of the Legion

The Destroyer's POV
The next day, we all meet up to discuss strategy in the Church of the Wild Ones. Andy leads the charge with, "So here's what we know. The chips have been destroyed. The program Ava created to disable them also fried them so they couldn't be turned back on. This is a massive blow to F.E.A.R.'s control, which is a good thing for us. The problem is, the amount of people who still support F.E.A.R. and want to see us dead. Now that that's out in the open, does anyone have any ideas to strike back?"

He falls silent, waiting for someone to speak up, but no one does. Andy sighs deeply, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. With each passing moment, he becomes more agitated.

"Maybe Ivy or Ava can come up with something," I finally say, "They might be able to see something we're missing."

"Ash, can you please get them for us?" Andy asks after a long moment of thought.

Ash nods, standing immediately and jogging out to find the girls. We sit in silence for a long moment, before he reappears with the twins.

Once they're sat down, Andy repeats what he told us, then asks them if they can figure out something. They pause, considering the situation, before Ivy speaks up.

"We're out numbered, aren't we?" She softly inquires, tapping her chin with her index finger.

"Sadly," Jake answers.

"Then we need up our numbers...but how?" Ava asks, looking at her sister, a deep frown marring her brow.

"How else?" Ivy replies, "We need a way to get the word out to the masses. A call to arms. A radio transmission."

"Ava, can you hack the major radio stations in F.E.A.R.?" Ash asks, watching the girls carefully.

"I hacked security cameras in the corrections facility you guys were in, while writing a program to fry all the chips in F.E.A.R." She states with a confident smile, "Hacking the radio stations won't be an issue. I just have to get back in the city somehow."

"We can help with that," Jinxx says, "Where to in the city?"

"The top of the State Building would be best," Ava replies, looking at each of us before asking, "Would that be possible?"

"Yes," Ash responds, breaking the silence, "Won't be easy, but it's definitely possible. Best method of attack? Two groups. Three to deactivate security cameras and gain clearance to restricted areas in the building. Four to defend group one and keep watch."

"Then it's settled. Deviant, I'm counting on you to get us in there. The groups will be; One, Ava The Mourner and myself. Two, Destroyer, Mystic, Deviant and Ivy," Andy states standing and walking out, "We leave at dawn."

Ava looks worried and downright terrified. Ivy seems more stoic than anything, her eyes void of emotion and her jaw set in a hard line.

"Ivy, we're not really going to do this?" Ava hisses at her sister.

"The Prophet knows what he's doing," Ivy replies in a cold manner, looking directly at Ava, "We follow his orders and don't ask questions. I have a hard time believing he'd run into something like this blindly. Especially since this could mean the difference between life and death, of not just the seven of us, but all the Wild Ones."

Ava shifts uncomfortably under her sister's gaze, then nods and whispers, "Alright. You make a good point there."

"You're the Intelligence Agent and I'm the Guard. Focus on what you do best. Let me, The Deviant, Destroyer, Mystic, Mourner and Prophet worry about the rest," Ivy tells her, resting a reassuring hand on her shoulder and finally smiling at her sister.

"What's this broadcast you want to put out anyway?" Ava inquires, looking at each of us.

"Music," Jinxx simply replies, "Those who hear the meaning in the songs are the true Wild Ones at heart and will come running. It's our way of separating the wheat from the chaff, so to speak."

Ava nods before standing up and quietly excusing herself. We all watch her leave the Church, then our eyes shift to Ivy, as she continues watching the door, well after her sister disappears. After a long moment, she closes her eyes and sighs, before standing up and following her sister's lead and walking out.

"Ivy's the stronger of the two of them," Jake states bluntly, "She's The Priestess, which means Ava will become The Rebel."

Jinxx sighs, looking down. Ash closes his eyes, a pained look on his face. I can't do anything but shake my head. We all know what that means and I wonder how that will effect Ivy.

Andy sees it too. That's why he favors Ava so much...It's not that he likes her better...He's trying to change the outcome of her disastrous fate. He doesn't want his granddaughter to suffer the same fate as Eve.

Ivy's POV
As I aimlessly walk around the desert town, I think about Ava. She doesn't seem overly thrilled with her choice to help me free the people and save the Legion. I can't help but wonder if she would have really been happier living a lie?

No, I can't believe that...Maybe she just needs time to process everything that's happened. After all, a lot has happened in the last few days. Our entire world just got flipped on its head. Yeah...that's got to be it. She just needs a little more time.

I'm so lost in thought that I don't even realize where I'm going, until I'm standing before an old black, cubicle building, with indistinguishable cravings engraved into the walls. Sand covers half of the structure and I see an opening where a door once stood.

"What is this?" I whisper, creeping closer, pulling out the dagger and pentacharm they had given me last night, just in case. I look around, through the hole and see a long, dark hallway, illuminated only by the sun pouring in through the large opening and holes ripped into the roof from years of neglect. Who knows how long this thing's been here?

I slowly walk further inside, looking around for any signs or clues of what this place was. A buzzard squawks loudly, causing me to jump and cry out as it flies off. My eyes follow it out of one of the holes in the roof, and once it's out of sight, I turn my attention to whatever it had been feasting upon.

A black mass lay on the sand covered floor, wearing one of the masks said to be worn by Shadows. I take hold of a stick nearby to remove the mask, but jump and drop it when I realize it's not a stick. It's a bone. A human...bone...

I look over at the area I got the bone from and see a skeleton, wearing a long, tattered black cloak, a mask similar to the first's lay nearby the skull. I then look up and see a carving of the original Church of F.E.A.R.'s symbol.

Suddenly it all makes sense and I turn to run, but as I do, four Shadows appear, blocking the exit. I gasp, falling back on the sand, looking around for anything I can use as a weapon, but nothing stands out. My dagger won't do shit to these guys, but I have to do something or I'm as good as dead!

Think! Think! What can I use? What can I do?

As they gain on me, I scramble backwards, trying to put as much distance between myself and them as I can, while I think of some way out of this mess.

My pentacharm falls to the ground before me and when they see it, they flinch back. That's it!

I grab the pentacharm, holding it up as I get to my feet and shout, "I command you to release me! I command you back to your little corner of hell! In the name of the Legion of the Black and our God who protects us, be gone!"

With an agonizing cry they burst into black flames and crumple to the ground before me. I gasp, watching with large eyes, then when they stop writhing, I bolt from the building. I run as fast as my legs will carry me back to the desert town, screaming for The Prophet as I enter.

"Ivy?!" The Deviant shouts, racing to me as I crumple to the ground, my legs not strong enough to carry my weight anymore. He holds me by my shoulders, looking at me with wide brown eyes, as I try to catch my breath.

He looks over at someone, asking for a glass of water, and The Mourner immediately obliges. The Deviant holds the glass to my lips, telling me to drink and I do as told.

"What's going on here?" The Prophet demands, and when he sees me, he kneels beside me, helping The Deviant hold me upright as my breathing starts to slowly calm.

"Sh-Shadows!" I rasp out, looking at The Prophet.

"What? Where?" He demands with a hiss, staring at me with wide eyes.

"I...I'm not...sure. There was a giant...black cube in the middle of nowhere. I...I went in to inspect the place...I saw the original Church of F.E.A.R symbol and...I...I tried running, but four Shadows...They came out of nowhere," I explain shakily, starting to cry as I relive that all too terrifying moment.

The Prophet and Deviant share a grave look, before The Prophet softly whispers, "Take her home, stay with her until I return. I'm going to go check it out."

The Deviant nods, then picks me up with ease, causing me to cling tightly to him. Once I'm secure in his arms, he walks towards the silo my sister and I now call home.

Once inside, he sets me on the edge of my beat up mattress and calls out to The Mourner for another glass of water.

"I'm fine," I argue weakly, before falling to the side, into and dreamless sleep.

Notes