Chapter 13: Back in Place

Daniel

Two days had passed since the lockdown and people were getting antsy, rumours were flying all over the place about what happened to Emily, nothing had been addressed and nothing was conclusive. But during lunch period I saw exactly who I was looking for, Emily came back into school all grubby and to be quite honest, like shit “What the fucked happened to you?” she sat in front of me, she was shaken and tired. “During the lockdown I got taken. Had to fight my way out, barely made it out.” I sat shocked “Do you know who did it?” she shook her head, I could tell she obviously didn’t want to talk about it. “Have you been to the office yet?” she shook her head, “Only people who saw me on the way in know I am here.” The commander walked in almost on que he seemed angry, he demanded Emily go to his office, I worried for her as she had just been through hell in order to make it back and now, she was about to get ridiculed with endless questions and unjustified anger. I decided to stand in. “Hey commander, I know that you are upset at her leaving but it wasn’t her fault, she was k-“ the commander spoke up “She got pulled out by an ex-student to go protest in a trial, I’m not stupid I can check records!” she lied to me… I couldn’t believe it, she really did put it all on the line and then lie to get John from going to prison. It was pretty safe to say that she wouldn’t be returning to battle school

Emily

I was bought into the commander’s office, he closed the door behind him, little did he know that Benton’s bug still remained in his office, constantly recording his every conversation. he hadn’t slipped up yet, but he would soon if everything went to plan. “So, you somehow managed to trip a lockdown, breakout using the panic, and not manage to get caught by a guard at any stage?” I sat not saying anything, it wasn’t time yet. “It doesn’t matter as once the principal is notified you will be expelled for a multitude of things and you won’t ever get back into battle school, I’ve been getting rid of you rats for months now.” Now was the time speak up. “Why did you want me off the trial?” he looked at me sternly, he clearly didn’t want to answer the question, I asked It again but more serious. He then spoke up “I didn’t want you two ruining the whole thing and justice being impeded.” I sat forward “I think it’s because John’s got you figured out, and you didn’t want him ruining your little spy plan. You knew he was onto you and leaking info to Important people.” He also sat forward, becoming super serious. “Those are some serious allegations to be making with no evidence.” Now was the time to drop the bomb shell, I pulled out a folder in the bag I bought with me and slammed it on the table, scattering documents across the table in an oddly perfect and satisfying way. “I have endless documents from various previous students that went under you wing with open statements against including John’s, a judge’s own document pull up where it openly states that you’re from the enemy faction and that doesn’t look mighty good when you’re investigating the next generation of fighters. Sounds like to me your committing treason by providing the enemy valuable intel, I’ve got enough evidence to bury you whenever I please, so expel me, won’t matter once you’re on the other side of a prison.” I sat back in my chair, the commander was gobsmacked. He had nothing to come back with, he reached under his desk for something, he then shocked me by drawing a firearm on me. “Looks like you just signed your death Emily.”

Benton

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Me and John were yet again going to do the impossible, we were going to break back into the school and present the evidence of the commander to the principal and get us back into battle school and the commander into prison, it was a win-win and all we had to was make it to the principal’s office without being detained. We were going to do it the same way I did last time, we wore basic as possible clothes and entered through the side gate, avoiding guards all the way into the centre of the school and that’s where I saw it in the corner of my eye, “Uhhh John, over there…” John looked over and what he saw filled him with rage, “I’ll kill that fucking cunt!” he stormed over, and he was greeted with the commander holding Emily at gunpoint. “Ahhhh yes Johnathan, out of all the people who didn’t work at this school you are certainly the most inconvenient of them! Now here is how this is going to go down, you are going to burn absolutely all the evidence against me, and then you are going to turn yourself in for treason against your faction. After that I won’t kill her, and we can all go back in place.” A crowd was forming around us and them, he would never get away with it, John spoke up. “You won’t get away with any of this, too many people have seen what you’re doing! Just let her go and deal with your mistakes the way I did.” He then cocked his gun, he was serious about this, John knew this. “Everyone will be looking for you if you do either option, your best way out is to just surrender commander!” the Commander stood still, he wasn’t budging, he wanted John gone and he would stop at nothing until John was behind bars or dead. “You know John, you shouldn’t have pulled as many people into it as you did, because now they are a target.” John stood his ground, he was sure that he wouldn’t kill Emily, John was using logic in a situation that was more driven by emotion and it was becoming dangerous. “You already know I will be proved innocent, I have not committed treason, by law you have.” The commander was becoming more and more impatient, but by the luck of the draw I saw someone I a military combat suit fly across the wall behind the commander, flinging shots at him carefully as not to hit Emily, none of us had any idea who it was. Whoever it was managed to graze the commanders back and shoulder, not doing any real damage but startling the commander long enough for Emily to either fight or run, Emily being her decided to fight, punching the commander in the face and gut, the commander recovered quickly however, knocking Emily to the ground and leaving her defenceless, he then turned around and shot the fighter In the suit, grinding his offence to a halt. The commander then turned back to Emily and muttered the words “I didn’t want it to have to come to this.” And then pulled the trigger, putting a bullet right in her chest.

John freaked out, the commander didn’t have any cover of a hostage at this point so the guards began to unload, sending bullets downrange, the commander understandingly fled, running from cover to cover out of the school, by this point John had already made his way over to the bleeding out Emily. He had her in his arms putting pressure on the wound, he rolled her over, “The bullet went through, she should be alright!” a medic made his way over to them, checking the wound and analysing the situation. The medics face dropped “The bullets done too much damage, it’s hit god knows how many veins and arteries and she is losing to much blood, she has 2 to 3 minutes tops.” A wave of shocking sadness hit everyone standing around her, we all said nothing, I looked over at John who had gone blank, no emotion was being emitted out of him, he had well and truly broke. Emily who remained conscious seemed at peace, she put her hand on Johns neck, leaving a big bloody mark. She then spoke “Make him suffer!” she then let go and slipped into unconsciousness, John began to cry and scream, begging for her to wake up, but she didn’t. I grabbed Johns Shoulder “We have to find him, lets go.” He then stood up, his expression was now back to blank, he yet again emitted no emotion. He then stormed off towards the Armory.