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Turmoil of Fate

Days had passed since the hospital fire, and things had been relatively smooth. Many locals still resented us and disapproved of what happened, but they grudgingly accepted their medicines, knowing they needed them. So far, they hadn't caused much trouble.

While Gonzalo and some of his family members distributed the medicines, Max and Leo had been busy helping around, especially Leo. He'd been delivering medicine to those who couldn't leave their homes, even venturing to the isolated houses near the Green Bridge. Max had been helping repair homes and stores as they moved around the island. The USC officers hadn't intervened much, only a few scuffles with locals. Leo had stepped up during those moments, diffusing tensions and maintaining peace. Needless to say, he and Max had become very popular on the island.

We were in a corner of La Escollera Plaza Square, with various tables laid out. Gonzalo's sons, grandkids, and his wife were all helping with the distribution. The square was poorly maintained, with patches of grass and tree roots breaking through the ground. A knee-deep canal choked with trash added to the disarray. Despite this, a long line of locals waited patiently, each clutching small slips of paper detailing their medical needs.

Pedro, one of Gonzalo's sons and a doctor, was examining the locals, giving them physicals and reading their medical histories—if they even had one. After finishing with each person, he directed them to Gonzalo with a slip of paper to receive their medicines.

"Next!" Gonzalo called out. His weathered face was stern but kind. He'd been working non-stop since the day Max and Leo secured the supplies.

An elderly woman with weary eyes stepped forward, handing her slip of paper to Kyriah, who was standing next to Gonzalo. With a warm smile, Kyriah greeted the old woman, read her needs, and handed the list to Marco, one of Gonzalo's sons, who was a few feet away with his kids, all handling the medicines.

"María Hernandez. Arthritis," Gonzalo said, adjusting his glasses as he read his meticulously kept list. "I can only give you pills for a couple of days. Many people on this island need the same medicines, so I can't give out a week's supply at once. Come back in a few days, and we'll reassess and give you more if needed." He offered a worn-out smile.

"Oh, thank you! I'll definitely come back. The pain is unbearable. I have to ask my grandsons to help me with opening jars, and cooking has become impossible—" The old lady started rambling about her day-to-day struggles.

One of Gonzalo's grandkids, clutching a small packet of pills, ran towards Kyriah and handed it over. Kyriah then gave the packet to the elderly woman, her warm smile never wavering as she listened patiently. She gently escorted the rambling lady out of the line to allow Gonzalo to continue attending to others. As the old woman continued talking about her dogs, Kyriah glanced at me, making a gun gesture with her hand and mimicking blowing her brains out.

I was in the back, sitting on an uncomfortable rusty metal chair that got unbearably hot in the sun. Fabian, Max, and Leo were with me. Leo was watching over the lines, his eyes constantly scanning the crowd as if expecting trouble.

"Ease up, Leo. Everything's fine. Why are you glancing over there every minute?" Fabian asked, noticing Leo's anxious demeanor.

Leo looked back at Fabian, eyes wide with concern, before quickly easing up. "Yeah, I know they're fine, but I just want to make sure everything goes smoothly. No problems or any fighting. Some of the locals are getting agitated by the whole situation. We still can't leave the island, and they know the supplies won't last forever. Each day, there's less and less. And they're all depending on me. I brought them together, and I don't want to disappoint them," he said, his tone filled with a sense of responsibility as he glanced back at the crowd.

"You've already done enough. I think it's time to spend some time with your mom and brother," I said to Leo, hoping to convince him to take a break.

"Diego has been talking to you, hasn't he? I know he resents me for never being around. But I just can't stand by and watch them both suffer. And I can't show them I'm suffering now because then they'll suffer more, and I don't want that. I want to save them, but not just my family—I want to save everyone here." Leo's eyes sparkled with determination as he spoke. "I'm no one, and if I stay no one, I'll never be able to help them. The only way to help everyone is to unify them, to encourage helping each other. Stability. That's what we all want deep inside."

"Stability? What do you mean?" Fabian asked eagerly, curious to see the world from Leo's perspective.

"I don't think anyone wants a life where you have to choose between taking care of yourself and working yourself to death. Everybody has become so obsessed with doing everything themselves that they forget we survive only by being together. I know not everyone is good, but that's why we need to stick together to yank out the bad roots like the day they all rounded up and threw my stepfather off the island. All I want is for the people to hear me and help me, just as I would do for them. This island was once like that, just like Vanity a long time ago. But there is still hope here."

Leo stood up from the rusty chair. "I know Mom isn't well. She hasn't been ever since I can remember, but I know everything she sacrificed for us. I know she loves us and would die for us. I also know, from her smile, from her eyes, and the way she talks to me whenever she sees me, that the last thing she wants is for us to waste away our lives in that broken house, which is exactly what Diego is doing. If I can't save Mom in the end, I'll definitely save Diego." His eyes teared up, a single teardrop sliding down his cheek.

"And I'll be right next to you when you bring everyone together here in Amaracuya," Max said, looking proud of Leo.

"Future mayor, I say," Fabian teased, making Leo chuckle as he rubbed his eyes clean.

Suddenly, a thick voice laced with frustration yelled out from where Gonzalo was, "This is half of what you gave me last time! You're hoarding them for yourself, aren't you?! I know one of your grandkids needs it too, but what about my kid?!"

A man, his face red and filled with anger, stood in front of Gonzalo, smacking the table with a pack of pills. The commotion caught everyone's attention.

Gonzalo's expression remained calm but firm. "We're doing the best we can with what we have. Your kid and my grandkid are not the only ones who need the medicine. You have to be patient, just like the rest of us."

The man's anger flared. "I don't believe you!"

Without me noticing, Leo quickly moved to Gonzalo's side, trying to diffuse the situation. "Hey! We'll get more supplies soon. Please, calm down," he said to the enraged man, whose frustration seemed to boil over at Leo's words.

"Don't tell me to calm down, kid! You don't understand my family's pain!" The man shouted, shoving Leo hard. Leo stumbled backward, as the man's stomach knocked over the table, scattering clipboards, pencils, and the like across the ground.

Kyriah swiftly moved Gonzalo and his wife away from the confrontation as Marco stepped between Leo and the furious man. "Stop this now!" Marco commanded, his voice stern.

"No! It's this little shit's fault and his freak friends' fault that we are prisoners on our island!" the man screamed, pointing accusatorily at Leo. The commotion drew everyone's attention, even those who were farther from the plaza, now turning towards the shouting.

"N-No! I was just trying to help! If we didn't get the medicines, many would've died!" Leo said nervously, his voice wavering.

"That wasn't your choice to make! Now you've doomed us all for sure! We don't have enough medicine for those who need it right now. Can you guarantee that you can get us more soon?!" The man's words cut deep, and Leo's face fell as he struggled to respond. The enraged man took a menacing step toward Leo, but Marco placed a firm hand on the man's chest, holding him back.

"I KNEW IT! YOU CAN'T GET US MORE MEDICINE! YOU HEAR THAT, PEOPLE?! THEY HAVE NO PLANS!" the man shouted, his voice echoing through the plaza, igniting a murmur of fear and anger among the crowd.

That's when we decided to step in. We knew what our intervention might cause, but things seemed to be getting out of hand. I hated that we had to intimidate them to maintain temporary peace. How long until they truly trust us?

"You were prisoners on this island long before we got here. We're trying to help you, why can't you people see that?!" Max shouted angrily at the man.

"We're still prisoners here, just with different guards!" The man argued back, and several others voiced their agreement. "It's not your job to help us! We're not going to be part of your vendetta, and we're certainly not going to be told what to do by a bunch of rebel freaks! I am done being patient!" He then shoved Marco to the ground. Leo stepped in, grabbing the man and shouting for him to stop, but the man punched him in the gut. Leo staggered but held on. "Get off me!" the man yelled, swinging wildly. His fist connected with Leo's jaw, making Leo fall flat to the ground.

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Max moved to intervene, but Fabian held him back and stepped in himself. The enraged man saw Fabian approaching and threw a punch, which stopped abruptly against Fabian's face. Fabian didn't even twitch, which surprised the man. Fabian then placed his palm on the man's chest and thrust him away, sending him flying over the locals behind him and crashing heavily to the ground. The man yelled out in pain.

"They're oppressing us, just like the USC!" someone in the crowd shouted. Others echoed the sentiment, but some tried to calm the mob. The situation was spiraling out of control. Locals began clashing with each other, shoving and shouting. Several rushed past the tables to grab hold of the medicines. Marco tried his best to stop them, but they were too many. Max was helping Leo get up as Kyriah was protecting Gonzalo.

In seconds, the plaza erupted into chaos. People who supported us clashed with those who opposed us. The air was filled with the sounds of shouting, screaming, and the dull thud of fists hitting bodies. Women and children were toppled over in the frenzy, their cries adding to the racket. I saw the old woman from before, María Hernandez, being knocked to the ground, her fragile body trampled by the surging crowd.

People grabbed whatever they could find to use as weapons. One man swung a metal bar wildly, hitting another in the shoulder with a sickening crack. Blood splattered as another local picked up a jagged piece of rock and slammed it against someone's head, the victim crumpling to the ground.

I wanted to stop them, each one, but I was too afraid of the ramifications. Then I felt a hand on my shoulder. I flinched, thinking it was one of the locals trying to fight, but I quickly realized it was Fabian. "Let's protect Gonzalo and his family. And try to get most of the medicines back," he said, his face resolute, his words easing my turmoil.

I nodded, acknowledging his plan. "Thanks, Fabian." I calmed down a little and tried to focus on where Pedro, Marco, and his kids were in the midst of this mayhem. We reconvened with Max, who had Leo on his shoulders. "Max, Gonzalo is already with Kyriah. Let's go find the others and head back to Gonzalo's house."

"But Leo—" Max began, but Leo quickly interrupted him, trying to stand on his own.

"Don't worry about me, I'm fine," Leo said with a raspy voice, clutching his stomach. "Let's go help the others." He managed a small smile. Max returned the smile and let him go.

"Fabian, go help Marco, who is near the medicines. Max and I will help Pedro and Leo find the kids and bring them back to Kyriah, got it?!" I instructed. They all nodded and went ahead to do what they had been tasked with.

As Fabian closed in on where Marco was, he could see that Marco's face was already bloodied and bruised from the relentless assaults. Marco stood valiantly, trying to shield the bags of medicine from the frenzied mob. He fended off a man attempting to snatch a bag filled with pills, but as he did, two more surged forward. One grabbed at Marco's arm, while the other dove for the medicines. Marco managed to kick one of them in the chest and grabbed hold of one of the bags they had taken, ripping it open in the struggle and spilling its contents onto the ground.

Fabian reached Marco just as he was tackled from behind. Fabian lunged forward, grabbing the attacker by the collar and yanking him off Marco. With a powerful throw, he sent the man flying.

Another attacker threw a punch at Fabian, but he dodged it and swiftly struck the man's jaw, sending him crashing to the ground. Fabian then tried to help Marco to his feet, but Marco, wiping the blood from his eyes, started scooping up the scattered pills.

My last sight of Fabian and Marco was of a man with a wooden plank lunging at them before the crowd obscured my view. Max and I finally reached Pedro, who was miraculously still unharmed but surrounded by dozens of desperate locals. Pedro had one hand on his back, gripping a bag filled with medicines, while his other hand was extended forward, trying to keep the frantic crowd at bay.

"Please, calm down!" Pedro shouted, his voice barely audible over the uproar.

The locals, however, were too far gone in their desperation to listen. They pushed and shoved, each trying to get closer to Pedro, their faces twisted with fear and anger. One woman, her eyes wild, clawed at Pedro's arm, her nails digging through his skin.

"Get back!" Max bellowed, shoving through the crowd to reach Pedro. His imposing presence momentarily halted them, but the reprieve was short-lived. The crowd pressed on again, undeterred.

Forcing my way through, I reached Max and Pedro's side, grabbing the woman who was clawing at him and pulling her away. She fell to the ground, scrambling to her feet and glaring at me with a mix of fury and desperation.

Pedro's face was pale, sweat streaming down his brow. "I can't hold them off!" he said, his voice trembling.

"We've got you," Max said, stepping in front of Pedro to shield him from the crowd.

An elderly man grabbed my arm and pleaded for help. "Please, I need medicine to help my wife!" he cried, his voice breaking. I hesitated, torn between compassion and the need to secure the supplies.

Before I could say anything, another local, driven by sheer panic, shoved the old man aside and lunged at me. Max intercepted and tackled the attacker, but not without receiving a nasty gash across his arm from a shard of glass the man wielded.

"Enough! Get back!" Max shouted as blood dripped from his arm. He let out a burst of heat, making the air around him unbearably hot for a brief moment. The intense wave of heat scared the crowd, causing them to recoil as if they were on fire.

The crowd was now terrified to make another move as Max glared at them, his eyes filled with a look that promised no mercy.

"Let's go, Max. They got the message," I said softly, not wanting to provoke him further.

Without a word, Max grabbed Pedro, and we walked back to where Kyriah and Gonzalo were. I scanned the area for Leo and Gonzalo's grandkids, anxious to see if they were all right.

I spotted Leo in the middle of the square with two of the kids beside him. He was frantically searching for the last one, who was sprinting towards the canal. My heart sank as I saw the kid near the same man who had confronted Gonzalo earlier and sparked the chaos. The man held a long, rusty metal bar, swinging it wildly to fend off other locals who were fighting around him. In one of his swings, he struck the child in the face, knocking him to the ground.

"Max, I'll be right back!" I shouted, dashing towards the injured child.

Leo, closer to the scene, reached the kid first. He tackled the man, sending both of them tumbling into the trash-filled canal. The man's scream of high-pitched pain echoed through the chaos. As Leo got up, blood flowed from the man's back, soaking the garbage beneath him. Broken glass, metals, and debris clinked and shifted as the man struggled to rise, only to fall back, writhing in agony.

"I'm sorry!" Leo shouted, but the crowd quickly turned hostile, yelling "Murderer!"

Leo began to panic, hyperventilating with his hands on his head as he crouched down, rocking between his legs.

The wail of sirens pierced the air, sending the crowd into a frenzy, scattering like chickens without heads. I reached Leo and tried to get him to stand up, but it was as if he couldn't feel my presence. He was lost in his own mind.

"You've got to get up, Leo. We need to get out of here!" I tried to snap him out of it, but he remained unresponsive.

In a matter of seconds, we were surrounded by four USC trucks filled with armed guards, who leaped out with their rifles ready. Some of the locals approached the USC officers, yelling out lies about what had transpired until one of them claimed that Leo had murdered the man in the canal. This prompted the USC officers to act swiftly, grabbing people and arresting them without asking questions or identifying who they were. Anyone who seemed to have been in a fight was thrown into their trucks, including the man from the canal. Three armed officers approached me, and without hesitation, they grabbed hold of Leo, who went without a fight as they cuffed him.

My mind raced with a million thoughts as I saw them taking Leo away. I wanted to use my powers to stop them, knowing they wouldn't listen to me otherwise, but I was still afraid of the consequences. "Stop!" I yelled though I had nothing to follow it up with.

They stopped and looked in my direction. One of them, tall with a deep voice and a tone eager for confrontation, asked, "What?! You going to do something about it?" He readied his baton in his right hand.

I didn't know what to say, but I couldn't let them take Leo. It would crush his mom and brother. "Take me instead," I muttered.

"Why should we?" another guard asked.

"Because I am the leader of The Sunspears," I said, holding my head high. "I am more valuable to you than a kid. Just let him and the others go, and I'll go quietly."

The guards exchanged glances. The one with the deep voice stepped forward, pulling out his handcuffs while still holding his baton in the other hand. "Let me put these on you and come quietly to the truck. Then we'll let them go."

I laid out my wrists and let him cuff me. He grabbed the chain of the handcuffs and pulled me towards the truck. Everyone left was looking at me with surprise, murmuring secrets and lies amongst themselves. None of them dared to speak out loud, fearing the USC officers would target them next.

"Ellion!" I heard Fabian yell as he arrived at the scene with Max beside him. "What are you doing?!"

"It's fine! This way they'll let Leo and the others go!" I said with a forced smile, hoping to convince him not to intervene.

I saw Fabian and Max restraining themselves from acting as the USC officers were loading everyone they had handcuffed into the trucks. As I got inside the back of the armed truck, the door slammed shut behind me. Turning around, I peered through the metal bars and noticed the officers closing the reinforced back doors of the trucks, including the one with Leo inside.

"Hey, wait! Release them, you already have me!" I yelled at the guard who had brought me inside the truck.

He turned around and said with a dead tone, "Revolutionaries don't get demands." He then signaled the men that it was time to leave. They huddled up and climbed into the armed trucks.

As the trucks started to move, I saw through the metal bars that Fabian was saying something to Max and then readying himself to jump. Before I could yell out to him to stop, he lunged forward with brute force, reaching my truck in one leap. He grabbed hold of the top and yanked out the reinforced door by its metal bars.

"No, Fabian! This'll only make things worse!"

"Stop trying to be a hero and come out of there!" he said, grabbing my shirt and pulling me out of the truck. We fell to the ground, getting dragged for a few feet before standing up. I expected the trucks to turn around, but they continued on their way. It seemed they had gotten what they wanted—a bunch of revolutionaries behind bars. And one of them was Leo.

"Using your powers to do whatever you please!"

"You're breaking the law!"

"Face justice!"

Various shouts came from the surrounding locals, but I wasn't paying attention to them. My mind was fixated on how I had messed up and let Leo get taken away.

"SHUT UP!" Fabian shouted, tired of their vile comments. "We're here to help you! If you don't want our help, go back to the hole you were in before we got here—you were rotting there anyway! But we won't stand idly by and let those who need our help suffer due to your sheep-minded minds! Now leave us ALONE!"

The crowd fell silent, mostly intimidated by Fabian. Slowly, they gathered themselves and dispersed. We joined up with Max, who was strangely silent. Together with the kids, we moved to regroup with Kyriah, Gonzalo, and his family, who were waiting for us on one of the dirt roads that led to the Blue Hole.

"Guys!" Kyriah quickly ran up to us as soon as we were within her sight, hugging us tightly. Gonzalo and his family reunited with their kids, relief washing over their faces.

"Thank you," Gonzalo said softly, but he quickly noticed our disappointed faces. "What happened?" he asked urgently. As he looked around, his expression turned to one of shock as he realized what had occurred. "No! They took Leo?!"

I nodded solemnly, about to explain when Max spoke up. "The USC has him, for now," he said, his tone unsettlingly calm. It worried me. What did he have planned to get Leo back?