Shadows of Rebellion

Unexpected Encounters

"Guys, stop. You know this is a terrible idea!" Sebastian said, exasperated that they hadn't given in yet.

     Romeo looked back at Sebastian and shrugged. "The bastard hurt our friend, one of our own. One of the Shadows. We can't let him get away with that." Romeo knew that Sebastian was probably right, burning down a house seemed like a really great way to get shot. But that damned bastard deserved it.

     Romeo hadn't been at the debate, but Landon had brought to attention what Rosier had said. What Rosier had done. It made Romeo's blood boil. To think this man believed Kayden deserved to be treated like some pet? To think this man wanted all supernaturals to either serve humanity or die... that was enough in and of itself to earn some of Romeo and Remus's A-Class arson.

     But hurting their friend?

     That was unforgivable. What that man had done to Ophelia was beyond disgusting, beyond twisted, beyond monstrous. Abandoning a six-year-old because of her power, and then swearing her off as dead, as if that had been his hope.

     Maybe the order had originally been to kill her, and the bodyguard just hadn't had the heart to hurt a six-year-old kid.

     Either way, it didn't matter. It didn't matter how long ago that had been, it didn't matter if Rosier was a saint now. He had done something cruel, and was proud of it. Romeo wanted to wipe that smugness right off his face. He wanted to burn it off his face. Romeo wanted this man to see his life go up in flames, just like what he had done to Ophelia. Romeo would leave him homeless, penniless, a beggar on the streets, not knowing if he'd survive the night.

     This man was going to pay.

     "Romeo, stop." Sebastian grabbed Romeo's arm. "Remus, come on, you at least have to see that this isn't right."

     Romeo struggled against that grip, but Sebastian was supernaturally strong. Remus just shook his head. "You had to know we would do this." Remus pointed out, "Remember that time the Hunt came after Kayden?"

     "You hunted down their base of operations in that area, freed all the supernaturals, then burned the place to the ground. Yes, I remember." Sebastian confirmed.

     "And the time those people tried to kidnap Theodore?" Remus continued.

     "Yes. As I recall, your solution was to infiltrate their base, and then once again set it ablaze." Sebastian said dryly.

     "This situation is no different." Romeo stated. "He hurt Ophelia. He has to pay."

     Sebastian sighed, which Romeo knew meant that Sebastian was very exasperated. Sebastian didn't need to breathe, but sometimes he took in that deep breath just to sigh, to audibly show his displeasure. "There are innocent people inside that building. The solution isn't fire this time. And, think about it for one second. If rumour gets out that supernaturals burned down his home for his speech the other day, then people will just flock to his side. You'll make a martyr out of him. This isn't the solution." Sebastian insisted.

     Romeo was quiet for a moment, frustrated that he hadn't even considered that. All the other times, it'd been a base of operations, a shady old building that nobody would miss anyway. They'd all been criminals. This time though... Rosier wasn't a criminal, as far as they knew. He hadn't done enough to be viewed as a criminal in the eyes of the public, so by burning his home...

     Romeo let out a frustrated yell and yanked his arm out of Sebastian's grip. "I'm sick and tired of my friends being treated like monsters!" Romeo kicked the wall of a building, which hurt his toe, but he didn't care. He was too angry to care. "Ophelia has always been nothing but kind to us, she's patched us up more times than I can count. I thought that I could repay that kindness this way, I thought..."