Amery is not supposed to be on the dropship.
She isn't one of the hundred delinquents being sent down to a radiation-soaked planet. She's just a Zero-G mechanic making some last-minute adjustments to a project nobody will tell her anything about.
I...
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✧】xvi. another goddamn war【✧
[ unity day ]
"BE A NINJA," Amery mutters, thinking of Keaton's words as she and Monty creep through the dense woods. It's not quite the same as hiding in a dropship ceiling, but the principle is the same—don't be seen.
The wet leaves allow her to pad along unheard as she darts between tree trunks, a safe distance away from Bellamy and his hunting party. She tries to keep her breathing shallow, putting her feet where Monty steps, keeping her hood pulled low over her brow to hide her blaze of hair. She's less worried about being seen by Bellamy, because she doesn't really give a shit what he thinks. It's more that if Keaton sees her, he'll beg her to go back, and Amery is not good at saying no to Keaton.
She's also not good at listening to pleas for self-preservation, though, so maybe things will cancel out.
They must be halfway there by the time the sky lightens a bit, enough to cast little shadows of leaves across the ground. Amery's allergies apparently decide to wake up with the sun.
No, she thinks, no, no, no—
She sneezes, then goes absolutely still, hands clapped over her mouth as Monty spins to look at her. He looks torn between mild fear and a wild burst of laughter, and heat floods Amery's cheeks beneath her palms. Ahead of them, a group of heavy footsteps grinds to a halt.
"Hello?" Bellamy's deep voice calls out, and Amery presses herself against a tree. But that itch is still there, and she feels it before it happens. She sneezes again.
Keaton swears. "Amery Ekker!" he shouts.
Monty sighs, long-suffering, and holds up his hands as if surrendering to Bellamy's gun, slinking around the tree trunk to reveal himself.
"Okay," Keaton says. "Your turn, Mer." Amery stifles a groan and slides around the tree trunk, offering a frustrated Keaton and a furious Bellamy an overly wide smile. Raven only raises a brow at her, amused.
"Fancy seeing you here."
"Are you idiots?" Bellamy scoffs. Then he narrows his eyes at Keaton, redirecting his wrath. His attention shifts to Jasper next, then Raven, and for a moment Bellamy just looks at each of them, like he's deciding who's more likely to be at fault. "Well, they found out from someone."
Jasper shrugs innocently, Raven glares, and Keaton only sighs and tilts his head to the sky, which is apparently all the confirmation Bellamy needs.
"Sinclair, you are only here because Turner is out of commission," Bellamy barks. Keaton's face contorts at the sound of Cash's last name. "Step out of line and—"
"Keep his name out of your egotistical mouth," Amery drawls half-heartedly, lips curling into a smirk despite herself. Cash is probably on better terms with Bellamy than most of the camp is, but Amery still thinks Mr. Self-Designated Camp Leader is annoying and she hates that he's friends with her friend. So float her. "Listen. You can lecture and you can grovel and you can point guns, but we aren't going back. Keep us with you or let us tail you. Your choice." Her voice sounds steadier than she feels, but it does the trick, apparently.
