Fight for War - Ares x OC

02 - Wakinyan

Consternation was resounding all over the campsite when Kaya was brought in to be tended. Shappa sat on her hunches watching the woman crying over her ordeal in the midst of a group of other activists. Numb, she listened to the hesitant words that conveyed a humiliating, dehumanising treatment of prejudiced security and police officers. Kaya, sweet innocent Kaya, had been stripped naked, and left naked for hours and then was searched by two men in uniform. Every crevice of her body had been penetrated with gloves to find non-existing items. They never told her what she had done wrong, nor what they searched on her body.

Shappa felt her jaws tighten to breaking point. This was assault. No. Worse. They basically raped her. Her fury was boiling up and over the few shreds of control that she had left during the long weeks of this peaceful protest. She could not sit here and listen to Kaya's tears. She needed to act. This called for revenge! Jumping up, she ran towards the centre of the campsite. If not the Elders, the younger generations at least, should heed her call for retribution.

The campsite was a confusing chaos. Large pick-up trucks stood in disarray in front of the make-shift fence that sliced their land into two pieces. Behind the fence was deemed the property of the oil company and their hired security officers were dangerous. Men of both sides, armed with guns, stood talking in aggravated voices, no doubt about Kaya's and other's condition and treatment. In between stood a handful of Elders, trying to maintain the peace. Emotions were running high and she could feel the negative energy of it vibrating over the site. Good. If she played this well, she could be the fuse in the barrel of gunpowder. This was her chance to ignite them into action.

But before she reached the crowd, Mato intercepted her, grabbing her arms. "No Shappa! I know why you need to do this, but if you force it to escalate, people will die!" He forced her to the side, trying to talk sense into her. His soft eyes conveyed concern.

The pacifist. He has never been the same after our mission. He was always too gentle.

"Let me go, Mato!" She nodded with her head towards the group of armed men. "You see! I am not the only one who thinks we need to take control! Why can't you see that this is the right way?"

But he refused to release her. Trying to free her arms, fury exploded in her head until all she saw was red. She knew her name was well earned*.

* Shappa means Red Thunder in Lakota

On impulse, she hit him on the nose with her forehead with all the strength she could muster and he went down instantly. Too gentle and too trusting, Mato.

She ran towards the armed men, calling out the name of one of the leaders of the smaller groups that stood at the far side of the fence. "Luke! Luke!"

The man in question turned, rifle on his shoulder, a fond smile on his face when he recognized her. "There is our red thunder! Where have you been?"

She stood before him breathlessly. The rifle on his shoulder reminded her for a moment of their shared past and unease brimmed inside her. She forcefully shook the thought away. "Luke! Let's get these fuckers! Did you hear what they did to Kaya?"

Luke frowned at her, processing her words and intention. But before she could explain any further, she felt a dark voice reverberating through her body. One that she recognized easily.

She turned slowly and sure enough, there he stood, dressed in black, his red hair darkened in the night. "Hello, wašté*, long time no see."

* beautiful (lakota)