Done For You (Black Veil Brides/Legion of the Black)

14. We Don't Belong

The strategy group involved in the planning of the data retrieval met up a few weeks later in the hall. We stood around in small groups, planning various ways to take down the City. Andy had announced that morning at breakfast, that it was time to take our stand against F.E.A.R. and overthrow The Matriarch. Our time had finally come.

The Legion was buzzing with excitement. I helped the others from the City – Allison, Juliet and Alexander – review routes in and out. Jamie and Angelo were reviewing blueprints of the Palace where the Matriarch lived, with Andy. The others were listening, and waiting to start drawing up battle plans.

I noticed Andy, Jamie and Angelo break off from the others, to stand in the corner of the hall. I frowned and excused myself from my station.
'Well that settles it. We'll have to attack this week. The sooner the better,' I heard Andy say, as I approached the trio.
'What's going on?' I asked. He thanked them and they went back to pouring over the blueprints.
'Jamie and Angelo read over the last of the files, last night. F.E.A.R. are using hovercrafts, and it looks like they have an idea of where we are. Not an exact location, yet, but they've seen us in the proximity of the area. They've only looked at the surface, so far, but it's only a matter of time before they find us.' It was news I'd always known was coming, but I still felt like I'd been winded. 'So we attack. As soon as we can,' he added.

He called the others over to inform the others of the development. There was some general concerned murmuring, but Andy got everyone's attention again, within a few seconds.
'We have to attack as soon as we can. You guys are the experts, where's the best spot to attack from?' he asked, turning to Juliet, Alexander and Allison. The answer didn't come from any of them, instead, it came from me.
'The City gates or the outskirts. The gates are best for a head on attack. It's even ground. The Minions have no advantage, but neither do we. The citizens would be best protected that way. The outskirts would give us an advantage. We could potentially hide out there until it's dark, and then surprise the Minions. There's a chance of citizens getting caught in the crossfire, though.' I was surprised by how detailed my answer was. I hadn't even realised I remembered so much about the City.
'We'll attack from the City gates. There's less chance of collateral damage, and we'd have easy access to the Palace from there,' Andy decided. Everyone nodded in agreement.

'How long do we have to prepare? Until they find us?' Andy clarified. Jamie shuffled through his papers to find his calculations.
'A week at best,' he said, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.
'We attack Friday,' Andy concluded.
'Will the Legion be ready by Friday?' The question came from Jinxx.
'They'll have to be,' Andy replied. 'It's fight, die or surrender. We don't really have a choice. And we are not going to stay down here for the rest of our lives. We don't belong here and we will not go down without a fight,' he concluded. There were nods of assent from around the table.
'Tell the others,' he commanded Jamie. 'We've got one hell of a fight on our hands.'

***

The week leading up to Friday was a flurry of activity. On the last night before the attack, the hall at dinner was almost silent. Andy and I sat with our fingers intertwined. The atmosphere was sombre. Everyone tried to eat as much as they could, to gain as much strength as possible for tomorrow, but no one really had much of an appetite. My muscles ached and twitched from all the extra training, and I was sure everyone else felt the same. But I was sure we'd all agree that it would be worth it if it meant we could take down F.E.A.R. A lot of the mournful atmosphere stemmed from the fact that the tunnels were the only home most of us had ever known. A good portion of the Legion, including Andy and the others, had been born and raised in the camp, taking over the positions their parents had held when they'd been captured or killed. I couldn't speak for everyone who'd begun life in the City, but this was the only home I'd ever had. I'd had a house in the City, but never a home. I was scared of losing it. I was scared of losing the family surrounding me. But we had to fight. We had to win.

The meal, ironically, was the same leek and potato soup with bread I'd had on my first day with the Legion, a little over a year ago. The entire Legion sat in a circle, together. Nobody really spoke. Couples were all touching somehow, from CC's head on top of Eve's, to Jamie and Juliet's interlocked fingers, to Jinxx's arm around Sammi. Andy rested an arm around my shoulders, his lips pressed to my temple. I tried not to think about the fact that this could be the last time we were all together alive. That this could be the last night Andy might hold me the way he was.

Finally, everyone retired for an early night.
'Tomorrow, F.E.A.R. falls!' Andy announced, as the hall emptied. The Legion cheered. Even through the sadness of leaving our home, we were anxious to overthrow F.E.A.R. Andy held me to his chest, as we tried to sleep. I couldn't help but think that if I lost him, I'd end up losing myself.