Abbadon Rising - (NaNoWriMo2016)

Chapter Three

PIERCE didn't show back up until about an hour before the team naming ceremony-slash-party, bringing his frosty attitude from before which only served to heighten Abi's irritation with the world. Throughout the entire naming ceremony, which consisted of Cruz congratulating the new team on gaining their final member and then telling them who they'd report to when they do team missions, Pierce and Abi kept as far away from each other as possible. They ended up being named Team Abbadon, which meant that they would be reporting to the Abbadon, the highest ranking Planetary and the leader of the Church. The team was excited to be able to finally be complete and able to go on missions and such, but as soon as Abi head that they would be reporting to the Abbadon, the blood in her veins turned to ice.

"Abi, are you alright?" Dario noticed the newest member of their team looking like she'd just been punched in the face. "What's up?" Abi shook her head and quickly smiled up at Dario to hide what she was feeling, and Dario hid a frown.

'Oh, it's nothing Dario. It's just that the Abbadon is sort o f like my foster mother, albeit not a very good one. When she and I didn't see eye-to-eye, she made sure I ended up seeing things her way.' Abi mentally snapped at Dario, but she didn't say it out loud because there was no way he could possibly know about how weak she'd been as a child, never able to stand up to the Abbadon and defend herself. After today's embarrassing training session, if Dario learned how weak she actually was then there was no way she would be allowed to stay on the team. And although she'd been here for a little over two days, the training hall already felt more like a home to her than the little hut the Abbadon provided for her ever had, and she'd lived there for a little over ten years on her own. Abi just wasn't willing to give up her first chance in life to belong to a family.

"I-it's nothing, Dario, thanks for asking." Dario nodded uncertainly and Abi flashed him a quick smile that was as unconvincing as her words, but Dario thankfully let it drop. The party that followed the team ceremony was tame and uneventful, but Abi was exhausted after using her powers for endless hours earlier in the day, so she fell right to sleep once the party was over and everyone bid each other good night.

~*~

The next morning went the same as the first, with Jo and Tal waking Abi up way too early, to take showers around girls who were way too chatty, and then to eat breakfast at the same table as Pierce who was way too pissy. Abi assumed her attitude from the party and gave Pierce the cold shoulder all of breakfast. Pierce, of course, didn't even notice that Abi was ignoring him, which irritated Abi even more than his taunting words and condescending tone would have.

After breakfast, Abbadon went out to the track like the day before and ran, with Abi ending up on the ground once again. Tal helped her up with a quick smile and a "you'll get better with time". After the break time, once Abi had recovered her energy and will to live, the team walked to the training arena. Abi started to walk over to the target practice where she and Marcus had been the night before, only to stop suddenly as Dario grabbed her wrist and led her over to the obstacle course where Pierce was was waiting. At Abi's questioning look Dario, smiled at her reassuringly.

"So," he said, "You and Pierce have been having some teamwork issues, but we can work on that. You see," Dario gestured to the obstacle course dramatically, "You and Pierce are going to run this until you can do it as a team." Dario held up what seemed to be hand cuffs, and clicked one to Abi's wrist and one to Pierce's, who just sighed melodramatically. At first glance it seemed like Abi and Pierce were joined at the wrist, but upon closer inspection Abi discovered that the cuffs could move apart and created a magenta cord between the two.