Rebel: A Monstercat Fanfic

016 - Aftermath (012)

Song of the Chapter: We Are One - Pegboard Nerds feat. Splitbreed (Glitch Hop/110 BPM)

This chapter really has nothing to do with the cover, but I wanted the name so there it is.

(Monstercat's POV)

It's too early to leave the hideout, since the MI soldiers are still out there, patrolling the streets. We'll have to stay here for a while, quite possibly the entire night. I give Tristam a quick call on my communicator to let him know that we're okay, and then try to rest and get some sleep, though I don't get any. I don't think any of us do.

Just before dawn, as the sky is turning pink, Aero says, "If we go up to the rooftops again, we can see if your friends - our friends - are still out there. You could give them another call, but I wouldn't risk letting them give you their location. Just in case there's someone listening."

"Not everyone has to go, right?" Phantom mutters.

"Of course they do," Aero laughs. "Unless you're too scared."

Phantom opens his mouth to say something and then closes it again.

Au5 shakes his head, somehow telling Aero not to do that. It's like those two can communicate by glares alone.

"I'm coming, then," Phantom says, stuffing his hands in his jacket pockets and putting on a mask of bravery.

"I was joking." Aero grabs a rung on the ladder and pulls himself up. "Monstercat, you'll come with me. The rest of you, stay here."

"Who put you in charge?" Noisestorm grumbles.

"I did," Aero says. "You're staying in my home, you'll follow my instructions." He catches Au5's glare and corrects himself. "Our home, my bad. You'll still follow me, though. Au's not good at giving instructions."

I shrug. "Fine by me." I climb up the ladder after Aero and then follow him onto the high rooftops. I look down for any sign of our friends, but nothing's there.

"You did that?" Aero points at a little black symbol across the street.

Well, it's certainly me alright, but I didn't do it. "Phantom did. It's our rebel symbol now."

"Interesting." He watches the street with a terrifying intensity.

"I'm, uhh, going to check over there," I say uncomfortably, pointing to another building.

He just shrugs and turns a different direction.

With a running start, I clear the gap between the two buildings easily. There's no one over here, either. I'm not sure what use this is, since they're all smart enough to hide better than Aero seems to be expecting.

Speaking of that guy, while he's not looking, I give Tristam another call. "Where are you guys?" I ask once someone answers.

I don't get an answer. All I can hear on the other end is a rustle and the sound of someone breathing.

"Hello? Guys?" I try again. "Hello? Is anyone there?"

Now there's a groan and another rustle, and then a muffled 'ow'. "Yeah?" someone finally answers, sounding half asleep.

"Hello? Who is this?"

"It's Braken," he says with a yawn. "Tristam's asleep."

"Oh. Where are you?"

"I'm not sure ... hang on." I can hear him shaking Tristam and muttering, "Get up. Come on. Ow, stop smacking me."

"You didn't have to wake him up," I protest, but it's too late.

"Hmm?" Tristam mumbles. "Where are we? Um ... I think we're by the Wal-Mart. Around the back."

"How many do you have?"

"Just me and Braken. Mike and Alex said they got back to the hotel with Nitro about twenty minutes after you left them. Everyone else should be okay. Who do you have?"

"Rogue, Noisestorm, and Phantom, plus Au5 and Aero Chord - they've been in hiding and let us stay with them. I'm sure they'll be coming back with us."

"Alright." He yawns. "How are the streets looking?"

I take a look over the building. There's a group of MI officers studying the symbol Phantom painted on the wall across the street. Other than that, it's pretty good. "Clear - if you avoid Phantom's logo thing he painted. They're all over, and the MI are hovering around them."

"Alright. We'll be back soon, then."

"See you then." I switch off my communicator and stare out over the city. What's the real result of our rebellion? Will we be able to continue on to rebel another day? Or will we ... or should we stop and end it here? This isn't my world. I'll have to ask the ones living here, in all honesty.

Ephixa's out there, somewhere. We have to find the MI's base. If we do, maybe we can save him. That's a big maybe.

I turn back, ready to return to the little alley hideout.

Aero approaches me and says, "Look at that." He points down to the MI surrounding the rebel symbol. They're all shuffling nervously, glancing around as if they expect something to blow up on them. "You really freaked them out."

I smile in spite of myself. "So we did."

"Come on. I think it's time we found the others."

I follow him again down the ladder and into the hideaway, where Noisestorm is muttering insults under his breath, all of them directed at Rogue, who's fiddling with his jacket zipper and looking uncomfortable.

"The streets are getting more crowded, now that rush hour is starting. There are black logos painted around the city, and the MI are mostly focused around those or the sights of the explosions from last night. If you want to go back, you're going to want to go now, while you can stay hidden in the crowds." Aero grabs his gun and slings it over his shoulder. "Au, I think it'd be better if we went with them."

Au5 shrugs as if to say, "That took an awfully long time to figure out."

"Come on, you guys." I grab Rogue's arm and pull him to his feet, although it's a little tricky, keeping in mind that I'm about two feet shorter than he is.

"We'll have to be careful," Aero says.

"Can't you just use your fabulous fight skills and get us back safely?" Noisestorm says sarcastically. "I mean, you've got those fantastic wings on your back and everything else you say seems to come true."

Aero gives him a humorless smile. "I see you're still making terrible song puns and trying to use them in every sentence. They never were funny."

"Not every sentence," Noisestorm says defensively.

"Yeah, right," Phantom snorts.

"Let's just get out of here." Rogue stands up and dusts himself off. He seems suddenly exhausted, but also like something is bothering him. I'll ask him about it when we get back, in case these two - who never seem to get along - interfere.

We get back to the hotel without any problems, except for the small fact of me being a Monstercat. I had to smash myself into the firework bag and let one of them carry me back.

Once we get there and past the long and boring intros, I can finally relax on a bed. I'll need some sleep if I'm going to come up with another plan. Before I let myself sleep, though, I quietly ask my question.

"What happens now?"

"I guess it depends on how far we plan on going." Phantom sits on the other side of the bed and lays back. "I'm planning to fight until I get my freedom back, if it's the last thing I do."

"What if that never happens?"

"I'm make it happen," he says firmly, and I believe him.