The Wild Ones Rebellion // Black Veil Brides Fanfiction

22 - Prophecies of the Dead and the Living

"Now our lives have changed, I wish that I could heal. Time has taken love, a darker side revealed; For every lie begins, with what we used to feel." ~ Walk Away

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Jake found me outside the mess hall, wiping my tears because I knew I had to put on a brave face.  He didn't ask what happened, probably because he knew there wasn't time.  He just gave me a comforting hug and led me into the hall.

We debriefed everyone before doing our goodbye ceremony.  We had decided that even though we were leaving, we wanted to say a final farewell to those we had lost.  We painted their names on a wall before moving outside, finding as many of our own as we could and laying them out gently.  Jinxx revealed another of his newfound talents then: fire.  With a snap of his fingers, a fire ignited in his palm and he set the bodies alight, the smoke rising like a grey plume of dismay.

I said my goodbyes to Alee and Steph, since they were staying with the Legion.  We had decided that the fewer people with us, the better, so they needed to stay with the rebels.  We would see them again, at least, that was the plan.

The entire time, I made sure to avoid Andy.  The realization of what I'd done rested on my heart like a ton of lead.  I cared about him so much, yet, how could I be with him when he was so willing to try to force me into things I didn't want to do or to use my issues against me?  I snuck glances at him from time to time, but unlike how I felt, he appeared unfazed.  His eyes were set and determined, jaw locked in seriousness.  He always played the leader well.  He should've been the commander, not me.

"We ready to go?" Andy asked our group shortly after we watched the Legion march off towards the next city.  We all nodded in agreement, pulling our bandanas up over our faces. On our backs, bags holding food and our few personal belongings. Our jackets were unzipped, revealing our loosely fitting black shirts with an assortment of designs. On our studded belts, we sheathed our knives, holsters our guns, and held our variety of choice weapons, like Andy's sword or Ashley's spear. We didn't know how long we would be away, so we prepared for everything.

We headed off in the direction of the city, intending to stay hidden just outside LA in order to keep tabs on the city's situation and to be ready to go in to destroy the tracker. It was going to be a dangerous several weeks, no doubt, and the mere thought of stepping foot inside the city limits again sent shivers up my spine. I was terrified.

No one spoke for the majority of our trek, all lost in our own thoughts regarding the last 24 hours. Up until the night prior, we had almost believed ourselves invincible, untouchable. We had been naive to believe that they wouldn't find us, and our stupidity lead to many deaths, including the death of Clara. We slunk through the abandoned cities and along the old roads like rats, which is basically what we were to Fear. Our boots thudded harshly on the pavement beneath us, the sun beating unforgivingly on our backs. It didn't help that we wore all black, but we didn't dare take off our jackets.

I walked at the back of the group, trying to occupy my mind with anything other than him. But despite my determination, I couldn't help but find myself glancing in his direction, watching his tall form sway as he walked, his tight jacket fitting firmly to his one arm as the other, tattooed completely, remained exposed to the elements. He wore a bandana in his belt, not to mention the one wrapped on his head. A singular cross earring jangled with his body movements, and I couldn't help but remember how I always thought he was so cool in my younger years for having a piercing. I couldn't seem to keep him from my head.

The others noticed my odd behavior, but to my relief, said nothing. I really wasn't sure how to even explain it. Was I overreacting? Perhaps. But was he also wrong? Definitely. I wasn't an object or a belonging.