Revolution(Legend)

JUNE

I STARE AT BOUGBURY IN EXCITEMENT AND DISBELIEF, "HOW DID YOU-?"
But our relief is short lived by a loud, high-pitched wail. Outside, voices become more frantic as rushed footsteps clatter our way. Looks like someone has set the alarm off.
Zelda glances at the door, and turns to me, searching for permission, but I have already placed my hands Against the metal shell. Together, we heave the firewall open.

A blast of cold, metallic air greets us. The hallway is in chaos, Oakley and the other soldier are nowhere to be seen. But in the dust, I do see two familiar figures. I vaguely spot hobbling on one foot, another that must be Day trying to support his weight.
Something must have gone wrong in that explosion.
"June!" Zelda screams, I shrink away just in time to hear the rumbling of glass and metal, the wall I was leaning on collapses in a shower of sparks. This cannot be good.

Over the explosion, I hear my assistant's voice again."Come on, let's get out of here!" she grows urgent now, the runners have already rounded the corner.

Springing back to action, I step forward to run for it, but as soon as my heel makes contact, a fatal snap comes below the metal, then all at once, the ground caves in. I hear myself yelp, as I draw my leg back, startled. Before I can recover, out of nowhere, a fog of thick white gas starts to emit from every direction, its odour stings my nostrils when I breathe. But through the fog, I can see the damage of the rubble, I am now stuck around ten feet away from my exit.

"June! " she sounds distant now, or perhaps it's the toxins getting to my brain, "Are you there? Can you hear me?"

"Yeah." I call back, panting. Why am I short of breath?
"Listen Bougbury," I say steely, making sure she hears, "You get yourself out of here before the guards come, I'll get out on my own."

"What? I'm not leaving you."

I sigh, always so selfless, this one, too selfless.

"Go!" my words come harsher than I intend to, "Go. They're not after me. It's not a request, it's an order."

I wait long enough to know she's gone, though I can barely tell through the gas. Blindly, I stumble back to the control room door and slump against it, feeling the cool metal against my skin, the coldness steadying my conscience. All the oxygen seems to have left my throat, and when I gasp for it, the air set my lungs on fire. I choke on it, trying to ignore the nauseating sensation, until I have to breathe again. If one can drown on thin air, it must feel like this. 

A sudden noise brings me alert again, footsteps, they echo rapidly across the landing. 
"Search the area," the voice barks in irritation, I can tell by the heaviness of the steps that he is not alone "The sooner we track them down, the better."
A younger voice pipes up, "Yes sir." 
Something's familiar about him, though I can only see the heel of his gleaming boots. It takes me a second before with horror, I recognise him. It's Marcus Reel, a cadet who used to be under my troops, before he was reassigned to an airbase. We had not seen eachother since then, but no doubt will he recognise me. I can already hear it, their mockery, "Poor, stupid little prodigy, thinks she can turn against her own nation..."

I crouch down lower, wildly trying to conceal myself, and if possible, to disappear altogether. I daren't even breathe as the young official passes my hallway, hoping he will come no further, that the smoke will distract his paths. 

The footsteps hover for a hesitant moment, then Reel speaks again, "Nothing yet, commander. I will summon the troop to search the hallway immediately, there seems to have been a disturbance in there." There is a silent exchange between the two, before their presence drifts off into the distance.

Relief wash over my numb body, yet at the same time, panic. It will be a matter of minutes before Reel and his men comes back, and getting out of this darned place seems the most inconvenient right now. 
Logic, June. I tell myself, only logic can save you when all else fails.

My eyes dart around the room reflexively, if I could just get past all the rubble...
Suddenly, I see it. A ladder, it's so concealed that I would have thought it was part of the structure at the first glance. There's a hole in the ceiling where the wall collapsed, where it seems to lead out into the distance. Adrenaline pump through my veins, my heart is hammering for a different reason.

I forget the pain and climb.

I move fast, but not fast enough. From behind, I can already hear a group of soldiers approaching. Wearing gas masks for sure, they would beat me to the escape. My palms are sweating against the fabric of my gloves, I don't know how far I've gone, but I cannot stop.

Sharp, blazing light blurs my vision. My eyes water as I squeeze them shut. It isn't until the warmth hits my body that I've realised it is sunlight. I scramble hurriedly onto what seems like the roof of the building. A gulp of cold, fresh air fills my lungs. I can breathe again. I can breathe again.

I look down at the pavement below, searching for a sign of Zelda, the Patriots."They've left you." An ominous voice inside me whispers, and in that moment, even a part of myself dreads that it is the truth.

I feel a strange presence behind me, hair stands on the back of my neck. Before I can turn around, and iron grip fastens around my wrist. "Not so fast, little intruder." says the soldier. 

My instincts kick in, all the training at Drake comes rushing back to me. From the corner of my eye, the man readies his aim. But I am ready for him. Before he can strike me, I whirl around, slipping below his target. The soldier staggers as his fist contacts nothing but air. I take advantage of this moment and twist his free arm, hard, behind his back. He howls, groping and kicking wildly, at the right moment, I let go. The soldier loses his balance and falls on his knees, cradling his bloodied arm. 

I leave him to it, there will be more soldiers coming, and I won't be able to fight off them all.

Without thinking, I heave myself over the edge of the building.

***

When I was little, the one thing more exciting than being a soldier, was climbing trees. No matter what Metias says, I would scale the tallest oaks and swinging the highest branches. 
But just as a troublesome cat, I would have no trouble climbing up, but what troubled me the most was getting down.
For hours I would sit there, meters off the ground, trembling, clutching the trunk for my dear life as my brother tries to convince me.  
"Come on Junebug." he would sigh, exasperated, "You're not that high up, just climb down the way you did up."
"W-whatifIfall?" a small voice would reply, as I eye the ground in horror. I was so sure, that if I try to come down, I would fall, flat on the earth like a human pancake. 
Metias' eyes softens, which often does around me. He takes a step towards the tree, arms outstretched. "Look, it's perfectly safe. Besides, I'll be here to catch you if you fall."

And even in the rare occasion when I do fall, he would be there, as promised, and let me fall into his arms. 

***

Twenty years later, there is no Metias to catch me when I fall, and the surface of the building is slippery as hell. 
I have a daring urge to rip off my gloves, but I know I can't take my chances. If I somehow make it out this time, the police will find my fingerprints, and then... I shudder to even think of what the Repubic can do to its rebels. 
Stray bullets fire from the roof, the rest of the soldiers must have arrived now. I curse silently under my breath, the worst thing to happen now is to get shot.

I rapidly climb down three stories, the airbase isn't high, but I'm still a good far distance from the pavement. 
A brick comes free from under my grasp, I let out a muffled scream, before regaining my grasp. 
I move too slow, and a bullet hits my arm, sinking into the flesh. I recoil, but strains myself to hold on.

"I'll be here to catch you." Metias told me. 
Every part of my body screams in agony, I am beginning to feel lightheaded.
"Let go."
"Just let go."
My vision is so blurry I can't even focus on my trembling hands.
"I'll catch you."

The world goes dark. 

I feel the whistle of air as I  plummet towards the ground.
Dry, inaudible words escape from my lips.

But my brother is not here, he was never here, he's dead.

And I'm about to die too.