Battle of Colours

Prologue

     In spring, you had to go outside to take a shower. The barn they were living in did not allow them to shower inside. Alex built them a wooden cabin outside with a bucket of cold water hanging above their heads as a shower head.

     On that day, the weather was lovely, slight breeze, warm sun, singing birds – Violet used to spend hours showering when it was that good.

     She grabbed her towel, dried her body and got dressed inside the cabin – it was not convenient at all, but her privacy was a golden rule. Then, she got out of the cabin and got back inside the barn, still drying the wild curls that she inherited from her mother.

     All the members of the White Panteras were sharing many things, the barn mostly. The farm used to shelter sheep and cows — their smell was impregnated in the wooden walls. It was surrounded by corn fields that they would often use to 'legally' earn money. Its age had been estimated to quite old – yes, they were not very good at estimations – yet it was surprisingly still in a good shape. The roof had a few problems – mostly when it would be raining or windy, but they had managed to fix it anyway. Alex, one of the best inventors on Earth, had created a system to bring electricity thanks to the sunlight, and water thanks to the small lake near the barn.

     Organised with a few sofas, tables, desks, a small improvised kitchen, military beds and a few other things, the barn was their little getaway.

     They have been arguing a lot about the name they would give to their headquarters, to finally agree on Home, as simple as it is. It was their Home, and it was not suspicious at all.

"Attention, please! We have a new member," Erik announced as he got inside, a brunette by his side. "Her name is Manali, she ran away from her family last week. She deserves her place among us."

      Violet let go of her towel near a window for it to dry, and joined her friends on the sofas – they were forming a square around the main coffee table. She jumped over the back of the sofa, covering her black clothes with dust.

     At the time, new members were quite rare. Some members agreed with their comings, others were a little bit sceptical.

"She looks way too skinny to be a fighter," Bianca whispered to Violet's ear. Bianca was Violet's closest friend since she joined the group, she was almost like a sister to her. She had Italian roots, brown eyes, straight long black hair and the nicest body Violet had ever seen. "If I bring a girl like that to mamma, she'd have a heart-attack and feed the poor baby 'til she puts on five pounds per minute," It was no surprise that Bianca was a funny woman. "Where is she from anyway, India? Why is she so skinny then, I thought they were eating a lot of cows there." She stupidly said, making Violet laugh.

"Shut up," she chuckled, softly punching her shoulder. "It's actually the opposite. Traditionally, Indians worship cows, they do not eat beef because they are seen as the symbol of life. They are protected animals and most of the families own one and treat them as a member of their family. Gosh, you are such an uneducated worthless human being," she teased back.

"Girls," Erik looked at Violet and her friend. It was true that with his brown hair, blue eyes and strong features, Erik was pretty much intimidating. But the more Violet got to know him, the more she realised how sweet and carrying he was. "If you don't mind, I'd like to start."

"Oh, go ahead, bad boy," Bianca smirked. "You don't need our permission to talk. Or perhaps you tryna' impress the new one with yo' little manners, huh?" She winked at him, making the whole group chuckle.

"Shut up, Bianca," Erik playfully threw a pillow at her. She caught it and threw it back. 

"Please Manali, take a sit. It is going to be a long morning for you," Alex said with the same smile that put butterflies in Violet's stomach the first time she saw it.