Renegade

Chapter twenty-two

It was late afternoon by the time they pulled over, the huffing and puffing of the old car impossible to ignore any longer. Billie stopped at the foot of a rocky outcrop and stumbled out with a string of unintelligible groans. She popped the hood open and disappeared behind it. With the help of the boy, the pair soon followed, leaving the passenger door open to allow some air in. 

After the suffocating heat of the cabin, the air outside was almost pleasant. Sweat ran down every inch of her body and she wiped it away as best she could. The boy cautiously wandered over to Billie, while the white-haired girl scanned the area. 

They were surrounded by dried shrubs and dirt for as far as the eye could see and she was fine with that. Definitely an upgrade from heavily armed pursuers and solitary cells.

She waddled over to where the boy and Billie stood and watched as the older woman poured water over the engine. She took a swig from the bottle, then passed it to the boy who tugged his mask off and drank avidly from it before handing it to the Obsidian. Billie retrieved the empty recipient, circled the car and threw it inside. She then came back to them, fanning herself with her hand.

"Mara here's a bit tired, so we're taking a break until she cools down," Billie said, affectionately patting the old car. "You kids hungry?"

The boy's eyes widened but he didn't answer, choosing instead to look at his companion to make the decision. It was easy to see in his expressive gaze that he wanted nothing more than to accept and truthfully, she was starving as well. They'd had nothing aside from snacks since their escape. The girl didn't know if she could trust the woman, however.

"I didn't haul your asses away from the CS so that I could poison you," Billie said with a wry smile.

She circled around her car and disappeared in the back, returning with small pouches that they soon discovered contained food. Some were filled with jerky, others with dried fruit and nuts. Billie placed them on the passenger seat to allow them easy access to it, then handed them some crackers. 

All of the girl's apprehension and mistrust evaporated once faced with food. She munched on her cracker while the boy shoveled a generous amount of nuts in his mouth. He grabbed a strip of jerky and held it out for her before taking one for himself. It was a modest meal yet for the two of them, it was akin to a feast.

Billie watched them interact, absentmindedly chewing on a date. Though starved, the boy always made sure to feed the girl before himself. She never had to ask for assistance, for he paid enough attention to her to allow him to anticipate her needs. Her scowl lessened somewhat when around him, stormy gray eyes almost gentle. 

Not a word was spoken between them, all communication passing through gazes and glances. The boy sometimes touched her - softly, hesitantly -, but she always made sure to keep her hands fisted and away from him. If Billie didn't know any better, she would have thought they had known each other for a very long time. 

As it was, she understood that their relationship was based on mutual dependency and need for survival. Their affection and understanding of one another stemmed from a similarly traumatic past and a craving for acceptance; a desire to escape their previous seclusion. They were kindred spirits.

Malnourished as they were, the pair made short work of the small rations, quietly sipping from a new bottle of water as they watched Billie put the empty pouches away. 

The sun hung low in the sky, allowing for a shaded spot on one side of the car. Billie settled cross-legged in the dirt and after a moment's hesitation, so did the pair. They sat close together and as far from her as the shade allowed.

"My name is Wilhelmine Eristavi, but I go exclusively by Billie. As you can see, I'm not like you," she said, shaking her bare wrists for emphasis. "I am your ally though."

The pair watched her in silence, the girl's frame stiff and alert while the boy's eyes were curious.

"I'm a transporter. My job is to pick up stray ability-wielders and take them to a safe location to be picked up."

The girl's eyes narrowed, her upper lip tipped up in a silent snarl. Billie interrupted her before she could act.

"I am your ally!," she said, emphasizing the last word. "I work for the Freakshow, a resistance group comprised of people like you two. Their goal is to protect and give shelter to fugitives."

The girl was still radiating aggressiveness while the boy leaned away from Billie in distrust. The older woman took it as a good sign that they had yet to attack or bolt.

"The three cars that took away the CS's attention back there belonged to Freakshow members. They were there to help," Billie wasn't completely sure of the veracity of that particular statement. "They might even be able to help you learn how to control your abilities."

The boy's eyes widened and he grabbed onto the girl's hoodie. Her fingers twitched nervously but she remained still, a brief flash of curiosity flickering over her features. Billie realized she was onto something.

"Don't you want to stop hurting people?"

It was the wrong thing to say for the girl pounced, her hand shooting out to grab her. The older woman rolled away and drew a handgun from a holster strapped to her lower back, aiming it at the Obsidian.

"Not a step closer," Billie warned.

"People deserve to burn."

The girl's voice was hoarse and it broke on the last word. Her eyes were filled with anger and hatred, yet the contorted expression on her face betrayed her pain and her fear. Her suffering.

"Even him?" she asked, gesturing towards the teary-eyed kid.

The girl whipped her head over to the boy, her expression wiped of every emotion save for the fear. She was truly worried about him.

"Would you not learn to control your ability, if only to protect him?"

The girl was glaring at her now. Billie sighed.

"Listen, kid. You're an Obsidian and that alone makes you a target. What's worse, you have no control over your power. I'm taking you to Brad whether you want me to or not. Your only choice is whether you're awake or knocked out for the rest of the trip."

Billie watched as the girl lowered her head, weighing her options. The boy was rooted in his spot, his eyes glued to Billie. He wasn't battle-ready the way the girl was, but he remained alert at all times and tried to stay out of her way. 

From her purely destructive ability, it was clear that the girl was an Obsidian, but Billie wasn't sure what the boy might be. The same? If so, how was it possible they were so different from one another? The girl was willing – eager even – to use her powers at the drop of a hat while he was terrified of his.

The girl's shoulders sagged in defeat and the expression on her face when she raised her head to look at Billie was resigned. Not that the older woman was lowering her guard anytime soon. She had, after all, seen the girl in action and for someone who looked so frail, she was pretty damn dangerous. 

Billie lowered her gun but didn't put it away. "Let's get to know a bit more about each other before we go anywhere, huh?"