Sympathy for the Devil {Liam Stewart | The Darkest Minds}

23. Hellhounds

Helicopters roar overhead, kids scrambled to escape their searchlights as people were being lowered to the ground, and as Mags little family skidded to a halt at the scene, they arrived just in time to see the what payloads were being delivered. Kids, dressed in black with bags over their heads, being positioned in a semi-circle facing out towards the camp and it's inhabitants. The bags were lifted off the kids heads as they positioned themselves close to the ground; when they raise their gazes, all surrounding them see the glow of their eyes and cheeks, and Mags feels sick to her stomach.

"Reds!" Mike screamed, and the Reds opened fire, torrents of flames ripping from them as they tore down kids their own age. The fire consumed everything it touched, people and tents alike, and Mags scrambled to get the others behind her, looking for a way out, but as fire consumed the world around them, soldiers came barreling through with their sonic guns, subduing the other children. Liam, Ruby, Chubbs, and Zu were panicking, but as the flames stopped, the Reds started to advance on them, controlled by Clancy.

"Ruby, I need you to do something for me." Mags said, voice confident, and the girl nodded, panicked. Mags tapped her temple. "I need you to keep him out of here, can you do that?" Ruby hesitated for a moment, but nodded, giving a weak smile.

Mags, unsmiling, walked determinedly toward the line of Reds, and when they spat fire, Liam moved a shipping container to protect himself and the others, putting it between Mags and themselves. Mags however, was unharmed, her normal clothes now mere ash, she stands wearing the only thing she has left from Caledonia, her heat-proof bodysuit.

When the flames die down, and Mags stands amongst the smouldering embers, eyes glowing, hands curling into fists, the Reds, and the guards behind them, actually falter. She's running on adreniline, her nose still bruised and bleeding, she looks like a nightmare made solid, and the Reds aren't sure what to do with her, they hadn't expected anyone like her. Her mouth opens, flames pouring out hotter and faster than she thought was possible, fueled by one thought; these people were trying to hurt her family. The guards disintegrate.

The Reds seem genuinely taken aback, before one runs at her, a girl who looks to be about thirteen; she hasn't been herself in a long time, and Mags knows Clancy is behind this. When the girl gets close enough, Mags reaches out and snags the girl by her throat, lifting her into the air, and suddenly she's like a cornered animal, scratching and whimpering, though her fire has died down, and her cheeks don't glow. Mags, however, is shining with light, with anger, and she throws the girl as hard as she can at one of the other Reds before dropping to the ground, letting the rage fill her until she can feel the primal power well up beneath the Earth. Earth growing hot beneath her feet, she reaches inside of herself to that untapped energy and pulls the magma from the ground with a scream. Another jet of fire is ripped from her mouth as she raises her fists and two geysers of lava shoot into the air, and with a furious determination, she lets her arms fall out to the side, and the magma crashes down onto the Reds either side of her, pinning them under the quickly cooling rock, though the heat doesn't hurt them.

"You're... like us." One boy gasps, a large pool of cooled lava sitting on his chest, making breathing difficult but not impossible. The shock has freed them from Clancy's mind control temporarily, but not from their obvious brainwashing.

"You should be so lucky." She spits, unclenching her fists and letting the leftover magma recede. Kicking the shoe off of one of them as she turns to head back to her friends, she's halfway though another quip when it all hits her. After pulling up the magma, she's emotionally and physically drained, and she staggers as Liam and the others round the corner, coming to help her. Ruby looks terrified, yet determined as she helps Mags to her feet, looking out past her shoulder. Her eyes are glowing orange, and when she catches Mags confused look, Ruby gives herself a moment to give Mags a reassuring smile, tapping her hairline near her temple gently with one finger, careful still to not let their skin touch.

"I've got you." She reminded, before passing Mags off to Liam and Chubbs, telling them to get others to safety; she was going to fight Clancy. She's knows she's the only one capable of it, and the others, after some prompting, agree, though Mags heart is aching. Scurrying through the remains of the camp, they try and find any remaining kids, but most at this point have been rounded up, burnt up, or have run off, so they take off for the forest.

"I know what she said," Liam huffed, barely able to stand, "but we have to go back for her." Mags couldn't even form a sentence, her throat was weak and she was so sore, though she nodded as best she could.

"Zu, stay with them," Chubbs told the youngest girl, much to dismay of the others. At their confused interjections, he held up his hand. "Neither of you can stand up straight, let alone rescue our girl; you're right, we ain't leaving without her." He paused, steeling himself up to go back for her. "Get to safety, please." He told them, and Liam and Mags nodded, both giving him a grateful smile.

The night in the woods is terrifying, but they manage to meet up with some other survivors near dawn, a kid, almost an adult, with a pack of kids Zu's age. He has a plan, has family he can contact and a way to get the kids to safety; it's what Zu needs, but not what she wants.

"Zu, please, you'll be safe with them, I promise." Mags had recovered greatly during the night, after all the panic it was mostly just bruising and her broken nose to worry about. Both she and Liam were kneeling beside Zu as the little girl clung to them both. Stepping back, Zu makes a gesture to say 'come with me', but Mags wipes away a tear before it can fall, and shakes her head.

"We can't, Ruby and Chubbs are still out there, still need us." Liam tells her, but Zu is now crying, shaking her head and clutching her hands to her chest. But I need you.

"We'll see each other again, Zu, I promise." Mags pulled her in for another hug as the group of other kids began moving again. The kid in charge had said he wanted to constantly be moving to avoid detection until his family was able to arrive, and that if they wanted Zu to go with them, they wouldn't have long to say goodbye.

"We love you, Zu." Liam whispered, and Zu sniffled in return, kissing them both on the cheek in goodbye. I love you too.

They watched her leave, the closest thing Mags had to a sister, had to a daughter, and they watched her leave, the two of them hand in hand as she disappeared into the forest with the other kids her age. Mags finally breaks, doubling over once Zu's footsteps can no longer be heard through the trees, now full-body sobbing. Liam moves to sit on the forest floor, pulling Mags to him, pulling her into his arms as she cries.

"It's gone." Mags gasps between sobs. "Everything is gone. I lost my home, my mind because of Clancy, I've lost Zu, I've lost Chubbs and Ruby, and I- I almost lost you too." Liam's crying too, and he holds her tighter, rocking gently, as if it would help.

"You'll never lose me." His voice is so small, and he repeated the phrase like a mantra as it morphed into a whisper. "You'll never lose me, Maggie, I promise, you'll never lose me."

"I'm so sorry I hurt you, you know I never want to hurt you." Maggie murmured, and Liam pet her hip where his hand was resting, just repeating that she'd never lose him. They stay like that for almost an hour before the overwhelming loss and shock eases, and they realise they should search for Chubbs and Ruby.

"This forest is huge," Liam pinched the bridge of his nose as he tried to think of ways to track them, but it hit Mags like lightning.

"The lake, no-one knows about it but us." She looked so broken, and yet so damn hopeful, it was worth a shot. Hand in hand, aching in almost every single sense of the word, they begin their trek through the forest, looking for the remainder of their family.