[COMPLETE] [[**Sequel, The Hybrid Harold, is up!**]]
The first generation past the war has settled and the result is something no one from the past would recognize. In the United Human Alliance, the human run country that takes up much of the land m...
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It was easy to bring the SWAT team to their knees. I just let go of the hate and anger I felt and turned it into the most potent feelings of self loathing and despair that I could. In mere seconds the team had fallen to it's feet, loud tears incapacitating them.
I grabbed Alenia's hand but in her loss she was immune to the comfort I tried to provide. I frowned but couldn't do anything, we still had to escape. Her eyes were completely black now, red tears fell down her face, but she didn't make a single sound. The anguish coming off of her was more than she could cope, and so she walked like a zombie beside me. People behind us were asking what was going on but I ignored them, Wes and Jamie could handle it and Alenia needed me.
How her mother had even found out about the escape, I didn't know, but it was clear that she arrived after the police evacuated and we sealed off the school. She'd seen guns shooting at her daughter and reacted like any mother would, not knowing that Alenia was perfectly safe.
It was tragic, and the circumstances alone would have required a moment or three of silence. We didn't have that gift. We had to keep moving, past the crying SWAT men that had killed her mother and past the bleeding and dead body.
I didn't blame her for not checking, it was obvious that the bleeding woman was dead. Among other parts of her body her head and chest were bleeding profusely. We nearly walked past before Alenia stopped and turned back. Though we were in danger and a rush I stayed with her and let the large crowd pass us. We had plenty of friends we could trust, and I doubted Alenia could do much if we were attacked again anyway.
"I-" Alenia said, struggling to speak through her tears. "Mommy-"
Tears welled in my own eyes, seeing her like this. She grabbed my shirt and I held her into me, continuing to try to comfort her with my abilities. I doubted it would work, she was more likely to go numb than feel better, but I would try.
"I know- I- we ca-can't take her," Alenia sobbed. "B-but I don't wa-want them t-t-to find her like this-s."
I frowned deeply. She was right, of course. We were stuffing students, parents, and minimal belongings into planes that were just big enough. We had to leave the body.
"I-" Alenia seemed to have an idea and waved her hand, effectively cremating her mother. The sobbing was louder now but we needed to go. As much as I hated to end what was already a severely lacking funeral we couldn't hold up the escape or get left behind.
"Come on," I said gently. She nodded in understanding and we walked to the airstrip. The rest of the walk was uneventful, both of us in pain, Alenia emotionally wrecked. I struggled to walk on my leg, but there wasn't exactly a wheelchair in the nature walk so I powered through. Alenia was the one who needed support now, not me.
We ran into Sam first, waiting at the entry to the hangar while the last of the students and parents went into the two planes. His eyes widened with panic and every ounce of paternal love hit me immediately. He rushed forward and though having her lean on me was excruciating to the leg that couldn't support my weight alone I purposely maneuvered her away from his waiting hug.
"What-?" He didn't need more than one word.
"Alenia has sacrificed enough," I said. Hugging him would just feel like betrayal to her, she wasn't ready for interaction on an intimate level like that with her 'new family'. Not to mention I was doubting my ability to stay conscious for long. The exhaustion was hitting me hard. "Can you get us to safety?"
Sam nodded, his eyes not looking away from Alenia. It was good to know, at least, that his love for her was real. "Come, Daniel and I are on this plane."
I didn't protest and followed, glad when she separated herself from me just to walk up. There was no way I could have made it up the metal steps with her leaning on me. Once inside the plane I noticed that Christine, Katie, Jamie, and Hank were waiting (though Hank was worse for the wear, it looked as if the advice from Dr. Marshall had done him well). Christine immediately pulled her into a tight hug. The support allowed Alenia to cry again, though her tears were silent now.
"What do you need?" Jamie said, her parents behind her terrified that something else would go wrong.
"Let's leave it to Sam and the pilots," I said. "Alenia has done enough."
Jamie nodded and it seemed that everyone agreed. The back of the plane was full of the younger kids so we walked to the front and though I knew Alenia didn't like the preferential treatment, I was glad they had saved the 'first class' for us. There were just enough seats for us and a few other wounded students, allowing the space for me to keep my leg straight. As we settled in, Alenia following direction silently and curling into me while she looking out of the windows with a thousand-yard stare.
"Please be sure to buckle your seat-belts, parents and able bodied older students ensure that the younger students have their's done." I recognized the voice of Daniel, Alenia's older brother. He must have been a pilot. "We are taking off now."
The plane began to move, students and parents around us shuffling to buckle seat belts before we hit the air. I wrapped my arms around Alenia, appreciating the warmth of her body on mine. We had lost people, we had endured pain and chaos, but we had survived and now we were doing what we had set out to do. The prophecy may have been fake but the results were real and though I would do anything to save the lives that had been lost there was a certain weightlessness to leaving the control of the UHA with Alenia in my arms and our bond solidified.
I noticed Sam walk out of the cockpit of the plane and see that Alenia was asleep. He smiled, a bittersweet smile. I returned one of my own and settled in with my head atop Alenia's. Just as I began to slip into sleep I felt a large blanket cover us. The hard part was over and now- well now we were going to get a well deserved rest.
Until Next Time...
Author's Note OMG IT'S OVER! I can't believe it, this is crazy! An epilogue of sorts coming up next to gear up for the next book will be posted on schedule and then it's time for a new book! Also I posted while traveling whaaaaaaa? So impressed with myself, lol.
