THE 100 IMAGINES

[ZS] Fools Gold.

     The lighter in your hand flickered on when you hit the flint wheel against the palm of your hand, only for it to go out again when you flicked the metal tab shut. It had been one of the only things you had brought down with you when you came to earth with the other Eligius prisoners, it was one of the only things you really cared for, even though it wasn't yours to begin with. From the steps of the small gazebo, that had been made from the trunks of relatively thin trees, thick vines, and sticks, with the random dark purple wisteria flowers dangling from it, along with the leaves from the vines, you could see the other prisoners hanging around the Valley. A few of them had been arm wrestling while some danced rather badly to the music that played loudly. On your right, one of the 'guards' had stood between you and the church where the others were. He didn't have a gun, but, he did have more muscles than you, so you didn't bother trying to go back inside the church. Originally, you were inside, but, Diyoza had sent you outside, away from the others, when she saw your hands twitching and edging closer to the lighter you had in the pocket of your trousers. It was purely for the safety of the prisoners—who she wanted on her side if they were of any use to her, who had been from 'Wonkru' before they defected—that she had sent you out.

It wasn't that much longer before Diyoza walked back out of the church with the other Eligius members and Kane. When she turned to walk over to you, you stared at her blankly, not taking your eyes away from hers as you set fire to one of the flowers you pulled down from the gazebo. She raised her eyebrows at your actions, but it wasn't because she was confused or shocked. "Can't go five minutes without lighting something up, can you?" There was a pause before she continued in a different tone of voice, like an adult talking to a child who just got caught doing something they shouldn't, "Remember what we talked about?" There was another short pause of silence before you nodded, still staring blankly. "You don't want me to put another shock collar on you again to match them inside, or like Vinson, right?"

"No, Ma'am," you responded, without much of a tone in your voice, still feeling the sharp pain in your neck where your raw wounds were still healing.

"Good." She smiled faintly at your obedient reply. Diyoza then stepped closer to you, to move a strand of your hair that had fallen from the plait she had done two days ago, from your face, tucking it behind your ear. She leaned down closer to your face as her hand moved from the piece of your hair to grip your chin to keep you from moving away from her as she spoke again, this time without her faint smile, "We need them alive, for now. So, what you're going to do is stay away from them and let the adults do what they need to do. Got it?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

Diyoza smiled again and let go of you, standing up straighter, glancing back at the others in the Valley before she turned back to you once more. "But, don't worry, we'll find you something to burn."

"How about their people?"

"Give it time." She sighed, knowing that you'd start acting up sooner or later if you didn't get your hands on something. "When the time comes, you can light them up."

"McCreary isn't going to like that."

"McCreary is just going to need to learn how to share, isn't he?"

Diyoza didn't wait for your response before she turned around and left you. As you watched her leave, you noticed Zeke glancing back at you a few times, then at Diyoza, before he made his way over to you. He was making sure that Diyoza didn't see him as he got closer to you, for whatever reason. When you stood up, standing on the last step of the gazebo, he stopped in front of you. "Miles! How nice of you to visit me." You smiled, flicking the lighter in your hand on and off again a few times.