DISCONTINUED - The Fireflies - A Zodiac Adventure

Three - Gemini ♊

  I handed the customer a cup of coffee. "That would be 40 Imperium dollars, thank you."

  So you thought I'd be doing something cool. Well, while my friends were cooking up secret plans and finding others, I was working at the local Powerbucks.

  (Yeah, I know, right? Total copy of Starbucks. But I mean Imperium is 'power' in Latin so I guess it's not too bad)

  Okay, here's the thing - I wasn't being completely honest. Thing is, I wasn't exactly working at Powerbucks twenty-four seven. And no, I didn't belong in the Imperium Army Camp.

  As the last customer left, the workers and I closed the shop. One of the guys who were pretty friendly with me, Samuel, came over to me with the usual toothy grin on his face.

  "Gem! Hey, man! Wanna go downtown and par-tay?"

  Sam was a Libra. (Not the actual Libra, no, the actual one's a girl and you probably already know who she is) He loves to enjoy himself and meet new people, so almost every night he went to parties, made out with cute girls and got drunk. If I decided to go with him, I'd usually drink a little and be the one to drive him home. I mean, yeah, I was technically drink-driving but what's the fun of life without breaking a law or two?

  I didn't feel like a party today. In fact, my night was booked. "Sam, I got business to deal with. I'll see you soon, bro? Tomorrow's a day off."

  He looked a little disappointed that I wasn't going with him but shrugged it off since some of the other workers were probably going with him. I just hoped their drinking wouldn't get too out of hand. "Sure, dude. See you on Monday. I'm all booked tomorrow."

  As they left, I helpfully switched the 'open' sign to a 'closed' one. Making sure the coast was clear, I ducked into the nearest, darkest and emptiest alley, opening my backpack that looked like it had nothing but a bottle of water in it. People like Sam never knew me the way they think they did.

  Smirking, I slipped the bandit mask out of my bag. "Alright, Gemini, time to deal with that 'business'."

✯✯✯

  I hopped on a bike and rode it down the road - I knew I was 14 but Imperium had different laws and tonight, I wasn't breaking them. Not yet, anyway.

  I should be like the others who probably also got sent to the army camps of Imperium or maybe even the country we would be facing in the upcoming war, Fortitudo. These two countries were honestly all I'd ever heard of ever since we were taken away from our orphanage - it felt like we'd disappeared straight off the world map. The only reason I wasn't in the camp was that I escaped ASAP. I didn't see any of the others there, but a gut feeling told me I wasn't alone. Tonight was the night that gave me the biggest feeling. Tonight, I had to track them down. Anyone.

  I wasn't alone - I could've gone 'par-taying' with Sam and the other workers. They were friendly enough with me and I could always somehow get along with everyone. But I was lonely. As much as I hated to admit it, I felt bored with Sam. He was nice entertainment and we were compatible as friends in astrological terms, but something about his voice was just...irritating. It sounded like a bee humming next to my ear, followed by more hums - the other workers' laughs. I just didn't find anything they said funny.

  Caught in my own thoughts, I didn't realise that I bumped headfirst into another man's chest. My mask fell to the floor, broken as the guy stepped on it.

  "Oh...sir. He-uh, hello, sir." The man was in an army's outfit with thick muscles on his limbs to prove its validity. His eyes were sharp and narrowed at me. He had a neatly trimmed goatee that made him look like a general. A look at him was enough to make me shudder.