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shadowknight2009-01-07 03:41 pm
sl_walker) wrote in shadowknight2009-01-07 03:41 pm
Fic - Rebellion
Title: Rebellion
Rating: PG
Universe: Alternate
Timeline: Summer 2012
Written on: January 5th, 2009
Summary: Seventeen year old Nance learns a really hard lesson.
There were a lot of natural wonders in Missoula; plenty of beautiful things to see, and discover, and enough human intrigue to keep things interesting.
Until somewhere in her fifteenth year, Nance was more than willing to go and find adventure closer to town. But it eventually came to a point when she really wanted more. More excitement. More daring. Her little sisters (technically cousins, but that never felt right to her) weren't nearly old enough to be partners in crime, yet, and there was only so much she could stand playing tea party.
Now, at seventeen, she had gotten finding dangerous situations down to a fine art. Between her, Tom and Crow, they made an effective little team of patrollers in the mountains, valleys and woods around Missoula.
Needless to say, none of their guardians were aware at just how good they had gotten. They'd only been caught in the act twice, and both times had been grounded, but that was well over a year ago now and not Rick, Shayna nor Joel were aware of how much time the younger generation spent looking for trouble.
Nance and the 'bots justified it to themselves; they had yet to get into any true danger, and it didn't hurt anyone if they were out keeping the settlement safe, instead of hanging out at the dance hall downtown or out on the ranch across the valley, or any number of other 'safe' activities. It wasn't easy to coordinate the secret and not get caught, and they also considered the fact that they could as being further proof that they were ready.
Currently, Nance was watching a trail along the south edge of the valley. While war was no longer an issue, there were still plenty of people who roamed the trails looking to jump travellers, or come into towns to make trouble. Mutants, who didn't think the war should have ended. Humans, who got used to taking things by force and couldn't seem to comprehend that the world had taken a turn back for peace. It wasn't like it had been when there were still trackers, but it was still potentially dangerous.
And exciting.
The 'bots were there also; they kept lookout along a game trail nearby. It was quiet enough, even with the natural ambient noise, that they could hear each other should trouble come, as well as hear that trouble if it wasn't taking care to keep quiet.
They were certain they were ready, until trouble found them.
The first thing that went utterly, horrifically wrong was a terrible cry of surprise. It sounded like Crow, and Nance wasn't even remotely prepared for the way it made her stomach drop into her shoes, then rocket for her throat. She swung down from the tree that she had been perched in once she managed to get her bow on her back, and sprinted off in that direction.
When she got there, there was nothing there. No Tom. No Crow. No tracks, even, left in the dirt around the base of the tree.
Her heart was pounding harder than ever, and she got her bow ready again. If there was trouble out here, it was a fair bet that calling would attract it. All she could do was hope that she could find some sign... ANY sign... of what had just taken her adopted brothers.
The logical conclusions weren't reassuring.
Slowly, she crept in an ever widening circle around where they had been hiding in the brush. A bird kicked up out of a nearby bush, and she nearly leapt out of her skin.
After staring after it for a moment, she went back to searching. No animals would likely attack the 'bots. They weren't edible. They could be playing a trick, but that was highly unlikely in the current circumstances; Tom and Crow might be pranksters, but all three knew this wasn't the time, nor place, for such things.
There were no natural animals that would attack a pair of 'bots who were sitting still in the brush as they had been for an hour or two.
That only meant that whatever did had to walk on two legs, not four.
She tried not to panic, because that would do no good, but with every step it got harder. No branches were disturbed, no footprints lead the way, it was as though the 'bots were just swallowed up into nothingness, never to be seen again.
So intent as she was on staying safe, she never realized just how unsafe she actually was.
When the darkness fell, Nance realized for the very first time that she was alone.
In all these years, through all that had happened, she'd never felt that way before. As though she were completely, utterly alone; as though there was no one else on the Earth but her. Rick and Shayna were there. The 'bots were there. Joel was there. The wolves were there; Mike, even his offspring. Her little sisters were there.
Now, she was alone.
She kept searching by what little moonlight made it through the trees, but every step she took make it feel more futile. She couldn't go home. If she did, what would she ever say to Joel? What would she ever say to Rick and Shayna?
What could she ever say to herself?
But every step she took made it feel more and more hopeless, as though she'd never find them. She certainly wouldn't be able to find even a hint of them, not here in the dark like this. She kept looking, but something in her wanted to wake up from this nightmare, or to sob, or do... to scream out for them in the hopes that they'd hear her.
The breeze brushed through the trees, and it was the only sound she heard.
There was no crackle of old leaves to warn her, no snap of a branch to tip her off, no rustle of brush to give her pause. One minute she was searching, and in the next, it was black.
Nance didn't even have time to process it; it happened that fast. Nothing, then a heavy sack, then something firm clamped over her mouth, then something else wrapped around her arms, it shook her, made her drop her bow, and she almost couldn't breathe with a sack and something over her mouth that had been opened in mid-scream, and she tried to kick back or bite, but to no avail and then...
It dropped her just as fast and she tried to kick again, and get her arms up to get the sack off, and in a few moments she was bound hands and feet and body.
"You're in trouble now," the voice said, a calm, chilling whisper that she heard as it closed in on her head, and then it tied a piece of rope around her head, forcing the sack into her mouth, cutting off any possible reply.
How long she rode in the darkness on what had to be a man's shoulder was indeterminable, but it didn't abate her terror any. If anything, the easy quickness this man walked through the forests was enough to make her even more afraid; whoever this was, it wasn't some stupid mutant looking for trouble or some stupid human looking for someone to pick on. She'd dealt with a handful of those in the past couple years, scaring them off with the help of the 'bots, and this wasn't one of those.
She didn't know what she thought while she rode; some part of her tried to make sense of what was happening, but most of her was just terrified. She wanted to go home.
She wanted to go home so, so badly.
She wanted to play tea party with her sisters, and curl up in Shayna's arms like she used to before she got too old to wanna do those things anymore, and she wanted Rick to take her stargazing, and Mike or one of the wolves to come over for a pet and a cuddle, and she wanted to take the 'bots and go play like the used to when they were younger.
The man dropped her and she tried to yelp through the harsh gag, but it only came out a small sound, muffled.
"Let me be home," she pleaded in her mind, "Let me and Tom and Crow all be at home." It made no sense; from the rocky ground she could feel under her now bruised body, they were definitely nowhere near home.
She had no idea what would come next. She didn't want to know.
The rope was taken off her head, and somewhere deep down, she was as appalled at her inability to speak up and demand an explanation as she was any thought of what could happen to her next. Then the second rope was taken off of her arms, and she still couldn't speak.
Then the sack was pulled off of her head.
Enrico Gruen looked down at her, with Rick and Shayna flanking his sides, calmly. Rick and Shayna both looked livid and terrified and relieved, all at once.
Nance didn't even wait until the rope was untied from her feet; she lurched up and fell into them sobbing.
It was a good half hour before all of the tears were shed, and in the end, Nance wasn't the only one who cried. She didn't even have it in her to be angry that they had been set up like this.
"Do you understand?" Shayna asked for the umpteenth time, and Nance nodded, not quite able to bear seeing the tears still drying on her face. Even Rick had to pull his glasses off a few times.
Tom and Crow were already back at home, having been given their own wakeup call as to the realities of patrolling and taking on potential enemies. That just left the four of them, and a lot of reflection soon to be taking place.
Enrico hadn't said anything through most of it, until it was time to walk back. And then he spoke up, even though it earned him something of a nasty look, "If you want to do this properly, I'll teach you when I'm in the area. But as you can see, you're going to get yourself killed if you keep trying this without any training."
By then, all Nance really wanted to do was go home and... she didn't know what she would do when she got there, but she knew that it wouldn't be easy. Whatever it was. All she could do in reply was to nod, numbly, and concentrate on walking.
Right now, she just wanted to get home.
Four days later found her and the 'bots still rattled a little, though slowly recovering. They spent a lot of time together, but a lot of that was in silence, trying to grapple with some very grown up questions. Suddenly, the world outside of Missoula didn't look so much exciting, as it did terrifying.
"Nance? Will you come play with us?" one of her sisters asked. And without hesitation, Nance nodded and went.
She was surprised and touched when Tom and Crow went along with her. And where before, she had done this mostly out of sisterly obligation, now she did it because she wanted to. Maybe to touch on being a kid again. Maybe just to be with them while they were still kids, long before they had to grapple with the hard questions.
When the tea party was over, she stood up, kissed them on the tops of their heads, and then headed inside.
Enrico was sitting on the couch, reading one of Mike's old books. When he heard Nance, he looked up for a moment, then glanced back down at the pages.
She took a breath. "Teach me."
He didn't seem surprised. "Are you sure?"
There was a long moment there where she thought of the woods. And the fear. And the lesson. The rebellion. The 'bots. Her sisters.
Everything.
Nance tipped her head up, and said again, more fiercely:
"Teach me."
Rating: PG
Universe: Alternate
Timeline: Summer 2012
Written on: January 5th, 2009
Summary: Seventeen year old Nance learns a really hard lesson.
There were a lot of natural wonders in Missoula; plenty of beautiful things to see, and discover, and enough human intrigue to keep things interesting.
Until somewhere in her fifteenth year, Nance was more than willing to go and find adventure closer to town. But it eventually came to a point when she really wanted more. More excitement. More daring. Her little sisters (technically cousins, but that never felt right to her) weren't nearly old enough to be partners in crime, yet, and there was only so much she could stand playing tea party.
Now, at seventeen, she had gotten finding dangerous situations down to a fine art. Between her, Tom and Crow, they made an effective little team of patrollers in the mountains, valleys and woods around Missoula.
Needless to say, none of their guardians were aware at just how good they had gotten. They'd only been caught in the act twice, and both times had been grounded, but that was well over a year ago now and not Rick, Shayna nor Joel were aware of how much time the younger generation spent looking for trouble.
Nance and the 'bots justified it to themselves; they had yet to get into any true danger, and it didn't hurt anyone if they were out keeping the settlement safe, instead of hanging out at the dance hall downtown or out on the ranch across the valley, or any number of other 'safe' activities. It wasn't easy to coordinate the secret and not get caught, and they also considered the fact that they could as being further proof that they were ready.
Currently, Nance was watching a trail along the south edge of the valley. While war was no longer an issue, there were still plenty of people who roamed the trails looking to jump travellers, or come into towns to make trouble. Mutants, who didn't think the war should have ended. Humans, who got used to taking things by force and couldn't seem to comprehend that the world had taken a turn back for peace. It wasn't like it had been when there were still trackers, but it was still potentially dangerous.
And exciting.
The 'bots were there also; they kept lookout along a game trail nearby. It was quiet enough, even with the natural ambient noise, that they could hear each other should trouble come, as well as hear that trouble if it wasn't taking care to keep quiet.
They were certain they were ready, until trouble found them.
The first thing that went utterly, horrifically wrong was a terrible cry of surprise. It sounded like Crow, and Nance wasn't even remotely prepared for the way it made her stomach drop into her shoes, then rocket for her throat. She swung down from the tree that she had been perched in once she managed to get her bow on her back, and sprinted off in that direction.
When she got there, there was nothing there. No Tom. No Crow. No tracks, even, left in the dirt around the base of the tree.
Her heart was pounding harder than ever, and she got her bow ready again. If there was trouble out here, it was a fair bet that calling would attract it. All she could do was hope that she could find some sign... ANY sign... of what had just taken her adopted brothers.
The logical conclusions weren't reassuring.
Slowly, she crept in an ever widening circle around where they had been hiding in the brush. A bird kicked up out of a nearby bush, and she nearly leapt out of her skin.
After staring after it for a moment, she went back to searching. No animals would likely attack the 'bots. They weren't edible. They could be playing a trick, but that was highly unlikely in the current circumstances; Tom and Crow might be pranksters, but all three knew this wasn't the time, nor place, for such things.
There were no natural animals that would attack a pair of 'bots who were sitting still in the brush as they had been for an hour or two.
That only meant that whatever did had to walk on two legs, not four.
She tried not to panic, because that would do no good, but with every step it got harder. No branches were disturbed, no footprints lead the way, it was as though the 'bots were just swallowed up into nothingness, never to be seen again.
So intent as she was on staying safe, she never realized just how unsafe she actually was.
When the darkness fell, Nance realized for the very first time that she was alone.
In all these years, through all that had happened, she'd never felt that way before. As though she were completely, utterly alone; as though there was no one else on the Earth but her. Rick and Shayna were there. The 'bots were there. Joel was there. The wolves were there; Mike, even his offspring. Her little sisters were there.
Now, she was alone.
She kept searching by what little moonlight made it through the trees, but every step she took make it feel more futile. She couldn't go home. If she did, what would she ever say to Joel? What would she ever say to Rick and Shayna?
What could she ever say to herself?
But every step she took made it feel more and more hopeless, as though she'd never find them. She certainly wouldn't be able to find even a hint of them, not here in the dark like this. She kept looking, but something in her wanted to wake up from this nightmare, or to sob, or do... to scream out for them in the hopes that they'd hear her.
The breeze brushed through the trees, and it was the only sound she heard.
There was no crackle of old leaves to warn her, no snap of a branch to tip her off, no rustle of brush to give her pause. One minute she was searching, and in the next, it was black.
Nance didn't even have time to process it; it happened that fast. Nothing, then a heavy sack, then something firm clamped over her mouth, then something else wrapped around her arms, it shook her, made her drop her bow, and she almost couldn't breathe with a sack and something over her mouth that had been opened in mid-scream, and she tried to kick back or bite, but to no avail and then...
It dropped her just as fast and she tried to kick again, and get her arms up to get the sack off, and in a few moments she was bound hands and feet and body.
"You're in trouble now," the voice said, a calm, chilling whisper that she heard as it closed in on her head, and then it tied a piece of rope around her head, forcing the sack into her mouth, cutting off any possible reply.
How long she rode in the darkness on what had to be a man's shoulder was indeterminable, but it didn't abate her terror any. If anything, the easy quickness this man walked through the forests was enough to make her even more afraid; whoever this was, it wasn't some stupid mutant looking for trouble or some stupid human looking for someone to pick on. She'd dealt with a handful of those in the past couple years, scaring them off with the help of the 'bots, and this wasn't one of those.
She didn't know what she thought while she rode; some part of her tried to make sense of what was happening, but most of her was just terrified. She wanted to go home.
She wanted to go home so, so badly.
She wanted to play tea party with her sisters, and curl up in Shayna's arms like she used to before she got too old to wanna do those things anymore, and she wanted Rick to take her stargazing, and Mike or one of the wolves to come over for a pet and a cuddle, and she wanted to take the 'bots and go play like the used to when they were younger.
The man dropped her and she tried to yelp through the harsh gag, but it only came out a small sound, muffled.
"Let me be home," she pleaded in her mind, "Let me and Tom and Crow all be at home." It made no sense; from the rocky ground she could feel under her now bruised body, they were definitely nowhere near home.
She had no idea what would come next. She didn't want to know.
The rope was taken off her head, and somewhere deep down, she was as appalled at her inability to speak up and demand an explanation as she was any thought of what could happen to her next. Then the second rope was taken off of her arms, and she still couldn't speak.
Then the sack was pulled off of her head.
Enrico Gruen looked down at her, with Rick and Shayna flanking his sides, calmly. Rick and Shayna both looked livid and terrified and relieved, all at once.
Nance didn't even wait until the rope was untied from her feet; she lurched up and fell into them sobbing.
It was a good half hour before all of the tears were shed, and in the end, Nance wasn't the only one who cried. She didn't even have it in her to be angry that they had been set up like this.
"Do you understand?" Shayna asked for the umpteenth time, and Nance nodded, not quite able to bear seeing the tears still drying on her face. Even Rick had to pull his glasses off a few times.
Tom and Crow were already back at home, having been given their own wakeup call as to the realities of patrolling and taking on potential enemies. That just left the four of them, and a lot of reflection soon to be taking place.
Enrico hadn't said anything through most of it, until it was time to walk back. And then he spoke up, even though it earned him something of a nasty look, "If you want to do this properly, I'll teach you when I'm in the area. But as you can see, you're going to get yourself killed if you keep trying this without any training."
By then, all Nance really wanted to do was go home and... she didn't know what she would do when she got there, but she knew that it wouldn't be easy. Whatever it was. All she could do in reply was to nod, numbly, and concentrate on walking.
Right now, she just wanted to get home.
Four days later found her and the 'bots still rattled a little, though slowly recovering. They spent a lot of time together, but a lot of that was in silence, trying to grapple with some very grown up questions. Suddenly, the world outside of Missoula didn't look so much exciting, as it did terrifying.
"Nance? Will you come play with us?" one of her sisters asked. And without hesitation, Nance nodded and went.
She was surprised and touched when Tom and Crow went along with her. And where before, she had done this mostly out of sisterly obligation, now she did it because she wanted to. Maybe to touch on being a kid again. Maybe just to be with them while they were still kids, long before they had to grapple with the hard questions.
When the tea party was over, she stood up, kissed them on the tops of their heads, and then headed inside.
Enrico was sitting on the couch, reading one of Mike's old books. When he heard Nance, he looked up for a moment, then glanced back down at the pages.
She took a breath. "Teach me."
He didn't seem surprised. "Are you sure?"
There was a long moment there where she thought of the woods. And the fear. And the lesson. The rebellion. The 'bots. Her sisters.
Everything.
Nance tipped her head up, and said again, more fiercely:
"Teach me."
no subject
So, when are you and Rach going to Missoula?
no subject