Belligerent (Vicara)

by B. N. Mauldin

  He did neither. Instead, to Ryan's surprise, Shifter released a chuckle.

  “Such biting words from my angel. You wound me,” he said, moaning and grasping at his chest as if he had taken a shot to the heart.

  “Get to the point, Shifter,” Daylan said.

  “It'd be best if you tell us your news as soon as possible. We have projects to work on.” Even Logan was angry.

  “Here,” Clarisse murmured forcing a cup of tea into Mackenzie's hold to keep the girl from twisting her hands anxiously as she had been for the past several minutes. “Drink that,” she instructed.

  Shifter's smirk disappeared. “I'm sure by now Clarisse has told you all that something has happened.” He didn't wait for replies. “I got a call from the hospital last night about James.”

  Clarisse scooted closer to Mackenzie until their sides were pressed together and placed a hand on her arm. Logan, who was on Mackenzie's other side, dropped his arm from the back of the couch to wrap around her shoulders.

  “James passed away last night.”

  It was that moment that Ryan understood how someone could say that a silence was deafening. Nobody spoke for several long moments until there was a soft, choked noise that Ryan thought had to have come from Mackenzie.

  “You're sure? It's not some trick by another team?” Logan finally asked.

  Shifter shook his head. “I went to the hospital before I came here. I took my physician with me to have him confirm things.”

  They broke. Ryan had never seen anything so pitiful in his life. Logan, Mackenzie, and Clarisse huddled together, openly crying. Aria had her face buried in her palms. Eva was sniffling. Kenichi angrily brushed away a few tears before disappearing from the room. Daylan was the only one to remain dry-eyed. He was the type to care for the others first then break down privately by himself. Ryan sat still unsure of what he should do. He wasn't close enough to any of them to offer comfort, nor did he really have a reason to mourn.

  Shifter noticed his predicament. “I thought you would be more upset,” the man said, pitching his voice low enough that only Ryan could hear. “Your place on this team was only temporary until today. Now it seems you'll be remaining here for the long term.”

  Ryan bristled at the comment, but realized it wasn't the time to do anything about the situation. “It's hard to miss something you never knew you had,” Ryan said.

  He stood to pour some tea, handing a cup to each teammate left in the room. He wasn't sure it was the appropriate thing to do, but at least it distracted him for a moment. Clarisse even gave him a watery smile.

  “You learn fast,” she teased around a sob. She took a few sips while keeping her eyes trained on Mackenzie.

  Ryan hesitated a moment before offering Shifter a cup. Shifter took it and whispered, “That was a good idea. Logan probably would have went into shock otherwise. That was why Clarisse gave Mackenzie a cup before I had even said anything.”

  Ryan was still a little confused. He had never understood how shock worked or how tea could prevent someone from going into such a state, but he liked that he had been useful.

  There was a small clatter when Mackenzie's cup fell from her hands spilling tea onto the rug. Clarisse gently placed her own tea cup down and took Mackenzie's hands in her own. She whispered something in Mackenzie's ears before she pulled the girl up and led her from the room. Aria mumbled something about getting the tea up before it stained and left to find cleaner. Eva studied Logan, who had been unusually quiet.

  “You okay?” she whispered.

  “Yeah, yeah, I need to update the files though.”

  “I'll go with you.”

  They were only gone a few seconds before Daylan returned without Kenichi and took a seat next to Shifter. “Will there be a funeral?” he asked.

  “That's up to you all. James has already been buried though,” Shifter said.

  “Who's going to be the one to tell Mackenzie?”

  “I was planning on telling her,” Shifter said, “but I don't think I'm the best one to do so any longer.”

  “I'll tell her in the morning. We can organize our own memorial,” Daylan said.

  “I think that's best,” Shifter said. He stood and straightened his sports jacket. “Well. I need to be on my way.”

  Daylan shook his head. “No, you don't.”

  “No, but I don't think my presence here is welcomed at this moment.”

  “We know it's not your fault.”

  Shifter nodded. “But right now, Mackenzie wants someone to blame, and if blaming me keeps her from blaming herself - then that's how we're going to keep it.”

  Daylan nodded. “As you order.”

  “I'll be going then,” Shifter said. “Look after them.”

  “Of course.”

  “And look after yourself.”

  “Of course,” Daylan said.

  Shifter glanced over at Ryan. “Good to see you're fitting in finally.” Ryan didn't bother to correct the Owner. He wanted the man gone as soon as possible. “I'll be abroad for a while. Have Clarisse contact me if you need more credits.”

  After a final glance, Shifter saw himself out of the villa.

  Aria returned and quickly cleaned the rug. “You okay, Aria?” Daylan asked.

  “No, but the others are worse off right now,” she said.

  It was the first time Ryan had seen the group as anything other than invincible, and it struck something in him.

  “Is there anything I could do to help?” he asked.

  Both Daylan and Aria seemed uncertain about his offer.

  “Really,” he assured. “It's no problem. Like dinner?” He suddenly remembered that Logan and Aria had been making dinner when Shifter had arrived. “I could finish dinner for everyone.”

  “That would be a huge help,” Aria said.

  Daylan nodded. “Yeah, if any of them are going to take sleeping pills tonight then they need to eat first.”

  “Sleeping pills?”

  Shrugging, Daylan said, “Sometimes it's necessary. Tonight it's probably going to be necessary.”

  “Well, I'll just go finish dinner then,” Ryan said.

  “I'll help,” Aria offered.

  “Me too,” Clarisse said from the doorway. “And me,” Logan added from behind her.

  “How's Mackenzie?” Daylan asked.

  “She wanted a few moments alone. Eva's outside her door though... Just in case.”

  Ryan had never been much of a cook, but that didn't seem to matter. Clarisse and Aria moved in a way that only two people who had known each other for some time could manage. Their cooking style was similar to how they sparred. Both were aware of where the other was at all times. They could hand each other things without looking and never bumped into each other unless it was on purpose. They made it look not only effortless but also graceful. Logan, on the other hand, dropped things, cursed under his breath with every mistake, and nearly set a dishcloth on fire. He seemed to be enjoying himself though. Though a sad smile stayed on his face the entire time they were in the kitchen. They all helped Ryan out. No one gave him orders, but every so often, one of the three would call out what needed to be done next.

  “That tray should go in the oven.”

  “The counter needs to be wiped down.”

  While they didn't address him directly, Ryan knew the instructions were for him. When dinner was cooked, he was the one who set the table. Despite the fact that the other three had occasionally paused in their cooking to fight back a sob or a sniffle, it was the closest Ryan had felt to the others in the whole time he had been at the academy.

  Clarisse called everyone to the meal, and they ate a dinner consisting entirely of comfort food. Even Mackenzie joined them, which surprised Ryan. She appeared to be over one bout of crying and he was impressed with her strength – she felt the need to be with her team. Instead of tea and coffee served with dessert, they sipped hot chocolate and they all gathered around the fireplace in silence, staring at the marshma
llows melting in their cups.

  *

  “I'm going to bed,” Mackenzie announced, and the look she gave them told them not to follow.

  She paused only long enough to get a sleep aid from Daylan. Though she knew it was pointless, she locked the door to her room then climbed up to the loft to close the curtains to her window. She hoped the others would respect her enough to not bypass the locks. Exhausted and drained, she didn't want to move. Dropping down on one of the chairs in her loft, she stared around at the area she considered her home.

  Her collection of busts stared back at her.

  The same collection that James teased her mercilessly about looked at her with their wise, criticizing eyes as if they knew that she had failed as a leader and was solely responsible for her brother's death. An urge to smash the busts had her on her feet before she could process the action. She froze an arm’s length away from the statues. Violence would solve nothing.

  Think. Analyze. That was what she did. Strategies and games came easy to her, but when it came to emotions - she was lost. The encompassing sorrowful anger she felt threatened to overwhelm her.

  How could he be gone?

  A frame built into the light gray wall flashed pictures of her and James throughout the years. It had been there for so long that she barely noticed it on a regular basis, but suddenly it stood out like a lighthouse beacon on a dark night.

  “Frames off,” she commanded.

  All the digital frames faded to black, leaving empty screens in their wake. Empty like her heart.

  She descended the ladder to her bedroom, planning on changing into her pajamas and crawling into bed. It was a reasonable plan – the only strategy.

  However, there was one thing she had to take care of first.

  *

  “I'm going to buy you a bell one day.” The pillow muffled Daylan's voice, but Kenichi could still make out the words. He dropped down from the loft area, not bothering with the ladder and landed gracefully in a crouch. “Lamp on,” he said in a clearer tone, and the lamp on the nightstand flickered to life casting shadows on the large black and white stripes which extended from the walls to the ceiling in an optical illusion that made the room seem to spin.

  “Your door was locked... Again,” the thief replied. The smell of smoke was fresh in the air. “You haven't been in bed long anyway.” He moved noiselessly across the black rug until he was standing next to the bed.

  “I lock my door now. I know you can still break in.”

  “The window was more fun. You don't trust Ryan still?”

  “Do you?”

  Kenichi shook his head then remembered Daylan still had his face pressed into a pillow. “I don't see any reason to trust him. No one here does.”

  The doorknob to Daylan's room twisted, and both boys were immediately on alert. “Kinda rude to not invite us to the party,” Clarisse said while tugging Aria into the room behind her.

  “I didn't know I was hosting a party,” Daylan replied while propping himself up on some of the overstuffed pillows.

  “Well, we all got the invitations,” Kenichi teased.

  Aria shut and locked the door behind them. “Apparently, it's a slumber party.”

  “Nothing out of the ordinary then,” Daylan replied and scooted to one side of the bed. He motioned for the others to climb in with him. “What movie are we watching tonight?” he asked once the others had taken their spots under the covers. They still hadn't chosen a movie when Eva made her way into the room.

  “I've been looking for all of you. Didn't know which room to check first.” She squeezed onto the far side of the bed taking up what little was left of the room. Logan joined them shortly after the opening of the movie, and Clarisse squiggled around until she was sitting between Kenichi's legs, using his chest as a backrest in order to fit the technician into their cuddle pile.

  “Do you guys think Mackenzie should be left alone?” Logan asked.

  “She took the sedative a few hours ago and has been asleep ever since,” Clarisse said.

  “You're certain of that?” Logan asked, inviting a cringing look from Clarisse. “Right. Stupid question. The informant knows all. Which is kinda creepy if you ask me.”

  Kenichi hushed him as the movie started getting interesting. They purposely avoided any movies about cars and instead laughed half-heartedly at a comedy. As the night wore on, they next popped in a tearjerker. Nobody commented on the tears that were shed during the second movie or the fact that it wasn't the plot they were crying at. They put in a third movie when it became apparent that sleep wasn’t on the agenda. They made it halfway through a fourth before the first person fell asleep. The rest followed soon after.

  *

  The kitchen was deserted at breakfast time, so Ryan sat there for a while wondering what to do. When a quarter of an hour had passed, and no one appeared, Ryan decided to give the comms a try.

  “Is anyone awake?” There was an uncomfortably long pause before Aria replied.

  It's very early.

  “Where is everyone?”

  Stop using the comms before you wake anyone else. I'll meet you in the courtyard.

  When he reached the courtyard, Aria was waiting there, barefoot, dressed in sweats, her hair half tumbling from a ponytail.

  “The others are still sleeping,” she told him before he could ask.

  “Are we not going to classes?”

  She shrugged. “It wasn't really discussed, but I assume not. That sedative Daylan gave Mackenzie will probably keep her asleep for a few more hours and then loopy for the rest of the day.”

  “She took that willingly?”

  “He may have given her a stronger dosage than she requested, but she needed it. Otherwise-” Aria trailed off. “We made sure to give her the one that would keep her calm. We have another that doesn't have the drowsy side effect, in case you ever need one.”

  “You seem to know a lot about the drugs.”

  “I’m the one who makes them,” she said.

  “Is there anything else you need me to do?” Ryan asked.

  Aria shook her head. “We'll probably all stay around the villa all day in case Mackenzie needs us.”

  She omitted the fact that they wanted time off as well. They still needed to mourn.

  “You could join us, if you want, or you can go to classes like usual. Someone will probably cook something later today, but there's plenty of snack stuff if you want to eat now.”

  Ryan had never spent much time with Aria since meeting her. She was friendly, but she didn't seem to go out of her way to talk to anybody. People tended to seek her out instead. He wasn't sure how to talk to her. She was intimidating in a way - intelligent, beautiful and seemingly completely confident, quite mature for fourteen years old. She reminded Ryan of Alex, but most girls seemed to remind him of her. Aria's intelligence, Clarisse's insight, Eva's kindness and even Mackenzie's determination all sporadically reminded him of Alex with a painful clarity.

  “I'm going back to bed now.” Aria interrupted Ryan's train of thought and wandered back to Daylan's room.

  “That's not your-” Ryan trailed off as he realized that, of course, she knew what room was hers. “Maybe I'll make brunch today. I mean, I'm not a chef or anything, but I can manage pancakes and omelets on my own. Also my soup and grilled cheese sandwiches are a big hit. Um... There's canned soup here right?”

  Aria offered him a smile. “Yeah, we have some instant stuff for when we're not up to cooking. It would be nice if you cooked. We'd really appreciate it.”

  “When do you think everyone will get up?”

  “Around ten, probably.”

  “Then that's when the food will be ready.”

  “Okay, I'll let the others know.”

  With that, Aria disappeared into Daylan's bedroom. Ryan caught a glimpse of everyone piled on the bed before the door closed. Was that another of the team's habits that he didn't understand, or was it some kind of coping mechanism they had developed r
ecently? He wasn't sure he wanted to know.

  *

  The memorial had been a simple affair. Over the course of two days, all the mirrors in the villa had been covered with black cloth. Ryan had gotten his first opportunity to see what James had looked like as the digital frames around the house flashed images of him throughout his academy years. Now that he had seen a picture of the last transportation specialist, Ryan could never mistake him as anything other than Mackenzie's twin. They had the same vibrant red hair and fair skin. While obviously fit, James had a broad frame as well. There were differences though, of course. Despite gender, James also had a carefree look about him. In all the photos, he was smiling widely. His eyes were bright with obvious amusement and pure joy at everything around him. He looked like the kind of guy everyone would want to be their friend. In personality, the twins couldn't appear more different.

  Then there were a few photos though that gave Ryan pause. He saw Mackenzie there, years younger and laughing at James’ antics. The familiar frown was absent. Her eyes weren't narrowed in their typical, critical manner. Was that her real personality? Had James' accident changed her into the person Ryan knew? Was she always not as uptight? Likable, perhaps?

  The actual memorial had consisted of the entire team gathering together at midnight in a field not too far from the villa. Each member said a few words about James, except Ryan, who offered support simply by accompanying them. Mackenzie's speech was the first time she had spoken since the night they had heard the news of James's death. Her unusual muteness had affected them all, quieting even Clarisse’s talkative tongue.

  “James was my twin. We had never been apart in our entire lives. That was how we liked it. We protected each other. I only now realized that it was our desire to stay together that caused James's death.” Mackenzie took a deep breath. “When Shifter found us, we were living on the streets. Our parents had been taken to be labor Belligerents, and we were left to learn how to survive on our own. We weren't thieves, though. We weren't stealthy enough to steal food or credits, so I was playing in trivia games at the restaurants to earn some credits. James was the lookout. Sometimes people don't like losing to little girls. They’d get angry and suddenly, the fact that you're young makes you a target. James would watch, and if someone grew annoyed, then he'd get me out of there. He was always protecting me, but I couldn't protect him.”