by Maya Carnage
He doesn't blame her.
If Dawn isn't ready to forgive her father than she doesn't have to, he hasn't even apologized for what he did. He said that since she is a rebel, she shouldn't be surprised when things don't go her way.
It wasn't the rebels sacrificing her; it was her father.
"That has nothing to do with you," said James.
"I love her, and so actually it does. What you did was wrong, and you've done nothing to make it up to her!"
"Dangerous missions are a part of the job! She knows that. So no, I'm not going to baby her because she's upset over something that insignificant."
"Her life isn't insignificant." Axe pushes back from the table. He storms out of the room with Pax right behind him. "What are you doing?"
"If I spoke honestly, would you get mad?"
"It depends on what you're about to say, Paxton." Axe stops and looks back at his friend. "Is it about Dawn and The Gregory?"
He nods.
He sighs inwardly and gestures for Pax to speak. He's probably not going to like what comes out of the other cyborg's mouth, but since he's valued Pax's opinions in the past, he lets his friend talk.
"Dawn's a soldier. I might not know her that well, but I think she's not mad about the risky imprisonment, it's that her family didn't tell her the truth. She put her freedom on the line for them, and they didn't have the courtesy to be honest with her," said Pax.
"I don't like seeing her upset." He rakes his hand down his face. She is quieter than she usually is, and Axe thought that she would have been more involved with the plans, but she hasn't. She spends more time talking with Kris than she does helping them figure out what their tactic is going to be against the Malviks.
"She just needs some time, and it probably won't help if you instigate a fight with her dad."
"I'll try to be more patient around him, but it won't be easy," Axe grumbled. "What do you think of the plan so far?" They spent the last three weeks going over idea after idea, but none of them can seem to agree on anything. The rebels want to wait until Kayla contacts them or gets back from her secret mission. The Cyborgs want to take immediate action, but until they know where Rodrick is they don't want to risk his life. If the Malviks already have him, they'll have to get him out before they attack.
"We're going to have to agree on common ground. I would like to say it's all the rebels' fault, but some of us aren't getting along with them simply because they're human and rebels. Though, I do think we need to wait until we hear from Kayla and Rodrick. It seems possible that they are working together, but until we know for sure what they are up to, any move we make could be a risk," said Pax. "Do you think the rebels will be all right when Rodrick joins the picture? You know he isn't likely to let them have it their way. He's too stubborn for that."
"They're not going to like him," said Axe. "I'm going to find Dawn. We'll talk more about this later. Hopefully, the rebels will start to see that we need to work together."
Pax goes back into the room with the others. Axe gives the door one last look before turning away.
They're not going to be able to change their minds. To them, the cyborgs are worth working with, even though they were the ones who saved them. It's frustrating. A long time has passed since Axe had to convince someone to work with him. They'll be stronger against the Malviks, and eventually, they'll see that.
He shuts his eyes, focusing on searching the ship for her. When he locates the steady rhythm of her heartbeat, he heads that way.
As he goes around a corner, Kris rams into him. He takes her by the shoulders to steady her. "Is everything all right?"
She nods and looks behind her. "I thought someone was following me, but now that I think about it, it might have been the echo of my footsteps."
He looks behind her, down the corridor she came from but doesn't see anyone there. It was probably an echo. "Where are you going?"
"To the canteen. I'm about to play something called blackjack with Zekk. He said it's fun. We'll see about that. Where are you off too?"
"I want to talk to Dawn," Axe said, dropping his hands. "Were you coming from the rec room?"
"Yes," she says as she skirts around him to continue toward the canteen.
It only takes him a few more seconds to reach the rec room. He leans against the doorjamb, watching Dawn hit the balls into the pockets on the billiards table. She was excited when she saw that Zekk had the same game as The Pursuer. She's beat everyone except for Zekk. She swears that it's because he cheats. Though from what he's seen, it looks like he might be a better player, he would never tell her that.
She doesn't see him at first. Biting her lip in consternation, she walks around the table, deciding the best position to hit the ball. When she finds one to her liking, she leans down, cue stick in hand, and lines up her shot. Right when it smacks against the cue ball, Axe clears his throat.
Dawn jerks up. She rolls her eyes, "How long have you been there? It's creepy that I keep catching you watching me." She sets the cue stick down on the table.
He walks further into the room until his hips brush against the table. She stands across from him, her hands on her hips, and her blonde hair tied up on top of her head. "I ran into Kris on my way here. Was she playing billiards with you? I thought she gave up on the game."
"She wanted to give it one more shot. She had been studying with Pac and Zekk, said that she stands a better chance now. The woman is shit with games," said Dawn.
"She was on her way to play a card game with the pirate."
"Well, I hope he goes easy on her." Dawn walks away from the table. She takes a seat on the purple couch in the room and pats the space next to her. He takes long strides over to her.
He pulls her into his arms when he's sitting next to her. She turns her face into his neck, breathing his scent into her lungs. When she gets enough of him, she settles down onto his chest, above his mechanic heart.
"How did the meeting go? I assumed it would have been longer, but I guess you all must have run out of things to talk about," she said.
"I wish. It's still going, but I couldn't stand it anymore, so I left."
She turns her head to look up at him. Her face pinches, "They still not agreeing on anything?"
He shakes his head.
"It's not going to happen easily, but one or the other is going to have to give in, it's the only way," she said. "There aren't going to have to rush. The rebels won't agree on anything until they hear from Kayla, and the cyborgs are probably the same."
"That's what I'm worried about." She looks confused. "Rodrick isn't easy to get along with. He's too headstrong, and he'll never give into the rebels’ terms. If we haven't gotten over this current issue of not trusting one another, then it's only going to get worse when they're back." He explained.
"The cyborgs mostly ignored the human. We weren't important to them. The rebels grew up fostering hate for them in return. It's going to take a lot of work to overcome that, but we will. We have a common enemy, and if that can't bring us all together, then why bother with it?" she said.
He caresses her arms. Stroking up and down them as he thinks about what she said.
As much as his need for the issue to resolve, he knows it's going to take some time. He's crossing his fingers that it's fixed before Rodrick shows up.
"Are you still not talking to your father?" Axe asked.
She sighs. "I don't know what to say to him, and I don't want to hear some lame ass excuse that it's a mission, so I should get over it." She notices Axe's eyes look away from her during the latter part of her words. "What? No, you looked uncomfortable by what I said. Did he say that? That it was a mission and I shouldn't be upset?"
"Yes, but-" He closes his mouth when she jumps from his hold. "Dawn."
She looks back at him, fuming. "He's right, but that doesn't help me! They left me out in the cold. When it was Kayla going in there, fine, I wouldn't have liked it then, but I would have understood. But they let me put my
freedom at risk, and they didn't say a word."
He walks over to her and wraps his arms around her. He kisses the top of her head. "I don't like seeing you hurt, but I don't think I can fix it, either. So how about I help you forget for a little while about what happened? At this very moment, Kris is playing blackjack with Zekk. We both know what a sight that's going to be."
She laughs. "Come on, lover, let's go take my mind off what an asshole family I have." She grabs his hand.
Chapter Sixteen
Dawn
The pirate is about to land his ship on Teraz. Nerves flutter alive in Dawn's belly. She doesn't want to be nervous, but the idea of being surrounded by cyborgs makes her antsy. Not because she's afraid of them, but because they might not think that much of her.
Cyborgs have always thought humans were weak and not worth their time, but she doesn't want that. She needs to make sure they see her and the other rebels as equals.
Pax and Enzo got along great with her, but Gregor didn't. There's a chance that there might be a whole lot more of his type on Teraz. If the rebels stand their ground from the beginning, it's more likely they'll be respected. The cyborgs need to know that they aren't responsible for the rebels, that they can handle their own shit just fine.
"You're thinking awfully hard over there, Perkins." Dawn didn't hear Kris approaching her and is taken by surprise when she speaks.
"Would it hurt you to make some noise? You almost gave me a heart attack," she said, clutching at her chest, heart racing.
"I coughed when I came into the room. It's not my fault you were too busy to hear it." Kris settles down on the bed next to her. "The ship has touched down. It won't be that much longer, now."
"Are you doing okay?" she asked.
"Yes, even though it's strange being back after all these years." Kris brings her knees up to her chest.
Dawn has figured out she does this when she is uncomfortable about a certain topic and is feeling vulnerable. Kris isn't that collected about her arrival back on Teraz.
She has avoided the other cyborgs as much as Dawn's avoided her father. It makes sense that being at a place where she is going to be constantly surrounded by people is hard for her. Dawn's the only person she talks to. It's because she probably feels at ease with her and not the others.
"I'm nervous, at least a little bit," said Dawn.
"Why?"
"We're going to take down the Malviks, and I want to make sure that the cyborgs know that the rebels can take care of themselves. Yes, we're not as strong, but we've managed to beat their asses a time or two, so we'll be fine."
"I've spent time with you, and so I know that you can handle yourself, but if you want the others to know the same then don't back done. Not at all. One sign of weakness and they'll never see you as an equal," said Kris.
Well, she'll have to make sure they don't see her tremble then.
Axe knocks on the door before he opens it. He sees Kris sitting next to her and nods his head in greeting. She says she'll talk later and walks out of the door he holds open.
"Is she all right?" He asked before taking Kris's seat.
Dawn nods. "She's nervous, but I think she will be fine once she gets used to the place again."
He wraps an arm around her shoulders and pulls her into his side. "Are you ready to see Teraz?"
"Most definitely." She takes the hand hanging over her shoulder, squeezing it in her grip. "I've meant to ask, but where are we going to live? Do you have a place here?"
"I have a place in the city. It's a small apartment, but it will do for the two of us. I bought it years ago, but I've barely stayed there since I got it."
The ship rocks slightly. She looks at him, brow creased. "What was that?"
"Zekk is putting the ramp down. We're about to unload everything." He stands up, helping Dawn to her feet. He takes her hand in his. "We can go ahead and head out or did you want to wait until everything gets unloaded?"
"I want to see the infamous cyborg planet." Axe smiles at her and guides her through the ship and out onto Teraz.
They stand off to the side. They don't want to be in anyone's way as they bring the crates out. Dawn holds her breath, taking in the landscape around her.
Zekk landed at an airfield that is big enough for a couple more ships to land. Most of the area has been cleared out to make room, but off in the distance are luscious green trees. They look brighter than the ones on earth.
She tilts her head back and gazes at the dark blue sky. "What time is it here?" She knows that it can't be that late, but by the appearance of the sun and sky it looks to be late evening.
"Noon."
She reals up, staring at him. "Why's it so dark?"
He shrugs. "The sun isn't as close here as it is on earth. It is also colder, so we'll need to make sure you have appropriate clothes. I don't usually have to worry about that kind of thing because I can adjust my body temperature, but we'll need to make sure you stay warm."
She chuckles at the blatant look of worry written across his face. His protectiveness has been extreme lately, but she doesn't mind. In fact, it feels nice having someone take care of her and put her needs first. It's been a while since that's happened. "I'm always up for shopping."
"So, am I, when shall we go?" Kris sneaks up on them, well just Dawn, Axe doesn't look surprised by her interruption, causing her to startle. "I heard there are more options now than there used to be."
"We're going to be busy today, but my need for clothes are important, so tomorrow we can do some shopping," said Dawn.
"All right. Dawn, can I speak with you for a second? Privately?" She gives Axe a look.
"sure," Dawn says shooing him away. "What's up?"
"I need a place to stay. I don't feel like looking for a place right now, but I don't want to stay with any of the others. Can I stay with you and Axe?"
Looking into her green eyes, Dawn knows she can't say no, it's not like she wanted to anyway. They've become close over the last month and a half. Sometimes when she's thinking about her family, she realizes that she was never that close to Kayla, not in a long time and that she feels more sisterly toward Kris that she ever has toward her own sister. She and Kayla only grew close because they both wanted to save the eighth ward rebels, but the whole time Kayla was keeping something extremely important from Dawn.
She doesn't know if she'll ever get over it either.
"I would love to have you, and so will Axe. Though I have to warn you, it's a little small." She wraps her arm around Kris, and they walk over to the group of rebels and cyborgs.
"What are we waiting for?" she asked.
"A bus is going to come and pick us up. Pax called his dad from the ship, and so he's on his way," said Enzo. "We'll stay with him like we always do. Did you need a place to stay, Kris? He has plenty of room."
Kris glares at him. Enzo takes a step back and puts his hands up. "I'm fine, thank you." She shakes her arm off and walks away from Dawn.
"Did I do something?" Enzo looked so beaten from Kris attitude.
"Nah, she's distrustful of most people. Don't take it personally, Enzo. She'll warm up to you." She pats him on the back.
Off in the distance, a cloud of dust gathers behind a large van speeding their way. The vehicle is ragged from years of wear and tear, but the engine purrs. It stops in front of us, beeping its horn. The door swings open, and a man that doesn't look that much older than Pax sits in the driver's seat. "Come on in, daylight's burning, baby!"
Enzo chuckles and boards the bus. He leans over and hugs him before taking the seat directly behind the driver's seat.
She looks around for Axe. He's already making his way to her, having just left Zekk behind near the entrance of the ship. "Zekk's going to leave. I tried to talk him into staying for a little bit, but he has a job to do."
Dawn steps closer to him, wrapping an arm around his midsection. She looks over to Zekk and waves goodbye. She and Axe get on the bus. They take the seat across from E
nzo. Kris is already seated in the back and is looking out the window.
The rest of the cyborgs and rebels load onto the bus. Dawn looks outside and notices that the crates are still there. "Where are they going to be put?"
"Pax and your father are staying behind to wait for a cyborg to come with a truck to get the crates. There's not enough room on the bus," said Axe.
"How long is this ride going to be?" When he says an hour, she leans her head against his arm, deciding to take a nap.
The ride is bumpy. The bus hits every hole and rut in the ground, and so her nap isn't a success. By the time they reach the city where they are all going to be staying, she's glad to be off the damned thing.
Outside, she stretches her arms overhead, and her back cracks from being cooped up in the bus. "How are we getting to your place?"
"It's not that far from here, about a ten-minute walk," he said.
His apartment is in a tall white building with a brick entry. They take the elevator to the third floor and follow the red carpet down the hall where they stop in front of the fourth door on the right. Axe keys in his access code. "It's five-five-six-nine, but I'll write it down if you need me to or we can change."
The apartment is small. The kitchen is to the left, and there's a tiny island where three bar stools sit in front of it. Pass that is the living room. On one side is the master bedroom and on the other is the second bedroom and bathroom. The living room has a sliding glass door that leads out on to a balcony.
"It's nice. I like it." Dawn circles the room before coming to rest on the couch. Axe sits by her feet, lifting them onto his lap.
"You're not just saying that to be nice, are you?"
"I've never really had a home. We moved from one place to the next. I think it's going to be nice having a place to call my own," she said. "Oh, by the way, Kris is going to stay with us for a little while."
"That's fine. Though, I should warn her that some of the cyborgs, like Enzo, are big fans of hers. She might get pestered by some of them," he said.