I observed the newbie in silence while hiding inside a bush. He had just arrived, still unaware of where he was and what had happened.
"What should we do Yurippe?" I questioned quietly through my radio.
"Observe him for now." She replied from back in the battlefront base.
"Got it." I answered with a sigh. Sometimes this observing job was a bore.
"Leda, Angel's approaching your current location." Marie whispered, sounding worried. Well, this should be interesting. Either the newbie would be dragged off to class, or killed. Personally, it would be more entertaining if the second option happened, but unless he was rebellious, it wouldn't.
I didn't dare breathe as I watched her approach the newbie. He looked up at her confused.
"Who are you? Where am I?" He cried out, still sitting on the ground where he had appeared.
"Beau." Angel announced softly and evenly, her voice without any emotion. He seemed shocked by the sound of his name, and went silent. "You're late for class."
"School? I already flunked out of my last one." The boy, Beau, replied, shaking his head. "I bet this is another stupid boarding school my parents shipped me off to. You must be the president or something."
"Come on." Angel commanded, and turned and started walking away. Slowly, Beau got up and started following her, mumbling to himself.
"Report Leda." Yurippe called through the radio.
"The boy's name is Beau. He seems to remember some of his past, but hasn't realized that he has died. Angel has taken him to class." I reported as I jumped out of the bush and onto the roof of the building closest to me, running across it to meet up with Marie. "What do you want us to do?"
"You two need to go to that class and observe this boy more, see if he is worth our time." Yurippe commanded. "We're launching operation tornado tonight."
"Well, if we must." I replied with a sigh. I hated school.
We arrived about halfway through class, not bothering to be quiet as we entered. The class stopped what they were doing and looked over at us, whispering to themselves. The teacher asked us to take our seats. We didn't say anything as we separated and sat down at two empty desks. Luckily, there was an open seat in the back corner, right behind Beau.
I took it and sat down as loudly as I could, kicking my boots up onto the desk. Once we were settled, the teacher began to start teaching again. The funny thing is, I'm not even sure what subject this class is.
A minute later, Beau turned around to face me. "What's going on here? How does everyone know my name? Why are your guy's outfits different than mine? This place doesn't make any sense."
I leaned forward, observing him more. I had to admit, he was pretty cute. "You mean, you don't remember anything?" I asked in a soft, questioning voice, a smirk on my face.
"Remember what?" He questioned, confused. He was beginning to look frustrated, but I couldn't help but smirk. His wide blue eyes kept scanning the room as if searching for something he was missing.
"Jump out this window." I commanded, switching the subject. I flicked my bangs out of my face, gazing at him with my mysterious green eyes, hoping for some kind of reaction from him.
"Why?" He cried out, too loudly.
"Hey you two, keep your voices down." The teacher yelled at us, Angel turning around to look at us, but didn't move from her desk.
"Sorry!" Beau called back, and the teacher went back to teaching. "Are you crazy?!" He asked, whispering this time.
"Just a little." I answered, chuckling. "If you really want to know, you'll have to jump out the window and run. If you don't, Angel will catch us, and that wouldn't be any fun." Oh I rhymed!
"You're telling me to jump out a window and run down the hallway. Basically you're telling me to ditch class in a dramatic fashion." He glared at me like I was crazy, which I had just admitted to being.
"You could say that." I replied, shrugging. "I'll even cut you a deal, I'll go first. But if you don't follow, I won't explain anything."
"Okay, deal." He agreed, and I was sure he was thinking that I wouldn't dare to. I could bet he was thinking I was just a bully trying to get him in trouble on his first day.
I looked beside me at the window, glad it was already open. I glanced at Marie, and gave her a signal. She nodded, but she was on the other side of the room. It would be harder for her, so she would stay for the rest of the class and observe Angel.
"Ready?" I questioned Beau, who nodded. With a smirk, I stood up as fast as I could, and jumped right out the window, startling the students in the class. I looked behind me, seeing Beau jumping out behind me. Once he had regained his balance, I reached over and grabbed his hand. Looking back in the classroom, I saw Angel stand up, as if she was going to come out to disciple us.
"Run!" I cried out, laughing as I dragged Beau behind me as I sprinted down the empty hallway.
I didn't stop running until we had reached the roof of the school, just to be sure. Once we stopped, Beau collapsed to the ground, out of breath.
"Did we really have to run that far?" He asked in-between breaths.
"Of course, I don't want to get stabbed by Angel. It's not pleasant, trust me." I replied laughing.
"Stabbed?" He whispered, shaking his head. "This school is messed up."
"It's not a school." I announced as I leaned on the rail, looking over the campus. Sure, it looks like a school, but it was really just a prison to keep all us dead children.
"It's not?" he asked, getting up and standing next to me.
"Look, I could break this to you in two ways. I could lightly try to imply it, or I can just break it to you harshly. It's your choice." I changed the subject with a sigh.
"Just break it to me harshly, I can handle it." He decided, looking over at me.
"Okay, just remember, you asked for it." I paused and took a deep breath. "You're dead."
"I'm…what?" Beau paused, and then began to laugh. "I see, you're making fun of me again."
"No I'm not." I replied, turning to face him. "You're dead, I'm dead. Everyone here is dead."
"That doesn't make any sense." He whispered, mostly to himself.
"Just calm down." I commanded, turning away from him. "Try to think back to the last thing you remember."
Beau went silent, and after a while, he shook his head. "I can't remember. I can remember begin alive, and parts of my life, but some of it's a blur, and I don't remember dying."
"You're lucky then." I told him, sighing. I remember my death vividly, and I wish I didn't. "It's okay, sometimes it takes time. That's pretty normal."
"Well, if I am dead, then who are you? And where are we?" He asked. It seems he took that pretty well, but then again, he can't remember dying, so it probably hasn't fully hit him yet.
"My name's Leda. I'm part of the rebel group, the Afterlife Battlefront." I answered, pointing to the badge on my uniform.
"What are you rebelling against?"
"God."
He didn't say anything, but waited for me to continue.
"Everyone here is dead. But we all have something in common. Either we lived terrible lives, or died in a horrible way. Both ways, we aren't happy with our existence. So we rebel." I explained further.
"How do you rebel?" Beau asked.
"We don't attend class. We act exactly how Angel doesn't want us to. The students in that classroom aren't real, they're like computer programs. If we did act like them, we'd disappear."
"None of this makes any sense." He concluded with a sigh.
"It takes time. What's important now is your decision." I replied with a smirk.
"What am I deciding?" He questioned, confused.
"If you want to join the battlefront or not."
"I have to decide now?" He asked.
"Preferably." I answered as I looked back over the railing. "I have more important things to do besides stand out here all day."
Beau looked at me for a few minutes as he thought everything over. "Okay, I'll join your gang or whatever."
"Alright." I turned to him, holding out my hand. "Welcome to the Battlefront."