[It's funny how the people that hurt you the most said they never would]

Chapter 1…Reunions and Betrayal

They brought a little boy into Algita. He was crying, tears streaking across his milky chocolate skin. His marks were dark enough to be seen and Atrians rushed to him. One woman with the same shade of skin named Atari took him in her arms, and he wailed, "Mommy!" She shushed him, her scarred hand brushing away his rough brown hair from his face. His eyes looked at her, swirling with tears inside. Jesypur stood watching before stepping out of his beat up boat.

"Danae!" I rushed to Atari's side. She handed me the child, and I begin to ease his panic. I shushed him, petting his wild curls, telling him it was okay. Others watched as I kissed his forehead and bounced him on my hip. Atari smiled. I smiled in return. Everyone else couldn't contain their peaceful grins as his crying stopped. His bottom lip jutted out and he balled his hands to wipe at his eyes with his fists. I rubbed his back in a soothing gesture, and he sniffled.

"Why would someone send just a child?" Atari questioned Jesypur. His usual blank face, torn up as if caught by wild cats. His mouth barely moved when he replied. "A war is brewing between humans and Atrians." I handed off the young boy. My eyebrows were furrowed. "Do they need assistance?" I asked, unable to hide the desperation.

"You would go back to risk your life?" Atari asked. I looked back. "The world is at stake, it's either us, or them. I will return Grandmother, do not fret," I said with a playful grin. She couldn't keep from rolling her eyes. A small breeze swept her graying brown hair away from her face, her dark brown eyes watching her, becoming serious.

"You will return with them, all of those who wish no war upon them. You will return with our surviving people, promise?" I nodded eagerly, turning to Jesypur. I raised an eyebrow and gestured to the boat with a wave of his arm. I smiled and ran, jumping onto it. He took his time to climb in as well.

"Let's head back to the populated life," I joked. Jesypur couldn't hide the small grin from me. It made me smile wider and close my eyes. I opened them after taking a breath. I looked over the boat's side, brushing my fingers across the surface. The marks wrapping up my arm became an iridescent blue. I smiled once again.

It may not have been home, but I still missed that life, the people inside it. Even the Red Hawks and the Trags.

…

When I stepped out of the brush, I was overwhelmed. Humans, walking the streets. I'd never make it. I'd have to sneak in, and fast. So I set to it, pressing my back against the house walls, hastily creeping along. I didn't remember much of the Sector, only that it was cramped and guarded heavily. I smirked, thinking that it was probably my fault. When I had been little, I had been the biggest trouble maker they'd ever witnessed. They wouldn't be happy at my return, Red Hawks. The Trags would try to recruit me once more.

I'd turn them down once more. I was their favorite. I wasn't on their side, but the leader adored my bravery against the guards. I waltzed out one time, only caught because of the wrist band. I no longer had it. At the memory, I rubbed my wrist as if it had made my escapes more fun. More thrilling.

I finally looked at the fence with barbed wire rimming the top with a corner for entrance and exit. I jogged over, hiding behind a concrete column while the guard passed. Once he was out of sight, I hastily moved inside. Never thought I'd creep in with this much enthusiasm. Once I was in, I felt the building confidence. I was home.

I strutted down the dirt path in between pods and stands. Some froze at the sight of me; some furrowed their eyebrows as if they couldn't piece it together. When I saw four particular people, I should've been the one to freeze. I had always frozen at the sight of Drake and Roman. They always scared me; they would smirk at my frozen figure. At least, Drake did. I never got to see if Roman did before he passed.

But they froze, all of them. Roman, Drake, Sophia, and my old badass friend Teri. They stared, more like gaped, at me. I smirked. "'Sup fellas," I said coolly before breaking through their group and continuing on. I was headed straight for my family inside their small pod, always spending their time together. But someone caught my arm. I yanked, pulling their arm far enough to grab their wrist. I twisted, flipping it so that I pressed their own thumb in between their shoulder blades to realize it was Drake.

"Dammit, Drake. Don't assault me!" I growled. A chuckle from Teri. I smirked and released my hold on him. He rolled his shoulders as if it didn't happen. He looked at me, and a reaction that was familiar came to me. I started to sweat with nerves. He smirked, knowing I was finally remembering him and his taunts.

"Small like a bee—"I cut him off, finishing his phrase he'd made for me. "But has a sting that burns like hell," I grinned lightly. He grinned in reply. I looked at them, and saw smiles all around. But Roman's faltered. His eyebrows furrowed.

"We thought you died from a guard," I winced, rubbing the spot next to one of my hearts. So close, yet it didn't hit. I felt the small line of a scar. I frowned. I looked at them. "Almost." Drake wrapped an arm around my waist. "Welcome back, Little NaeNae," I smacked his bicep. He chuckled at me.

"Now, where's Nox?" Roman winced and everyone looked at the ground, even Drake. My eyebrows furrowed and I bit my lip lightly. Something horrible happened while I was dead to the world. I felt Drake pull away and he stood by Roman, as if willing to comfort him. Sophie and Roman looked the most pained. He'd been injured. Or he'd been killed.

"He died, didn't he?" I whispered. Roman looked up with wet irises. I looked down. "Can I speak with you alone?" he asked abruptly, his voice changed. He was in pain. I nodded slowly and followed him when he headed for his pod. He climbed the stairs, our footsteps in sync.

When I closed the door, he came closer than ever. I wrapped my arms around him, his own arms around me. His face was in the crook of my neck. He sniffled lightly, but I heard it. I rubbed the back of his head as he eased into a comfortable silence. He pulled away slowly. I watched him as he wiped his tears on his sleeve childishly. I smiled sadly.

"Who is she?" he looked up abruptly, panic stricken. But he eased into a laid back pose, leaning back on the counter. He couldn't hide the small twinkle in his eyes at the question. He looked up. It faltered, the twinkle failing and dying out. His jaw became set tight, his eyes stone cold.

"It doesn't matter, she doesn't feel the same way," he said, trying to sound angry. He sounded hurt.

"She's human and she's with another human," I assumed. He sighed. I must've been right. I moved to lean back beside him. I nudged him, making him rock sideways. He nudged me, watching me beneath his eyelids.

"I care about her," he argued. I smiled and he raised an eyebrow at me. "You always seem angry just to defend yourself as if you don't want to be stupid, but you're never smart," I informed. He breathed in as I hugged him at his side. He hugged me in return.

"I thought you were dead," he whispered.

"I was. But I found a place, somewhere safe. At first, I thought it was a dream until I pinched myself," I chuckled carefully. He set his chin on the top of my head. I sighed. "Algita was beautiful, but no one I wanted to see there was actually there," I frowned. Roman hugged me tighter.

"You just have to be the last one to arrive," he said. I smiled.

"You just have to be a man and tell her how you feel. I know you'd prefer hugging her than me," his chest heaved. I hit the spot; I found the chink in his armor.

"I still missed you," he said, as if knowing he wished another girl in his arms would offend me. I knew I wasn't his when he started to sniff around Teri. I wasn't hurt then, I'm not hurt now. He should know that I had expected this, him always falling for someone he shouldn't. Always getting hurt when he was being himself. But I'd rather him be himself and get hurt than pretend and have no one there to lift him up when he falls.

"I missed all of you, even though you'd wish to have a human over me," I joked lightly. He took it as a bitter remark and tightened his hold on me.

"Danae, I could never replace you. You were my first, I think that I'll never get rid of you in my mind," he whispered. I pulled away and glared at him. "You sure as hell better. I do not want to be in your mind when you're in love with someone else," I threatened. He frowned, but it eased upward when I grinned lightly.

"I couldn't replace you either, even if I tried. Which I can't, I'm surprised you even put up with me and my rebellious ways," I said, opening my arms wide as I backed away. He followed slowly with a smile. "True, how did I put up with you?" he asked. I grinned like a maniac and bound out the door. I practically leaped down the stairs before bumping into someone. As soon as I pushed on him, he pushed me forcefully back. I landed on my backside, hitting my head on the ground. I groaned and sat up. I saw who it was and my eyes widened.

"Watch where you're—"his eyes widened as well. Then they shifted into a feeling I didn't expect. He hastily pulled me to my feet and into his arms. I could feel his ragged breaths against me, as he whispered, "You're back, you've come back," and I let him hug the breath out of me. I would've done the same if I hadn't frozen. Roman watched with a frown.

"I've missed you," I whispered into his ear when he'd stopped cooing. He'd only hugged me tighter. I buried my face in the curve of his neck, feeling the tears minutes after the poured down. He lifted me up and twirled me around before setting me back down on my feet and letting go to look at me.

His hand automatically cupped my cheek. His eyes were the same evergreen, his lips pursed as he took me in. His brown hair was rumpled, like his clothes. Then I saw it. His mark, my favorite mark on him, was missing. I frowned. He pulled his sleeve down to hide nothing. I moved away from his arms that kept me at distance. He reached for me. I stepped back and Roman moved to my side.

"How did you get your mark removed?" I asked, afraid of the answer. I already knew, I was just hoping he'd say he'd covered it with makeup instead of saying he went to the Trags. But he lowered his head in shame.

"I thought you were dead, they put your face on the wall. I went to them, I wanted revenge. If I had known you were alive, I—"He didn't continue, his sentence trailing off into the unknown. I grit my teeth.

"My death didn't lead you to them. You knew my beliefs. If anything, my death would've driven you to go against their ways all the way. Instead, you join them."

"Danae, I promise you I was just angry. I wanted revenge, and I did realize my mistake. I tried, so hard. But she told me she'd kill me. Vega would've killed me, and I wouldn't have joined you, I would be dead,"

"When they go to war, when they push their limits, you'll be killed anyway. You'll be shot by a Red Hawk; you will not survive their world. You knew your boundaries, you knew my boundaries. Yet you crossed them without thinking, like a child," I said louder than necessary. Roman was silent. Good, if he'd taken my brother's side, I'd kill him. If he'd taken mine, my brother would be angry.

"I am not a child! I did what I thought was needed to survive!" he retorted. I moved to hit him, but Roman stopped me.

"You're not my brother. My brother wasn't a Trag. He'd never be a Trag. My brother was more against them than I am. You are not my brother, Kale. If you were, you wouldn't have betrayed me, betrayed our parents, and betrayed our people. You will die, and I will sob. But not because you died for me or for our people as Trags say, but because you had to be so damn stupid that you had died with Trags. You're not my brother. My brother wouldn't want vengeance; he'd be too busy waiting for me to come home."

"We are not home!" he growled.

"Then where is home?!" I yelled. I got the attention of others, but they left me and my brother to argue. Guards headed our direction.

"Home is where we're not locked in, continuously being threatened by human lowlife! Home is where we're not forced to sleep in an area we don't like. Home is where we're surrounded by those we love!"

"And you don't love these people!? You don't love me, mom, or dad? You don't love our kind, our little village? Then go into that war, but don't expect me to be waiting for you when you get back! I will not be on their side just because you ask me to be. You can die with our parents thinking you're still an angel, but I refuse to love you and act like nothing is wrong when everything in this whole damn world has gone wrong! You can screw Mom and Dad over, but I will not be you're little sister that worships you. You are on your own, Kale." He looked angry, and hurt. Roman touched my arm, and I realized people were staring now, Guards waiting for a fight. I was steaming, and Kale was standing there, almost frozen at my words. I looked around and found their eyes. Their wet cheeks, their familiar faces.

When I had come back, I had wanted them to look at me lovingly; now, they looked at me with disappointment. I seethed. I whipped back around to face him.

"I haven't even been gone for three years and they've already replaced me?" I asked, wanting to sound angry, but I couldn't. I was too hurt from the little girl's face. She was still a baby, but she had the twinkle mine had. They had tried to have another me. I should've been warmed, knowing they'd missed me enough to try and find another me. But I couldn't. I was too cold when I looked back.

"Danae," he whispered, knowing the anger was diminished, replaced with pain. Roman was trying to pull me aside, to get me to breath. But I was stiff. Drake, Teri, and Sofia watched from the sidelines, watching with pity. I felt it.

I was breaking.

"I came back, hoping to be brought back in like I had left for only three hours instead of years. Instead, I was replaced, my brother a Trag, and my world crashing with me beneath the ruins." They all watched with pity now as I fell, Roman catching me as I fell. I trembled in his arms.

A large column of betrayal crushed me beneath its weight and the world blackened around me.