"Rise red as the dawn." Victoria Aveyard, Red Queen

Running with the Boys

Chapter XXI: The Rise

The weather was gloomy, heavy rain clouds hung above them as the Slummers marched to the wall.

They pulled their sick, their young and their old. They carried their whole lives on their backs, children cried in the muck and the others only kicked it away. People climbed buildings to see the wall, to see Commander Blue and Satellite. The streets were filled with people dressed in greys and blacks, but they all matched with their white flags.

Kaster took a deep breath as he looked around, Vidia watched him with sad eyes. She remembered the day he came to her for help, he was on the verge of tears as he spoke of the small but growing in the ruins of his city. She loved his heart and offered as much as she could, while still under her mother's eye. When she moved to Haven, she trusted only a few who knew she was Satellite. It was his idea to blow up the new palace, but if he knew they'd lose Daila and her family, he wouldn't have done it.

She glanced at Rider and gave him a small smile, but she focused her eyes back on the masses. They were all waiting, waiting for Kaster to speak. He stood in front of the microphone, he tapped it before drawing in a breath.

"It's with a heavy heart, we, the people of the Slums, surrender to Haven City." He motioned behind him. "Today we bring down our wall, the only thing keeping the outside world from hurting us. Our voices will not go unheard. We've made an impact on this city, in this world. We've reached our friends in Kras City," He motioned to her, he held out his hand and she took it. "Vidia Krew didn't have to join me and bring her Decker Men here to fight for us."

"Hoha!" The Decker Men cheered from the first row. Vidia only smiled at them, tears forming in her eyes as saluted her.

"Even Spargus has heard our call," Kaster looked to Rider. He came up to his friend and grabbed his hand, they only smiled at each other before Kaster looked back out. "And even though he started out as a hostage, Rider Mar will end this as a Pack member."

Everyone cheered, Rider gave a short wave before looking back to Kaster.

"All of you will be safe, treated well within Haven and relocated when needed. I will personally oversee all of this and will challenge Camille as Baron of this city. I will sign the Mar Accords with new names, and this time our friends in Kras will be included." Kaster looked to Vidia. "And I expect the new Crime Lady to be gentle when she opens her business." Vidia only smiled and gave him a side hug. "And that Rider will be my best man at my wedding."

"Hey, she'll be your problem from now on." Rider whispered. Both Kaster and Vidia laughed, he wrapped his arm around the two.

"I love you, both of you," Kaster mumbled away from the microphone. "I couldn't have asked for better friends." He cleared his throat.

"Now," He said into the microphone. "Mistress Satellite, will you bring down this wall?"

"Let's meet our undertaker." Vidia smiled, she turned from the crowds. Ahead of her stood the control panel for the wall. It was Taupe's idea to make the wall and the process of making it was quick, all Vidia had to do was use Blue Eco to activate it. It was a task she was willing to take on, the day she used her Eco to turn it on was a gloomy day. The Eco lit up the sky, she moved the Eco through every part of the wall before she finally considered it ready.

She called her Eco to her fingers, it buzzed and crackled for a second before it zapped into existence. Blue Eco was everything to her. It pushed and pulled everything in her life. Did Jak Mar ever consider what Praxis did to him a curse? Vidia never gave it a single thought, she'd know nothing but her Eco since her birth.

Blue Eco sparked towards the machine, she bit her lip as she sent a small spark into the wall. The wall vibrated, almost as if it was in pain. She heard the whispers amongst the crowd as Eco ignited in her other hand.

She walked forward, she lifted her skirt and stomped her foot down. Blue Eco raked across the metal platform with a vengeance, charging towards the wall and the machine. She lifted her hands upwards, blue electricity surged through the wall, crawling until it reached the top. The machine started to spark and smoke, but she could feel its levels dropping, it was trying to shut itself down.

She went into her pocket, Faye gave her a Blue Eco pack before she left the hospital this morning. She cracked it, the Eco charged under her skin before she threw it to the machine. As soon as it was out of her hand, she turned and ran, she leaped off the platform and crashed into the boys.

"Ugh," Kaster groaned as he held her. "That was a bad idea."

Vidia didn't answer, she scrambled to her feet and held out her hands towards the wall. A wave of Blue Eco came towards them, it hit Vidia's shield and shot up into the sky as the wall crumbled before them. She could hear cheering on the other side as the Slummers stayed silent, they waved their flags in the air and a unified sob came from all the people. The machine smoked before her, Blue Eco still sparking from it when she heard a gunshot.

Pain bloomed in her chest as she fell against Kaster.

"Vidia!" Kaster shouted as Rider stood too all the people.

"Take cover!" Rider screamed as a hail of bullets rained down on the Slummers. Kaster grabbed Rider and pulled him down, Kaster pushed them off the stage. They dropped into the mud and Vidia felt Kaster dragging her underneath the stage, she cried as she watched the people running around her. Bullets struck everyone who was exposed, whoever was shooting didn't care about them. They killed the sick, the young and the abandoned.

"We have to help them," Vidia screamed crawling away from the boys, she felt hands on her ankles and them dragging her back. "No! No!" She screamed even louder but doubt the boys could hear her, Rider held onto her, one arm across her chest and the other around her waist. She could hear him crying into her shoulder while Kaster held onto Rider, Vidia screamed louder as the bodies started dropping and the blood mixed with the mud.

TBC…