Featuring special guest appearance by Harriet, character belongs to xurviving over on Tumblr.
Edd stood watch over his camp on the balcony of the main lodge, observing the rebels dutifully work and train under the dim golden-gray rays of the setting sun as the rain gradually came to an end.
Three days. Edd thought anxiously. Three whole days of waiting and keeping this meeting a secret from Eduardo. Will we manage until then?
After discussing his plans with the other rebels, Eduardo had returned later that evening none the wiser to what his second in command was planning. Upon his arrival, the rebels tried to act naturally around him. Some succeeded in varying degrees, while others were totally unsure how to behave and came off as suspicious. Thankfully Mark managed to smooth the matter over quickly and distracted Eduardo by inquiring him on his whereabouts.
Hopefully Eduardo's duties as leader of the rebellion will be sufficient distraction until the day of the meeting.
Question now is… How is Edd going to get Eduardo to leave the camp on the night of the meeting? He could ask him to run some sort of errand far from here, or have Ford fake an alliance request from one of the nations to entice Eduardo to leave long enough for their absence in the camp to go unnoticed.
It pained him to have to lie to his friend, but it couldn't be helped. Eduardo would never agree to this plan. This is the only way!
Behind the mask, Edd closed his eyes and relished the breeze; thinking fondly of a future where the war ended and he was reunited with his best friends at long last. He'll get Tord to see the error of his ways and get him to come home. They will find Matt and things can go back to the way they were. The way they were meant to be.
But without Tom. A pang of sadness hit him deep in his chest.
Edd shook his head stubbornly. It didn't matter. Edd will round up the few friends he has left and they will be together; for the sake of Tom and recalling his memory with fondness. Everything will be alright. It might take a while for things to return to normal, but eventually all will be right with the world.
"Green Leader!" An anxious call cried out and jarred Edd out of his thoughts.
Blinking his eyes open, Edd watched the rebels stop and gather closer to the entranceway of the Camp. They were stiff and weary, and Edd could make out the slightest hint of unfamiliar silhouettes. Jumping into action, Edd hauled off the second story balcony, using his powers at the last minute to float all the way to the ground to land harmlessly and he hurriedly pushed his way to the front of the crowd.
"What's going on?" He heard Eduardo demand as he joined him.
Pushing between Hilarson and Diwi, Edd came to a stop in front of three strangers.
A woman with short dark hair blinked at them warily with dull blue eyes. A child with matted, wild brown hair hid behind her legs, holding onto the fabric of her coat as he peeked at the rebels with frightful eyes that were heavy with exhaustion.
Beside them, a skinny unkempt man with a beard and broken teeth sighed with relief. "Oh thank God, we've found you at last!"
Eduardo marched forward. "Found us?" He echoed gravelly.
"Apologies for intruding upon your camp, Green Leader." The woman whispered, looking straight at Edd as she bowed her head. Edd felt unnerved by the gesture. He'd been treated with respect and admiration by the rebels before, but no one has ever bowed to him! Or looked upon him with such reverence and fear. "I'm Carol. The man is Sven. And the little one is Percy." She introduced.
The disheveled man dipped his head shakily. "We were hoping you'd have space in your camp for three more members."
Surprise pulsed through Edd. "You want to join us?" Curiosity edged his deep modulated voice. The Rebellion's reputation was clearly spreading.
"Why should we take you in?" Eduardo asked suddenly, startling Edd. "What can you lot offer us?"
"Please," Carol shivered, gathering the little boy closer to her. "Our home was taken over by the Red Army a couple of weeks ago. They…" She closed her eyes as though in pain. "They have taken our families. They publicly tortured and killed anyone who opposed or stood in their way."
"Aye! And those were deemed the lucky ones." Sven added. "The more unfortunate were suppressed and taken to Red Army factories to work as manual labor… or to the laboratories to be made into guinea pigs for their sick experiments."
"We have nowhere else to go." Carol whimpered. "Once we heard of the Green Rebellion making a stand against the Red Army we fled our country with the hope we could be protected. We'll do whatever you want, just… Please don't turn us away."
Edd's heart broke upon hearing their plight. What an awful ordeal they had to go through. These people were clearly shaken up and desperate.
He opened his mouth to speak but Eduardo beat him to it. "That still doesn't tell me what you lot are capable of-"
"Quiet now." Edd broke in roughly, raising a hand to signal for silence. He could feel Eduardo's glare burning holes through him, but Edd made a point of ignoring him for now. He might be the Green Leader, but I am not about to let more people suffer needlessly. "These people have come a long way to reach safety. They are tired, cold, and hungry. Even if we do not take them in, we still owe them a place to rest for the night. Harriet, please escort our guests to the infirmary and tend to their needs. Once you're done, bring them into the cafeteria for a warm meal."
"Understood." Harriet dipped her head and stepped forward to lead the three bedraggled refugees away. "Come along now. You're safe with us." She reassured softly, blinking at them kindly.
"Thank you!" Carol nearly wept with relief as they passed by Edd and the other rebels. "Thank you so much!"
Edd couldn't form words. His throat was closing up with raw emotion and he could only nod back as they walked past.
"Get to work now, all of you." Eduardo commanded, dispersing the crowd of rebels as they scurried away to return to their duties. "Nothing to see here!"
Amidst the commotion, Edd caught the eye of Ford, slinking away from the crowd far away from everybody else as he returned to the main lodge. Ford looked away guiltily and hurried his step. At any other time Edd might have called him over and asked him what was wrong, but right now he had more pressing matters to worry about.
Once they were alone, or as alone as they could be in a camp, Eduardo's gaze flashed toward Edd. "What the hell was that about?"
Edd saw anger and disbelief in his gaze. Please don't look at me like that. If Eduardo is staring at him like that because of such a minor issue, imagine how he'd react if he found out about his plan? "It was the right thing to do."
Eduardo scoffed. "On the surface, yes. But you really didn't think things through, did you?" He paced around him. "We already have enough mouths to feed as is. We can't afford to be soft on every stray we come across. What if those three were spies? What if they brought sickness with them? How did they get here? Where did they come from? How long do they plan to stay? You need to ask more questions before making big decisions like that!"
"I thought the whole point of the Rebellion was to oppose the Red Army's ways. If these people are against them and need help, shouldn't we have an obligation to care for them?" Edd reminded him, irritably. "You saw the state they were in! What would you have me do? Send them away on the slim possibility they might be working for the enemy? We don't have any proof of that! As far as I'm concerned they are innocent until proven guilty. Those were victims, not actors."
Eduardo growled, lifting his chin. "You're too soft. Honestly, Edd, it's like you don't even realize we're at war right now!"
"I did the right thing." Edd felt certain now. Whatever concerns Eduardo might have, or despite what he might think of him, Edd was in the right. As a Rebellion they should instill hope in people and protect them no matter what. That's way more important than blatant distrust towards all outsiders.
Eduardo was still glaring at him. Edd could see the anger swimming behind his friend's eyes. Then he chuckled, breaking the awkward stare down. Edd hadn't been expecting that, and he felt the tension release from his shoulders and relax.
"Still, I must admit you're getting good at playing the Green Leader." Eduardo smiled softly. "Give credit where credit is due, I suppose. You're building some confidence, and I can respect that."
Edd did not respond, but nodded slightly. He was shaken by the argument, but was relieved that Eduardo wasn't as hung up about it as he initially thought.
He watched Eduardo turn away and stalk his way across the clearing. "Oh, and by the way, Edd," He stopped a couple feet away and glanced back at him with blazing green eyes. "Don't forget who is really in charge here. If you undermine me again, I will correct you." His voice was ice-cold
Edd's heart felt suddenly heavy and he nodded shakily. So much for building his confidence as a leader. Eduardo stared at him for a couple more heartbeats before storming away.
Edd followed, feeling sick. He'd done what he thought was right, but he knew he crossed a line Eduardo would not so easily forgive. It pained him to disappoint him. Worse, it worried him to know that Eduardo could be so shortsighted. How are they supposed to end the war if Eduardo was so blinded by revenge he can't even have a drop of compassion for those directly inflicted by the conflict? Can't he see that by dragging this out for the sake of revenge it would just make everyone suffer more? Hopelessness flooded him. He could keep Eduardo's friendship or save the world. What choice was that?
Either way, Edd was going to have to choose and he wished the choice wasn't so painfully obvious; because it would undermine his relationship with Eduardo, when, in truth, he valued his bond with Eduardo just as much as any other friendship.
Even more so than any other friendship, in fact.
But while Eduardo was head deep into leadership and driven by an insatiable need to avenge the death of Jon, he will never take notice of the emotions that had taken over Edd for the past couple of months. And Edd was fine with that. No, really. He was. What chance did he have anyway? Revenge was so much more attractive than him, he couldn't hope to compete. Edd had made his peace with that fact long ago, but at the end of the war he at least hoped to maintain Eduardo's friendship.
But with the way things are between them currently, that outlook looks less and less tangible with each passing day.