1. Two against one

Runt.

I like the cold. It's nice because you can control it. You can wear something warm or workout or go kill something with Hera. But the heat on the other hand…I hate it. You can never do anything about it, especially fire, fire is the worst type of heat. The smoke, the crackles and pops, the stinging flames that licked my arms and legs in the burning house as I tried to push myself through the concrete wall behind me. Heat will always be bad. Especially in here. I never wanted to stay in the Gray, but when my big brother told me that Dan had come to the Gray I had to see him.

And then he died. And so did Tick. And now it's just me.

I hate the heat.

But Hera keeps it cool inside the large hotel she built just for her soldiers. The walls in the corridors are bland but I don't mind, just as long as there's not much heat. I continued down the corridor, treading over the black carpet and running a hand along the white walls. It was smooth and cold, kind of like Dan's metal arm when he was…

Stop it, Runt.

I passed by other soldiers, pausing to salute them and carrying on down to my room. I rasped my knuckles against the metal door, I heard swearing dribble off from inside before the door finally swung open. Two beds on either side of the room, a TV on the wall straight ahead of me, a mirror in the corner and trunks full of black trousers and t-shirts. Cleo was dripping in sweat and flat on her back doing crunches. She had changed a lot ever since Hera told me that we were going to become roommates, I was excited because no one really wanted to listen to me, I can't talk, but no one really cared about me for a while. I guess it's because everyone was so busy; Kira went off into the desert, Saia and Draco kept testing her bombs, and Mei and Ceejay spent months fixing up the Walls of Jericho.

So when I finally got a roommate, I was beyond excited. But she also didn't want to talk. That first night she cried, then the second night she cut the sides of her hair with a razor so it was a tangled mess of blonde locks and nothing else. And then she kept working harder and harder, always muttering that she'd get stronger than Hera so that she can kill her.

Personally, after I saw Hera rip apart one of the Gatekeeper soldiers with her bare hands and not bat an eye lid, I think Cleo's going to have to put a pin in it for now.

"Fuck do you want?" she growled, muttering numbers as she continued going up and down.

I signed, Hera's calling us.

She made a rude sound. "Tell her to suck it."

I felt her presence before she came. It's a rainstorm sort of feel, like something that only nature can comprehend. The man in the forest a few years ago was also like that, but he could draw it back somehow.

"What was that, Private?" Hera said from behind me. I spun round and saluted, she put me at ease.

"What do you want?" she grunted. "I'm busy."

"I have a mission for the both of you." She put a hand on my shoulder. Her golden eyes glowed brighter than they used to, they held more ice in them too, I liked that. Dan's green eye used to be like that, too. "I apologize for sending you out on another mission so soon. But congratulations on your East Coast assignment. Sargent Ryan told me about it."

I grinned and signed a thank you.

Cleo climbed up from her workout mat and threw a towel around her neck. She headed for the small bathroom we shared and left the door open. The patting sound of the shower running accompanied her voice as she asked, "Where do you want us to go, Your Majesty?"

"The Gatekeepers Island."

I blinked. Seriously?

She nodded. "I can't send any other units or squads because they're still looking over the city. This place is like a maze, so many nooks and crannies."

What do you want us to do? I asked.

"Surveillance," she drawled. "We've had reports of them boosting up their soldier count and we need to confirm it."

Cleo came out of the shower, her short hair still dripping and her black t-shirt slightly damp. "Can we use force?"

"No. It's just surveillance," Hera said. "Understood?"

I nodded. Cleo rolled her eyes.

"Thank you. I'll be seeing the both of you rather soon I hope." She began walking away, but she paused after a few steps. "And Kira should be coming back soon."

"I'm telling you Runt," Cleo said as we checked our oxygen tanks. "One day, I'm going to pop Hera right in between those smug golden eyes of hers." She mimed the gesture and made a popping sound. "But before that, I'll say 'where's your God now?'' She turned towards me and grinned. "Cool, right?"

How about you don't kill her? I knew her answer before I had finished signing my question.

"And if I don't kill her I'd be letting her get away with what she did to my family," she growled and slipped on her oxygen mask. "She killed my sister in front of me. Do you know how that feels? To lose a sibling right in front of you?"

I stayed quiet. When she gets like this it's better I just let her go on. She's a few months younger than me, and I'm not normally around people younger than me. So I take responsibility for her, like a big sister in a way. The same way Dan and Tick were my big brothers. She's the only one left but at least it's better than the family that put me in a shoe box and handed me over to an orphanage.

I put on my mask and counted down. I reached three before Cleo dived into the black river. She never listened to anyone so it wasn't really a surprise. Annoying, but not life changing. I followed her into the inky blackness that matched the night above us. The river had been cleared up ever since Hera took over, so it's easier to swim in. Easier in the way you won't get trapped or your oxygen lines won't get snagged on anything.

The swimming part is still pretty hard. I pulled myself on, catching up to Cleo and staying pace with her. The river tried to push us down, my shoulders screamed out from the constant work of fighting the current. We swam for what felt like hours until our hands finally touched cold concrete.

Cleo was about to break the surface but I pulled her back down. She swatted away my hand and broke the water either way. She scampered up the concrete with her ice picks and got over the top. Rushing, I did the same. Knowing her she'd charge right into the main city with the assault rifle on her back empty within the first few seconds she saw someone.

I wanted to do the same. But I'm saving that brand of anger for people actually worth it.

I got over the edge and stayed low. I stripped off my gear and stuffed it at the base of a thick tree. I did the same with Cleo's who had just dumped hers on the edge.

"Took you long enough," she hissed. "C'mon, let's go."

She started towards the city lights but I grabbed her arm. She jerked it away and snapped me a look.

There's someone that can help us with surveillance.

Cleo snorted. "Fuck that. I'm going to take care of our problems right now." She jerked a thumb to her chest. "And then I'll force Hera to lick my boot."

"Oh really," a voice said. It came from the forest, silver eyes glowed in the black canvas between the trees. "So you're strong enough to do that to Hera? Show me."

I knew that voice. That's-

Cleo darted forward. I tackled her as a large combat knife sliced through the air where Cleo's head had just been. The knife flipped in midair and went back into the forest. Cleo pushed me away and scampered onto her feet. She brought out her own combat knife and charged. Another knife flew but not at Cleo, I rolled away and grabbed it out of the air before it could be retracted – Just like he'd taught me when I spent a few weeks with him.

Cleo stumbled back from a punch. And then she collapsed as the dirty-blonde haired man with silver eyes broke the darkness and swept her legs. The last time I had seen him he hadn't been wearing a mask, but tonight he was. It was black with crude animal's teeth carved into the metal – it covered his mouth and nose alone. One of his fists held the other large combat knife, his other hand was empty. He gestured towards the knife in my hands and it ripped away from my palm. His black rings pulsed as it went back to him.

Cleo swore a little too loudly for a surveillance mission and swung. He blocked and countered, slamming his palm into her jaw and sweeping her legs again. She fell to her knees and he chuckled.

"Who the hell are you to laugh at me?" she growled.

"I'm not laughing. It's just that Hera fights the same way as you and you want to kill her." He put away the knives. "But a little better than you. Much, much better than you actually."

She jumped up and he twisted her around and slammed her into the forest floor. Her head smacked against a thick root and her body went limp.

"Well…I wasn't meant to do that," he muttered.

I helped flip her over. Her tongue was split and she had a small cut on the side of her head. She was still muttering death threats to Hera. She did that in her sleep too, and at breakfast, and lunch and dinner and every other part of the day. She once forgot it was her birthday because she was hell bent on learning how to do a question mark kick. I've lost count of the number of times I'd have to wake up at 4am to drag her out of the gym, and she'd always be in the same state – passed out and bruised up, but still with Hera on her mind.

Dan had been like that with his mum. Sometimes he didn't care if he'd eaten or when the last time he slept was. But he always said happy birthday to me and Tick, he always tried to cook something on special days. He rarely said thanks but I guess that was his way of showing it. He wasn't as good as Tick was with his words, but he was good with his actions. He and the man with silver eyes are the same in that way, the silver eyed man would cook and watch out for me too. Like a big brother.

"You've grown up a ton since I last saw you," he said and engulfed me in a hug. He's warm, but I'll accept this type of warm. "Hera sent you?"

I nodded.

He brushed back his thick mop of hair and nodded. "So she's getting ready."

He always dodged the questions on how he knew Hera. Or what side he was on. Or what he was really doing in the forest. But he always…what was it that Kira said to me before she left? Never letting anyone know how many bullets you have left. That's it. He never really revealed anything, I only knew his nickname: The Jackal.

I tapped his shoulder and signed, we needed to know if there are more soldiers here and I didn't want to go into the city with Cleo.

"Cleo," he muttered and I pointed at her limp body. "Right. Hera isn't wrong. A few of the left over resistance is joining up with this side from what I've seen. And boy do they hate Hera. About three hundred of them are here now, including the three hundred soldiers already here." He chuckled and said, "I wasn't the best in school but I know that Hera's outnumbered."

By a big fucking number, I signed.

"Langue," he smiled. He looked off into the distance for a while like he was listening to something and then turned back to me. "I have to go. Make sure you tell Hera this as soon as possible." He began walking into the forest but paused. He took off his rings and tossed them to me, followed by the combat knives. "Nearly forgot. Happy sixteenth birthday."

I twisted the rings on, sleek and black, polished to perfection. Cold as well. Perfect. I had to put them on my thumbs because they were too big for my fingers, but perfect nonetheless.

Cleo stirred and shot up. She grimaced and put a hand to her head. "What…who the fuck….what happened? Did I win?"

I smiled and shook my head.

"And you just watched me get my ass kicked?" she spat as she stood up.

I shrugged. You're the one who wanted to fight him.

She shouldered her gear. "Well I thought you had my back."

That felt like I'd stabbed myself with one of the knives. I put a hand on her shoulder and she brushed it away. "Did you learn anything?"

I nodded. I told her everything Jackal had told me, by the end her face had gone through surprise, anger, and then determination. Cleo has a special type of face when she's determined, her eye brows come together and her nose flares unconsciously. But this time her blue eyes weren't dead like they usually were, they sparkled.

She radioed Hera and told her everything we'd learnt. She didn't ask how we got to find out exact numbers, she liked efficiency, and if we continued being efficient then we'd climb the ranks. I'd made Corporal a few weeks back in the field, Cleo on the other hand was still a private, she worked hard, but not efficiently. She was messy but got the job done.

She walked back to me and put away the earpiece. "So…we're being sent out on another mission by the bitch herself."

I urged her on.

"We're going to have to bring the Nomads into the Gray," she said. "But the biggest question that comes to that is – how the hell are we supposed to get them to listen to us, let alone trying to find them in the space of an entire country."