Rosalyn

There was no time to prepare for what was to come.

Once Hyemi heard people were coming, everyone perched next to the windows, occasionally peeking past the shades. It was mostly silent, spare the short conversations that were whispered from a few people.

Rosalyn crouched down next to Ingrid, and she could not hold in her questions. "Should we be running?"

Ingrid sighed. "Farrah claims she can hold them off."

"Not forever," Farrah clarified. "For as long as I can, at least."

"The only problem with that is that it'll blow our cover," Wolfgang said. "Once Farrah uses her power, they'll all know where we are. Which is—unfortunate."

"So, what's the better option?" Rosalyn finally asked. It was clear that nobody really knew. Running away would take away their safe place, but staying in Sandy Hook was no better. Nonetheless, Hyemi heard people coming, and it was too late to run without being seen. They would have to fight from inside.

But we can't even fight, Rosalyn thought. Ingrid didn't want anyone to get hurt, but how would they fight them off? Wolfgang made it clear he didn't care. Malakai could use his power sparingly, but it would also make him weaker.

"We could pretend to threaten me again?" Rosalyn offered. It worked last time with the soldiers.

Hyemi shook her head. "There's too many of them. Not all of them would listen."

While it was a smart move to let the public do the work, it was also an act of carelessness. It was clear to Rosalyn that her father did not care what happened to others as long as got his prizes back.

And me, she thought. It almost pained her that she had the same amount of a reward as Malakai. And while it wasn't about the prize money, it showed her that Subject Zero meant just as much as his own daughter. She tried not to get consumed in the thought.

"Alright, I see them." Sebastian spoke.

"How many?" Rosalyn asked. She didn't know how anxious she was.

"A dozen? Maybe more?" Sebastian craned his head as he glanced at everyone. "Did Bonavich bother to mention if he wanted us back, alive?"

"He did not clarify," Wolfgang casually replied, and Sebastian pierced his lips and nodded, staring back out the window.

Farrah turned and sat against the wall, closing her eyes. "Just tell me when."

"You got it, sweetheart." Wolfgang said, but silence soon fell after that.

Rosalyn watched as Farrah—prepared? She didn't know what her power was, nor did she knows Becks'. Whatever it was, Farrah could use it at a time like this, which meant it was powerful. She tried to search for any prominent scars; a few small ones covered her hands, like Malakai's. But scars were everywhere on everyone, so Rosalyn could never tell. She would find out soon enough.

"They're close," Sebastian said. "Hey Kai, Rosalyn, just—be careful. It's easier to get one of you than two of us. All they care about is the stupid money."

"He's right," Ingrid said softly. "They'll try to take anyone, but they're ultimately looking for your faces. Everyone, be careful."

"I see'm, y'all." Wolfgang said, a tone of haste escaping from his mouth.

Farrah took a big sigh and stood up. "Alright. Well, here we go."

"Careful, Farrah." Malakai whispered. She nodded but kept her stare at the door. She rested her hand over it, taking a few more deep breaths.

The shouts from people were audible to everyone's ears now, and Rosalyn forced a peek out the window. Sure enough, around a dozen people were scattered about, but the lone cabin drew much attention. But before they could get any closer, Farrah twisted the handle and stood in the doorway.

Rosalyn was confused; what was the plan here? She watched as Farrah drew attention from everyone, and they all started to shout. Farrah's blazing red hair and bright eyes were easy to see, and they surely recognized her. But as they began to run towards the cabin, Farrah lifted both her hands and gritted her teeth.

The movements reminded Rosalyn so much like Malakai, for a moment she thought they had the same powers. But as the person in front of the pack ran, they were met with an invisible wall, it seemed, and they fell backwards by the force.

A force...

"A force-field?" Rosalyn asked.

She saw Malakai nod. "We don't know how long she can hold it. She's got the whole cabin secured right now, though. They can't get in until they break it."

"What do we do now?" she asked. Panic was settling in all too quickly.

She heard Hyemi's small voice. "Prepare. Scare them with our powers. Startle them. Tire them. Anything to throw them off."

"Yeah," Wolfgang chuckled. "They won't see my fist coming for em'."

Rosalyn couldn't help but watch the crowd of people figure out what was happening. After the first man took the hit of the force field, the others stepped up cautiously, reaching a hand out to feel for the invisible barrier. Rosalyn tried to see it herself, and she did notice a thin blur, but it took all her might to notice it.

It wasn't long until they began to kick the force field, throwing rocks and branches and punching it. Farrah stumbled as her hands began to shake.

There's no way we'll get out of this, Rosalyn thought. Did everyone else realize this, too? She looked around at everyone. Wolfgang stood up, no longer afraid to show himself. Miriam's stone cold face softened just a tad, and Ingrid had her fingers intertwined—was she praying?

The crowd was getting antsy now. They were no longer afraid of the force field, which meant they would likely shake away the other powers they might see. Farrah's forehead showcased a line of glistening sweat as her arms began to tremble. She wouldn't be able to hold on for much longer.

"Let's do this," Hyemi said, standing up next to Wolfgang. Eventually, everyone stood up, gathering around the door that Farrah blocked. It was clear she would be weak afterwards, much like Malakai after he used his power, so it was a silent agreement to keep Farrah inside while at least one person occupied the doorway.

Rosalyn didn't realize she wasn't standing yet until a hand reached out to her.

She grabbed Malakai's cold hand, which was such a contrast to her clammy ones, but she did not want to let go. He didn't seem to mind at the moment; in fact, it was like the crowd of people weren't outside with him and Rosalyn as their number one targets. He looked down at her, and his green eyes squinted as he smiled. Rosalyn could not even fake a smile back at him. Not this time.

Was she really that scared? She was a trained soldier; taking these people down with her tricks and moves would be almost easy. She knew going back to the Capitol wouldn't be ideal. Who knows what her father would do to her, or how she could look at her mother again. However, she could survive that. She could handle herself being the one to take the fall.

She realized why she was scared as Malakai let go of her hand. She was afraid to lose him, and the others.

"You'll fight back, right?" she asked.

"I'm no soldier," he smiled. "But I'll try my best."

Rosalyn frowned. "But you're trained, no? You can use your powers well."

He only shook his head at her as he squeezed her hand. "You were trained," he said. "I was created."

She froze at his words, but he didn't let her stare. He leaned over and placed his chin on her head, and he kissed her hair gently, like she had seen him to do Heymi once before. He pulled back and nodded at her. "See you soon, alright?"

Rosalyn managed a nod. "Alright. See you soon."

Almost immediately afterwards, Farrah gasped and fell backwards, leaning into Sebastian's arms. The force field was broken.

The crowd moved forward.

Wolfgang was the first to run out the door, followed quickly by Miriam. Ingrid helped Farrah onto the couch. Everyone was on the move. Rosalyn finally took her first step.

But before did she, Ingrid called out to her.

Rosalyn stopped in her tracks and she looked back at Ingrid, who was settling Farrah onto the couch, helping her into a more comfortable position. She nodded at Rosalyn, offering her the warmest smile. Ingrid was always a light amongst darkness.

"Careful, Rosa. Please."

She smiled back, though it was forced. "Always."

They shared one last look until Rosalyn took another step. Outside felt like another training session, with very inexperienced fighters. Rosalyn came to this conclusion as she ducked away from a mans fist only to swing back around and connect her fist with his jaw. He fell back from the impact, and by the time he could stand back up again, she sent a kick to his chest, leaving him breathless.

Almost too easy, she thought.

Then again, of course it would be easy for her. And for some of the subjects who had powers to defend, it was easy for them, too. Her mind was scattered with questions; did her father really send innocent people out to get them, only to, as Sebastian said, to save a few zaps of Malakai's power?

Rosalyn's eyes snapped to the scene before her. Wolfgang had his hand gripped on the hem of a mans shirt, holding him in the air like a balloon, with one hand. He was walking slow, long steps as he arched his arm back, the man dragged in the air. Wolfgang then threw the man, so easily, and the man slammed into one of the nearby trees. Wolfgang's strength was incredible, and even though it was his power, Rosalyn couldn't believe what she just saw.

Wolfgang took a breath and glanced at Rosalyn. He pulled his lips and showcased a smile, winking at her.

Loud footsteps from behind snapped Rosalyn back to reality, and she crouched down low. The person tripped, rolling over her back and falling to the ground before her. It was a girl, a little older than her. She caught her breath, and Rosalyn let her, and she slowly stood back up and charged at her again.

Too easy, she thought again as she hooked her arm across the girls chest, sending her onto her back.

As Rosalyn waited for her to stand back up, she noticed Becks moving swiftly as she dodged punches from her opponent. She never swung, but solely took the defense position. She was small and quick, and could easily avoid a hit by a fast movement. Rosalyn wondered if she could feel the stomps on the ground. She remembered when she stomped her foot to get everyone's attention. It was a way of communication, a way to feel instead of hear.

The girl hurdled herself towards Rosalyn again, and she was growing tired of the weak fighting. She sent a kick to the girls chest, pushing her to the ground, and this time she was heaving for air. If the girl wanted to get up and fight again, she would be sluggish, giving Rosalyn enough time to see her coming.

Miriam was the next to catch her eye. Her slick blonde hair remained in place, even as she was moving quickly, her fist connecting with a woman's face. She was skilled, and Rosalyn wondered if she had done some training before she was captured. Her icy eyes glanced around and bored into Rosalyn's. She could not pinpoint the expression on her face; she wondered if she truly didn't care whether Rosalyn made it out safely or not. Her only concern was likely Malakai.

Rosalyn's eyes scanned the reckless crowd, and she finally saw Malakai, his back pressed against a tree, neck craned to peek behind him. The bandage on his head looked a bit dirty, and blood had already seeped through. She watched as his opponent appeared from behind, but Malakai saw it coming. He raised a palm and the man fell to the ground, breathing deeply. He did his attacks behind the scenes, in hiding, only pouncing when he needed to.

While Malakai was not a fighter by nature, he was sure good at it. Rosalyn had taken enough basic training that she knew Malakai would succeed without a problem. His movements were swift, quiet, and he defended himself well. That would be a compliment for any soldier, but Malakai was no solider. Not trained, anyway. He would never give himself the title.

"You were trained," he said. "I was created."

His words stuck with her. It was such a daunting line, both beautiful and horrifying, that Rosalyn didn't know what to think. It was—true, maybe that was the scary thought. But, in Benedict's eyes, it was magnificent. Maybe it wasn't both beautiful and horrifying.

Maybe it was just devastating.

The girl Rosalyn was fighting did not stand back up, but others came to take her place. More people were appearing from the woods, she guessed, because one quick glance at Sebastian's wide eyes fixed ahead looked shocked, worried.

But Rosalyn would continue to fight, because that was all she knew.

But three against one wasn't the fairest fight. Two younger men accompanied by a middle-aged woman ran towards her, stances strong and ready to attack. Rosalyn did what she knew best; she ducked away from one punch and stood back up to return with an uppercut to one of the man's jaw. Though she was too slow, because she felt an excruciating pain across her leg, and she was slammed into the ground.

I was trained. I was trained! Rosalyn gritted her teeth and jumped to her feet, ducking away from a kick. She knew she was better than this, but too many things were on her mind, too many distractions.

So as the three people charged towards Rosalyn again, she took the defensive side.

She ran.

•••

Chapter song: listen before i go // Billie Eilish

Hi everyone!

It's been a struggle writing lately (though I always make sure I'm a few chapters ahead so hopefully no delays!). But I feel myself getting into the groove again! I'm so excited for the remaining chapters. Hopefully y'all enjoyed! Things are picking up and I'm pumped, y'all.

Soooo, a fight! What are your predictions? Will the subjects get captured again? Maybe not?

THANK YOU to the pals who have been consistently reading. My heart hurts, in a good way :,)

Vote, comment, do what ya gotta do !

Until Next Time,
Grace