Chapter XXIII

JOEY SAT WITH HER back against a tree and her knees pulled up to her chest, picking at the blade of grass she held. There wasn't much grass here in these swamp lands, but she didn't think she could ever get tired of seeing the beauty of grass, trees, and sunlight. Yes, even in a horrible place like this, surrounded by terrible beasts, it was comforting to find growth amongst all the death.

Someone plopped down beside her, but she didn't have to look up to realize it was Thomas. "You guys seem like you've been through a lot for this David guy," he began. "I mean, Michelle was willing to kill."

"So were you if I remember correctly," she shot back, peeling the grass in half.

Thomas smirked. "Fair enough." He looked away and silence filled the air for a few peaceful seconds. "So, does he ... mean a lot to you?"

"You don't ask someone a personal question like that!" Bellamy said, roughly. She heard a muffled cry and he slid down the bark taking a seat next to Thomas.

She finally glanced right at the two boys, noticing the gash and dried blood on Thomas's forehead. Her shoulders slumped. "Oh, I'm sorry. I should've made sure you were alright after—"

"After I was almost eaten?' Bellamy asked, leaning forward to get a better look at her and rubbing just above his bandaged ankle. "Apology accepted." He leaned back, and Thomas rolled his eyes.

She let a small grin escape. "I'm Joey, by the way." She extended her hand past Thomas, and Bellamy accepted her hand in a firm shake.

"Bellamy. Though ..." He squinted. "I think somehow you already knew that." He shot Thomas a glance from the corner of his eyes.

Her brow pulled together as she studied him. "So, how'd you get tossed in here?"

Thomas snorted and smacked Bellamy on the shoulder. "Dude was stupid! That's how!"

"I wasn't going to let you fight those soldiers alone," Bellamy argued.

Thomas made a 'tisk' sound. "No, so instead, you went and got yourself killed too."

"Caleb wouldn't have left you," Bellamy said, and Thomas's face suddenly softened.

The boys ceased their arguing and stared at each other for a few seconds before Thomas soft yet stern reply came. "Caleb could help in a fight. You can't." Bellamy averted his gaze, clearly hurt by his words.

Joey fumbled with her teeth using her tongue, until Bellamy broke the awkward silence. "So, this is the Dome, huh?" His head made a big sweep of the surroundings. "Where everyone and everything tries to kill you?"

"Well, not exactly—"

"Apparently people don't kill each other," Thomas interrupted.

Bellamy scoffed. "Clearly someone didn't get the memo."

"That was different," Joey defended. "She'd been poisoned. Honestly, I have a feeling poison is the biggest thing worry about in here."

Bellamy nodded. "Oh, no! It all makes perfect sense!" Even though he hid it well, she could still sense the sarcasm in his tone. "And the ..." He thrust a thumb behind his back towards the hut. "... witch lady? She doesn't kill either, I suppose?" Again, he used his hands dramatically as he said, "So what happened to that other guy who made the other guy angry was just an accident?"

"I think we got off track here." Thomas placed a hand on Bellamy's chest, pushing him away. "I was asking about David."

She averted her gaze, staring back down at the blade of grass still in her hand and she twirled it between her fingers. "If you want an honest answer ..." She threw the blade down and looked back at Thomas. "He's just a friend. A close friend, but ... I would never forgive myself if he died in here."

"Ah, we had a close friend like that once." Thomas leaned back and crossed his arms.

Joey's brow arched, and softly she asked, "Was that Caleb?"

Bellamy glanced at Thomas, but Thomas pursed his lips and lowered his head. "Agcorp took him five years ago."

"You're not ... talking about Caleb Phillips, are you?" Chase interrupted, squatting in front of Thomas and Bellamy. The two exchanged glances and sat up straight.

"Yeah, why?" Bellamy asked.

Chase's jaw dropped and his eyes widened as he grinned. "You mean you got to grow up with that guy?"

"Why does that sound bad?" Joey asked, interjecting herself into the boys conversation.

Chase chuckled. "Oh, no, no! I don't mean that in a bad way." He glanced from her to the guys. "Just that, Caleb and I grew close in the two years we knew each other. Not to mention he had a pretty sweet ability. He could probably take down all of Agcorp if he wanted to."

Bellamy laughed loudly. "Oh, come on! Every ability has its limitations. It was cool, but he couldn't do that."

Joey glanced between Chase and the others. "Am I just going to be left in the dark about his ability?"

Thomas placed a hand out and gestured as he spoke. "Caleb has a rare ability. I've never seen anyone like him before. He could kill anyone with the power of his mind, twist a persons ability against them." He held up his index finger. "And only he could stop it with one little touch."

As Thomas finished, Joey hadn't realized her heart had quickened as she listened intently. She glanced down at her hands and gulped, thinking of how awful it would be to have your ability turn against you.

Chase snickered before looking off to the side. His smile faded as he shook his head. "I haven't seen him since they pulled me from our dorm room." He shrugged. "Figured his time in the Dome would come, but I have yet to see him."

"So, you know Caleb from your time in Agcorp?" Joey asked. "And you mentioned something about a dorm room. Why did Agcorp makes dorms if we're supposed to be thrown into the Domes? I mean, I get you lived with them since you were young, but what about Caleb? They picked him up but never threw him in the Dome?" Her hands flew to her head as she gripped her hair in frustration. The longer she was in the Dome, the more she realized all the little secrets that Agcorp hadn't shared with the world, and yet, they were supposed to be the ones people turned to during this horrific time. "Ugh, it's just all so confusing."

"Just know that they're the bad guys." She turned and eyed Bellamy who's brown hair had fallen over his face. "Not the good ones they make themselves out to be." She stayed quiet as she eyed Chase who's eyes slowly narrowed.

"Agcorp portrays themselves as being the worlds savior," Thomas explained, "but in our city, Qurdia, they've turned people with abilities into the villains. Many people are handing over people like us left and right."

"Claire wouldn't do that," Chase defended, confused. He shook his head. "She's only trying to save the world. She knows we're not the enemy. She wouldn't ..." He paused and averted his gaze. In a whisper, he continued, "She wouldn't do that."

Joey's eyes slid from Chase to the other boys, who gave him looks like he was crazy.

"Except ... she has," Bellamy confirmed rather slowly. "Which is why we stayed under the radar. No use of abilities whatsoever." He leaned back and rolled his eyes. "Until Ivory—"

"What would you have had me do?" Thomas shouted, jerking his head around. "Let Agcorp take her? Be okay with never seeing her again?"

Bellamy raised a brow and pulled up his uninjured leg, resting his elbow on his knee. "Where's the difference? She was still taken, right? And you haven't found her yet. The only different is that you got us dragged in here with her."

"I didn't ask you to be stupid!" Thomas shouted, his hands clenched into fists.

"Okay, chill," Joey said, her words aimed at Bellamy. "What kinda friend are you?" He narrowed his eyes but looked away.

Unexpectedly, Brianna stepped their way and she pulled the backpack off her shoulders. She unzipped it, and pulled out a nonstick pad. "Here." She threw it down to Thomas, and he caught it.

Thomas snorted before tossing it towards Chase. "No thanks. I'll be fine."

Chase shrugged and jumped up. "Suit yourself. I'm not going to waste our limited supplies on someone who doesn't want it." He shoved the package back inside the bag, but Brianna huffed and rolled her eyes. She roughly snatched it from the bag and threw it to Thomas where it hit him in the chest and landed on his lap. "At least use it to wipe the blood." She stomped away, and Thomas grumbled as he ripped open the pad and dabbed it on his forehead with a cringe.

Joey grinned and dropped her head back against the bark as she crossed her arms. In the silence, all she could think about was David. About how it had been hours since Lucinda had pushed her out, and according to Michelle, David didn't have hours. She ignored the feelings to rush into the hut, and find out why his healing was taking so long, but her leg bobbed up and down with anxiousness. Turning her head up to Chase, she said, "I need a distraction."

His gaze met hers with a furrowed brow. "What kind of distraction?"

Leaning forward, her hands folded in her lap, she asked, "Can you tell me more about Agcorp? Like, what it was like living there?" She observed his face as it dipped. "Do you miss it?"

Slowly, Chase took his seat on the ground in front of the other boys again, this time sitting criss-crossed. He swallowed before replying with a nod. "I know it sounds crazy, but ... when it's everything you've known ..." He eyed her. "I know I should feel relieved. To be free from Claire, but ..." He shook his head. "She was more of a mother to me then my own."

"Which is why you can't stand to hear us talk badly about her." His brow arched, and she smiled. "You think I haven't noticed?" Again, he looked away. Joey stole a quick glance towards Thomas and Bellamy and she noticed how shocked the two seemed. She reached out and placed a tender hand on Chase's knee. "It's okay to talk about."

"What is there to talk about?" Chase chuckled, twiddling his thumbs. "About how normal I thought it was to be tied down to a chair? To have your blood drained until you were too weak to stand?" He stretched his right arm towards Joey, palm facing the sky, revealing several small red dots on his arm. "They tested me almost daily for the levels of Toxicoma in my blood." He snarled. "I was four and they used me as their guinea pig!" He pulled his arm back in close to his body. "I just wish I had seen it sooner." He gritted his teeth and rubbed his palm against his forehead. "Wish I could understand that Claire isn't who she says she is."

"I'm ... sorry," Joey whispered. "I didn't know. I ... I didn't mean—"

"It's okay." Turning his head up, he must've seen the mortified look on the others faces because a smile tugged at the corner of his lip. "In all honesty, it wasn't as bad as it seems. Sometimes I just get a little flustered. Probably exaggerate."

She smiled gently. Clearly, he was lying. "Like you said, you were four. You didn't know any better"

Nodding, he said, "As much as I want to believe that ... there's a part of me that still believes everything Claire is putting us through is for the greater good." He turned and eyed Joey, tears in his eyes. "We lost Timothy, almost Brutus, and you've already lost two." She swallowed a lump in her throat. "So, tell me ... Am I still too young to know any better?" He stood up and walked away before she could ask anymore questions, wiping his eyes as he left.

Joey watched as he walked over to Brianna, and the older girl threw an arm around his shoulders drawing him into a side hug. "It's awful to even imagine what he's be through," Joey said softly. "Being Agcorp's lab rat ..."

"You think that happened to all of them?" Bellamy asked, curiously.

She furrowed her brow, eyeing the crew. "Brianna's his cousin. Maybe she was there with him?"

"But is she really or do they just call each other cousins?" Thomas added.

"Can you imagine?" Bellamy asked, looking out at the group. "Being raised by Agcorp?" He snorted. "That's all kinds of messed up."

Joey crossed her legs and bobbed her right knee up and down. She couldn't shake the bad feeling that was eating away at her. Even if the others hadn't been raised by Agcorp, she knew of at least one other person who was. Her eyes drifted to the girl who sat across the way sharping smaller stones in points for her arrows. It terrified her knowing that there could be others out there like Michelle and Chase.

"So ..." Thomas's soft voice peaked the silence. "You like him, right?" Her head jerked his way, and his voice grew louder. "David, I mean. Not Chase."

Bellamy elbowed him in the side, and Thomas cringed. "Dude! What did I—"

Their conversation was cut short when someone screamed. Joey sprang to her feet, her heart lurching, and found Kathleen staring down as a lioness stalked her way. Her hand instantly transformed into its long spike, and as she reared back her arm the lioness suddenly changed forms. It grew into a tall woman with lavender hair, and she cackled.

Kathleen's hands returned to normal and she clenched them until they turned white. With a growl she shouted, "What the heck is wrong with you?"

Evangeline continued to belly laugh. "I'm sorry. I thought it would be funny." Letting out an angered grunt, Kathleen spun on her heels and marched off.

"You've seen a lion before?" Alex asked, puzzled.

Evangeline swiped the tears from her eyes. "Only in books, but the picture was clear enough to copy."

Joey rolled her eyes, and just as she was about to sit back down, the door to the hut swung opened and Lucinda emerged. Her presence drew everyone's attention, and the silence was deafening.

Lucinda's gaze ventured around until they landed on Joey. She gestured with her head for her to come. "He wants to see you."

Joey's heartbeat quickened as excitement flooded through her veins and a smile grew as she took off towards the hut. From the corner of her eye, she saw Ella take a few quick steps before Lucinda halted her with a raised hand.

"Only Joey," she said. "We don't want to overwhelm him."

Joey didn't have to look at Ella to know she was hurt, but Joey didn't argue. She impatiently stepped past Lucinda through the threshold only she didn't find an awake David who had asked for her. Instead, he still remained on the ground position on his stomach, and the door slammed shut behind her.