𝟏𝟏𝟕. 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚

the great war ──── taylor swift

☀︎ 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐥𝐲𝐧'𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐯

"𝖠𝖫𝖱𝖨𝖦𝖧𝖳，𝖩𝖮𝖧𝖭 𝖡，𝖳𝖧𝖨𝖲 𝖨𝖲 𝖳𝖧𝖤 𝖳𝖴𝖱𝖭𝖮𝖥𝖥 𝖱𝖨𝖦𝖧𝖳 𝖧𝖤𝖱𝖤," Pope navigates, pointing ahead. "Looks like there should be a well or something up the road. We can stop for water and then head on to Agapenta."

I look around, head lifting from JJ's shoulder so I can see that we're caught up in the mountains, the desert traveling on for miles and miles. As we've journeyed to this location, I've seen nothing but sand, and despite not being all that far from the town, there's still very little to see.

"Pope, I really hope you're right about this well," John B says, pulling the truck into the turnoff.

"No, it's good. It was on the map," Pope reassures, lifting himself out of the truck. "It feels like we've been driving for seven years."

While I'm all for a ride along with the family, it's much more off-putting to sit in the back of a truck while everybody attempts to navigate us through a country we know nothing about. I don't like that we're here, not one bit, but there's nothing we can do. We need that crown, and the only way to get that crown is to deal with being here, so many miles away from home.

"I'm thirsty," Sarah complains, and she isn't the only one. We've each been sharing a water jug from the truck, the heat of Morocco unbearable and unlike anything we've ever had to deal with before.

"Is there even any water in this thing?" Kiara asks, holding said water jug.

Suddenly, shouting is heard from all the way down in the well, indicating that somebody is inside. Confused, each of us barring JJ and Emory, stop in front of the well and peer down, checking who it is.

Imagine my surprise when fucking Chandler Groff is found to be staring up at us from the bottom of a well.

"Guess we found Groff, huh?"

Peering over their shoulders, my friends each look to Emory and JJ but I stay focused on the man at the bottom of the well, feeling great pleasure and satisfaction in seeing him like this. He's so small, so incapable, so screwed.

This man hurt me in more ways than one, beat me until I was unconscious, left me to die, and pushed a little girl to run for her life. I hate this motherfucker more than I've ever loathed anyone, so to see him so low makes me feel an immense amount of happiness, I swear.

He doesn't deserve just this, he deserves more hurt than to be stuck in a well. He deserves to be sliced into little pieces, maimed by dogs, thrown at walls and spikes. He deserves every type of punishment until he bleeds and cries in the same way I did, in the same way JJ did. He deserves nothing but torture for the rest of his pathetic life.

He deserves death, and to see him down there, rotting and sweating, I imagine that time will come soon.

"Let me handle this," JJ says, hand on my back. Reluctantly, I step back with the others, but I remain fearful and cautious that Groff will magic himself out of this well and harm him in some way, not that it's possible for him to get out of this. It's not like you can just climb the damn thing, it's a fucking well. "Who's down there?"

"Help!" he yells, and I feel Emory's shoulder brush mine as she goes to stand beside her brother, knowing exactly who's down there. "Help! I'm trapped!"

JJ swallows harshly. "Dad?"

"JJ. Is that you?" JJ doesn't speak, just remains silent, his eyes flickering to Emory who offers him something of a sympathetic look, still feeling upset for him that he couldn't be gifted a better father. "Oh, my God. Divine vision!"

"Is he serious?" Emory scoffs, peering over to look down at her father. She snorts, hand slapping over her mouth to hide the laughter that ripples out of her. "Oh, my God. Quick. Somebody take a picture. I'm making this my lock screen."

JJ exhales a heavy breath. "What happened?"

"I'm trapped down here because of that... Rafe!" Groff tells, surprising each of us as we weren't sure the status of Rafe, if he had made it away from the cops or if he was even alive. Turns out, he's been doing the world a favour, trapping Chandler Groff in a well to rot.

I hate to say it, I really do, but I think I might actually start to like him thanks to his services.

"But now, my boy, my beautiful boy, is here to rescue me."

"Fat chance," Emory yells, wanting him to know that she is here just as much as JJ.

"E-Emory?" He chuckles softly, sounding almost relieved despite him barely knowing his daughter's name when he first met her, but if he thinks she'll be sympathetic towards him, he's got another thing coming. "Both of you. You're both... You're both here to save me."

"What happened to the scroll?" she asks, a demand in her tone.

"Rafe!" Groff answers, confirming that Rafe now holds the one thing we all need in order to find that crown. Okay, now we can ditch Groff here and just go and find Rafe. Easy. "He took it and tried to kill me."

"Didn't do a good enough job at that," Emory mumbles, speaking only for us to hear.

"But I know where it is," Groff continues, a hint of desperation in his voice. "I know how to get it back. We'll go! We'll go together! J-Just throw── Just throw me the rope!"

Emory shakes her head. "He's kidding, right?"

JJ turns away, eyes meeting mine for a second. "JJ!" Groff calls, no longer seeing him up above as he faces us. "Emory!"

Emory inhales sharply, seeming to hate how her name sounds coming from a man like him. She steps towards JJ, nudging him gently. "Personally, I think we should let him rot, but it's your call, alright? Whatever you wanna do, I'll do."

His jaw hardens. "Really?"

"As much as I'd love to throw my knife down and hope it goes all the way through his head, I'm going to trust that you will make the right call. I'm going to listen to you."

I think each of us are surprised, especially when Emory has rattled on and on about wishing for her father's head on a stick. I guess, perhaps if he was standing right before us, she'd take the opportunity to kill him. With him being down there, the sweetest form of punishment is to let him slowly die in the heat that is Morocco.

Despite how hard it is, she's choosing to trust JJ, to trust that he will make the right decision, and I admire that.

"I don't think we should trust him," Pope chimes, offering his insight that is already pretty clear. "That kinda goes without saying, huh?"

"It's your call, JJ," I say, backing Emory in it being his choice, and his choice alone.

JJ inhales and exhales once again, breathing heavy, and all I want to do is step over and attempt to calm him, but I remain where I am, holding his eyes from a distance as he composes himself.

When he turns away, he looks back over the well at his father, Emory at his side. "JJ! Emory! Did you get the rope? I-It's just── It's attached to a bucket by the well. Just throw it down to me!" We watch as JJ goes to retrieve the rope that is between him and Emory, staring at it for the longest minute rather than chucking it down. "JJ, I need you to throw me the rope!"

"Shut up!" Emory bites out, remaining focused on JJ as he literally weighs his choices in his hand. "It's your choice, JJ. Whatever you wanna do."

Sniffling, he looks away from the rope, staring down the well at his father. "Why?" he asks, grip tightening on the rope. "Why should I do that when you tried to kill me? When you tried to kill Brooke?"

While I've healed, I'm often reminded of what Groff did to me, how I for sure thought I was going to die, and that my family would have to find me dead on the floor. I saw the fear in John B's eyes, heard the desperate pleas from Sarah and Kiara, and felt the worrying touches from Pope and Cleo when they found me in that broken and bloody state. Despite healing, I still remember his hands hurting me, his harsh words, and his final blow that left me nearly dead.

Because of him, JJ blamed himself for the longest time, believing that he was the reason for my bruised face and upset manner. Because of him, JJ has been blaming himself for just about everything, and it's not fair, so JJ's right. Why should he trust him? Why should he help him?

"I snapped," is what Groff says, earning chorused scoffs from me and Emory.

"Well, next time you snap, how about you throw yourself off a freaking boat?" Emory counters, and I can just sense that she wishes to kill him herself rather than let JJ take the lead, but she's choosing to trust him, I get that.

"Sorry," he replies, not sounding the least bit apologetic. "But I knew you'd... get to shore. I-I knew Brooke would, uh... would wake up." I shake my head, squeezing my eyes shut but only seeming to relive the moment my head hit the glass of the window and I fell unconscious, unsure that I'd wake up. "Just get me out of here, kids, and we'll get the crown. Together! Just like we planned."

"You gave me away," JJ continues, head shaking slowly. "You gave me away because you don't want me. You abandoned Emory because you don't want her. You don't want us. You don't want a son. You don't want a daughter. You don't want kids. Then you had to come back into our lives acting like you had to do that."

"No, of course not. You're my kids. I love you," Groff forces out, and I catch both Emory and JJ tense, hating to hear such words from somebody who very clearly does not mean them.

"No, d-don't say that," JJ exhales, eyes closing for a moment. "You don't know what that word means. You don't even know me. You don't know us. Hell, you didn't even know what Emory's name was." His eyes open, and I watch him swallow the harsh truth that he likely wishes he'd seen from day one. "You were never our father. You never even tried."

"I'm a weak man, JJ!" Groff admits.

"Way to state the obvious," Emory mumbles, once again speaking at a volume only we can hear.

"You wouldn't kill me for that, would you?" Emory rears her head back, knowing exactly what he's trying to do. He's trying to guilt-trip him. "That's not you. You're better than me."

"Being better than you isn't really that hard," Emory speaks, now loud enough for their dad to hear while JJ steps away to retrieve the water jug from the truck. He then steps back to the well, joining Emory's side. They share a look── one that says enough for them to not offer the other any words.

JJ drops the water jug into the well, allowing Groff to catch it. Straightening themselves back up, Emory and JJ give their father a final glance, both uttering the words, "Bye, Dad."

They then step back, both appearing relieved to have the weight of Groff off them. "JJ! Emory! Come back here! Come back!" Groff shouts aimlessly, knowing he won't get through to either of them as they've settled on their decision. They will not be helping him out of that well. "It's me. It's your father!"

Emory pats a hand against JJ's back, nodding firmly. "You deserve better family," she says.

"Yeah, right back at ya."

JJ sucks in a breath, eyes greeting mine, and I offer him a slight upturn of my lips, feeling he made the right decision to leave his waste-of-a-space father behind. "Alright," he begins, eyes flitting to each of us. "Let's go get this crown."

With Groff yelling in the distance, John B drives the truck in the direction of Agapenta. I lean into JJ for the duration of the journey, my arms wrapped around his arm while his hand splays across my upper thigh. Emory sits on the other side of him, conversing quietly with Kiara who is also holding her hand.

The journey to Agapenta is short── much shorter than previous journeys. We pull up to a sign that reads, 𝖠𝖦𝖠𝖯𝖤𝖭𝖳𝖠, meaning we're in the correct place, and that it won't be long until we're faced with the Blue Crown.

"There it is. Agapenta."

"Well, I'll be damned," John B says, lowering his goggles that we each put on as the terrain worsened and spat at us with the speed John B was travelling.

"Now we just need to find Rafe." Hopefully, he'll be willing to accept our help. Yes, he managed to get Groff, but it seems he's determined to find the Blue Crown despite saying he had no interest in it. We should've known better, yes, but perhaps we can help each other out now. If he really wants something, he'll get a cut.

"It's that way," Pope instructs, pointing ahead. "Keep going."

Following Pope's calculations and navigations, we drive towards Agapenta, not coming across any signs of life. Rafe and the Corsairs must not be in the area or we'd at least see something, right? Despite not seeing them as of now, we should still keep a close eye out just in case they appear, guns blazing.

"Alright, it's just up ahead. We gotta do the rest on foot." We reach the entrance to Agapenta, bringing the truck to a stop. "Careful, we don't know what we're walking into."

Getting out of the truck, my hand in JJ's, we move into Agapenta as a collective, assuming that if we stay together, we'll be safe. I especially need JJ to be careful, my worries for him stronger with every step we take, unaware of what we're going to be walking into.

This mission is unlike any of the previous ones. There's a larger fear of death involved with this mission. This time feels different. It feels really, really different, and I don't like the unknown so I truly am afraid of what we're going to face.

My hand instinctively tightens in JJ's, my heart hammering wildly in my chest, even more so when we hear a sudden gunshot in the distance, alerting to us that there is somebody in the area. For a moment, we stand still, just waiting for a single minute before John B urges us forward again, assuring us to be careful.

Moving towards the sound, we crouch down, going to hide behind some large bushes, coming face to face with a surprising scene── Rafe Cameron being held at gunpoint.

"Okay, just take it easy, okay?!" Rafe shouts, and I go and count the Corsairs, noting seven to be pointing their large guns at him.

"Damn it," John B curses.

"You keep your hands where we can see them, and we won't have to blast them off, yeah?" Dalia warns.

"Yeah." I know Rafe does not want to comply, but he hasn't got any choice.

"You want to put it down?" Dalia gestures to the scroll he holds in his hand, and I silently curse out this bitch because that scroll is meant to be ours, not fucking theirs.

"I'll put it down slow. Slow," Rafe speaks, beginning to lower the scroll to his feet.

"Shit," Cleo utters.

Rafe raises his hands again, and I spot the lens we need to read the scroll properly still dangling off his wrist. "Okay!"

"They're gonna kill him," Cleo realises.

"Do we care?" Pope asks, and I glance at Sarah, wondering what she must think as this is her brother and he is about to be shot if not careful. In fact, I think they'll shoot him either way. Despite all he's done, he is still her brother, so we need to think of her in this case.

"Yeah, that's a good question, Pope."

"Yeah, but then they'd take the scroll," I say.

"You're trigger-happy, yeah?" We look back to Rafe, trying to figure out if the Corsair's will shoot him despite him being compliant.

"Just a little practice shot," Lightner replies, guns still aimed at Rafe, so I suspect they'll shoot regardless of how he's being.

"Well, of course, we need that little lens as well,"
Dalia notes, also spotting the lens that he so should've attempted to hide better.

"There's seven of them. They all have rifles,"
John B speaks quietly, stating the obvious.

"I know. That's why we're gonna need to think outside the box," JJ replies, bringing his gun that he stole out from his belt, checking how many bullets are left.

"What are you doing?" John B asks.

"Diversion," JJ clarifies, shoving the gun back into his belt.

"Dude, you can't be serious. This isn't Call of Duty," Pope scoffs.

"Yes, I'm serious. We got four rounds, alright?
Seven of them."

"Four rounds, J. Four," I state.

"Well, I vote we absolutely shoot that English bitch," Emory chimes, hands on her hips, and I sigh loudly. I swear, when one does something stupid, the other is all on board. Siblings, dude.

"We're gonna hit them heavy, and then we take their vehicle," JJ details.

"JJ, this is insane. You said you'd to careful."

"I know, Sunny, but I──" Surprising each of us, Sarah takes the gun out of JJ's belt, turning the safety off. "Hey, whoa."

Sarah ignores us, bringing the gun up, one eye closing as she aims it towards the Corsairs. "That's my brother," she voices, pulling the trigger and releasing the bullet from the gun. We watch with wide eyes, seeing the bullet hit one of the Corsair's vehicles, bringing out a large explosion which shakes the mercenaries down to the ground.

"Nice shootin', Tex," John B comments, placing a hand on Sarah's shoulder. The vehicle ignites into flames, forcing the Corsairs to snatch their weapons and regain composure after they just hit the ground. Rafe also goes to retrieve the scroll, placing the lens around his neck.

"Kill him!" is all we hear as shots begin to fire, but Rafe is beginning to move away rapidly.

"Run. Run," Kiara pushes, each of us rushing to get away.

"Let's alert them to our location. That's a great idea," Pope deadpans, following after the others.

We make a run for it, once again doing the one thing that is very close to making me hurl, but we're pretty much known for running for our lives in most given situations, so today is no different. We push and shove ourselves forward and into Agapenta, unaware of which direction we need to head in, but not caring as we can't afford to slow down when the Corsairs are likely behind us.

I keep JJ in front of me, preferring if he was up ahead rather than closer to the firing range as he's already injured as it is. I can't let him get hurt anymore, not when it's obvious his wound is beginning to annoy him.

"We've gotta get to the high ground. Get to the high ground!" JJ yells, looking over his shoulder at me as I attempt to keep a steady pace in order to match everybody else.

I hadn't realised that I was at the very end of the long line of us, but then I hear Pope yelling at the very top of the stairs that just had to be there, and I realise I'm lagging behind. "Come on! Hurry, come on!"

"We're coming! We're coming!" JJ pushes the gun back in the front of his belt before snatching my arm and pulling me up and behind him, a wince falling past his lips. He turns quickly before I have the chance to check on him, spotting the Corsairs. "Oh, shit!" A few Corsairs are literally right behind us, meaning they must've been close this entire time. God, I could've been killed.

As the door shuts, bullets whizz through the thin door, attempting to hit us. As shots are fired, we duck and move, hoping to not be in the firing line. "Is everyone okay?" I ask, worried that somebody could've been hit as shots continue to drill through the door.

"I'd know if I've been shot, right?"

"I'd like to think so."

"Let's go!" Emory yells, tilting her head in the direction of an alley that brings us into a room where a herd of goats seem to be, their reactions to us far more alarming than our reactions to them. "Fucking goats. Huh."

"Barricade the door!" Pope shouts, and I watch as he and John B go to block the door in the hopes of slowing them down for a moment. "Let's go, let's go! Come on, wedge them in there tight!"

"Wrong time to make a "that's what she said" joke, isn't it?" JJ speaks, looking directly at me, and I can't help but laugh, not realising just how much I needed some kind of joke to brighten this crappy, crappy day.

With that door barricaded, we continue to move along, running with no mind and no destination planned. We just have to keep moving if we want to have any shot of staying alive. "Guys, come on!" JJ hugs his arm around my back, trying to make me stay ahead, but I shove him too, needing him ahead of me.

He then winces, staggering into me. "JJ!" Bringing an arm around his back, I keep him upright, the pain in his abdomen seeming to worsen, likely not getting any better with all the running we've had to do lately. "It's okay. JJ, just... just keep going. It's okay."

He comes to a slow, body tilting away from me and into the wall. I go with him, still keeping my arm around him, worry settling into my chest and tightening. "What's wrong?" Emory asks, the same hint of concern in her tone.

"Keep going!" I shout to our friends who have also stopped, realising that we've fallen behind, and I refocus on JJ. "JJ, what do you need?"

He doesn't respond, not given the chance as Cleo barges forward, standing between us. "Give me the gun!" she demands, holding her hand out.

"What?"

"Give me the gun!" Cleo repeats, a sense of finality in her tone that suggests she won't be taking no for an answer.

"No, no! There's only three shots left!"

"JJ, you're hurt. Come on!"

"No, no. We should stick together!" JJ fights, afraid of what will happen if we separate which, yes, I understand, but he needs to think of himself too. He's hurt, unable to move with the gash to his abdomen, and I really need him safe, having come too close to losing him lately.

"Hey, go! She shouldn't be here!" Cleo yells, looking to Sarah who is being moved by Kiara and John B, the three of them following Rafe's direction.

"No, you're not doing it. No, no, no, no."

"Hey!" Pope slaps his hand on the JJ's shoulder, stopping him from fighting. "We got it. We'll hold them off. Let me protect you for once." JJ releases a sharp breath, obviously not wanting Pope to do this, but Pope isn't the kind of guy to take no for an answer either. Also, he's not alone. He's got Cleo, so he's going to be okay. "Hey, you're not the only one who shot teddy bears," Pope reminds, attempting to calm JJ.

His eyes flicker from me to Emory, realising he can't let himself get more injured for the sake of us, so he reluctantly brings the gun out from his belt, handing it to Pope. "Safety off. Believe in it," he tells, lifting his arm up and over Emory's shoulders, her arm coming around his back for support and to bring him off the wall.

"Don't do anything stupid," Pope warns, looking at the three of us with such meaning, with such purpose, with such determination.

I smile, nodding slowly to him and Cleo, hoping they'll be okay, that we'll reunite them with the crown in our hands. "Right back at ya."

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❀ soph speaks

i actually enjoyed writing this one and bcos i wrote less in this one, i've added an extra chapter so now there's only three chapters left!

there will be another chapter shortly . . .

thankyou for reading :)