𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐎𝐒 | liam stewart [1]

9. tent

"We scored 5000 off of a delivery truck last month," The ginger kid boasted with gleaming eyes. They were all sat around a fire pit, the smoke being distributed by carefully placed fans. "What do you do with all of it? There's only 4 of you guys," Chubs stated the obvious. "We do what needs to be done," The Ringleader smirked, making Pandora roll her eyes. "Got a problem, darling?" He asked her. "I wouldn't," Ruby warned but Pandora put her hand out gently. "Is it so hard to be humble? Might have to cut yout tongue out while you sleep," She shrugged with a devillish grin. "She doesn't mean that," Liam told them, glaring at the dark haired girl. "We'll see," She chuckled dryly, the redhead swallowing as he noticed her bruised face and chipped teeth. "Now that reminds me, anybody know how to set a nose properly? My Doctor didn't quit slip it back into place."

10 minutes later and a young boy going by the name of Mitchell was directing Liam on how to set her nose properly. Everyone was watching, Chubs holding her hand and Ruby holding the other. Liam was practically straddling her on the chair. "It's important someone she likes does it or she might just kill you," Mitchell shrugged, Liam huffing as everyone turned to him. "Now all you need to do is slide the tip of her bridge to the left in one quick motion," Mitchel ordered, his eyes turning Green. "Okay, you ready, pretty?" Liam asked, the girl winking at him as he closed his fingers around her nose. It had been aching ever so slightly since she'd got it 'fixed' telling her from past experience that it wasn't rightfully set. "And 3, 2," Before Liam could reach one, he slid the nose left swiftly, the bone making a satisfying crack as it slid into it's usual partially deformed state. Chubs and Ruby cringed slightly as her nails made moons in their palms. "Why thank you," Pandora smiled, blowing her nose with a handkerchief and wiping away the blood which came from it. 

...

"Do you know him, where the Slip Kid is?" Liam asked, the redhead nodding dramatically. "Well where?" Liam leaned forward and rested his arms on his knees. Pandora thought it was very attractive but didn't think that the thought was appropriate to voice at the time. Although, realistically, if she felt like making her point loud and clear she would've. "We can't tell you," The kid shrugged, nibbling on his crisps. "You've gotta be shitting me, man," Chubs threw his hands up. Pandora though back to when she was handcuffed to the infirmary bed, her nose broken but humour still thriving. No matter how many punches and kicks, the Captain would not break her. Not unless he killed her, but what would be the fun in that? "That's why it's called a secret pal," Another boy grinned at Chubs. "It's one of the Slip Kid's rules. 100% secrecy. It's the only way he can keep all the kids safe," They all nodded. Pandora had moved to grab some food, coming back to find that Zu had fallen asleep in her chair. Liam had offered for her to sit with him, easily slipping her onto his lap. She snuggling further into him as she tried to relax. Her head was buried in the crook of his neck, her breaths making his hairs stand on end. "You okay?" He asked her, brushing his hand up and down her arm to make her more relaxed. She nodded gently, slowly inhaling his scent and letting it send her into a state of tranquility. Her eyes were still slightly open, enough to see Ruby talk to the ginger kid about something. She watched Ruby's eyes glimmer orange, unable to notice if you didn't know she could control minds. Pandora sat up quickly, her head bashing into Liam's as she watched Ruby. "EDO," The boy stated, all the other kids groaning in frustration. "That's all your getting," He said like Ruby couldn't get the exact location with the brush of her skin against his. "Hey what's wrong?" Laim asked, his hands stablising Dora who sat on the edge of his knees. He'd recovered from his jaw smashing into Dora's head and was now worried about what made her so angsty. "Nothing," She stared at Ruby who refused to make eye contact with her. She settled back into Liam's arms and let his warm frame push her into slumber. 

When Dora woke up again, she found herself in a tent, a small oil lamp in the corner. She was buried into Liam's chest, his arm strung over her waist protectively. She wiggled out of his grasp, putting a pillow where she was sleeping. She walked out of the tent cautiously, seeing that Chubs was sat with a book, trying to keep his eyes open. "What're you doing?" Pandora whispered, zipping the tent quietly shut. "Someone has to keep watch," He gestured to the kids in the other tent, all of them awake. Pandora nodded, looking over his shoulder to see his EDO codes. "You'll figure it out, I know you will," She smiled, accepting his grin of gratitude. She walked off into the shelves of equipment, her hands trailing on the dusty surfaces. She started humming a song she heard people in her camp singing when guards left their room for the night. Her mind went to the girls and boys she had grown to know without speaking a word to them. The boy in her shared dormitory drenched in freckles. The girl who never made eye contact with anyone. The 6 year old who stared at you like she was planning your murder. The Doctors who smiled every time she limped into the infirmary. She'd left all of them behind. 

"Can't rely on anyone but yourself," She mumbled to herself, pushing down the fact her mind immediately went to Liam as she said it. She would leave them all if it came down to survival. No matter how much it hurt, or how many times she would think of turning back. No matter how many times Zu's innocent face came to her when she slept. Or the feel of Liam's hand would be just out of reach. She would survive. She would kill her father. She would find the Captain and beat him until he couldn't move. Pandora knew she was undeniably angry. She knew she was chaotic. She knew that no matter hard she tried, she couldn't put her broken self back together.