𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐎𝐒 | liam stewart [1]

13. safe haven

"Hey Zu, we're packing up," Chubs told the girl who held a bunch of wild flowers. The young girl just nodded. Pandora stared at her sadly, knowing that her childhood would never be the same. Although neither was hers. Dora pushed away any thought of her father and got up, emptying out the cups of water. "We gotta go, unless you want to try and run away again," Liam turned to Pandora with a smile. She pretend to think before snarkily saying: "I would but you'd miss me too much." 

Liam offered Zu a hand as she slipped off the trunk of the van. It had been emptied as much as possible, their backpacks filled to the brim. They were on the hunt for the Slip Kid's safe haven and they were going to fight knuckles bloody and powers blazing until they got there. "It feels like we should do something for her," Liam said, smiling at the yellow flowers that Zu had put on the trunk. Pandora and Chubs both put their hand on Liam's shoulder and simultanously agreed that she was 'just a mini van'. They all waved together and started walking away into the summery forest, cringing at Pandora's so-called brilliant jokes. 

They laughed as Chubs tripped over roots; Ruby hit herself in the face with a branch; Zu lost a shoe in the marshy woodland; Liam ran around with a screaming Pandora on his back. They trekked through the woods and onto grass, stopping as they reached a train tracks. "It's around here somewhere," Chubs and everyone else looked around the greenery. "For a Green you're pretty slow," Pandora quoted Chubs from when they first met, everyone turning around. Pandora pointed and the tracks where a messy E.D.O was created using sticks, stones and a tyre. "Holy shit," Liam stated, laughing and spinning Dora around. "We fucking did it, man," He grinned. Ruby and Zu jumped up and down, Dora hugging Chubs tightly. "We're here," she told him, the boy adjusting his glasses and laughing hysterically. They were all so fucking done with their lives being hard, they'd reached some sort of relief high. "Let's go, go, go," Ruby said, waving everyone in the direction. 

The five kids walked around a stone plane, chatting and laughing. Liam held Dora's hand tightly as they reminisced about the funny things she'd said to get herself a beating back at Thurmhond. "I cannot believe you-" Liam's sentence was cut off by a gun shot which rang through the air. Pandora heard it whistle near her, her eyes glowing purple in retaliation. She looked to Liam, his eyes also glowing blue. They all dropped to the ground, Pandora grabbin Zu and keeping her under her arm. She'd go down fighting if they tried to hurt the young girl. She'd grown to be a sort of younger sister to them all and Dora knew that there was no way these people could hurt her. Smoke billowed off the stone where the bullet landed, masses of camoflaged people with guns walking out of the landscape. "STAY ON YOUR KNEES!" One ordered, making Pandora pull Zu closer to her. "We're not armed," Liam tried to say with his hands out but one boy with long hair just grabbed him by the back of his shirt and screamed at him. "Save it asshole," The boy spoke through his teeth. He grunted in pain as he fell to the floor, Pandora's foot having smashed into his shin. Guns were all raised at her, people telling her to keep her head to the ground. She put Zu behind her, unafraid. She'd told herself she would never be afraid anymore so a bunch of people with loaded barrels that they were probably too afraid to shoot didn't faze her much. "Wait- wait," One boy put his hand up, staring at Liam. "Liam Stewart?" He stepped forward, Liam slowly rising with his hands still up. 

Pandora rose, holding Zu's hand tightly. She scanned the area, finding the best place to pick Zu up and run if necassary. "My man," The boy hugged Liam who stared at him. "Mike?" He asked, the boy telling everyone to stand down. "Man I'm sorry Liam, didn't know it was you," Mike and him clasped hands doing some sort of brotherly handshake. "Dora?" A girl, the one who had stood up for her in the shoe-polishing incident, stepped forward. She dropped her gun gently on the ground befor rushing forward. "Guys it's Pandora Drakes," She announced, a circulation of whispers arising. It seemed that her sharp mouth and wit was a commonly known thing. "Didn't know I was famous, can I get a free manicure with this too?" Pandora gave the girl a gentle hug, relishing in the new laugh. "Never lost your humour did you," She girl shook her head with a beaming smile. She had a couple scars and an offset jaw, probably after a beating from the Captain. "I slipped out of the infirmary when you set off the alarms. They thought I was so beaten up that they didn't bother to put handcuffs on me. Stupid bastards. Your missing presence caused quite the stir, especially for the Captain," She mumbled with a huge toothy smile. "I always knew I was the favourite," Pandora shrugged, still holding onto Zu as the small camoflaged army retreated and let the 5 kids through. 

"This is it," The girl who introduced herself as Yasmin, smiled. She gestured to the open haven. Pandora's eyes filled with glee as she watched kids running around in the fields blowing bubbles, a plethora of colours filling the space. Laughter and chatter were bouncing through the air, placing a smile on her face. "Liam we did it," She whispered to him, looking to see him already staring at her. "Yeah, we did". 

They were led to the largest building on campus, a run-down two storey cabin where the Slip Kid worked. Apparently he was the only one with a computer which sent alarm bells faintly ringing in Pandora's head. She let Liam go first, then Ruby, Chubs, Zu and finally her. "You've got to be kidding me," Chubs was the first one to speak, mirroring how Pandora felt as her heart sunk. Clancy Gray stood in front of them. "What the actually Christ, bollocks, fucking shit is this?" Pandora decided to add on, watching Clancy supress a smile. "I knew you weren't reformed," Chubs shook his head as Ruby asked if it was really him. Clancy laughed, his gap tooth showing loud and proud. Pandora thought of making some smart-ass comment as well but then decided it was probably best if she was in the Slip Kid's good books. 

"You're Charles right? And you must be Tsuzui," He shook both of their hands with a grateful smile. "And you must be Liam Stewart, the kid who broke 100 kids out of Caladonia," Clancy looked at him in awe. Liam looked anywhere but his eyes, his cheeks heating up in embarrassment. "He prefers to be called Hunnybuns," Pandora couldn't help but add, resulting her being shoved by Liam and him referencing that that was not the case. "And how could we forget Pandora Drakes. You're a bit of a legend around here," Clancy smiled, shaking her hand. "Why thank you, do I get extra cake after dinner?" She asked, making him laugh. "How did you survive with that chatterbox of yours?" Clancy asked with a chuckle. "I am a lot of promises to people, I couldn't die knowing I hadn't kept them," She looked down, her head turning to Liam as he squeezed her hands. "And Ruby Daily, the last remaining Orange other than me," Clancy smiled at her. Alarm bells rang loud and clear in Pandora's head. "How does he know that? The only people who know are us, the League and Thurmhond, where Ruby and I were stationed," Dora whispered in Liam's ear. He stared at Clancy but didn't say anything else. "You alright there Pandora?" Clancy turned to her. "Mhmm, wondering if you have any nicer clothes?" She looked down at her blood-stained, dirty jeans which she hadn't changed out of for a long time. "Of course," Clancy gave her a goofy smile and sent them all to Cabin 18.