A New Start

Chapter 8

Flashback

Vi saw her in the halls, during lunch, but she also saw her friends. She got called slurs enough, she didnt need to hear it from them, too. Didnt want them to look at her the way everyone else did.

The partying helped. It kept her mind off the way people spoke of her outside. No flings, no strings, the girls she pleased or had been there for treated her with respect until their friends initiated unkindness.

Then Caitlyn walked into the room. She doesnt remember what came next, or what happened between them, but she laid awake for a long while before Caitlyn woke up. Before Caitlyns mother almost shot her.

She would never admit her crush, never admit she only cared what Caitlyn thought of her. Caitlyn was one of the good ones, she knew that when she wasnt called slurs, but defended against them. Vi fell, hard.

She wishes she could remember, wishes she could have stayed. Wishes she knew about and could have helped raise Matilda.

End Flashback

Vi coughs blood onto the flood, standing over her cellmate... Ex- cellmate. "Well done, miss Violet Lane. The legacy you hold-" she lunges at the bars. "Easy tiger, im not your enemy. That is." He points to Sevika. "Thats the champion the world wants to see you beat. There cant be two winners, and there cant be two losers. No cheating your way out of this one." When the bars open, shes held by three large people. The body is extracted, and shes shoved back behind the closing bars.

"Fuck. You." She huffs.

"I wonder if your daughter having front row seats will affect anything."

"Dont you dare touch her!" She pounds on the bars, trying to bend or move them. Its to no avail. The mystery man laughs, walking out. The pirate standing guard approaches.

"The council has an army and a half walking this world for you. Matilda and Caitlyn are both under a lot of protection, Cassandra pushed it. Her and Tobias-"

"What about my dads? My siblings?" Her voice wavers.

"Silco is about to be Zauns leader. Hes been campaigning, and acting like a true leader. Zaun is in good hands. Vander is rough, Silco watches over him to help with the drinking. Mylo and Claggor are back to their old antics, mainly minor chaos, but neither have passed drug tests in a long time. Powder isnt much better, but shes been getting rather cozy with your lady. Dont worry, shes not looking for romance. Theyre a cute duo."

"And Matilda?" Her voice is small.

"Shes been training. Your videos, Tobias and Cassandra teaching her to shoot. Vander spars with her, fills in gaps you didnt get the chance to fill."

"Hows Cait?" She couldnt hold it back anymore. Tears slip down her chin.

"Shes not great, but shes hanging in there. Her and Powder had a talk about marriage. Not yours, just in general. It was the most relaxed she had been in a long, long time."

"Can i have your name?"

"Mara. Captains got a fluke bounty on you, by the way. Salo and Hoskel caught wind of this operation via mutual trail. They had a few overlapping men, and bingo, here you are."