Syndicate of tribulation

Chapter 23

Dax's POV

We were infiltrating the enemy base.

To be honest I don't understand why, we could easily hop on the boat and go back. Yet here we are, in the belly of the beast – on purpose. I feel like I don't have enough say in this group to dispute the decisions made. Even though I want to. I want to ask why we are still here after doing our job.

But alas, I am like a wallflower in this group, watching from the side and going with the motions. I peer to Eustace, almost curious about how she feels about this situation, but I know she always sides with King, so there is no point in her opinion. She would never give me her true one. Just a morphed one.

"Is it just me failing to see the reason for doing this?" Domo speaks up.

Domo, you may never know this, but I love you so much. You are the best!

"You don't even want to try and save the rest, or at least find out where they were taken?" Amo asked Domo incredulously, with an accusatory tone. I guess he has a point, it's not fair to leave when everyone we came here with is in unknown danger, we should at least check if there is something we can do about it.

Boy, am I glad I didn't voice my doubts. Sorry Domo, thanks for taking one for the team.

"Also, I want to confirm if Perfide is actually involved" King adds, we all nod to each other in understanding.

King slightly briefed us about the dangers of Perfide. If those nightmarish people are involved, it's better to know now than be unprepared if we ever must face them in the future.

"Perfide has changed so much since you have been gone, King. The loss of their precious Messorem was one of the catalysts for the sudden changes. In my time there, I learnt that we never even scratched the surface of Perfide's true powers. We were their first children recruits but they existed long before that division came around. We were simply someone's sick dreams come true, Perfide is a mighty glacier and we only ever saw around 20% of it." Besloe mutters to King, she nods in understanding, and we all stalk out of the small room slowly.

We learnt two lessons that day:

1) We suck at being inconspicuous.

2) If someone catches you immediately, don't play along – just run.

But someone once told me experience was the best teacher and that person was King and look where she is now.

We all sat in a dark mess hall, the long wooden tables filled with monotonous people, moving robotically, and slurping the soup in sync. If I wasn't so frightened maybe I would be amazed at how everyone moved like members of one body. Bes and King fell into their rhythm easily, like they were used to it whilst the rest of us stumbled to stay on beat. They weren't necessarily going fast but their rhythm was strange and felt unnatural to follow.

After they all finished, simultaneously might I add, they all stood up and walked out of the hall in a single file line.

We followed them swiftly and attempted to match their emotionless faces. When we arrived at a dark corridor, we snuck away through a mahogany door which looked like it hadn't been used in ages.

The door creaked obnoxiously as we lethargically opened it. "Can you creak that louder, I don't think Australia heard it well enough" Tyro sassed King, she sided-eyed Tyro before slipping through the small space she had created, and we followed her promptly onto what looked like a balcony. It was old and enshrouded with darkness but below it is what really mattered.

Everyone we came with, was knocked out and tied to a chair each. There were some people in white coats checking all of them for something but that was the only personnel we could see.

Suddenly, a low whirring sound came out of nowhere and a green beam started sliding across the room. "Body checkers" Besloe whispered, we all turned to him confused. "It checks your muscles and joints and from that it can calculate your abilities, limitations, and potential. Perfide used it before brainwashing people" he continued, sensing our confusion. "So, they are about to be brainwashed?" Eustace asked, Besloe looked down as the green beam hovered over the last person. "Most definitely".

"What happens to people with less potential?" Amo quizzed, Besloe gulped and didn't meet his eyes. "Oh," Amo mumbled. "Is there anything we can do for them?" King asked the questions on everyone's mind. "Hope they get brainwashed rather than the alternative" Bes replied, in a serious tone.

Oh.

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We crept back onto the boat, "this boat is too big and noticeable, surely there must be a smaller boat around" King voiced, Tyro piped up "I saw a small boat on our way here, I know where it is".

Once we found it, we all piled in, and Tyro sat by the motor. He is a jack-of-all-trades because one second, he is a brooding, scary 18-year-old and the next he is the captain of a lifeboat.

He is terrifying but a very cool guy. Hopefully, one day I can be confident and talented like him.

That was weird. Or am I overthinking?

By the time I was out of my own head, we were almost at the shore of somewhere. Tyro was quietly complaining to King how he didn't get to burn anything, whilst King rolled her eyes and pat his head like a dog. Of course, this led to them fighting like an old married couple, again! I swear, if they were anyone else, anyone would suspect they were married.

"You guys are like an old married couple" Domo pipes up, can this girl hear my thoughts? Always saying what's on my mind. "You two should get married, since no one else would date your scary asses" Amo quipped. My jaw nearly touched the floor at his insult, it was true, but their scary asses could end him so quickly that he wouldn't have time to take his insult back.

"I know right" King agreed.

What?

You zone off for 20 minutes and the world flips on its axis. Tyro nodded in agreement. What!? Has hell frozen over, since when was Tyro chill with getting insulted?

I shook my head, hoping this was all just a phase and it would be over soon. I approached Stace, who was braiding her curly hair, which had become unruly as a result of all the running we did. "Everyone's gone crazy" I whispered to her. She quietly giggled and shook her head, as if I was the ridiculous one, me? The only one who was still sane on this boat, sans Eustace.

"We are heading near a port. I have already contacted Blake, so he knows our location already." King declared, her voice commanding and firm.

Terrifying but cool. She was also someone I hoped to one day be like.