Withering World [MCSM Fanfiction]

HABITATION: Chapter 40

Petra

There she is. The lost has been found.

But not in the way that I expected since she found us, far from how we planned it.

I turn away from Kent, realizing I've made myself look like a villain when she bellowed with that rich and raging tone. Her frightening glare still exists and making a judgment on how slow her town's rebuild is going, I doubt she's changed at all.

My sword will stay out until she puts her weapon away, which is stupid, I know. Only a true master could deflect arrows with a blade, and as confident in my skill as I am, I'm still getting there. If Lukas doesn't bring out his bow right now, I could be dead meat. Having an archer on side proved to be handy... although I might've made him mad, hence the fact he stays motionless and unwilling to do anything about the pit I just single-handedly dug myself into.

The approach I'm going for could be completely wrong and the former prisoner could kill me on the spot but Kent is melodramatically whining like a dog, overly emphasizing his victim role. "Can you shut up? You've been saved."

"Petra. Stop," Lukas says, yanking my wrist to pull me away from both of them, though it doesn't pull me out of the drama I caused.

"I remember you." At last, Xara stows her weapon away. "Tell me, is Romeo gone?"

"Dead. Non-existent with the terminal." I recall ever so well that she no longer believed in Romeo's redemption. Her smile at my answer proves my memory still serves. Lukas may try to contain me and force me to behave with propriety down here, but this isn't his territory. He doesn't know how cold-blooded the ex-admin can be. I'm the one with the experience and I believe this woman will be lenient towards us no matter how far I would've gone with Kent. Jesse helped her, which hopefully confirms we're allies.

Xara fixes an authoritative gaze on Kent. "Go work on the power station with Brick and the others. I'll take care of these two." Oddly enough, I can't tell if she's in our favor or not.

The old man throws us a smug grin, thinking he did something before walking away. When he leaves, Lukas noticeably steps closer to me and I can't tell between if he's suspicious or scared of her. It's most likely both.

"So," Xara starts, "you and Jesse actually took him down?"

"If Jesse were here, she'd say it was a team effort, although everyone knows it was mostly her. She tried to save Romeo but- his powers were stripped and the terminal space was collapsing. The last thing he did was sacrifice himself to save us." The woman eyes me as if to think I'm lying about the latter.

"That was, is, and will always be unlike Romeo."

Lukas cuts in, uncaring about his approach to his response. My company stupefies her a little, probably not expecting him to speak up. "Desperate circumstances lead to desperate changes."

I briefly introduce Xara to Lukas, who still seems to be intimidated, standing in the presence of another outstanding archer. He tries lifting his hand supposedly to greet her with a handshake, but I bat it away, subtly shaking my head. If anything, she'd probably try to bite it off no matter how friendly she currently seems.

"How did you find us?" I ask.

"I heard my name and you were threatening one of my assistants. Did that not give it away?"

"You finally grew a heart to care for someone again?" And out of all people it had to be the pretentious Kent?

To my relief, she objects. "No. That guy was a thorn on my palm ever since he came. But he's one of my assistants and I was gonna need all the help I could get to rebuild the Oasis. Anyway, why are you here?"