Ashes

Ten: Argos

A/N: Aesthetic for Johann Blackwood.

I awaken to find the all-too-familiar rumbling of the bus beneath me. The familiar rough navy blue sheets of the bunks are beneath me, and over me, and I can only stare at the wooden bottom of Callista's bunk as guilt and sorrow wash over me like the ocean.

The first thing I notice is that there's a burning pain that makes my back feel like it's on fire.

The second thing I notice is that I'm not in control.


Morning, sunshine, Arya spits, no hint of teasing confidence in her voice. She's angry, and away from her people, and my friends have her under their control.

She rattles against the cuffs that are attached to one of her wrists and both of her feet, but to no avail. They've been waiting for this. They're ready. Every angle of this situation, they've calculated. Even Andi and Echo coming with us, apparently.

Arya glances sideways and reveals the two of them chained up in a similar fashion. Andi is still asleep, but Echo is awake, staring at the ceiling like she wants to kill it.

Callista crouches down into my field of vision suddenly, startling both Arya and I.

"Ari is that you? Or is it... her?" she questions, and I can feel the smirk that spreads across Arya's face.

"Ariadne isn't home right now. Please leave a message at the tone,"

Oh, sure. Of course evil me had to be a sarcastic idiot.

While Callie looks disappointed, there is moment where humor flickers across her gaze, soon replaced by hatred.

"Where's Felix?" Arya asks, and Callie gestures behind her.

"In the back. Still," she replies, and Arya nods slowly.

"And where are we?"

The bus suddenly lurches to a halt, and shouting fills the air.

"The gates of New Canada," Titus yells from somewhere in the back. Arya pokes her head out of the bunk and glances at the front window of the bus.

There's a stone and concrete wall that seems to reach for the heavens themselves, iron gates sealing off who knows what. The towers far above us shine spotlights upon us despite the sun outside, and Titus quickly sprints from his seat to head outside.

Holy crap. So this is New Canada.

I hear shouting and frantic apologies filling the air, and then silence. Callie edges closer to the front of the bus, while Echo, Rhea and I merely stare at the scene outside in intense silence.

Kyros. Where's Kyros?

I can't even ask because of Arya.

Titus enters the bus a few seconds later, gently placing his hand on Callie's shoulder and pushing her to sit on the couch.

Three men in heavy body armor and masks step into the bus, clutching heavy weapons in their arms. In their lead is muscled, tall blond dude with an undercut and more tattoos than I could count. Seriously. Arms, hands, and neck are covered, let alone probably everywhere else on him.

He raises a hand and the men stop moving, and he points at me quickly.

"Are these your Burned friends?" he questions, and Titus nods.

"My sister, three friends, and the guy who was bringing us here," he says.

Kyros. He's one of the Burned now, too.

The tattooed blond guy lets out a scoff.

"You're crazy, man. There's no cure for them, you know that? Canaan's a myth," he says, and I can see the color drain from both Callie and Titus' faces.