Ashes

Twenty-Two: Shatter Me

A/N: Aesthetic for Brynn Bancroft.

I wake up to the sound of laughter in the kitchen, a sound that hasn't filled this house for as long as I can remember. There'd been screaming, and crying, and breaking, and a lot of silence, but not laughter.

With a contented sigh, I roll out of bed and feel my bare feet hit the carpeted floor with a quiet thud. The kitchen contains my parents, and Kyros, all three of them laughing a little at some wild story from my ghost's past

Athena leans into Ezekiel's shoulder like it's the most natural thing in the world, and the sight is odd at best.

"Ari, as soon as Felix is back, I think we're gonna get going," Kyros tells me, and I give him a quick nod before heading to the bathroom to shower and change.

As the warm water runs over my shoulders comfortably, I start to reflect a little farther than I wanted to.

What happens now? Can we just up and take Athena out of here? Will she want to come?

What about Matthias? I don't think he'll be all to happy to have his wife leave, even if she was never really his.

Upon exiting, I'm informed that Felix is returning from a visit to his family now, and we'll head out once he gets back.

I take a seat on a stool by the kitchen counter, next to my ghost as my parents wander around the kitchen on their mission to feed this army of people here.

Felix walks in a few seconds later with a grin on his face, and motions to the door without saying a word.

Ezekiel merely stops for a few seconds, his face sobering as he realizes it's time for us to go. Echo, Athena, and Titus don't know that we're going, and for whatever reason, Kyros wants to keep it that way. I don't understand him sometimes.

Either way, Ezekiel merely ushers us out the door and decides that the hallway is a good place to teleport from. Okay Dad. Whatever you say.

"Be careful, Ari. Please," he begs, his hand cupping my cheek ever so carefully before he presses the receiver device into my hands. I give him a small smile and a nod before slipping the device into my pocket.

"And you two. Promise me you'll keep her safe?" he asks, a hint of distrust tinging his voice. Both Kyros and Felix agree solemnly, and before I can fully register what is happening, there's energy surging through my being and all I see is blue lightning.

And then we're standing in the streets of the Refuge.

There's still more dust and minuscule fragments of rubble from the attack a few months back, but nothing that someone who wasn't there when it happened would recognize. They cleaned up well. Better, they covered everything up well.

"Alright, Ky, what's the game plan?" I ask, and my ghost hesitates.

"We were supposed to teleport into the prison already," he admits, and both Felix and I whirl to face him.

"What, so we're gonna waltz up into McGregor's office and ask to be let in? 'Hey, remember us? You tried to kill us? Yeah we need to escape with one of your prisoners. Okay, thanks Uncle Will! Appreciate the help!'" I say, and my sarcasm amuses Felix but irritates Kyros.

"Okay, but seriously guys? Creepy Uncle McMurderkins has never met me. I'll get us in, and you guys come in afterwards. I've been wanting to beat someone up for a while now, and not in a training way," Felix tells us, and Kyros and I glance at each other quickly. My ghost shrugs, but agrees anyway.

"Can you get us in without being spotted?"

"Please. That's my new talent. Sneaking around, I mean," Felix grins, and starts down the street. Kyros merely stays put, so I don't move either.