Anarchy's Mystery

Chapter 27

No more than 20 minutes had passed before a guard had returned.

"It's about time." Alannah mused, her eyes closed as she leant back against the wall, mirroring Natalie's body language. The two girls sat glaring at the guard.

"Ms Natalie Hailey Walter, the Council has requested your presence." The guard said as he undid her chains from the wall.

"Surprise, surprise." Natalie muttered sarcastically. "And so formal dude. Not necessary." She turned back to Alannah as she reached the doorway and smiled. "See you later." Alannah returned the smile as the door was locked behind them. Natalie was marched through the back ways until she reached the Council room and was chained to the podium in the middle.

"I really don't get the necessity for all the chains." She muttered, tugging her wrists away. She moved her glare up to the Council members sitting on their chairs in front of her. "Actually, I don't get the necessity of this at all. You've clearly established that I'm not like my dad, I've heard you, so I don't know why I should be locked up because of him. You did just as bad things during the Age of Anarchy. You killed. You stole. You fought. I'm not saying the way that Ace did things was right. It wasn't. But the intention is what counts. So I'm sorry for you if you're going to persecute me because of who I'm related to or am friends with." She finished, her glare never fading from the shocked Renegades in front of her.

"Undo her chains." Evander ordered and Natalie smiled wryly. The bands snapped off of her wrists and she stood up straight. Natalie moved and sat in front of the podium, her legs crossed.

"Thanks. So do you want something, or can I go?" Her hair was still wet as she tightened her ponytail and pulled the sleeves of the uniform down over her palms and rested her hands in her lap.

"We should apologise." Simon started, looking cautiously at the others, avoiding eye contact.

"What we did this morning was inappropriate and uncalled for." Hugh added, neither catching her eyes.

"Yeah it was. But you know what?" Natalie stood up and brushed herself off. "I'm not going to hold that against you because I'm not my father." She turned and walked out, the rest of the room staring at her. The halls passed in a blur before she finally reached the lockers so she could get changed into her normal clothes. She hurried with her bag of stuff and dry clothes into one of the rest rooms and dumped her stuff on the bed. She pulled off the uniform and pulled on her own dry, warm clothes. She paused before holding out her hand. She slowly clenched it into a fist and heat was emitted. Slowly, the bag and contents of it were dried, along with her hair. She locked her stuff back into the locker and walked down to the training room. Her lack of sleep didn't bother her as she held up a bow, and arrow notched on the string. Pulling back and aiming, she took a breath and released, the arrow flying and landing just to the side of the bullseye. Another arrow was notched and released, landing opposite the first, just outside the bullseye.

"Come on, Natalie." She whispered, notching another arrow. "Think of Jake. And Matt. And the Renegades. Everyone who failed your family." She raised the bow and aimed.

"Panther!" A cheerful voice sounded behind her and she let the arrow fly. It struck the target with a smack and she spun around. Sketch's team stood in the doorway to greet her - minus Sketch.

"Whoa, I wish I could do that!" Smokescreen laughed, looking at the arrow in admiration. Natalie spun around to see her arrow in the middle of the bullseye, right in between her first two.

"Um hi." She said awkwardly, moving to retrieve her arrows. She tugged them gently off the target and stashed them with the others. She put the bow and arrows away and turned back to the two others. "So... do we have much to do today?" She asked, cutting through the silence.

"Not really." Smokescreen said at the same time as Red Assassin said, "Yeah." A small smile crossed Natalie's lips as she noticed how when Red Assassin laughed, she looked a bit like Samantha.

"So, I'm Ruby and this is Oscar." Red Assassin introduced, smiling and holding out her hand.

"I'm Natalie. It'll be a nice change to join your team for a bit." Natalie replied.

"I know! I've heard all about you! Your power is so cool!" Ruby fangirled, her eyes bright as she spoke.

"Thanks." Natalie said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Oh, Adrian said he'd be here by now but he always sleeps in so that's probably what's happening." Oscar noted, explaining the absence of the fourth Renegade.

"So what are we meant to be doing today?" Natalie asked, pulling her hair up into a messy bun on top of her head.

"First, getting you your uniform." Ruby pointed out.

"I've got clearance for this. Second?"

"Getting to know each other better!" Ruby said, throwing an arm over both Natalie and Oscar's shoulders, Natalie tensing whilst Oscar sank into it.

"Yeah, I think I'll pass on that one." Natalie slipped out from the embrace. "Plus, it seems you already know a fair bit about me."

"Oh, only the stuff that Adrian's told us from his dads." Ruby shrugged, as if that didn't matter. Natalie's heart stopped as she wondered just how much Hugh and Simon had told their son.

"Hopefully good things." She managed a smile which turned out more like a grimace - so she stopped it immediately.

"Yeah, but we heard about your mom and sister. I'm so sorry." Oscar added, his face sympathetic as Ruby released him from the embrace. Natalie flinched at the wound nowhere near healed.

"Don't apologise, it's not your fault." She replied, the image of her sister's face filling her head.

"No, but from what I've heard it's not yours either." They all spun around to see the one and only Adrian Everhart walking towards them.

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