Sympathy For The Devil

“So… What happened?” Akilah asked, breaking a long awkward silence. She asked the question the rest of the rebels in the van were too nervous to ask themselves.

The couple looked at each other before the wife started to speak.

“3067… Our little girl… We called her Tripp for short. She was around your guys’ age when we last saw her.” The woman looked to Akilah, Amora, and Vida as she continued.

“She had been complaining about some really weird nightmares the weeks leading up to her disappearance. We tried to get her to a doctor, but when they heard what the nightmares were about, they brushed it off as a vivid imagination.” The wife began to tear up, the husband putting a hand on her shoulder as he picked up.

“One day, we dropped her off at school, like we do every other day. We got home from work that day to an empty house, one that would usually be filled with Tripp’s laughter by the time we got there. We called her, and called her, but she never picked up.” The husband lifted his glasses to squeeze the bridge of his nose.

“It turns out, she had never made it onto the afternoon bus. We called the CF, and they said they would get right onto it, to not worry. We didn’t get another update after that. That’s the reason we were at the headquarters that day, the rest of the crowd was just curious about the pink-haired terrorist.” The husband explained.

“We just wanted answers. Why didn’t they care about our baby?” The wife started to cry, the husband comforting her as she leaned into his chest.

The van went silent for a moment, the rebels thinking to themselves.

“They were just asking where their daughter was. How could the Correctional Forces do this to them? Why?” Akilah thought as her fist balled in confused frustration.

“Don’t worry, you two. Once we get back to the compound, Doctor Nagi will treat you, then we’ll make sure we find your daughter, no matter how long it takes.” Jason smiled through the rearview as the wife wiped her eyes.

“Thank you. Thank you all so much. You’ve saved our lives, our family.” The wife smiled as she looked around the van.

“The others… Don’t blame them. If it wasn’t for Tripp, we would’ve been saying the same thing.” The husband looked out the back window of the van at the tiny dot the prison had become.

“He’s right. They don’t know anything else, we’ll show them how free they can be.” Hardy nodded to Akilah as he noticed her balled fist.

The girls nodded in response, some confidence returning to their demeanor.

“Alright, let’s go home.” Hardy smiled.

The van started the journey home, purposely blending into a cluster of traffic, moving in and out of backroads to avoid tracking.

At one of the traffic stand stills, Jason pulled his clipboard out of his glove box, looking over it out of curiosity.

“Let’s see if anything’s changed, based on Hardy’s accounts.” Jason thought as he clicked his pen.

Rebel Diagnostics

Name: Vida

Personality: Unwavering in her morals. Extremely loyal to her friends, to a sacrificial extreme. Pretty obviously romantically interested in Hendrix

Usual Attire: A green crop top with bell bottom jeans or a floral skirt. Vines interwoven into hair, usually accompanied by an accidental leaf or two.

Mode: Life

Abilities: Can manifest, at this time, a venus flytrap capable of digesting a human, a wall made of tree roots that can act as a barrier, and mushrooms which release spores that act as sensory deprivators.

Rebel Diagnostics

Name: Akilah

Personality: Very easily agitated, especially by Chase, Taro, and/or Kai. Has recently been purposely detached. Very knowledgeable on general topics as well as intelligent and strategic under the heat of battle.

Usual Attire: Blue jean jacket with a purple or black t-shirt, blue or black skinny jeans with black boots. Thick, round glasses covering eyes.

Mode: Intelligence

Abilities: Can activate an ability that allows her to sense anything within a very small radius. Also has an ability allowing her to predict a very short interval into the future based on the target’s Spirit intent. Recently acquired an ability allowing her to use her Spirit weapon as a sort of homing missile within a small margin of error.

Jason clicked his pen as he returned the clipboard to the glovebox.

“Man, these kids grow so fast. It would’ve taken anyone else twice the time to get this competent.” Jason thought as he grasped the driving wheel, continuing the journey home.