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130 Days Until Adaption And the Uncertain End (part 2)
Heia stood with Lynx. Heia was dressed in the best clothes that they had. The presentation at hand was one that no one wanted to be present for. It was unfortunate that Heia was the one who was supposed to give it.
“Why do we need to dress her up like a model?” Trace asked kicking her legs to atop the bed where she sat.
“An idol.” Lynx corrected as Kim continued to do Heia’s makeup. “Something to idolize a symbol. They do it in all the great books.”
“I’m just giving a speech for motivation.” They had strong armed Alan Penn into action. The X’s were working around the clock to complete the space program, with factories that had not been used in decades. They had gotten little support from the Circles, but Heia knew that Zeydar and Shawn could not strong from the Circles the way that she had.
“Okay. There.” Kim stepped back. “Perfect.”
“Do I look deadly?” Heia asked the room. Lynx gave a thumbs up and Onyx nodded. Trace rolled her eyes as Robee looked Heia over and shrugged. Only Kori said yes, and even then Heia didn’t trust her.
“We just need to give them motivation to work.” Heia spoke more to herself than to them. “To pack. To prepare. Personal belongings only. Sustenance and food will…” Be provided by the Circles, despite the fact that they made it. She hated the fact that all of their accomplishments were claimed by the Circles.
“What if Zeydar can’t make them bend?” Robee asked to no one in specific.
“Is that to say you don’t think Estashia can?” Kim looked back to him which had him shaking his head. ”She’ll do it. No matter what.”
“And then the Circles help us.” Robee, too, did not believe that they ever would. They had a track record of abandonment after all.
“And then we just need the Stars not to abandon us.” Heia thought of the next attacks by the Aralax that were predicted. “We need them to survive.”
“You trust Zeydar to pull that off?” Robee asked then.
“We have to.” Lynx sighed.
“They are here.” Onyx called out to them, bringing all the attention to the door.
“Are you ready?” Alan asked as he knocked on the door.
“Use me as your prop piece.” Heia walked towards him, Kim following in step behind her.
They walked through the halls following Alan who had received training videos from Evester. The world had gotten them, and Heia had yet to see them. From what she knew they were training videos on how to kill Aralax. They were all concept vides, but knowing Evester there would be real examples given later.
Alan Penn stood waiting for her as she exited the facility. It was only when they were out there, by the stage, that he looked her over. He saw her. “You look good.” He did not approve.
“Thanks.” She straightened her back and felt more confident knowing that he did not approve of what she wore. She had to be the rebel that he saw her as.
“Stick to the talking points.” He handed her a note card. “Relay them, tell them that they needed to work together, and that soon the Circles would help them.” She nodded and walked before the cameras with him. Alan spoke for long with lofty words that made her chest ached. He spoke on how they were working at their finest and how soon everyone would need to start moving towards the ships. He said that those without homes would have space to live in soon, and that they were all going to be safe.
When he gave the microphone to Heia she blanked, fully, and completely. Every word in her mind disappeared and everything she knew to say was gone. Her tongue was tied and she understood then that she needed far, far more practice in order not to balk in front of millions.
“We will be okay. Keep working. The- the Circles will help us soon.” It was forced, broken, horrible and she almost wanted to storm away. When Alan said he’d allow for her to show off the techniques that Evester had spoke on, she knew she had blew it. Walking to Lynx and Kim she wanted to cry.
“Head up.” Lynx told her. “You sucked and that’s fine. We can’t all be Evester. What matters now is you prove that you aren’t a joke.”
“But I am.” Heia warned her, not believing for a moment she was the right person for the job. “I’m not the best at these.”
“But you are better than them.” Kim told her, wiping Heia’s brow. She erased whatever sweat and tears had formed, tears Heia didn’t even know she had. Kim then put a holoblade in her hand. “Take them down. No mercy.”
“Take who down?” Heia turned to the field where she would be fighting. Before her were two large soldiers dressed ready to attack her.
“No Mercy.” Kori walked up. She had been dressed for her part in this matter as well. Where Heia looked like a soldier, however, Kori looked like a mercenary out of some old film.
“Now the techniques state that you must have a partner.” Alan spoke out. “Your partner?”
“It’s me!” Kori smiled. “I hope you don’t mind.”
Kori was the best at adapting to Heia. They could not use EverDanger members who were reknown for their existing skill. Kori shot Heia the most breathtaking look that renewed the confidence within Heia. In moments the world was going to be in awe, Heia could feel it. Deep breath in and deep breath out, Heia looked at the men, holoblade in her hand glowing.
No mercy.
The match was called and Kori and Heia sprinted. These were not men but Aralax. You never fought Aralax head on.
Moving away, Heia helped launch her sister into the air before going to attack the man’s legs. Kori tumbled over him and used the force of her body to knock the man down from behind as Heia moved to attack his legs. He was unable to avoid it. First man on the ground, Kori spun her weapon out providing the killing blow without actually killing anyone, but Heia did not see it. She was already attacking the second from behind. Sliding under and kicking up she knocked the man off balance in time for Kori to knock him off his feet and for Heia to provide the killing attack.
Thirty seconds was the time the battle took. Thirty seconds to knock trained soldiers down, soldiers who had probably looked down on them because they were civilians. The trained soldiers forgot that they’d survived weeks in no man’s land with only Aralax.
“I hope that helps!” Kori smiled.
Alan Penn was at a loss for words, and Heia helped the men up. “Practice the techniques Evester gave you. It’s whats going to save everyone.”
Kori cheered out. “Everything is going to be okay, right Heia?”
“As long as we work together and train like our lives depend on it, because they do. These skills may come in handy in the next world too.” She then paused knowing the camera was getting her words. “And the Circles will come.”
“You are sure?” Kori asked her. Kori had set this up to redeem her and Heia couldn’t be happier. Heia was going to took it and went with it.
“There is nothing I’m more certain of.” Heia and Kori walked off back to Kim, Lynx, Onyx, Trace, and Robee, as if saying that they were ready to take on the world if they had to, if it meant saving it.
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