"Have you fought someone like me before?"

"Someone like you?"

"Yeah. A Rebel Candidate."

What.

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"A Rebel Candidate?"

"Yeah, I'm trying to get recruited into the Rebels."

Shit. This is bad. If Riven finds out about this...

"You can't tell Riven about that, alright?"

She tilted her head in confusion. "Okay. Why?"

"He's been obsessed with them for the longest time now. He thinks that joining them is a one-way ticket to freedom and food."

"And he's right. Joining them means regularly raiding military bases and taking their resources. Weapons, food, technology, information. It's incredible."

"Yeah, it is. But the cost is civilian lives. Every time the Rebels go out on a mission, most of them die. What's the point of freedom if it means walking over the dead bodies of your friends and comrades?"

"That's what they signed up for. It's not about freedom for us, it's about freedom for those who're too scared to fight on their own. Standing up for others, like what you did for me. I'm surprised you see them so antagonistically."

"I'm not villainizing them. What they do is selfless and courageous, but I'm not letting Riven throw himself away as fodder."

Lyra looked at me, an offended expression covering her face. "Fodder? How dare you! They're heroes and martyrs."

"Maybe. Regardless, don't put any ideas into Riven's head, okay? I'm just trying to look out for him."

Lyra's expression softened, and she pursed her lips. "Yeah, of course. He's too young anyways."

I looked up at her. "There's an age limit?"

She gave me a stupid expression. "Of course. No one under the age of 18 can even become a Candidate."

So, I'm out of the question then.

"So, I take it you're not interested in joining either?" She asked.

I shook my head. "No. My 18th birthday isn't for at least two months, anyway."

I call it my birthday, but in reality, it's just the day I woke up. Nothing special about that.

"I see. Oh well, it's not like I'll be recruited anyways."

I finished my food and started wrapping the leftovers up in my blanket. With all the money we made, I could take Riven's old blanket for myself and buy him a new one. I'd need to get something for Lyra to sleep on too.

"Why's that?" I inquired.

Lyra helped me pack up. "I'm a terrible fighter. I'm scrawny, weak, and barely have any form. I say I fight like a Rebel Candidate, but the truth is, they have way better form and technique than me."

"Mm... no. You're built better than most lower-rank fighters. You have good form too. Remember, I took your attacks well by coincidence. Any other fighter wouldn't have beat you so easily."

"Maybe. But still. The Rebels wouldn't see that, would they?"

I paused. "Hold up. The Rebels watch the Pit fights?"

"Of course they do. How else would they find suitable Recruits?"

Made sense. Still, how did I never notice?

Neither of us said a word. By the time we finished, another explosion went off in the distance. This one was farther away.

"Another test gone wrong, huh," Lyra sighed.

"Yeah. Apparently." I looked out the hole in the wall. No windows, no glass, nothing. Just a hole between metal beams.

"Have you heard the rumours?" Lyra turned to me.

"What rumours?"

"That the weapons being tested are really just people."

"Testing people? To what, blow up?"

"No." She gave me that same, stupid expression. "You know about Aetherium, right?"

Of course I knew about it. The government used the dreaded ore in their weapons, allowing them to draw out human energy to make more destructive technology. Aethos weapons were the only reason the government had so much control over our population. In fact, the entire reason half the world lived in poverty is because every nation was fighting to get their hands on more Aetherium.

"You're talking about Bloatstone?" I teased, using the street word for the shitty rock.

Lyra smiled for the first time since we'd met. "Yeah, Bloatstone. Some rumours are circulating that the government is embedding them into people to make energy deposits for weapons of mass destruction."

"No way. That can't be safe."

"Hence, the explosions."

I stood still for some time. Using Aetherium in weapons is risky enough. Drawing on human energy for too long runs obvious risks. But Aetherium in people? That's demonic. How could such a body hold so much energy, anyways?

"The government is corrupt, deprived of humanity, and overall terrible," I whispered. "But no way they'd resort to human nukes with Aetherium surgeries."

Lyra shook her head. "No, no. Not weapons made of people. People as energy sources for larger, more demanding weapons. If a normal soldier can wield a sword or energy rifle, a soldier with Aetherium implants could probably wield a giant shockblast-hammer, or a huge arm cannon. And the weapons wouldn't even drain the soldier, just their Aetherium core."

I looked back at Lyra, my eyebrows furrowed. "You've put a lot of thought into this, huh?"

She shrugged. "It's an urban legend I picked up on, but I wouldn't put it past the government to try something like it. It would also explain the kidnappings."

"I guess, but-"

Wait. Kidnappings.

"Lyra," I started, my eyes widening. "Where's Riven?"

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Lyra and I ran around the Graveyard looking for Riven. We went to every shop, every corner, every alley, looking for a little boy with messy, brown hair, wearing a camo green jacket. Finally, we ran into Matilda, most likely on her break.

"Matilda. Please, have you seen Riven anywhere?"

She gave me a look of concern. "Riven? No? What did you get him into this time?" She turned to see Lyra behind me, and her eyes told me she was piecing it together. "You know how he takes to new people, Ash..."

"Yes, yes, I know," I stammered. I couldn't find my words. "Just please, help me find him."

"Well," she started. "You know how he is," she said, looking up at the roof. I followed her gaze, and miraculously, saw Riven's silhouette on the roof of the building.

"How-"

"Maternal instinct, dear. Now, go get your little brother."

I gave Matilda the biggest hug I could and ran into the building, rushing up the stairs. I could hear Lyra panting behind me. When I got to the top, however, I was met with an electric baton to the stomach.

BZZZZZZZZ!

The shock sent me recoiling, and if Lyra didn't catch me, I would've fallen down the stairs. I groaned, looking up to the face of a man in full black, standard military attire. A black flak jacket, biker helmet, long-sleeve shirt, gloves, and black camo pants. His weapon was clearly the electric baton.

Behind him stood two more men, one holding a Aethos dagger with an energy outline, the other holding a pistol. Closer to Riven, a fourth soldier held an entire Aethos rifle aimed Riven's head. 

Riven. He stood there, clutching his hands around his dagger. His eyes were in absolutely terror, which was nightmare fuel for me. Tears ran down his face, and he was shaking, watching me.

"Ash..." he whimpered. "Please... don't let them hurt me."

"Riven!" I yelled, clutching my stomach. "Don't move! Just relax!"

"Hey!" the man with the baton yelled back. "Shut it, kid!"

Lyra held my arm tightly, not letting me get closer. She pulled herself close and whispered, "Ash, look up at the building behind Riven."

I looked up behind Riven, seeing the silhouette of a figure in a black longcoat standing on a distant building. "What about him?" I whispered back.

"Just watch."

"Lyra, I don't have time for-"

"You want Riven to survive, right? Trust me, he will."

I closed my eyes, but all I could see was Riven's terrified face. When I opened them, however, the man on the building was gone. I turned to Lyra, who had a smug smile on her face. When I looked back, the man reappeared right above Riven, two Aethos daggers in his hand. He fell onto the man holding Riven at gunpoint, shredding him at the gut and neck. The other three were taken aback, but quickly readied themselves. Lyra and I were faster, though. I quickly took the guy with the electric baton, disarmed him, and shoved his baton into his stomach. I didn't stop until the baton itself turned off. When I took it off his stomach, there was a gaping hole, blood splurting from every opened vein and artery. Lyra disarmed the man with the dagger and stabbed him in the neck, while the man in the coat threw his dagger right at the pistol-man's head.

Riven didn't move the entire time. He'd seen people get beat up to near death, hell, he'd even seen me almost die. But he's never seen death this close up before, especially not with Aethos weapons. It was gory beyond his wildest imagination. Not to mention, this violence was entirely unnecessary. Why were these soldiers even up here? What did they want with Riven?

I ran over to Riven and held him tightly. "Holy shit. You okay buddy?" I cried, not able to stop myself.

He dropped his dagger and held me too. "Ash. I'm scared," he sobbed.

"It's okay, bud. I'm here, I'm not going anywhere okay?"

We both held each other for a few minutes, just crying. Not once have I ever come that close to losing him before.

After lots of tears and snot, I finally let him go. I wiped myself clean and turned to the man in black, who was now sitting on the doorway where Lyra and I came from. He had a chiseled face, a scar across his cheek, and a cowboy hat.

"Howdy!" he exclaimed. Very cheery for a man who just killed two people.

"Sir," I mumbled, dropping to my knees. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

The man laughed, twirling his dagger around his hand. "No problem, kiddo. You looked like you needed a hand, and guess what? I got two!" He threw his daggers up, caught them, and laughed even harder.

Lyra walked up to me, held my arm, and stood me up. "Guess what?" She asked, a smug expression on her face.

But I already knew. He was a Rebel. Why else would he be so quick to cut down on soldiers.

Something moved behind me, and I immediately jumped to Riven's side. Pistol-man was barely alive, which was incredible considering he had a dagger thrown into his skull. Riven slowly walked out from behind me and made his way to the man.

"Riven! Stop! Come back!"

Riven, being Riven, looked at me, acknowledge what I said, and completely ignored it. He knelt down in front of the man, who was reaching out. He took the helmet of the man, revealing a mutilated face from where the Aethos dagger connected. It didn't just make a deep cut, it looked...

Well, to be perfectly honest. I didn't get a good look. The initial sight alone was enough to make me keel over and throw up. All I can say is that his upper face was properly destroyed by Aethos energy.

Riven held the man's hand, almost looking sad as he died. 

The man in the longcoat narrowed his gaze at Riven, almost condescendingly. "Don't sympathize with the enemy, kid. It makes it easier to deal with them if you don't see them as people. Those dumb helmets make it easier."

Riven shook his head, looking up at the man. "But, he was a human, right?"

"Sure was. But that human was gonna put a blast in your head, kill your brother, and let his goons assault your sister before cheaping her off to some pervert in the Capital. You alright with that?"

Riven looked back down at the dead man, still holding his hand. "You don't know that. What if he was just following orders?"

"Even then, what sicko would kill innocent kids on someone else's order?"

"Just...shut up!" Riven exclaimed, covering his eyes. Was he... crying? For a government soldier?

"Riven..."

"Ash!" he turned to look at me. "Don't you feel bad? What if he had an older brother who was waiting for him? What if his family was expecting him home?"

"Yeah, sure. But, he wasn't my family. He was threatening my family, so..."

"So?" Riven's eyes changed. They looked desperate.

"So, if I could, I'd kill him myself. Over and over again. I wouldn't even let him come close to hurting you."

I could see Riven working out what I was saying. Yeah, he was thickheaded sometimes, but his heart was never in the wrong place. He's just in shock.

"Yeah," he said, letting go of the soldier's hand. "I guess I'd do it too, to save you."

I smiled, reaching my arms out. Riven ran over and sank into another hug again, this one a little happier.

"So, kids," the man on the door called out again. "Y'all interested in joining the Rebels?"