I can feel the Berg lower down. The hum of the engine slowly disappears and the gentle thump of the Berg hitting the ground makes a few of the newer soldiers who aren't used to flying stumble and stagger.

Brenda catches my eye and we both smirk. She rolls her eyes and I look away keeping the laugh inside. The engine is cut off and it's quiet. A moment later I can hear the footsteps of Jorge. He stands beside Theo and myself. The rest of our rebels form lines based on ranks behind us, and all wait for what's next.

Jorge hits the button, and the ramp opens. Standing at the bottom, waiting for us is a small group of dirty ragged looking people. My eyes flick over the three of them. Jorge glanced at me and Theo and he took the lead, marching down the ramp.

He stops at the bottom and comes face to face with a middle aged man with a scruffy beard and long blond hair pulled into a pony tail. His eyes look intelligent yet calculating. There's two women with him, the one on his right is wearing a lab coat. Her face is kind, but her eyes look hard, like she has seen enough bloodshed for a lifetime. She's clean, clearly she's some kind of doctor here. The other woman is tall and dirty, a huge gun strapped to her back . She looks young to be a commander. Early thirties.

"Welcome to the Revolution, Rebels. It's good to see so many. I'm commander Paylor."

There is an authoritative tone to her voice that makes you feel that her appointment wasn't arbitrary. I found it interesting she didn't use any kind of code name. She was a straightforward no nonsense person. She earned a point. Jorge shook her hand with a nod.

Theo and I stop just behind Jorge. Our guns held loosely, we didn't bother with the helmets, but we both put our vests back on before landing. Maybe it was a comforting weight, or a familiar feeling going into a new situation. But I felt more secure with the weight on my shoulders, it made me feel more secure. Theo and I were similar in many ways; being suspicious in new situations with new people was one of them. He gave me a quick side eye.

Jorge stopped and held a hand out.

"You must be Yoda." The blond man said, stepping around Commander Paylor.

"You must be Rebel Leader." Jorge noted. "This is Monster." He indicated to Theo. "And this is Fox." He indicated to me.

The blond man held a hand out to us and we shook them quickly. His eyes lingered on me. I knew I didn't fit into the standard mold of a WICKED commander or leader.

Which was the point. I had purple in my long dark hair, my ears were pierced in many places, I had a nose ring and I kept black eyeliner sharp enough to kill. Tattoos peeked out from the top of my vest and sleeves of my shirt. I raised an eyebrow at the man darting him to question it. I could sense Theo stiffen beside me, his hands clenched the gun in his hands.

The leader's eyes flicked up to the rows of rebellious soldiers. They narrowed and he frowned. "I thought you said you had a full berg of soldiers."

I flicked my eyes around the settlement quickly, "We thought you said The Right Arm was an army." I snapped.

His head turned to me and he gave me a look that indicated he was not used to being talked back to. I didn't flinch. As much as I wanted to, I didn't.

"We were. A lot of people died to get us this far." He answered.

"And it's not as easy to defect from WICKED. it took months of planning. So, looks like we're at a stale mate." My anger fueled my attitude.

"Indeed." Was all he said. His eyes lingered on me again and I didn't like it. He was trying to read me, trying to figure me out. I didn't like that.

"Did you bring the supplies at least?" He finally turned away from me and went back to Jorge. He stood stiffer and straighter. His chin jetted into the air, like he was trying to show his dominance. It didn't phase Jorge.

"Possibly." Theo said.

"Yoda, I thought you said we were in agreement." The leader asked, I could see his frustration. "What's with the suspicion? Are you breaking the agreement?"

Did this guy think we would waltz into a strange place without knowing anything fully and just hand out all our secrets, show all our cards. This guy had a lot of nerve, if he thought that.

"Trust is earned." Theo growled, his back was stiff and his shoulders were so tense he looked like a statue.

I nodded in agreement. Jorge looked impassive. He was extremely indigent, cunning and suspicious, which kept him alive for so long inside WICKED, and also aided in helping form a rebellion under the nose and watchful eye of Director Janson. Jorge knew how to keep calm and collected, and be in control of each situation.

As for Theo, I could feel the tension from him, it radiated off him. His dark blue eyes stared down this Right Arm Leader. He may be used to being in charge of a civilian army, but...clearly he had no idea how to deal with fully trained WICKED soldiers.

"Look here defect," he spat the word at us, "you come into my camp and now you want to back out of our deal?"

Theo raised an eyebrow in a silent challenge. I scoffed, he was grating on my nerves. I already wasn't in the greatest of moods.

"This guy serious?" I asked Theo.

The guy narrowed his eyes and stepped closer to me, like he was trying to intimidate me. I had been pushed and smacked around by so many grown men in WICKED, this guy had nothing. I wasn't intimidated by him at all. This guy wasn't Eric. Or Janson. I was only a few inches shorter than him, so I lifted my chin up. I knew if I looked away now or broke eye contact I would be seen as weak. So I glared at him, my jaw clenched. I figured he was trying to intimidate me, because I was a girl, he viewed me as the weakest.

Theo and Jorge instantly stiffened, I felt Theo's body shift closer again. His shoulder was now brushing mine. He was ready to attack if needed. I held his gaze. Darting him to try something when I had Theo, The Monster at my side, Jorge ready to drop some fists and my whole squad behind me.

"Okay. Enough." The other woman said stepping in. She placed a hand on her partner's arm. She applied pressure and made him step away. "Vince!" She said sharply. "Enough."

Vince finally ripped his eyes away from me and looked at the woman, almost like he forgot where he was for a moment.

"Sorry." His apology was flat. "I don't like when people agree to terms and then break them."

"No one broke anything." Jorge said with a shrug. "if this is how we're treated; accused of things we haven't done, intimidation... we'll leave." Jorge spun on his heel and started back up the ramp.

"Wait!"

Jorge stopped and glanced over his shoulder. The woman glared at Vince and then followed Jorge and stopped right in front of him.

"I apologize on behalf of Vince. He's a bit hot headed and we just had someone screw the camp over, we lost a lot of good men and women. Lost a whole bunch of immune children we had rescued. We're all still reeling. I'm Mary. One of the doctors in this rebellion. Please... stay."

Jorge didn't say anything, just nodded once. I was holding my breath. This was a dangerous interaction, a very rocky alliance.

"Please, wait. Come have some food, have a proper rest, maybe some clean clothes. If anyone needs medical care...I can't imagine your escape was easy."

The three of us, Jorge, Theo and myself glanced at each other. I didn't like it too much, but we had made promises, just as they did and here we were. No option of going back. No real place to go to if we broke this alliance. So here we stood. The Right Arm clearly knew we would stay, and we knew we would, so was this all for show? All to see what would happen if boundaries were pushed or trust betrayed?

"We're all fine, though food would be good." Jorge finally said.

"How many are coming in the extraction mission?" Vince asked. He was eyeing up the soldiers, who were still standing at the mouth of the hatch, waiting for their orders.

"Enough." Theo answered, his jaw clenched for a second.

Vince went to retaliate but Commander Paylor shook her head, "enough, Vince. Remember who the real enemy is, it is not the Rebels or the defectors. It's WICKED. It's The Chancellor and the Director. You're embarrassing yourself and The Right Arm."

"Come, tell your soldiers they are welcome. There will be no more seeing who's the bigger dog. We're all on the same side." Mary agreed.

Jorge seemed to finally relax. He waved the soldiers down, and gave Mary a smile.

"Lead the way." He swept an arm out for Mary and Commander Paylor.

Reluctantly, I followed. I felt Brenda slid up beside me as we were led through a mix match of tents and permanent buildings. When we landed I didn't get a chance to see everything. Now, I took in my surroundings.

It was a settlement at the base of one of the nearby mountain ranges. There was a forest that lined the back of the camp and it spread out and up the side of the mountain. People of all backgrounds were walking around. There were more children here than I expected. Everyone over the age of 16 had some kind of weapon, shot guns, hand gun, and guns clearly stolen from WICKED.

They were a mix match rag tag group of rebels.

"What did we sign up for?" I muttered.

"I thought Fox's were clever..." A deep voice whispered in my ear. His voice made a shiver run down my spine. I felt a sudden heat in my checks. Brenda glanced at Theo as well.

"What are you getting at?" I hissed back. We had just passed a group of men heading in the opposite direction, each had some kind of dirty bloody bandage wrapped around a body part; an arm or leg or neck or head.

"Don't judge a book by its cover...there's more to this." Theo's voice was quiet and hushed, his body was close as we talked in hushed mutters.

"You saying they're hiding something?"

He shrugged, his eyes flicked to another group, sitting around a fire, cleaning their standard issue WICKED soldier gun. I narrowed my eyes and ground my teeth. I believed him. My suspicions rose. Something was off.

"I think...there is more to this group than we first thought." He answered before straightening up. "And I intend to find out."

He picked up the pace and went to walk with Commander Paylor and Jorge. Brenda hooked my arm and pulled me closer.

"Where did you two sneak off too after the takeover?" She asked raising an eyebrow.

"I needed quiet. My asthma was acting up. He brought me a drink."

"Did he now?"

I rolled my eyes. Brenda was always teasing me about Theo.

"Girl. It's been 2 and a hf years. He's been nothing but my superior, my harsh trainer."

"Sure back in WICKED. But out here? Now that we're free? Away from his father? That might change. I saw the way he was trying to kill Vince with a look when he got too close." She elbowed my side as she said it.

I clenched my jaw. My ha da formed fists. "I don't need a protective boyfriend. I can look after myself, Bee."

"I know you can. But I'm sure it would be nice to have someone watch your back."

I rolled my eyes. I was done with this conversation. I wanted a shower and food. And a nap. But as we walked I was watching Theo's back.

What Brenda had whispered was bugging me. Theo had always been... complicated. I couldn't figure him out.

•×•

I was called into Boggs's office, he wanted to go over some training program advancements for the new requests we were getting in a week. I was just walking out of his office as a young man was walking in. I wasn't watching where I was going, reading something Boggs had given me. I would have tripped on my face, if hands hadn't caught me. The large strong masculine hands placed me back on my feet.

His eyes were so dark they looked black but the longer I stared, the more I noticed they were a navy blue with some light blue around his pupil. Dark steady eyes, framed his long eyelashes. His square strong jaw was set. I realized I was still holding his arms, which were made of solid muscle.

"Sorry." I sputter. I let go of him immediately.

"I'd watch where you're going soldier, don't want to be falling for the wrong man."

I raised an eyebrow. "You insinuating something?"

"No." He says quietly, "just a warning." He pauses and his dark eyes dig into mine. "You have a name?"

I open my mouth and debate telling him my full name.

"Is it a hard one?" He asked, I see a slight smirk at the corner of his mouth and amusement in his dark deep set eyes.

"Ray." I finally say.

He nods. And then walks past me into Boggs office and snaps the door closed.

I shake my head and head down to the training room for training myself.

Boggs had us lined up, and he was yelling at us. We were all in the gym, ready for our training. Eric stood off to the side, leaning on the wall, picking at his nails with a knife. Boggs stopped in front of us. The door to the training centre banged open and the board young man from earlier walked in. My eyes instantly widened. And I can feel the heat in my face.

"Soldiers! You have a new instructor."

The young man stops at Bogg's shoulder. He stood stiff and straight, muscles coiled like he was ready for a fight but his face looked relaxed. Closed off, unemotional, but more relaxed than his body language.

"This is Monster."

"Monster?" Brenda asks from beside me.

The young instructor turned his eyes to her.
"Yes," Monster says. He walks up to Brenda and leans his face close to hers. His eyes narrow, and for a second he just stares at her. "Is there a problem?"

"No." She shrugged, "just wondering if Monster is your real name..."

"Yes." he asks quietly. "What's your name?"

"Brenda." She answers. If she's intimidated, she doesn't show it. Not yet anyways.

"Well, Brenda, if I wanted to hear you smart ass-mouth I would have asked your opinion," he hisses. "The first lesson you will learn from me is to keep your mouth shut. Got that?"

She nods. I think to myself, it would probably be wise to be careful around Monster. He seemed placid to me when I ran I to him in the office upstairs, but something about that stillness makes me wary now.

He wanders through the crowd of soldiers now, watching us as we go through the new movements again. When he stops in front of me, my insides twist like someone's stirling them up. He stares at me, his eyes following my body from my head to my feet, not lingering anywhere- a practical, scientific gaze.

"You don't have much muscle," he says, "
"which means you're better off using your knees and elbows. You can put more power behind them."

"Wow. Don't hold back." I roll my eyes. I actually do, I didn't become the trainer for new initiates for nothing.

Suddenly he presses a hand to my stomach. His fingers are so long that, though the heel of his hand touches one side of my rib cage, his fingertips still touch the other side. My heart pounds so hard my chest hurts, and I stare at him, wide-eyed.

"Never forget to keep tension here," he says in a quiet voice.

I tighten everything and he raises an eyebrow at me. Clearly he wasn't expecting to feel all the muscles suddenly. He lifts his hand and keeps walking. I feel the pressure of his palm even after he's gone. It's strange, but I have to stop and breathe for a few seconds before I can keep practicing again.

When Monster dismisses us for dinner, Brenda nudges me with her elbow.

"I'm surprised he didn't break you in half," she says.

"Pfft. Please, it takes a lot to break me. And I got muscles, I definitely shocked him when I flexed, he wasn't expecting that."

She wrinkles her nose. "He scares the hell out of me. It's that quiet voice he uses." She over exaggerated a shudder.

"Yeah. He's..." I look over my shoulder at him. He is quiet, and remarkably self-possessed. But I wasn't afraid that he would hurt me. "...definitely intimidating," I finally say.

•×•

Commander Paylor and Mary led us to the showers and handed us clothes that aren't our WICKED uniforms and then gave us directions to the kitchen. I follow the other girls into the woman's changing room and see about a dozen individual shower stalls.

I turn the hot water on and stand in the stream of water. I placed my forehead on the shower wall and close my eyes.

I'm free. I'm out. No more WICKED breathing down my neck. No more questionable assignments, no more Eric smacking me around. No more people I've started to trust disappearing. No more Janson.

I let out a long slow breath.

It's fine. Everything is fine, I tell myself.

•×•

Leaning heavily into the "Divergent" flashbacks.

What do we think of Monster/Theo?