21 Reek

I saw the execution. Everyone did. It wasn't hard to miss. Hell, I was sleeping when they signaled everyone to come to the main square. Miro, along with the rest of his crew woke to it as well. It wasn't the bell gonging that brought us awake, no. Underground, it was practically impossible to overhear if you weren't listening for it. A scout came down and woke us up. We didn't like to miss big events like this. Despite how grim they were it was the only accurate source of news in the slums. If you saw somebody publicly executed, there weren't any distortions. That's how it was.

Hanging from the top of the main gate was a body I only recognized when Garreth, another one of Miro's guys, pointed it out to be Sunji. I didn't know him really well. Saw him once or twice guarding the Hornet entrance, but nothing more than that. He was around my age unlike the others and I figured I'd try to talk to him to learn anything about Luke, but even if he did know what they did to him, I doubted he'd tell me.

Nonetheless, while I was there, I kept my eyes out for him. I had been looking for him for around a month now and he still hadn't popped up anywhere in town. People remembered him, but claimed they hadn't seen him. It made no sense. Unless he was dead of course, but I didn't see the body, so at least in my book, he was still alive.

I recognized the two getting executed. 2 more Hornets, Lannit and Heddik. No friends of mine.

"Hornets took a hit" said Garreth. "Shit not looking too good for them."

"Do you know why they're killing them?" I asked

"Shut up and listen."

I only realized then that the important Fire Nation guy on the stage was already in the middle of his speech. I'd seen him before. Didn't know his name, though.

"And it is with a heavy heart that we inform you of the death of a young soldier who only wished to serve his nation to the best of his ability! Yet for his patriotism, he was beaten to death by nothing more than hooligans with a bloodlust. His comrades dragged their friend back to safety only for him to die in their arms. No more! Never again! Our great nation will not allow such a tragedy to behold us again! Which is why I bring forth the murderers!" he motioned to the pair. "These murderers, these terrorists, will understand today what happens to their kind." He spoke to the two. "Any last words, scum?!" None answered, but stood tall and proud. Their bravery didn't last, but became fear as they choked to death, unable to reach the ground, children, hung.

The executions ended once the victim was dead. There was no speech after that. No eulogy, nothing. Fire Nation soldiers separated the rich and poor, forcing the poor back to their respective areas while the rich military families returned to their lives of comfort and luxury. Urchins who tried to sneak in with the rich were singled out, beaten, and literally thrown back into the slums.

It was on my way back, that I saw him. He was just walking, but was the same as he always was. It was Luke.

I pushed my way through the crowd, on the exact same road where I saw him last, until I was right behind him. He was near the outskirts of the crowd and I waited until a hole formed in the outer rim of the crowd, grabbed Luke by the shoulder and pushed him through, straight into an alley.

I chased after him, but before I could say hi, he had a knife in hand, pointed right towards me. It took him a good second to recognize me.

"Reek?" he said, lowering the knife.

"Is that how you greet an old friend."

"What are you doing here?" He didn't seem like himself. He wasn't wisecracking which worried me. Did he know the ones who were killed?

"Maybe the question to ask is where the fuck were you?"

"What do you mean?"

"What do you mean?" I repeated. "I go to piss one second and when I come back, you're gone, and I only see you a month later on the same street, looking like you've just seen a ghost, with a knife to my throat. I think you owe me a fucking explanation?"

He didn't answer, but put the knife back in his pocket, leaned against the wall of the alley, and slid down the wall to a sit, sighing. "I really shouldn't be out here."

"What the fuck happened?"

"When?"

"When you disappeared."

"I got picked up."

"By the Hornets?"

"Yeah?"

"Why?"

"Because of what I was going to tell you." So, it was important than I thought. Something important enough to get him kidnapped.

"What happened?"

"It's not important." He looked at me, seriously. "I have to get going and so should you."

"Why?"

"Because."

It was then that a Hornet walked into the alley, one I recognized more than well enough.

"Danev." Luke said. "Just catching up with an old acquaintance."

"I can see that. You tell him anything?"

"Nothing that matters."

Now I was confused. I'm guessing Luke could see it considering he answered the millions of questions I had easily enough.

"I joined the Hornets."

Danev left. He didn't even seem worried about Luke which worried me more.

"What?"

"I told you."

"Why? I thought we talked about this. You said you would join Miro, join us. What changed?"

"A lot."

"What?"

"What I knew."

"What did you know."

"Nothing I should be telling you."

"Why the fuck not? Are you just one of their drones now? You seemed plenty fine with giving away all of their little secrets before. What changed?"

"I joined them."

"So, you're telling me you're now just a follower of their beliefs."

"I guess so."

"Fuck that. What does it matter. Miro's got guys here including me. We'll get you back to our hideout and it'll all be fine."

"I'm not a traitor."

"You're fucking kidding me, right?"

"I'm not. I made a deal with these people and I'm not about to go back on it. I've done some bad shit. I've stolen, robbed, hurt, and stood by while others got hurt because of what I did, but I'm not going to start betraying every other group I see just to go back to the way things were."

"Why not?"

"Because it was shit before. My job was telling everybody within earshot about their little secrets hoping that It was worth something to them. Most of the time, it wasn't."

"And you're telling me it's better now?"

"At least now, not everybody is my enemy."

"And not everyone is your friend either. At least before, you were somebody everybody went to to learn something. You don't miss that?"

He sighed. "Even if I did, circumstances are different now. That line of work doesn't pay as well as it used to. I'm lucky to have gotten out while I could."

"Why's that?"

"Look around you. Less food's coming in than ever before. Food imports are dwindling. Don't tell me you haven't seen it."

"No. You're right. I have."

"Messengers aren't getting paid anymore because there's nothing more to pay them with. If the Fire Nation doesn't kill us, starvation will. At least in a gang, I have people who will help get me fed."

"Do you really think that when the time comes, they'll be sharing their food?"

"Maybe not, but is your gang any different? If the streets are all about self-preservation, what is the safety of gangs really worth when it comes down to it?" Luke turned around to see the crowd had left. He sighed. "I'm sorry, Reek. I have to go."

"And the drone returns to his hive."

He stopped and only shook his head before he turned left on the street and returned to his new home. I knew where Luke was now, but I wasn't sure if I felt any better now.