MILES POV
The water ran down my head, the shower's warmness almost gave me a sense of comfort. Almost.
I slowly ran my hands through my hair, drawing all the hair backwards letting the water trace down my face. My eyes closed and I breathed out with my mouth.
When I opened them back, I was quieter. For a moment, the sound of the shower faded into a muffled noise. I scanned my body like it wasn't mine. Maybe it wasn't.
Because I don't… I don't recognize it anymore.
The scars, injuries, they were all gone. Like nothing had ever happened there.
That's not normal, that's not human but I, I'm human. I should be.
I turned off the shower, my hands wiped the blur mirror to get a view of the person in it.
He had my eyes, my hair. It even wore my face, but it's a…
'Monster.' That's what Ava called me, those words still fresh in my mind.
The way she looked at me, terrified. Like all those years we spent meant nothing. I clutched my chest tightly.
"It hurts." I breathed, my heart, my very skin felt like it was burning underneath.
Tears rolled down my eyes and I hated that it did.
A broken sob escaped me,another and again. I couldn't hold them back no matter how hard I tried.
Dylan, Noah, Shawn, Ava.
Sector 4 was horrible but it was still my home, a home where I had a family and now it's gone. All of it, because of them.
Sentinels.
My hands curled into fists, just by the thought of them.
"I'll kill them all." I slammed my fists to the wall and a crack formed. A growl escaped me. A growl. Not human, animal.
Then my voice softened.
"I have to."
Outside, Commander Orion stood over a holographic map while Captain Cole, Connor and Tessa gathered around it. Their voices blended into a low murmur.
Tessa noticed me first.
Her eyes flickered toward me, and for a second the conversation faded behind that look alone.
"Miles," Orion called. "Good. You're awake."
Something about the choice of words bothered me.
"Was there a chance I wouldn't be?"
Cole snorted.
"I was betting you'd punch a hole through another wall first."
My eyes drifted to him.
He shrugged.
"What? You've had a rough week."
The corner of Connor's mouth twitched.
Even Tessa looked like she was trying not to smile.
I wasn't.
"What do you need from me?" I asked.
Orion exchanged a glance with Cole before turning back to me.
"We've finalized a plan to expose the insider."
That got my attention.
"Already?"
"We don't have the luxury of waiting."
Silence settled for a moment.
Then Orion folded his hands behind his back.
"We believe whoever's feeding information to the Sentinels still has an interest in you."
My jaw tightened.
"Why?"
"Because everywhere you go, they seem to follow." Cole muttered.
The room went still. Nobody argued. Nobody needed to.
I looked away.
Sector Four flashed through my mind.
The fire. The screams, Ava's terrified face. My stomach twisted.
"So what's the plan?" I asked quietly.
Cole answered first.
"You."
I blinked.
"What?"
"We use your name." He added.
I stared at him.
"That's not a plan."
"It is if somebody bites."
Orion stepped in before I could respond.
"The Council has four Pillars."
I nodded.
"We'll send each Pillar a different location. Four reports. Four versions of the truth."
Understanding dawned slowly.
Then all at once.
"Whoever leaks the information reveals themselves."
A smile tugged at Orion's face.
"Exactly."
I looked between them.
"You're using me as bait." Nobody answered immediately. That answer, was answer enough.
The muscles in my jaw flexed.
"And if you're wrong?" Connor shifted awkwardly.
Cole remained unmoved.
Orion held my gaze.
"Then we lose nothing."
"And if you're right?"
"We catch the person responsible."
The words hung between us.
'Responsible'. Not guilty, not traitor.
'Responsible.'
For a second I saw Dylan's face. Then Noah's. Then Shawn's.
I swallowed hard.
"When?"
"Tonight." Cole replied.
The word hit harder than it should have.
"Tonight?"
"Whoever this person is," Orion said, "they've stayed hidden because we've given them time. Tonight we will take that away."
My eyes dropped to the table.
The reflection staring back at me didn't feel like mine.
After a long moment, I nodded.
"Fine."
Orion gave a single nod.
"Tessa will stay with you."
My head snapped up.
"What?"
This time Connor actually laughed.
Tessa rolled her eyes.
"You make it sound like a punishment."
"No." I answered too quickly. Heat crawled up my neck.
"No, that's not what I meant."
Cole smirked.
That somehow made everything worse.
•••••
The moonlight pierced through the trees, splitting into rays. We sat under the tree and Tessa sat at the end of the bench and I sat on the other.
The air was chill, carrying the taste of rain and the smell of sun flowers. The silence grew longer, our glances cut each time our eyes met.
I cleared my throat.
"How are you guys certain they'll fall for it?" I asked slowly, stealing a glance before looking away.
"We're not." She replied. "But there's still a chance, and taking chances is what the arcade is all about."
I nodded slowly.
"Right."
Then the dreaded silence found its way back, until she asked.
"What will you do if they find him?... What will you do if the insider is caught."
I sighed, staring into nothing.
"I'm not sure, because of him I lost everything, my friends, my home, so many innocent lives." My jaw clenched, my hands tightened around the bench until the wood creaked.
"Because of him I'm a…" The words hung in my throat.
"A monster?" She said and my grip lessened, I couldn't look.
"Monsters aren't determined by appearances, it's what you do that determines that." She paused.
"The fact that you're bothered means you're not a monster. Yet…you're Miles Walker."
I glanced at her, our eyes locked onto each other and this time none of us looked away.
"It's your choice to make that name a blessing or a curse."
I smiled without permission. She mirrored it, and suddenly the air between us felt warm, charged—like we'd just written a secret neither of us would speak.
Then…
Something shot out of the dark to her neck, a dart. She pulled it out.
"Miles…" Her words died out, her eyes fell backwards and she collapsed on the ground.
"Tessa." I called, rushing to her, a sharp pain tore through my spine. I reached for it and when I pulled it out, it was the same dart.
"Where are you? Show yourself." I growled, staring into the dark. Another flew, straight to my chest. Then three more whispered through the air.
My visions blurred.
"Show yourself." I said weakly, a shadow emerged slowly from the dark.
My body landed hard on the ground, and as the shadow figure drew closer.
I blacked out.