Chapter 37: Volume II: Chapter 4: Plan B

Will sat next to Chleo, their legs hanging over the canal with front row seats to people-watching on the Square.  It wasn’t Joe’s, but it was a close second.  Will reached for another bread braid, savoring the chocolate and banana center.  Why Chleo always chose tomato and basil, he’d never understand.

“I can’t believe he fed us the same line,” Chleo complained, popping a piece of bread in her mouth.  He stared at her a second too long before shaking himself.

“It was to be expected,” he said. She gave him a look. “Ok, maybe not expected.” He shrugged. “We’ll have to go with—”

“Plan B,” she finished with him, “I know.  I just… I wish it didn’t come to that.” She looked down studying the water.  “He’s finally awake.  I don’t want to leave right away.”

Will lowered the carton of bread braids into his lap.  His thumb picked at the corner of the box.  “We still have a lot to do before we leave,” he said, “and we don’t have to go if you don’t want to.” To be honest, the plan scared the living Lux out of him.  “We could let Eelock and the others—”

“What? Let Eelock and the others do what?” she cut him off. “Sit around and enjoy being home some more while mom is off…” She stopped herself, blinking too quickly.  He watched her clench her jaw.  “No, we’re going.  Someone needs to look for her.”

He nodded, looking toward the square to distract himself.  The familiar buzz that usually accompanied their dumber plans tickled his spine.  His eye caught a contingent of yellow Neons parting the crowd and tracked their progress. 

“We still need a way to get your dad and Mic off the ship.” He saw her nod from the corner of her eye. “And keep them from following before we can launch.” She nodded again.  “And learn how to fly.”

“That one’s done.” He abandoned watching the yellow contingent to to look at her.  She smiled back.  “I read the manual.”

“It was two thousand pages.” He raised a skeptical eyebrow.

“I skimmed.” She shrugged.  The buzz on his spine grew.

“Right,” he laughed turning back to the square.  The contingent stood in the center, an ocean of color bustling around them.  “How’s your…” he struggled to find the right word, “coordination?”

He felt more than saw Chleo stiffen.  The Pride on duty noticed the stagnate yellow in the crowd and abandoned his post by the flame to investigate. Will let his hand drift over to hover near hers.  She took the invitation and linked their fingers.

“It’s fine,” she said, voice soft and vulnerable.  He pried his gaze away from the start of a heated discussion between the Pride and the yellow Neons.

“Chleo,” he said meeting her eyes.  She opened her mouth to answer.

“Hey, I’ve been looking all over for you two,” Mic interrupted, rushing to their side, “I need you on the ship. Now.  Very important.  We need to go over tech, recipes,… something… important.  Right now.”  He reached down tugging on their arms, trying to get them to stand faster.  Will caught him shooting a nervous glance toward the square assuming it was from his usual reluctance to be near the blockers.

“All right, all right, we’re coming.” Chleo said, an annoyed edge to her voice.  She caught Will’s eye, and shot a meaningful look at his pocket before hopping effortlessly to her feet.  He glanced down, no glow, she wasn’t lying.  Smiling, he scrambled to his own, trying not to grimace as Mic continued to grab one of his bruises.

You are reading story Neon Chronicles at novel35.com

“On second thought, we don’t need to go to the ship,” Mic said flicking another worried glance at the bridge. “We need to go,” he cast a searching look at their surroundings landing on the water, “down.”

“Down?” Will repeated as Mic tugged at his arm again.  The argument in the square reached a crescendo.

“Down,” Mic confirmed, throwing them from the edge without warning.  

During the free fall, Will felt a bird latch onto his belt, dragging him upstream before his foot could touch a drop of rushing water.  Whipping his head around he spotted Chleo in a similar situation, uncomfortable but safe, and relaxed.  Mic trailed behind, prompting one of Will’s eyebrows to raise as they neared the base of the square. 

The birds paused under the arch of the bridge, three support beams into the canal.  The raised voices from above echoed down to them as Mic drifted closer to Will.  He pulled a device from his belt and pointed it at a section of metal on the support beam.  With a quick burst of air, dust blew out of a basic etching of a Seven Point Star.

The voice yelling in the square shifted.  At first, Will couldn’t tell what changed.  Then he realized… he understood.

“-accused of aiding and abetting humans,” the voice shouted.  Whoever was talking spoke for their benefit.  Most of the villagers wouldn’t understand.  “We will not permit it.”

The voice grew louder, closer.  The speaker was walking to the bridge’s edge.  

“Quick Will, your ID badge.” Mic shot the soft command in his direction.  Distracted by the troubling monologue unfurling above, Will raised a limp arm in front of the pilot.  Grumbling, Mic rolled his sleeve up, forcing the wristlet against the Star.

“Any human found within Neon territories will face the same consequences we face in theirs,” the voice continued.  He was almost to the edge.

The etched Star flickered white then green. A compartment opened.  Mic wrenched it wider, grabbing something within and ripping it out.  The star flickered back to steel, lifeless, as the birds jerked into motion, flying them under the bridge and stopping.

Under their questioning gazes, Mic held up the device, “It’s the blocker.  This with a couple of repeaters makes the square tech proof.  I just unplugged it from the solar array so we could fly in.”

Will’s brain spun, but Chleo seemed to understand.  He’d ask her later.  The voice drew his attention.

It echoed down to them, disappointment coloring its tone.  “We will greet you with a quick experiment and slow death,” it promised.

Will watched Chleo roll her eyes.

You can find story with these keywords: Neon Chronicles, Read Neon Chronicles, Neon Chronicles novel, Neon Chronicles book, Neon Chronicles story, Neon Chronicles full, Neon Chronicles Latest Chapter