Morph [EDITING] || Wattys 2017 Winner

~NINETEEN~

~amelie~

I scream as Cade's head snaps back, and his body drops, and Katie lunges for the soldier with a roar.

He was supposed to be invulnerable. I should have told them what I felt about this mission.

He wasn't supposed to die.

My eyes are fixed on Cade's body, but none of my tears are falling. I can't begin to understand what just happened. Someone tugs my arm.
"Amelie, get up, more are coming-"
The person pulls me and I stumble blindly along, reeling from the shock. Vaguely, I hear shouting coming from behind me.
"Quick! They're coming through the window!"
Suddenly, I can't see Cade's body anymore, and cool air surrounds me. Bright sunlight shines and I realise we're outside. My world is filled with shouting.
"What happened?"
"Cade-"
"Are you okay?"
"We need to-"
"Ryan, go!"
A boom shakes the air, and I realise Ryan is pushing the limits of his speed, carrying Iya away as fast as he can. Mauve fog curls around us, and just before we teleport I catch a glimpse of my house one last time, overrun by soldiers and with my friend's dead body inside.

The mist fades and Hunter is there, right in front of me, shaking my shoulders, shouting words at me.
"Amelie, are you okay? Are you hurt?"
"No," I manage.
His face is wild with panic and distraught. "What happened?"
The scene flashes in my head. "Cade," I whisper, and then I collapse onto Hunter and the tears start falling.

~~~

He sits at his desk, hands wound tightly together, as the soldier in front of him salutes.
"Sir, the ambush was successful. We captured one rebel, and..."
He notices the pause. "And what?"
The soldier's face remains stoic as he answers, "One was killed. Sir."
His hands tighten slightly, and he takes a breath. "Ensure it doesn't happen again. Non-lethal force only. Dismissed."
The soldier nods respectfully, though he doesn't know the reason, and turns to exit swiftly.
He is left alone.

To the average passerby, the man at the desk seems emotionless. When news like this is delivered, he doesn't react. He doesn't care.

But when there is nobody there to see, no average passerby trying to decipher his expression, he lets down his guard, and the guilt rushes at him like a tidal wave at the news of more blood that's been spilled because of him. When no one else is around, Nathan Carmichael puts his head in his hands, and wonders where his children are.

~~~

~amelie~

Elian's face is pained, exhausted, and angry.

"I want to begin," he says quietly, "by talking about Cade Wilson. He was brave, resourceful, and an incredible leader, as well as a friend and teammate to many. However, he has fallen, and we honour his memory today."

I watch from my seat in the crowded auditorium as Cade's former teammates, Iya and Katie, step up to the small podium where Elian's currently standing. Both of them have haggard, sleepless faces, etched with grief. I know they match mine. And from the guilty shine to Katie's eyes, I realise she blames herself for his death too. Silently, they each place a small frame on the lectern. One is Cade himself, smiling out at the camera, and the other is him surrounded by equally happy friends.

"One of Cade's teammates, Ezra Hallow, was captured during this ambush. One of our high priorities is finding him, and we will soon send a team to rescue our fellow rebel."

Elian pauses, and I realise this speech is just like the ones my father used to give for the crowds of journalists at press conferences. Well thought-out, not one word out of place, designed to keep us on his side - because after Cade's death, our hope has definitely been shaken. In some ways, they're not so different. But as soon as the thought hits me, I regret it, because Elian is working on our side, and my dad... I'm not so sure what he is anymore.

"But all of this," continues Elian, his voice filled with barely-constrained anger, "takes second place to our main goal. The government has lied to us, betrayed us, and now they have murdered one of our own. We will continue our task, and we will complete it. For Cade, for Ezra, and for every single person imprisoned because of something they can't help being. We will succeed!"

He roars the last bit, and the crowd roars right along with him. The voices from our chunk of the room - me, Amber, Hunter, Ryan, Lila, and every other teen I've met (and have yet to meet) - are by far the loudest, and something ignites within my chest. It's hope mixed with grief, and a little bit of anger, and desire for justice.

It's rebellion.

A/N: Sorry for the short chapter! The next couple of parts are going to be some of the most exciting ones in the book, so watch out! ;)