XY Revolution

“Hello Freya. I’m Julia,” the petite lady in front of me says.

She’s almost a whole head shorter than me, and I’m not even an average height. Her hair is black and cropped very short and spiky. Her eyes are a beautiful cerulean blue and her mouth wide and smiley.

“Nice to meet you,” I respond.

“Likewise. Now you understand what I do for the Resistance?”

“Travis was very brief on the details.”

I can feel his glare at the back of my head. Julia just laughs.

“Well, I’m a weapons specialist – basically anything without bullets. I arm every single one of our fighters here. You name it and I know how to conceal it. I know how thin every blade is, and what the edge of it is. I make sure they’re carried correctly in their appropriate casing. I’ll teach you knife care, if you don’t know that already,” she explains.

“I know how to clean a blade,” I tell her.

She nods her approval but says, “I’ll have you clean something at the end of our session to make sure. Steel isn’t cheap.”

I’m then tossed a wooden replica of a knife. The handle is just long enough for me to get my fist around it.

“We’ll practice with these for now. Once Travis gives the all clear with your close-combat training, we’ll switch to steel. We don’t want any accidents here.”

I nod at her.

“Now, show me your grip.”

I hold out my arm and she turns it so she can examine my grasp. She clucks her disapproval.

“That’s fine if you’re just going to stick it in someone, but knife-work is an art form. You don’t just stab at everything you can. Your movements must be swift, and sudden.”

Her wooden dagger is suddenly at my throat. I didn’t even see her move. I didn’t even see it in her hands. She then spins the wood on her knuckles and thrusts it into her belt. She then takes my hand and readjusts my fingers.

“Light and secure,” she chants, like a prayer.

It already feels much more balanced in my hand.

“Now, try to strike me,” Julia commands, taking several steps back.

Her stance reminds me of a tiger; one of the legendary creatures Gran has pictures of, taken not long before they became extinct. She shifts her weight constantly, she’s almost in a crouch, and this tiny woman looks dangerous.

I take a deep breath and then lunge for her, slashing with the wooden knife. It slices the air and she’s already behind me, with her knife on my throat.

“Again,” she commands and we go back to our positions. “Don’t go for the obvious strike. If you’re predictable, you’re dead.”

I run towards her again, but this time I drop to my knees at the last second, grazing them on the floor, but manage to snag her calf. She stops in her tracks and gives me a hand up.

“Very good!” she praises with a broad smile.

“She’s a fast learner, this one,” she then says to Travis who’s standing with his arms folded across his chest.

He just nods curtly, eyes watching like a hawk and a stony expression to match.

“Again!”

It’s not long before we’re a blur, me chasing this pixie around the room, occasionally landing a strike on her arm or leg, and once, to everyone’s surprise, on the ribs. It’s at this point where she tells me to start my warm-down stretches.

“So much raw potential here,” Julia exclaims excitedly.

Travis is rubbing his chin like he’s thinking.

“She’s a lot better with the knives than she was at hand-to-hand,” he muses, furrow between his brows. “Is that normal?”

“Usually they’re on about the same level. Sometimes the knives are worse even. I’ve had so many trainees stabbing at me, I’ve had to start wearing padding, just in case.”

“How do you think we kill animals when a bullet doesn’t get them?” I say loudly.

Julia laughs and yells back at me, “That explains the rib shot then! I’ve never been caught off-guard like that by a first-timer.”

A smile of pride is plastered on my face for the rest of the afternoon.



Naomi finds me in my room after dinner, lying on my back, staring at the ceiling.

“How are you settling in?” she asks and I sit up.

“Good, thanks,” I reply.

“Was training okay?”

“It was hard, but pretty cool at the same time. Just don’t expect me to leave this bed for a while.”

Every single muscle in my body is aching. Naomi just smiles at me, and then passes me a small phone.

“Your parents are expecting your call. It took a while to get in contact with your grandmother, but we have a secure line for you now,” she says softly and I feel my body tense all over.

“My parents?”

She nods and I look down at the silver device in my hands.

“Just press the green button and you’ll be put directly through. When you’re done, just bring the phone back up to reception.”

“Thank you,” I whisper.

I hear the door close gently, and fingers trembling I press the button and hold the phone up to my ear. The waiting through the dial tone is excruciating.

“Freya?” a voice asks cautiously.

“Mum!” I say and before I know it, I’m an absolute mess.

Her voice is frantic when she asks, “Freya, are you okay?! Are you hurt? What’s wrong?”

“No, I’m fine,” I choke out through sobs. “I’m just happy to hear your voice.”

“Oh darling,” she sighs, “I’m so glad we can talk to you. There was a massive prison break in Hong Kong, not too long after you left, with massive casualties. We were so worried.”

“They weren’t our casualties, Mum.”

She goes so quiet I can hear the birds outside Gran’s cottage.

“So you did kill those people.”

The accusation in her voice stings like the first few whip-marks on my back did.

“I killed one man who was already dying, to put him out of his misery. The rest the others did,” I snap. “Don’t worry, killing Nate didn’t just turn me into a psycho killer.”

“Freya-”

“Mum, you knew what joining the Resistance meant. I didn’t murder anyone in that prison break, but my kill count is going to get a hell of a lot higher by the time I’m done. This is a war, and I’m fighting for all of us, so don’t get all high and mighty and suddenly so moral.”

I nearly press the red ‘end call’ button right there, or smash the stupid phone against the wall, but I don’t. Mum just sighs.

“I’m sorry, Freya. This is just…difficult.”

“You’re telling me.”

“Jane’s been asking for you,” she says.

I can hear the bitterness in her tone still, but I’d argue on this till my throat is raw if I have to. For something my parents gave me permission to do, I’m not letting them turn their backs on me.

“Okay,” I tell her.

Mum doesn’t even say goodbye when the phone switches hands.

“Freya?” Jane’s voice sounds so small and innocent on the phone.

I can’t help but smile. The tears on my cheeks have dried and my skin now feels stiff.

“Hi Jane,” I say softly.

“Freya,” she exhales.

I can hear her relief and almost see her little shoulders relax.

“Yeah, it’s me.”

“I miss you already.”

“I miss you too.”

“We thought you might be dead. In that prison break.”

“It’d take more than a few guards to take me down.”

My talk is tough, but the guards’ weapons were real. I was just looked after by better killers. But Jane giggles nevertheless, so I’m happy. My heart burns in my chest just thinking about how much I want for her; for Sarah’s baby if it’s a girl; for every other girl out there. I want Jane to be able to do whatever she wants, to fall in love again and again till she meets the right guy or end up living on her own in the bush like Gran, and to just be fucking happy.

“I like it here at Gran’s,” she announces.

“Did she tell you to say that?” I joke and hear a protesting ‘oy!’ in the background.

Jane giggles again and confirms, “Yes, but I wanted to say it. It’s so nice and Gran teaches me things – maths is actually fun, Freya. And I get to play with the animals all afternoon!”

“That’s awesome.”

I tuck my legs up to my chest again, smiling all the while.

“I wish you were here with us,” she whispers as quiet and haunting as the wind.

The hairs rise on my arms and I look out at the now dark water of home.

“So do I, but I want to be here as well,” I tell her.

“I know. You decided a long time ago, and you don’t change your mind. You’re as stubborn as Gran’s old nanny goat.”

“I always did like that goat,” I admit and Jane laughs.

We then fall into silence and my smile fades.

“Are you okay?” I ask her seriously, voice low even though nobody else is around.

I hear her move rooms, closing a door shut behind her. Smart girl.

“I’m scared, Freya.”

“They won’t be able to find you, Jane. You know that.”

I can just imagine her frowning right now; that dainty little frown of hers.

“I’m scared for you, Frey. I’m scared you’re never gonna come home. I’m scared that when you start fighting, they’ll come looking for us.”

“They will never get you,” I say fiercely. “Tyler will make sure of that. We all will. Nobody messes with our family without paying the price.”

“Nobody,” she echoes.