Cerberi

Three Days Later

It was dusk, the sun drawing in its long tendrils of light to slither beneath the horizon. I was jostled back and forth amongst the other Cerberi, sandwiched between Heath and Elizabeth as the group filed forward.

We were being allowed out of camp for the first time in several days. Apparently The Council had an important announcement for the entirety of the general population, Cerberi included. I was skeptical as to what this "announcement" entailed, and I figured I should be prepared for the worst.

We moved as a unit in two long rows side-by-side, entirely silent. The strict confinement to our camp had sapped the raucous nature of my fellow Cerberi, like The Council was slowly bleeding us of our freedom and happiness.

My eyes fell to the long, tangled scar that traced my arm. The majority of my gashes and bruises had healed completely, save for the wound on my arm. It was in the tender scarring phase, nearly healed but still sore. The marks on my body meant something to me, though. They made me want to fight back.

The only sounds heard as we traipsed to the center of the city was the soft puff of people exhaling into the frigid air and our boots sloshing through cold puddles. Another sound grew steadily louder as we approached town. It was the anxious murmuring of hundreds of voices, garbling into no distinct or particular noise.

As we approached the courthouse steps, where the town's population had gathered, a group of men and women filed out of the building. They were clad entirely in black, each with a police issue glock strapped to their waist, and they moved to form a living barrier between us and the citizens we protected daily.

I cast a wary glance over my shoulder at Heath, who was openly glaring at the mock police force. Just as the other Cerberi began to murmur and whisper, the eighteen members of The Council spilled from the courthouse doors. My stomach dropped to my knees. I had a sick feeling about what was going to happen.

With a gloomy gray sky as a backdrop, a tall, lithe man stepped forward from the group. His salt and pepper hair, though predominantly black, was slicked back and he wore a gray suit that blended in with the bleak world around him.

Instinctively, we all dropped down onto one knee, crossing our arms over our chests in an all too familiar salute.

The man looked bored as he waved a hand, allowing us to stand back up. The smooth, cruel voice that met my ears a moment later was the same that had spoken to us a week earlier in the courthouse, when all the mayhem had first begun.

"Good morning, citizens. I am glad you all could be here today," the man said, his voice echoing across the crowd. "As many of you know, an issue of insubordination has been brought to The Council's attention."

The man's voice curled into something sinister, something more dramatic to spread the propaganda farther and faster.

"The Cerberi, the very people enlisted in your well-being, have shown great immaturity."

Hushed, confused whispers rippled across the crowd like a wildfire. I could practically feel the other Cerberi tense around me, the same uncertainty evident in them, as well.

"They are reckless! Dangerous!" he hissed, his bored eyes lighting vibrantly. An angry cry lit through the citizens to our right. Several heads whipped our way, various faces contorted with confusion and others with disgust.

I could feel my pulse pounding in my ears, stunned at how easily swayed they were, how quickly they could turn their backs on us.

"They act without orders and they murder their friends," the voice continued, dripping with venom.

Another enraged uproar.

"They are barbaric!"

The words were followed by another outcry.

"But they are our protectors."

The crowd fell into frenzied murmurs.

"They are the only people trained and skilled enough to defend our walls. Perhaps that is the problem. Their violent, brutal ways are suitable for fighting mutants, but not for mingling with the general population. I fear for the safety of our city. My colleagues fear for the safety of our city. And because we want you all to feel safe and protected, we have created a way to deal with the Cerberi."

I was stunned, my mouth slightly agape as I gawked at the man on the courthouse steps. My gaze traveled to the people behind him, floating over each face in complete shock. They contorted and twisted the accident into something intentional and grotesque.

"Until we can dissolve and replace the Cerberi Order, all Cerberi are confined to their camp. They may only leave if responding to a threat from beyond the city walls. They are to not attempt to join the general population in any way, shape, or form.

"Citizens of Portland, I ask that you turn your attention to the men and women dressed in black. They have selflessly created a barrier between you and the threat. They are our new police force. None of you shall ever have to live in fear. These brave men and women will keep you all safe from the dangers lurking inside our walls.

"Furthermore, random checks will be placed on suspicious persons. Anyone suspected of being a Cerberus attempting to enter the general population will be asked to reveal their left shoulder blade. If the bar code tattoo, the mark of the Cerberi, is found, they will be terminated on the spot on account of terrorism.

"Ladies and gentlemen of our glorious city, I repeat: you shall never have to live in fear again."

I felt a tingling numbness sweep down the length of my body. The confused cheers of the citizens to my right were drowned out by the intense ringing in my ears.

The Council couldn't do this. They couldn't get away with this. It wasn't fair or right.

Shouts of protest rose from my fellow Cerberi, but the voice I heard the loudest was the one behind me.

Heath broke ranks and strode forward, "Liars! You can't do this! We've done nothing wrong! You've twisted and mangled our words and our actions! You can't just take away our freedoms!"

He made it so far as the bottom step before an officer seemed to gather enough wits to step out and stop him. The man placed a restraining hand on Heath's chest and shoved him back, though Heath hardly paid any attention to him.

The members of The Council seemed to briefly regard Heath with interest before they stared out at the crowd once more. A moment later, they filed back into the courthouse, shutting the doors firmly behind them. Heath continued shouting, but his words were drowned by the boisterous chaos that erupted around us. The general population screeched at us while the new police force attempted to both keep us separate and usher us back to camp. Some members protested, but eventually fell in step with the rest of us as our commanding officers herded us along.

I fought my way over to Heath, who was spitting curses at the two policemen attempting to shove him back. It appeared that this new police force was comprised of young, nervous men and women. They would either be tentative and would underperform, or they would be trigger-happy and would be an actual force to reckon with.

I reached the blonde Cerberi just as one of the officers was reaching for the gun at his waist. I laced my fingers through Heath's, pressing my palm to his as I attempted to tug him away. At my prompting, he turned his head toward me, his dark blue eyes wild with anger.

Upon recognizing me, the sharp stiffness to his shoulders melted slightly. With a reluctant glance back, he began to follow me back to camp. He never let go of my hand, and though his grip was gentle, I could still sense the rigid way the muscles in his arms were locked.

Hell was close to breaking loose in camp by the time we got back. People were shouting at our commanding officers and some were arguing with each other.

Heath yanked me to a stop before we had fully entered camp. "I don't think you'd merely get a beating this time. They're going to go after all of us who went outside the gates," he murmured for me to hear, inching his way toward our building. Upon reaching the door, we slid in silently, quickly heading for our apartment.

The cold, biting edge of a steel blade was pressed against my neck as soon as I stepped foot inside. I stiffened immediately, my mind racing with all the possible ways to escape my attacker.

I heard a soft click before the lone hallway lightbulb flickered on overhead, casting a dreary yellow glow as Heath turned to face us.

"James!" he snapped, striding forward.

The knife at my neck disappeared as James, apparently my attacker, stepped back, "Jesus Christ! I'm sorry, Cassie. I didn't realize it was you guys."

Rubbing my throat, I turned toward the tall man, slugging him in the shoulder. "Maybe you should check next time, you oaf."

James grinned, "I said sorry." The smile quickly faded and shifted into a serious mask as his gaze went over my head toward Heath, "It's getting worse out there. I think it's really going to happen this time."

I glanced back at Heath, watching as the blonde man shook his head and walked stiffly into his bedroom. James walked past me and back to the door, momentarily locking eyes with me before he flipped off the light.

With James acting as sentry, I decided to go pester Heath for answers. Adjusting the thick sweater I wore, I stepped into his room and gently shut the door behind me.

Heath was sitting on the edge of his bed, his brows knitted together as he glared out the window. He was hunched forward, his elbows pressed into his knees and his hands hanging between his legs.

"What was James talking about?" I asked tentatively.

Heath turned his head toward me as though he just realized I was there. However, he remained silent.

"Heath, why are they doing this?" I murmured, a little braver.

Silence.

Now I was getting frustrated. I was the greenhorn, and I understood that, but I was tired of being left in the dark. I could tell that my friends knew more than they were letting on. The vague way they spoke to each other and the silent glances they exchanged was proof of that. They left me out, though, like I was some young child who wouldn't understand.

"Dammit, Heath! Tell me what you know!" I snapped, stepping toward him. He stood up.

Silence.

My hands clenched into tights fists, my nails creating crescents in the fleshy part of my palm. I glared up at him, watching as he worked the muscles in his jaw. Letting out a flustered growl from the back of my throat, I spun on my heel to leave.

I didn't make it far before Heath wrapped a strong arm around my waist, pressing his hand against my stomach. With his other hand, he turned me back toward him, drawing me up tightly against his torso.

My heart began pattering in my chest as he wove a hand into my hair, loosening my braid and allowing stray flaxen locks to frame my face. He pressed his other palm into the small of my back, a slight smile twitching on his lips.

He leaned down toward me, anticipation swelling in my chest as my anger and unanswered questions were forgotten. His lips met mine, ghosting over them lightly. He gently tugged on my hair, tilting my head back to press his mouth more firmly to mine. I leaned up on my toes, my hands running up over his chest to rest on his shoulders and draw him in closer.

And then there was a thunderous crash from the hallway, trailed by angry shouts.