Broken Wings (Cruel and Beautiful World, Book One 1) (42 page)

Bronson walked over cautiously and put a hand on his roommate's shoulder.

Quigley jumped and turned, letting out a sigh of relief when he saw who it was. "Where the fuck you been? This ass says he's been waiting for you.
Inside
!"

Bronson looked past him, unsure if he should be happy or worried when he saw Luka stand up from the couch. The result of his mixed emotions was a strange, straight smile that was probably as unsettling to witness as it was to make.

"Luka. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Where th'fuck is Xander?" demanded Luka.

Bronson shrugged. "Hell if I know."

"Then where's that fucking chip I leant you?"

"I gave it to Ruby." Not a complete lie.

"And you really have no idea where he is?"

"Nope."

Luka huffed. "I don't believe you. He's avoiding me. Has been for days. Why th'fuck is he avoiding me?"

"Dunno," said Bronson, shrugging again. "Ruby and I hardly sit around chatting about our feelings."

"I thought that's what pansies like you were for," said Luka with a sneer.

Bronson smirked. "Ouch, Luka. And after everything I did for -"

Luka's eyes widened. "Just tell me where he is!"

"Why do you care?" asked Bronson, stepping further into his apartment. Quigley was still frozen in the doorway.

"Because I need to talk to him!
Now
!"

"Then go wait in
his
apartment, because he isn't going to come here first. I just gave him a new pack of cigarettes this morning."

"Tell me where he is."

"I. Don't. Know."

Luka's nostrils flared. "You think I don't know what's going on? Any help you give him is cause for immediate execution!"

Bronson raised his eyebrows. "You're going to have me executed, Luka?"

"Not if you cooperate. Now, let me check your wristbands. Both of you."

Quigley was taken aback. "Excuse me? What right do you have -"

"Every right!" shouted Luka, pulling back his sleeve so Quigley could see his left wristband with the president's crest engraved on it. "Now, let me see!"

"B-but Ruby is always the one to check our wristbands," said Quigley turning as white as a sheet.

"Not today he isn't." He held out his hand and wiggled his fingers impatiently.

Quigley grunted before walking over and holding out his arm, but Bronson hesitated. He had been helping Deryn in the basement all day, not going anywhere else. The tracker in his wristband would be stagnant, yet he had just walked upstairs, clearly coming from somewhere. There was no hiding that.

Luka checked Quigley's activity first, pressing a stick-like object against a small dot on his wristband, scanning through the material that appeared as a hologram in front of him. There was nothing abnormal, of course. He was not the one helping a fugitive develop a weapon in the basement.

"I'm waiting," said Luka, wiggling his hand at Bronson, who slowly held out his arm. "Do you want to tell me anything before I look at this?"

"Nope," said Bronson, grunting as he looked towards the door. He hoped Deryn hadn't returned to the basement, since that was bound to be Luka's next stop.

Luka checked the wristband. Bronson hadn't purchased anything so he pulled up a map of his activity. Other than going into Xander's apartment shortly after waking up, he had been in the basement all day. Luka played with the map, since it wasn't exactly clear where in the building Bronson had been at first.

"Th'fuck you been doing?"

Another shrug. Bronson stepped away from Luka and back towards the wall. With his peripherals, he could see Quigley staring oddly at him. "What have
you
been doing, Luka?" he asked. "I've been here all day and I didn't hear you come in."

"I was quiet about it," answered Luka.

"Why?"

Luka turned red. "I'm not the one being questioned here! What have you been doing downstairs in what I'm guessing is a basement all day? And you better answer me this time!"

"Or what?" he said, crossing his arms. "You obviously came here for a reason, so why don't you stop wasting all of our time and just tell me what you want."

"I want the truth!"

"The truth about what?"

"About what you and Xander are hiding! And maybe him!" He motioned towards Quigley. "I don't know! I honestly didn't know he existed until he walked through the door!"

"Ow," said Quigley with a frown.

"What do you think we're hiding?"

"Is this about you and Ruby being lovers?" asked Quigley before Luka could answer. "Because, I have to be honest, I've been suspecting it for quite some time now."

Luka rolled his eyes. "Fuck. No. This is about
you
and what you said." He was looking at Bronson. "I may have been drunk off my ass but I know what I heard!"

Bronson gulped. "And what was that?"

"I want
you
to tell me."

"I don't know what you're -"

"Liar!" Luka took his Element out of its holster and aimed it at Bronson, hitting him with glowing, blue light that bound his wrists. Not as painful as actual shackles but it still did its job. "Tell me now or I'll take you in!"

"Whoa!" said Quigley, holding up his hands and walking towards his friend. "I think we all just need to calm -"

"Fuck you!" shouted Luka, hitting him with the same blue light.

Quigley let out a high-pitched squeal.

"Luka, what are you doing?" asked Bronson, trying to walk forward, but Luka moved his Element back to him and he was quick to stop. "I don't know what you want!"

"The fucking truth!"

"About what?"

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!" repeated Quigley frantically.

"You
know
!"

"No, I don't! What is this about?"

"Just tell me!"

"Tell you what?"

"Tell me about -"

Deryn stepped through the door, her Element aimed at Luka. His eyes went wide.

"- Leon!"

She sent him shooting backwards into the wall, his Element flying out of his hand. Bronson ran and grabbed it, which proved difficult with his wrists still tied together.

When Luka tried to get to his feet, Deryn bound him with her Element. Bronson tossed Luka's weapon aside, moved forward and shoved him into a nearby chair. Then Deryn used a string of light from her Element him to it, first his chest, then his ankles. She was suddenly very glad she'd taken the time to add the additional button. All the while, Quigley was howling like a Yeti.

"Holy fuck! What's going on?" he shouted as Bronson slammed the front door shut.

"I knew it!" shouted Luka, struggling against his binds. "I fucking knew I heard you say her name!"

Deryn's jaw dropped. "You said my name, Bronson?"

His cheeks flushed. "Not all of it. Only the first half."

"Yes, and how many fucking Der's do you know?" spat Luka, still trying to break free.

"Unbelievable," said Deryn, rolling her eyes.

She took her knife out of her pocket and used it to cut Bronson and Quigley's binds.

"I can't believe you came in here," said Bronson.

"He was going to arrest you."

"He was bluffing."

"No, I wasn't!"

Bronson briefly glanced at Luka. Looking back at Deryn, he smirked and said, "Yes, he was."

"Holy fuck! Holy fuck, Bronson!" shouted Quigley, frantically pacing around the room. "What have you done? What are you doing? This ...
this
is Deryn Leon!"

"Yes, I know," said Bronson, following his roommate's chaotic movements before finally settling his eyes back on Luka, his hair askew, cheeks flushed, and clothes rumpled. Still pissed but obviously given up on getting out of his binds. They were solid. "So what are we gonna do with him?"

"I don't know," said Deryn. "Bonk him on the head and hope he forgets about this?"

"Don't you dare!" said Luka in a booming voice.

"I know the Guardians have ways to fumble memories a bit but I don't know how they work," she continued.

"With a mind like yours, I'm sure you can figure it out," said Bronson, patting the top of her head. They ignored Quigley as he continued to pace and panic around them.

"It's not something I could figure out right this moment. I think the bonking would be more affective." She took several steps towards Luka.

"Get away!" screamed Luka, trying his best to wiggle the chair away from her. "You're fucking mental if you think that's going to work."

"I'm not mental!" she shouted, kicking him in the shin. "What am I supposed to do, Bronson?"

"I don't know!"

Luka struggled harder as Quigley walked in circles, muttering to himself about what deep shit they were in. Deryn closed her eyes and tried to think, but there was just too much going on.

"Could you please keep quiet!" she shouted, lifting her Element and pointing it at Quigley. "Don't make me knock you out!"

Quigley shrieked. "Oh god, oh god, oh god!" He ran into his bedroom and proceeded to scream in there. Bronson followed him, but the noise wasn't any less.

Deryn's head ached as she closed her eyes and thought again.
Damn
. There was no easy way out of this. She brought her hand up and rubbed her temple.

Luka smirked. "Ruby said once that your mind was completely fucked. While he may have been exaggerating, it seems he wasn't so far off. There's really only one solution to making me forget about this, and you know it."

Deryn opened her eyes and narrowed them. "My mind is fine," she said. "It's all of this damn noise that's the problem!" She went to a nearby desk and searched through the drawers. She eventually found some strong tape and used it to tape Luka's mouth shut. Unfortunately, he wasn't the noisemaker driving her up the wall. "Wait here," she said with a frustrated huff before following Bronson and Quigley into the bedroom.

Luka started to ask where exactly it was he might go, but stopped when he realized his attempt would be wasted.

Outside the front door, Xander had just been running by to get to his apartment when he heard all of the yelling. He took out his Element and cautiously opened Bronson and Quigley's front door. He froze when he saw Luka sitting there, bound and silent, but his eyes did plenty of talking as they attempted to burn a hole right through him.

Xander stepped all the way inside and shut the door. He leaned casually against the wall and crossed his arms, all the while keeping his eyes fixed on Luka. Xander perked up his ears and listened to the voices in the other room. There were definitely three. One female.
Shit
.

The yelling finally died down and, a few seconds later, Deryn, Bronson and Quigley walked into the room. When they saw him, Bronson and Deryn froze but Quigley screamed all over again, frantically pulling at his hair.

"Holy shit, we're all going to die!"

Xander cocked an eyebrow. "Are you? At this point, I'm only targeting Bronson. But, looking at Luka, it's probably a pretty good assumption that he wouldn't hesitate to kill all of you."

"Ah!"

Bronson rolled his eyes. "Calm down, Quigley. Do you honestly think I could be harboring a fugitive in our building without the Guardian who lives upstairs knowing about it?"

Quigley froze and looked hopefully at Xander.

"Well, obviously," said Xander, stepping away from the wall. "I'm the one who brought her here."

Quigley let out a breath of relief and calmed slightly.

After locking the door, Xander turned to the group. "Now, how exactly did this happen?" he asked, darting his eyes between Deryn and Bronson.

Bronson sucked in his lips and Deryn cast her eyes shamefully to the floor.

"We lost track of time downstairs," answered Bronson after several seconds of silence. "And when we came up, Quigley was already home. He was talking to someone inside. I guess Luka had let himself in, all quiet and sneaky like, and -"

"He was trying to arrest them, Xander," interrupted Deryn.

Xander looked at her and raised his eyebrows. "So you decided to play hero?"

"Well, I wasn't just going to stand in the hallway and do nothing!" she defended. "I know you're probably angry but -"

"I'm not angry," he said in a calm, even tone.

Deryn looked at him curiously. "You're not?"

Xander shook his head, still keeping his eyes on Luka.

"Why not?"

"Would you rather I was?"

"Well, it would certainly be more normal."

Xander smirked. "I'm not angry because I'm not surprised. You're a Leon, and the whole lot of you have a damn hero complex I will never understand."