at Ty. Even in the half light of dawn, her eyes shone. "What is it? Medicine?"
"Guns," Ty replied.
Horror and revulsion had it out in her eyes. Her friend snorted derisively. "And how will guns help us?"
Ty turned to him. Faint recognition vied with wondering what Ty had done to wound him enough to warrant that murderous glare. "You could, for example, learn to hunt for yourself."
"Stop it, Ty. Let's just go," Rober urged.
Ty was about to thank Maya, gaze into her vast, light-filled eyes for the last time, when she spoke. "Take us with you to your city."
"What?" Ty and Rober asked together.
"Please. I saved your cat. I need to go to school there."
"No, absolutely —" Rober started.
"I'm sorry," Ty interrupted him. "We can't bring the displaced into the city. I'd need special clearance, and I can't get it. Not on such short notice and not from out here."
He was rambling. She had to understand he'd help her if he could.
"Why do you want to go there anyway?" he asked finally.
Maya swept her arms out to encompass the town. "To learn how to help them."
"No school can teach you that," Ty said without thinking. The hurt and anger in her eyes made him look away.
"Can't I go to one and decide that for myself?" she asked.
"We could, you know—" Rober said, but Ty motioned for him to shut up.
Maya looked at Rober hopefully, then turned back to Ty once she realized Rober wouldn't help her.
"Fine. I'll find another way. I did save your pet for you though."
"You can't go into the Badlands on your own," Ty protested, heat rising in his cheeks. "You'll get blown to bits a hundred times before you reach the Ring. If some wild beast or men don't kill you first."
"She won't be alone," her friend said.
"Ty, you can't just let them walk into the Badlands," Rober said. "We can get them into the city."
Maya shouldered her backpack and took her friend's hand. "It's alright. I won't trouble you any further."
She meant it, Ty could tell. She'd try to walk all the way to Neo York. And die. Ty didn't know how he knew, yet he was certain of it.
"Alright, you can come with us," Ty called after her, not sure where exactly the words came from. The warmth of summer rippled around her, shone from her pleading eyes. He'd never have to be cold if she was beside him. He couldn't let her die.
Maya stopped only long enough to place the bag of weapons into the hospital.
"Let's hope Lana doesn't make too much of an issue over it," Rober said as they trekked back to the craft.
Ty shrugged. "Or my parents for that matter. You can help with Lana."
"How? By knocking her out?" Rober asked. "However, the idea is tempting."
"If all else fails." Ty turned back to Maya, who was listening to their exchange with a confused expression.
All Ty had to do was get her past the guards and into the city before his mother found out about it. She could disappear after that. The first obstacle to that plan lay sleeping in the hovercraft, the second the guards on the gate who'd be much easier to get past.
~
Once they reached the hovercraft Ty motioned for Maya and Giles to climb in, warning them to be quiet. He led them into the cockpit and locked them inside to deposit Isis in her cage and make sure Lana was sleeping.
He returned to the cockpit and punched in the coordinates for Neo York, then let the autopilot take over. He told Maya and Giles to stay put and led Rober outside, stopping near the engine where there was the least chance of being heard.
"Right, don't freak out. The only way past Lana that I can see is telling her you like Maya's friend and want to take him back home," Ty blurted it all out in one long whisper, ignoring the mounting hurt and anger in Rober's face. "Then we'll say Maya insisted she come too."
"Maya, is it?"
The question confused Ty. "Yes, so?"
"You must really like her to go to all this trouble to hide her from Lana."
"Like her? She helped me and I can help her. That's all it is."
"You
"Guns," Ty replied.
Horror and revulsion had it out in her eyes. Her friend snorted derisively. "And how will guns help us?"
Ty turned to him. Faint recognition vied with wondering what Ty had done to wound him enough to warrant that murderous glare. "You could, for example, learn to hunt for yourself."
"Stop it, Ty. Let's just go," Rober urged.
Ty was about to thank Maya, gaze into her vast, light-filled eyes for the last time, when she spoke. "Take us with you to your city."
"What?" Ty and Rober asked together.
"Please. I saved your cat. I need to go to school there."
"No, absolutely —" Rober started.
"I'm sorry," Ty interrupted him. "We can't bring the displaced into the city. I'd need special clearance, and I can't get it. Not on such short notice and not from out here."
He was rambling. She had to understand he'd help her if he could.
"Why do you want to go there anyway?" he asked finally.
Maya swept her arms out to encompass the town. "To learn how to help them."
"No school can teach you that," Ty said without thinking. The hurt and anger in her eyes made him look away.
"Can't I go to one and decide that for myself?" she asked.
"We could, you know—" Rober said, but Ty motioned for him to shut up.
Maya looked at Rober hopefully, then turned back to Ty once she realized Rober wouldn't help her.
"Fine. I'll find another way. I did save your pet for you though."
"You can't go into the Badlands on your own," Ty protested, heat rising in his cheeks. "You'll get blown to bits a hundred times before you reach the Ring. If some wild beast or men don't kill you first."
"She won't be alone," her friend said.
"Ty, you can't just let them walk into the Badlands," Rober said. "We can get them into the city."
Maya shouldered her backpack and took her friend's hand. "It's alright. I won't trouble you any further."
She meant it, Ty could tell. She'd try to walk all the way to Neo York. And die. Ty didn't know how he knew, yet he was certain of it.
"Alright, you can come with us," Ty called after her, not sure where exactly the words came from. The warmth of summer rippled around her, shone from her pleading eyes. He'd never have to be cold if she was beside him. He couldn't let her die.
Maya stopped only long enough to place the bag of weapons into the hospital.
"Let's hope Lana doesn't make too much of an issue over it," Rober said as they trekked back to the craft.
Ty shrugged. "Or my parents for that matter. You can help with Lana."
"How? By knocking her out?" Rober asked. "However, the idea is tempting."
"If all else fails." Ty turned back to Maya, who was listening to their exchange with a confused expression.
All Ty had to do was get her past the guards and into the city before his mother found out about it. She could disappear after that. The first obstacle to that plan lay sleeping in the hovercraft, the second the guards on the gate who'd be much easier to get past.
~
Once they reached the hovercraft Ty motioned for Maya and Giles to climb in, warning them to be quiet. He led them into the cockpit and locked them inside to deposit Isis in her cage and make sure Lana was sleeping.
He returned to the cockpit and punched in the coordinates for Neo York, then let the autopilot take over. He told Maya and Giles to stay put and led Rober outside, stopping near the engine where there was the least chance of being heard.
"Right, don't freak out. The only way past Lana that I can see is telling her you like Maya's friend and want to take him back home," Ty blurted it all out in one long whisper, ignoring the mounting hurt and anger in Rober's face. "Then we'll say Maya insisted she come too."
"Maya, is it?"
The question confused Ty. "Yes, so?"
"You must really like her to go to all this trouble to hide her from Lana."
"Like her? She helped me and I can help her. That's all it is."
"You
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