The fourteen year-old Nosedive looked at his identical twin and brother and said the understatement of the whole invasion. “Guys, I’m hungry.”

Jadestar backed up slightly so she was pressed into Wildwing more. “We’re all hungry Dive. Wing, aren’t you cold? We have each other and you keeping us warm, but you don’t have anyone.”

Wildwing tried to smile down at his little sister. “Don’t worry about me Jade, I’m not cold.”

Nosedive turned his face away to watch the guards. Jadestar slid her hand out of the huddle and gently placed it on Wildwing’s cheek. “Liar.” she whispered. He quietly nodded.

Jadestar took a deep breath and scrambled out of the heap. Both boys looked at her, surprised. She tried not to look cold. “Guys, I’m..er..” she looked around helplessly. “I’m going to get a drink.” she gestured to the small stream running through a corner of the prison, on the opposite side. “You guys keep each other warm, OK?” she slowly walked to the water, feeling the cold seep through her feathers. Wildwing took Jadestar’s place, knowing what she was doing, and mentally cursing himself for letting her. He was a bit warmer though, Nosedive had always been a tight hugger.

Jadestar shivered as she bent down to drink. She dipped her hands in the icy water, and forced herself to drink. Her teeth ached from the cold water, but she bravely took another handful.

***

Across the compound a Saurian bragged to his mates. “I’m the best shot in the whole damn army! You ain’t nothing on me Tiler!” the slimy lizard told his opponent.

Tiler sneered. “You? I’ve seen you shoot Batlie. You couldn’t hit Draganus if you were 2 feet away and he was stone! Me, however, I could shoot the fleas off a ducks tail.”

Batlie roared. “Idiot! I’ll prove it too you! See that duckie getting a drink?” he asked the other 20 or so guards, pointing to the dirty water 300 metres away. He pulled out his gun, and took aim. “Well now you don’t.”

Wildwing and Nosedive glanced up quickly when they heard the shots. They heard Jadestar cry out, and they jumped up. They started running over to her.

Jadestar screamed and screamed as the shots zipped past her. “Nosedive! Wildwing! Help me! Help me!”

Her brothers were around 20 metres away when they saw her freeze. She stood stock still, holding her shoulder and staring at Nosedive. The bullets flew between them, and Wildwing turned to the direction of the shots. He saw the Saurian take careful aim. He knew there was nothing they could do. Nosedive was standing just in front of him screaming out his twin's name over and over. She wasn’t moving, just standing and staring. Wildwing pulled his younger brother to him and covered his eyes with his hand. Nosedive yelled and kicked, and Wildwing was forced to let go. Jadestar let out a small sigh as she was hit in the side, and she fell back into the drain. Nosedive screamed.

“Star! Star! Jadestar! Jade!” He dropped the loudness of his voice with each cry. “Star.” He ran to the side of the water and was about to jump in when Wildwing spun him around by his shoulders.

“Are you crazy? You can’t save her, Dive.” he yelled to his brother. Wildwing held on tight.

“She’s in there! I have to get her out! Let go of me! I have to find her!” Nosedive tried to twist his way out of Wildwing’s grasp, but his brother was bigger and stronger. Wildwing pulled him so their faces were close together. Nosedive could see the tears forming in Wildwing’s normally expressionless eyes.

“You can’t save her, Dive.” he repeated. Nosedive could only just hear him over the roaring in his ears. “We can’t do anything. She’s gone.” Wildwing said quietly.

The roaring and pounding suddenly stopped. The whole world was silent, and Nosedive wondered momentarily if he had gone deaf. He stopped struggling and tried to think things through. Jadestar, gone, dead, lost, asleep forever, pushing up daisies, in a better place...

Wildwing put his only charge down, placing himself between Nosedive and the creek. His head was spinning, and he tried to stay calm. But he could feel the tears coming, and he knew that they couldn’t be stopped for long.

Nosedive felt the anger rise inside him, and he gave it full reign. He started racing for the Saurian guard, shouting obscenities and curses. He couldn’t hear his brothers cries, and he frankly didn’t care.

The guard turned at the noise. The other slaves stared at the scene unfolding, all hurrying out of the mad ducks way.

Tiler sighed. “Looks like I’m gonna have to finish what you started, Batlie. But it’s only gonna take me one shot.” He cocked the gun.

“No!” Wildwing tackled Nosedive around the ankles, bringing him down with a thud.

Tiler changed his aim, and was about to shoot when a hand came down on his arm. He looked up. “Don’t be dumb. Do that, and you’ll have an uprising before you can say ‘Saurian Overlord’.” The third guard.

Tiler grumbled. “It’s Batlie’s fault.”

Batlie shrugged and grinned. “Gotta admit, that last shot was spectacular. Right off her feet.”

Wildwing and Nosedive lay on the ground, Wildwing still gripping Nosedive’s lower legs. Nosedive was crying on his stomach, propped up on both elbows, slamming his fists into the ungiving ground.

Wildwing stood, and helped Nosedive up. He was weeping silently, but Nosedive was bawling unashamed. He led the hysterical child back to their corner, and forced him down. Nosedive sat with his arms around his knees, sobbing. Wildwing considered trying a hug to calm him down, but decided against it. Nosedive had lost something that Wildwing could only imagine, and he wouldn’t be comforted so easily. Wildwing copied Nosedive, and felt the tears roll off his cheeks. One down, two to go, he thought grimly.

***

That night Nosedive had subsided into quiet reflection, and he and Wildwing were huddling again. They hadn’t said anything to each other since ‘it’ had happened. Suddenly Nosedive spoke up.

“I’ll get them for this Wildwing. A life for a life. Jadestar didn’t deserve that, but I’ll give those sorry Saurians just what they do deserve. I’ll get every last one of them. Revenge. Don’t get mad, get everyone.” Nosedive spoke scratchily.

Wildwing didn’t look down. “You don’t know what you’re saying. You don’t want blood on your hands.”

Nosedive tensed. “I swear, before you and a god, if there is one, which, after this, I sincerely doubt, that I will pay back the Saurians for what they did to Jadestar. On my honor as a Flashblade.”

Wildwing shivered. “Whatever.” he muttered.

“Badnight Wildwing.” Nosedive closed his eyes. “And goodnight Jadestar Flashblade, wherever you are.”

He fell asleep almost immediately, tired from crying. Wildwing stared out into the night, making his own promise. A promise to protect Nosedive. He wouldn’t lose both of them.

***

The next day Nosedive acted as if Jadestar had never existed. He joked again, and refused to talk to Wildwing about yesterday. Wildwing knew he was hiding though, he’d seen the look in Nosedive’s eyes, and he knew that Nosedive was going to do his utmost to forefill his oath. He just hoped that it didn’t get them both killed, because Wildwing was going to be there alongside him, whether he was wanted or not. That was what family was for.