Ribbons

I sat in my bunk and watched Jace getting dressed, feeling sick to my stomach. I'd seen death flickers before and I'd even been able to stop a few, but this time... This time I had no idea what to do.

Jace must have done something pretty stupid.

Just a month back, I'd seen a death flicker on Derrin and it was easy to stop. I'd just gotten him to stay home from work that morning and when the accident at the factory happened, he wasn't there.

This was different, though. Very different. Someone was going to murder him and I was at a loss on how to stop it short of telling him about my ability and asking him what the hell he had done.

Speaking about my ability was pretty much out of the question. As soon as Papa Saul found out about my ability to see flickers around people, he told me I had to keep it a secret. If I didn't, the corrupt people in charge now would take me and use me. Hurt me. I knew he was right, but still... I wanted to be able to talk to someone about it.

It had happened in the ribbons. I was one of 30 orphans in Bladensburg after the cataclysm and I'd basically grown up here. I didn't really remember my parents, they'd been victims of the ribbons. People said that to 99% of the world's population, the ribbons were toxic and deadly within the hour..99% of the population was immune. For.01% of the population, the ribbons changed you somehow.

The ribbons, which weren't REAL ribbons at all, but tendrils of a black, smoke looking substance that hung in the air. They were dense, you couldn't move around them and they were everywhere. No one really knew what they were, just that a certain magnetic pulse combined with a radio wavelength for vibration kept them at bay. All of Bladensburg was surrounded by pillars with repulsors that kept the ribbons back and out of the small community.

When I was 6, I had seen someone out in the ribbons and I had run out to get them, lead them inside the community. They were gone by the time I reached the place I'd seen them and Saul was frantic when I came back within the pillars. He'd thought I was going to die, but instead I was changed. I was one of the.01% of people. I began having what I called 'flickers'. I could see little flashes of people's lives, past, present and future. Snippets of thoughts, fondest fantasies and most of all... death. I always saw it when someone was about to die and I could see how it was going to happen.

I hadn't been able to stop it when Papa Saul, one of the few good men left in the world and caretaker of us orphans, had died of some sickness. I could only sit with him and wait as he coughed and wheezed and clutched his stomach in pain. He wasn't one of the powerful people, he couldn't afford medicine or the one doctor in Bladensburg. After he passed, all of us orphans had to start fending for ourselves.

I considered them mostly like my brothers and sisters. I'd been among the youngest when it had all happened. After Papa Saul died, a few of the older orphans tried to take care of all of us younger ones and they were mostly able to provide for us. We ate at least once a day. A few left, found jobs and forgot about the rest of us.

Now the youngest of us were young adults, me included, and we all had a semblance of jobs.

Not Jace. No one really knew what he did, but he brought home food and other things and just laughed when asked about it. Told us not to worry about it.

Only eight of us still stayed at the orphanage, we didn't really have another place to go. I was offered a place near where I worked, transcribing for the post and circuit, but I didn't want to leave my brothers and sisters behind.

Especially not Jace.

My eyes had been full of the petite, unassuming boy since I was about 13 and he was 14. I knew he knew and pretended not to notice, just like I knew Derrin had eyes for me and I pretended not to know. I had no interest in Derrin, so I played dumb and I'd only ever feigned interest the day of the accident. Pretending to be sick, I'd begged him to stay home with me, telling him he was the only one I felt safe with and he was a comfort. He'd had such hope in him after that day, at least for a couple weeks until I made it clear I wasn't looking for more. I'd even asked him if he thought maybe Jace might like me and wouldn't we make a cute couple? I knew he wouldn't tell Jace, they didn't get on at all, plus he wouldn't want Jace to suddenly see me that way. That would ruin HIS chances.

Jace was the only one of my brothers who I'd ever seen in that way at all. Most the others had paired off pretty early, coupling up, fighting, coupling with another, trading off over the years.

Not me. I'd never coupled with any of them. I'd been too young, and then they'd all moved on. By the time I was old enough, it was just a few of us left and I only wanted Jace.

Now, though, I was at a loss.

He was going to be murdered today. By Luis Jordan, known henchman of Oren Dutant, the leader of the crime syndicate here in Bladensburg.

He had to have done something truly stupid to have Oren put a hit out on him.

This was a complete mess and I was at a loss. How could I stop this?

There was only one real way.

Go to Oren, make Jace go to him and apologize. Right his wrong.

How could I convince Jace that he had to do that without telling him outright about my ability?

Ugh.

Standing, I crossed the room.

Jace looked over at me, then grinned. "Hey Jube, what's up? Don't work today?"

"No, not today... ummm... I heard something though?"

"From who?" he laughed. "Who do you talk to all holed up here and in the scribe hall?"

"A... source... umm... Jace? Have you done something reckless? Offended Oren Dutant?"

Jace's face went guarded as he turned his full attention to me. "Who told you that?!? Who said that? Tell me who, Jube! I need to know!"

"It's... I can't say who... but Jace, you have to go and apologize! If you don't... if you don't he's going to kill you. Today."

"Who told you that?!? How did they find out?" he asked, horrified, his hands going to his blonde curls.

"Jace! We need to go right now and straighten this out! If not, you'll be gone before dinner. Please? We can find a way out of this!"

"I can't, Jube! I... I'll have to hide! I'll hide with Foley, he'll let me stay with him for a while!"

I looked over him, but nothing changed. He would still be dead by afternoon. "That won't work," I shook my head. "We have to go to him, that's the only way. You KNOW he has eyes everywhere in Bladensburg, he'll find you if you try to hide. The best way is to go and ask forgiveness and work it off. Come on, Jace, we'll go now, ok? I'll come with you and help. Appeal to him."

Jace grimaced, but he knew I was right.

It was the only way, Oren Dutant ran Bladensburg.

He followed me out of the small old house that was the orphanage, but once he hit the center of the community, I had to let him lead. I didn't know exactly where Oren was, just that him and his people worked out of the old downtown and some of the buildings there.

When Jace hesitated outside of an old barbershop, I went ahead of him and pushed in the door.

It was dark inside and it took my eyes a moment to adjust to the candlelight as I stood there, blinking.

"Well will you look at this."

The smooth, deep voice drew my eyes, but I was still trying to adjust to the light change as I peered into the darkness.

"O-oren?" I called into the darkness.

A snort came and I could finally make out several people in the back of the gutted room.

I walked closer, but Jace hung back by the door like he was about to run. Looking at the tall, slender, dark young man sitting down in a chair up on a dais, I cleared my throat nervously as he smirked at me. "I... I came to ask forgiveness for... whatever my brother Jace did to offend you and to ask you to reconsider taking his life."

Oren's eyebrows shot up high as he looked past me back to Jace. "Your brother?" he asked lightly.

"Not by blood... we're both orphans, both raised by Papa Saul after the cataclysm."

Oren gave a small nod, still smirking as his eyes shone malevolently. He stood suddenly, making me take a rapid step back. "You came to beg for his life," Oren chuckled, pacing the length of the dais and back as he watched Jace huddling near the door. "Finn! John!"

Two men hurried across the room and took custody of Jace, each holding an arm.

The death flicker was still there. I turned back to Oren, terrified. "Please! We came to work something out! Apologize and work out a deal!"

"He stole from me, little one," Oren shrugged, then sat back down in his chair as he leaned back and looked me over. "There's no stealing from me without an example being made."

"Please! He'll give it all back AND he'll work for you!"

"And you?"

"Me? I... I'll do whatever you want! I can scribe and..."

Oren looked past me to Jace, smirking again as he interrupted me. "How long has this little one been in love with you, thief?"

Jace looked down, closing his eyes and shaking his head.

"How long?" Oren demanded.

"A few years," Jace mumbled. "Look, man, I'm sorry! I shouldn't have done it, I didn't even know it was yours at first! When I found out, I should've given it right back and not tried to get rid of it! I'm sorry! I'll get it back and make it up to you! Work it off!"

"I already have all of it back," Oren told him, looking me over again. "What's your name, little one?"

"Jubilee?"

"Like the comic?"

"My dad was a fan," I agreed, feeling wary as he looked me over.

"How long have you been in love with that boy?"

I blushed and looked down angrily. "Can we please work out a deal? I just want..."

"Depends on if you can behave. You promised me anything but won't even answer my questions."

"Since I was 13."

"How long?"

"6 years."

"And did you know that he knew?"

"Yes."

"And he's shown no return interest?"

"No."

"Yet you still risked your life and offered me anything for his life. What was his name?"

"Jace? Jace Carmichael."

"Carmichael. I only had a first name and description, but it was enough..." Oren mused, looking over Jace again. He turned back to me and looked me over again. "To spare his life... anything, Jubilee?"

I gave him a terrified nod.

"Jace... you now work for me... for the rest of your life. You'll pay me back a hundredfold and you'll have all the shittiest jobs. Is that a problem for you?"

"No!" Jace agreed quickly.

"I thought not. Jubilee... is that what everyone calls you?"

"Jube, usually," I told him haltingly, afraid of what was about to happen.

"Jube... nnn. Jubilee, then. Anything? For his life?"

I gave him a slow nod, my heart hammering as he smirked and his eyes lit up.

"When I send for you, you will come immediately, no matter what you're doing, do you understand? Immediately."

"I understand," I agreed slowly. Come here for what?!?

"Good. Step closer. Take your clothes off, Jubilee."

I froze, horrified. "W-what?!?"

"Your clothes, take them all off. All of them. As an orphan I imagine you don't have many, so I wouldn't want to rip them up or destroy them. Clothes are hard to come by. Not exactly a priority when the rangers go out. Take them off."

I looked around the room at all of the men watching me, including Jace.

"Now, Jubilee. If she's not undressed in 60 seconds, kill him."

Jerking, my hands went to my shirt and I pulled it off over my head as I kicked off my shoes. When I had nothing left, I covered myself and closed my eyes, afraid of what I knew was going to happen next.

Was it worth it? For Jace's life?

Why had he been so stupid?!?

"Come here."

Opening my eyes, I looked at Oren and his predatory smile. I stepped closer, then hesitated again. He patted his thigh as he leaned back in the chair.

For a moment, I thought he meant to make me use my mouth on him. I'd seen the other girls doing it for my brothers often enough, there was no privacy at the orphanage. When I got close, though, he spun me to face away from him and pulled me to sit on his thigh.

My eyes met Jace's and he looked pained as he watched me.

"Here," Oren rumbled in my ear as he pulled me to lay back against his chest. "Head here," he demanded, pressing my head to his shoulder so his chin was against my temple. Sliding an arm across my shoulders, his hand engulfed my opposite shoulder as he held me against him. "Take hold of my arm," he commanded.

I didn't want to stop hiding myself, but I closed my eyes as I took hold of his arm across my shoulders, holding on near his wrist.

"So good and obedient," Oren murmured pleasantly. "Now don't let go, little one."

His free hand stroked my cheek, then moved down and cupped my breast, squeezing gently as he purred appreciatively.

"Did you know she had such a nice, tight little body under that old sweatshirt?" Oren asked Jace.

I opened my eyes and Jace was watching me, his eyes on my chest, his lips parted.

"You see her now, don't you?" Oren chuckled. Reaching down, he pulled my leg to the outside of his, then did the same to the other as I went tense and tried to resist it. "No, little one. Stay still and do as I tell you," he told me, his lips on my temple. "Keep them spread open wide. I want him to see what he was missing. I want him to see all of you and know... know that you will never love him again. You'll loathe him and resent him forever for forcing this on you. Not today, not all at once, but it will grow and grow until you hate him. All of this is his fault, you would never be in this position if not for how badly he'd fucked up. How much he'd ignored you and your devotion to him. This is all him," Oren growled in my ear, his eyes on Jace. "He doesn't deserve you at all, little one, he never has."

Tears were rolling down my cheeks and I gripped his wrist more tightly as his fingers rolled my nipple almost painfully hard.

"What do you deserve, little one?" Oren asked, his free hand no longer groping my breast as he slid it down my belly and delved his fingers between my spread legs.

I whimpered and went tense, but he held me tightly against his chest.

"Is this what you deserve?" Oren asked, his fingertips playing lightly over my sex, toying with the hair, then gliding over my smooth pussy lips. Spreading them gently, he played his middle finger through my slit, then up to my clit.

Sucking in a breath, I went more rigid, trying to close my legs and he held me down almost painfully tight.

"Mmmm, little one, no. Never fight me! Never. That earned your brother a beating! Relax for me and stay open to me! It'll be worse than a beating if you disobey me again!"

"P-please!" I whispered miserably as his finger rolled over my clit again and again.

"Shhhh," he whispered, his fingertips moving more quickly.

"Oh god," I whimpered, shaking my head. Jace was watching me, his eyes hooded as he watched Oren touching me down there. "Please!" I cried again, squirming with the bliss cascading through me.

"Hush now, little one. Let him see what will never be his. Come for me... for all of us, and I will reward you. I won't beat him so badly. Squirt for me and I won't beat him at all."

I was half delirious now, shaking my head as I gripped his arm. I let go with one hand and gripped his other wrist, panting as I rolled my hips up to his fingers.

"Have you been fucked, Jubilee?" Oren asked softly in my ear.

"Nnnooo!" I managed through clenched teeth as he brought me closer and closer.

"Have you fingered yourself? Fucked yourself with something?"

"Yes! Oh god... oh god please!" I sobbed, trying to grasp for that ecstasy that was just out of reach.

"Jace, do you want to come finger her?" Oren called.

Jace didn't answer, hurrying close and going to his knees between my legs and quickly sliding his middle finger into me.

I whimpered again, turning away from everyone as I panted.

"No, Jubilee," Oren groaned in my ear, turning me to face him. His mouth was on mine before I understood what was happening, kissing me and forcing my mouth open.

I screamed into his mouth as it all seemed to come together, my pussy gripping Jace's finger as Oren kept his fingers on their rapid circuit around my clit. My body twitched as I whimpered and let the beautiful ecstasy wash through me, rolling back again and again like the tide.

Collapsing as soon as it ended, I could only turn away from the kiss and breathe heavily. My whole body felt heavy as Oren moved to try and close my legs and hug me to his chest.

"There now," he laughed lightly. "Not so hard, was it? Now his punishment won't be nearly so bad since you were so good and did as I bid you. Remove your hands from her now."

Jace jerked back and I flinched at the violence of the loss.

"Get her clothes and help her dress. Take her back to your home, then you will report back here this afternoon by 3, do you understand?"

"Yeah, I got it," Jace agreed quickly, helping me get dressed as I stood on wobbly legs.

Jace led me out and I cast a wide eyed glance back at Oren as we reached the door. Oren was smirking at me, watching us leave as if he had a secret.

Jace was quiet the whole way home, but as soon as we were inside, I went to my bunk and curled up, hugging myself as I cried.

"Jube? Jube, are you ok?" Jace asked, moving to sit down next to me in my bunk.

I didn't answer him, still crying as I hugged myself and held anger in my heart for Oren and Jace both.

Jace moved closer, putting a hand on my shoulder. "Jube? I'm sorry! I'm sorry I fucked up so bad and got you involved in this. Please, don't be mad at me?" he pleaded, laying down behind me to spoon me as he hugged me to him and looked at me over my shoulder.

I went still, my heart aching. I had wanted this for so long, for him to hold me like this, see me like this. Now all I wanted was to be alone.

Closing my eyes, I cried myself out until nothing was left.

"Jube?" Jace whispered. "You awake?"

I didn't answer, not wanting to talk to him.

"Jube?" he asked more softly, then eased his hand up my hip and under my shirt. Cupping my breast lightly, I felt him moving behind me, then I knew what he was doing. He was jerking off as he groped me.

After everything that had just happened...

This was who Jace Carmichael was.

I didn't move at all, pretending to be asleep, but my heart ached. All of me ached and I had a swelling hate for Jace.

When he finished, then eased up and slipped out of the little house, I got up and went out back. The little house was on the edge of the pillars, one of them in the small back yard.

Looking out, I looked at the ribbons in the air and the way they just hung there. Wind, rain, nothing moved them. Nothing but the repulsors.

No one really knew what they were or how it happened. All anyone really knew was that there had been an explosion at a top secret government facility. The ribbons had begun there and spread all over the world within the week. From the ground to the lower atmosphere, they were everywhere, some inches apart, some feet apart. An object passing through them made them move like smoke, but they went right back as they were as soon as it passed through. All of them different, different sizes, lengths, widths. Some huge, some tiny. It didn't matter. All that really mattered is they kept us all trapped here.

There were other communities as well, as well as rangers who went between communities and gathered things that had been left out in the world. Food mostly, seeds, things like that. The biggest things were tech and batteries, things to make more repulsors and make our space larger.

For the hundredth time, I went to the pillar and looked out, wondering if I stepped out again if it would change me even more, or if it would maybe kill me this time.