Austin grabbed one of Stryker's arms while Zackery grabbed the other, and they holsted Stryker by shoulders, trudging past the Alcove's entrance, hoping they did not encountered anymore Savagers or, worse, Annihilators.
As they made their way out of the Alcove, Austin was consciously aware of the way they took to reach the Alcove earlier was different already and realized that the Labrinth had already began shifting and rearranging itself again. He trusted his friend Zackery to lead the way back then more than he had before somehow.
Once they arrived back at the Meadows, Cleo and Zether claimed Stryker, taking him to the Oakhouse where they could attempt to treat him, Reya ordered Aaron and Austin to tell her what happened later. Austin did manage to tell her about hiding their friends from the Annihilators and then she ordered a few scouts to find the unconscious bodies of Atlanna and Trevor Austin had hid only a few hours earlier.
Everyone was surprised at their survival — Apparently, no one has ever survived a night in the Labrinth before. And so when Reya called a Summit for Austin and Zackery to recount their side of the story of what happened, it had Austin anxious for fear that they wouldn't be believed.
As he finished his side of the story after Zack had his, it seemed that at least Reya and Aaron were at the threshold of believing their story, however the other overseers were a little more hesitant to believe Austin's side of the story.
With Cleo and Zether using their healing abilities to attend to Atlanna, Trevor and Stryker, Cleo couldn't make it to the Summit[Apparently, the Annihilators had a toxic bite and venomous claws that required different vials of anti-venom and anti-toxin and, while Atlanna and Trevor were only clawed and required just the anti-venom, Stryker was both clawed and bitten, requiring the usage of both the anti-venom and the anti-toxin, which caused his screams of pain and mad agony echo across the whole Meadows, dwarfing those of his friends', which is why Zether's ability to ease pain, and Cleo's ability to heal minor injuries were working overtime, resulting in her absence.], but the other Overseers were present.
"This could all be a trick," Caesar rebuked almost immediately after the telling of their story. The Summit consisted of Alyssa, Caesar, Reya and Aaron, with Zackery and Aaron standing before the circle of chairs, though they both couldn't sit the stool, so they decided to stand. "Jackson didn't trust this newbie, so why should any of us?"
Like a punch to the gut, the Caesar's words struck; so much so, that Austin had to remind himself that he couldn't let the owner of such an awfully misshapen nose and bearer of bad breath get to him — He kept his facial features neutral, which only seemed to enrage Caesar, who was watching him like prey to a cat, even more and looked like he wanted to take another stab with words.
But, before he could, Alyssa spoke. "He has a point," She agreed, effectively interrupting the scarecrow boy, whom seemed like he was somewhat satisfied she agreed with him. "This newbie has only been here a few days; Jackson has been here for nearly six years. It begs the question: Why should we take the word of someone whom our one of our more seasoned Meadowers didn't trust?"\
As Austin stood there, gape mouthed and wide-eyed, he found himself having no comeback, despite his fate possibly[more than likely] being on the line. The two had a point. Why should they take the word of someone who's only been there a few days over that of someone who's been there longer?
Austin looked from Alyssa's suspicious expression to Caesar's infuriating impish-grinning one, before turning to Reya, who Austin hoped still believed him, but he couldn't tell, seeing as her face was wearing an unreadable expression, while having a silent, unspoken conversation with Aaron. It only served to raise his anxiety, as he needed those two to believe him at the very least.
Thankfully, Zackery had decided to step forward and speak. "Our story is exactly true," he said, looking at the summit council of four, right into each of their eyes. "And if trust is an issue, you forget I've been here almost as long as Jackson. I vouch and verify the story coming out our mouths."
That didn't seem like much words, amd Caesar and Alyssa both turned their suspicion to Zackery, but then Aaron spoke. "It is true. Zackery here has proven himself a capable and loyal Scout and a trusting Meadower. I believe him. I trust him. Them. both of them."
Austin looked from Zackery to Aaron, feeling a spark of hope, as Aaron nodded, before, too quick to be certain, Austin could have sworn Aaron winked at him before turning to Reya, who he definitely saw a sparkle of trust in her beautiful dark eyes.
"Of course you believe them, Aaron," Caesar said, emphasizing the 'you' in an accusing tone, waving dismissively at the guy. "You're their overseer. I wouldn't be too surprised if you happen to be—."
"What?" Aaron asked, his tone deadly calm, just hint of threat in his voice, through his clearly forced smile. "Please finish that sentence. Give me a reason. Go on, Twigface."
Caesar paused, clearly hesitant to finish what he started, as he looked at the deathgaze in Aaron's eyes. But, as he looked at Alyssa's attentive eyes, then at Austin, his eyes went from hesitant to enrage, and his nostrils flared impossibly wide. He looked like he was about to say something, but then Reya beat him to speak.
"I've just done a discreet look into their minds," Reya said, startling everyone, especially Austin who hadn't expected such a comment. "They speak the truth. They held their own against the Annihilators, but there's something else…Ah, what they seemed to have left out is that they had a run-in with Scarleteye and three of her Bane Brothers., barely escaping."
Austin knew Reya would be able to read his mind, but he really hoped that she could hear his plea not to tell the other overseers about what happened exactly. He knew she'd have everything he could remember about the encounter, but if she told them everything else that happened, then his fate would be, well, darker then it was now. Luckily she seemed to have heard his plea because she didn't verbalize anything else that could put him in an even more unbelieved position.
"You guys survived an attack from Scarleteye," Aaron fixed Austin with impressed eyes that somehow held even more trust and respect than he had before, with an even deeper sense of curiosity and deepfound interest. "Impressive."
"So….the Annihilators? That was all true?" Alyssa seemed shocked.
Caesar just seemed repulsed by the thought, though, as he spoke. "He needs to be punished. Our number one most important rule is not to go beyond the Gates. He went beyond the Gates and into the Labyrinth. This will not and cannot go unpunished, Reya. You know this. The Taboo demands retribution; Stryker would agree with me, and you know it."
This caused things to escalate. Aaron, obviously frustrated, leaped forward, standing right up in Caesar's face. "Are you serious right now, man? What's your problem, man? I was ignoring it before, cause ya always a dick, but I can't help but to notice that you've got something against the newbie, obviously. He rescued one of my scouts and our leader; what more could you hate against him with?"
"He's a newb. A newb who broke ter rules, but of course ya'd defend him. Not only is he a freeloading newb who breaks our rules the first chance he gets, it's just like ya, defending a rule-breaker, and then there's the fact that he rescued one of yours n' ya always take care of ya own, ain't that right, Aaron?" Caesar countered, sneeringly holding Aaron's heated gaze. "However, that hadn't been the case with Jackson, though huh?"
Austin and Zack, along with the other teenagers present, watched the two glare at each other, their seething eyes heating up the room like coaled fire in a fireplace, heating up a winter hut, everyone watching with tentative however transfixed eyes, unable to move. It was like that time Austin people talk about[He doesn't remember anyone personally talking about it and he didn't know how he knew people talked about it or where he even knew of it to begin with, but he just knew people did and that it is a real thing in society outside this hellhole], how, you can see a wreck about to occur, but unable stop it, frozen in fear and watching in helplessness as time slows and anticipation and fear spreads all over your body.
"Careful how you decide to continue," Aaron spoke dangerously quiet, as he wiped Caesar's spit from his face, his own face blank and smooth, his words and tone a warning in and of itself.
A warning, which Caesar evidently either ignored, or cared nothing about, as he just continued on his tirade of a tangent. His mistake.
"Had ya really cared about your peeps, Aaron, the boy would be standin' and walkin' around right now, not bedridden and half losin' his brains, like a dumbass."
"Okay, I'm done," said Aaron, flaming red with rage.
That seemed to have been the trigger — talking about Jackson in such a way, calling him that had earned Caesar a sharp, swift right hook to the face with a crunch, causing the boy to groan and fall to the ground.
As Caesar got up from the floor, and the gasping of Alyssa ceased, the boy clutching his darkening eye, which was turning a nasty shade of purple. Before he could react, Alyssa stood in front of him, holding him back.
Caesar looked like he was about to do something back, but, before he could try anyting, Austin and Zack was already holding him back. And, as the boy stood there, seething in rage and panting as he glares daggers at Aaron, Aaron continues with "Don't fucking talk about Jackson or any of my scouts like that EVER again. And If I hear somethin' anything about any one of my scouts out that Twigface mouth of yours, I will find you and FUCKING KILL YOU! Do you understand, Scarecrow?!"
"Order!" Reya hit the hammer on the table, trying to garner everyone's attention. "We need to act like the adults that Stryker choose us to be. We need a united front, especially now that we—."
"A united front, my ass," Aaron interrupted, glaring at dangerously at Caesar, still radiating pure rage. "This fool can't put his own pride aside and see the biggest picture here: that Austin here did save our leader and three scouts. So long as he's the asshole he is, a 'united front' is impossible."
With that, Aaron stormed out of the Summit.