Aaroon always had the urge to protect his friends. He's always been fiercely loyal to everyone he cares about. It was an impulse he never remembered why he had; he just had it.
So, as he left the attic off the Oakhouse alongside the boy he'd quickly grown to think of as the brother he never remembered having despite only just meeting Austin, he was still pretty pissed off at Caesar for being such an asshole.
The boy should've known better than to attack Aaroon in the first place; He was never so brave or bold 𑁋 or just that stupid 𑁋 to do anything like that in the first place. Also, the way he was talking to Austin 𑁋Aaroon's friend 𑁋 Well, he couldn't let that slide, and, because he couldn't, Aaroon had lost his temper.
When they heard that Caesar had went with a handful of Meadowers 𑁋 namely his clique of idiotic followers and traitors just like him 𑁋 and entered the Labyrinth the murderous rage he felt before up in the attic of the Oakhouse, during the last Submit, had returned. That bastard, he had been thinking. He'll get them killed.
But he suddenly felt Austin's hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Austin shaking his head calmly, as he said "He's not worth it, man, don't worry about it."
He managed to calm down a bit at that but he was still pretty pissed that Caesar might as well have gotten himself 𑁋 and his clique of idiotic followers 𑁋killed, entering the Labyrinth without a scout present to help guide them through the dangers of that hellhole.
As they walked onward, Aaroon knew that Austin knew that Aaroon had another reason for joining him to go meet their prisoner 𑁋 the one that's supposedly Austin's sister, or something. Aaroon needed his friend, and Austin needed a wingman present, cuz Aaroon just didn't trust the girl… If Reya didn't trust her, then Aaroon just couldn't, either. Reya may have been many things, but one thing that she excelled at greatly is judging character.
Anyways, he was thankful that Austin allowed him to accompany him to his supposed sister, though he figured the lack of an option Aaroon gave Austin played a big role, too, in the decision. Nevertheless, they arrived at the Flatshack.
"Hey, Aaroon," Austin looked up from the drawer of hand drawn mappings of the Labyrinth inside the Flashshack. "I think I found what we need. Let's head to the Barn and meet up with Scarleteye-... erm, my sister, I guess."
The trip to the Barn was peacefully easy beside Aaroon. He was anxious, though, about many things.
As they walked on towards the Barn, Austin was very aware that the vision he had of himself, his Voice, and Scarlet and her Voice could have been just a dream 𑁋 Not at all real, but he also knew something else: That it was too coincidental, too vivid for it to have been just a dream.
But what really had Austin anxious was what if it was true. If it was true and Scarleteye really is his sister then is he really related to a killer? Wait, was Scarleteye really a killer? If so, what if he turned out just like her? His mind kept repeating this question over and over without any yield whatsoever.
"Austin," Austin heard the soft voice of Reya call out his name and he looked up to see the girl had jogging up over to them from the Barn's direction. "Are you sure about this? With Scarleteye, I mean. I cannot read her mind, and, frankly, I am not comfortable with someone so dangerous whose mind I cannot see into, chatting up with friends who may or may not survive the next few days𑁋."
"Reya," Austin interrupted, shooing off Aaroon who had begun snickering at Reya's concern, mimicking kissing noises quietly as he walked off, giving the two space. "I am sure. I𑁋."
"I'm coming, too," Reya said, before anyone could object. "I don't trust that girl. I don't like her."
"S'not like they're gonna perform incest, Reya, geez," Aaroon commented, earning a shove from both Reya and Austin, who begun blushing face to chest. "C'mon, whatever. Knew you'd "volunteer"; it was only a matter of time before your precious Austin and his possible sister force your hand, darlin'."
Reya and Austin ignored him and his air-quotes over volunteer𑁋 Austin had to remember to get Aaroon back for this tease. He will, but first he needed to convince Reya not to come. "Reya," he began.
"Austin," Reya's voice went deadly low. "Don't. I am going with you." She fixed Austin with a deadly gaze, as if daring him to object.
'Or maybe not,' Austin thought to himself.
Austin gulped. Reya can be scary when she wanted to be. Like now. "Yes ma'am."
"Brilliante," Reya beamed a toogthy grin so cheerfully, it was as if she hadn't just glared Austin and Aaroon down with eyes that screamed refuse, and I'll kill you so clearly, only Reya could have such eyes. "And Austin…," Reya suddenly fixed Austin with sympathetic eyes. "You're not...her. You know that right?"
Austin knew Reya had telepathy. Her crest was shared with others who had similar crests on their backs with similar abilities: the Raven, Austin remembered. But he didn't know how often she used it. "Did you just…?"
"Read your mind?" Reya asked, shaking her head. "No, at least, not intentional, anyways. Most of the ravens here with telepathic powers were picking up on your… erm, thoughts a moment ago. It was basically louder than most of the others here. You should really learn to quiet it down, by the way.
"You're not Scarlet, Austin. You won't and never have been to my knowledge. Whatever strengths blood relation has, believe me, becoming your siblings polar opposite to you𑁋 That isn't one of them."
Austin let that sink in for a moment before he spoke. From the sound of it, it came from experience, but did Reya really feel like she and Stryker were polar opposites? Sure, they have different views and they act so differently, but polar opposites? Austin couldn't see it. "I just feel so….so...."
"Useless? Hopeless?" Aaroon offered, suddenly looking older than any adolescent here. "Yeah, well, welcome to the club."
"Look, Austin," Reya tried again, after giving Aaroon a pointed look. "I'm not one to trust easily𑁋 and I won't ever trust Scarlet, but you do. You do and you have shown to trust others when you felt them to be right. Stryker, Jackson, Aaroon, and myself𑁋 You trust us and because you cared enough and felt it to be right to trust us, I trust your instincts. If you need Scarleteye to help us escape this place, then I'm onboard all the way. Don't doubt yourself, or your gut. Ever. They've kept you alive this long."
"Yeah, man," Aaroon added. "I don't back down from anything that ain't a Annihilator or over a dozen Scavengers, but… I will follow your lead. As will the other scouters and Meadowers in this place. I trust you. They will too, if they haven't learned to do so already. Go n'get the answers you need and let's bolt the hell outta this place."
"Thanks, guys," Austin meant it.
Reya just shrugged. "If Stryker were here, he'd say 'Doing nothing out of fear is worst than being afraid,'," she said, smiling at the pleasant thought. "So follow through with what you believe in and have the courage to finish it. We''re with you."
"Yeah. yeah, you're right," Austin agreed, feeling only a tad bit better. "Thanks, guys, I needed that."
"No, prob, man," Aaroon side-bumped Austin's arm and Reya smirked. "Besides, if ya do get all murdery-psycho on us, I'll just knock you out myself."
"Whatever, man," Austin said, getting annoyed again. "Let's go already."
"Took the words right out of my mouth," Reya mumbling something about boys and idiots.