The Resistance

“Hippolita, Hippolita, Hippolita Amazonia!” Artemis Wolfpride yelled. “Artemis!” Hippolita came running to greet her second in command and best friend. “Did you get it?” “One thumb drive full of incriminating evidence against our “noble king” king Theseus Greedus as requested. It includes proof that the virus and cure are fake, why we have the curfew, guards and wall, and a whole lot of juicy truth.” Artemis replied. “Everything we’ve worked for is finally happening.” Hippolita’s green eyes were shining. “Arty I think you should do it.” “Hippolita, I told you to stop calling me tha-, wait did you say I should do it?” Artemis nearly shouted. “Well, yes, they’ve taken the most from you, so it’s only right you tear them down.” “I guess,” Artemis said uncertainly, “I’ll meet you in the council room in half an hour; I need a shower.”

When Artemis walked into the council room, she entered to a full-blown shouting match. “BE QUIET!” Artemis shouted at everyone. “Hippolita, please explain.” “Well,” she began, “we’re arguing about the plan.” “What plan exactly?” Artemis asked. “How you’re going to sneak into Theseus’s headquarters of course, and it’s obvious you should go through the sewers.” And with that the arguing began once more. After over an hour, everyone had decided on a plan: Artemis would sneak into the resistance house inside the wall, then she would climb up onto the roof and swing from a lamppost onto a work building. From there she would climb across the wire to Theseus’s H.Q., plug in her laptop into the system, hack it, plug in the thumb drive and expose the truth. “Just one problem,” Hippolita said, “Theseus and Centurus Moran will be there, they’re announcing the “cure” tonight.” Artemis’s blue eyes turned stormy at the mention of Centurus. He was the commander of the Romanuser army, and he had killed Artemis’s mother. “I’ll bring my bow and a couple of daggers,” Artemis decided. “You have an hour to pack, use it well Arty.” For once, she didn’t complain about the nickname, instead, she smiled grimly and went off to pack.

When she went to her room, Artemis slung her bow and quiver over her shoulder, sheathed her dagger and shoved her laptop, thumb drive and some other stuff into a cross-shoulder bag. Then she went to meet Hippolita at the sewers. “Finally!” Hippolita said “Are you gonna tell me how you got the info?” “Nope” Artemis laughed, popping the p, “It’s a surprise.” Hippolita laughed, “will you tell me after your mission?” “If you don’t hear it before, sure.” A wind rose off the sewers and whipped Hippolita’s long blond hair. Artemis’s was pulled into a tight braid. “I’ll see you on the other side” That was the way the resistance said good luck when someone was going on a dangerous mission. Artemis nodded and dove into the sewers.

She quickly made her way to the safe house, so she had time to review what she knew: the guards were robots, so they only had one weakness, in the center of their chests, so an arrow would take care of them. There's a streetlight for her to get onto the work building, and then a wire she could crawl on, to Theseus’s headquarters. “Ok,” Artemis said to herself, “let’s do this.” As she crawled onto the roof, she remembered her and her mom. “Mom,” young Artemis asked, “why are there so many stars?” “Well, my love, they were once brave warriors who died saving people,” Her mother told her. “And we will join them if we stay in the resistance.” Artemis smiled, “wish me luck mom” she whispered to the sky.

Artemis closed her eyes and jumped. She grabbed the lamppost and swung onto the building. “Alright just can't get spotted by any of five thousand guards as I crawl in plain sight, piece of cake.” With that she began to crawl across the wire. The first few minutes passed quietly, until a guard almost spotted her. Artemis froze then crawled as fast as she could. “That was almost too close.” The next twenty minutes passed without incident, until a guard spotted her. As fast as lightning, Artemis notched an arrow then released it before the guard could report her. “That was too close, now I really need to hustle.” The rest of the trip was quiet, like it was holding its breath for something, the calm before the storm and, in reality, it was.

When Artemis reached the roof of Theseus’s headquarters, it took everything in her not to swear. There were fifty guards as well as Centurus and Theseus. “I’m presuming you won’t surrender, even though you’re alone?” Theseus sneered. “Nope, but you’re wrong, I'm not alone.” Artemis hit a button on a hidden cuff, and at least a hundred “flying monkey” drones appeared. Then she grabbed her daggers and charged. For all their bravado, they were terrible fighters. Theseus charged her but she sidestepped, and he almost fell off the roof. If this was a movie, she thought, everyone would be laughing. With two quick flicks of her daggers, she disarmed Theseus. In a fit of rage, Centurus leaped at her, but she grabbed her rope from her bag and twisted around, tying him up, then turned to Theseus and tied him up as well. They both shouted several curses, but Artemis’s favorite was the last: I’ll end you, rebellion scum, you’re a barnacle to my world.” But she just ignored them and tried to hack the servers.

“Darn, password protected” Artemis muttered, and walked over to Theseus, picked him up and held him over the edge of the roof. “Tell me the password or I will drop you.” She told him. “If I tell you, I’ll lose my throne, and everything else I've worked for.” He protested. “But you’ll be alive.” Artemis loosened her grip and Theseus screamed “Theseus hashtag one!” “Thanks.” she returned.  “Your truth is a lie, and they will never believe your word for you have no proof!” Theseus shouted after Artemis put him down. “You sure about that one buster?” Artemis said, dangling the thumb drive between her fingers.

Theseus went pale and started sputtering. “That must be fake, just acting and editing.” Artemis laughed, “If you think that then you are very, very stupid. Do you not know how quickly you spill anything once you’ve had some wine?” and then she went and gagged them both. She switched on the recorder and began to speak. “Hello everyone.” she began, “My name is Artemis Wolfpride and I need to tell you all something. You might not believe me at first, but you will soon. Theseus Greedus is not a good man, and before you ask, yes, I have proof.” Now she switched on the thumb drive file, and it began to play.

“My king,” the Artemis in the video said, “how do you keep your citizens in control?” “Well, you see” a very drunk Theseus replied, “you’d be amazed how much people obey you with the threat of a fake virus.” “So, the Eris virus is fake?” “Of course!” Then Theseus collapsed and the video switched off. Artemis began to speak again. “There you have it. You have all been lied to. All those people who were taken because they supposedly contracted the Eris virus were just a way for Theseus to lock them up for trying to rebel. This is the truth, but I will not force you to do anything, it’s your choice. Goodbye” With that, she switched off the video.

“Ah, I can already hear them coming to get you.” Artemis said. Theseus had a look of pure terror on his face and, for some reason, so did Centurus. “Dude why are you scared?” Artemis asked him. “Because you fool,” he replied, “not only did I support him, but I also took the people who tried to rebel and executed them!” “Well, you are in for a boat load of fun and I for one cannot wait for it to unfold,” Artemis said while laughing, “I’m unsure which part I will enjoy the most, and I'm positive the whole resistance will enjoy it all as well.” Artemis smiled “Oh, and just to state the obvious” And for this she leaned in close, “I don’t think you have your throne anymore.”