by Marc Mulero
“Sins! Squad B, rise!” Drino yelled. His voice faded out at the end of his call because of the endless screaming around him.
Squad B heard and promptly rose from cover, unleashing a storm of bullets and grenades from launchers. A group of charging guards fell, some of which tried to retaliate, but the wave of bullets was too intense. After about ten seconds of straight fire, most of the Sins found themselves having to reload. Drino and his squad were spread out directly behind the door, ready to defend it with their lives. A line of Hiezer guards with solid blue bandannas tied around their arms were slightly hunched and sprinting forward. They jumped over their dead brethren in hopes to avenge them.
“Squad X!” Drino said, looking to his other side, “Fire!” Drino's staggered voice was chilling.
A squad of Sins began firing from the rocks on the east side. Drino and his squad fired as well. This group of guards was more adept to the Sin's strategy; they spread out to confuse the fire coming from Squad X and they kept up the pace, sprinting toward Drino's squad. Drino swung his heavy mini-gun into position. He pulled the trigger and the chamber began to spin. Within a second, a barrage of bullets propelled from his gun, mowing down four Hiezer guards within his line of sight. What seemed to be the leader of the blue bandanna guards hopped over a barricade that Drino had been using for cover. He whacked Drino across the face with his assault rifle and kicked him backward. Drino shook his head and split out blood. Before the guard could reposition his gun to aim, Drino lunged forward and jabbed him in the ribs with brass knuckles. The guard stumbled forward, but tried to swing his gun again to disable him. Drino dodged and purposely dropped his mini-gun, causing it to land on the guard's leg. The guard fell to his knee. Drino didn't give him a moment to gather himself. Instead, Drino knocked off the guard's helmet and proceeded to beat his face to a bloody pulp. One of his fists caused serious damage, opening the side of his face with each pound from the brass knuckles. Other guards were breaking through to Drino's barricade. Although his squad did their best to fend them off, the fighters were forced to cease fire to avoid hitting their own. One Sin fighter attempted to restrain the breach by lighting a flame thrower. She advanced slowly as the guards pulled back. Drino looked up to find himself with a group of guards in his line of sight. He grabbed his mini-gun and opened fire. With intensity and determination, he was ready to end this battle.
Briggs was in position with fighters and civilians, ready to defend the main floor as Mulderan, Jeck, and the guards descended down the steps. Jeck stared down at a device as he proceeded onward. Mulderan's eyes faced forward, analyzing the situation. As soon as one of the shielded guards reached the main floor, a Sin fighter opened fire, resulting in a chain reaction. The Hiezer guards braced on to their shields as they shook violently while the incoming bullets ricocheted off the bulletproof glass. Mulderan motioned to his team to speed it up. Jeck lifted his head and pointed toward the east end of the mansion.
Briggs poked his head out from behind the wagon. The sight of his imperiled son caused a tingling sensation throughout his entire body as a brief state of shock left his eyes wide and mouth open. A jolt of energy charged through him, every cell in his body forced him to run.
Kentin sprinted while sobbing, protecting the Ayelan filled vial with both of his hands.
Lesh looked over the ledge of the fourth floor, to watch the escalating situation. She drew the knives from her back. Although she had an aerial view of the battle, she was too far away to get a clear shot. She swung her arm to release the throwing knife with all of her force, throwing a Hail Mary out of desperation. She repeated the motion several times. This bought Briggs some time to reach Kentin.
Between the gunfire and projectiles raining from above, the guards were struggling to maintain composure. Mulderan drew his stave after watching one of his guards get punctured in the shoulder by a flying knife. Mulderan whirled the black and golden stave above his head, swinging it in all directions. He deflected three of Lesh’s knives with precision.
"Dad!" Kentin yelled as he recognized the mountain running toward him.
Volaina realized that she wouldn't be able to successfully exit the mansion disguised as a guard, since the situation was getting out of control. She dropped her bullet proof shield and drew two silenced pistols, firing at the guards surrounding her from within the circle of shields. After a few of the shielded guards dropped to the floor, she swung toward Mulderan, whose eyes pierced right through her, with his stave already in motion. The impact of the staff whipping across Volaina’s face knocked her helmet off and sent her slightly airborne before hitting the ground. Mulderan's protective circle was diminishing.
"Recover the Ayelan, now," Mulderan said, pointing toward the boy.
The guards prepared to fire. Kentin lost sight of the Hiezers as Briggs’ body covered his entire view. Briggs quickly bent down to scoop Kentin up and move him to safety.
He hugged Kentin tight, "It's ok, bud, I've got you." Kentin shut his eyes, relieved, holding on to the vial as tight as he could. Time stood still for that moment, as Kentin felt a vibration; he opened his eyes as Briggs fell to his knees. The pupils of Briggs' wide eyes constricted. He remained straight faced, trying not to show pain. Kentin’s relief quickly morphed into anguish. Briggs took four more hits.
"Dad!" Kentin cried. One of the bullets that pierced his back exited through his chest.
Blood dripped down his huge body, oozing from all of the open orifices. Kentin was horrified, but Briggs maintained composure and looked into his son’s eyes.
"I'm sorry Kentin, but I need you to be strong. This group is your family now."
Tears fell from Kentin's eyes, "Why are you saying this, dad? You can't die.”
Briggs looked pained and his eyes began to glaze over. "I love you, son. I'll always be with you."
Briggs hugged Kentin tight as he held back tears to try and be strong for his son. His vision was beginning to darken.
How can I leave my boy alone in this world?
Chapter 12
Three days after the devastating attack on the mansion, Sabin and Blague leaned over the ledge of the roof, both with heavy hearts.
"The toll is dire," Blague said to Sabin, as he gazed into the distance.
It was a sunny warm day. The faint stench of blood still whirled around the beach, acting as a constant reminder of the hell the Sin community had just endured. Sabin looked down while petting Mars.
"Briggs was a good man,” Sabin said, looking slowly up at him.
"He was, and so were the sixty other fighters who perished. The despair among the community from losing their loved ones is heart wrenching," Blague responded. Sabin put his head back down. "Briggs' funeral will be held today at six. Grab Eugene and Kentin. All three of you will help me do the honor of burying him on the far side of the rock path," Blague said.
Sabin looked a little surprised, "Isn't that a bit much for the kid?"
Blague paused for a minute, "Perhaps, but this world has grown cruel and although it’s a hard task for Kentin, it will help him to realize that he's not alone. He has us."
Blague's radio rang, causing Mars to bark frantically.
"Blague, it’s Cherris,” she said through radio.
“Go ahead,” Blague said.
“Now that the dust is beginning to settle and the people are starting to calm down, I want you to come down to the main floor. There's something I've been meaning to show you," Cherris said.
Blague looked at Sabin and Sabin shrugged. "Alright," Blague said, "I'll be right down."
"How's Lesh doing?" Sabin asked.
Blague smirked at Sabin, "Careful, Sabin. Every time you mention her, your eyes nearly turn heart shaped." He tried to hold back a laugh as the words came out.
Sabin looked at him with confusion, "What the hell are you talking about?" Sabin asked, as he began to laugh with Blague.
Shit! He's on to me. Is it that obvious that I have a little crush?
"
The feelings you have for her are written all over your face," Blague said as he turned his back to begin walking down to the main floor. "I'm in your head now, old friend. Sometimes you make it too easy," he said while pointing to his head.
"Hah, you’re a real bastard sometimes," Sabin responded while laughing.
"We all have to have our fun somehow. You want to join me in seeing what Cherris found?" Blague replied.
"Sure," Sabin answered, tapping Mars on the side to come along.
As they continued down the stairs, Sabin noticed that the medical rooms were still operating intensely. Many of the wounded soldiers were in critical condition and needed constant attention. The main floor was full of grievances and love, spread throughout the rooms and wagons; some families were devastated and some rejoiced in the victory, but overall it was obvious that the Sins were kind and supportive of each other.
"It looks like the amount of supporters has tripled since we got here," Sabin commented.
"It nearly has. Thankfully we have over two hundred fighters strong. We had nearly three hundred before the battle. We would all be dead right now if Briggs didn't protect his son. The Ayelan would have been dissolved or taken and this home would have been bombed moments later," Blague said, looking down as he proceeded toward the main floor.
"So I heard," Sabin replied. “I was helping wrap up the battle out back with Drino at that moment. That dude looks like he was born to yell and kill on the battlefield,” Sabin said half-jokingly. “Can't trust a man with hair combed so perfectly,” he continued, making himself laugh.
They both approached Cherris. Blague gave her a hug, followed by Sabin.
“How’re you holding up?” Sabin asked.
“I'm fine, dear. It’s the broken families that are suffering. But anyway, I wanted you to meet this odd person who saved my life. He's been sitting in the corner behind my wagon for almost three days now. The kids are scared to even go near him.”
As Blague and Sabin followed Cherris alongside the wagon, they saw a man sitting in a corner Indian style, with scarves wrapped tightly around his face and cloths draped around his body. His smoky grey pupil-less eyes darted back and forth in rapid motion. Sabin walked by, leaned over, and waved a hand in his face. The man didn’t respond.
Sabin stood up straight and shrugged, “I think he's sleeping.”
Cherris walked over and put a gentle hand on the man's shoulder. His brow slowly tensed. A few grunts projected through his voice changer, distortedly. He blinked and his eye movement ceased. He stood up and exchanged looks with Sabin and Cherris.
“What's your name?” Cherris asked.
The man dusted off the cloth draped over his shoulder and looked up at her, staring into her eyes. “I have no name,” the man said, his response echoing through his voice changer.
Sabin poked the metal constricted riot shield resting on his arm. The man jerked his hand away and looked at him, annoyed.
“Mind yourself,” the man said.
Mars barked at the man. He looked at Mars and bent down, offering his hand. As he extended it, Blague, Cherris, and Sabin looked at the veins jutting from the man’s arm, radiating Cryos blue. Mars sniffed his hand and licked him. The scarves covering his face moved upward, feigning a smile.
“I haven't seen a tame beast in what feels like a century,” the man said.
Blague took two steps forward, to get a closer look at this unique individual. “What will you have us call you?” Blague asked.
The man rose, looking eye to eye with Blague, as his eyes widened. “Your cause has led me here, though I will not reveal why.” Blague raised an eyebrow. “So, I understand that I'm not offering you much in terms of trust,” the man took a step closer to Blague, “but I hope that my saving one of your key people awards me the privilege of having peace with you.” The man extended an arm to shake Blague's hand. “You can call me Niro, I suppose.”
Blague extended his hand to meet Niro's. “My name is Blague and I thank you for protecting Cherris. She's invaluable to me.”
Cherris put her head down.
“Can you see out of those things?” Sabin asked.
Cherris smacked Sabin, “Don’t be rude.”
Niro chuckled, which echoed in different tones. “Yes...?” Niro motioned toward Sabin.
“You can call me Sabin.”
“Yes, Sabin. I can see perfectly fine,” Niro said.
“Why in hell are your pupils white then?” Sabin continued to probe.
Niro shifted and took a step back with his heavy combat boots to have a better view of all three of them. “You ask a lot of questions,” he said to Sabin.
“You’re a curious person,” Sabin responded.
Niro looked down at his arms, “I've been exposed to the horrors of this world. That's the cause of my discoloration; pay it no mind.”
Blague analyzed the man. Something about him was very strange. His unique features were only a part of it, and he couldn't quite put a finger on the rest.
“Where did you come from?” Sabin asked.
“That's a loaded question,” Niro responded. He turned around and walked back to his corner. He leaned on the wall, folded his arms, and after a moment, his eyes began to rapidly dart back and forth again.
“Whelp,” Sabin said, throwing his hands up in the air, “I guess we lost him.”
Blague was unusually silent. Sabin waved his hands in Niro's face, and again, there was no response.
Briggs looked strong on the outside, but deep down I always knew he was soft. If he was stronger, more concentrated on survival, his kid wouldn't have been frantically running in the midst of gunfire. Fuck you, Briggs.
Lesh hung upside down while holding herself up with her busted leg, trying to fight through the pain. She flipped back down and grunted.
“You really think that's helpin ya?” Morn said, leaning on a wall, still wearing his tanned trench coat with his revolver strapped to his belt.
Lesh shot him a look of death. “In my line of work, you have to fight through pain,” Lesh said, “Are you really in a position to judge?” She looked at Morn then looked at Milos, who was sitting down with his hands chained behind his back on the adjacent wall. “I've been left with two of the most unstable Sins in this establishment,” Lesh said as she flipped back upside down, catching the ceiling ledge with her foot.
“Heh,” Morn said, “look who's talking, sweetheart.” As the last syllable left his mouth, a knife whizzed past his greasy hair. Morn froze.
“You know, I'm still considering forms of torture for you,” she said.
Morn stood there in shock, while Lesh flashed him an upside down smirk. Milos fidgeted, causing the sound of his chains to rattle through the marble room.
“Why's that boy in chains there?” Morn asked.
“He volunteered to be restrained,” Lesh said.
“I killed my friend,” Milos muttered, “I don't deserve to be free.”
“Ya must have had good reason, boy, if you have a conscious like that,” Morn replied.
“He did,” Lesh said, flipping back down to the ground. “He murdered a traitor and probably helped preserve our home,” she continued while walking over to Milos.
“Sounds like the normal life of a Sin, boy,” Morn said, “You'd best get used to it.”
“He will,” Lesh said, leaning down until she was eye to eye with Milos, “You're going to learn to control your demons.” Lesh pulled him up by his shirt, “But it's not going to be easy.”
Milos looked up at her, his shaggy black hair draped past his eyes. “You can't fix me, Lesh,” Milos said.
“Heh,” Morn scoffed.
“You're right,” Lesh's voice cracked, “You have to fix yourself.” Lesh let go of Milos' shirt, letting the back of his head slam against the wall. He cringed, but didn't mutter a word.
“I don't know how long you been cooped up in here, Milos,” Morn said, “but I reckon that since your friend's pop died a few days ago, he c
ould probably use some support.”
Milos looked up, "Kentin's dad?" Milos asked.
Lesh stood there quietly. Morn nodded.
Milos put his head down and asked himself quietly, "Briggs died?"
This kid isn't going anywhere. He can't even help himself. I'm not going to mother this boy, but I can toughen him up.
"Morn, go get to know some of your new family," Lesh said.
Morn scoffed, "As you wish, sweetheart."
As Morn shut the door behind him, Lesh kicked Milos in the side.
"Get up," she said.
Milos slowly rose, using his legs to push his back up against the wall. Lesh kicked his leg out, causing him to fall back down.
"Too slow," she said in a cruel tone, "Stop moping."
Milos got up a little bit faster, his face cringing from the pain. Lesh, showing no emotion, kicked him back down. Milos looked up at her. Her hair was shimmering, her eyes had dark circles under them, but her skin was smooth around all of the cuts and bruises. She was a fierce, unique commander that would not put up with any bullshit; Milos was learning that quickly.
"Do you think I'm going to have pity on you, because you're making faces?" Lesh asked, almost laughing through her words. "What good would that do for either of us?" Lesh kicked him down again. "What are you thinking, Milos? What's the first thought that comes into your head?"
Milos got up a little bit faster. "That I killed my friend," Milos said.
Lesh smacked Milos in the face, making him fall on his side. "Despair?" Lesh said, disappointed, "What is dwelling in a skewed thought about your past going to do for you right now, in this situation?"
