Liberating Barriers

Liberating Barriers Page 14

by Roman Shepp

  Now his rage had faded and he ordered others to his side, sending them elsewhere to attack. He united the community and they fought as one army, and quickly they gained the upper hand. It was a glorious victory, and only proved to Matthias that he had been right in thinking he could take command. It had happened sooner than he had imagined, but Hugo’s time as leader was over.

  Dead bodies littered the ground, and then he saw Jane and Saeed standing in the middle of the battlefield. Matthias grinned as he approached them.

  “Do you see what I have been talking about now?! Do you see the might of this place? We never will be subdued. We are strong, and we will own this country!” he cried.

  “We have your leader,” Jane said, and brought Hugo forward. Matthias looked around. He saw Natasha standing there. Nearby was Frank, who had returned from whichever rock he had been hiding under. Matthias felt a supernatural energy rush through his body.

  “Stand down. This war is over,” the woman standing beside Jane said. Matthias continued walking forward. He had eyes only for Hugo.

  “For so long I have been standing by your side. For so long I have been doing as you asked, all for the promise of a future where I would be important. Then you cast me aside for some politician. You don’t deserve to lead these people, Hugo. You’re weak. You’re a failure. You’re nothing.”

  “And you’re just a henchman,” Hugo said.

  Matthias growled and lunged forward. Before the others could react, he’d grabbed Hugo by the neck and hauled him down to the ground. Matthias strangled him and twisted his neck. A sickening crack snapped through the air, and Hugo’s body fell limply to the ground.

  Natasha began approaching him and Matthias smiled. “This is a new dawn for us all. Only the strongest shall survive, and the strongest shall lead. Follow me and we never will have to wait for glory again. I am Matthias, and nobody can challenge me!” he roared. His words were met with cheers and gasps in equal measure. He looked at Frank and Jane and Saeed. All the people who had wronged him. Hugo had been too soft with them. He wasn’t going to make the same mistake. It was finally time for him to take his place at the head of the table and shape the world in his image.

  “I’ll challenge you,” someone said. Matthias turned around to see who dared say such a thing. The crowd parted.

  “Oh my God,” Jane said behind him. Matthias tilted his head and looked curiously at the people standing before him. There was a man with a baseball bat, a dog, and a man wearing a mask.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Quentin had been troubled ever since Tony had declared he would stay with him for the rest of his life. There was something about the man that Quentin just couldn’t work out. All his life he had been used to people ignoring him, judging him. The only few people who ever had shown him any kindness or compassion had been his squad, Carol, and now Tony. But why? Quentin long since had accepted that he was a monster, so why was Tony continuing to help him?

  The voice inside his head, Carol, kept telling him that he was worthy. Had Quentin been wrong all this time? Tony had been telling him lots of things too, things that gave him headaches. What if he was right? What if Quentin had made a mistake in trying to kill all the happy people? It didn’t seem fair that Tony should sacrifice his life just to make sure Quentin didn’t kill again. Quentin was so tired…maybe it made sense not to kill.

  But then why was he spared when so many others had died?

  The moment Tony stepped forward Quentin knew what to do. One look at the man standing before them was enough for Quentin to be sure that Tony wouldn’t stand a chance. Not when all the advantages were the other man’s. As Tony stepped forward Quentin shot out a hand and pulled him back. Tony looked at him with surprise.

  “What are you doing?” he asked.

  “I should be the one,” Quentin said.

  “You don’t have to do this.”

  Even now Tony still was being selfless. Quentin didn’t think he ever would understand this man. But as he looked around he saw the other people he had tried to kill, the ones who had been in the bunker with Tony.

  “Everything has been taken away from me. Maybe this way you don’t have to suffer the same fate,” Quentin said.

  “Thank you,” Tony said.

  There was genuine gratitude in his eyes. It had been a long time since Quentin had put his life on the line for someone else. It took him back to the days when he was in the army, when he was a part of something bigger than himself. After being cast out into the wilderness, Quentin started to feel like he was beginning to belong again.

  “Who do we have here?” the other man asked.

  “The man who is going to stop you,” Quentin said, and after that there were no more words.

  The two gladiators clashed in the arena that was made for them by everyone else moving back into a circle. The tension in the air was palpable, but Quentin blocked it out. This was what he had been trained for most of his life. This was where he belonged. The other world had been alien to him. Civility had been a hostile atmosphere, but here he could be free to be himself. The other man was strong, with muscles packed upon muscles. However, Quentin was tall and strong as well. The two of them locked arms and wrestled each other, testing each other’s strength. Matthias seemed to be surprised by how strong Quentin was.

  Matthias tried putting his leg around Quentin’s calf to upend him, yet Quentin managed to resist. He relaxed his grip and barged his shoulder into Matthias’ chest. The titan staggered back, astonished that Quentin could cause him pain. However, it only served to enrage him. He swiped with one fist, which Quentin was able to block. Then he came at him with a knee strike, raising it into Quentin’s gut. Quentin doubled over, the breath being driven from his lungs, and then he felt two heavy clubs battering his back, sending him to the ground. Quentin quickly turned around to face the sky, but Matthias was already on him, straddling him. Quentin blocked his blows with his forearms, then quickly smashed his fist up into Matthias’ chin. Blood sprayed out. Quentin could taste the blood on his tongue. Quentin pressed the advantage, though, pushing himself up, punching Matthias in the neck.

  Wriggling out from underneath Matthias, Quentin swung his leg around and kicked Matthias powerfully in the side, his head snapping to one side. Matthias looked groggy, and Quentin wrapped his arms around Matthias’ throat, looking to choke him.

  Matthias tried breaking free from Quentin’s grip, but was unable, so he punched Quentin in the ribs. This loosened Quentin’s grip, and Matthias staggered to his feet. In his eyes Quentin could see a grim respect, but also an inevitability. Matthias was not going to stop until Quentin was dead.

  Matthias and Quentin circled each other, both allowing the other to catch their breath. Blood trickled down Quentin’s mask. His body was bruised and so was Matthias’. It was difficult to say which one of them was worse off.

  Matthias lunged forward again. Quentin ducked and fell to the ground. He swiped a spinning hook kick, knocking Matthias off balance. He crashed like a tree. The ground reverberated upon his impact. Quentin, still on the ground, kicked Matthias’ head again and again. Then Matthias staggered to his feet as he grabbed Quentin’s foot and dragged him across the ground, the grass burning his back. Quentin writhed in an attempt to get free, digging his hands into the mud, using them to anchor himself and pull Matthias back. Quentin launched himself up and tackled Matthias, pushing the man back, driving his fist into Matthias’ kidneys. Matthias brought his heavy fists down on Quentin’s back, making his spine shake. Then he wrapped his arms around Quentin’s waist and lifted him up before slamming him to the ground.

  Quentin never had been handled in such a way before. The bloody battle continued. Matthias charged forward, possessed by fury. His fists created wide arcs and they smashed into Quentin’s face.

  Quentin could feel the mask beginning to crack.

  “No!” Quentin cr
ied, trying in vain to block the punches.

  His vision was blurred. Blood pooled in his mouth. Matthias seemed to be encouraged by this and with his next strike he gripped Quentin’s mask. Quentin’s hands wrapped around the mad titan’s arm, trying to pull him away, but Matthias had a firm grip on the mask, and tore it from Quentin’s face. He held it aloft as though it were a trophy. Quentin cowered, trying to protect the part of his face that had been hidden for so long. Matthias tossed the mask aside and stepped on it, almost breaking it in two. Then he attacked again.

  Although this time Quentin was ready. He caught Matthias’ arm and sent him sprawling to the ground. Quentin leaped on Matthias, ready to end this. He wrapped his arms around Matthias’ neck again, ready to send him to eternal sleep. Matthias’ hands were scrambling around, and then there was a sharp pain in Quentin’s gut. He looked down and saw that an arrowhead had pierced his stomach. Blood gushed out, but Quentin was not going to give up yet. Summoning all his strength and all his pain he held on tightly until he felt Matthias go limp in his arms.

  It was over. Quentin had won.

  He let Matthias go. He stood up and the body rolled away limply. Quentin coughed up blood and reached out for his broken mask. His hands caressed the edge. He looked up to see Tony rushing toward him and he smiled, knowing that at the very end he had done his duty. He had been a good soldier. Then he closed his eyes and saw Carol smiling at him, and everything was right again.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Tony looked on with shock as the two men died. Another cry rang out and a dark-haired woman started running to Matthias’ side. She screamed uncontrollably but was held back by Frank. Tony had to watch helplessly as Frank pulled out a knife and slashed her throat.

  “You betrayed me, you bitch!” he spat.

  Her body fell to the ground. Her mouth moved like a drowning fish while the blood poured out onto the ground. Then Frank staggered backward, an arrow piercing his chest. He looked down, surprised, before he too fell back. Tony looked to the source of the shot and found Jane standing there holding a bow. The entire community was in disarray, but the fighting wasn’t done yet. There were still people wanting to stop the onslaught. Rosa gave a rallying cry and they all came toward her. Tony hoisted the baseball bat and dared to whack anyone who came near him as he made his way toward the middle of the community. With their leadership in tatters the community quickly fell apart. Sweat poured from Tony’s body. Groot yapped by his heels, and when he finally made it to Rosa and the others he was exhausted, but it seemed as though the fighting was done.

  Tony smiled at the others, then went over to Quentin’s body. The mask was still in his hand. Tony looked down at the mottled flesh and felt pity for the man. He took the mask in his hands and placed it on Quentin’s face. At least he was at peace now.

  “You mind telling me what you were doing here with him?” Rosa asked.

  “WE thought you were dead!” Jane exclaimed, tears forming in her eyes. She looked as though she wanted to run up and embrace Tony but was afraid to touch him in case he was just an illusion. Tony rested his weight on the baseball bat.

  “It’s a long story, but I knew that I couldn’t let Quentin, that’s his name by the way, leave, and I wasn’t prepared to kill him. The only choice I had left was to try helping him, to try making him see sense. And it worked. Oh, there are a couple of other people here as well,” he said, and then yelled that it was safe to come out. They looked past him and saw Martha and Belinda come forward, holding each other tightly, looking shaken. Saeed was the gladdest to see them, walking up to them. They thanked him profusely.

  “It seems like we’ve all got a lot to catch up on,” Tony said as Tara ran into his arms.

  He lifted her up. Jane leaned down to pet Groot. All of them had been through a great deal, but at least they were together again, and the fighting was over. They gathered themselves and shared stories about what had happened to each of them. Saeed, Rosa, and Phil went first. Tara piped up and said that she had been a spy. Tony was moved by their stories.

  “I’m sorry I wasn’t there with each one of you,” he said.

  “None of us would have done any of this if you hadn’t made us leave that bunker. We wanted to come back and help you Tony, but the door was shut.”

  “I know. I didn’t want any of you to come back. I wanted you to find a safe place. What about you, Jane? You’ve been quiet.”

  “She was with us,” Rosa said. Jane looked surprised. Tony wasn’t sure why.

  “That’s not entirely true. I was with them, then I… I left them. We were captured, and Frank found a way to escape. He wanted me to go with him. I should have stayed with the two of you,” she said, turning to Rosa and Phil. “It’s just that, at first, I thought Rosa already had turned her back on us, and then I was so messed up by losing Tony. I fell back into old habits. I know I shouldn’t have, and I’m ashamed of what I’ve done. Phil, can you ever forgive me?”

  “I guess so,” he said with a smile. “I’ve learned that everyone should get a second chance.” With that he reached out his hand and grabbed Rosa’s. Their fingers entwined, and they smiled at each other.

  “It seems as though you redeemed yourself anyway,” Rosa added, nodding toward Frank’s body.

  “It was about time someone did something about him,” Jane said. “But Tony, how did you survive? When we left you down there we never thought you’d stand a chance against that man…against Quentin.”

  Tony could tell that it still was difficult for the others to see him as a man rather than a monster, which was understandable, given everything he had put them through.

  “I got lucky, I guess. I managed to knock him out with the bat. If it had happened any other way, I would have been dead. I tied him up and waited, and then I talked to him. I know it might not have been the smartest move at the time, but I was so sick and tired of death being around us all. I couldn’t bring myself to add another body to the pile. I tried to think about what it takes to continue in this world and realized we just can’t live by the same rules as we used to. We have to try rehabilitating people if we can. We can’t lock them up. We shouldn’t have to resort to killing people.”

  “It’s certainly better than this place’s method for punishment,” Jane said, glancing at Saeed.

  “No! What have you done?” a voice cried out. A young woman came running up to them, cradling Hugo’s body in her arms. “You killed him. He was going to lead us into a better future!”

  “Who is this?” Tony asked.

  “Her name is Charlotte. She’s the teacher here,” Saeed said, walking toward her. He placed his arm under Charlotte’s and lifted her from the ground. Tony looked around and saw that other people were in similar stages of mourning. For all of Hugo’s faults he had managed to kindle a strong sense of community here.

  “What’s going to happen to these people?” Rosa asked.

  “Hopefully, they’ll see the error of their ways,” Saeed said.

  “Are we going to stay here?” Jane asked.

  “I don’t know. I honestly don’t know,” Tony said. “I haven’t given much thought to the future. I wasn’t even sure if we were going to get here. It’s all over now, though.”

  “It’s not all over, Tony,” Rosa said. All eyes turned to look at her.

  “What do you mean?”

  Rosa pinched the bridge of her nose. “I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but one of the things I’ve learned is that people need help. We could stay here in the forest and live in peace, but what about all the other people? What about the city? Can we really just let it go up in flames? You know, I’ve spent my life pushing people away and it’s only recently that I’ve started to let people in.” At this she glanced at Phil, “and I think that’s what really matters in life. I think maybe we have to
go back to the city and show people that there is a better way,” she said.

  “I couldn’t agree more,” Tony said. “I’ve spent a lot of my life alone as well, always thinking that I was living when really I just was distracting myself from the fact that I was doing anything except living. I don’t like the thought of putting you all in danger, but if you all agree, then I’m happy to go and try to change the world. One person at a time. I have to admit that it’s been hard being separated from you. All of you have given me a new lease on life and have helped me figure out the man I want to become.”

  “You’ve helped us too, Tony. None of this would have happened if it wasn’t for your example. You were the one who inspired us,” Saeed said. The others agreed, nodding toward him. Tony swelled with pride. He didn’t think he ever would feel as good as this again.

  “But the question remains, what about this community?” Phil said.

  Rosa whistled to a man and he made his way over. Tony turned to Martha and Belinda.

  “You lived here before, fancy leading this place?” Rosa asked. Adam saw Martha and Belinda and smiled at them.

  “I’m sure these two would be happy to help as well. Maybe the three of you can get the community back to its true message, with the help of whoever remains,” Tony said.

  “It’s going to take some work to do that when so many have been following Hugo,” Adam said.

  “But look at them. Look at how hurt they all are. They need guidance. They need to be shown the right way,” Martha said.

  “Will you come back?” Belinda asked.

 

‹ Prev Next ›