Arc 3 - Chapter 44: To Save Them

“Why…”

Benn blankly stared at the runaway van. They all did.

They all noticed the spear, that trident that lodged itself tight into Chris’s stomach. Dropped jaws, unflapping lips, they couldn’t comprehend the pain and sorrow Pacifica and Christian felt. Not only that, but it sounded as if Luke had run off… into the marshland.

But out of the corner of the train, was a wobbly woman with jello for legs. Barely able to walk, she clutched her hands close to her stomach.

“That’s what happens when you ya’ll don’t listen.”

A hand gripped her shoulder.

Turning around, she faced a young man that sprouted a vein from his right temple. As he thrust his other hand, he had his hands onto her collar.

“Why did you do that!?”

“She burned down our crops! They beat us! Shot us! They could’ve killed any one of us!”

“But—”

“But no Johnny. Let go of your sister, now.”

Churning his lips downward, Johnny let go of Vivy, as Doug’s voice was filled with venom. Doug continued to glare at the two, mostly Johnny, but Elizabeth was right behind him.

Kenichi walked right behind Doug, and so did Rimy. Seeing that Vivy was struggling to keep her back straight, Doug nudged at the female guard with his trench gun.

“Rimy. Heal my daughter. I don’t wish to see her that weak.”

“With all due respect Boss, but women aren’t my cup of tea.”

“Does it look like I care? Heal her now while my saliva is still in you. Kenichi.”

Turning his head toward the tall gingered man, he carried his trench gun with one hand. Having his right hand fingers cusp the center, he pointed at the Dark Angels with his other.

“Keep an eye on them. I’ll be tending to my wife while Rimy heals Vivy.”

“Noted.”

A cold exhale of air pushed out of her nostrils.

Walking toward Vivy, she had crumbled down, and pinned her tailbone against the muddy grass. As Johnny took a step back, he grabbed Elizabeth’s hand, and saw Rimy reach toward the harsh breathing woman. Letting out an annoyed groan, she wrinkled her face.

‘Well… anything for the Boss.’

Vivy tilted up her head, and she instinctively opened up her lips. Letting her hands feel the grass, she submitted to Rimy’s rough palms. Once she cusped her cheeks, she leaned in…

And connected her lips with hers.

Miles, Jack, and Sean were entranced, while Hope and Luna averted their eyes. It wasn’t long before Rimy pulled away. Wiping saliva from her right lip, she took a step back, and saw how Vivy savored the saliva.

Still having her knees on the ground, Rimy turned to Doug.

“Done Boss.”

“Perfect. I just gave Betty enough saliva for her to walk.”

“Wait just a minute…”

Only one member spoke out, and it was none other than a man with red hair.

Looking up at Doug, he felt Rimy, Kenichi, and Vivy’s eyes all glued into his soul. Feeling like they were analyzing him top to bottom, he kept his head low. But, he had his voice filled with curiosity.

“Just what type of power do you have? If only you can regenerate, then why can the others?”

“For a smart man, you don’t seem good at connecting puzzle pieces.”

Doug pushed both of his hands into his pockets. Cocking his head back, he pushed down a frown that reached his jawline, while Rimy tilted her head to the right.

“Before she became a guard, Rimy used to serve the Haxouburg Army. But after being tossed around like some bike, she acquired numerous amounts of … diseases.”

She licked her lips loudly, making Jack squeeze his stomach. That smacking sound, that noise that made him shiver, it only worsened his darkened eyes.

“Transfering one of her diseases to me, I couldn’t allow my wife to suffer the same effects. I allowed her to use the guards for personal needs, while I stuck with her. And because I have that disease, along with my curse, I could transfer my regenerative abilities toward her and only her. ”

Doug patted her back two times, making her place both her hands on her hips. Jack continued to look at the muddy ground, while Miles and Hope still had those wrinkled faces they wore. Taking two steps back, he turned toward the train that collected dust.

“Now about your sentences…”

They all turned toward Doug, and they all waited as he straightened his back. Taking out both hands from his pockets, he laid them on his sides, while his eyes gazed at each member of the group. Still having that cold frown, he cracked his knuckles one by one.

“The Dome won’t satisfy the correct punishment you all deserve. From the looks of it, you all are strong. You all are burly in strength. I suggest something that involves more… laboring.”

Jack gulped.

Feeling his whole body shake, his words began to numb his own stomach. As if he knew something was up, knew what fate they were all serving, he couldn’t look at anyone.

“This land you will serve, is a land far from the public’s eye. No journalist, no spy, no agent has stepped foot without returning back. A land so hidden, not even the devil knows.”

Doug turned his eyes toward Benn, and he laid his hands low. But unlike the others, who began to grow pale, Benn had a frown that matched his.

“But don’t worry sharky. You’ll feel right at home once you visit this land.”

“What do you mean home?”

“Where do you think those prisoners of war went?”

Benn could only stare at Doug. Unable to blink, unable to whisper a mere word or sentence, he saw the emotionless face Doug had.

“All of them… they were—”

“Relocated. Serving their sentences until the day they die. It’s as simple as that.”

The night began to grow in darkness.

As if the abyss had taken away color, the fires in their hearts were pushed onto salt. Unable to burn, unable to fight, it felt like standing on the edge of a cliff. If they jumped, it would lead to their unsatisfied fate. But if they stood on the edge, and waited for it… When will the rock break?

And serve fate for them?

“Kenichi, Rimy, Vivy, get them all onto that train at once.”

“““Yes sir.”””

As the three led them to the train, Doug walked toward Betty. Seeing that she sat on the grass, mud began to stain her white dress.

Helping her stand up, he had one hand on her back, while his other cusped her wrist. Walking where his guards were leading them up, Betty turned to Doug.

“You’re taking them there?”

“But our first stop is in Ridgemente. I believe Briggs and his agents captured the rest of those deranged sinners.”

Turning his head toward the marshlands, the endless mango trees and shrubs were covered in darkness. Seeing that the night was still longing, it was only the beginning. Once they reached the conductor’s panel, he helped her step up.

“Don’t worry Betty. My plan—no, his plan, would succeed if we play our cards right. We could be free. I could be free.”

As the two of them reached the conductor’s controls, he pulled the lever of the train.

Along with his other hand pulling the string, a loud horn blasted through the night. The two of them staring forward, he heard the tracks screech, and he heard the metal beneath them shiver.

“Luke won’t dare try to get them back. By the time he could assemble an army, we would be long gone.”

While the two held hands, the fallen angels were led inside. One by one, each train cart housed numerous guards.

Some of them were injured, and some of them were clean from lead. But for these both groups, they all glared and laughed at the captured assailants. Marching with shame, they couldn’t glance at their pointed fingers.

Once they lost count on which train cart they were in.

‘You ain’t going to save them Fenix; no matter how lucky you are.’

________________________________________________________________________

Two hours later…

Darkness had fully enclosed the shrubs and trees. The clouds above gave him no moonlight, while thunder growled between the blurred black. Only lightning was nigh, with flashes of purple displaying the closest thing in front of him.

Sluggishly walking through muddied waters, he heard the cicadas chirp, and he heard the mosquitoes buzz. The smell of fish, along with manure crinkling his nose, he breathed steadily through parched nostrils.

—I have to find a way back…

Despite his whole body drenched in mud, his walk was nothing compared to six years ago.

Remembering the hellish walk, remembering the steps he took to reach that border, he reminisced that feeling. His blistering toes, his reddened soles, he bit down on his teeth.

—It isn’t like before… it isn’t… I could fight. I still can…

Unbeknownst to him, his right foot lodged itself into a branch. Too lost in his own memories, he sent his body forward, and slammed his face into the muddy water.

Sprawling his arms and legs, he slowly got up, but his face was stained brown. The smell ever so worsening, he clapped his hands back and forth, all to make his palms somewhat clean.

—Just need to regroup. Need a plan…

Continuing to push through the water, the warm water wrinkled his shins and calves. Hearing the mosquitoes buzz his ears, hearing them play their abhorrent melody, he pushed through the abyss.

His eyes couldn’t see ten meters in front of him, and the layout around him shapeshifted. But he walked forward. Not left, not right.

—But what can I use… who can I trust now… I was the one who got Chris killed…

It was only for half a second, but that half second caught the gem of his eye. That spear, that trident that lowered blood from its handle, Luke twitched his right eyelid. Trying to understand the pain, the grief for both Christian and Pacifica… it only made him angry.

—I don’t know if the Pacithiests were raided. If they were, then how are Stan and the others doing? How is David doing? What will he do when he finds out I abandoned them? Abandoned Luna? What will Boris think of me? S-Shoot! What will they all think of me? If I really could abandon my own friends! My own subordinates! How can they trust a guy like me!? What was I doing!? How did I do it!? Tell me Luke why!

The more he thought, the more his legs wobbled. Failing to be their leader, or a basic friend, he left them for the wolves. Now on his own, all alone, he could hear his breath creak and crackle. His need for water strengthening, he coughed out through a dry throat.

Before almost tumbling forward.

Stopping for one second, he adjusted his breathing, and his irregular heartbeat. Balling both of his hands, he grinded his teeth back and forth … before…

—Gwen… why did you entrust me with this…

Just as he thought of that, his right foot gripped on only air.

“G-Gah!”

Sending him to roll, he gasped, and then yelped with each thump to his shoulders. Flailing his arms, and especially his legs, the muddied hill sunk dirt into his clothes. Going through bushes, shrubs, he was lucky that he didn’t slam against any trees. But it didn’t take long before he reached the bottom.

Laying on his back, his head gruffed the dirt. He couldn’t speak, let alone use his parched throat.

—I can’t even land on my own two feet… can’t even utilize my blessing on basic things… and my valor plan ended up burning in flames. I was outsmarted… no… I gambled the wrong cards. Those were my two greatest strengths… and he outbeated me!

He could only narrow his eyes, while half of his body was submerged in water. His hands sullied in it, while hearing the cicadas play their melody, the water cooled his nerves. One that he longed to feel.

—I wonder… I just wonder…

Closing his eyes, his breathing softened the more he saw those flashes of lightning. Purple, and now blue, the thunder crackled with each beat of his heart.

—How can I save them all?

As he finally perchances to sleep.