The Dead Scout's Handbook of Afterlife Survival

Chapter 50: A Slightly Better World

Sergei slept nose down on the corrugated rooftop overlooking the slowing hustle and growing bustle. The sky shone a deep purple as the swirling colors of the sun dipped behind the mountaintops to the west. The glowing water reflected green waves off the walls of the city as the streetlights flickered on, adding to the stars beaming down.

Celebrations were in order, as the town had lost not a single citizen and only a handful of guards who stationed there that day. As it happened, The Four preferred to stash the unconscious victims at a convenient exit, making for an easy rescue effort when The Four failed to exit with them.

These citizens were near inhuman in their work ethic and Idaho Springs already seemed back to form. Both of Samantha's parents survived, and both ensured her saviors were well fed with two Idaho Springs delicacies: goliath crab and vinegar-rice sushi. The group dodged the press and fame in general, aside from Jessica that is. She now had a picture and a soon to be published news clipping (Nightclub Singer, Bellethos Representative and Government Assistant Saves Pirene) in Samantha's family room. Cayden avoided the celebrations with Sergei on the rooftop and Rebecca soon joined them as the sheet metal quivered from the bass below.

Rebecca's hands were done for. By the time the healers got to her, scar tissue was the best she could hope for, and the pain would become neuropathic. As Rebecca understood it, that meant, one, it wouldn't go away, and two, it would worsen. She was told there were medications to control it. Rebecca doubted she would ever take any. As far as she was concerned, the universe had given her greater pain to bear than the pins and needles jabbing incessantly at her fingertips.

Sergei sighed and rolled to his back. The silence of the past hour was promptly shattered by his heavy voice. "I have son and despite this I come to fight."

"Yeah," Cayden said. "I was surprised you joined."

"You should not be. I owed it to someone, and I knew we would win anyways. When you tell me you kill The Four, I believe you. Yet it seems so... strange a few kids do what an entire city cannot."

"It's not so odd," Rebecca started. "They're always mysterious, never leaving any sane witness. I think that was by design. Nobody would ever guess what was coming. We just happened to encounter them and escape by sheer luck. We learned how to fight them from then on, and their tactics of causing panic and confusion wouldn't work any longer."

Cayden nodded. "I bet that's why, when we first met War, the back of his armor hadn't been repaired. Nobody was ever meant to see it. He stands there and smashes stuff as everyone turns tail. Meanwhile, the healer runs into the mix while Famine and Pestilence pick everyone off. War was a fake never meant for more than to survival and scaring strangers. Heck, he was so scary people would switch sides and fight for him."

Rebecca's voice cracked, "No, there was more to it." The three fell into a brief silence. "I'm sorry, Cayden. I'm still figuring everything out. And... and I miss Charlie."

"Yeah. He was as good a man as he was a ridiculous one."

"Well, he only matched you there. You should look in the mirror," she smiled.

"I look ridiculous? How are you moving your arms?"

Rebecca smirked and despite War's gauntlets being clearly too large for her frail hands, she was still able to manipulate them as rudely as required for an appropriate response.

Sam hoisted himself up with a grunt. "Hey guys," he mumbled, his speech slurred, but steady.

Jessica pulled herself up behind him. A plastic necklace clattered against the metal roof as she slid her legs up. Cayden raised an eyebrow at her, which she noticed. "What? You dance well and you win a necklace."