The Hidden Evil 4

Chapter II: The Days Before

Darko tried to spend as much time with his sister, Zora, as possible. He still found it unbelievable that she was recruited with the suicide bombers. There was no protesting, she couldn't get herself out of it. Her death awaited in her near future, but she liked to look on the bright side, at least she was serving her city and its people. Darko found it infuriating that she was forced to be a suicide bomber, and he took it to the commander many times.
"She is still young and has the rest of her life to live," Darko told his commander, Commander Christian.
"She matched all the requirements, she's a perfect candidate," replied Christian.
"But she's my sister, and she isn't ready to die yet," Darko argued.
"Well it's not up to you," Christian said, his tone harsh.
"It should be up to Zora since it's her life you're playing with," said Darko.
"If the suicide bombers got a choice to be a suicide bomber or not, then we'd have no suicide bombers. I get that nobody wants to die, so I can't give a choice," Christian explained.
"But.. but she's my sister," uttered Darko.
"And your sister is a suicide bomber," Christian told him.
Darko stormed out of his office with clenched fists. He heard footsteps come up from behind him and continue beside him. He angrily jerked his head to the side to see Dazai, looking at him in confusion.
"What's with the attitude," asked Dazai.
"Commander Christian," Darko growled.
"What's wrong with him," Dazai asked him. Darko stopped in his tracks, and looked at Dazai with narrowed eyes.
"What's wrong with him? Well, he is sending my sister into the battlefield as a suicide bomber, and not giving her a choice," Darko explained, clearly angry.
"If he gave them a choice, there'd be no suicide bombers," said Dazai.
"I know, I know," sighed Darko. "But why can't he just spare one life? Why did he have to choose my sister?"
"Who knows," Dazai shrugged. "Look at it this way, at least her death won't be a surprise."
Darko suddenly grabbed Dazai and thrusted him into the wall. Dazai kicked his legs up and sent Darko to the floor.
"I'm just telling the truth," Dazai scowled. Darko pushed himself up and charged at Dazai, punching him in the jaw. Dazai quickly recovered and grabbed Darko by the front of the shirt. "Stop," commanded Dazai. Darko ignored him, struggling to be set free. Dazai growled and sent his knee right between Darko's legs. Darko, and when Dazai let him go, he fell to his hands and knees. Dazai then kicked him so he fell on his side. Darko looked up to Dazai, seeing his dark eyes staring down at him with pure bloodlust.
"Are you insane," Darko cried.
"Just do as I say and there won't be any trouble like this," Dazai told him.
"But your not in charge of me," Darko told him, pain in his voice.
"You need guidance, Darko. If you listen to me, nobody will get hurt," said Dazai.
"What about Zora," Darko asked as he shakily stood up.
"As long as you listen to me, she won't get hurt either," Dazai told him.
"So as long as I do as you say, she won't die?"
"Correct." Dazai held out his hand. "Deal?"
Darko grabbed Dazai's hand and shook it without hesitation.
"Deal."

Ronnie was woken up by her alarm clock, which immediately reminded her of work. Her and Kenna got out of bed, and she remembered that she had to wake Karma up. She stumbled down the stairs and into the living room where she saw Karma sleeping soundly on the couch and Boo sleeping on the floor next to the couch. She walked over to the couch and slowly started moving the blanket off of Karma. She knew he usually slept in only underwear in socks, so she was surprised to see he was sleeping with shorts on this time. His shirt lied on the floor next to where Boo was sleeping. For some reason, she was a little nervous about waking him up. She knew he hated to be woken up, but she also knew that he told her to do this. Still, how would she approach this situation? Karma lied on his stomach, but he soon started to move. Ronnie panicked, thinking she somehow woke him up. He flipped over onto his back, still asleep. Ronnie looked over to the stairs when she heard someone walking down them. She soon saw it was Rueben when he walked into the living room.
"What are you doing," he whispered.
"Captain told me to wake him up, but I don't know how," said Ronnie. Rueben walked over next to her and looked at his sleeping captain.
"Hmm.." Rueben moved his messy hair out of his face. "We should take advantage of the situation," said Rueben.
"What? How," Ronnie asked.
"Let's play a prank on him," suggested Rueben.
"No, that's not a good idea," said Ronnie.
"Fine, then you don't have to do it," Rueben told her. "I'll do it myself."
"Fine, what prank," Ronnie sighed.
"How deep of a sleeper is he," asked Rueben.
"I think pretty deep," Ronnie replied. Rueben bent down and snapped his fingers in one of Karma's ears. Karma didn't move and didn't wake up, he still lied on the couch deeply asleep.
"I think we're good," Rueben said.
"What're you planning on doing," asked Ronnie.
"Let's carry him outside into the snow," Rueben said with a smile. Ronnie looked at him with a look of disbelief.
"Rueben, he doesn't even have a shirt on," Ronnie told him.
"If he could survive being shot, then he can survive the cold," Rueben said. Ronnie sighed, nodding.
"What do I do," Ronnie asked. Rueben smiled and but his lip in excitement.
"Just stand over there." Rueben pointed to the space above Karma's head. Ronnie stood where Rueben told her to. Rueben then walked over to Karma's legs and took the blanket off of them. "Just try and lift the top half of him up," said Rueben. Ronnie wrapped her arms around Karma's shoulders and nodded to Rueben, signaling she had a hold of their captain. Rueben nodded back and got a hold on Karma's legs. As soon as Rueben counted down from three, they heaved their captain up and off the couch. As they were doing that, Isla came down the stairs and looked over to them in confusion.
"What are you doing," she asked. "Is he alright?"
"Shh," Rueben hissed.
"Oh my gosh, did he die overnight," Isla asked in terror.
"No, now be quiet," Rueben replied. Ronnie and Rueben continued to carry their captain towards the front door. They had Isla open it for them and they went outside into the freezing-cold winter air. Ronnie and Rueben dropped their captain into the snow. Ronnie raised her eyebrows and rubbed her forehead.
"He sure is heavy for a man his size," Ronnie uttered. Rueben, Ronnie, and Isla looked down to their captain, seeing he still didn't wake up.
"Well, maybe he is dead," Rueben shrugged.
"Don't say that," Isla told Rueben.
"What happened," a voice said from behind them. They turned around to see Boo standing by the front door.
"Nothing, Boo," said Rueben. Boo stepped outside and knelt down beside Karma. They all looked down to their captain, confused on to why he wasn't waking up. All of a sudden, Karma's yellow eyes shot open to see a bunch of his soldiers looking down on him. He panicked and quickly sat up, which made his soldiers jump back a few feet.
"He's awake," said Ronnie.
"What happened? Why am I out here," Karma asked, his breathing uneven.
"Uh, Boo did it," Rueben said. Boo immediately looked over to Rueben with tightened eyebrows.
"Cosette?" Karma looked over to Boo with anger on his face.
"They're lying, I didn't do this," Boo exclaimed.
"Why'd you take me out here," Karma asked Boo.
"I didn't," Boo told his captain. Karma growled and stood up.
"Karma," called a voice from the street in front of them. Karma quickly looked up, looking for the voice's origin. He saw Augustine walking towards him. "What're you doing out here with no shirt," Augustine asked Karma. "Is everything alright?"
"Everything's.. fine. I might be a little late to work," said Karma.
"Karma, if you need more time off, I understand," Augustine said. Karma's soldiers started to chuckle from behind him.
"No really, I'm okay," Karma told Augustine. Augustine looked down on Karma, his eyes slowly narrowing in some sort of suspicion.
"Your lips are blue. Do me a favor and at least put on a shirt," Augustine told Karma.
"Yeah—I can do that," Karma said.
"Thank you. Take your time getting to work, there's no rush," Augustine said. Karma nodded, watching Augustine turn away and continue walking down the road. Karma turned back around and stormed into the house.
"Why would you blame it on Boo?" Isla asked Rueben in anger.
"It was the only believable excuse! Do you know what Captain would've done to us if I told the truth," Rueben exclaimed.
"Maybe you should've thought about that before you pulled this prank," Isla told him. "But, just because you didn't think of it, Captain is now humiliated and Boo got the blame for it."
"It's not like I planned for that to happen," argued Rueben. Isla rolled her eyes and strutted inside. Ronnie sighed and followed her. Rueben looked over to Boo with a sorrowful face.
"Boo, I'm sorry," Rueben said. Boo looked at him in anger before also going into the house. Rueben stood by himself for a moment before following Boo into the house.
When Rueben walked into the house, he saw Ronnie talking to Karma, who was in the middle of putting his work shirt on. Rueben sat down at the kitchen table which was a few yards from them.
"How have you not—ouch," Karma said as he tried to pull the head hole of the black turtleneck sweater over his head, his arms already partially in the arm holes. Ronnie waited for him to successfully put his head into the shirt.
"How have you not learned, Ronnie," asked Karma, trying to work his hands through the sleeves.
"I'm sorry, Captain. Hey, is that shirt too small or what," said Ronnie.
"No, it's just tight."
Ronnie watched him struggle to find the armhole of the sweater.
"I see," Ronnie told her captain.
"The place I got shot on the side of my stomach still bothers me, so getting these shirts on can be a literal pain," Karma explained.
"It's alright, I understand," Ronnie replied. Once Karma pulled the shirt down over his stomach, Ronnie hugged him tightly. "I'll make sure this doesn't happen again," she told him quietly.
"Thank you," he replied in a low whisper. Rueben watched them in awe. How was she so close to Karma? Rueben never knew they were that close. Ronnie and Karma released each other, Ronnie with a smile on her face.
"Do you need anything else," Ronnie asked her captain softly.
"I think I'm fine, thank you," Karma replied. Ronnie nodded and walked over to Rueben to sit down next to him.
"What was that," Rueben asked her.
"What was what," she asked back.
"That whole.. thing that just went on between you and Captain Pipsqueak," Rueben replied.
"Don't call him that," Ronnie told Rueben.
"I'm sorry, just please answer my question."
"Well, I told him what really happened. See, if you just tell the truth instead of lying like a child, then you won't get in trouble."
"Okay, well it's a little strange you can hug him without getting punched in the face!"
"I'm sorry that I'm closer with Captain than you'll ever be."
"I never said I was jealous."
"And I never said I wanted your opinion."
"Ronnie, what happened to you?"
"More like what happened to you, Rueben? Why are you being so nosy in me and Captain's relationship?"
"You have a relationship?"
"Not like that, Rueben!"
"Geez, sorry.. I'm just gonna go get ready for work now." Rueben hoisted himself up out of his seat and walked upstairs. Ronnie grunted, leaned back in her chair, and crossed her arms. Why couldn't she and her captain be close friends without people being jealous?