Fall Is Beautiful

S2 Chapter 8: Invasion

TW: BLOOD

"With all due respect Hina, I will advise you to put up your defenses immediately!" I shouted at my elder, who sighed and turned to me. "Your associates killed one of your greatest enemies brothers. He won't let them get away with it. And he'll also think that I was taken and want to get me back. You need to defend yourself!" Hina shook his head.

"I appreciate your concern. But I wouldn't be worried. We are fine here. We have enough people to fend them if need be. Sigh... you're starting to sound like your father now that I realize..." My nostrils flare up, furious as I was. Before I could argue further, I heard a popping sound, before an explosion, then everything went dark.

A few hours earlier...

"Hurry! Get the best medical equipment we have!" Kouen barked out orders as his brother and sister, Koumei and Hakuei, carried his younger brother, limp but still alive, Kouha, into the camp. People ran around frantically, grabbing any and all things that could be used to help. Water, blankets, medicine, towels, jackets, ANYTHING. Kouen was furious. He had never been so mad in his entire life. Sure, he had been mad at when his sibling ran away, and when the PSI workers tried to take his siblings, but now... when he didn't find Sinbad anywhere near Kouha, who had been laying there, bleeding out, and no signs of a struggle, it all caved in. He had given Sinbad shelter, food, weapons- and he had used that trust to try to murder his brother.

But now wasn't the time to plot revenge. He had to take care of Kouha. The bullet had gone right through his leg, but his chest... that was a different story. The bullet had been caught on his rib cage, stopping it from going clean through. That was good, and bad. It had broken his bone, sending it into his lung. Koumei immediately started doing surgery on his brother, and all that Kouen could think was about what he was going to do if Kouha died.

...

Koumei walked out of the tent Kouha was set in, and Kouen immediately rushed to him. It had been hours since the surgery started. "How is he?" Kouen asked, and Koumei's face downed further that it had been.

"He's... recovering... but we don't have anything to fix the internal bleeding. He's going to die, soon." No. Kouen wouldn't have that. He wouldn't have his little brother die on him. He rushed inside the tent, dropping to his knees and grabbing Kouha's hand, squeezing it.

"Please live... please." Kouen couldn't remember the last time he cried. He hadn't done so in so long, he forgot how it felt. It felt nice to cry, but it hurt so much too. Then, Kouha squeezed his hand back.

"K-Kou..en...?" His voice was ragged, but there, slurred, but there. Kouen nodded, letting his tears slide down onto the cold floor. Kouha blinked a few times, only for his own eyes to fill with water. He smiled softly. "I don-...t want to... die..." That was the last straw for Kouen. He stood up, not allowing Kouha to explain how he got this way, and left the tent, immediately ordering his siblings and friends to get ready. They were going to the PSI camp.

...

A cold brushed against their ears as they pulled their hood over their hair. A black mask, one different from PSI workers, unique in it's own way, was put over their face. They took a breath, and the cold air trickled their nose even through the mask. They pulled a backpack over their shoulders, full of weapons, food, water, anything they couldn't leave behind. Before them, was the New Jersey PSI camp.

...

Hina had dropped the subject on this "Jafar" person a while ago, only barely mentioning him every once in a while. I was sure it was just a slip of tongue. Even so, I could tell how much he changed. He was still kind and gentle- when need be- but was definitely more fierce and unstable. I noticed the several empty beer and wine bottles he had tried to hide away. I could see how his eyes danced around, how he jumped at the slightest movement. He was paranoid, and I couldn't understand why.