Meridian | The Second Life III [COMPLETED]

19 - Rogue Element

- E V A N -

I shiver as the cold wind attacks me. The morning sun is just popping above the shadowed cityscape. It's dead and lifeless here; truth be told, I've always wanted to leave.

It's so easy. I could grab my stuff and just bolt, and not many would miss me. Catey will never forgive me as long as Rivian's around. Marseille said the only ones she could save were Riko and Blake, which means Nick and Caden are most likely dead. I could leave this city and live my life.

But I can't. This is all my fault; had I never joined Colt, none of this would've ever been set in motion. I've been prepared for my past to haunt me, but not for everyone else to be haunted too. There's also no way Nick and Caden could've died, right? They had to have survived. They always find a way.

Can I really blame myself for everything, though? It's not fair. Either way, I need to make things right-

"It's cold out here," I hear behind me, interrupting my thoughts. I recognize the voice; it's Cross. Turning around, I see him standing there, warming his hands in the pockets of his hoodie.

"Yeah," I state flatly.

He sighs, walking up next to me and leaning on the streetlamp. "You know, Evan, I shouldn't respect you. For some reason, I still do."

"Hm?" I mutter, looking at him inquisitively.

"You picked a side, and you stuck with it," Cross continues flatly. "That's brave. That's what the new world needs."

"You say that like what I did was bad," I observe. This is getting strange.

"It was, Evan," he says as my body tenses. "Were we not going to unite the city before you turned on us?"

"We weren't uniting shit, Cross," I counter, standing up. "We were slaughtering everyone so Colt could play God. What are you even saying?"

"I'm giving you a chance, Evan," he exclaims, staring at me incredulously. Fuck. "You made a costly mistake, and I'm offering you a chance to rectify it!"

"Cross..." I sigh, realizing quickly what he's doing. "Don't."

"I care!" He exclaims. "Damnit, Evan! I'm risking everything to help you, don't you see that?"

"I don't work for your twisted fucking goals anymore," I declare as he stares angrily at me. I look back at the building, seeing one person looking on at us.

"Evan," he sighs, shaking his head. "Don't you get it? This is the only way you survive. Do you honestly think you'll beat Chuni?"

"Who knows," I mutter, staring him down. "I know you won't."

Cross' eyes dart around, avoiding my piercing gaze; if looks could kill, he'd be gone. He nods his head, shoving his hands in his pockets and walking away.

I jump as suppressed gunfire rings out from behind me. Bullets dig into the concrete as I run toward the building, trying to avoid the ambush. Looking back, I see the silhouette of a woman in the street. I scream as I burst into the building, checking my body for any wounds. One bullet singed my leg, and blood is running down.

The others are wide awake now. "It's a trap!" I scream. Rivian guards the entrance as Catey, Zach, and Eagle all grab their gear quickly. "We need to run!"

"What's going on?" Eagle interrogates, readying her weaponry as the others scramble to their feet.

"Cross," I mumble, gritting my teeth as I endure the pain. "He lied!"

"Let's go," Zach says, slamming a magazine in his SR15 and busting through the building's back door. We all follow quickly, bursting into the alley and sprinting away. Hearing footsteps behind us, Zach fires. The female figure ducks behind the wall as Zach lays into the trigger.

We burst into a side street as Zach catches up. I watch his six as he crosses the road, and sure enough, the figure reappears. From this angle, I get a clear view of her. I gasp in shock as I pull the trigger.

...Aubrey?

The bolt of my crossbow flies straight into her gun, knocking it far out of her hands. Zach turns back around, laying some extra rounds into the concrete wall next to her. The dust obscures my vision, making me unsure if she was hit.

"We need to go, damnit!" I yell, stumbling forward with the rest of the crew.

- R I V I A N -

Eagle rushes through the door of the townhouse we took refuge in. She leans against it, simultaneously seeming calm and absolutely terrified. I don't know how she does it.

"Clear," she confirms, getting a sigh of relief from Catey and Zach. "No sign of them. We need to keep guard, but for now, we're fine."

I nod as Eagle walks to Catey and Zach, setting her gear on the table. Planks creak below my feet as I go into the bedroom Evan had entered a few minutes ago.

"Evan?" I ask as I knock on the door.

"Come in," I hear. I turn the knob, gently pushing the door open to dampen the squealing hinges. Evan sits on the dusty bed, slicing through an old curtain with his knife. It looks like he's using it to cover the bullet wound from an hour ago.

"That looks like it hurts," I observe, leaning against the wooden nightstand. He had washed the wound, but it still looked rough. Luckily it only singed him; nothing has to be dug out from his leg, and he escaped with minimal damage.

"I've seen better days," he sighs, finally cutting through the curtain and sliding it beneath his leg.

"I watched it," I say, and Evan looks over. "The whole thing."

"I noticed," he responds, pulling the two ends together and setting up a simple knot. "What woke you up?"

I chuckle. "Didn't get very good sleep last night. Was on edge."

"Yeah," he acknowledges, breathing out and grabbing onto the ends of the curtain. He pulls the curtain tight, fighting through the pain and pulling hard. "Fuck!" He exclaims, tying the knot.

I sigh as he finishes bandaging himself up. "That would've saved your life, right?" I question. His head turns my way cautiously.

"Supposedly," he replies, furrowing his brow. "I mean, I'd have to trust him after he lied through the whole trek, so maybe. Why?"

"I don't know," I mumble, looking off to the side. "That was probably the easiest opportunity to save yourself, and you let it fly. Why?"

"Because, Rivian," he responds with a sigh as he stands up. "I've got people to protect and a monster to kill." He hoists his backpack onto his shoulders and lightly walks to the door, obviously careful to not put excess pressure on his bandaged leg. As he exits, I nod my head and follow.