Birmingham Boys

War is Evil

2030
(Jude is 26 Jobe is 24)

Jude's POV

Everyday since we've returned has been a living hell. Sometimes I wish I was one of the casualties, but being freed from this mental torment would be a grace from God, one I definitely don't deserve. Nonetheless I survived. The war left millions homeless, poor, hungry, lot of the country feels what Birmingham has endured for decades now. I don't feel bad for those who now suffer the lives of the working class now, long hard hours for shit pay and a shit living condition. I can't feel bad for those who never experienced this sort of stuff, they deserve to know what hardship is. I do feel for the people of Birmingham, we've always deserved better. I had gotten my family out of Birmingham and into London when I signed for Liverpool what feels like a century ago. We were the brummie royal family and now we are looked at as Jude and Jobe, two Birmingham Boys who lost their parents to fucking German dickheads who wanted revenge for god knows what.
But Jobe and I never planned on giving up our royal status on purpose and frankly I still plan on gaining that type of respect and status back. It's just that this time I can't get us out with football, and we have to try a new route.

"Jude!"

I look over at Jobe, sitting in the passenger seat of this beat up, 2010 Ford Fiesta.
"Why the fuck are we still sitting here?" He questions with a very crunched eyebrow and wide eyed expression.

"Do you wanna be rich Jobe?" I asked him, as seriously as I could, grabbing the grinder from the center console.
"Of course I do, but what are we gonna do huh, restart the prem?"
I slowly turned to him, paper and grinder in hand "We're gonna take over the world little brother, you and me"

"I'm right here" Toby jumps in from the backseat.
"Don't worry Toby, you're a Birmingham Boy too. Did you really think I'd start a revolution without my best mate?" I asked lighting the joint, smoke filling the car, my lungs, and luckily my brain.

He smacks my back laughing like a wild hyena, "TAKE OVER THE FUCKING WORLD AYE JUDE!"

I couldn't imagine surviving Germany without Toby, he followed me through Frankfurt and Berlin, he was my best mate before the break of war and he will be until my caskets bolted shut and my soul descends into Hell, but even then I think Toby would join me. Jobe didn't have to go to war. He was only 17 when it started almost a decade ago. He stayed home, played football until the country was raided, then tried his hand at engineering. By the end of the war Jobe had managed to become one of the most prolific engineers in the country. During one of my last rounds in Germany, I had received a new case of weaponry with my last name on it. Little did I know it was my brothers last name on it, for he had designed and built the weaponry. Smart little bastard he has become since I left him. He blames himself a lot for the death of our parents, and at first I did too.

*FLASHBACK*

December 2024

Jobe's POV

"MOM" I yell
"Sweetheart I'm in the kitchen!" She yells back, i can hear the running water from the front entrance downstairs but it's just water.
I take the stairs one at a time, in no rush to get to the top. I can feel my heart begging to jump out of my chest as it pounds against my body and could probably be heard from the neighbors garden. I feel the gun in my jacket, ensure that it is loaded and continue on up the stairs. I take three steps through the hallway at the top of the stairs and begin to stall the turn into the kitchen entryway.
Scared. I'm scared.

I turn into the kitchen and am met with my mother sitting at the table, water running behind her and a large pot sitting below the faucet.
I let out a large sigh of relief and hunch over the table, gun still in hand.
*click*
My eyes shoot up and meet my mother's now worried gaze. I can feel the cold metal barrel on the back of my head.
"You take time Mr.Bellingham" the thick German accent behind me tells me I'm in very big trouble.
"What is it you need sir" I ask him.
"I've come here on behalf of the Bundeswehr to offer you a deal, you give us the notes for your new flashy army car and we won't kill cut every finger off our your mother's hand."
I laughed at the idea of his threat, they would be stupid to send one person to a household with three people and expect him to come out victorious.
"Something funny Mr.Bellingham?"
"I supposed it's rather comical they sent you here alone to do their bidding Mr?"
"I don't tell you name"
"Ok Mr.no name, in approximately 2 minutes there will be a number of people coming into this home. I must warn you that they are all armed and have the ability to kill you with their eyes shut. You may kill one or two but you won't be able to get all of them will you Mr.Anonymous?"

I could sense that he was thinking of a lie to come up with. I had believed that my question got him thinking that maybe this was over for him. I could feel his grasp on my arm loosen up as the barrel of the gun became less pressed against my brain. Swiftly I turned, grabbing his armed hand and raising it toward the ceiling as he shot into the roof. I got a punch to his then gut sending him backward and the pistol to the floor. He retaliated by kicking me in the groin.
"You fucking cunt" he spat.
"Cmon then" I said waving my hands at him, squaring up for the one on one.
"Go fuck your self Bellingham" he spits his blood into my direction, yanking another pistol from his pocket and aiming it for my face, ducking for cover as he takes the shot. My hand finds his other gun on the floor and shoots him down to the ground.
*Bang* *Bang* *Bang*
"Little fucking prick" I kicked his body as I lifted myself off the ground.
Turning around I see my mother, eyes filled with tears and hopelessness as the blood poured from the bullet wound on her chest.
"FUCK"
I ran over and took her body into my arms.
"Mom please keep your eyes open" I begged, tears rolling onto her shirt from my eyes above.
"Please, please please NO FUCK"
"Shhhhhh Jobe" she looked up at me, eyes beginning to fade and color beginning to leave her beautiful face.
"Everything will be alright my sweet boy, you will be alright. Jude will be home soon."
"But what about you, and me what about dad"
"Your father will follow me soon enough Jobe, please take care of Jude, I know he will take care of you as well"
Tears were basically raining down on her at this point. I could feel her leaving me as I sat there and prayed to God for some sort of miracle.