It begins with us.

Chapter Two

Ava's POV

"Have you lost your fucking mind Avvy! You've been badly wounded! Sit down and let us handle it before you fucking bleed out and die!!"

I ignore the pleading laced in his voice as I rest on my knees, facing a pissed-off Anthony while I hold my blood-stained handout, trembling as I wait for him to put a gun in it. His deep brown eyes show not just his anger, but his fear too terrified that I will not be making it out of this alive if I don't sit still and listen to him. But I was never one to sit back and let others have all the fun.
His fallen tears have carved their way through the dirt that has settled on top of his cheeks, eyes red from the sand filtering through the air, and dried blood stained above his eyebrow as I smiled sadly at him.

"This is why...we joined...remember? To fight for our...country...so please Anthony, give me...a fucking gun!"

Christ, it hurt to talk!

Anthony let out a defeated sigh before hesitantly handing me his gun, fingers trembling as he let his grip go so that it could fall into my willing hand.

"Thank you!"

I say before quickly turning around, I listen to the gunfire, waiting for a break in the rounds before I stand up on my feet, crouching as I ready myself to take a shot.
Even this movement of my body tore pain through me at an unbearable level. But I pushed it to the back of my mind, I had to.
The bullets hitting the rock in front of me send an unwanted dose of fear running through my whole body before I push it back down. Fear will distract you, fear will overtake your body and leave you frozen in place.

Fear is what gets you killed, Ava.

My dad's words play on repeat over and over again till it becomes my mantra.

"Just keep fucking pressure on your chest! And try not to get killed!"

I chuckle while spitting the blood out from my mouth, hearing the break I so desperately wanted to hear before I stand from behind the rock, my eyes scan the two unfamiliar NSTV vehicles about ten yards away. One of the men who is operating the machine gun is pointing the weapon to the left, my eye quickly sees about six of our men and women tucked behind one of our vehicles returning fire. The vehicle, in my opinion, won't last much longer if they keep it up. The machine gun pointed at us is being reloaded quickly as I aim my gun at the man. Scott and Doug are doing the same as we all open fire at the same time, catching him off guard as he ducks behind the gun.

Chicken shit.

I aim for his knee that is exposed, firing a few shots before hitting him in the cap, his screams just make it to my ears as I smile to myself.

"Fuck!"

I kneel back down quickly, my eye's landing on Anthony as he holds onto his shoulder, my heart slamming straight into my ribcage when I see the blood.

How the hell?!

Panic and fear set in at the thought of losing my only friend so I drop my gun to the ground, crawling over to him as I grip his shirt in my hands.

"Anthony!"

His face is contorted in pain as my eyes sweep over his body from head to toe, seeing not only the gun shoot wound to his shoulder but also his left leg.

"Fuck! How the fuck did you manage to get shot twice!"

Adrenalin can be your friend or foe. Sending the much-needed drug shooting through your body to keep pushing you forward, or in Anthony's case, not making you realise that you've been fucking shot. I yell out to him, ignoring my pain as I release the fabric from my chest, hissing as the material ripping away from my exposed flesh and opening my wound back up.