Broken Bonds and Stolen Hearts (discontinued)

Chapter 21

"WE NEED TO LEAVE! GO! JUST LEAVE THEM. IF HE CATCHES US..." The guard who managed to escape from Louis cried out to the guards who were inside, scuffling on his feet as his whole body shook in fear.

The other guards were about to mock him, but the words got stuck in their throats once they saw how terrified their friend was, and the figure sprinting at light speed right on his trail.

"GO! RUUU-" His screeches came to a sudden stop as the figure's clawed hand pierced through his neck, beheading him. His body fell to the ground, and his head was thrown under their feet as Louis's wrath finally caught up to them.

They stood there, unable to move or scream or even react. The shock of what had just happened was too much to handle for them. They looked at Louis, who was smirking at them, and their eyes widened once they realized who he was.

The kid they tied to the tree.

"...Huh?..." the one standing close to the staircase managed to stutter out, his eyes glued to Louis's face.

Louis took a step toward them, and they took a slow step back, their hands moving ever so slowly to the guns on their hips. As if Louis was blind and couldn't see them trying to reach for their guns. The look on their faces was the most entertaining thing for Louis, he purposely walked slowly to them, enjoying the feeling of having them finally fear him.

Another step, and another... His grin was getting so wide he could have sworn that if he was able to feel pain, his cheeks would probably hurt. Their shaky hands finally landed on their guns, and they tried to pull the guns out, only to be met with a bullet in the head. One for each.

Ian and John stood behind Louis, the muzzles of their guns were letting some smoke out. Louis turned around, slightly disappointed that they didn't let him handle it, especially since he had the upper hand.

"You okay kid? You ain't hurt, are ya?" John asked once he was close enough to Louis and looked him up and down, taking note of the blood covering him.

"I'm fine. None of this is mine, and I had it under control, you didn't need to... Interfere," Louis was surprised at his own words, he felt rude even. Especially to someone who was asking about him.

"I'm sorry. They are downstairs," He quickly corrected himself as he looked at the ground, feeling ashamed by his sudden snarkiness.

John smiled in return and patted Louis's back.
"I understand they must have been... Brutal. It's okay to want revenge, to seek revenge, and to get revenge, but don't let it change your core. Don't make it your life goal, and don't worship it. You won't be different from them if you reach that stage, Louis,"

It felt weird, awkward... And maybe a little bit sad. Louis expected the older guy to glare at him, yell at him, maybe even hit him, but not this. To just talk. It felt wrong. It felt unsafe. What if he was acting nice? Like Gary...

Louis shook his head. This was not Gary, this was the leader of the hunters. The guy who busted his ass to save people like him, the guy who is everyone's hope. He was nothing like Gary, and to compare them was an insult.

Louis nodded his head, unsure of what to say or how to react. He watched the two guys go downstairs as he stayed above with the corpses. The metallic smell of blood overwhelmed everything else, and Louis looked down at his blood-soaked hands.

His hands were trembling, and he noticed that his nails were back to normal. Was it fear? But he wasn't scared, at least he didn't think so.

A shadow of a little hand held his shaking one, and Louis felt the inky tears fall down his cheek... But he wasn't sad? He wasn't sad... Why was he crying? Why did he remember that little girl all of a sudden?

"This way! Come on, just follow me. We will take you to safety," Louis's head snapped back to the staircase as he heard Ian's voice comforting some people. He panicked as the footsteps grew closer, and he dashed out of the building and hid behind one of the trees, hoping to catch a glimpse of his brother.

One by one, all the hostages and prisoners stepped out of the building, some of them smiling widely, and others crying over their newly acquired freedom. He saw some of his roommates with them, but his brother was nowhere to be seen. Same with his mother, he couldn't see her. And he felt disappointed, even when he tried to prepare himself for that possibility.

They didn't even stay.

......................................................................

Louis followed the group to the city, making sure that no one noticed him and at the same time, stopping any monster from getting too close. Once they were inside Carnage's walls safely, Louis waited outside for Ian and Price, figuring that the hunters guarding the door would most definitely shoot him if they saw him.

He could see the people going about their day inside the city. Kids his age were playing around, enjoying their lives. Adults laughing and smiling as they spoke with each other. It looked like heaven from the outside. The heaven he hoped he would take his brother and mother to.

The heaven he could no longer be part of. After all, who would allow a monster inside the city they worked so hard to build? Who would allow a threat inside?

Ian left the city almost 2 hours after he entered, and he had a small backpack aside from his in his hand. It seemed to be full of stuff, and Louis was puzzled once Ian held it out for him.

"Sorry for the long wait, I forgot to ask about your size so I got you free-size stuff," He smiled as Louis took the bag from his hand and examined its contents. There were clothes and stuff for him.

"...Thanks" he mumbled as slowly closed the backpack and wore it.

"Don't mention it. So... About your brother-"

"He wasn't there. I think he was moved to another base," Louis quickly replied, recalling the faces he saw when they left the building.

"Right, so... Do you know which base he could possibly be at?" Ian raised an eyebrow at Louis, who stopped in his tracks.

"He could be with my mom, in the base they keep the... Women at," Louis shuddered as he remembered what he used to see there. What he used to hear. Sometimes it would get too much he couldn't even sleep at night. The torture... The humiliation... He never understood why his mother chose to stay. Did she not believe in him? That he could bring them to safety?

"Where is that?" Ian asked again, bringing Louis back from his thoughts.

"The base is a 2 days walk away from the base you took over today. I can take you now if you want. We can reach it in a few hours if we run," Louis offered, but Ian quickly rejected his offer, already feeling the tiredness building up inside him.

"No not today, I can't go alone. Tomorrow, I will get a proper team and we will get your brother alright?" Louis nodded his head, not wanting to argue with the older man. He could go alone, but that would mean that everyone would see him as he is right now. And they won't trust him then or move with him. As much as he hated to admit it, he needed these people.