A Reason For Being

Chapter forty-two

Sora

We follow the tunnel until we reach our position. We hear a loud explosion in the distance. The ground shakes. I hope that the others are OK and everything is going as planned. We hear wolves leaving the square and going to investigate the explosion as planned. We give it a few minutes so that we know the army is a good distance away. It's time.

We lift the drain that we're hiding under. There's a stampede of rebels who rush up the ladder and run into battle. Our bodies are crammed together and awkwardly touched. The crowd forces me to follow them. I escape the group of tightly bound rebels. They fire at a group of wolves in the square and throw smoke grenades that make those who smell the substances fall asleep. We wear masks so that we will not breathe it ourselves. The rebels scream and yell. I charge with them and fire my gun. Everything we've done over the last few months has been leading up to this very moment.

We push forward. More wolves appear as they realize that the bomb has just been a distraction. I see a gap forming that leads into the town hall. I have a feeling that Akuma will be in there. Ted sees the gap forming too and throws me the bag that has the helmet inside. It's my job to stop Akuma. I guess it always has been. I nod and turn into my wolf form. I sprint towards the gap. Ted covers me as best as he can with a tranquillizer sniper. Bullets fly around me, but I keep running. I can't stop. My tail is raised. I show my teeth and curl my lips. My hackles rise. My ears are forwards. I turn back into my human form as I reach the town hall and tranquillize two wolves who guard the door.

There are hundreds of scents flaring in my nose that it's impossible to individually choose one and assume that it's Akuma, but I know he's somewhere in this building. I don't even know what he looks like let alone his scent. Where could he possibly be? I remember Aki mentioning that there was a small bunker hidden under the town hall when I was a child. He has to be there. With the missile coming and the attack happening above, it would make perfect sense that he would flee down there, so that's where I go.

I reach the bunker door and shoot the wolves who guard it, which only confirms my theory. He's in there. I hold my gun firmly and enter the bunker. Two faces turn to me. Akuma and Matsu stand inside. Matsu fires his gun at me. I dodge the bullets and take shelter behind a desk. I shoot over the table, but he avoids them and charges towards me. He pushes me against the wall and strangles me with his hands. I've dropped the tranquillizer. I can't breathe. His grip is too strong, and I'm too weak to throw him off me.

The man I love is going to kill me. I don't need to throw him off. I need to wiggle free. I'm smaller and more agile than him. I can do this. I don't give up. I keep fighting. I shake my body so much that he lets go. I run towards the gun, but he pulls my hair, and I fall to the floor. I get up instantly. There's no time to cry about how unfair life is. I know it's unfair. Matsu tries to hit me. I block the hit. He tries to hit me again, but I block the hit again and run towards the gun. I've got it. Matsu punches me in the face. My lip is bleeding, but I don't let go of the gun. He tries to disarm me, but I refuse to let go. I squeeze the trigger and shoot him in the leg. He falls to the ground. I catch him as he falls so that he doesn't hurt himself further.

I look to where Akuma stood, but he's gone. Damn. I don't want to leave Matsu, but I have no choice. I have to stop Akuma. Matsu will be OK. I kiss his forehead and leave the bunker to pursue Akuma. I have his scent now, so I follow it out of the town hall and back to the square.

I reach outside, and my heart sinks as I scan the area. The rebels might be using tranquillizers, but the wolves still have bullets that are capable of murder. Even if they don't want to. The rebels are pinned down — the sound of gunfire echoes in the square like fireworks. There's a river of blood. Sleeping and dead bodies. I see Ted behind some cover. Holding Ginga's dead body that's stained in blood. I see Akuma fleeing.