Frenzy & Torch

Chapter 49: Become Death

On Okinawa-2, the newly reinforced 1st Brigade continued its advance against the retreating Shriktans for the rest of the afternoon. As night fell, high command ordered them to halt their advance and hold their positions in what remained of Naha. Once a bustling city, it was now half-destroyed, with refugees huddled in the shadows of toppled skyscrapers, their faces lit by cooking fires made from office furniture.

While Sakura scouted ahead, 1st Brigade set themselves up in an abandoned office building that luckily still had power. Elizabeth and Annabelle were lingering around a cubicle near one of the window panes.

Annabelle was busy going over a holographic map while Elizabeth chewed on shredded chicken, cheese, and barbecue sauce in a folded tortilla from one of the new MREs.

"This shit's way better than I thought it'd be," Elizabeth said.

Annabelle expressed her disapproval without looking away from the map. "The amount of calories in that thing is insane. You'd need to run ten miles to burn it all."

"We might have to if that big metal man gets chased back by one of Kasangar's freaks."

Annabelle took a bite of her carrot and minimized the map. "It's a shame Mr. Flyer got shot in the wing. He'll have a hard time putting together that Leggo set now."

"Least he can still put it together. How 'bout that one girl who's literally got nothin' left?" Elizabeth said while putting together another makeshift burrito.

Annabelle shuddered. When 1st Brigade was consolidating the bodies and wounded, they found one of their soldiers without arms, legs, or eyes—but still alive. She screamed and thrashed about as they loaded her on the medevac ship, begging to be put out of her misery. Annabelle later found the woman's arm with a wedding band on the finger.

"I'm honestly glad Haruto wasn't filming when we found her," she confessed. "Bless his little heart, but the last thing that girl needed was the worst moment of her life put up for everybody to see."

"Or whatever life she's got left," Elizabeth muttered callously.

"Liz!" Annabelle snapped.

"Prove me wrong and I'll become one of them monastery girls."

Annabelle sighed. "You need a little more sensitivity."

"There's one place where I'm sensitive already," Elizabeth said.

Annabelle glared, then threw a creamy spinach fettuccini MRE at her. "Eat something healthier."

Elizabeth picked the bag off her lap and stared at it with disgust. "The fuck is this?"

"Something that won't give you belly fat."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes and tossed it aside. "Hey, where's Robert?"

"Hanging out with Elizabet."

Elizabeth scowled. "Oh, I see, the commie version of me is more exotic to Robert, too."

Annabelle giggled. "What, Robert can't make friends?"

"No."

Speedball hovered by the building at that moment, his back facing the window.

"Will somebody tell that nerd his ass is hanging out?!" Elizabeth exclaimed.

Sekiguchi walked in with Haruto at that moment. Her hands were in the pockets of her now-ragged vest and her eyes were glassy and tired compared to before. She hadn't been exposed to war for very long, but it was still long enough. "Konbanwa."