Shell

Chapter 12: Changed, for better or worse

I continued to wade my way through the darkness of death, though I no longer felt the cold embrace, perhaps I had gotten used to it or maybe I wasn't dead. That would be a happy thought wouldn't it?

-Vincent-

Well we had finally made it to the outpost Caren was talking about and we were received with open arms mainly due to Caren being with us though some of the people gave us eyes full of suspicion which I don't find all that unreasonable all this considered.

"Vincent give this lady the sword, were going to study it and see if we can't find a way to recreate it." Caren said in her usual tone which was nice in a way.

"Don't touch her!" I heard Ares boom.

"Please we need to get her treatment as fast as possible." a small woman in scrubs looked at Ares pleadingly.

"I know that, take me where we need to go. I'll get her there." Ares replied stubbornly.

The lady looked to me and I gave an understanding nod that implied she better just go along with it, she in turn sighed.

"Very well this way please."

Ares followed her down a hallway and looked to me.

"I'll be there soon." I said.

Ares only nodded and continued down the hall. I turned back to the lady in a lab coat standing with Caren and handed her the sword carefully.

"Careful with that it gutted my friend."

The lady looked up for a second then nodded quickly and headed off down another hall.

"Go see her." Caren said not looking up from her report.

"Yeah I pry ought ta do that..." I said solemnly as I went down the hall I saw Ares going down and followed the signs to the med bay.

I had to poke around the many rooms most of which were full of soldiers wounded in battle. I finally came up to the room where Artemis was staying, Ares was in a chair off to the side.

"Well... Shit."

-Three Months later-

I popped up from my cover and took shots at the enemy foot soldiers with my M-16 downing three of them before getting shot in the shoulder ducking back down.

"Man..." I complained pulling the piece of lead out from under the shirt.

The bullet didn't go through my skin due to my shell type but still.

"Well I lost that bet with Ares, dammit."

I popped back out completely this time as I ran towards better cover while shooting more at the enemy. When I reached the broken down wall I heard a screaming from the other side before a wrecking ball came through the wall to my left. To no surprise Ares and had messily flattened the poor guy between him and the wall. Ares looked up at me.

"Looks like I win Vincent." he said happily.

"Shut the hell up." I grinned at him.

Ares pulled out his revolver and shot a nazi retreating.

"They must be pulling out." he said.

"Odd, they completely out numbered our force they could have lasted way longer."

PSSSHHHHTTT "Vincent get back here immediately!" I heard Caren yell over the mic.

"Shit, whats up Caren?"

"The main force was a distraction we need you back here now!"

"We're on our way sit tight! Come on double time it."

The both of us booked it across the battle ridden hills back to the forward base, we passed the old crashed helo before picking up the buggy the had driven us out here. I floored it all the to the front doors and found the two guards dead from there I just followed the bodies.

"Fuck there here for Artemis." I gritted as the bodies led to the med bay.

We quickened our pace down the hallway. I was about to turn a corner when a man in black combat gear ran into me screaming in terror. I saw his red arm band and instantly new who he was, but instead of attacking me or Ares he scrambled to his feet and began running to the entrance screaming. Me and Ares exchanged quizzical looks to each other but put the event behind us as we continued down to Artemis' room. Fear froze our feet as we reached the door though as blood was flowing pretty rapidly from the room. I slowly crept into the door way and felt my stomach want to hurl a bit.

There was blood splattered all over the room as the gutted corpses of five men were strewn all over the place. One man dressed in black was still standing with his back to us motionless.

"Freeze! What have you done with her!?" I yelled pointing my rifle at him.

There was a quick slice of a blade before the figure before me split in two, the body fell to the side making a splash in the lake of blood in the room, the head however remained in the air before being flicked off the dagger that held it in place. Standing barefoot in the blood was Artemis trying to clean the blood off her bandaged hand while staring coldly at me.

"Well good morning." I said cooly to try and lighten the reunion.

She continued to stare at me before tilting her head her expression unchanging. Her cat ears and tale were still missing and her eyes remained that steel color. Her wounds had recovered from the crash however there was still two scars on her face one on her left eye and one on her right cheek, that one the stitch lines were still visible.

"You do remember us right?" I asked worriedly.

She stared at me still, before nodding. Me and Ares both sighed in relief.

"Great I was worried there for a sec, what all do you remember?"

She looked down before opening her mouth to speak but no voice was made. She looked annoyed before setting the daggers on the bed and dipping her finger in the blood before writing on the wall.

-Lost voice, remember you to be friends with one other.-

I see she only remembers being friends with us and on top of that shes mute now.

PSSSHHTT "Vincent I need you and Ares to the entrance now." Caren said over the radio.

"Hey Caren guess who woke up?" I asked happily.

"Great but that can wait, theres someone here to see you two."

"Uh alright then were on our way." I replied giving Ares a perplexed look who in turn shrugged at me. "Lets go then."

We began to jog down the hallway and I heard Artemis' wet feet keeping pace with us. We arrived to Caren who was with a team of soldiers all looking outside.

"Its great that Artemis is back up, but your visitor is outside." Caren said staring intently outside the doors.

"Who the hell is it?" Ares asked.

"You should see him for yourself but be careful." Caren warned before turning back and heading down a hall.

The three of us shrugged at each other then headed outside where I saw someone who made my head hurt just looking at. Sitting on a rock was a guy around nineteen maybe twenty wearing a brown jacket and jeans with a red scarf wrapped around his neck. His brown hair was streaked with ashen silver in random places. He heard us coming and got up and turned to face us with a smile. Seeing his face made my head hurt even more and I could see it was bothering Ares too. The guy's face was weird as across his white face was splotches of tan as if the skin had been burned, along with that his eyes were different one was blue while the other was the same silver as in his hair.

"Yo, sure has been a while."