Fallen Angel (A Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Fanfiction)

Chapter 4- Recognize

I hummed gently as I took apart my braided hair, leaving waves to pop out beautifully. With a few small swipes to help make my hair perfect, I left my bathroom dressed in jeans, a striped long-sleeve, a leather jacket, and laced boots.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Harper asked me as I exited my room; he'd been waiting for me.

"If things get worse, I won't be able to see it," I walked down the hallway. "So yes, I'm ready for this."

"You surprise me," Harper spoke suddenly.

"How?" I glanced to him.

"When I look at you I see a brave woman and once I'm getting to know you, I'm realizing you're even braver than you look," Harper was complimenting me.

"And when I look at you, I see a perverted asshole," I earned a sarcastic gasp from him.

"You know me," Harper smirked and stopped as Mason came up to us in a large room with weapons.

"Take these," Mason handed me two objects, one a knife and the other a small phone-like device. "It's a tracking device and a mini GPS so you won't get lost with Harper out there."

"You make it sound like we're going to be walking a ways," I tilted my head.

"We can't take you straight to your house," Mason smirked. "You're going to have to walk two miles."

"Great," I grumbled, earning a chuckle from Harper and Mason both.

~~~

"How much fur-ther?" I panted following Harper up a hill.

"You should know, this is where you lived, remember?" Harper glanced back, his gun still pointed ahead. "Come on, it's just a little further anyways."

"If I was younger, I'd be making you carry me," I limped on one of my ankles; I'd worked it too hard last night.

"Do you want a piggy-back ride?" Harper asked in a childish voice.

"Are you joking?" I glanced at him as he stopped.

"No," Harper noticed my limp. "You're limping, allow me."

"I feel like you're going to drop me," I narrowed my gaze.

"I won't," Harper chuckled. "Hop on."

With a lot of hesitance, I slowly jumped onto Harper's back, wrapping my legs to his sides. I kept my arms loose around his shoulders, putting my head to one side.

"This is a nice feeling," Harper smirked.

"Harper," I growled.

"Okay, okay," Harper started walking again, easily holding me.

"How old are you Harper?" I asked.

There was a pause. "Forty seven, why?"

"I was just wondering," I shrugged. "I'm trying to figure out if I should look at you as a friend or fatherly figure."

"Both," Harper smiled slightly. "And not just me, but Mason too."

"How old is Mason?" I asked.

"He's the younger one at forty six," Harper blinked. "He'd be more of the friend and then some, if you know what I mean."

Punching his shoulder, I groaned to Harper's childish attitude. "Knock it off."

"But I can't, it's attached!" Harper earned another punch from me. "Ow, okay, I'm sorry!"

"You should be nearing the house now," Mason came in on Harper's radio, just loud enough so I could hear it against my ear.

"Copy," Harper released my legs and set me down.

As if timing it perfectly, I walked up over the rest of a small hill. My old house barely stood up, black going up the walls and wood creaking to signal possible breakage. I felt my heart skip a beat.

"Moving in," Harper spoke lowly into the radio, creeping forwards.

"There's no one here," I concluded, looking around. "If there was, you'd hear their voices echoing out of the house. The hills around us make it do that."

Harper glanced to me as I walked past him. My feet made small crunches in the fallen leaves below where I walked. I could barely hear Harper following me.

"They destroyed this place," I whispered, cautiously peeking my head into where the front door had been. "Why?"

"No evidence?" Harper questioned, clicking on the small camera by his ear.

"They didn't want to leave any traces of my family behind," I agreed with him, looking around.

As Harper explored the half-burned house, I moved on into another room. My gaze stopped on the stand with the TV on it. I expected my brother to be sitting there cheering to whatever upbeat thing he was watching. Sickness spread through me when I realized he wasn't.

"Why?" I whispered, kneeling down to touch the TV screen in the same place Aron would have.

"Emma," Harper came around the corner and stopped when he saw me.

"Why did it have to be me?" I turned my torso to face him. "What do these people want with me?"

Harper let out a sigh and then shook his head. "I don't know."

"I knew they'd come eventually, but I didn't expect it now; when my life was just starting," I blurted out, looking down.

"You knew about this?" Harper almost demanded.

"I only know that my father got into bad things," I sighed. "The people he dealt with swore to kill him, but my mother knew they were wanting more than that. She warned me to always be wary and watch my surroundings," my voice shook at the last word. "So I've expected that they'd come after us long after my life had been started, just to target my family too. I still don't know what they want with me, Harper. I'm scared," I whispered at the end, tears falling heavily.

Harper came to kneel next to me, tipping my lowered chin up with his fingers. I gazed in his blue eyes, almost lost. His gaze was narrowed.

"You're going to have to realize something sooner or later, Emma," Harper made me sniffle. "Recognize the reality of your life, now. Recognize that worse things than this are going to happen."

"I know," I wiped my tear away. "I just haven't recognized that they've happened so soon."

"Harper?" Mason's voice came in. "Is everything okay? We lost the video connection."

"Everything's fine," Harper replied, releasing me. "Send the ride home to us."

I looked away from Harper, holding my arm as I stood up. Harper turned on a dime and started to exit the house. More slowly, I followed him.

My instinct told me to glance back, so I did. Twice. I almost regretted it, but a part of me knew that I wouldn't see my old home again. I also knew that my college career and plans for my future were gone too. Everything was forcing me to realize that I had to start a new life.

One that recognized the reality.