Hercules

Part Two

Before we take that final step forward, the step that will mash us in with the crowd, I check to make sure I have all of my weapons. Standard knives? Check. Smoke grenades? Check. Bullet-style gun? Check. And most importantly, my laser cannon. Smirking, I grip it tightly. Within a few moments, when those things would pop out of their stink holes, we'd need to fight. This simple, black instrument would be the difference between life and death. My other weapons might give me a little time, but really, without this baby, my life might as well be lost already. I wipe a long bead of sweat off of my face with my free hand, not allowing myself to think about the true consequences of what I'm getting myself into.

"You okay?"

"Fine, Jax, just fine."

I turn to look at my boyfriend. He has a wary look in his eyes, unsure about his actions. I'm surprised we managed to get a couple of sentences out. The mob, as my father referred to them as, is screaming. Everything you say is swallowed up in a sea of noise. It's not like their anger is misplaced, oh no, only inconvenient to our conversation.

"Are you sure?"

Thank goodness we're so close, or else I wouldn't have been able to catch that. Almost without thinking, I reach up a gentle hand and sweep a lock of his hair back. The blonde mop contrasts my dark skin. He smiles, and I smile back.

Whenever Jax smiled at me, which was rare in times such as this, it was like the whole world lit up in a sympathy of warmth and candlelight. The Hordes, my father's business 'friends', none of it mattered when he shot me that looked. I can feel my heartbeat rise as he snaps up my hand into his, kissing my wrist with tender lips. I suddenly have an overwhelming urge to steal just a quick kiss. Deep inside, I know that this isn't the place nor the time. Besides, I can't afford to scare him off with a potentially brash gesture. Jax is the only good thing to come out of discovering the Other Side, where dating customs differed. Believe me when I say the only good thing. They didn't even have their own vaccines, for crying out loud. And yet still, he made it all worth it.

We're in this together, I think to myself. If we die, we die as a team. As soulmates.

The crowd then starts to race forward, as if water breaking out of a damn. He lets go of my hand, nodding at me. He still holds onto his fear, but he knows he can't stop this from happening. We need to fight back, to stop the Hordes from hurting us any further. With a quick, sweeping gesture, I motion for him to rush after the crowd with me. We both take off down the concrete path, pasted the subdued guards and through the shiny, black gate.

I let out a ferocious warcry, ready for a fight. Others respond with even more outlandish screams. The noise acts as our fuel, propelling us deeper and deeper into the court yard. I pass the rusty red leaves of the maples I used to play in as a kid. Other protestors climb up that very flora, pointing their sniper rifles straight at the large, metallic doors. Already I can smell the thick, oozing stench of those infected. The Hordes are moments away from being released, and yet I smirk.

There had been small pockets of victory throughout the country. If they'd been able to win, why couldn't a crowd tenfold the size of the victorious also push back? As of currently, this was the largest push back against the Hordes and giving the Other Side our technology, effectively letting them control us. I beam with pride, knowing that I am apart of a righteous cause that would win. If not today, someday. I had faith.

My smile drops when the infected are released.

Our stamina is immediately stopped. For a while, we do nothing but collectively gape at such large numbers. Disfigured body parts are coated in a yellow, rubbery layer that used to be skin. Their teeth are sharp and black, a result of the genetic modification. I shake my head, trying to snap myself out of the trance that they've cast.

I will not fall into fear!

Without another thought, I raise the laser cannon and shoot straight at the Horde. They scatter, like angry bees, a couple collapsing as the zero point energy implodes them. I smirk and fire off another round, the others joining in. We fire again and again, weakening their ranks.

The air becomes thick and smoky, and for a while I can't make much out. That doesn't stop me or anyone else from continuing to fire. By the time the smoke clears, I spot something shocking. I hear Jax gasp next to me, and I mirror his response.

We don't seem to do much damage to the Horde over all. They're so many of them, they quickly replace one another. Collectively, they form a hydra. With every infected body that falls, two more rise to take its place. They gain ground little by little, tearing those in front of us to shreds. Our protest turns into a conveyer belt, each wave inching us further and further down the assembly line. At the end, our death awaited. I gulp nervously, the hot metal of my laser gun informing me that my weapon may be overheating.

I shoot a fleeting look at Jax, who shares my concern. Our despair mirror each other. I can only see the broken pieces of resistance in his eyes. Now, he just wants to survive. I do as well. And to kiss him, one last time.

But they're just so many...and they never stop coming....so many...so many.....