Front Line

chapter one: meet alex

The battlefield was a desolate scene, trees that had not been obliterated were grizzled and scared, their ancient bark harder then stone and just as lifeless.

The constant expanse of black clouds bloated the sun from even trying to shine, and the rain that fell made the ground thick and treacherous.

But Alex paid no mind to this as he marched in file with his clan, the hunter clan.

He heard the excited chatter of the young soldiers who would be witnessing their first battle.

He remembered when he was like that, till he saw what war was, he had remembered getting slammed into a tree by an explosion, and waking up to find an enemy soldier impaled on a tree branch.

That's when the pain shot through him, the pain of being stabbed through the shoulder by the same tree. He had been found by his sister who ducked and weaved through the gun fire and the smoke, she called till her throat died, and by the time their father got there, he was unconscious.

He rolled his mechanical shoulder and shoulder blade, remembering them operating to save what little bit was left of his arm.

They had done that as the battle raged around them, and several medics where shot dead.

So, you may be wondering why they had fought? The answer was simple, food.

That winter had been harsh and many crops failed, so the hunter clan had gone to war with the warrick clan, and won.

They ate while they starved....

Sometimes it didn't sit right with him, but then he remembered his promised bride and his own family, was it such a bad thing to try and survive? Did it mater if someone died so you could live?

He often thought so, but seeing children die and starve was hard, even worse so when you just killed their father.....

He instantly dropped as a shot rang out, and one of the younger ones dropped, stone dead.

"Micheal!!" Someone screamed, but was silenced by a rough hand, Alex put a finger to his lips and pointed, a sniper.

High powered rifles were rare, and this one knew how to use it, the young girl sobbed over what he realised was her twin brother.

Yes....that's what he had done, when his sister bled out from an explosion wound, his father mourned too, surprisingly, but Mary had always been his fathers favorite.

"I'm sorry" Alex spoke softly "but if you don't stop making noise, your going to get more people killed"

She looked up teary eyed, he hardened his heart and stared forcefully at her "he was your brother, yes, but we have a job to do, so dry your eyes, you can't aim if their wet"

He turned away and took out a hunting rifle, no match for a barrete sniper, but he was a damned good shot. Leveling the sights, he lined him up.....

The shot ran out in the muddy day, the sniper crumpling and falling. They stood and proceeded carefully, more shots, but lousy aims, they all found cover and stayed put, he sighed, those were the shots of children, more intended to frighten them then kill.

Sure enough, no more shots as they all stood, they explored the area and found evidence of habitation, the old man Alex had shot was probably just a grandfather, but he had shot first.

Yes, Alex thought, all in all the world had been thrust into hell, all over a stupid hunk of metal in the dirt.

He sighed again and joined the crying girl, his father stood over her, staring bored over the poor girl "come on" he grumbled "say goodbye so we can bury the idiot and go"

Snarling he shoved the old fool out of the way, and gently picked her up

"Saying goodbye isnt easy you old fool" he growled out "maybe you'd do well to know that!"

His father watched as he lead her away, he shrugged and called a burial team.

Authors note: there we go, a bit graphic I think but its post Apocalypse you don't expect rainbows and care bears from stuff like that, I will however change it to mature, don't want someone to read it and complain, cause that means I have to care.
Anyway, see you all in the next chapter hasta luego