Invade

Chapter 22 -- Crimson

My mind was blank. Dead. Not even wanting to give into this war. I didn't even want to be here right now, marching with all of these Virtue people into something that will change our lives for better or for worse.

The rain was irritating, just picking up more and more as we got into the body and heart of the city. Lightning and thunder flashed and echoed within my ears. There was no doubt that this was the worst storm that the city has ever seen. Right as we're going into war.

Oh the dramatic irony.

Everyone around me had their guns out, ready for Zoe's massive army to come bombarding in and wiping us out. I mean, how well were these people trained at shooting? They took anyone who wanted to join off the streets and placed them in the weapons factory; giving them a gun, some words of 'encouragement' and then pat them on the back as they head out to attack the city that had housed humanity for a thousand years.

Don't get me wrong, I wanted every part in being in the raid. My mind and brain weren't in the right place at the moment.

Or maybe they were depending on how you put it.

Kaitlyn had been confused as to why I was acting the way I was. And I really didn't feel like telling her, let alone talk at all. I was distant, thinking and overthinking.

Planning.

She stood next to me half given up on trying to get my attention. Her hands gripped around the handle and body of the assault rifle. Her gaze set forward on the dark and dominating tower of Zoe's. She looked as dead as I was now.

I know she wanted to be here at this moment. This way she could get revenge on her family, the people and city who drove their family practically insane. For Anthony who was wrongly sent out the wall to his death. She hated herself the most for that I knew. She tried playing off that she was alright about him dying. But I knew deep down inside; that guilt was festering and feeding on her heart.

Kaitlyn thought she could've stopped it, even though there was no possible way she could of done so.

It wasn't that I hated Kaitlyn. I love the girl to death. I just didn't feel like expressing myself to her. She wouldn't really understand the suffering I'm going through right now. The injection, living within the veins of my body. It gave me this weird sensation of all of these emotions attacking each other at once. Ever since the dream with the Truth giving me these 'special attributes' I've been feeling weird and almost robotic at some points.

Take for example the shooting practice. Something connected within my brain giving me this burning feeling that told me exactly what to do. I've never held a gun in my life before. The Vulrants were for fighting hand to hand. And yet when I took the shots on the targets I was hitting them in the head and all the vital spots.

More rain dumped against my face, soaking it and dripping off my chin and jaw.

This rain gave me bad memories.

Memories of my Father's death.

We had gotten mid-way down the face of the mountain when the faint sound of something screaming all the way from across the city called out. "THEY'VE SET THE ALARM EVERYONE. THEY SEE US NOW" a voice shouted from nearby. It must've been Ttwo.

The alarms. Zoe or someone in that main tower must've seen us. Not that we weren't expecting that. Just maybe not too soon.

A shot rang out from the distance and to my right somebody dropped in a bloody whirlwind and rested up against the dirt and grass of the mountain. Something near the wall shot out again. A person behind me was struck with another bullet, they were sent flying back with blood mist shooting out on his fellow comrades. I could feel some of the abnormal splat of blood go against my neck.