Guardians 1: Ashes

Chapter 34: Schedule

Nick's POV

I was sitting on the mountain wearing full body armor. Rex was all the way to my right. He seemed a little off, but I ignored it. It was boring up here. Eventually I would pace around back and forth. I would climb down the mountain and look around, nothing new was happening just the same old scenery. About 2 hours past by when I saw movement. It was nothing worth while, just deer.

They jumped around and laid in the grass. There were baby ones, I think they were called fawns. They played with eachother and jumped around. The bigger ones had gotten up to drink water. I pointed them out to Rex.

"Ya know we eat them right?" Rex said.

"What! But they are so... so harmless." I exclaimed.

"Exactly why we eat them." He replied.

"Oh, that makes sense." I said.

"You don't see people eating wolves do you, cause they have sharp teeth and claws. A harder catch." Rex explained.

"How do you know this?" I asked.

"Common sense." Rex said annoyed.

We sat there for a while in silence watching the deer. Soon the sun began to set over the horizon.

"So Nick, how was life like after we were ya know, gone." Rex asked.

"Fine I guess. Cory took about 3 month of recovery, Janet was the same. Always rude, but she did fix Cory so I owed her that. I honestly thought you and Uni died. Cory told me that they had loaded you guys up, but what made me think they didn't kill you after. You guys were gone for so many years, I didn't think you would come back, ever." I said.

Rex nodded at me." How are your parents doing?"

"Last time I saw them, they were doing good, haven't seen them sence we became Guardians. Everyone thought you and Uni had just ran away, but it was crazy talk, why would you leave Cory if you had ran. Some orphans made up stories saying Cory did try to go with you, but you guys beat him up when you found out, which is why he was hurt so badly. Others said that you two pushed him out of a tree when you guys found out he was following you, when you were trying to run away, point is, no one believed the truth." I finished saying.

"So, no matter what, we are the bad guys?" Rex asked.

"Pretty much." I clarified.

"It will be weird, going back." Rex said. "Uni and I have been gone for so long, and now... we are back were we started." He said looking at the setting sun.

"Well, our shift is over, time for Uni and Cory to take over." I said with a grin and stood up. Rex followed me as we went down the mountain into the base. We walked in silence as the stars began to slowly pop out.

"I don't think I have the lifespan to basically wait until the sun goes down every day." I whined.

"You whine to much." Rex said annoyed.

We soon checked out and headed to bed while Uni and Cory stayed on watch.

Uni's POV

It was awkward walking around with Cory. I didn't like to talk about it much,  but being back here was actually scary. Being back in an actual civilization, and not with psychopath murderers. We walked in the silence until Cory spoke.

"Rex... is sorry." He said.

"Sorry for what?" I asked confused. " He saved my life, he kept me fed, he kept me going, he shouldn't be sorry." I said.

"He is sorry for killing all those people." Cory said. I looked at him awkward.

"He told you?" I asked surprised.

"Yea, he told me a story about a little girl with a striped sweater, it sounded like that kid was the one that got him to realise what he had been doing." Cory said glumly.

"I wish I could have gotten him to stop sooner." I muttered. "Why do you two not have a problem with killing?" I asked.

"What are you talking about, you sure enough killed those soldiers just as us." Cory said raising his voice.

"I know, and I live everyday regretting my decisions, but you two seem not to care." I said.

"Are you deaf Uni? I just told you Rex was sorry, he realised the wrong he did when you guys were still at the camp." Cory yelled at me now.

"Then what about you Cory, why do you do the things you do?" I asked quietly.

Cory's eyes darted around then he sighed,    "It doesn't matter."

"Cory, is it about what happened to your parents?" I asked.

"Stop asking about mine and ask yourself about your own family! Are they ever coming back? So stop worrying about me, I'm fine! Okay?" He yelled at me. It stung a bit but I knew he was just saying it because he was mad, half the things he does he did under anger.

I sighed." Cory... I know they aren't coming back, you know your parents aren't coming back either. You and I both know why they are gone and you can't change that no matter how hard you try no matter how many retries you get. They are gone. But has the world really been all that bad? Hasn't it showed you mercy before? Aren't you tired of fighting?" I asked.

Cory looked like he considered the idea, then looked at me in disgust, "You know just as well as I, that this "world" has no mercy, you have seen what it did to the other orphans, you have seen what it has done to our family's. You saw what it did to Rex." Cory pleaded.

"Then have you seen what it has done to you?" I asked in a slow and steady voice.

Cory looked at me in shock then his gaze went normal again. "I have only showed "it" the same mercy "it" has showed me."

Cory turned from me and began to walk away, "May Shelby show you mercy." I mumbled.

I didn't see Cory again until shift was over, which by then we were both exhausted and didn't even make it to our rooms, we passed out in the hallway. The last thing I remembered was me mumbling," It was so boring." Then darkness.

When I opened my eyes I was in my room I went into Cory's room to talk to him and saw him sleeping on the ground and Shelby was on his bed. I stepped over Cory and poked Shelby. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked at me.

"Good morning Uni." She said with a smile.

"I think it is the afternoon." I responded.

"Oh yeah... Still getting used to the new sleep schedule." She said with a grin.

"So why exactly are you in Cory's room?" I asked akwardly.

"He has ...trouble sleeping, nightmares really. I'm sure you have heard him mumble in his sleep." Shelby said.

"Yeah, I have, I wish he told me." I said a little ashamed.

"I don't think he wanted to bother you about it, after all you would probaly just make fun of him." She said.

"No I wouldn't!" I whined. Shelby raised an eyebrow at me," Okay maybe just a bit." I confessed.

I sat down on the bed next to her, her eyes darted around the room.

"What are you thinking?" I mumbled.

"How did you all meet?" She asked curiously.