Nocturne ➸ Ben Parish

06

     I SLIPPED MYSELF BACK into the wheelchair when no one was paying any attention to me. I rolled myself back to the bunks where Zombie was searching for Nugget.
     "He's gone." he told me.
     "They're evacuating the recruits." I responded, "We can still get to him before they put him on the plane."
     He glanced at the wheelchair and then at me, prompting me to get up. I didn't need it. Right?
     "Let's go." I held my wound as I walked.
If you collapse now you're screwed. It kept getting easier to run, but the pain was still stabbing into me.
     Red lights flashed on the walls. Zombie was a few paces ahead, knocking a guard unconscious. If Vosch was following the procedure we had all learned, Nugget would be in the crowd of soldiers boarding the planes.
     "I'll meet you there!" he yelled before swerving down another hallway.
     I rolled my eyes, pushing the heaviest set of doors open. Outside, all of the recruits wore light blue uniforms. My blood soaked camouflage suit would stand out to the guards. Screw it. I made my way into the crowd.
     Most of the kids were crying. Then I finally found the kid I was looking for.
     "Nugget!" I yelled.
     He looked behind him, but kept walking. I pushed past everyone until I was by his side.
     "Nocturne?" he asked.
     I nodded, "Let's go. Zombie's going to be waiting for us."
     The guards were getting suspicious. Two pushed past recruits, trying to reach us. I pulled Nugget down so we were both crouching. I then dragged him out of the crowd.
     I started running with Nugget.
     "What about Zombie?" he shouted over the sound of the helicopters starting their engines.
     "He'll be fine!" i responded, "There are too many guards for us to go back."
     One of the helicopters passing by held Vosch, the man I was going to make pay for my family one day. He yelled at the pilot as he pointed at us.
     "Oh shit." I picked up Nugget, who had just tripped, and kept running.
     The ground shot up behind us. Vosch was shooting at us. Blood ran down my leg, signifying that the sloppy stitches had opened. I even got blood on Nugget's uniform.
     Suddenly, a jeep pulled up in front of us. I thought my life was over until I saw who was driving it.
     "Get in!" Marika barked.
     I threw Nugget into a seat before diving face down into the floor. I slammed my fist against the padded flooring, "I left Zombie. I freaked out and ran."
      "More like I left you." an annoyingly familiar voice sounded from above me.
     I looked up to see Zombie flashing a smile. I almost returned it, but the pain was back and worse than ever. I clenched my teeth as Zombie rushed to cut my uniform right at the hip.
     He peeled the cloth away from the wound then moved over so Dumbo could help me. All of Squad 53 was in the car, plus a girl that resembled Nugget.
     "Who's she?" I squeaked.
     Zombie was holding my hand, "that'd Nugget's sister, Cassie."
     I squeezed his hand. Dumbo was just finishing up with the bandages, but it still hurt like hell. Both him and Zombie moved me up to the seat next to Zombie.
     He threw his arm over my shoulder. I leaned against him for the majority of the drive.
     We finally stopped in a field. I stayed in the car with Zombie while the rest of the squad were heating up whatever cans we had left.
      "What's your real name?" he questioned as he approached the car.
      I hesitated, but I figured I could trust someone like Zombie, "Lynn."
      "Ben." he replied.
      I nodded, "So what's your story. How'd they catch you?"
     "I was transferred from hospital to hospital during the 3rd wave, but they sent me to Wright Patterson as soon as I was strong enough to walk." he told me, "Hence the name Zombie."
He climbed in, settling in the seat next to me.
     "It took them quite a while to catch me." I managed a laugh, "Every time they tried, one of their soldiers would get hurt. I refused to go with them after what they did to my parents, but I let my guard down at one point."
     "What happened to your parents?" he pulled me closer.
     "I watched Vosch kill them." I could feel the hot tears building up in my eyes.
     I couldn't hold them back anymore. I was sobbing, "I watched them die, then I killed my sister, and then I was ditched by the other. I just wanted a silencer to find me and stop the pain."
     He didn't say anything. He just pulled me into an embrace. I dug my face into his chest and cried. Eventually the crying exhausted me and I fell asleep in his arms.

     I hid myself in the bushes when I heard the footsteps. I would always find a new hiding spot to ambush them from.
I expected Vosch's soldiers to appear, but a little girl, no older than ten stepped out into the opening. I shot up from where I was hiding.
"Where're your parents?" I asked.
She shook her head.
"Are you with anyone?" I approached her.
She nodded.
"Who?" I questioned.
She looked behind her.
"Are they hiding?" I reached for my gun.
She nodded.
I pulled the gun, but it was too late. A soldier had me pinned down.
"Looks like even you have a soft spot for kids." he mocked, "It's a shame after what you did to your sister."
I tried to get him off of me. He smiled as Vosch entered my line of sight.
I spit at the soldier on top of me, hitting him in the eye, "I'll kill all of you one day."
"Sure you will." the soldier got up, but I knew it wasn't safe for me to run.
I'd be shot in the back.
"Get her onto one of the buses." Vosch ordered, "And do not let her get off."
I kicked at the soldiers as I thrown onto the bus. I would've killed the driver if I wasn't being held back.

I woke up, still being held my Zombie.
"You alright?" he asked.
I nodded, "Sorry."
"Don't be." he told me.
I leaned away a little, looking into his eyes. I didn't realize how amazing he was until now. He was still so nice to me after all of the shit I put all of them through. I shot forward, pressing my lips against his.
The kiss lasted a few seconds too long. Ringer opened the car door with two cans in her hand.

EDITED

Make sure to leave a vote and comment if you liked this chapter!