Rebel Heart

World's End

Holding his assigned firearm at the ready, Iseul Moon maneuvered into position. Scanning the suspiciously quiet remains of a formerly bustling metropolis, he couldn't help grumbling barely under his breath. 

"Guess no one here gives two shits about me being a medic and not a soldier..."

And what about that bullshit pep-talk--'None of us were soldiers before the invasion; but we have been forced to reinvent ourselves to survive.' I never asked to reinvent myself...

Iseul's thoughts are interrupted by a voice over his radio. "Moon, are you done cursing out the Remembrance? We got shit to do." 

Deidre Winters-another scout and, possibly, one of the only people Iseul could tolerate in the whole Remembrance-sounded in his ear. Sighing, he answered quickly and forced himself to pay attention to the mission at hand. "Yeah, Yeah, Winters. I know what to do."

Or at least he tried to focus, but her misuse of the comm system made that difficult. "Do you even remember what your mission is?"

"Do you even remember what the comm channel is for?" He snapped back in a hushed whisper. Bickering, like this, was a common part of their friendship.

"Eat a dick, Moon." Deidre hissed before the comm system was overcome by a gruff voice. 

"Winters. Moon. Can both of you shut the fuck up?" Brandt King snapped over each of their radios. "Hey, Onye, why don't you reign your scouts in? You're supposed to be running the show, but instead you're allowing them to bitch at each other over the comm system like it's a goddamn walkie talkie and its-"

Iseul watched as their squad leader rolled his eyes. The brightest smirk contrasted his dark skin as he finally spoke into the comm system with a thick accent. "It is sort of as reckless as shouting into the comm system to scold them as if they were children. If you're done now, my squad and I have a mission to finish."

"You're too soft on them, Onye! This is a very important mission. The Remembrance is counting on your team and if you encounter those creatures distracted then-"

"Goodbye then, distraction." Ekon Onyejekwe switched the station on his comm system to base camp's channel. 

The most direct lifeline to ensure help arriving faster if--

Iseul stopped as shortly as his thought did. Straining his ears he heard an all too familiar clicking sound rising faintly, from all directions, around him and Onyejekwe in the shambled city. 

Commander Onyejekwe held up his fist, his dark eyes shifting from left to right, scanning for the origin of the sound. The previous smirk gone without a trace, his jaw now set tightly, as he tried to determine the best course of action.  

Shuffling to the left. 

Iseul raised his gun slowly towards the ruined buildings on his left side, his finger frozen, idling on the trigger. Closing one eye and staring through the scope, he held his breath. 

Watching for movement, he felt the world around him slow down as he saw a couple of shadows move towards him and the commander. 

Shit. Shit. SHIT! 

"Cortes." Commander Onyejekwe whispered suddenly, closer to Iseul than he had been before. He cupped Iseul on the shoulder. Lingering there. "Listen for his limp." 

Hesitating, Iseul took his finger off of the trigger, and put all of his faith in Ekon, just as a figure jumped out of the darkness. Alex Cortes lunged forward, sounding a ridiculous roar, trying to scare them. Following him was Winters, Carson Powell, and Lupe Hidalgo.