Hood

CHAPTER VII: Gates of Hell

Zero stood before the rotting corpses of his comrades, wrinkling his nose as he caught the putrid scent that was coming out of them. He clenched his fist, letting blood ooze from his knuckles into his bandages.

“I never thought I’d live to see the day to actually see Zero Skies wearing a frown.”

He suddenly turned his head to his left and saw a woman in her twenties, her long raven hair pulled back into a ponytail, with dust covered on her once-before neat white coat. “I never thought you could joke…” Zero chuckled, “… Corporal Bea Klein.”

Chapter VII: Gates of Hell

“A suicide?”

“Yes. The reports said his name was Gareth Greene, once part of the garrisons. The only reason we found on why he killed himself is that when he received the news that his wife, Meredith Greene was killed during the attack.” Jacob said, “It’s quite pitiful, you know? To just die like that.”

I looked at him as he averted his eyes to stare at the chaste wall that was in front of him. “It sounds like you’re mocking at his death.”

“I’m not mocking him, I’m just saying that why didn’t he die in a battle? Why should he commit suicide?”

“Why don’t you ask him yourself?” I said sternly, “Go and follow him into the afterlife, so things will be easier for me.”

“Very funny, Fang.”

“I’m not joking, Braun.”

He stopped talking after he just heard what I said. Here I am, in this dark and empty hall with him, with the lantern between us as our only source of light. I pulled my knees to my chest as I paced back and forth, wondering, thinking, on why am I here? I lifted my head up to look at Jacob, the light from the lantern giving his tanned skin a golden glow. The idiotic brunette must have noticed that I was staring at him so he tilted his head down to look at me, his dark brown disheveled hair covering his right eye, “What?”

I blushed and looked away, releasing a few coughs as I tuck a lock of my hair behind my ear.

“Is your wound alright?” He asked, startling me.

“Yes…” I answered, making my grip my thigh, “… and thank you.”

“Why?”

“For saving me. If it wasn’t for you I would be Outcast food days ago.”

He shrugged, “You’re welcome…”

As a pause meets us, that is when I started to think, why did I thank him? Why am I talking to him like this? What just happened?

“I never wanted this.” I heard him mutter.

“Nobody wanted this…” I said, “… our only safe home just got destroyed.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

I shifted my head to look at him again, “What do you mean?”

“I… never wanted to be a Hunter.” He sighed.

That one sentence exploded my mind like a cannon, “Why?” I asked, staring into his golden hues, my eyes widened by shock, “You are one of the best in our batch, your skills are unlike any other! Does that mean… all this time, you never took any this seriously?!”

He shook his head, “No… not really… I-I… I don’t know.”

I was at loss for words; I don’t know what to say. I saw his fist clench, “When I was young, my fa-“