Without a Whisper //Danger Days//

24. The Battle

The Phoenix Witch followed the hundreds of Rebels to the city limits. That's where the electricity pumped through the airwaves, and that's where her boundaries lay. From here, she watched them march into the city, their masks on and their guns ready. There was no sneaking around. No effort to hide their numbers.

"They're all doomed." A man spoke behind her, his tone tired. The witch nodded, taking a deep breath.

"I know you wouldn't have let this happen. You're a good man, Cola. They would have listened to you."

The pair took another moment of silence for the battle that was about to ensue. It was far too late to turn back now.

---

We marched into the city, the only sound being created was that of our uneven footsteps. This was the biggest attack ever staged in the entire history of Better Living Industries. To my left was Gear, who seemed emotionless as he stared forward. To my right was Party, who seemed equally blank. I was surrounded by my closest friends, and all of my followers. Nobody had come to stop us as of yet, and I knew that B.L.I knew we were coming.

They were just waiting for the right time.

The main building was located in the center of the city, and in order to get there, we had to travel through the slums of Bat City. That's when we saw our first signs of life. Broken androids littered the streets, their pleas for coins and attention stopped as we passed through. Poor, broken families jumped back when they saw us. Some children seemed absolutely thrilled to catch sight of us, but for the most part, it was silent.

"Hey!" A man called out, a little boy stuck to his leg. A few of us stopped, but some ignored him.

"Where are you going?" He asked.

"Better Living." I responded. The man nodded solemnly.

"Are you going to get rid of them?" The little boy spoke up bravely. I couldn't answer.

"We'll try our best." Gear answered for me, giving the kid a small smile before continuing onward. One android who seemed to be missing everything except for his head and torso and a single battered arm cried out next.

"This is the day! Destroya is coming! She's out there, and she can hear me through the waves!" His circus sparked as he raved on. I hadn't heard the name Destroya in years. Sure, I'd hear whispers, but the last time I ever spoke about it was with Party all those years ago. When Val heard the android mention the name of this Destroya, his attention perked up.

"What about Destroya?" He spun around. The group he was leading halted in their tracks, waiting for his next order. The android let out a high pitch laugh that echoed through the hushed streets.

"She's here! I can feel her! She's coming to save us, after all these years!"

Val remained quiet, his face deep in thought. He always seemed fascinated by the idea of Destroya. Without another word, he walked on, leading the group once again. We left the people of the slums behind, only to catch sight of Better Living Industries. The tower stood tall above the city, watching over it. From the top window, I swear I could see a figure standing calmly behind the glass, staring down at the ground. The Scarecrows were waiting for us at the front entrance, guns in hand.

"Turn back now, or nobody will be spared." One of them warned. I decided that it was my time to take my place as leader. I weaved my way to the front of the crowd, stepping in front of a very reluctant Val.

"We're tired of turning back." I hissed, reaching for my laser gun.

"I'm warning you, girl, go back to your desert hideaway before we shoot all of you." The same Scarecrow taunted. This was the front line. The rebels against Better Living Industries. One gunshot would trigger utter chaos, and I didn't want to be the one to set it off.