Peculiar's Good {Caesar X Bestfriend!Reader} #Wattys2020

Chapter 36: Work

A/N 

(Y/N) Your Name

"Signing"

"Talking"

"Grant and Lee. Wellington and Napoleon. Custer and Sitting Bull. You're probably not much of a reader." Colonel McCullough said as Caesar slowly woke up from his unconsciousness. He was lying on the ground, surrounded by Red Donkey (the traitor), one soldier and the Colonel. "But this is a big moment." McCullough continued. "Where were you? We came upon your head. We got lucky. But I was surprised you weren't with them." Caesar quickly stood up and tried to reach him. But he was pulled but something wrapped around his neck. He turned his head and saw Red Donkey holding a metal chain that was connected to a metal collar. "I hope you don't come to regret sparing his life. He's quite a good shot. Have you finally come to save your apes?" Caesar breathed heavily. 

"I came for you." 

"For me?... Who did I kill that night?" 

"My wife. My... son." The Colonel kneed down in front of Caesar. 

"I'm sorry." He said. "I was there for you-" 

"Where is my sister?" Caesar asked deeply. 

"Oh, the um...bird freak? Well she's still alive. Can she really fly with those things?" The Colonel asked tauntingly. Caesar didn't answer. "My god. Look at your eyes." Caesar looked away. "Almost human... How did you know I was here" 

"I was told you were coming. That more soldiers from the North would be joining you here." 

"Joining me?" 

"To finish us off. For good." McCullough chuckled a bit. "Who told you that?" Caesar stayed silent. The Colonel put his glasses back on. "Okay. Let's go." 

They got up and walked out of the building they were in. They walked passed soldiers who stood on a half built stone building. They held their guns up ready to shoot. They walked passed the huge cage with all the apes. All of them hooted as Caesar was pushed by Red Donkey. They also passed the cage that held all the younger apes. 

"Father! Father!" Cornelius cried. They all stopped and watched for a few seconds. "Father!" Cornelius continued to sign. Red Donkey pushed Caesar over to the cage full of the other apes. He shoved him through and Caesar fell. They undid his chains and left him on the ground in the cage. They locked the door then left. Caesar turned and looked to the apes, they all looked away. He slowly got up and saw Lake. 

"Lake..." He said. 

"Forgive them. They've been through much." She replied. 

"Where's (Y/N)?" Caesar asked. Lake sighed. 

"Not sure. Definitely not in here. I think she's in separate cage." Caesar nodded and heard Cornelius still calling.

"Father!" He signed. Caesar face went pale. 

"What have I done."  

-------------------------------------------------------

The next morning, the apes were woken by many loud footsteps. They faced the doors and saw over a hundred soldiers marching past the cage. They continued marching until they reached just below Colonel McCullough's balcony. He stood above them all, shaving his head. The soldiers stood and waited for commands. The man at the front of the group screamed out chants and commands. 

"Battalion, halt!" They all stopped. "Blood-!" He yelled. 

"-makes the grass grow!" The yelled back. 

"We-!" 

"-make the blood flow!"

"We are the beginning!"

"And the end!" They all screamed deeply until the Colonel put his hand up to silence them. He looked over to the apes as the American anthem instrumental started playing over the loudspeakers. They all yelled battle cries and ran over to the apes age. 

They opened the door watched the 'donkeys' (apes who worked for the humans) as they whipped the apes in the cage. And eventually all the apes were put to work. Some apes moved heavy rocks, some built a wall made of logs and some moved supplies around. Caesar stood with Lake and helped move heavy rocks. 

"We haven't had food or water since we got here..." Lake signed to him. 

"Higher, freak!" Caesar heard soldiers yell behind him. He turned and saw (Y/N) hovering in the air while holding a log by rope tied around her waist and hands. Soldiers pointed their guns at her in case she tried to escape. Although (Y/N) was stronger than the normal human, she looked exhausted. She lowered the log and had to hold it in place for about a minute before she could let go. But then she had to move onto another one. 

Caesar was interrupted by the ape next to him shoving his shoulder and handing him a rock. Caesar took the rock and handed it to Lake. "Why do they need a wall?" He asked gesturing to the wooden wall the apes were being forced to build. Lake just shook her head and handed the rock off to the next ape. 

"Hey!" They heard a soldier yell. An orangutan was having trouble holding a log up by a rope. Another ape tried to help him but it was no use. The log was dropped and the wooden stand broke. It fell into a small fire which created a mini explosion. "Donkey!" The soldier yelled. He threw something over to the red gorilla. "Get him!" 

"Okay, okay, okay..." The gorilla replied as he wandered over to the orangutan. He grabbed him and made him face all the apes. He started whipping him repeatedly. All the apes froze, except Caesar. Caesar walked closer and stood on the wooden platform that was less than a metre above the ground. 

"LEAVE HIM!" He screamed. 

The gorilla stopped and looked at the chimpanzee. All the apes and soldiers faced Caesar. One ape hooted loudly and dropped the rock he was carrying onto the ground. And soon all the apes, including (Y/N) who stood below where she was previously flying, had dropped what they were doing. They hooted and chittered towards the Colonel, who told a soldier to go towards Caesar. 

The soldier ran through the crowd of apes and told Red Donkey to grab Caesar. Caesar was pulled through the crowd by two apes. He was brought right in front of McCullough and was forced onto his knees. The orangutan was pushed to the floor next to him. 

Red Donkey started to whip Caesar. All the apes were quiet and watched as their leader's back was whipped, not by a human, but by another ape. He was whipped multiple times, the most painful part of it was the suspenseful pause in between each hit. Soon, Caesar was released and he fell forward to the ground. He rose to his knees as the Colonel squatted in front of him. 

"Tell them to get back to work." He threatened. 

"Apes need food and water." Caesar puffed out. 

"Tell them." 

"Give... them food... and water." McCullough stood up, cocked his gun and shot the orangutan in the chest. He then rested the gun on Caesar's forehead. 

"No!" (Y/N) yelled as the soldier's held her back. Caesar only pushed his head against the gun. 

"Five. Four." He counted down. "Three. Two." The counting was interrupted by the loud flapping sound of powerful wings. 

(Y/N) hovered in the air, holding the log she dropped before. Lake copied, she held the rock she dropped. All the other apes copied the two female's actions. 

"Hurry! Get back to work!" Lake signed. Caesar was still on his knees with a gun to his head. He breathed heavily as tears stained his eyes. The Colonel put his gun away. 

"String him up, Donkey." He ordered. Red Donkey grabbed Caesar and tied him up to a giant 'X' in the middle of the yard, in the vision of everyone. "And bring the freak to me." He said to the soldiers who held the struggling woman.