Alpha (Jacob Seed X Deputy OC)

20 - Goddess Of War

Beacons towered into the sky, blaring Only You out into the air. Clutching my gun in shaking hands, I knew this was not the time to be afraid. This was the time to be brave.

'About time you came out! Thought I'd have to come get ya, was worried you'd turned soft on me.' Jacob's voice blared out of the speakers. Through the haze I couldn't see him even though I searched.

'Wouldn't miss this for the world.' I called out, holding my rifle up and loosing bullets into the first beacon's engine. It died, collapsing into rubble. Wolves jumped me from the bushes and I had to catch myself from falling backwards. I shot at them frantically and they vanished into puffs of smoke. 'Thought you didn't need Bliss to get your way?' I yelled, running behind a rock column and taking aim at another beacon.

'Makes it a little more fun don't ya think?' Jacob chimed as bullets rained down on me. A few wriggled their way under my shirt and pierced my chest. Taking a sharp intake of breath, I hopped upright and took out the second beacon. Three to go. 'Y'know Athena, your name actually comes from the Greek Goddess of war. That's probably why you fuck everything up for all the people around ya. Pratt, Eli, even Henry. All collateral damage because of you trying to be a hero. Would probably be much easier if you just weren't around? Maybe then people would be safe.' Diving to a new source of cover, I brushed over his taunts. He was trying to get under my skin but two could play at that game.

'You're one to talk. You think we'd be in this fucking mess if it wasn't for you? John would still be alive for a start. Joseph could still be married with a kid but no, you decided to leave 'em behind for your own selfish cause.' Throwing two grenades in opposite directions, I watched them simultaneously blow up the beacons to my left and right. Last one Athena, you can do it.

'Touché. Maybe you have learnt something from me after all.' He chuckled as I bolted straight for the final beacon. Letting out a flurry of bullets, I watched it explode and knock away any Bliss induced cultists that were foolish enough to be close by. The blast sent me reeling and I tumbled forward as the music cut out. Eyes re-focussing, the red haze lifted and it was a bright sunny day in Montana once more. And I could see Jacob, stood proudly atop a rocky outcrop. The burning red laser of his sniper illuminated my white t-shirt and I huffed, standing up slowly.

'You sure you wanna do this?' I called up to him.

'Course.' He shrugged, rifle still pointed at me. With that he shot at me but I managed to dodge, using small boulders to shield myself as I darted towards the outcrop. Judges sprung at me but I took them out with well timed kicks to the skull. Whilst I was occupied, an arrow sailed through the air and embedded itself into my leg.

'Fuck!' I screeched as the pointed head seared open my thigh. I couldn't let it stop me though. Snapping the long shaft, I threw it to the side and raised my gun towards the archer. He was too busy loading another arrow to even notice the bullet careering towards his temple. Half-jogging, half-limping I made it to the base of the tall structure and heaved myself up to the first level. A cultists threw himself at me, hands tightening around my throat in an attempt to choke me. Hitching my knee up, I got him right in the groin and he loosened his grip enough for me to shove him off and shoot him in the chest. Using my gnarled, bloody hands I began to climb up the side of the rock-face, side stepping all the way round so that Jacob couldn't see me. Reaching the top, I caught sight of him scanning the land. 'You wanna surrender now or what?' I stood upright, gun trained on him. He spun around, impressed at my ability to sneak past but not ready to give up.

'I don't surrender.' His sniper pointed right back at me and we were stuck in a stale-mate. 'Your move pup.' My eyes twitched and he knew I was going to run. Bolting, I skidded beneath his shot and took out his legs. He fell heavily to his knees but managed to pin me down by the back of my neck before I could get up. 'Just give up, you won't beat me.'

'Sure about that?' I quipped, kicking my leg up and catching him in the lower back. The power behind my calves sent him falling forward and his hands instinctively splayed out to stop him from face-planting. His rifle flew from his grip, falling over the edge and onto the small ledge below that lead to the ground. Struggling to my feet, I took a moment to catch my breath. I shouldn't have. Jacob may've been old but damn was he fast. Within seconds, he had me by the throat and was backing me up towards the edge of the cliff. Punching him in the arm angrily, I knew I wasn't doing any real damage. 'Let me go!'

'You really don't understand how battle works do you?' He chuckled, dangling my body over the sheer drop. I looked down and swallowed thickly. It'd be a painful way to go. Using my nimble weight, I swung my legs forward and pushed him in the chest with my boots. Jacob staggered backwards and I took my chance. Producing a small knife, I stabbed him in the wrist and he grunted, letting me go. 'Now you're just playing dirty.'

'I'm surviving.' I replied, pulling my gun out and holding it up towards him. I watched him assess his situation, calculating whether he could reach his rifle in time. Then he ran. Skidding across the gravel, he dropped his weight down onto the ledge and started to run into the forest. 'Coward!' I yelled, giving chase. Following as closely as I could, I was soon lost among the trees and couldn't see him.

'Oh pup. You've done well. You really have. But look at you, covered in innocent people's blood.' I spun around in the spot. It was like his voice was coming from everywhere and nowhere. 'Wouldn't it be so much easier to just let go? You're too weak for this chaos.' My shoulders tensed at his words and my eye visibly twitched.

'I am not weak!' I screamed, letting loose a flurry of bullets in a wide circle. There was a long pause and then Jacob emerged from behind a tree. He dropped his rifle and started to cradle his abdomen in his bloodied arms. My face went pale as his grey shirt stained into a huge pool of red 'Shit, shit, oh shit.' Throwing my gun onto the ground, I ran to him.

'Ngh..' He wheezed, staring at the holes that laced his torso.

'Don't look, don't look!' The colour drained from my face as Jacob staggered to a nearby rock and sat down.

'I take it back pup...' He coughed heavily and my hands wavered above his body, unsure of what to do.

'I-I-I-' Panic set in as I stared at the growing stain.

'Shhh pup, it's alright...' Jacob took my trembling hands into his steady ones. 'You won... This is your victory...'

'I don't want it! I don't want to win, not like this!' I hadn't even realised that I'd started to cry, clutching Jacob's hands in my own as he took long ragged breaths.

'My brother saw all this coming... I don't know if he talks to God but that doesn't matter... He was right.' Jacob's brow furrowed, his face dotted with both of our bloods. 'You did everything he said you would do and you didn't even know it. You had no fucking clue.'

'I can fix this!' I tried to apply pressure to the wounds but it just made more blood ooze out onto my hands. Jacob howled out in pain and I let go.

'Not this time pup...' He took a deep breath into his lungs, almost choking over it. 'I've stared death in the face so many times... always wondered what it'd feel like...'

'Don't talk like that! You aren't dying! Not here, not today.' I crouched in front of him and held his cheeks in my hands, trying to keep his vision on me. 'Just stay with me Jake, stay with me.' His irises lolled as though they were knocked loose.

'You're gonna be okay... You're strong... Far stronger than me...' His breath grew tight in his throat and his eyes shut, body going limp against the rocks.

'Jake?' I shook him but nothing happened. 'Jake? Jacob?!' Still no response. 'No, no, no, no please no!' My cheeks were wet with hot tears as I desperately continued to shake him. 'Wake up! You don't get to do this to me!' I pleaded with him, willing him to open his eyes. My entire body began to tremble as I watched the blood leaking out of him. Reaching around his neck, I pulled off his dog-tags and lucky charms and placed them around my own. Taking a long inhale to try and steady my increasing heart rate, I got to my feet defiantly. 'Not today soldier. Today we survive.'