Iron angel (Book 1 of IA)

[42] Deal

"Move fresh meat. That is an order." Isa's eyes blazed with cold anger.

"I am afraid I cannot obey that order sir!" I stood with my arms wide, trying to shield Kuro's body as much as possible.

"Do you even know what you are doing!?" Isa's forehead creased further.

"I know!" I screamed.

"What you are doing now is treason, so move if you don't want to become dead meat!"

"THEN JUST SHOOT!" I shouted, voice brimming with anger.

Isa hit me in the stomach. I had barely registered her charge before she did. It felt as if my innards has exploded. It tossed me to the ground beside Kuro so I climbed over to cover her body with mine.

"Move."

"No." I replied, biting my lip in pain.
Isa tried to pick me up and rip me away from Kuro. Instead I held onto Kuro tighter. The force stopped tugging for a moment, followed by a spike of pain erupting from my side. I held on anyway, but unheroically, like a dying animal making its last struggle.

Curses...

Another blow and I'd be out cold. Who knew what would happen to Kuro after that.

Why?

It was the faintest of voices, and I couldn't make out the words, but someone was talking. I couldn't even tell who said it. Isa? Kuro? Hell! Maybe even myself, blabbering.

"That's enough." A voice cut through the air, and dulled as my sense were it was undoubtedly Rojin. "Take these two to the paramedics, and see they do not escape. Dismissed." His voice drifted off into the distance, and dark spots slowly began to appear in my eyes.

***

I woke up in cold sweat and realized I was back in the same single bed tent all by myself. Just as I was trying to figure what had happened, a woman walked in.

"Good evening Kard!" it was Dr. Cherrylove who still wore the same white doctor's overcoat, since the first time I meet her.

"Good evening..." I replied.

"It's good to see you healthy, and you have gotten so much stronger!" she flashed a cheerful smile at me and pulled up the chair right next to my bed.

"Yeah..." I half heartily replied, as I tried to figure out why she came here.

"Oh, is something wrong?"

"No it's just..." I paused, Dr. Cherrylove was there when I comforted Isa, when I committed treason. It made about a million questions pop into my head.

"Wait where's Kuro?"

"Ah, if you are talking about the girl with the pretty red eye, then she's at the other paramedic tent, she's resting so don't worry."

I was quite relieved when I heard that, not going to lie, but Dr. Cherrylove immediately followed up with another comment:

"It's unfortunate what they did to her eye, how scary it must be..."

"So you know?" I regretted the words but only slightly.

"Of course! After all I am a prosthetics doctor, but whomever did the operation on her did a poor job, if it were me I will fix her eyes as good as anew!"

"You can actually do that?" I spoke in disbelief.

"No problemo!" she said with a cheerful expression which melted into a sad smile the next: "The question is will she allow me to perform the operation. With the trauma she's been through I am afraid it's not that easy."

"I see..." I sighed.

"Ah, almost forgot to tell you, Rojin wants you to come to the meeting right now."

"You mean ordered." I sighed climbing out of bed, my stomach and right side were still vaguely aching.

"Sharp as ever Kard!" Dr. Cherrylove smiled standing.

"Thanks...alright, let's just go."

***

The main command was one super big tent, with a large table at the center and a whole layout of equipment to the side. Seated at the table were a bunch of unfamiliar faces with Isa and Rojin.

"You are both late by 1 min and 53 seconds." Rojin stared down at this watch. "I will let it past this one time; sit down, the meeting will begin immediately."

We took the last empty seats and Rojin cleared his throat and spoke:

"I have read the report from yesterday: the search crew says that Soulsteel has successfully escaped pursuit and is suspected to still be hiding within Rochan's pass." Rojin folded his hands and continued:

"Our supplies and budget are running low now; at best we can only station ourselves for a week, and afterwards we will have no choice but to retreat. But right before this meeting, I was informed by Lieutenant Isa has about the captive rebel girl. That is why I have brought Private Kardusenn Romello who is affiliated with her at this time."

Everyone looked to me. I knew if I couldn't defend myself at that point, it would only make me seem more like a traitor.

Then out of blue, Dr. Cherrylove shot up from her chair and spoke with a weight I never thought she was capable:

"It is true Kard protected the girl, but he truly has no intentions of treason! Have you all forgotten who protected the city when the Deathwalker attacked, have you all no shame?"

"We are not accusing him or anything. Take a seat doctor, I figured things would be much clearer if he explained them himself." Rojin said.

This is my chance to clear things up, but if I screw up with even one small white lie, not only me, but Kuro will be affected as well.

I took in a deep breath then spoke:
"Yes, I did help her. Because she also saved my life." I told them everything starting from my encounter with Kuro the sniper. When I reached the vision part, I simply said "I don't want to say It." and Rojin seemed to be satisfied. I finished off with the execution and rescue. Only then did I notice the heavy silence that lay across the room. After or eons of silence, Rojin finally asked:
"Then what do you propose we do?"
I scanned the room of faces for a moment, then looked Rojin in the eye and said:

"I would like to speak to Kuro."

Q: Do you consider yourself a rebellious person?