Nobody's Hero (A Black Veil Brides fanfiction)

Chapter 10

Suprise update lovelies! I was going to wait till Friday night or sometime Saturday to post this, but I figured hey, while I have some free time now, why don't I do some writing :) 

Also, if I don't update for a week, it means I'm with family for the holidays or I'm focusing on getting some school work done. So share and remember to vote if you like the chapter!

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        The events of the previous day seemed to blur together in my mind, making it difficult for me to remember which came first. I felt numb, numb because of the idea that I could be dead at this very moment, my friends here in the Legion and maybe even the Wild Ones having to make the trek back to where most other soldiers are buried, mourning me. I would have succumbed to the darkness, the one thing I feared the most.

        I was definitely going to need some down time. 

        Everyone stared as I walked past on my way back to the girls' tent. I had slipped out of Andy's, leaving him a note on his desk saying how much I owed him for saving my life. I glanced at people occasionally, seeing them quickly gather in groups to begin whispering to one another. I mostly kept facing forward, trying not to let the stares and whispers bother me. One of the younger girls actually pointed at me as she whispered to her friends, all of them rushing away when I barked out, "What're you looking at?" I shook my head, frustrated.

        I made it to the tent, all of the people that were milling about inside focus their gazes on me. I bit my lip and scanned the room for Jess, finding her over by the wash area that had been set up. I quickly made my way over, pulling her aside. "Um, what the hell is going on?" I hissed, continuously glancing around to see everyone still staring. "Why is everyone watching me?"

        She laughed at my confused expression. Her laugh could always lighten my mood, it was this beauitful, twinkling sound. It was like wind-chimes on a breezy day. "Are you kidding me kid? You're a hero!" I surely had the same expression plastered onto my face, as she pulled me in for a tight squeeze of a hug. "You single-handedly killed ten Shadows. Ten. I know Andy had to come help you out, but still, dude. Ten Shadows!" I felt my features relax out of their current state, thinking hard about last night. Had I really killed that many? "No soldier has ever done anything like that before-not even one of the Wild Ones. Don't you know how incredible you are?"

        Big Jess's words stuck in my mind for the rest of the day, continuously running in and out of my thoughts. Andy and Jake put off any training they had planned with me until I felt I was ready to get back into the swing of things. I passed by Brandon a few times throughout the day-he seemed miserable. I know it shouldn't have, but the slight glimpse of his blue eyes made myheart feel heavy. It appeared to me that I was perfectly fine with killing an attacker, no matter who or what it was, but the moment I hurt someone so deeply, I couldn't stand to be around them without my own feelings mirroring theirs. It was horrible. I hated Brandon more than anything I had every hated before in my life and here I was, feeling bad about the words I said to him.

        Later in the evening, people were still gawking at me and whispering. I decided it was time for me to grab the rest of my belongings from Brandon's room. I ducked into the opening, lighting the small lamp that resided near the chair in the corner. I had to squint until my eyes fully adjusted, combing through the boxes that were still stacked in the corner where we had left them. I came looking for a book that was one of my last ties to my life back in the city; it was a story book that my mother used to read to me when I was just a toddler. I couldn't give that up...not just yet.

        "What're you doing?" I heard his voice say from the other side of the room. I didn't even hear him enter.

        I straightened and faced him. "I came to get my book back." I continued to look through the box, my frustration building. "Where is it?" I frowned. 

        "Let me say something before you start screaming at me again," I turned to see Brandon holding up his hands, the book in one of them. I lurched forward towards it, towards the thing that held so many happy memories. "I just...look, I know you hate me and I completely understand. What I did, it's unforgivable. I know that. I swear, I would never, ever do that again. It was a terrible thing and I've learned from it. I got into a lot of trouble for it...but what I'm trying to say is I'm..sorry." He held the book out, waiting for me to take it. "You were never meant to hear any of it...I mostly said it just to get under Anthony's skin. I had no idea how much that would hurt you."

        I took the book from his hands and stared up at his face. He had soft features, with smooth pink skin as soft as a baby's blanket. His eyes were a deep blue. like pools of cool water that you could dive into for instant relief. Brandon's blond locks covered half of his face, though it stuck up in random tufts like he had constantly been raking his hands through it. I took a deep breath and nodded, accepting his apology without truly forgiving him. I stopped and looked back at him before closing the door, seeing his head hung in defeat.

        Once I was back in the tent I was starting to call home, I climbed into bed, feeling extremely worn out. I hated being in the spotlight...I never was my thing. Fighting, god, fighting was something different entirely; I didn't have everyone's eyes on me. I was focused on slaying whatever enemy lie in my path, coming out of a battle alive. I never did like being center stage, even if I was doing a group project for school. Fighting had made me stronger, made my blood rush through my veins at the sound of clashing metal. Fighting is something that my body yearns for. 

        I read one of the stories that my mother would always tell me when I was having a bad day, The Ugly Duckling. It always gave me hope for a better, more beautiful future when the little ugly duckling turns out to be a radiant, white swan. I ran my fingers along the frayed edges, over the sad duckling, then the swan that was so filled with joy it brought tears to my eyes. I hoped my future would turn out like this little duckling's did.