Author's Note: For those that don't know, Frost is equivalent to our winter, obviously. Sera escapes the icy waters and begins searching for shelter. A lot of things pertaining to Dom and Maria are in this chapter, depressing really. I was listening to the track Dom and Maria on the Gears of War 2 OST.
Disclaimer: Yup, you guess it…I still don't own Gears of War or Epic Games. Damn.
Disturbing Revelations
By Ghedea
Chapter Three – Sorrow In Frost
Hours had passed on by since Jacinto sunk and ocean water filled the enormous gap. Sera wondered idly if everyone had made it to safety or if what she had done was in vain. She had to believe that the human race could survive despite the odds that had been stacked against them. If they could survive an invasion by an unknown enemy as well as the infamous Hammer Strike, then wasn't it possible? Of course it was -- anything was possible if just one person was willing to fight for it.
The Gear hoisted herself up, her lower body pulling with the current of the water as she held onto to the edge. She had been mighty fortunate to make it from the building to land without being dragged away. If she had to guess, Sera supposed the current from the ocean was dying away as the Hollows beneath were filled to the brim. Still, it wasn't an easy feat as she had to hold on to something just for a little rest every once in a while. Now that she made it to land, she had a new concern, finding warmth.
The sun faded and twilight had arrived, bringing with it a devastatingly cold night. "I n-need t-to f-find sh-sh-shelter." She said through chattering teeth while climbing up onto strong ground and collapsed instantaneously. Aasera gasped as the freezing wind smacked right into her wet form. Though the body glove she wore provided insulation, it wasn't enough to keep her dry, or warm for that matter. Therefore the feeling she received could be compared to close to a thousand needles being stuck into her entire body. Even her face wasn't spared. Long ebony locks stiffened due to this chill, frozen over her shoulders and down her back, so frozen in fact that she could probably snap it in half if she really wanted to.
The possibility of freezing to death had occurred to the young woman as she slowly rose to her feet and took baby-steps forward. Gears were tough, they were made to survive through practically anything, but she wondered if that included being turned into a damn icicle. Weary and losing hope, Sera Fenix walked aimlessly in what she assumed would be the direction of Port Farrell. There was no way she could make that distance during Frost, but she hoped to find something, or someone, along the way. Her comms unit was busted, so calling into Control wasn't an option. They wouldn't even take notice of her absence until the truck filled with survivors made it to Port Farrell. In layman's terms, she was royally fucked.
She wasn't sure how far she had actually travelled and instead of paying attention to her surroundings she allowed her thoughts to drift to the horrible news Marcus gave her before he and Dom left. Already she felt the tears well in her honey orbs. So many years looking for his wife only to find her in such a horrible condition, then having to kill her thereafter because that was the humane thing to do. Sera hoped that the man realized that what he did had to happen. From what Marcus had told her, all that was left of Maria was an empty shell; a remnant of the woman she had once been.
Despite the chilling wind and freezing temperatures, Aasera felt the tears prick and cascade down her cheeks, freezing against her pale skin at times. If that had happened to her, if she were to be captured and completely brainwashed to the point that she couldn't recognized those that she loved and held dearly; well…she'd definitely want someone to put her out of her misery. She let out a choked sob, her fist coming up to her mouth to muffle the sound, keeping any nearby possible hostiles from hearing. The torment she felt right now was nearly unbearable; what Dom must be going through must be pure hell in comparison. The female Fenix sibling felt the weight of the world in that one moment as she collapsed into the snow and sobbed, damn near reaching hyperventilation. So many loved ones that had been down in the Hollows, brainwashed and unknowing of what was going on around them…dead, all dead.
Her honey-brown optics glared at the brilliant white snow, her bottom lip quivering as she tried so very hard to pull back on her emotions. It was a hard thing to do, but somehow she had managed. All she could think about was how it would feel if she had been in Dom's situation. What if Seth had been captured and brainwashed? What if he couldn't recognize her and was nothing more than an empty shell?! Sera closed her eyes and willed those depressing thoughts away before she gave up on going any further entirely. She loved Raldoran, more than he could ever possibly imagine. She couldn't promise herself to go on in life if she had to live without him.
Sera's tears carved watery trails along her cheeks and even over her lips before reaching the point of her chin and dropping in suicidal drops to the snow. The taste of her tears was salty and warm, bringing her back into the world of the now. She'd have to be there for Dom just like Marcus would, support him, even if it was just to sit beside him in silence. Mustering up what little strength she had left, Aasera slowly rose off her knees and stumbled forth through the blistering wind and falling snow. One thing was for certain, she would confront her brother about ending her life if she ended up like Maria. She refused to wander the earthly plane of Sera as nothing more than an empty shell. She'd also assure him that it was what she wanted and that by him doing such a thing would free her, that it was the right thing to do.
It seemed that her idle wandering had led her to a building, one that she recognized despite it being covered in snow and ice. It was the building that Sera and Seth had to bunk in that one night after escaping the Locust tunnels. They couldn't leave because the Kryll had been out full force that evening. With the thought of the Kryll, she suddenly remembered that no one had seen or heard the Kryll since the Lightmass Bomb had been detonated. It felt like so long ago since she and Seth had shared an extremely intense evening together. What was supposed to be a one-night stand turned into an actual relationship, albeit rocky at times, it was a blooming relationship nonetheless.
She exhaled a heavy and painful breath as she drove forward. It solved her problem for shelter. It may be drafty, but at least she'd be out of the harsh elements for the night. Still, she couldn't just storm in without checking the area for any hostiles, and all she had on her person was a Boltok pistol strapped to her outer right thigh and a combat knife strapped to her left calf. If she ended up caught in a full on fight with the Locusts, well…there was no doubt in her mind that she would be royally fucked. Be that as it may, she would not let this little problem get her down, not when she had finally found some damn shelter. The thought of sleep after days of having none sounded like a dream come true. Even if it were just for a few mere hours of it, she'd be happy with just that. With that last thought in mind, Sera began her prowl of the building's perimeter.
