Author's notes: All right, all right, I must admit I've been a bit lazy. God, it's so depressing today, the rain is pounding relentlessly outside and I'm really bored. Perfect time to update, and yet, this story's been up here for almost a year now and still only five reviews? Is it my style that's putting people off or something? Tell me so I can improve! (Please)

Chapter 10: Power of Insanity

During his life as a boy of the streets who fight first and ask questions later, Atto has seen many strange things and met plenty of people who others would describe as abnormal. Many of these individuals had opposed him in certain respects and he would usually counter their threats and taunts by acting calmly and then giving them an uppercut. But even he found it hard to adapt when just after he, Yarou and Lucy had reported their finds and confirmed that Ascalon was indeed empty, a declaration was made: "Now it's time for us to fight back!"

"What?" Although it touched his heart when someone finally found the courage to speak up to the survivors about what needed to be done, one look at the current situation even had him stumped. "How are we going to do that?"

At what was left of the front entrance, a huge of a man in his forties climbed to the top of a pile of wreckage as a sort of make shift stand, making himself clear amongst the sea of people whose attention was now fully concentrated on him. "Now is the time, people, now is the time that we show those murderers what we are made of!"

Below him, murmurs began to spread, amongst the noise came sounds of hope, freedom, and perhaps joy. But from where Atto stood, the people were not so optimistic. Surely we cannot simply fight them head on, he considered, most of these people could hardly stand, let alone put up a resistance.

"I sure hope that guy knows what he's talking about." Yarou whispered, studying the man carefully, weighing him up.

Atto too wondered at him, a massive bulk of a human wearing what's left of a military jacket and combat trousers, meaning that either he has some experience of military tactics or he, more likely, stole them for authority.

"Well what do you suggest we do?" Someone from the back asked with a hint of doubt in his voice.

The man stared at where the voice came and for a moment he said absolutely nothing. The bunker was now dead quiet; everyone was holding their breath, waiting for some sort of enlightenment as to how they could fight back.

But still, the man said nothing.

"I'm not sure about this." Lucy whispered back to his brother.

As if he heard her, the man suddenly jerked back to life. Now though, he seemed to go through a transformation. "What do we do? What do we do?!" He yelled, "I'll tell you what we'll do! We hit them where it hurts and teach them a real lesson, that's what we'll do!"

Almost immediately, the crowds began to disperse. They have heard enough. No one, not even an idiot would except that as a proper combat plan, for never before in history did an army with no proper weapons nor proper soldiers ever win a battle with that single purpose in their minds and nothing else.

It was preposterous.

"How many have you lost?"

As quickly as they left, the crowds stopped.

"How many loved ones did you lose that night, huh?"

One by one, people turned to face the man who a few seconds ago was simply another psycho in their minds. Now though, he no longer seemed like a man, but rather a sheer force, reading what was thought in everyone's head.

"All I know is that I lost plenty!" He yelled once again, "Plenty enough for me to realise that this is the only logical solution!"

Even the disabled began to nod in approval as room began to fill with excitement and for a worrying second, Atto felt as if his two companion was feeling the same.

"Don't be a fool."

All of a sudden, the crowd silenced again, this time focusing their attention on him. One look into their desperate eyes told Atto that perhaps he should have kept that thought to himself, and yet, there was a sense of responsibility in his heart; if these people were to fight on such a short notice, they would loose with almost absolute certainty. But is that really so bad? He asked himself, didn't father use to say that in a world of poverty and slavery, even a minute of freedom was worth fighting for?

"Who just said that?" The walking mass of muscle yelled, his voice rang and reflected off the walls, as if it was the voice of nature itself. "Come up here and show yourself, coward!"

Would it be right to convince them out of it? After all the hate he has felt? He could loose the only chance he has of finding Angel, but is that not a selfish thought? The questions kept ringing in his head as he marched recklessly towards the man. Around him, people parted to make way, disapproval was clearly dominant in their hearts and yet, beneath the lust for revenge, there lays respect. By the time Atto has reached his destination, a decade seemed to have passed, but the events that were to follow would flash before his eyes.

"Speak, you little pipsqueak, speak! Why such words of cowardice?"

Good question, he thought, but this was not a time for hesitation as the whole world seemed to have fixed their gaze upon his face and the knowledge was nauseating. "You cannot lead these people to a battle of such haste."

"Haste?" The man clenched his teeth, if it wasn't for all these people watching his every move, he would have happily knocked the living daylights out of this coward before his eyes. "I am General Rider, leader of the G.A.F., and I will not have you questioning my tactics…"

"What tactics?"

The man stopped in mid sentence as he struggled to think of a proper comeback but his mind has clearly blacked out. This man have no idea what he's doing, Atto scoffed, and he knows of the G.A.F.; a bunch of lazy good-for-nothings who, when they finally get to work, are more like thugs than anything else. "Look at these people," he pointed at the sea of decaying and diseased human flesh, "What can they possibly do in a battle in such condition? If we couldn't hold the enemy off in Ascalon, what makes you think that we can do it now? The only reason why any of them is even bothered to lay eyes on you is because you have taken advantage of their thirst for vengeance and believe me; I would like some too. But if any of them have even a drop of common sense left, they would be able to see that you are a fool and what you want them to do is suicide."

At this, Rider began to twitch uncontrollably, in all his years, no one has ever dared to define his decisions, and where one might respect the boy for such courage, he can only feel rage.

Without warning, his foot jabbed into Atto's stomach, sending him flying off the stand. With a thump, the boy landed on the steel plated floor, all the wind he had in his lungs have abandoned him and for a while, all he could do is gasp. As the rage began to boil up to full height, Rider jumped off the pile and landed close to Atto's head. Effortlessly, he picked him up by the collar and spat in his face. "Only the strong survive in this world, kid, and you are not one of them." A well-aimed fist in the face was all it took to incapacitate the boy as the man dragged his limp body across the hall. He punched a control station near the end and a transparent glass panel began to slide upwards.

"What are you doing?" Lucy called as she rushed to the pair, only to be met by Rider's cold and empty gaze. "Don't hurt him."

As if wearing a mask, the former general managed to put up a smile, much to Lucy's despair, "What sort of message would I be giving out? No, I'm not going to hurt him. Instead, I'm going to educate him. This kid does not understand the value of life, and that we must fight for survival, therefore he clearly need some time and space to think about what he should and should not do in the future." And with that, he tossed Atto into the damp storage room and punched the controls again. The shock absorbing glass began to slide back into place and Atto could only watch as it shuddered and locked into place, there was no way to get out now, not even if he had the strength of ten. He struggled to the panel and gazed at the crowed on the other side, none of who moved of spoke.

"Don't be such fools."

One by one the survivors of Ascalon returned to their spots until only Yarou and Lucy remained. Hoping for some way of escape, Atto stared into their blank faces only to be stunned by Yarou's words. "You'd be surprised at what we can do in such condition."