A.N. I've decided to make this a two part chapter. WARNING character death occurs in this chapter. You've been warned.
Chapter 10
W-0 Unit Base, Wolf Castle-2020 a.t.b
Leaning against the wall Ryo Sayama scowled, but unlike his normal scowl this one was actually warranted. "So why the hell are Republican Guards now stationed here?" he asked his companion Yukiya Naruse. The unstable explosive expert and knightmare sniper was sitting in a chair typing away on his computer, small improvised explosive devises littered the table in front of him.
"Don't know," replied the boy. "Seems we aren't trusted anymore."
"Pft, dam euros," said Ryo, he then looked down at the explosives on the table and refocused on his friend. "Tell me again why you working on those things?"
Shrugging the boy replied, "I've nothing better to do."
Control Room
Claus Warwick and Oscar Hamel stood in the advanced command center, each wore a serious and disturbed face. "This does not bode well, "said Oscar.
"Yeah," replied Claus in his usual tone, his appearance despite the look on his face, made him look he was in a constant hangover. "First they cut our funding, then they say we don't have enough security and send us fifty more soldiers," he sneered.
"Republican Guard, no less," said Oscar. "None of this adds up."
Mess Hall
The air in the mess hall was peculiar to say the least, on the one side of the dining area sat the technicians, and support of the W-0 Unit, all except Sophie Randall and Anna Clement , the good doctor was having a private moment with her comatose husband. Anna Clement was somewhere in the castle looking for Leila Malcal and Akito. Kate Novak, Olivia Lowell, Hilda Fagan, Chloe Winkel, Ferilli Wardlow, Sarah Danes and Joe Wise, talked amongst themselves and were much more lively than their counterparts other side of the room. The Republican Guardsmen sat quietly and robotically ate their meal, their faces were blank slates, and their eyes were as cold as stone. As time went on the Guards got up as one and moved towards the door, Joe Wise then pulled from his pocket a small sucker, and popped the piece of candy in his mouth.
"Where exact ally do you get those anyway?" asked Olivia. Joe was about to answer when the sound of the doors closing and the sound of guns, turning the group gazed at the Guards who aimed their weapons back. The hard candy fell from Joe's mouth and screams filled the air and were mixed the chatters of automatic gun fire.
Sophie Randall's Room
The door to the room was thrown open and Sophie Randall turned around and looked up from the life support capsule, that held her husband, and standing there were several guardsman. As they raised their guns, Sophie's eyes widened, time seemed to slow as she turned again and tried to cover the capsule, screaming, "No!"
Bullets flew from the barrels of the Guards assault rifles, the rounds entered the body of the doctor, and passed throw and collided with the capsule. The doctor's body convulsed, the glass of the capsule shattered, the forms of both doctors turned red with blood. Sophie's body fell to the ground blood forming a pool beneath her, the sound of a flat lining heart monitor pierced the air of the room.
Control Room
"Sir!" Oscar Hammel pulled his radio out and replied, "what is it?"
"The Guardsmen have just murdered the technical staff in the mess!" cried the soldier. Both Oscar and Claus shot up at this, "what?!" they said. The solider, stationed in the surveillance room, continued, "they just stood up, got into line and started shooting. We can see other armed guardsmen moving through the castle. What are we gonna do ma- what?" The sound of a door opening in the background was followed by, "Oh shit! GRENADE!"
"Soldier?!" cried Hammel into the radio, only to receive static as a reply. Turning he saw Claus furiously typing on a control panel, images from the security cameras appeared on the screens. True enough guardsmen were moving around the castle, fully armed and dressed in dark blue combat gear. A small stream of blood came from Sophie Randall's room, both men knew that for blood to reach the door it ment that someone inside was dead. And they knew that Sophie never carried a weapon and would never leave her husband. "Contact Leila," said Hammel flatly.
"Yeah," replied Claus. Typing into an encoded frequency he said, "Leila you still livin?"
"Yes Claus," came the reply after a pregnant silence.
Court Yard
Leila talked into the radio as she, Akito and Ayano Kosaka, crouched behind a hedge. The bodies of five Guardsman laid on the ground, Akito holding the bloody kodachi that had killed them. Ayono held Eliza, Leila's pet cat, who she had been playing with before the Guardsman tried to jump them.
"What's going on?" asked Leila as she scanned the area.
"We don't know," replied Claus. "The Guards just started killing, the security room has been knocked out. Me and Hammel are in the control room, we can see you now, you're currently clear, but not for long you need to start moving."
"Right, we'll rendezvous with everyone and then figure out how to get out of this mess," said Leila.
"Leila," said Claus sadly. "The technical team have been killed." All three of the group turned and looked at the radio their eyes wide. "What?" said Leila shocked.
"They were the first to be killed, they were gunned down while eating, Sophie's dead too."
"No," muttered Leila. Taking the radio Akito asked, "what about Ryo and Yukiya."
"Don't know, we'll check," said Clause a pause followed. "Their room is empty, there they are! They're in the halls."
"Good, contact them when we are finished," ordered Akito. "We need a rendezvous point."
"Right," replied Claus. "Head to the "Alexander" bay."
"Very well," said Akito. "We'll be there." Clicking off the radio, he turned to Leila who had shook herself from her shock and nodded. Together the small group ran to the nearest door and began moving through the castle.
Hallway
An explosion blew several Guardsmen to bloody pieces, Ryo and Yukiya peeked their heads around the corner. "Well I think that's done it," said Ryo.
"Bugs are best when they're squashed, or blown up," said Yukiya. Suddenly their communicators screeched with static before Claus's voice came through. "Ryo, Yukiya, come in."
"Yeah yeah, we're here Mr. Hangover," said Ryo sarcastically. "What's going on?"
"I think you get what's going on," replied Claus passing over the obvious insult. "Akito and the others are moving for the kngihtmare bay. Head there."
"Right," said Ryo.
"Looks like we have to fight our way there," said Yukiya. Nodding Ryo said, "let's go."
Control Room
"You know we won't make it to the bay," stated Hammel. Both he and Claus gazed at the screen that showed Guardsmen making their way to the control room. Pulling his gun Hammel moved to the door, but before leaving he turned and said, "get them out of here Claus."
Looking back at him Claus saluted and said, "it's been an honor Major." Hammel smiled and left the room a single gunshot singled that Hammel destroyed the outside door control panel. Turning back to the console Claus typed away, an icon came up saying 'automated launch preparation systems activated,' another icon came up and it said, 'all drones active, awaiting orders.' Smiling Claus said, "let's see what we can do."
Hallway
Bullets filled the air as Guardsmen peppered the area where Akito, Leila, and Ayano were. Akito, who armed himself with a dead Guardsman's rifle, fired back an intermittent points. Ayano had likewise armed herself with a pistol, Leila held her pistol in her right hand with Eliza in her left. The group pressed themselves against the wall as bullets grazed the outcropping section of the wall they hid behind.
"We have to move," said Akito. "We don't have ammo enough to keep this up."
"Then what do we do?" asked Ayano. A bullet hit the outcrop and set small bits of stones hitting the small group. "I'm open to suggestions," said Akito. Suddenly a blur of brownish-orange passed by the windows on the other side of the hall. Bright tracer rounds shattered the windows and the screams of the Guardsmen mixed with sound of the drone's gun firing.
"Hope you like my handiwork," came Claus's voice over the radio. The group grinned and Leila replied, "thank you Claus, is our route clear now?"
"Seems so, Ryo and Yukiya are pushing towards the entrance to the lower levels," said Claus. "At this rate they'll meet you at the entrance, oh before you start out I have the drones spread over the castle. They'll keep the Guards busy for a while, the ones in the lower levels shouldn't be a problem either."
"Right," said Leila. The group then moved down the hall stepping over the mutilated corpses of their enemies. As they moved down the hall, intermittent gunfire could be heard as the drones and Guards battle each other. Suddenly they heard a moaning sound coming from a room that had its door slightly ajar. The three look at each other, the moaning was female and there no female Guards present in the castle, Leila nodded and Akito raised his rifle and moved to open the door. With one swift kick the door flew open and Akito rushed inside with Leila and Ayano right behind him. Their eyes widened when they beheld the body of Anna Clement, multiple bullet holes covered her torso. Her cloths were soaked in her own blood and blood drizzled from her mouth adding to the pool forming underneath her.
"Anna!" cried Leila quickly tossing Eliza to Ayano and running to her fallen friend.
"Leila?" said Anna weakly as Leila held her head in her lap.
"Yes, it's me Anna," replied Leila, tears flowing down her cheeks like rivers.
"Sorry Leila," said Anna. "I didn't get you those papers you needed to sign." Leila sobbed again as she listened to her friend as she had become delirious from blood loss. Akito gazed at them, with a straight face but his eyes held raging emotions, rage, sadness, grief and more. Ayano was sobbing and like Leila tears flowed down her face, Eliza stared at her master and meowed sensing her distress.
"It's alright," reassured Leila. "You can get them to me tomorrow." Anna smiled and coughed spitting up more blood, Leila petted Anna's head as her coughing fit stopped.
"I'm a little sleepy," said Anna weakly. "I think I need to go to bed, so can we play again tomorrow Leila." A new batch of tears burst from Leila's eyes as she saw her friend lose what was left of her sense of reality. It took all Leila's strength not to break down right there, but holding herself together, barely, she replied, "yes we're gonna play tomorrow."
Anna smiled, her eyes more than half closed, she then said, "I can't wait Leila." Her voice growing ever softer until it was but a whisper she continued, "see you later." With that Anna Clement breathed her last, Leila then finally lost all self-control and loosed a grief filled scream that echoed down the halls and she pulled her best friend into a hug. Tears flowed completely unabated, she cried her tears mixing with the blood on the ground. Ayano as well was openly crying, her tears falling onto Eliza's furry head which made the feline greatly uncomfortable.
Moving to Leila's side Akito knelt down and placed his hand on her shoulder and shook it saying, "commander, commander, Leila." Finally hearing her name Leila opened her now blood shot tear filled eyes to the young man next to her. "We have to move, we must escape," he said. "It's what Anna would've wanted, and the only way to get justice for her is to escape this castle and find the people who did this."
Eliza then broke free of Ayano's grasp and moved to her master side, and began pawing at her side meowing. Looking down at the cat, then Akito and finally Anna's body she nodded, she then gently laid the body down on the floor and covered it with her uniform jacket. Picking up Eliza she said, "let's go." Ayano and Leila wiped away their tears and Akito moved to the door and looked outside and then motioned that the coast was clear. As they left the room Leila turned around and said, "good bye Anna."
Ryo and Yukiya's Location
The two ran down the hall they had been saved by drones several times on their way and were now drawing close to the entrance to the lower levels. They just needed to turn the corner five feet ahead and they would be one hall away. Suddenly the sound of a door banging open came from behind them, time slowed as they turned their heads to see several Guards with raised guns. Bullets soared through the air, the sound of ripping cloth and flesh brought both boys out of their stupor and Ryo knocked Yukiya around the corner as he dove himself. Picking himself up quickly he peaked around the corner and loosed a burst of fire from his rifle, forcing the Guards into cover and return fire. Ducking back behind his own cover Ryo turned to his companion who was breathing quickly and said, "those bugs have one hell of a bite, I can't feel my legs."
This statement made Ryo's eyes widen and he looked down to small streams of red coming from behind his friend. Yukiya in swift motion pointed his pistol behind Ryo and fired two rounds, the shots came so close together you couldn't tell them apart. A Guardsman fell backwards, snapping back to reality Ryo roared and leaned back out from his cover and sprayed the hall. Two satisfying screams were heard and Ryo ducked back behind the wall as more bullets came at him.
"You really should be more observant," muttered Yukiya.
"Shut up," replied Ryo as he replace his empty magazine for a new one. "We need to get you out of here."
"There's no way you can carry me and out run those Guards," said Yukiya, his voice starting to become airy.
"No," growled Ryo as he fired another burst from his gun. "I'm not leaving you."
"Ryo," said Yukiya. "I may not show it but my insides are burning up, even if we out ran them, I won't last fifteen minutes let alone the time needed to get me help. And no stopping the bleeding won't help, there's internal bleeding." Ryo's eyes started to water and he again leaned out and sprayed the hall again earning yet another scream, from down the hall.
"Ryo go," insisted Yukiya as he fiddle with something in his bag. "Akito will need your help to fix this mess."
"I said I won't leave you here," replied Ryo stubbornly.
"You don't have a choice. If we both die here those Guards will get by us and ambush the others as they wait for us." Yukiya's breath hitched and he coughed before continuing, "I'll hold them long enough for you to warn the other s and get to the lower levels. Go you idiot!"
Tears fell from Ryo's eyes, he gritted his teeth and turned his friend. "Why," he asked.
"I haven't done much good in my life," replied the wounded boy as he started to breath heavily. "But maybe I can do one last thing that'll make a difference. A good difference this time." Ryo reached out and hugged his friend and said, "I guess I should've said this a long time ago, but I you have been a brother, I love you Otouto."
"I love you to Oni-san. Tell Ayano and the others I said goodbye, and tell them thank you for being a better family than I've ever had."
"I will," replied a teary Ryo. He stood and ran down the hall, Yukiya then drew his pistol and heaved himself over to the edge of the wall, leaving a smear of blood were he had sat. Peeking around the corner he fired several shots at the advancing Guards, then looking back to see the progress of Ryo. He turned once more to see the position of the guards once more, he fired again but his shots went wild as his vision blurred. A chatter of gunfire sounded and a bullet knocked the gun from Yukiya's hand. He ducked back behind the wall and reached into his bag while looking back down the hall and he could no longer see Ryo. He smiled as a large shadow appeared over him, he looked up to the guards looking down at him.
"Any last words eleven," said the Guard.
"Yeah," breathed Yukiya. "Bugs are better left squashed." He then pulled his hand from his bag which drew the Guard's attention, his gaze fell upon a makeshift detonator.
"Oh f-," the guard never finished as an explosion obliterated him and the hallway. The ceiling for several yards in every direction collapsed, the Guards not killed in the explosion screamed as hundreds of pounds of rock, wood, and metal fell on their heads.