Ch 21: The Phantom Pain PTV
I lay in wait, being patient, not wanting to move until, right before, the WF convoy was nearly on top of my position. This should be easy, kill those bastards and take a vehicle to Vale City. Then I will make my way to Beacon, and hopefully catch a ride out of Vale. The roar of the two trucks caring the WF soldiers broke my train of thought. I soon realized it was time. I reached for a grenade, one of the many I had taken from the fallen WF. Before the headlights of the truck blinded me I pulled the pin, and hurled the grenade at the lead truck. After which, I immediately hit the ground, attempting to cover myself from the imminent explosion.
The front of the truck exploded into a ball of fire, which soon took over the entire truck. I quickly raised my sword and ran towards the second truck. The driver still in shock didn't have time to react as I leapt onto the hood of the car, shoving my sword through the windshield, pinning him to his seat. These transport trucks normally hold 10-12 men, and I should quickly get around back to engage them before they get out. I pulled my sword out of the now dead driver and leapt up again, this time onto the top of the truck.
I could hear the soldiers underneath me, getting ready to lower the ramp so they could get out the back. I overheard one of them say "Man, I hope it's not the Demon". The Demon. Apparently that is what they call me now, ironic isn't it? I notice shadows getting out of the truck. I grasp my revolver with my left hand and my sword with my right as I jump down off the truck, driving my sword through a soldier as I hit the ground immediately shooting 2 more. I glance up to notice only 7 left, 5 of which were unarmed. Without hesitation I shoot the remaining 2 armed soldiers.
"Only 5 of you left, what should I do to you all?" I ask them as I quickly reload my revolver.
"Let us go we are unarmed!" A rabbit Faunus says, I could see his ears protruding through his helmet. "It isn't right to kill unarmed enemies…" I silence him with one round from my revolver through the eyes.
"Funny, he thought that way. No mercy was shown to my unarmed friends at Beacon, they were slaughtered without weapon in hand. Now I will show you the same shade of mercy!" I yell at them. They start to scatter as I say this, drawing my pistol I drop all of them but one. The final soldier stops in his tracks and turns around, realizing what has just happened. He raises his hand.
"Please, you have killed all of the men in my squad. Let me live." He says this as I train my revolver on him.
"I met a squad leader who fought to the death with his own squad. What kind of leader are you to be the last one alive in your squad?" I ask him this as he mumbles, searching his mind for an answer.
"I guess I am a bad leader?" He responds, already questioning his answer.
"You are right. That is exactly what you are" I pull the trigger send 2 rounds into his chest, he collapses still gurgling in his own blood. I wall over to him, now staring down at him, "I have lost countless friends, acquaintances, and other people I know to your fucking cause. That squad leader died manning a mounted gun, attempting to protect his squad against the very same sick bastards like yourself."
"Do it, kill me then dammit" He is pleading for me to end his life.
"No, that would be letting you off too easy. What you will endure will take a long time, and will involve a lot of suffering on your part." I say this to him as I walk away from him, and back towards the truck. I hear his screams as I pull the dead driver out of the truck and drive away off towards Vale City.
-4 Hours Later-
I ready myself as I near the first checkpoint into the city. The guard orders me to stop, not realizing who I am at first. This mistake will cost you buddy. I spring out of the side of the car slashing him across the chest, a wave of blood following my swing. The other two guards begin to react shooting in my direction. Only 3 guards at a checkpoint? Something doesn't seem right. I slide behind the truck, sheathing my sword and pulling out my revolver and a grenade. In one fluid motion I blind fire my revolver around the truck, surprising the two guards. As they are once again reacting, this time to the bullets being fired at them I roll the grenade beneath the truck from my side over to where they are shooting from.
The sock from the close proximity of the explosion sends me to the ground as the grenade explodes directly next to the foot of one of the guards reducing them to something that would no longer pose a threat. I take a sigh of relief. That actually worked, I find it hard to believe. I turn around only to be blindsided and the side of my head by a blunt object.
Do you all find it ironic that Mako did the same thing with this soldier as they had done to him during the attack at Beacon? Leaving him to suffer rather than put him out of his misery. The next few chapter may be a little darker, but it's only for this new story arc. I'm trying to show what stress and violence can do to a person you all have known for 21 chapters because in the end aren't we all monsters at least once in our lives? Just something for you all to think about, Dust-Redeemer out!