Omega's Valued Prisoner
Tale 28: To the Beach!
Mora awoke with a gasp, rising out of bed quickly. Mora then looked about to realize she is in the hospital and thought something was blocking her vision. She tried to brush it away, a bit infuriated when she felt nothing. She tried to swipe something away and then felt a cloth. A cloth was over her eye. Then she remembered, she remembered it all quickly. Jacob, the bastard left her a departing wound, she has lost her left eye. She felt a it saddened about that and then looked down to realize she was topless, bandages wrapped around the slices on her gut, a single large patch placed on that X wound she had received on her breast. She then quickly covered herself.
"Only you and I here." Mora jumped at the sound of the voice, almost getting a foot off of the bed, course then just turned to Osman sitting on the bed next to her in his same outfit he wore beneath the armour.
"If there is anyone you don't need to hide yourself its myself." he stated humorously. Mora smiled at him, but then went silent as she observed. He was in his underwear and had many bandages as well over his many cuts, though not as many as there were cuts. His arm though was cut off at the forearm, it was a stub. They did have to amputate his arm...she joked about it but felt like it was-
"My arm had to be removed, and did they cut out your tongue girl? Say something for pete's sake, you are worrying me!"
"Sorry! Just...a lot on my mind is all. That whole event and fight. I am contemplating on everything. I had-"
"Gyules told me all about it. You found your Locust strength, when you were in that state of mind running on adrenaline, your body acted much stronger and you just did what you could to save not only Gyules, but every life."
"Y-yeah...that was all...wait what about the Locusts? Are they okay! And everyone else? Aiden, Ilian, Tanner, Gyules has to be okay since you said so...but how are they!? She got eager quickly as she asked, dying for answers. She got out a bit from the covers, but then realized also she was without pants, quickly pulling herself back into bed and blushing. Osman laughed, finding this a bit cute.
"The Marauders were destroyed by the remaining Locusts, but sadly thanks to something you couldn't predict they lost many men. The Marauders had the Hammer of Dawn with them, they rained it down onto many of them, but the Locusts defeated them. The Lambent then began breaking through and at this time the Locusts were returning to town and the Stranded were coming out, thinking it's over. The two sides ended up fighting the Lambent and now much more of town is destroyed, but the two sides defeated them with the help of the rest of Omega returning to town to fight. The two sides were both weakened by the Lambent and thanks to us and you ordering them not to attack us, we made a negotiation. The Locusts are taking the Marauder's weapons, bodies, and some meager supplies, while the Stranded get their gattling guns back, keep the armour, and get to raid the former Marauder bases of resources and weaponry. The Locusts also get any POWs the Stranded took."
"Oh good...that...that is highly better than I anticipated. I expected for all of the Stranded to die really." she laughed a little, completely relieved.
"Both sides are going to have a few days of peace right now."
"Oh great, umm...one more question. I understand they needed to treat my wounds, but where is my armour?" she asked.
"Oh we got someone fixing it up from those cuts. We-"
'Yeah I see on the nightstand there is something." Mora looked over to the nightstand to her right, where a white tank top, military pants, and black underwear was placed neatly for her.
"Can you turn away for a bit?" Osman nodded and turned around, sitting on the opposite side of the bed. Mora got up and got dressed, getting the loose tank top on herself. She shouted that he could look again, searching for a mirror. She walked forward a bit, except then hit the side of a bed with her leg, falling over in an overly dramatic fashion. She stumbled forward and barely maintained balance by waving her arms.
"I am fine, I am fine! Just gotta get used to this." Osman laughed a little and got up. He grunted a little in pain, his legs still fairly sore, but stim gas had fixed much of his wounds. He walked over to her and began to guide her best he could, arm around her. She smiled a bit looking over, Osman keeping her away from things and bringing her to a mirror at the end of the room. She began to observe her face for the first time.
Mora had one long white bandage along the cut Jacob had performed on her face had a white bandage running up and over it. Her missing left eye had a black eyepatch right over it, the string holding it onto her head was at an angle so that it would be mostly hidden in her hair, also being very thin. She felt it a bit and then, just so she could see, she lifted up the eyepatch and looked at the socket.
She sighed, feeling extreme sorrow for herself. Mora felt selfish feeling bad for herself, she was supposed to think for everyone and protect them, but soon tears came from her eye. She would have to live the rest of her life like this, unable to see everything and dealing with an eye patch. Caring for that socket and whatnot. Osman turned her about and forced her into him, hugging her tightly. Mora let her emotions flow, sobbing into him.
"It'll be alright, you just need to get used to it. It might be tough living with one eye, it will seem like you are missing out on things, seem like hell, but we are going to help you. You will adapt and you will survive, you are the dominant species after all." She said nothing and cried into him for a while but then stopped. Osman leaned down a bit and put his hand on her shoulders.
"It will be alright, now come on, let's go meet up with Gyules." Mora nodded a little and he guided her out, acting as her missing eye.
"This just feels...I dunno...I feel awful for feeling bad about my eye but it's..."
"You don't need to explain Mora, it sucks to lose a piece of yourself. It's dreadful to realize you will never do things the same that you had always taken for granted. I took some fair time getting adjusted to this amputation while you were out, but of course I am going to get a functional fake arm. Can't feel anything, hurts to get on, but I can use it. We can't get you a new functional eye." Mora smiled and was glad he was there to comfort her. She smiled a bit as the two made their way outside, to see many Locusts and humans were all about. The Locusts started to cheer once they saw Mora, many of them had been waiting for her to come out, hoping she is okay. Mora smiled and stepped from Osman.
"I am okay everyone! No one needed to worry!" Many of them cheered more, but seemed to still be worry with the loss of her eye. She turned around and noticed the guys were telling stories, sitting on some boxes. Gyules turned over to her and the rest of them followed, smiling.
"Get your ass over here!' shouted Tanner "Gyules is making up shit and I need you to tell us he is wrong." Mora turned around to them and walked over happily, managing not to hit anyone and sit down on a box next to Gyules.
"Shit Mora, is your eye-" Mora lifted up the eyepatch to show the empty socket.
"Yeah it's gone and whatever Gyuls told you is true. I entered some sort of rage shit. Dunno what it was, but I felt stronger, more powerful, even when fighting! It was...well...it felt awesome until I got the damned knife in my eye." Mora looked over to Gyules to see his cheek had stopped swelling, but still bore a bruise. He was leaning over a bit and seemed relatively fine, even though before he had been beaten so badly. He was hiding about his injuries, trying to act tougher and not seem weak, this was obvious to her.
"At least she wasn't as destructive as her." Tanner openly stated, pointing to Ilian with his thumb. Ilian turned to him and was to say something, yet could not deny this and turned back to the rest.
"I cannot deny...I did cause much more destruction. I used a flame grenade and now much of the forest burnt down, including many of Jacob's men and the Lambent. On a whole scale though if you consider not her personal actions, but leading of the Locusts, she has caused the most destruction and death here. Only that death will help life in the future as Jacob's men will stop destroying Stranded civilizations for supplies, and slaughtering Locusts in the area."
"He kept mentioning this plan though, his troops did as well." Mora pointed out "They wouldn't shoot me for this, I am really curious what it was." Gyules reached into his pocket and pulled out a disc.
"This is the plan. Jacob actually got worried for his life when your Locusts attacked, so he put it in my pocket so it would get out. Claimed he had something big on there that someone needs to know. We just don't have anything we can use it on. My thought was that we travel to the coast and the land now available from the ocean receding, more than likely some COG ships have washed up. Should have a computer or some sort of shit that can read this disc."
"Plus we could probably have some fun time at the beach." Aiden pointed out "As long as we don't run into Lambent or Locusts it can be like a vacation."
"Oh lovely, I can finally see the ocean!" Mora exclaimed happily "It sounds beautiful, to see just water going on and on forever. Never had that in the hollow, closest thing was the imulsion lake beneath Nexus."
"This sounds perfect." said Osman "Can't wait for us to go." While Osman was standing, Charlie walked over and then grabbed his stub, forcing onto it a robotic arm. Charlie quickly strapped leather sticking out from it around his arm, making sure it was tight and secure to his arm, then he opened up a panel on the hand and put his tweezers in, hooking up wires and various other mechanics to Osman's flesh, forcing him to shout in pain. Various things were forced into his arm and blood was coming from the stub. It took only a few minutes and then Charlie closed the panel. Osman moved the arm and was able to move it up and down. He moved the hand and wrist, twirling it about, moving the fingers and hand. He had a few tears welled up in his eyes.
"There, best fake arm we can get around here. Snagged it off a dead guy. Now just try and keep it safe, it is made of stainless steel so you can stay in the rain, but remove it if you are swimming. Wait a few weeks before removing it the first time and then your body will just grow around what is in it I think and you will be able to hook it back up without as much pain. Yada yada yada, and don't masturbate with it. Just...don't, don't pleasure anyone with that hand, you hear me?" The people of Omega, besides Ilian and Osman, snickered at that.
"Yes...I hear you...I wasn't planning to do-"
"I don't wanna hear any excuses, just don't do that for the sake of their genitalia!"
"Alright Osman, you can't give Tanner anymore handjobs with that hand. Try the other one." Gyules teased. Ilian grabbed Tanner by his throat, starting to strangle him.
"You have been doing what with him!?" Tanner was about to say something, but she tightened her grip. Everyone began to panic, stating it was a joke and Ilian let go. Tanner coughed a bit and began to breath in as much air as he could.
"I am being abused."
"We know. I am very happy though you are all alive." said Mora "I was very worried something would happen, but what happened to Borusc?" Mora commented.
"Oh he died." Ilian stated "He was one of the snipers on the roof of the church and all of those men were killed. H e thought I had entered inside. In truth he only protected me though because I paid him."
"Damn, I thought it was going to be some sort of mega intricate long backstory." Osman pointed out.
"I was thinking it was a relationship thing, like he had a crush on you or some bullshit." Gyules stated "Or siblings, he was a bit well...emotionless like yourself." Whereas they expected Tanner to get hurt for what Gyules stated, instead Ilian seemed to understand.
"I can see that, we did look a tad bit similar as well. Nonetheless, that is not the case. It was mere payment for protection originally given at Halvo Bay. He was in jail and broke out during the fighting so I offered him something if he would watch over me as I saw him take out a group of Karn Locusts with his Markza."
"Cool story bro, tell it again." Tanner responded, not caring too much. Ilian started to retell it, but Tanner just stopped her stating: "No, don't really."
"We need to start packing then now, might as well leave as soon as possible, I don't wanna be here for repairing the place." Gyules stated. The guys got up, except Ilian glared to Gyules and Mora.
"You two are too hurt. I think Osman is too."
"I only lost an arm." said Osman.
"Good, you can go, Gyules, stop shrugging off your bruises, swallow your pride, go spend some time with Mora."
"Rather-"
"Do it." she said holding up a tazer. Gyules was about to say something else, only for her to aim it at his crotch. He instantly covered it with his hands. "Fine, fine!" Ilian nodded and followed the others.
"Alright guess I am stuck with you." said Gyules.
"Oh don't say it like that. It sounds like a burden, and right now you owe me! You were the damsel in distress."
"A damsel is female and I-"
"You were in distress and I saved you! You need to thank me!" she teased. Gyules looked over to her, a bit annoyed. She stood up, expecting for him to thank her.
"Thank you." he said, quickly and silently, looking away.
"Hmm...what was that?"
"Thank you..." he said, a little louder, getting angry.
"I can't hear you!"
"Thank you!" he said louder "Thank you very much, you saved my life, get off my back about it!" She smiled in victory.
"Was that so hard? You need to let go of your pride and relax! As I have said before, you are going to kill yourself with stress! Then I will have become a cyclops for nothing." He groaned a bit, feeling bad about that. He put his hand to his head, leaning back a bit and then regained his previous posture only to stand up. Gyules cracked his neck a bit and looked over to her.
"Let's...walk around then. I sort of need to know if that strength thing is permanent and we are gonna just have to deal with it forever, or what is it?"
"Oh...I can hardly explain that myself! It just came naturally. I felt this extreme adrenaline running through me, this...this rage." she commented as she walked with him "I was just so angry. I wanted to kill Jacob, I wanted to stop him from harassing me, from killing my people and letting it so we think we win and then they all die, and to prevent him from killing you. He wanted me, you didn't need to suffer, or even worse to die from him. You try and act tough, but you are an incredibly nice human, all of you are!" Mora was blushing a fair amount after this confession. Gyules blushed a little too, feeling a little awkward as he always did in such situations.
"Thanks, you really did save my ass. You did do something amazing as well. While the peace is shakey, most of these Stranded are eager to shoot the Locusts, there is a temporary truce here. Something I personally never thought I would see between humans and Locusts in this scale." Though Gyules didn't wanna mention that this is only in place because both sides are drastically hurt and do not have the means to fight each other and have a decent amount of survivors. He would try and make her feel good about herself.
"I didn't really do any of this though. I just told them not to attack you. They actually followed orders and then listened to you guys when you weren't hostile, it was all them."
"And you lead them to say that and defied what your mother said about humans. You actually were willing to listen to us and make friends with the rival species. Defied what everyone said among the Locusts, well other than RAAM, but he never encouraged you to make friends."
"I am glad you did listen to my stories about RAAM, but I was eager to meet humans! I knew you were sentient and spoke better than Locusts. I wanted to see what you were like, I was interested! I had read some of Karn's books on your psychology which got me eager...but I never actually understood them because I was young. Makes me sad now to think his library is gone."
"Karn had a library?"
"Karn had built the first and only Locust Library in Nexus, consisting mostly of scrolls Kantus had written and would use. Myrrah would often write down about the origin of Locusts...well, the origin that she had them believe rather than the scientific origin. Other Locusts would write out stories of certain things they had to deal with or maps of tunnels they had been exploring with information about the creatures, resources, hazards, and usually would mark about how tough it is to traverse. Karn kept many books about humans in his own section, which talked of human psychology and older cultures of humanity. He would add books about Locust psychology he thought about and on how to care for creatures. Karn though wasn't allowed many beasts under his command."
"Interesting. Sounds like it would be difficult though for everyone to get the information if it's only in Nexus though. Course I only know of the one tunnel leading from it to a worm route to the surface..."
"Oh we would send information out on request to various centers. People waited a few days and they would usually receive it unless it was elsewhere. Everything was kept track of in the building, where it went and where it would go to or if it would return. It was an amazing system, I really wish I got to meet Karn. He was really an intellectual, may not be the perfect strategist or at training his troops, but he was still known as a wonderful Locust. Course he also lead one of our biggest battles of the war at Halvo Bay...More Locusts died there than at any other battle."
"More humans died there also. It was truly bloody. Tanner or Ilian can always tell you details, should ask them for it. I had just heard of it and I know it was a changing point for both sides. COG stopped deploying the Onyx Guard and ended up spending much more time to retrain them. The leader of the COG forces Erza was known as the hero of the battle by every higher up COG member, but by grunts, he is known as one of the worst Generals there will ever be."
"What made him so bad? If he was so bad, how did he beat Karn?"
"Kilo Squad. Kilo Squad acted as some sort of super squad, managing to fight their way through the Locusts, clearing points. According to their reports I read, they didn't encounter many Reavers and never had to deal with a Brumak, Seeder or Nemacyst. They had to deal with poorly trained Therons, Maulers, and Kantus. The majority of the fight was just the trouble was the massive amount of troops. They had troubles, but amidst all the casualties they took out Karn."
"Oh wow, that is the one thing that fascinates me about humans. You can excel so much and be super soldiers! Locusts scarcely get that and usually they become leaders. I wish we could have our men become like that Kilo, or like Delta, maybe even like Omega."
"Hey, we may not be the best, but we sure as hell are good enough." Gyules commented, smiling a little. He had faith his squad could be as good as Delta and was certainly better than Kilo, they just weren't assigned that position that kills as much as the rest. Or so he wanted to believe as an excuse.
"You guys killed Skorge and if you were all together I bet you could have killed Jacob and no one would be hurt."
"I had to get Tanner out, he still has chest pains. Course also note you were supposed to go with them, then I would have just gotten Osman and we would have run the shit out of there."
"Wrong call on your part."
"Fine, next time we encounter someone opposing us, I will have us rush into the battle, guns blazing."
"And then we will be victorious." she teased. Gyules laughed a little to ease himself, but did feel like he could have done something different to help. Really wished he had Jacob killed from the start or something. Too late now though.
"Are you sure though you can fight with one eye?"
"I can handle it. Maybe need you guys to watch my blind side."
"Will do." Gyules smirked. The two wandered about town a bit, talking on the situation before coming to the APC in the noon. There they said their goodbyes and would quickly get the hell out of town. Yeah...rushed ending.
The End.
