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Shit.
Arthur lowered his guns. Blood dripped from the tip of one of the gun's muzzles.
That would be hell to clean.
He grimaced and holstered the clean gun.
It was the best not to let the weapon become dirty. If it stalled in the heat of battle that would be that.
A child? Na, forget it. Such dreams would be snuffed from existence only because he had been careless and not cleaned his gun. Yet, such was the reality of battle.
Such had happened to an eighth of their bloody forces who had never known the hell that was combat.
"Has anyone seen Private Asran?" the newbie's voice cut through the noise.
Arthur looked up.
"Hey, Newbie, why are you looking for me?"
Barack's jaw tightened. "Lieutenant Williams has orders for us to join the search party for Major Nightlord," Barack informed him as he strode over to Arthur.
"Are you leading this marry band?" Arthur smiled.
"The lieutenant colonel is leading us."
Ice expanded through Arthur's chest, piercing through it, and evaporating every ounce of warmth the heat of battle had left.
"What did you say?" the words trembled from his lips, distant and close in the same strained breath.
"Lieutenant Colonel Nightlord is leading the search party," Barack repeated.
The hall tilted. Air froze around him, thickening with each short breath. "No way."
"You're not still scared of him after everything that's happened? He put his life on the line for medical bay. No commander has ever done that."
"I don't give a damn!" Arthur snapped. Heat crashed through him as sharply as the questions from the young man.
Barack's eye twitched, lip rising in a shadow of a snarl. "You don't have a choice. It's a direct order." Barack turned on his heel. The sound of his boots hitting the metal floor rang louder than it should.
Arthur glanced around.
The rest of their group were all staring.
Arthur grumbled and holstered his now clean weapon. He stocked after Newbie or the traitor of a newbie.
Oh, yes, this was best assignment in the world.
Why the hell did the universe hate him so much? Everything just kept going down and down from the time he had mistakenly wiped the small smile from the Rich Boy's face.
The soft tapping of Tabitha's foot punctuated the bustle of soldiers prepping for another round.
The lieutenant colonel stood close to her. Arthur glanced at his superior.
Cold wrapped enveloped him once more. His muscles tightened, forcing back a shiver with a mild trimmer.
Just great.
"Behave yourself, Private Asran," Tabitha whispered the order.
"Oh, trust me, I have no desire to be beheaded today," Arthur hissed back.
A chill raced through him.
His gaze snapped to the lieutenant colonel.
The man's chilly winter gaze was locked on Arthur. A small frown twitched at the corner of his thin lips.
"We're going." The lieutenant colonel turned on his heel and set off down the hall towards the lift.
"Go," Tabitha instructed, "and keep him safe. We can't afford to loss two commanders today."
"Right." Arthur raced after Newbie who had followed the lieutenant colonel without question.
The lanky lad didn't even waver in his steps. His stride was even, and gaze locked intently ahead.
What the hell? Did it really take so little for Newbie to start following their foul tempered superior? All it was, was the man had placed more value on the lives of the injured and citizens than his own.
Yeah, sure, if another ranking officer had done this Arthur would have commended said officer. It still wouldn't earn his undying loyalty. The UN higher ups were corrupt bastards. The lieutenant colonel had only negated a little of the foulness he had shown when he destroyed the camera, only a little. He was still someone to be extremely wary of.
Newbie's stride quickened until he was walking beside the lieutenant colonel. "If you don't mind my asking, sir, I have a question over what happened at the ceremony," Newbie interrupted the icy silence.
"Yes?" the lieutenant colonel grunted.
"Well, um, I was wondering why you destroyed the camera," Newbie's words were soft as if he, a man who was taller and boarder in the shoulder than the lieutenant colonel, was still wary of him despite the admiration trickling through the soft words.
"I was ordered to."
Arthur's eyes narrowed. "Right?" he huffed. He shivered as he sensed the lieutenant colonel glance at him.
Oh shit, he'd heard!
Arthur slowed his pace until he was well out of arms reach from the lieutenant colonel. He'd be damned if he let this man strangle him for what he'd just said.
It was possible, resent events aside. Foul tempered people were the easiest to read people on the planet… Solar system?
Whatever.
He wasn't about to be killed over a comment.
That was what mattered.
The cold gaze slipped from Arthur.
Arthur shivered.
Perhaps running his mouth really was the stupidest thing to do around the lieutenant colonel. After all, the man was one of four most advanced enhanced humans there was.
The insane strength of those who had worked the mines was one thing, but it was said the lieutenant colonel and his family boosted far great physical strength than any enhanced human before them. This alone meant he was well over two times stronger than the average enhanced human who had been modified for strength. That didn't even take into account the fact he had been trained in military combat since birth.
So, yeah, no messing with him.
Heck, Arthur had wanted nothing to do with him.
"Why?" Newbie asked. "All it would do was turn us against you."
"I suspect that was the point."
They entered the lift.
Arthur was careful to maintain distance without directly showing he was.
The point?
Ha! As if this man needed a bloody excuse to destroy something.
"If you weren't ordered to do so, what would you have done then, sir?"
Sheesh, Newbie was certainly curious about this crap.
The lieutenant colonel cocked an eyebrow.
Shit.
That just made his gaze even more chilling.
What the hell was up with this guy and every movement speaking of unspeakable power? Or his gaze remaining that of a frozen lake chilling everything his eyes fell over?
His gaze moved from Barack and Arthur.
And here Arthur had to be on a bloody mission with this man. Not mention put up with him for the duration of his and Sonya's time on Mars.
Cold trickled down his back.
Seriously this was the worst assignment ever.
"I would have spoken with the media," their commander sounded sincere or at least as close as his voice could get to it.
Wait, what?
Arthur frowned.
That made no sense. How could someone with his temper have just put up with the pestering of the media?
Newbie smiled. "I thought so. Your actions today spoke louder than what you did at the ceremony. It seemed contradictory."
Did it?
Arthur cocked his head, studying his commander from a different angle. "Er, so, what's the plan?" Arthur asked, forcing back a snarky retort.
Perhaps, just perhaps, Arthur had misjudged this man. Sure, he had a temper and was seen scowling when he entered the ceremony. But perhaps Arthur wasn't as good at reading people as he thought was.
Ouch.
That stung.
He'd always been able to read people and determine what their buttons were after a few short exchanges.
Like Newbie didn't like being called Newbie and the Rich Boy was the same way. Though the Newbie was acting more and more like a puppy now.
Arthur bit his lip. His ribs strained.
Yes, every bit a puppy, tail wag and all.
Perhaps Newbie wasn't as fitting a nickname as was originally believed.
"We will need to scout the location they're keeping my brother," the lieutenant colonel started a little heat to his tone.
Arthur pulled his gaze from Newbie.
He narrowed his eyes.
Despite the heat to his commander's tone, his gaze glittered. The scowl marring his narrow, sculpted features contrasted against what his eyes screamed.
Odd.
There was no other trace of annoyance or anger outside of the small heat in his tone and the scowl. Even the heat had a hint of fear crackling behind it.
"Sargent Kudza," – the tone hadn't changed – "can you see what's happening around cargo bay nine."
"Sir."
Perhaps there was more hints in the lieutenant colonel's features that would give away more.
"A few of the rebels have congregated around that cargo bay," Kudza reported. "Is there anything of importance in the cargo there."
"The major," Abel replied.
"What? I understand, sir. I will keep an eye on what's happening there. The rest of my team will work on keeping Lieutenant Williams and Captain Nightlord informed on rebel movements where they are."
"Good."
Yep, Arthur had misjudged this man.
Well, that just sucked. Now what?
"Do you think a distraction would be enough to pull the guard from the bay?" Arthur asked with a small smirk.
"It depends on the distraction." The lieutenant colonel straightened. His icy gaze locked on Arthur.
No.
It wasn't icy at all. The color just made the illusion of ice. There was a warmth behind the icy color of his blue gaze.
He cared. On some level or another he did care.
Well, the best way to tell if Arthur's intuition was correct was to propose his crazy idea.
"Just leave the distracting me." Arthur grinned, punching his fist into his hand. "I'll pull them away no problem.
"You're definitely annoying enough," Newbie muttered.
"Ah, thanks, Newbie."
Newbie scowled.
"I would rather not take the risk." The lieutenant colonel shook his head. His hand rested on his chin. Gaze glazed. "We don't know the groups enhancements. If any of them can move through space it would prove troublesome for yourself more than anything else."
That was true. And he doubted they had collars on preventing them from using their enhancements like those with "witch" like abilities had in the mines.
"So, I'm not commit suicide through service," Arthur joked. "Ah, I didn't know you cared so much, Lieutenant Colonel."
Abel's eyes narrowed. "To hell with that kind of plan. You're not to ever suggest your disposable, Private Arsan." His eyes flashed; teeth bared in an almost fierce snarl.
Pass!
Yes. The man had just passed the little test.
Good to know he didn't view those of lower rank as so-called cannon fodder.
Arthur straightened. His face ached and heart light. He saluted the lieutenant colonel, no, Abel, for the first time.
"Understood, Sir."
The elevator drew to a stop.
"We'll stick together," Abel informed them. He moved from the elevator. His steps so light Arthur could barely hear the tapping of his military boots let alone the clicking of his formal uniform.
Wow, Abel had a hell of an ability to move in such away in such bulky, uncomfortable cloths.
Arthur glanced around, hand dropping to his gun. The armor on his formal uniform clicked. The sound akin to a gun going off in contrast to the silence from Abel.
Not fair!
Newbie's armor sounded as a cannon though.
There was that.
Arthur grinned.
Score.
"Sir, there are a few rebels heading your way," Sargent Kudza's voice came over the radio.
Abel paused and held up his head for them to do so as well.
Arthur stopped to his commander's right.
Newbie was on Abel's other side.
Abel closed his eyes. He flicked his wrist in a silent order.
Arthur raced over to a small amount of cover. He peered around the bend.
Yup, there were two there.
Arthur held up two fingers for Abel and Newbie to see.
Abel nodded and moved to the other side of the hall.
A flash of white was all Arthur registered.
Gun fire pierced the air.
Arthur whipped around the corner, gun ready.
There had been no need.
The blur was Abel and he now stood over the two corpses.
"Great shots," Arthur commented as he moved over to Abel.
Abel looked the bodies.
"What's wrong, Sir?" Newbie jogged over.
Abel knelt down to the one who's mask had cracked from the bullet.
He pulled off the man's mask.
"Shit," Arthur breathed.
"What?" Newbie asked.
"That's one of the rep's reps," Arthur scowled.
"He is," Abel confirmed. "The one from Canada."
"What?" Newbie knelt. "Why would a representative side with those trying to stop us."
"Could be an illegal," Arthur pointed out. "But how the hell he got that high up is beyond me."
"He had help," Abel stated. "There's no other way."
"Whoa, whoa, hold on a sec, that means someone even higher up is completely going against the law. Whoever it is would be dead on accusation."
"Unless," – Abel stood and shook his head – "but no, there isn't enough information over this." He touched his radio. "Sargent, we'll need to collect the bodies of the dead rebels."
"Understood sir, I'll relay the orders."
"Let's go, we have my idiot brother to rescue." Abel started off down the hall.
"Sir," Arthur's voice was echoed by Newbie's.
x – Cain – x
Darkness.
It pressed down on Cain from all sides.
Cain blinked. His lashes caught on a rough material.
All right, he was blind folded and not blind.
Cain's jaw tightened. This was far, far from the time to get captured by this damned group. If they had his siblings, they would pay dearly.
"Report," a sharp voice snapped.
It was close to the woman who had barred his way.
"What?!" the woman's shriek grated Cain's skull. "He was alone, bloody alone and you let him slip away?"
A pause.
"I don't need excuses. Results are all that matter to him."
"Ma'am."
"Silence." The soft sound of her boots striking floor the followed. "Where is he now?"
A click sounded closer to Cain.
"Leading the UN forces!" her scream echoed through the space, dampened by what sounded to be crates.
Was she talking about Abel?
Warmth crashed down on Cain's heart. If there was a higher power, he thanked it for keeping his brother safe.
Well, as far as he knew Abel was safe.
"Where are the other two?" the woman demanded. "What?!"
Cain winced.
Damn it. Was this how Abel felt whenever someone shouted in his ear?
"Damn it all! I that little brat is guarding the bridge."
Little brat? Was she talking about Seth?
It didn't matter. What mattered was it sounded as if both his siblings were safe. Or as safe as they could be from these freaks.
"If they refuse his generous offer then we are left with no choice."
"Ma'am," the second voice quavered, "he would displeased if we just—"
"Shut up," she snarled. "Kill the other three."
Ice incased Cain.
Kill?
A low hum filled his ears.
Kill them?
No!
Cain jerked forward.
Chink!
They would pay.
Fire tore through the ice. All sound was drowned in a roaring.
Chink!
They were dead!
All of them.
Dead!
Searing agony tore through his wrist. Warmth trickled down his hand.
They were dead! Every last one of these bloody freaks!
Dead!
He'd kill them!
A hand pressed into his should followed by as tsking sound. "Now, now, Major, you should know better than to struggle."
Cain jerked again.
White flashed over his eyes.
His hands slipped through the bindings.
Tingling filled one hand barely noticeable against the searing, blinding red.
A shriek tore from Cain lips.
His full weight rammed into the woman. They fell to the ground. Cain wrapped his good hand around her neck.
His collar tightened.
Cain gasped as he was yanked back.
He lashed out.
A gasp filled the air as his boot contacted with the figure behind him.
Cain tore the blind fold off.
There.
Cain dove for where his sword was.
"Stop him!" the woman gasped, coughing. She staggered to her feet.
Too late.
He grasped the hilt and whipped around. The blade flashed. The light silver was drowned in a wave of red.
Thud.
The sharp clattering filled the air.
Cain lunged for the next closest.
"You'll pay!" the words tore from him, ringing off the walls.
The blade sank through a gap in the figure's ribcage.
Cain kicked the body from his sword.
His skin crawled, chilling against the heat raging through his body.
He spun.
Red filled his vision.
Another clatter resounded through the room.
Where was she?!
A dark figure lunged.
Cain whipped his blade through the air.
Blood scattered.
The dark figure fell.
Thud!
Another.
Cain shot forward.
The blade sank through the figure's stomach.
A shriek filled the air.
They dared!
They were all dead!
A dark shape slipped towards a wall.
Cain whipped around.
There she was!
"Cain!" a familiar voice shouted.
Cain raced towards the woman.
Several more figures leapt at him.
Gun fire filled the room.
The figures collided with the ground. Their fingers never even grazing Cain.
He lunged towards the woman.
She slipped through the wall as if it were a liquid.
His sword struck metal.
Damn her!
Damn her to hell!
Cain snarled.
"Brother."
A hand took hold of his shoulder.
Cain spun.
His wrist was caught by—
"Abel!" the sword slipped from Cain's hand.
Abel's wintery gaze flashed. "Get a hold of yourself," Abel snapped.
The heat fled Cain. His head spun. His precious brother.
"Abel." Cain tore his wrist from Abel's grasp. He pulled his twin into a tight embrace. White hot agony tore through his wrist. It didn't matter. All that mattered was in his arms.
Yes.
All that mattered in the entire universe was Abel and Seth.
Nothing else.
No one else.
"What the hell?" Abel snapped. His brother pulled from the hug. "What's wrong with you?" His eyes blazed appearing as a blue flame rather than the ice they normally came off as.
"They said they would kill you," Cain explained. His voice rang, high and joyful all at once.
"Kill me?" Abel snorted. "You seriously believed them?" Abel shook his head. He turned. "Private Asran, check for survivors."
"Understood." The private saluted Abel. A large grin on his face before he raced off to see if any of the bodies littering the floor were still alive.
"Sargent Kudza," – Abel had his hand on the radio – "check the vicinity for any rebel forces."
"There are none, sir," the voice was muffled to the point Cain had to strain to hear it.
"Odd. Was there any sign of how they fled?"
"A strange darkness filled the area were most stood," the Sergeant explained. "It looked like a liquid sort of like tar."
"We'll go through the footage once we have this mess cleared up." Abel frowned. "Have a few of your men prepare holding cells."
"Roger that."
Abel was alive.
Cain breathed.
Most likely Seth was as well.
"Sir." The private stopped before Abel and gave a not so serious salute. "There are no survivors here."
"Thank you for checking, Private Asran." Abel turned to Cain. "Come on, let's head for the medical bay."
Cain followed his twin from the blood-stained cargo bay.
"It's a good thing those containers are so thick," Private Asran spoke with a light tone. "No need to worry about soiled food from all the blood and everything."
Abel gave a small huff of laughter. His eyes sparked a little.
Cain glanced at his brother then the man who had made him laugh. "What cargo hold was this?"
"Nine."
"There aren't perishables stored here," Cain informed them.
"Good to know." Private Asran's eyes narrowed.
In the end, even if food supply had been compromised it had been more than worth it to ensure his family's safety.
How many others would come after his twin during this mission?
Damn it all!
Cain's good hand balled into a fist.
He'd be damned if he let those people ever touch a hair on Abel's head.