Ch 14 "Gift"
Vicious sat in the soldier commons, he watched his men interact with one another, laughing, joking, and cursing. Vicious reached into his pocket and retrieved the small music box that Julia had given him so long ago. He wound it up then let it play. He closed his eyes and listened to the beautiful tune. He heard footsteps approaching him; he looked up and saw Gren.
"That's a nice song." Gren said. Vicious stopped the music box from playing and put it back in his pocket.
"It brings back a lot of memories." Vicious sad, his voice distant and cold. The image of Julia kissing Spike flashed through his mind.
"I see." Gren said, he took a seat beside Vicious. Vicious retrieved his combat knife and slashed at Gren; Gren jumped back. The lethal sand scorpion laid split in two pieces at Gren's feet. Green smiled.
"Thank you." He said. Vicious put his knife away.
"Never let your guard down." Vicious said. Vicious began to wonder why he didn't allow the scorpion to sting Gren, it would have made Vicious's job much easier. Have I grown attached to Gren? Vicious asked himself. He refused to believe that he had, the last time he became attached to someone, that person abandoned him, and then betrayed him. Vicious smiled. Damn them.
"Why did you join the war, sir?" Gren asked, taking a seat beside Vicious once more. Vicious was silent.
"I know, that's a rhetorical question right?" Gren asked. Vicious nodded.
"It is." Vicious said. Gren sighed.
"How do you do it, sir? How do you stay so calm when you face death?" Gren asked.
"I embrace death." Vicious said coldly. Gren was taken aback.
"You want to die?" Gren asked. Vicious smiled very slightly.
"Yes Gren, I want to die." Vicious said. Gren's eyes moistened.
"I don't want you to die sir." Gren said. Vicious felt an aching feeling. What was that? Vicious asked himself. Gren got up and walked away.
"Damn you Gren. You're not going to make my job easy." Vicious whispered to himself. Vicious reached into his pocket and retrieved the music box. He looked at it and smiled.
"The sweet irony." Vicious said coldly. Vicious would place a transmitter and a microscopic bomb inside the small music box, and then gave it to Gren. He would betray Gren, as Julia had betrayed Vicious. Spike...he was still alive; Vicious would track down Julia and use her as bait, to lure Spike to him. Then he would kill them both. He would kill Gren, then Julia, and finally Spike. Vicious laughed. Fate always seemed to work in his favor, the universe always bent to his will; the only exceptions being Julia and Spike's betrayal, and the death of his parents. Vicious stood up, the soldier's chatter ceased, they all looked at Vicious expectantly.
"Gren." Vicious said. It was only a matter of seconds before Gren came to Vicious, the soldier's began to chatter once more.
"Yes?" Gren asked. Vicious placed the music box in Gren's hand.
"This is yours. You were at my bed side when I was wounded by that grenade blast; you have earned this small token of gratitude." Vicious said, trying to put as much emotion as he could muster in his voice. Gren smiled, no, beamed.
"Your most welcomed, sir." Gren said.
"You may call me Vicious." Vicious told Gren. Gren smiled, and then to Vicious's surprise, hugged Vicious. Vicious didn't hug Gren back; he wouldn't sink that low to earn Gren's affection. Gren let go of Vicious the stepped back.
"I am sorry, sir." Gren said.
"You are forgiven, Gren." Vicious said, taking a seat. Gren smiled once more, and then left Vicious alone. Vicious felt sorry for Gren. Vicious was surprised with himself. Damn, this isolation is getting to me. Vicious thought to himself.
Vicious sat in the soldier commons, he watched his men interact with one another, laughing, joking, and cursing. Vicious reached into his pocket and retrieved the small music box that Julia had given him so long ago. He wound it up then let it play. He closed his eyes and listened to the beautiful tune. He heard footsteps approaching him; he looked up and saw Gren.
"That's a nice song." Gren said. Vicious stopped the music box from playing and put it back in his pocket.
"It brings back a lot of memories." Vicious sad, his voice distant and cold. The image of Julia kissing Spike flashed through his mind.
"I see." Gren said, he took a seat beside Vicious. Vicious retrieved his combat knife and slashed at Gren; Gren jumped back. The lethal sand scorpion laid split in two pieces at Gren's feet. Green smiled.
"Thank you." He said. Vicious put his knife away.
"Never let your guard down." Vicious said. Vicious began to wonder why he didn't allow the scorpion to sting Gren, it would have made Vicious's job much easier. Have I grown attached to Gren? Vicious asked himself. He refused to believe that he had, the last time he became attached to someone, that person abandoned him, and then betrayed him. Vicious smiled. Damn them.
"Why did you join the war, sir?" Gren asked, taking a seat beside Vicious once more. Vicious was silent.
"I know, that's a rhetorical question right?" Gren asked. Vicious nodded.
"It is." Vicious said. Gren sighed.
"How do you do it, sir? How do you stay so calm when you face death?" Gren asked.
"I embrace death." Vicious said coldly. Gren was taken aback.
"You want to die?" Gren asked. Vicious smiled very slightly.
"Yes Gren, I want to die." Vicious said. Gren's eyes moistened.
"I don't want you to die sir." Gren said. Vicious felt an aching feeling. What was that? Vicious asked himself. Gren got up and walked away.
"Damn you Gren. You're not going to make my job easy." Vicious whispered to himself. Vicious reached into his pocket and retrieved the music box. He looked at it and smiled.
"The sweet irony." Vicious said coldly. Vicious would place a transmitter and a microscopic bomb inside the small music box, and then gave it to Gren. He would betray Gren, as Julia had betrayed Vicious. Spike...he was still alive; Vicious would track down Julia and use her as bait, to lure Spike to him. Then he would kill them both. He would kill Gren, then Julia, and finally Spike. Vicious laughed. Fate always seemed to work in his favor, the universe always bent to his will; the only exceptions being Julia and Spike's betrayal, and the death of his parents. Vicious stood up, the soldier's chatter ceased, they all looked at Vicious expectantly.
"Gren." Vicious said. It was only a matter of seconds before Gren came to Vicious, the soldier's began to chatter once more.
"Yes?" Gren asked. Vicious placed the music box in Gren's hand.
"This is yours. You were at my bed side when I was wounded by that grenade blast; you have earned this small token of gratitude." Vicious said, trying to put as much emotion as he could muster in his voice. Gren smiled, no, beamed.
"Your most welcomed, sir." Gren said.
"You may call me Vicious." Vicious told Gren. Gren smiled, and then to Vicious's surprise, hugged Vicious. Vicious didn't hug Gren back; he wouldn't sink that low to earn Gren's affection. Gren let go of Vicious the stepped back.
"I am sorry, sir." Gren said.
"You are forgiven, Gren." Vicious said, taking a seat. Gren smiled once more, and then left Vicious alone. Vicious felt sorry for Gren. Vicious was surprised with himself. Damn, this isolation is getting to me. Vicious thought to himself.