Disclamer: see earlier enteries
i don't really feel like talking so let's just get started
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When the sky gets dark enough, one may see the stars.
The cool damp air threatened to pour rain on of the survivors of the previous hour's battle. The sun was setting a vibrant red, as if to show respect for the fallen. Despite this morbid beauty of the season most people present weren't very interested in it. Their attention was more closely focused to the task of scraping some amount of cover from the ruins that surrounded the Hinatasou. Thought an odd combination of retreat paths, enemy attacks and a large amount of change the Hinata and the land surrounding it was now home to some 600 people. The town's last defenders.
Blade rested his weary soul against the machine he had ridden in for the past hours. It was amazing what humanity in general, never mind what that adolescent could produce. This be-damned machine this had taken at lest three major hits from antitank rounds and the only evidence of the shots were some rather nasty looking dents in the armor. This said these turtle-like wonder weapons were far from invincible. Of the original 8, 5 remained.
Blade pulled a cigarette out of his chest pocket lighting it with his borrowed lighter. He took a long drag exhaling out his nose, watching the fumes drift slowly away into the breeze.
"Those are going to catch up to you one day." A voice said from behind the leg he was resting on.
"I'll worry about someday if I survive today." Blade responded rolling his head against the metal to watch Jenn slide down into a sitting position. She stared off into space for a moment before continuing.
"Josh hasn't come back yet."
"Josh?" Blade puzzled of this for a second "Oh Spook, relax the kid always shows up sooner or later."
"Sooner or later?" Jenn asked almost in outrage. "He's your friend!"
"He's also Spook." Blade basically snorted in response. , Taking a puff from his cancer stick. "People die Jenn…"
"What!?" Jenn yelled at him standing up in front of him anger seething off her. Blade unfazed calmly removed the cigarette from his month and asked her to
"Please let him finish his sentence. People die Jenn, but fortunately for us your brother is not a person. He is a fucking shadow. The planet earth could come to an end is very second, and there him and 6 cockroaches."
"Well um, thank you." Jenn stammered really unsure how the respond to that.
"No problem." Blade muttered back. He signed briefly before flicking away the butt of his cigarette. "Time to go, I've got things to do." He said trying to stand up with a bit of groaning.
"No you don't." Jenn countermanded, forcing him back onto the ground. "You're at your limit Jason. What you need is a half-way descent meal and some sleep."
"I'm fine Jenn." Blade countered successfully standing up this time groins and all. "I know how far I can go."
"You now how far you think you can go. I know you too well for that." Jenn responded with a menacing undertone. "You haven't sleep in over 22 hours, and you've been fighting for 5 or 6, and I know you haven't eaten much, if at all."
"I ate; HQ was in a Café of sorts… I am hungry though." Blade finished rubbing his stomach.
He shook his head to regain control over his empty stomach.
"I've got to go." Blade said turning away. Jenn watched Blade walk off signing wistfully, a grim look set into her face.
"Your going to get yourself killed Jay." She spoke to Blade's retreating back. Jenn turned her head looking over the shattered city. "Maybe we already have."
Keitaro franticly scanned the area trying to find someone, any one from the Hinata. All he saw was tired faces covered in filth. He could have passed every one of them without noticing and he knew it. He stumbled into the Hinata and the many strange people there. Being one of the only building left soundly standing within a safe distance, it and become a magnet for tried men and women seeking shelter. They lay were they fell to exhausted to move any more than necessary. Keitaro passed them by without any thought. He wandered thought the upper floors checking all the rooms. Hoping to find their normal occupants, all he found was strangers and fear. Keitaro stumbled down stairs into the kitchen; he leaned against the counter despair filling him.
"Where are they?" he said aloud
"They're not here." A voice came from the dinning room. Keitaro leaned forward to see who was speaking. "I am though." Blade continued "but I'm willing to bet you weren't looking for me."
" No, not specifically Keitaro answered walking into the room. Blade was sitting at the head of the table his back to Keitaro, hunched over and resting his head on his arched hands before him.
"At least you're honest." Blade continued watching Keitaro sit down beside him. Keitaro looked like hell had frozen over. There was a dim on his normally cheery attitude that was best compared to the difference between a diamond and coal. Keitaro's arms were almost totally wrapped in field dressings protecting fresh injuries, some were still bleeding. "Poor soul" Blade thought to himself unaware of his equally shabby state.
"So why are you here?" Keitaro asked resting his head in his arms and rubbing his tiredness from his face.
"The same reason you are I suppose, hoping against reality that you and the girls might show up, might still be alive." Blade said, rubbing his eyes.
"Might?" Kietaro demand/inquired, too spent to raise his voice.
"Might. We took over 85 casualties." Blade answered his guilt weighting on his voice. "The odds that even one of you survived are… well slim to none to be polite. And then where you all were didn't really help."
"What's that mean?" Keitaro asked. Blade stared into Keitaro's eyes debating if his right to know out-weighted his ability to cope.
"Well for starters, you Naru and Motoko, were all front line combatants, Kitsune is well a fox who knows were she was when the line broke. And Shinobu was at the field hospital. That's well behind enemy lines right now. Not many people made it here and now we're hurting medicine wise." Blade stopped leaning back in his chair.
"What about Su?" Keitaro pushed.
" MIA, she was shot down. The only pilot that made it back said about a half dozen chutes made in down with him." Blade answered grief (or was it worry) showing thought for one quick second.
The room was silent for a minute before Keitaro spoke again.
"So now what?" he asked. Blade grunted in confusion. "I followed you into this mess, and I'll follow you out, so now what? After we find the girls of course."
Blade smiled a sad deep smile "if we find any girls, and not much we're pretty much stuck."
"Stuck?" Keitrao asked
"Stuck, we're surrounded on all sides. We are not going anywhere soon. The best we can do is sit it out and wait." Blade answered Keitaro's face shrunken up in thought for a minute all most leaping over the table in excitement.
"If we're surrounded we can't do anything to hurt them, and means they're not going to waste men attacking!" Blade surprised Keitaro had thought of it at all, shook his head in polite disagreement.
"We're still a threat; we have to be even if we're no longer combat effective." Keitaro looked on waiting on an explanation. "How badly do you think we hurt them Keitaro? How many did we kill?"
"I don't know, 1, 2 thousand." He answered.
"At least. The problem is they can afford to take those kinds of causalities. Their plan in theory will work with 10 of their forces. There was never a chance of victory; it was simply a delaying action. We never had any chance of winning Keitaro they out number us 3 to 1. The question is time we just don't have enough."
"Looks pretty bad." Keitaro muttered
"It looks like the fucking Alamo." Blade grumbled
" Alamo?" Keitaro asked.
"A long time ago a group of a 150 men where surrounded in an old monastery, they where cut off and besieged for several days. In the end the enemy got tired of waiting and attacked."
"What happened to them?" Keitaro asked.
"They all died." Blade responded
"Pity." Keitaro commented looking Blade dead in the face his eyes still holding a mildly happy glint. Blade starred back at him almost disgusted. He stood up saying
"Keitaro you are a fucking nitwit." leaving Keitaro to his disillusioned fantasies.
Blade was passing thought the door as he bumped into to someone.
"Sorry." He said not really looking at the person. He did a double take when he finally did "Shinobu!" he yelped.
"Come quick." She whizzed out gasping for breath. "Naru's hurt."
Seto glared distastefully at the volunteer commander, his arms full of looted goods and money. He glance at eh women tied to the truck he was running "his" supplies. He then looked back this vile creature, before triggering a round into the center of his skull.
"I would have shot him in the balls." His second in command said walking past him to untie the young ladies.
"I doubt even he was that cruel Jeff." Seto commented. , Poking the corpse with his toe. "Looting is well, an expected part of this job. Hell in this case it's how we feed ourselves, but theft from still present owners, and more importantly kidnapper are far from unacceptable."
"Yes sir but what do we do about the truck and these two." He said cutting the binding robe of the two lady's hands.
"Let them go their not prisoners of ours, and of the truck… leave it. The current owner is not present." Seto decided moving on, his guard in tow. He had forces to examine.
"This isn't good." Blade thought to himself watching the scene before him. It was an image he had become all to accustom to. The open aired hospital filled with scurrying doctors and wounded people. Some left to die of insurmountable wounds. Blade sat on the cot besides Naru and Keitaro. Besides them Kitsune and Shinobu stood, fearfully looking on as Naru battled for every breath she took. She was wrapped up in what seemed miles of bandage, every inch drenched in blood.
"Keitaro…I"
"Shhh. Don't talk" Keitaro soothed. "It'll all be alright. "
"Umm Sir." The voice stared Blade. He jumped turning around to face the speaker. It was a doctor, his white coat stained by hours of work.
"Unless you're in charge I really don't want to speak with you right now." Blade said despair lighting up once stone-like face.
"I am. We really should talk." The doctor said beginning to move off a fair distance.
"About your friend…"
"I already know how bad it is." Blade snapped at him, "I've seen this before. She'd have a chance in a real hospital, not in this excess for an aid station." Blade looked away, wiping water from his eyes. "How bad is it?" he continued
"Well she's …"
"No damn it! How bad is it here! How many? How bad? How many can I put back on the fucking line!?" Blade bellowed, his anger boiling over. He stared the doctor down towering over him like the empire state building. He breathed in deeply and evenly regaining his control and composure.
"Sorry." He grunted briefly. "Bad habit." The doctor looking back at him with a look of pure sympathy.
"There are about 300 or some here at the moment, but most are walk-ons from the retreat."
"Walk-ons?" Blade thought for a moment digesting the terminology. He looked up when the doctor pointed at a group men and women walking away from the hospital, wrapped up in minor way or another and rejoining the "front" 200 yard away. "Walk-ons" Blade said again nodding in understanding.
"About ½ are too injured to fight and of those, I'm only expecting a 1/3 to survive the night, less if it rains."
"It'll rain." Blade countered looking up at the darkening dusk sky. "Probably before nightfall."
"Hunch?" the doctor speculated.
What ever bad that can happen will at the worst possible time." Blade answered still looking at the sky. "Why haven't you move the wounded inside yet?" Blade continued, glancing woefully at Naru.
"The only major building still standing on this hill is that one." The doc thumbed at the Hinata Inn. "And it's the tallest building standing, and on the top of a hill to boot. Putting anything in there is just asking for it."
"It's still better than leaved people to die out in the rain." Blade argued.
"True but still…"
" hey hold on, if memory serves me right I think there's a cave in the back, if the cave goes back as far as I think it does, it should serve our proposes."
"Cave!" The Doctor interjected, dumbfounded "Where and how far."
"Ask him" Blade said pointing at Keitaro. "He's the land lord. The doctor nodded, doing some quick thinking.
"If we can get everyone in there, they may make it. As long as the plasma lasts."
"At the very least they'll be out of the rain." Blade added. "Get moving." The doctor nodded again agreeing. He moved past Blade towards Keitaro.
"At least some things are starting to look up." Rossy said walking up beside his friends having caught the ending half of the conversation.
"Some things. " Blade replied. Watching Keitaro and the rest on the Hinata group get rather animated. "Then again, we all could be dead in the next half hour."
"True, so what's the plan?" Rossy continued
"First you need to talk to Jenn She's absolutely frantic over her brother."
"He's Spook he'll show up. The entire enemy force may be 10 feet behind him, but he'll show up." Rossy said "and why can't you?"
"Because I have other things I need to tend to, and besides I'm doing the same thing on a different front." Blade slide in, glancing back at the Hinata group.
"What about after? We don't have a lot of time to hold hands." Ross snorted back.
"No we don't, but in retrospect, most if any of us are not still going to be here in 24 hours. It won't hurt to play the compassionate for once." Blade finished crossing his arms over his chest.
"You really thing he's going to attack?" Ross asked.
"Yes, if we run a break out, and penetrate even a few hundred yards, we take route 12. It's the only road on this side of the hill that runs to the I-39 on ramp that he can run his tanks on. Otherwise he'll have to use the 389 to exit 2 and he can't spare that kind of time. They need all the time they can squeeze if they find a problem up the road." Blade explained to his already aware friend.
"So we're breaking out?" Rossy offered more or less confirming his understanding of the situation rather than asking a question.
"0100 hours." Blade commanded. , His voice stern and unmoving.
"0100, isn't that too much time?" Rossy asked questioning Blade's sense of current time.
"0100 Ross." Blade answered in a no-your-not- going-deaf tone. "These people need food and rest, I think we spare 7 hours." Blade reprimanded.
"Sorry. Time I found Jen uh?" Rossy announced holding out his hand. Blade took, shaking it vigorously "see ya Ross." Ross nodded, walking away with the quiet understanding that if the enemy did attack, they probably wouldn't see each other again. But then again their entire lives and been like that.
Su winced in pain as she threw her hand against the wall to keep her balance. She breathed in deeply waiting for the jolt to subside.
Shiri asked from behind her, leaning on his makeshift crunch
"Su's fine." She answered. Throwing up a quick smile and slipping under is arm to help him up the stairs. "You on the other hand..." She warned looking up at Shiri's bandaged head.
"I'm alright, when you build something you build it rock solid." Shiri complemented struggling his way up the last couple of stairs. "This should do." He said pointing into an empty bed room. He stumbled into the room, and flopping down on the room, groining when he whacked his leg in the siding.
"Hey take it easy." Su scolded. , Gently placing Shiri's leg on the bed.
"Thanks." He muttered sheepishly. Leaning against the headboard.
"I'll keep a lookout." Su offered.
"Oh no you don't, let's take a look at you." Shiri ordered. , pulling Su onto the bed.
"I'm fine." Su complained
"Bullshit, you've been favoring that arm since you plucked me from the river. Now come on let me treat this." Shiri begged. Su's face turned a slight shade of crimson, residing to the fact that he was right. She turned away from him and pulled the shirt up off her back.
Shinobu sighed as she watched the last remains of the day filter thought the buildings. The streetlights would have been on for a while now if there was any power left to run them. No, she was wrong there where a few on, but they were in random patches, not much help to them at all. Shinobu looked of the remains of the tea house again. Thank god Hurka wasn't here, she'd have a fit. She listened quietly to the sounds of working people around her, digging whatever they could out of the earth. Somewhere nearby someone was playing country music out of a boom box.
"Hey Shinobu." Blade said halfway sneaking up on her.
"Hello Blade, or do you prefer Jason?" She asked.
"I prefer Blade, but they're kind of interchangeable." Blade answered. Coming to a stop beside Shinobu. "How are you feeling?"
"I told you before. I feel fine." Shinobu answered a bit cross.
"Ya and grande is medium in Spanish. I mean it, are you alright?" Blade asked again concern emanating from his shadowy figure.
"I'm alright Blade; I don't have a scratch on me." Shinobu admitted.
"I'm talking about up here; you've had a rough day." Blade continued tapping Shinobu gently on the temple. "It's a lot to take in."
"Stop it; you've got other things to worry about." Shinobu scolded turning away from him and walking towards the Hinata.
"You'd be surprised." Blade said back "everyone's just getting some rest. And so should you."
"Will you knock it off, I don't need to be fussed over, I can take care of myself." Shinobu stated.
"I don't doubt that Shinobu you handled yourself better than most soldiers do, I just know your closer to the edge than you think you are." Blade said his voice dropping a few decibels.
"I' m just peachy, you really should be talking to JENN of all people." Shinobu accused marching into the Hinata.
" Jenn? What does Jenn have to do wi OW! Fuck! Jez that hurts!" Blade exclaimed, pulling his hand of the door frame, and cradling it in his other.
"What? What did you do?" Shinobu asked coming back outside, staring at Blade's shadow.
"I don't know it's too dark out here." Blade stated crossly.
"Then come on in. I'll take a look at it." Shinobu offered heading back inside.
Shinobu flicked on the kitchen light only to have shut off a second later by Blade.
"Not too much light, the last thing we need is to make ourselves targets." Blade ordered.
"Fine." Shinobu answered, having no good counter argument. She walkover to a counter and pulled out a small battery powered lamp for power outages.
"Stay put." She commanded leaving the room. Blade spent several minutes fighting to turn the unfamiliar machine with one hand. As the fuse heated up and dimly lit the room Blade got a good look at the large wooden splinter lodged into his palm. The grumbled momentarily, "figures."
Shinobu reentered the room, a small first aid kit I hand. She placed in on the table, and held out her hand in dictating Blade give her his. He rolled his eyes in slight embarrassment and gave it to her. Shinobu scanned the injury, she pressed her face into and expression of pity and thought, debating how to divert his attention.
"How is Su's walker?" she asked pretending to show actually interest in the subject.
"Uh? Odd question, I really can't tell you to be honest. I wasn't paying much attention to that." Blade confessed. Blade glancing a Shinobu cutting at his hand a bit to get the whole chuck of wood out. He looked away, staring at the fuse of the lamp, drifting into thought. The pair didn't say another word until Shinobu spoke
"done."
"You should be a nurse, I didn't feel a thing." Blade complemented her, gently rubbing his newly repaired hand.
"That wasn't hard, I could have taken your arm and I doubt you'd have noticed" she returned. Putting the tweezers away.
"Maybe." Blade said drifting into thought again.
"So." Shinobu said definitely clamping the case shut. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, just a little tired." Blade answered almost automatically.
"That's more than a little tired." Shinobu shot back, obviously hurt at being blown off.
"My, how the tables have turned." Blade answered whimsically. "I'll make you a deal, I tell you what I'm thinking and you tell me how you feel." Shinobu regarded him closely for a minute.
"All right I guess, you first."
"No you first, it's my deal." Blade argued.
"Hey that's no fair." Shinobu complained. "It was your idea." Blade looked at the floor before reaching into his pocket.
"About this," He said throwing a small wade of paper between them. "It's a casualty report. A couple of accountants are trying to get a full list for after the battle."
"Bad?" Shinobu asked uncertainly. , fearfully picking up the papers.
"Very." Blade confirmed. "We can confirm, over 1400 KIA, via bodies, procured ID's extra, and about 900 wounded, most behind enemy lines at the old hospital."
"That's real bad." Shinobu said flipping thought the pages and pages of names.
"That's not even the real problem, those are only the dead we confirm as of now, in reality, it's more like 2400." Blade explained watching Shinobu lean back in her chair stunned by the sheer numbers.
"2400?" Blade nodded in response
"That's being optimistic." Blade said dipping his head in guilt "and that's not even the kicker. There are 2 entire companies trapped in the town square, we can't get to them."
"2400." Shinobu repeated softly, tears beginning to flow down her face.
"Oh no, no please don't cry, it's not that bad." Blade said weakly watching Shinobu tremor with every breath. "It could be a lot worst." Blade watched his feeble attempts to cheer Shinobu up float off into nothingness.
"Shinobu?" Blade said reaching slowly across the table and gentle grasping his hand over hers.
"Get away from me!" Shinobu screamed at him, jerking her hand away and standing up "just leave me alone, Blade!"
"But."
"No! Just go away!" She screamed back, running out of the room openly crying.
Shinobu collapsed in her room. Surrounded by its childhood things and memories. She curled up closer to the wall, hugging her knees to her chest. , soaking them with her tears.
"Shinobu?" Blade asked framed in the door way.
"I said go away." Shinobu growled threateningly. Blade ignored her sitting down beside her. He looked at her. Shinobu stared back and without a word Blade reached out and wrapped his arms around her. Wrapping her up as tightly as he could. Shinobu buried her face into his chest and cried. Out of her tears she bore her pain, her sorrow, and her fear. She cried until she made her self thistly, and then cried more.
"Shh." Blade cooed. Gently rocking her back and forth. "It will all be just fine"
Shinobu didn't say anything back. She just nodded against his chest. Moving her check to a dryer part of Blade's shirt.
"Will this ever be over?" Shinobu whimpered. Her throat still rough.
"It will, but you don't need to worry. You'll die far from here in a nice warm bed. A very happy grandmother" Blade offered, stroking Shinobu's hair. "Hey I'll tell you what, when this is all over we'll get everyone together and throw a party."
"Blade" Shinobu began, never looking up at him. "Thank you." Blade smiled had held her even tighter. As the final twilight fell from the sky casting the earth into total darkness, blade felt Shinobu's grasp loosen and her breaths become deep and regular. Blade shifted her over just a hair to get blood back into his sleeping arm. He looked into the darkness, not really having much else to do. He felt drowsiness beginning to over him. Blade sighed resting his head on Shinobu's feeling her hair tickle his cheek. "Maybe" Blade thought to himself "someone will find the right in protecting an angel." Blade let this thought penetrate his mind as he drifted to sleep.
Seto growled in anger, his nearly reaching the boiling point. Civilians or not how could anyone be so careless with any enemy. Seto again looked over the grizzly scene of eh barbaric aid station, it was a hospital or what was left of it. The wounded were scattered about the ground waiting for any aid. Most only helped by close friends. Seto shook, his rage rising up again.
"Sir? What do we do?" Jeff asked grimacing at the scene.
"We attack, we can't allow the enemy to regroup," Seto reasoned. " We strike at midnight."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please leave a review. thank you.