„I just got lost
Every river that I've tried to cross
And every door I ever tried was locked...
And I'm just waiting till the shine wears off..."
„And you'll be lost
Every river that you try to cross
Every gun you ever held went off…
And I'm just waiting till the firing stops
And I'm just waiting till the shine wears off..."
Coldplay: Lost
Chapter 37
Dan found the silence unbearable. The soldiers got bored of teasing Fuyuki fast, perhaps because Dan also stopped talking trash to him, so everybody seemed to march with dark thoughts, worried.
Dan's thoughts like he's going to go mad echoed in his mind louder than anything.
It's not about that I'm gonna die. I still would want it if Fuyuki went with me as well.
He gave a bitter grin to the muddy dirt road running under their feet.
But what about Rena? Why do I have a really bad feeling about her?
So until he found that out, he had some things to do in this 'goddamn' world.
Right. I won't believe any bullshit until I can't see her with my own eyes!
Walking between two soldiers he became quite determined about escaping and finding his girlfriend.
The only question remained: how.
Nothing came to his mind.
It was enough to look around, and realize how impossible the situation was. They were surrounded by dozens of skilled fighters with guns, while they, the kids were defenseless, unarmed, with their hands tied back.
Nothing is impossible, just the people who think they're helpless.
That was the motto Fuyuki chose in literature class once when they had been given a task to look for a phrase that suited their personality.
Speaking of which, Dan managed to divert his attention to this classmate. He did not even try to keep in secret, how much he hated Fuyuki, he started to stare at the boy's back with the most powerful disgust that he could force on his face.
Then he did not take his eyes off him. Maybe it was the work of a sixth sense or something, but he thought that Fuyuki wilted down because he had similar doubts about the impossibility of escaping.
"Where are we going?" Dan asked the soldiers.
His voice sounded confident and strong as always, so he scared up a few soldiers from their wandering.
The others were waiting with frustrated looks, like the ones on his left and right.
"We have an appointment by the Reaper I assume. Why the delay? What's your plan?"
Fuyuki turned back his head over the shoulder to hear better.
"Yeah, what are you going to do with us?" Fuyuki asked. He tried to hide the whimper in his voice, but could not do it completely.
Dan looked straight into his eyes, without a glimpse of fear.
"I hope Fuyuki will be skinned alive in the most torturous way!" he said and noted malevolently that Fuyuki looked way scared than before.
As a sign he did not strike back, just turned his head back listening to the soldiers, who, meanwhile, started to talk. Not that the kids could understand Russian.
The same soldier in the role of spokesman by the capture of the two boys has now taken up this position again.
"Don't like surprises, huh?" he grunted. "Not enough that we let you alive for the moment, making demands?"
"Wanna bet which one will be the one, whom the Comrade leaves alive?" somebody behind the spokesman hit him with the elbow. "I've some coins to put at stakes."
"Count me in." another shouted from the end. "We have some time till we reach the base."
More of the soldiers laughed as one man. Dan shook his head. These men acted like children. He almost remembered the feeling of being in a lesson and making fun of the teacher or the subject.
"Enough!" a loud, long yelling cut the cheerful laughter and chatting.
The person who guided the group silenced his companions with his hands held high.
"Remember the order, the Comrade's rage! I don't want to be the one who gets punished if he doesn't like the pace of the mission or something," he explained.
Most of the squad agreed.
"Then let's move on!" the guide signaled with a broad gesture to continue.
Dan and Fuyuki did not get only words, their 'bodyguards' used their weapons to make them go.
Nothing happened for minutes long, the mouths were resting, legs were working instead. They tirelessly pushed themselves on the remaining miles to the base, they were probably used to the unpleasant side effects of a long trip.
Dan tried to come up with an escape plan while he still could do something, but this time Fuyuki broke the silence.
"Excuse me, but I have to go out."
Those around who heard him laughed at the boy's face.
"Do you want to go more out than that?" said one of these men. "I want to go there, too. Everywhere but not here to be honest, haha."
If they were in an anime at that moment, a rage symbol could be seen on Fuyuki's forehead. Yet he swallowed his angry comeback and said instead.
"In our language, it means I have to go to the toilet."
"Well, take a toilet, whichever your ass finds comfortable." another next to him spread the arms and showed the place around. " Or, you can just shit in your pants. Believe me, you won't need it for too long."
His comrades laughed. Fuyuki looked lost at first, so Dan guessed that it was part of the boy's escape plan.
"Is your base far from here?" Fuyuki answered suddenly. "Because I need to take a shit and the smell you have to endure until we arrive there is not going to be pleasant."
"Oh, I can tell you that." Dan noticed himself helping Fuyuki out. "We lived in a college together. You don't want to sit on that toilet after him."
Seeing the Russians pulling faces and a few fuck you fingers, both of the boys hid their smiles.
"Fine."
For Fuyuki's pleasure (but for Dan's annoyance) they let him go to comply with his physiological duty.
"Do what you have to do, but double time!"
He was even freed from his shackles.
Fuyuki did not hesitate longer, immediately rushed into the bushes of the forest that lined the road made by tank tracks. But soon, he had been caught by his uniform coat.
A soldier pulled him back.
"Hold your horses, buddy! You don't think we'll let you go alone, do you?" He was still holding the boy's coat, roaring in his face, splashing a huge dose of saliva on every inch.
"I-I wouldn't do that. I don't think you are stupid, not at all." while apologizing, Fuyuki tried to free himself since almost every drop of saliva dripped into his eyes. "I just ... I need to go really, really badly."
No answer came.
The man left the road, dragging Fuyuki in one hand, holding his assault rifle in the other.
Their silhouettes were soon hidden by the thousands of plant leaves as they disappeared in the forest. Nothing was left of them, only rustle of bushes and crackle of branches. Some echoes of their voices were swept toward the waiting group by the dawn breeze.
Few more trees and the soldier stopped. He finally let Fuyuki go, who was almost choked by the collar of his shirt by the time they reached that place. He took deep breaths while stumbling to a large shrub.
"Do it and let's move already!" the soldier urged him with a sharp accent. "Don't want to say again!"
"Yeah, yeah."
Fuyuki ran out of patience and lost his cool.
He turned his back on the enemy while he was unbuttoning his pants. He waited a bit, then he took small steps closer to the next bush. The plan was to repeat that until he can jump into the thicket and disappear. If he could run away no ordinary mortal human would catch him again.
The only problem was, that it took long. Too long. At least Fuyuki felt that way. He wanted to run away so much, but he had to wait for the perfect moment, even though the soldier started to stare into another direction more often.
Then he heard a familiar clicking noise which meant that he was aimed at by an assault rifle.
He turned back immediately and pulled the pants back.
He was no longer watched only by that soldier, another comrade joined him.
Both of them targeted Fuyuki, their forbidding looks talked instead, saying: Freeze.
"We know what you're up to!" growled the Another Comrade. "Don't even dare to try."
Fuyuki tried to hide his panic.
"I can't go the toilet like that," he complained. "My butt is shy."
No answer came, the two Russians listened to the voices coming from the road (Come on! What takes so fuckin' long!).
The man who came later lowered his weapon, but his comrade still kept it ready to shot.
"Do it now, or I'll kill you!" he ordered.
"You need me alive, don't you?" Fuyuki asked cautiously.
"One alive, the rest can die." answered the soldier with the lowered gun. "You have a mate."
Then he took a few steps toward Fuyuki.
"I think you can figure out the rest." snarled the other man. "Do it or do in your pants! I don't give a damn, just do something already!"
His finger barely shook on the trigger, which was reason enough for Futuki to obey. It would have been better not to take the risk since the man looked like he was not able to control his emotions.
"I think... I have constipation," he replied shortly. "Must have because of the stress."
"Stress, huh? Spend some time with us, in the army. You'll learn what's real stress in no time, boy."
Fuyuki sighed and headed towards the road, where the group was waiting for them. The two Russians followed him closely. The grumpy one could not stand to reward his pointless detour with a blow to his spine. Fuyuki hissed, but his eyes fell.
At the end, he heard cursing.
"Bloody bastard. All of them."
Fuyuki looked back no more, he joined the group with the deepest disappointment. It took some time until he noticed that they had forgotten to tie his hands again. To hide that, he put them into the pocket. The surprise came as his finger touched something unusual.
Oh yeah, the combat knife! He almost slapped his forehead. How could I forget that! They didn't go through my pockets, just gave me the shackles and we were on our way!
He enjoyed the cold touch of the blade. Or was it the joy, because there was still hope? His eyes fell again so nobody could witness that change in his features.
He did not seem to get the soldier's attention.
But Dan suspected something. Dan watched his every move with suspicion.
Slowly the sky faded from dark gray to pale colorlessness, and finally, the rain stopped. Some azure spots could be seen on the heavenly globe as a sign of upcoming good weather.
A cool breeze ran through the leaves, fresh dew covered the vegetation. An early, cheerful chirping of birds greeted the awakening sun on the horizon. If there was nothing like a fight for survival, Dan would have dreamed of what it would be like to walk hand-in-hand with Rena during this beautiful time of day.
After some time he noticed Fuyuki's free hands. He was still up to something, Dan suspected that, he was looking for the right opportunity to escape. That is what he, Dan, will use out as soon as his classmate tries to escape and distract the soldiers from everything else - to flick out of sight.
It was so hard to wait for something to happen. Five minutes passed. Ten minutes. At least fifteen.
Dan began to doubt that Fuyuki had an escape plan. Yet Fuyuki did have, just fewer people needed to be around. A single combat knife against assault rifles, death sentence.
But they seemed to run out of time.
Soon behind the sea of treetops something massive appeared, shining icily. This was soon followed by its red-painted, straight metallic walls decorated with stars and the coat of arms of the Soviet Union.
"Geez, this hasn't been here before," said Dan with a slight surprise. "I've already been in the area."
"Move, we're almost there!" somebody rewarded his comment by pushing him hard.
"Anyway" the man continued "Don't pretend like your kind doesn't have a thing like that."
"Maybe not!" someone near them cracked a joke.
The soldier behind Dan continued:
"Well, if not, it just proves the superiority of the Great Soviet Republic. Not every filthy folk can afford to have such an impressive vehicle, which is greater than a tank and unpacks itself in seconds wherever desired, transforming into an outpost. Power from sustainable energy sources, built-in protection system, and many more!"
Dan could not wait to reply after the monologue finished.
"The thing we filthy folk have is called MCV and works as you have described. In the Empire of the Rising Sun, not only the MCVs can do that, power plants, barracks, military buildings, hangars and docks as well... and many more!" he imitated the last word with the same tone as the soldier said some seconds before. Somehow he felt satisfied by winning this small verbal sparring. Everybody knew that they had the most advanced technology in the world. Of course, Emperor Yoshiro and the Shogunate could not propagate it enough, to indoctrinate people with ideologies like: the people of The Empire of the Rising Sun were destined to rule all the nations.
Dan's wide grin soon twisted into a painful grimace due to the blow he received between his ribs. Like Fuyuki recently, he has become richer with a gun-hit. This custom must have been very popular among the Russians, they used it more often as their fists.
The group almost reached the gate of the MCV base when a sharp alarm broke the everyday peace of the area.
The people marching on the front stopped, make the rest stop as well.
At first, they looked around confused, making Dan think again, that the organization and the discipline among Moskvin's men were not different from an average class in school.
The soldiers formed a circle pushing Fuyuki and Dan in the middle. Dan felt like this as paper.
The beeping was coming from inside the circle.
Suddenly one of the soldiers gave the person on his left a clump on the head.
"It's your comm, you idiot!"
"Oh, right." the owner of the clump started to look for the device with an awkward smile.
The coat had more than dozens of pockets, so some minutes had passed until the cellphone-sized gadget fell into his hands.
He answered the call quickly. Like in the case of a badly tuned radio, another man said something in the background of static noise.
The static noise died, the other side was probably waiting for an answer.
The soldier verified himself.
"Change in the plan. Reinforcement is needed, ASAP." said the static voice from the other side. "The morning patrol reported, that two participants escaped from the gaming zone. They have a black coat hanging on the electric fence as proof."
"That doesn't prove anything!" Fuyuki's grumpy toilet companion stepped up to the comm holder and interrupted the chat.
"Footprints on the other side in two different sizes, form and shape tells the owners are civilians. Minors." came the answer."We were ordered to hunt them down. That's Comrade Moskvin's order." - hearing Moskvin's name the Russian's faces became darker than ever - "He's in a rage, this supposed to be kept in secret from the rest of the Motherland. We are partners in crime."
"And what about the current mission?"somebody asked.
Everyone was listening in rapt attention. Even Fuyuki and Dan from behind the barricade of the ring of soldiers. They knew something bad had happened, they just did not know what was that.
"We have two of them." the toilet-companion added.
"Dead or alive?" asked the radio voice.
"Alive. For now as hostages."
"Well, all the corpses we've been gathered from the game or after the disaster, are on the MCV outpost. Those who are alive are our priority. Head to zone C1, repeat, head to zone C1. Meet our forces there, we need to explore Comrade Oleg's territory." Dan could not decide if the excitement or the fear was stronger in that voice. "But we have to be careful. The commander is not very cooperative with such secretive folks like we are now."
"So what about the hostages?"
"Two of you take the prisoners to the MCV outpost, the others do as ordered. All units are needed there, as well as special forces. Terror Drones, War Bears, Tesla Troopers, Sickles ..."
"Roger that."
"And there's something... Wait, incoming call ..."the voice changed into static noise but returned sooner as expected.
"We have a situation here. More kids escaped."
"Damn."
The team on this side, cursed. If their project, Battle Comrade is revealed, even though that was all Moskvin's idea and they had to obey, it could have had serious or even bloody consequences.
"So five subjects are strolling around in Oleg's territory. Knowing that there's a big chance that we have more on the run. We must catch them ASAP. Even the scouts were ordered to support us since they've found only a few bodies in the past hours. Only a girl inside an abandoned well."
"Understood. We're moving to zone C1. Over."
Toilet Companion already started giving orders.
Barely a minute later, ready for action, the group left in the opposite direction, ie where they had come from, leaving Dan and Fuyuki behind with a gray-haired man in his late fifties, and a skinny twenty-something years old guy with dark, shaggy hair and huge, round glasses.
Conscripts for sure. Came to defend the homeland by the mandatory call. They had their weapon, yet Fuyuki could not hide his happiness. Not real soldiers. Not cruel, cold-blooded, strong soldiers.
The more time they spent walking, the more sure he was.
The Old Man and the Dragonfly - Fuyuki gave them nicknames - gave the slightest sign that they were interested in the fate of the hostages, or whatever they were doing. How could Dragonfly see something through those stick lenses?
Dan suddenly stopped and tried to free himself from the ropes.
"Hey, stop and keep moving," said Old Man. "You'll get rid of it in a few minutes." He tried to act with the same determination as his comrades did, pointing the rifle at Dan, then hitting the boy's back with it.
"Is that supposed to hurt?" asked Dan staring back at Old Man, who had to take deep breaths before he could continue the walk.
"Somehow, I don't feel like going back there," said Dragonfly sadly, while he was staring at the MCV building. Why in English? Who knows. "All those corpses in one place. Those Japanese kids in ice and blood. The bare thought frightens me."
"Life isn't roses all the way, son." answered Old Man "Mother Russia chose us, so we have to be worthy for her grace. If that's her wish to bring these kids inside" he pointed at the MCV building with his rifle "Then we will. Don't think that we are less dutiful than your people, filth!" the last sentence was for the two boys.
Dan took a glance at his classmate.
It was a pleasant surprise to see Fuyuki without looking insane, who can think clearly, be empathetic and sensible (how much though, it was a mystery even back then), whom he could consider his friend. He did not know why he saw Fuyuki like that, but he felt like they were both driven by the same goal.
An agreement was made between them. They nodded almost at the same time.
Aaaand, action!
Fuyuki took the combat knife out of his pocket, and cut the rope around Dan's wrist shortly. Then Dan attacked Old Man, while Fuyuki went against Dragonfly. Dan grabbed his opponent's weapon and held it tightly, tried to get it just to threaten them so they can walk away freely. In the meantime, he tried to watch Fuyuki's doing. He thought Fuyuki had the same plan in mind.
Unfortunately, the struggle had turned Fuyuki back into a soulless beast. He knocked Dragonfly out with a punch, getting him on the ground while stabbing him. The knife went deep into the helpless boy, then was pulled out just to go into the body again.
In the end, bright red blood splattered around. Dragonfly got a fatal cut across his neck. He rattled while he was twitching when Fuyuki left him.
Dan and Old Man competed with widened eyes in amazement.
Why did I even assume this bastard would change!
Dan's gaze was drawn to the horrible sight, he could not help but look there without stop. Dragonfly's corpse in his blood evoked something in his mind, he saw a girl's pale body in the depths of a dark well.
He managed to take the rifle for himself, then, to obey the raging beast's demanding in his stomach, wanted to aim at Fuyuki and pull the trigger without hesitation.
But Fuyuki had already started his attack and Old Man was also not slow to take back what belonged to him.
So with a sudden coming idea, Dan turned around and jumped into the bushes. He ran as fast as he could without looking back not even once. He went deeper and deeper into the forest, far from the MCV outpost, following almost the same direction as the soldiers who left them. It was intended to divert attention. If Fuyuki kills Old Man (he's going to succeed anyway) and he wants to follow him, he goes into the wrong direction.
After a few hundred meters later Dan turned around and ran towards the MCV outpost.
Things had to be settled by the time this happened but he could still hear gunfire and screaming of slow torturing in his ears. He did not understand why he suddenly felt pity for these Russians. Perhaps they were different. Dan did not sense the bad intent in them, which would have rooted deeply in their hearts raised by the communist regime. They obeyed orders because they had to. Old Man and Dragonfly wanted the same thing as all the students of Zentsuji 4. Junior High did: being at home.
But he had to wake up from his bitter thoughts. He realized that he had reached the walls of the MCV outpost. The red walls they had seen from afar were brick fences guarded by electric ones (at least it looked like an electric fence). It had access at one point, namely through a massive, electrically operated iron gate. Which was currently waiting wide open for the return of the troops, hopefully with the fugitives.
Not even the wind was moving at that moment.
Sneaking in seemed to be a piece of cake. But Dan found the silence way too deep. He waited in the thicket, and soon it turned out that it was not a waste of time.
Next to the two wings of the main gate, built into the brick wall he discovered sentry guns well-hidden enough not to spot them that easily. Plus, sometimes red-collar dogs patrolled the backyard, Dan saw them through the opened gates.
Although he had to get in. That's why he decided to come back. Dragonfly said that all the corpses they had collected were transported to this outpost.
That was the only way to find out if Rena was still alive or not.
Due to the "Lost contact, try to reconnect" problem, Moskvin's database was unusable. And now, Dan raised the watch to his face, the display was dark and empty, the gadget itself responded no more.
He fell to his knees.
Mom, give me one more minute. Just one more.
He was still tormented by the thought of his dead love, which made him feel like he was powerless, and all his strength vanished like mist in strong sunshine. The paralyzing sadness. This whole thing... drained all his energy.
He was fed up with...
...the constant killing... soldiers versus classmates, classmates versus classmates...
...all the violence...
...the hopeless attempt to escape...
... the fear of his end, this whole insecurity of existence...
He became tired.
Exhausted.
Mentally and physically.
But he had to keep on doing.
I want to know if Rena is in there. Even if I don't want to see it. If I had tried harder ... if I had taken better care of her ...
He did not want to admit it, but deep inside he had already accepted the fact that his Rena was sitting in the fuzzy clouds and was watching and rooting for him to survive. The next moment he felt the exact opposite and denied this instinct.
For the last time, Dan cursed using the 'most beautiful' phrases of his vocabulary and punched into the ground with his fist. The world had collapsed in his soul.
I don't want to see the class vanishing just like that, one after another. When is all this going to end?
He, the extremely confident, direct, and unbreakable person, who proved to be almost an impossible task to make unfaltering, the rude, undisciplined opponent of the teaching staff, Dan Nomura was finally broken.
A thin ray of hope, the will to live, like twinkling candlelight.
Rena may not be dead.
Anyhow, the loss was there, what, like a thorn, busted the space of Rena's love.
Nothing will be the same as it was before.
Dan Nomura raised his head, wiped the tears from the corner of his eyes, and looked sternly at the glittering walls of the MCV outpost. The glassless window-openings were like the blind eyes of a man-eating monster.
Funny enough, he relived some moments from the playground as a young kid, when he played a rogue samurai who prepared to take the local landlord's castle to save his princess by himself.
[Number of students: 10]
