Assault Chapter Part 4

I followed Miku as she carefully picked her way down the street. We kept to the side of the building and watched for any soldiers that might come along. I tried not to look at the dark stains on the walls and the broken bodies that we were forced to pass by. It felt like their unseeing eyes followed me and their bloody mouths cried, Why should you live while we're dead?

We finally came to a slightly demolished women's clothing store. I sighed with relief when I saw that no one had died there.

"Go ahead and take your pick! I'm sure the company won't mind," said Miku mischievously as she disappeared behind a rack.

I laughed, a little bit nervously, as I also started looking around. I didn't have to look long before I found a white button-up shirt that I liked and a pair of black shorts. After I checked to see that Miku wasn't looking, I put the clothes on and threw the old ones into a pile.

"I hope you're decent!" said Miku as she bounded into view.

"Thankfully, I am," I said as I stuck my tongue out at her.

"There are shoes in the back," Miku pointed out. I looked down, embarrassed. I hadn't realized I wasn't wearing shoes, "Here, there are some that I think you'll like," added Miku as she took my hand and pulled me to the back of the store. I waited as she rummaged through the fallen boxes.

"Ah, here we are," said Miku as she showed me a pair of white boots; yellow trimmed the top, and the laces were yellow as well.

"They're perfect!" I exclaimed as I tried them on. They were exactly my size.

"Now you're ready to go!" she said, tossing the box aside.

"Wait, there's one last thing," I said. I walked over to a hanging rack that had many different hair pieces and picked out a white hair ribbon. I tied it deftly into my hair and turned back to Miku.

"Now, I'm ready."

"Okay, let's head out!" smiled Miku as she marched us out of the store. As soon as we were outside we were completely serious again. Miku went first, checking to make sure that we wouldn't run into any unwelcome company. All of a sudden, my heat scan sensors went off. Quickly, I stopped and stared off to the right where, beyond the building, three big figures surrounded a smaller figure.

"Rin...?" asked Miku, wondering why I had stopped. I didn't have time to tell her, I only had time to act. I lunged forward, but Miku grabbed onto my arm, trying to stop me.

"Rin!" Miku tried to hold me back, but she forgot how much stronger I was now. I ripped my arm out of her hand and I started running. I made it around the building in time to see the three men all pointing their guns at a small girl.

"It seems we've got a survivor," mocked one of the men as he got ready to shoot. The little girl hid her eyes behind her hands.

I did the first thing that came to mind.

"HEY!" I yelled, making all four of them jump and turn towards me. The first man took aim but I was already running. I slammed my fist into his head and grabbed the gun as he fell. My fingers immediately went to the correct position on the gun as I spun around and shot the second man. The look of surprise was still on his face as he fell back, dead. The third man attempted to shoot me as I ducked to the ground and kicked out at his legs. He toppled over and I jumped up, aiming at his head.

"No! Wait, please!" the man begged, but I pulled the trigger and watched as the life left his eyes. My breath rasped as I took a step back, trying not to look at the men that I killed, but I couldn't stop looking at them. My bloody fingers trembled on the gun. I killed with these hands...

"Rin," I heard a relieved Miku say. I pulled myself together and turned toward her, "I knew you'd be good at this!" she said as she looked over at the girl I saved. Did she think I'd be good because I wanted to help the girl or because I was a programmed robot? I pushed the thought aside, Miku wasn't like that. She didn't think like that... I hoped.

"What's your name?" asked Miku, kneeling beside the girl. I turned to look at her. She had light pink hair that was short around her face with a long ponytail down her back. The girl had dirt on her face, and still looked terrified as her eyes went from Miku to me.

"Iroha," the little girl said quietly.

"Don't worry, we won't hurt you. We'll take you to a safe place," Miku smiled and held out a hand to Iroha.

"B-but... my friends! They're still inside the b-building!" Iroha cried as she frantically pointed to an apartment building a street away, "I can't just leave them here! They were asleep and I went looking for food... that's how those people found m-me..." She began to talk towards it, but suddenly fell to the ground with a pained cry, clutching her leg.

"Wait! You're hurt!" exclaimed Miku, trying to help her.

"Miku, there are more soldiers are coming," I said as my computer brain raced, showing me the heat scan map with twenty or so red blobs coming towards us, "They heard the gunshots and there are too many for us to fight them all."

"We'll come back for them, I promise!" said Miku to Iroha, Miku holding tight to Iroha's arm so that she wouldn't crawl away.

"There's no time!" I yelled as I went over and picked Iroha up in my arms, the gun still in one hand. She squirmed, trying to get out of my arms. Miku nodded and quickly grabbed the other two men's guns. I could hear the stomping boots getting closer.

"Okay, stay close and follow me!" I said as I turned and started running, checking my scans to make sure that we wouldn't run into any of the soldiers. Iroha shoved against my arms, but she couldn't win against a robot's strength. Soon she slumped against me, crying.

"Please... can't we g-go back? Please..." she whispered into my shirt. My hands clenched. It would be suicide to go back; we'd all die trying to help them. Iroha would understand that, eventually.

"We'll go back for them. We really will," I said as we kept running, Miku gasping behind me, trying to keep up. After awhile I started slowing down, glad to see that none of the soldiers had tried to follow us.

"Are... are we safe?" asked Miku, attempting to catch her breath.

"Yes, they didn't follow us," I replied, still keeping a tight hold on Iroha, but it looked like she had given up on trying to run back.

"Thank god, there's the lab. I've had enough running!" complained Miku as she headed for the door, marked with a hazard sign. We stepped through and closed the door firmly behind us.

"We made it..." I sighed.

"You can put me down now," Iroha said quietly, not looking at me. I put her down and flinched to see the blood that was still on my hands and now on Iroha's clothing.

"Here, let's go find something for your leg," said Miku, taking Iroha's hand, "Rin, could you take these guns to Len?" she asked, holding them out to me.

"Sure," I took them from her and watched Miku and Iroha walk down the hall. Iroha limped slowly beside Miku, still crying. I frowned and looked away as I slowly started walking down to where Len was. Once I got there, the door was closed and it took me a moment to open it, my bloody hand slippery on the door handle. What would Len think when I told him all that happened?

"Hey, Len," I said as I opened the door. Len was fast asleep and slumped over the table, still holding one of the finished guns. I smiled, glad he had finally fallen asleep. I felt my anxiety fade as I watched him sleep. Len would understand when I told him, Len always understood. Slowly, I kneeled next to him, setting the guns aside. I couldn't stop myself from holding onto his hand, even with the blood, praying that by the end of this, everything would be all right.