Author's note: OHMYGOD!! I am SO sorry I've kept you all waiting this long! I don't know what in the hell happened!! O.o I'm sooooo sorry. Hopefully you will all forgive me for leaving you with such a nasty cliffhanger. Please not that this chapter is an entire flashback. I hope it explains a lot. Please enjoy- and don't hate me for the EXTREME delay. Happy reading.
The rain fell in sheets, thudding on to the concrete rapidly. It only muffled the screams briefly before they crescendo back into awareness.
He struggled to blot it all out, to pretend that it wasn't happening. But when he heard Mik's voice, he was sure it wasn't a dream.
"Torn!! TORN!"
He was running as fast as he could, hearing the terror in his little brother's voice. He could just see Mik's pale figure up ahead, standing by what remained of their home.
"Torn!!" Mik cried.
The boy ran up to him and seized him in a tight embrace. Thunder boomed above; needles of rain pounded into them relentlessly. Torn held his brother close, one hand gripping the matted strawberry blond hair in his fist. He spun on the spot and continued onward through the chaos, winding through the clamoring groups of people.
"What's happening?!" Mik shrieked.
"Where's Tess?!" Torn shouted over the roar of the wind.
An explosion echoed through the air as they ran. Mik twitched and whimpered, leaning heavily against Torn, his brown eyes wide with fear. He clung tightly to his brother's armor, watching in grim awe as a plume of fire coiled into the air.
"Mik, where is Tess?!!" Torn bellowed.
The boy shook his head, sobbing now. Lightning streaked the sky; people screamed in the distance. Torn could feel a knot in his stomach as they continued to run, grabbing Mik by his arm and pulling him along. Their feet clanged on to what was one the boardwalk, avoiding yet more citizens as they went. The ocean spiraled up over the railings and spattered on to the pier, completely drenching them. Mik coughed, stumbling. Torn heaved him back to a standing position, passing the debris that littered the boards in their path. Torn's eyes search frantically through the wreckage.
"Commander!"
The radio on his belt had crackled to life, but he ignored it. The voice on the other end was distraught. Mik screamed as another explosion crackled through the air. Strange beams of purple sparks streaked across the sky behind them.
"Captain Torn!" the radio crackled once more, "You must return- it is too dangerous for you to be out there; you need to get back to the transports immediately!!"
Mik sobbed, pulling on Torn's arm, clearly wanting to head back.
"I wanna go! Let's go!"
Torn snatched the comlink from his belt, ignoring Mik's cries. They passed by a group of sobbing women as they jogged.
"I'm getting my family the hell out of here, Sergeant Simo. If the Baron has a problem with that, leave without me!"
Mik shrieked and fell into terrified sobs.
"But Torn-!"
He threw the radio to the ground and kept on going, yanking Mik along with him. The rain was coming down harder. He could hear gunfire in the distance and squeezed his eyes shut briefly, steeling himself.
"Torn, I wanna leave! Take me out!!" Mik screeched.
"Shut up!" Torn screamed, "I'm not leaving until I find Tess."
At his words, someone shouted his name. he looked up to see the familiar figure of Tess, sprinting up to them in a panic, her hair sticking to her face. Her clothes were baggy and ripped, hanging loosely off her limbs. To Torn's surprise, Errol was following behind her, looking just as horrified. His KG armor shined in places with scratches and dings. Bruises darkened his cheek and his eyes looked somewhat sunken by what he'd seen.
Mik broke away from Torn's grasp and threw his arms around Tess, who embraced him tightly, kissing the top of his head. Torn followed and brought them both into his arms protectively. They stood immobile amidst the chaos as people ran screaming past them. torn looked over at Errol.
"Thank-you," he said.
The Krimzon Guard nodded. "We need to get the hell out of here. There is almost no time left- the new barrier is being set up as we speak."
Mik grabbed Torn again, hugging him around the middle. Tess seized Errol's hand and they started off again.
"You've got to be fucking kidding me," Torn growled, "We have to get these people out of here!!"
They cleared the boardwalk area, following the crowds of people toward the direction of the slums. The streets were slick with rain and they stomped through puddles as they ran. Tess cried out, pointing.
"Look out!!"
Up ahead came a swarm of middle-sized Metal Heads, snarling as they settled their sights on the two Krimzon Guards. The creatures leapt at them, the bright yellow glow of their skull gems gleaming in the dark. Tess and Mik shrieked. Torn pulled one of his pistols, shoving his brother protectively behind him. Together, he and Errol raised their weapons and fired. The Metal Heads screeched and stopped in their tracks just feet from the small group. Torn only stopped to make sure they were dead, clawed forms distorted gruesomely. He grabbed Mik roughly by the arm and yanked him along, breaking the boy's vacant stare.
They soon passed the Sage's flaming hut, marking the fact that they'd made it halfway through. Torn spied the young Sage standing on the wooden planks leading up to what had once been his home.
"Samos!"
The Sage peered down at him, oddly calm.
"C'mon," Torn shouted up to him, "I can get you out!"
"No, I'll be alright! Get out of here, while you still can," Samos answered him, "You have people to take care of."
Tess pulled Torn's arm, and they were soon on the run again, only Torn felt the guilt welling up inside him. Tess' sudden sob snapped him back to reality.
"Torn, I can't do it…!"
"Yes you can- we're almost there!"
He looked down at her bare feet and realized they were bleeding. Her shredded pink skirt hung in pieces from her hips. Torn closed his eyes, tightening his grip on Mik's collar. Two more buildings exploded and tumbled before them, but Torn pressed on, his lungs burning. Above them flying Metal Heads circled the city, hidden against the dark sky. Tess screamed, her foot catching on a pile of twisted metal. Mik shrieked her name; Torn skidded to a halt. He went to go for her, but Errol was there first. He holstered his pistol and pulled Tess to her feet.
"Go!" he shouted, "We'll catch up!"
Torn watched as Errol slung Tess' arm around his neck and nodded, continuing on. He spied the troop transports ahead, putting on a burst of speed. He was finally able to reach one, panting like a dog. He and Mike were at the back of the crowd, the latter still clinging to his brother around the waist, squeezing the air out of him. Torn spied a familiar face up ahead and waved his arm.
"Sergeant Simo!"
The man turned at the sound of his name, chestnut-colored hair hanging into his eyes. He scowled at the sight of the Commander and pulled them up to one of the transports.
"You scared the living hell out of me, Captain," he spat, "You of all people should know better than to do something like that! After what happened to Captain Phoenix-"
"I'm here, Sergeant. Isn't that enough?" Torn interrupted.
Simo pursed his lips. Errol and Tess appeared from the crowd soon after. Tess was leaning heavily against him, one of her feet lifted off the ground. She grimaced in pain.
"Get my family on this transport," Torn ordered, "Errol and I are going to get more people if we can."
"The Baron has ordered an immediate departure. The new barrier is almost ready to be turned on- we can't hold them off forever," Simo countered.
"How many men are we leaving behind?" Errol demanded of him.
Simo pursed his lips. "I'm following orders- one would think the Commander of the Krimzon Guard would, as well."
His eyes narrowed and settled back on Torn. People were elbowing their way through the crowd, pressing past them to earn a place in one of the transports.
"Ask anyone here! They'll tell you that's no excuse!" Torn shouted.
Mik looked up at him wearily through flyaway hair. He pulled on his arm again.
"We're pulling out now!" Simo fumed as the people surged into the transport around him. "I don't like it anymore than you, Captain, but the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few."
With that, he vanished into the sea of panicked citizens. Torn turned to Tess.
"Take him and leave."
"No!" Tess shook her head, "Come with us!"
"I have to get more people out of here, Tess." He wrenched Mik off of him and shoved him towards her. "Get on that damn transport!"
He turned away from them and Errol followed him back through the crowd in the direction of the Sage's hut. Mik screamed, struggling in Tess' grip. Torn had to stop in his tracks.
"Why is he leaving us?!!" the boy howled.
Torn turned back to his brother and pulled him into a hug. Mik buried his face in his chest, sobbing.
"Your cousin will take care of you, buddy," Torn said, "Now go."
Mik nodded, recognizing the serious look to his brother's eyes. He ran back to Tess and held on to her. Torn caught up with Errol, watching over his shoulder as his family walked into the troop carrier.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked Errol.
"I'm sure…if it means she's safe," was the reply.
Torn nodded. "Alright."
A piercing scream suddenly came to their ears. The two Krimzon Guards spun on the spot, eyes wide. It was Tess who had screamed. She pointed to the sky, and everyone craned their necks to see. A large flock of Metal Heads were coming toward them, flying through the stormy sky, screeching their arrival. Guards were shouting for people to get in the transports. Torn cocked his pistol, aiming it at the sky. He fired, watching as the red tracer rounds streamed across the sky. Errol followed suite. Together, they managed to take out one of the monsters, but that wasn't enough. The winged creatures swooped down on the group, causing everyone to fall to the ground in effort to avoid them. several screams echoed through the air, mixing with the rain and the thunder; people were charging for the troop carriers. Torn fought his way over as the Metal Heads attacked, Errol at his heels. One of the monsters lunged at the group, and took off soon after, but not without taking what it had come for: a teenaged boy was lifted into the air, clamped tightly in its talons. A woman cried after him. Torn pushed through the crowd once more, looking for Tess. He found her, but not Mik, feeling a drop in his stomach.
"Where is he?!"
Tess shook her head, throwing her arms around Errol after he appeared beside her.
"They're almost ready to leave, Torn," he informed them, "Get Mik and follow us on the transport!"
Torn ignored him, diving back through the crowd, shouting for his brother. A faint cry answered him. He followed the sound, trying desperately to see over the heads of the terrified citizens. Suddenly, he spied his little brother, all of twelve years, standing immobile amongst the horde of people scrambling for the vehicles.
"Mik! I'm here!!"
Torn's fingers grabbed a handful of strawberry blond hair and Mik looked up. he jumped into his arms, sobbing.
"It's okay," Torn assured him, turning back hurriedly for the transport, "We're almost out of here- it's okay…"
He could see Errol standing at the entrance to the vehicle, a weary Tess at his side. Torn clunked inside along with several other people, setting Mik on the floor. The boy whimpered, hugging her tight. A fellow KG shouted to the cockpit.
"Let's move on out, pilot!"
Torn felt a lurch in his stomach. "No, you can't!"
He looked out at the people coming toward them, running for the other troop carriers lined across the street. A woman was sprinting toward their transport, clinging tightly to a baby in her arms.
"We can't leave" he bellowed, moving toward the cockpit, "Those people will die!"
"I have to- the Baron's ordered an immediate departure."
Torn couldn't believe what he was hearing. Not too far away, one of the ships took off, heading for the direction of the Palace. The groups below screamed, sprinting for the remaining ones. They swarmed into to the craft, pounding and shouting. Torn felt what seemed like a million fists hammer into him as the people scrambled inside. He struggled to stand up, feeling the engines roar to life beneath his feet. Mik cried out in alarm from somewhere inside the craft. Torn couldn't see him, but he knew something was wrong.
By now, they were a decent height off the ground; people slid off the end of the cargo hold, shrieking as they went. Torn helped up a dangling woman and child, then a teenager. Errol helped as well, pulling up an old man and a woman soon after. The back door was slowly rising up. Metal Heads screeched by the side of the craft. There was still a sizeable amount of people left over; the transport was tipping up slightly.
"We're too heavy!" Errol shouted.
The transport rocked violently. Everyone shrieked, and the lights flickered. The force sent them all sliding forward. The people hanging off the back end were slammed with shoes and hands. The ship rocked back and forth violently as the Metal Heads outside thudded against it. Only three citizens were left hanging from the back end. Torn was thrown forward as the transport swayed again. The floor was soaked with rainwater, causing several to slip and nearly fall to their deaths. Torn spotted his brother in that moment, and watched as Mik fell over, sliding to the rain-soaked door. He moved to stand, as did Torn, but the Metal Heads slammed into the side of the KG transport yet again, and fell back over. Torn looked up in time to watch someone slip out the back end, grabbing his brother as they went. Mik shouted for Torn, clawing the steel of the craft in desperation. Torn leapt for him, catching hold of his wrist just in time. the man who had grabbed him was gone.
"I got ya, Mik…" Torn's voice was strained from the effort of holding on to the boy. "I got ya, okay?"
Mik nodded hurriedly, the wind pushing his hair from his face. He was breathing rapidly, slapping his fingers to grab his brother's fingers. Torn could feel the back door increasing in height. He whipped around to face Errol.
"Stop the damn door!"
"I can't!" was the reply.
Rain whipped inside, reducing Torn's vision. Mik was a horrified blur below him. He screeched, kicking his legs.
"They're all over! They're attacking me!"
"Don't move! Don't-" Torn struggled to hang on tightly.
Errol ran up to them, falling down beside Torn and grabbing for Mik as well. Tess followed, latching on to Torn and pulling him backwards. He grimaced, shouting in pain. Mik was sobbing. He looked up into his older brother's icy blue eyes, pleading,
"Don't let me go, Max! Don't let go, okay?"
"I won't, kid. It's alright."
Torn tried desperately to pull his brother up; Errol did so as well, growling in determination. Tess screamed for someone to put down the door. Torn gazed down at Mik, knowing he couldn't let go. He'd protected this kid since he was a baby; he was small for his age and always dependent on him. Torn had to shield him from harm, cushion every blow. He willed himself not to let go.
"The angle is too difficult!" Errol cried.
Torn heard Mik's shoes thudding against the door and screamed this time.
"Goddammit! I'm losing him!!"
Torn's eyes locked with Mik's. His brother's hands suddenly slipped from his grasp. Torn clawed after him, but he disappeared over the lip of the transport door. A look of pure terror had crossed the Captain's face. He lunged over the edge, but it was too late.
Mik was gone.
"NOOOOO!" No, no!!" he screamed.
The rain lashed his face in reply. He pounded the floor of the air craft with his fist. Tess was bawling, heaving great sobs of sorrow. She reached for Errol and buried her face in his chest. Torn shot to his feet, screaming toward the pilot.
"Turn this fucking thing around right now!"
There was a weary silence inside the transport. The citizens watched on in grim silence. Only Torn's breathing and Tess' sobs were to be heard. Tears showed brightly on both their cheeks. Errol could only stare into space vacantly.
"Did you hear me or not, you sonofabitch?! Turn this thing around!!" Torn howled.
There was still no reply. Torn sucked in a breath to scream again, but a strange sound cut across him. He wheeled around to watch through the back window as the new barrier snapped on, a rippling wall of neon blue. The Metal Heads screeched, stunned by the wall.
The explosion came soon after, one that encompassed the entire area of what was once Haven Coast. The flames reflected brightly in Torn's wide eyes, playing across the faces of the filthy survivors. Thick, black clouds billowed into the air, obscuring the entire Coast from view, destroying both the evil and the innocence trapped within.
Torn fell to his knees, feeling hallow and numb. He could only watch as his city burned to the ground.
