I sat on a box, mulling over the feelings these people's fear brought up in me. From the moment I walked in I had accepted in some way that I was taking my life into my own hands. If these people fought me, I wouldn't have fought back. I had figured fear was my best bet at survival. I had been ready to put on this big act about how many people I had killed, and how easy it would be to kill them. I figured that most of them would buy it.
I just... hadn't expected it to come so easily. Barely a word out of me and they collectively folded even more quickly than the animals did in the dark not so long ago. It filled me with some mixture of pride and self disgust. Every individual that sat inside this space, what I could only call some kind of alien lunchroom considering the tables lining the floor, was absolutely terrified of me. And yet somehow, I hated myself for enjoying it. At least I got the food.
The food inside the crates and coolers was perfect for what I needed. Usually one would expect people to have easily preserved food that lasts a considerable amount of time on its own, but seeing it now I get the feeling this little supply wasn't provided by the local military. After a little thought, it was easy to see why.
These people hadn't been prepared for this, Its a simple guess to assume that Freeza force doesn't do formal declarations of war. They almost certainly didn't know what was happening until we got here, and probably being among the less fortunate of their people they just grabbed what food they could whenever they left. Half of them probably didn't understand just how bad things were gonna be, just how quickly everything would fall apart. Instead of nothing but dried foods and a decent amount of water I was looking at what almost seemed like a barbecue.
A number of freshly packaged meats and drinks of different kinds laid in most of the coolers, and nothing but junk food and alien silverware awaited my eyes in the crates. I had been worried about my prospects ever since I saw the state of this city, but here it was, ingredients galore.
But what came next?
I have what I came here for, but now I have to keep it. Seeing just how few places my little attack had touched in the city, It probably wouldn't be too long until someone came to check if the non combatants were still alive. It didn't take a genius to see what my target was in all the commotion.
There was no doubt they would come at some point, and then I would be out in the open against who knows how many soldiers. I don't want to fight, but the problem was soldiers were harder to scare than civilians, and they likely didn't appreciate my presence considering all the friends of theirs I just killed. I was probably going to die soon. I got ready to take another swig of the water flask I was holding, before I paused.
Unless they didn't know I was here.
I cleared my throat, further drawing the attention of the already scared cloister of aliens in my midst. "It's probably safe to say you all want to live through this right? I'd want to live in your shoes. so I'll tell you what.'
No one responded to me verbally or physically, but it was a safe bet anyway. "It's not a great deal, but my fellows are gonna get here soon and they'll be fairly likely to enslave most of you if you don't put up a fight. You'll eventually be sold to someone or something on a planet somewhere, and you'll live under them for hopefully your full lifespan. Sure, its not too good, but you'll be alive."
I stared into space for a moment, interrupting myself as I spent some time feeling out the ki of several soldiers as they investigated the premises above us. "Maybe they'll even let you stay with your families. But that is only if I don't have to fight anyone while I'm in this room with you."
I stood, before briskly approaching a cowering family in the corner of the room. "So I'll make a deal with you. No one tells the soldiers coming down here that I'm among you, and you won't get caught in the crossfire of any kind of fight. I'll just take a little nap over here, and no ones lives will be at any risk from me."
I took a large blanket from the trembling hands of the mother of the family, before wrapping myself inside and wearing it almost as a robe, facing away from the door as I did. "I'll leave it up to all of you." I sat down with them as the door burst open, keeping eye contact between the mother and her parental counter-part. She gave me a shaky and somewhat hesitant nod as I smiled at her. I felt a little of my blood dripping down my teeth and falling down my chin. I kept my features confident as three figures entered the room, weapons at the ready.
The voice that sounded out was serious, and questioning, but impossible for me to understand.
I felt a frown tug on the corner of my cheeks at the words. Fuck. Now that I was thinking about it, did they understand any of what I just said? I mean, the crew understood me, but this was an alien people and I had no idea if my incredible luck with English being the universal language would hold out here. I found myself hoping they either understood, or happen to be smart enough to know that a Freeza force soldier could and would kill most of them for selling him out. Even if they were absolutely confident in the soldiers ability they had to know some people would die in the ensuing fight.
Even if that wasn't technically true in this situation.
"Is everyone alright? There's been an attack on the facility and the alien responsible is still at large." A warrior, one decorated in badges of honor and seals of command, addressed the room. Once upon a time many would have thought such a man almost unstoppable, almost as if his badges and honors gave him a quality beyond the normal Xecrosian men and women, but now many found their faith in such things shaken.
What was bravery against overwhelming strength? What was valor in the face of terror itself? A brave mortal couldn't face the demi-gods outside for long, so it was foolish to believe he could inside either.
Berrin, a frightened mother of three cringed as the very creature responsible for the attack in question smiled at her through the mess of blood, fur, and burns that covered his face. Things only ever seemed to get worse the past couple of days. The loss of her parents, her home, and her heritage in one fell swoop had been bad enough, but this new development had really driven that fact home.
Still, she was luckier than she could say many mothers on this world were. Her children lived, and their father had been wounded enough in the ensuing fighting to join them in the shelter instead of dying alongside many of those who still protected the city above. The portion of her family she cared for the most still lived on. She had no intention of letting that change now.
Her command of the universal language was poor to say the least, but like many of her race she had picked up at least some knowledge on the subject ever since her people started communicating with the universe at large. The monster now sitting across from her, her mothers quilt wrapped tightly around his smelly and bloodied form, had been easy enough to understand.
So she put on the best act she could, standing and addressing the warriors. "We heard the explosions from above, but we've all been careful to stay here. It's easy to get lost in the halls." She swallowed dryly. "No-ones seen any of the invaders for days." A number of voices around the room called out to agree with her, their own voices tinged with fear that could easily be attached to the implication of an invader in the area over his direct presence.
The leader of the group looked to her, his gaze searching, before he looked down and to her family. She held back a wince as his eyes fell on the back of the alien. The mans expression softened as he looked to the quietly crying form of her daughter. "New guards should be posted above soon, if any of you believe to have seen or heard one of the invaders don't hesitate to come to us for help. Be wary and stay safe, all of you." The warrior turned away, speaking into his communicator and ordering his men to sweep the halls before they returned to the surface. They were outside the atrium within five minutes.
She let out a sigh of relief when they finally left, and the alien mercifully distanced himself from her husband and children. He withdrew back to the center of the room, laying against a crate, still wrapped in the quilt he had taken. After he made himself comfortable he addressed the room with the same casual tone as he had before.
"Well done, now so long as anyone doesn't do anything to warn them, Most of you might just make it out of here with your lives and families relatively intact." He leaned further back into a crate, his eyes closing as he let out a yawn. "Hopefully none of you screw it up for yourselves." With that said the invader stilled, allowing himself to sleep without any sign of a care in the world.
Berrin stared at the invader, unsure of what to do but hold her family and hope that they could stay together through everything. She ignored the doubt in the back of her mind, whispering that she should have told the warriors. It was so easy to say slavery was better than death, but was that really the path she should have taken? As she looked over her two sons and her beautiful daughter she nodded to herself. It was a difficult choice to make, but maybe one day, after everything passed, they would have a chance at a real life.
She was left to wonder as the monster slept. Do those invaders have mothers? Families? Do they regret the horror they commit or were those weaker nothing more than playthings?
Sleep hadn't been the first thought on my mind, but I was quickly growing used to the concept of sleeping whenever and wherever I could. I had hours at best before the fighting starts, and while I have no intention of participating anymore than I already have, it was better to be ready for the worst. I pretended to be unconscious for around ten minutes, doing some light ki exercises as I felt out the room for any signs of dissent, before eventually letting my exhaustion take over. It was risky of course, but every moment of my time on this planet had been in some way or another.
This time I dreamed of the dark place, of rushing water filling my lungs and rigid metal piping surrounding me on all sides. Much like the first time I waited until I was far enough away before I tried to escape, only to realize my blaster had long since been swept away by the water. I died trapped inside the pipes, my body stuck somewhere below ground for years to come.
The worst part wasn't that I had died, or drowned, but that I had never gone on to fight my way out. Instead of living in spite of every obstacle, I died with a quiet whimper yet again. No one would remember me. I was just another dead man once again.
Not long after that I was back in the oblivion I was still so very afraid of, left to do nothing but feel as my sense of self faded away. Left to wonder who or what I was for all eternity.
Well I'm heading to sleep myself. Let me know what you guys think! As always constructive criticism is welcome.