Reborn: Ascension

Episode 18: Finding Leo

<Episode 18>
Finding Leo

A thirteen hour drive from Sapphire City to the villages situated near Seraph City. Sid drives past a sign that reads; Kouguro Village Five Miles. Looking out the window, wrecked and abandoned cars lay all over the road, driving past them is like taking a driver’s test, it takes careful and perfect precision. Sid avoids the cars and off at a distance, a horde of Infectids rampage through what looks like an abandoned farm.

Nero wonders, if the cure has been created and people know about it and have been taking it, why is it that there are so many Infectids out there? One may think that the amount of people getting infected would decrease, but seeing this...?

Nero: what the hell happened?

Sid: with what?

Nero: the cure business. Shouldn't the number of Infectids be decreased?

Sid: you’d think so. Genesis created the cure for the infection, yes, but once they made it public, it was bet big or go home

Nero: they sold the cure?

Sid: yeah, they sold it to some unknown company. Those greedy bastards sell the cure to the people and hospitals for a crazy amount, they can barely afford it. And I mean ridiculous amount

Nero: ...

Sid: that’s why their numbers have grown instead of declined

Nero: this world won’t be rebuilt to what it was

Sid: yeah, no shit

Up ahead Sid notices a village, standing by the entrance are heavily armed men, they even built a barricade not only to keep Infectids away but also unwanted guests.
Sid gets closer to the gate.

Sid: you have any idea on how we can go in?

Nero: ...

Sid: I’ll take that as a no

A man holds up his hand to indicate to Sid he should stop the car. Sid parks, the man approaches the drivers side of the vehicle. This moment reminds Nero of the time he and Leo were heading into Sapphire City. How Leo lied his way through the soldiers, he was always like that, lying came quite easy to him.

Man: what brings you here to Kouguro Village?

Sid: my car, hehe

Man: ...

Sid: no sense of humour at all

The man holds his machine gun close.

Man: I’ll ask again. What brings you to our village?

Sid: we needed a place to rest, we've been on the road for the whole day, avoiding Infectids and everything

Man: ...

Sid: we read a sign on that said there was a village around here and thought we could seek shelter

Man: we don’t take in outsiders

Sid: please sir, just a place to rest is all we need. The sun has begun to set, please

The man walks away from the car and has a chat with one of the guards.

Sid: so what do you think?

Nero: I think they’re militia, these men carry heavy artillery, stuff you can only find at a black market

Sid: gee, thanks for the info but I wasn’t talking about that, I meant do you think that they might let us in?

Nero: ...how much money do you have on you?

Sid: what?

Nero: money, how much do you have?

Sid: about $600, why?

Nero: because if they let us in, he’s going to charge us

Sid: yeah right. Wait are you serious?

The man walks back to the vehicle.

Man: It’s fine, you can go in

Sid: *sigh* thank you

Sid looks back at Nero with a huge smirk on his face indicating that he was wrong about having to pay to get into the village.

Man: but you’ll have to pay a fee

Nero looks at Sid to return the favour indicating that “I told you so”.

Sid: ..really? How much?

Man: how much do you have?

Sid: about six hundred bucks

Man: that’ll do

Sid hands over his money.

Man: what about your friend there?

Nero just stares at the militia man, without a word uttered.

Sid: he doesn’t have anything on him, trust me. That’s all the money we have

Man: right

The man says clearly uncertain of it.
Then he nods to one of the guys standing by the gate to open it up. He then waves them in.

Sid drives a mile first before he reaches the village. He parks his almost out of gas car.

Sid: that’s probably the last time we use that car, unless we find some gas

Nero looks around the village.

Sid: so… this is where Leo is?

Nero: let’s hope so, come on

Nero and Sid walk around the town, asking people if they’ve seen anyone carrying a katana, or an outsider. No one knows, others barely speak to them. Then Nero notices a bar.

Nero: let’s head over there

Sid: good idea, I could use a drink… I hope they serve appletinis

Nero: I’m not going to drink, Sid. I need information about Leo’s whereabouts, and I think that someone from that bar might give it to me

Sid: yeah… that’s what I meant to say. I don’t know where those words came from, maybe someone is writing our story as we go along, hehe

Nero rolls his eyes to Sid’s ridiculous statement.

They enter the bar, it’s a full house, barely enough space to sit. Nero heads to the bartender. A brunette woman, tattoos up the wazoo, almost looks like a biker girl, no doubt she can handle herself in a fight.

Nero: hey

Bartender: hi, I haven’t seen you here before, you just came here right?

Nero: ..right

Bartender: so what’ll it be?

Nero: I’m not here for a drink, I actually need some information

Bartender: and you think I can supply you with that, why?

Nero: because you’re a bartender, you people hear everything

Bartender: well, that’s true. So what do you want to know?

Nero: has a man carrying a katana came in here before?

Bartender: a sword? No, I don't recall ever seeing anyone like that

Nero: are you sure?

Bartender: trust me hun, I’d remember seeing someone like that

Nero: has anything happened out of the ordinary?

Bartender: like what?

Nero: like… explosions, weird whether conditions

Bartender: no nothing like that has ever happened. What is it you're looking for?

Nero: ...

Sid: It’s not a what but a who

Bartender: another newcomer?

Sid: I’m just going to go out and ask you. Has a Reborn ever been in this bar?

Bartender: so it’s a Reborn you’re looking for

Sid: answer the question please

Bartender: no, no Reborns have ever came into this bar

Sid: *sigh*

Bartender: but, there was one who came to this town, actually I think there was more than one

Nero: where can we find him?

Bartender: I don’t know, but I hear they made a grand spectacle out in the west side of town, people are still ranting and raving about it

Sid: gee, so much of not knowing anything about events that happened that seemed out of the ordinary

Bartender: hey, shoot me for forgetting okay

Nero: thanks, let’s go Sid

Nero heads out.

Sid: so do you serve appletinis here?

Bartender: now you wanna order something from me? I thought we got off on the wrong foot

Sid: hey, shoot me for being an asshole

The bartender chuckles a bit after that statement.

Nero: Sid, you don’t even have any money, how are you even going to pay for that drink? Let’s go

Sid: gotta go

Sid leaves the bar as well.
About a fifteen minute walk, Sid and Nero make it to the west sector of the town.

Sid: so, where should we go?

Nero searches the town with his eyes, he notices a man walking.

Nero: hey you

Civilian: me?

Nero: what happened around here a day ago? I hear some Reborn did something

Civilian: oh that, it’s huge, I don’t think you can break it, let alone melt it

Nero: break what? Is whatever it is made of ice?

Civilian: uhh, yeah… it is

He replies sounding a bit awkward around them all of a sudden.

Civilian: just head over in that direction, you’ll see it for yourselves, it’s not hard to miss

Nero rushes over in the direction.

Sid: hey wait up!

Sid goes after him, by the time Sid catches up to him, Nero is standing and facing the opposite direction.

Sid: what is… it?

A huge spikey pillar of ice stands before them. Nero can hardly believe his eyes, no doubt, Leo was here.

Nero: It’s him, Sid

Sid: we’re getting close

Nero: Leo…

He says his name and he can see his own breath as he speaks because of standing so close to the ice pillar.

Nero: don’t worry brother… I’m on my way… we’re on our way to you

Sid: so, why would he do this at this village?

To Be Continued...