The Aftermath

S5E8: Gone

Myracle admires her surroundings, knights scattered about as if she was in a ring, a victim of a glorious battle. It looks like a crowd of hungry scavengers, solely rooting for her utter defeat. Although Myracle is a powerful presence, her anxiety is through the roof.
There's no escape. She feels weighed down from the immense strain her body's endured. The last thing she needs is a purposeless battle. With her current state, she can't fight her way through a brigade of knights, no matter how tenacious she may be.
She can hear Chris's violent array of screaming as he nearly fights off the guards blocking the lobby entrance just behind her. He's never looked so wild and furious. Considering the sight he's just endured with Ryan, she can't put it past him.
It was at this moment where she has finally located the true threat to society. It was never these crawlers and ravaging mutants; it's always been humans. Humans are the true wildcards once the world partakes in a drastic change.
She recalls her experiences with Karma, noting how her existence lead to a fatal hardship that completely altered the group's dynamic. That was the most heart-wrenching moment they've endured until Laura and Eleanor got involved.
Most of their pain and sudden attitude adjustments was caused by the villainous acts committed by dreadful people. After Ryan's shocking death, both Eleanor and especially Laura deserves to pay for their fraudulent act. Myracle won't stop until they are both dead.
The overwhelming sound of clapping and cheering ring through Myracle's ears as Eleanor makes her grand entrance. Her egotistical attitude protrudes as she confidentially takes off her leather coat, looking like a gang leader.
She walks towards the center of the lobby, a bewildered Myracle amongst the midst of all this madness. Eleanor's blade glistens brightly as the sun reflects its bright rays, symbolizing this inevitable sword fight.
Myracle responds almost immediately, drawing her katana as the adrenaline starts pumping through her veins. Although she's both mentally and physically exhausted, she won't back down. She won't surrender.
This may be a gruesome battle, but Myracle is ready. It's time for her to take on this tyrant once and for all. Even if Eleanor has the advantage, Myracle won't roll over in defeat. She'll give her hell, just like Eleanor has done throughout this raid.
"Ready to dance my mere subject?" Eleanor says pridefully amongst the roars of her minions.
"The question is if you're ready," Myracle spits, lunging at Eleanor.
They clash, the metal swords twanging against one another as all eyes pinpoint towards the energetic quarrel between the two powerhouses. They're evenly matched when it comes to swordsmanship.
They're in this seemingly never ending battle to obtain dominance, receiving an edge being absolutely vital. As soon as someone gets the upper hand, their victory is almost inevitable.
Dodging becomes second nature to the two as they constantly fight off each attack. Eleanor has seen her fair share of fights, but this is proving to be the most taxing. They're both at a complete stalemate.
       Chris notices this critical fight through a small crevice of the makeshift blockade, shocked as to what he's witnessing. To think that somebody comes close to matching Myracle's swordsmanship skills is baffling.
       The woman he cares deeply for is on the verge of defeat. However, he's confident in Myracle's abilities to fight off this Behemoth of a leader. She must give it her all if she wants to return to Chris'a warm, comforting embrace.
       "Myracle!" Chris shouts loudly as he aggressively slams all of his bodyweight into the multitude amount of guards.
       The impact he leaves is completely immeasurable, clearly surprising this overwhelming army. He nearly got through on pure willpower and dedication alone, despite his injuries.
       "C-Chris! Be careful!" Jeannie yells worriedly, not wanting to risk Chris's well-being any further.
       Myracle can feel the exhaustion setting in as sweat drips down her forehead, her arms fatigued. Her reaction time has dwindled, but it seems that Eleanor is still maintaining her typical pace. Perhaps, her plan was to tire Myracle out all along.
       Close calls soon become the norm as the blade nearly grazes her scalp. She's solely in defender mode, desperately trying to get in one strike. This is the key factor to failure. Once her mind slips for even a moment, she croaks.
       Suddenly, Eleanor chuckles to herself, setting her attention onto Chris. However, her strength hasn't faded at all. She's adding mind games into the mix, completely toying with Myracle's once rational thinking.
       "Is that your man? I get why you like him. He seems brave," Eleanor motions towards Chris, trying to find an opening.
       The attempt fails, Myracle fleeing that cornering sensation. She knows the way this sadist operates; taunting her prey is an iconic part of her opportunistic personality. Other people's torment represents her pleasure.
However, Myracle doesn't stop there. She takes a huge swing, finally on offense. Although being level-headed is an attribute that she contains, she tends to hold grudges whenever someone she cares for is involved. If Eleanor continues to bring up Chris, Myracle won't stop attacking until she drops to the floor.
Eleanor continues to block each attack, amused to see such sudden determination in Myracle's eyes. She has finally found her weakness, her breaking point. Her liability is Chris. Eleanor can now rest assured, knowing that she's just about to win this battle.
"You know what would be satisfying Myracle?" Eleanor begins, filled to the brim with excitement.
Myracle's attacks have become more frequent and predictable. Eleanor could easily finish her, but this desire to toy with prey is just to great. These once well-thought out and tactical attacks have now transformed into premature, reckless acts that will be the epitome of Myracle's defeat.
"I'd be absolutely delighted to watch that stubborn, arrogant kid die with my hands as I cut off his head and put it on a spike," Eleanor states daringly, showcasing her maniacale nature.
This sets Myracle over the edge, her body trembling with a dangerous combination of exhaustion and anger. Eleanor has officially crossed a line. Once she mentions anything about Chris, she's automatically dead to her.
Myracle winds up, making an aggressive swing, misses. Eleanor smirks sadistically, catching her prey off guard, gashing her leg. Myracle immediately recoils, wincing from the pain as she grasps her bleeding leg.
Meanwhile, Jess has grown distracted from the task at hand. Instead, she's more invested with this terrifying fight. Myracle is on the verge of defeat, and Jess can't do anything to help her.
Jess glances over at Chris, still trying to force his way through to Myracle. After Ryan's death, this is only making him more unhinged. She needs to stop this before he makes matters worse. He's in absolutely no condition to fight against this powerful dictator.
She runs up behind him, Matthew noticing Jess's sudden action. He goes over to help, knowing how unstable Chris has been as of late. It's extremely important that they look out for him until he's ready to make leader-like decisions.
"Come on Chris! You need to help us fight. Forget about Myracle for now," Matthew says impatiently, struggling to pull him back.
"Get your hands off of me!" Chris roars, kicking Matthew till he falls to the floor.
Matthew has never seen such negativity and hostility out of Chris. He's always acted so careful and prudent. Safety and the well-being of others has always been the first thing in his mind. Perhaps, Myracle has made him more susceptible to his feelings.
He can sense whenever feelings are being tossed around. The way Chris and Myracle look at each other showcases their undeniable love. That's why Chris is acting out. He hasn't confessed his feelings yet. He's been waiting for so long now.
"I understand that you're upset Chris, but the more you help us, the better chance we have at saving Myracle. So, are you in or out?" Jess asks blatantly, knowing that a normal conversation won't get through to Chris.
Chris abruptly stops fighting, still not answering Jess. However, he turns around ever-so-slowly, giving off a slight nod of agreement. He picks up the pistol that fell to the floor, aiming it at this seemingly never-ending horde of mutants.
Tara starts to run over, noticing Simon sitting on the floor, Chris finally getting talked down by Jess. Although Tara is curious about this immature scene caused by Chris, Simon's lack of presence is startling in its own way. It's like he's a shadow of everyone else's glory.
Simon looks through another crevice of the barricade, close towards the floor. He has a front row seat to this fight. There's this enthralled look on his face. However, there's also a hint of sadness and loneliness.
Finally, Tara sets the attention back onto Chris's sudden outburst. She understands his dilemma, but he's not the only one who's battling off their inner thoughts. Both Jess and Matthew are on the brink of defeat. They're far too shattered to continue fighting like this.
It's only a matter of time till they break. Jess finally joins back in on the fight, keeping a close eye on Chris while Matthew gets lost in his own thoughts. Despite all of his past actions, Tara can tell that he's a caring person.
"What happened? A-Are you guys okay?" Tara asks nervously.
Matthew chuckles at Tara's timid nature. At least there's one uplifting aspect amongst all the hell they've endured. He's been fighting for God knows how long. It's refreshing to feel that surprised sensation of laughter during such a dire time.
"Yeah Jess handled the situation, so don't fret, it's all taken care of," Matthew says with an endearing smile, patting her shoulder before walking back towards the fight.
A while ago, they'd be worried about this barrage of crawlers. However, things have changed since then. People are considered as the threat now. All the gunshots and demonic screeching is just everyday life at this point. Tara has learned to shut it out.
Tara focuses her attention back onto Myracle and Eleanor's fight, last seeing Eleanor obtain the upper hand. She doesn't want to watch her cousin get defeated against her father's mistress.
Myracle grasps at her bleeding leg as she slowly drags herself away. She has just been outperformed by this tyrant. There's no way of winning this fight without risking her leg. This fight is officially over.
"Well, it looks like the marvelous Myracle has been eliminated. I guess you will become a memory like the rest," Eleanor says pridefully, about to strike down her blade.
"Go to hell you pitiful bitch," Myracle grunts, giving off a threatening look.
Eleanor suddenly hesitates, reevaluating her choices. She gazes her intently, analyzing her entire being. It's like she's staring at Myracle as if she were a boss at a job interview, scouting out their most viable resource. That resource being Myracle and her skill set.
"You know what? I'll spare you just this once," Eleanor states with a cheerful grin.
Myracle can't help but grow irritated at this woman's behavior. She expects gratitude for sparing her life after killing off one of their own. That order she clearly enacted has altered Chris's mindset. He will never return to who he once was; it's almost like he's gone.
"Fuck you!" Myracle shouts before everything goes black.
She falls to the floor, unconscious just like all the rest. Tara and Simon watch as Myracle gets dragged away, the rest of the group preoccupied as knights start to infiltrate the fight. There's barely enough time to assess the situation at hand. Tara needs to start fighting, fast.
She practically forces Simon to move as the guards start bombarding her. She whips out her bow like a professional, dropping these guards like flies. There's a quota one has to reach before becoming an archer. A huge aspect being patience and total concentration.
Simon takes refuge behind Tara as he continues to gaze at this shocking sight. Myracle's motionless body slowly starts to get dragged into the carriage, taking away one of their strongest warriors.
He takes a glance at his mother who's infatuated with a conversation accompanied by their minion rather than her own son. Eleanor knew that Simon was watching their fight, but she still chose to be standoffish. Their existence isn't worthy of her attention.
All Simon ever wanted was to be accepted, at least by his own family. One simple look at Eleanor is enough for Simon to question his own identity. Her mere existence is paining, it's completely belittling.
The carriage door opens, revealing another shocking discovery. It's Laura. All her injuries are treated, her shoulder wrapped in gauze. He doesn't want Tara to witness this, but it's already too late. They practically lock eyes, distracting her from fighting.
She gazes at her mother, conflicting feelings arising within her amongst all the bloodshed. All she could think was, Is that really my mother? Although family should always come first, her last memory with Laura ended with Ryan's utter demise, leaving her in agony.
Tara wanted the opportunity to grow close with her mother and to love their interactions unconditionally. To her, family was once everything. However, foolish mottos tend to disappear. Her mother has taken away the one healthy, joyful increment of her life. There's no forgiving that.
She aims her bow elsewhere, pointing it directly at her mother. Deep down, releasing this arrow would absolutely destroy her, but Ryan's death did that already. Her mother must pay for the sinful act she committed.
Laura frolics around frantically, clearly trying to convince a knight to close the door. It takes longer than expected, but Tara releases the arrow, immediately feeling relief on the act alone. However, that feeling of relief quickly fades as the arrow hits the carriage, barely missing her mother.
Before she can grow disappointed, a knight makes his way towards Tara, sword drawn. She's not mentally prepared for this in the slightest. A huge revelation has just been portrayed upon her. There's no time for such an altercation.
Just before the sword could jab through her chest, Ricky fires his pistol, the bullet traveling directly into the knight's eye. The gunshot leaves a sharp ringing as she watched the body hit the floor, blood oozing out from his battered eye.
"What're you doing! Stay alert, you guys need to be careful," Ricky shouts frantically.
That was the wake up call Tara needed. She must stay alive for Ryan's sake; his death can't be in vain. Although seeing Laura has left a bad mark, it'll never erase her tough edge that got her through this horrid apocalypse.
"Are you guys okay over there? Make sure to keep your guard up," Skyy says while firing her weapon from afar, finishing off the crawlers.
"S-Sorry! I'm fine now," Tara stutters nervously before returning back to the action.
The adrenaline fills the air as the threat is at an all time high. Knights attack in waves as if the group was in a video game. Puncturing skin followed by that squelching sound harmonizes with the soldiers' screams of agony. They weren't aware as to what group they were messing with.
       Time passes before this seemingly endless siege of warriors come to a halt, this hospital transforming into a battlefield. They step over these corpses, eyes solely focused on Eleanor who's standing proudly at the center of the lobby.
       It's like she has no remorse for the pain she's caused on these innocent beings. A couple knights remain by her side as most of the army huddles toward the exit. Eleanor still hasn't dropped her egocentric demeanor.
       Simon is now facing his mother head to head. There's so many hateful, dismissive words he wants to lay out for all to hear, but he's frozen in shock. His past has officially caught up with him. There's no telling of what's to come for his sanity.
       Eleanor still chooses to ignore their own blood, forcing them to initiate the conversation. However, Simon will not fall under the pressure. He deserves to be seen. He deserves to be heard. He deserves to act freely as his true self.
       Everyone stares at Eleanor longingly, the sole dictator who flipped their lives upside down. However, she didn't just invade their sanctuary; she also caused the widespread of this apocalypse. They were furious before, but after Ryan's death, this matter has become personal.
       Her inhumane actions alongside other powerful, corrupt militia generals have led to the downfall of humanity. All these torturous kidnappings and murders have been tampering with their sanity for long enough. It's time for them to go to war.
       She's the reason why Simon lost his identity. She's the reason why Ryan's dead, convincing Laura to partake in the dirty work. She's the reason why the entirety of Chris's family has disappeared. All he has now is Jeannie, and together, they will prevail.
       If they somehow manage to persevere through this hardship, Chris won't stop until he contains Eleanor's head as a souvenir. Her death is the way he grieves. It's the only logical thing he can do to avenge Ryan's death as well as the endless kidnappings. It's time to stop this monster.