Arknights: When Hunters Meet (A Tacet x Projekt Red novel)

Chapter 24 - Indomitable Will's - Projekt Red Route

-Are you going to let our pups grow without a father, Red?

I asked sincerely, expecting the worst. I knew I never really had a chance against her, fighting like this, fighting defensively. It was to be the end. The last cruel and dark joke fate would throw at me. But at my question she seamed to hesitate in applying Grandma's final sentence.

-Red wanted a family, you once said.

The slightest tremble could be noticed in the grip of her knife. A tear formed in each of her eyes and came down her cheeks.

-''Red does.'' She said with her knife hand visibly trembling now.
-You promised me pups. Let's go back home and raise them together, Red.
-I... I...

She trailed off. There was a great struggle in her, I could sense. No, it was an inner battle that she was having against Grandma's control. I was awaiting our fate to unfold. She was busy battling it in her mind, so I dared not test her reaction by doing any moves. But as she quickly returned the knife in a different direction I caught her arm just as Red was about to impale her own throat! Tears were flowing openly on her cheeks.

-''I... don't want this.'' She spoke looking at seemingly no one.
-''Let me... Tacet.'' She spoke now looking at me, pleadingly. As if she was hanging by a thread before losing control.

With great force and great anger I suddenly punched my beloved lupa straight in her face. Propelling her off of me and landing on her back unconscious. This was one way to diffuse a situation as much as I hated harming the one I love. At least I avoided any of our deaths, for the meantime at least. I rose up on my knee with a great headache and with smoke starting to gather around us. The fires were coming, of the land and of the sky. Ominous eyes were watching from the foggy smoke, and they didn't look too friendly. The one ahead of them exuding a seeming malice for me the most. I grabbed her knife and intended to pick up Red to leave this accursed place as much as my pierced shoulder would hurt to carry her. The catastrophe wouldn't wait for us.

I was above my lupo when the pain in my head suddenly became too sharp. The smoke stung my eyes more than usual and I closed my lids to refresh them. But instead memories assailed me. Dark memories from the bottom of my mind. I've been too many times close to death during that damnable war. It was one reason why I had so many scars on my face and others that my body concealed. The pain of having my body so prone to violent heart attacks. The pain of seeing their faces, reminiscing. It was no good thinking of it even after its conclusion. Yet I felt the hate and disgust I had for those things that took all I had. I hated them with a passion. They took my buddies, they took my family, they took my peace of damn mind, and they took everything else. I wanted them dead along with my traitorous kin! Not just the men but the women and children too! All of them!

The worst flashbacks were coming and going. Annoying me, inflaming my spirits, lighting up a deep malevolence and anger. I opened my eyes and saw an abomination. Yet my eyes were deceiving me. I recognised her. But, she was one of them. That would always be the reality. The more I thought about it the more my mind was being clouded by these old feelings of mine. This... was not how it was supposed to be. I was so tired and enraged. It was becoming... so difficult to think. The waves of the worst of what I was were bellowing against me, wanting to take me in its stream. I raised Red's knife, poised to strike, and with a titanic force of will I stroke down hard!

The shearing pain was excruciating! I let out a traumatised scream that was more than just the physical pain but my mental one as well! It was an intense and angry bellow I gave out that reverberated throughout the burning forest. I gasped for air and I felt it irritate my throat. The shadow over my eyes was dispelling and, looking down I saw a deeply shocked Red looking back at me. My hand besides her head was impaled deeply with her knife that I held just a moment ago.