Earth Warriors (Undergoing Revision)

Chapter 114 - Dead Memories

"I'm sorry, but are you seriously implying that you see yourself as the pretty princess that can redeem a bad boy like in those novels?" Rian says in a curt tone. 

"B-because... Because I have to, it's what a true love can guide us for, I... I just need to surpass it and it'll be happily ever after!" Tany replies, to which Rian scoffs in response. 

"Come off it, I've known from experience from other people that those kind of thoughts are ripe to get your life ruined because you can't see that some people are fucking bastards, and I can tell Diego is that kind of guy." This alone makes Tany try to stand up and try to grab Rian, only for her to be grabbed by Amira, Logan and Malak through her arms. 

"You meanie jerky jerk! How can you know what his locked hearts feel about me?! Isn't your mind too shrouded to be that judgy?!" 

"Cool it off, Tany. I too know from experience and sometimes it can hurt thinking your first love stinks, but it's a part of it. Don't you care for others too?" Rita adds while holding Rian. 

"I-I do... But he was..." Tany tries to retort amidst tears, only for Rian to step in. 

"Why can't you just snap back to reality, Tany? You think that someone who became the bootlicker of a dictator and ordered people to be killed for offending him actually has a heart of gold?" 

"I... I felt his heart, you don't really have such a right to judge him for that!" 

"Sorry, Tany, but I gotta agree with the rest here, and honestly, you feel too clingy to someone like him," Julian adds as well. 

With that, Tany yells a lot as she pushes the three friends on her back away and rushes to slap in Rian right in the left cheek, prompting Julian and Rita to hold him and try to get a grip on Tany, only for her to rush outside the tent, nearly stumbling near Ed as the rest glance at Tany who runs away with tears on her eyes. 

"Tany, wait!" Logan shouts while Tany runs away in the distance. She doesn't comply as she runs off in the wasteland of the southern part of the city, and for that alone, he glances at Ed, to which he groans in response. 

"Agh, not again... Tany, get back here, girl!" Ed says while sprinting as fast as he can towards Tany's direction, this time with his revolvers near him in case some potential hostiles get to her. 

"C'mon, Tany!" Seiner says while also running towards Ed's direction, in an unusually higher tone than expected from Seiner in the way he acted with Tany before. All the while Rian heads outside while caressing the slapping mark on his cheek. 

"Logan, you better do something with your buddies. Otherwise, we can't win," Rian says in a stern tone. 

"I'll try... Not just for us, but for others too. I'll really try..." Logan says while looking at the ground for a bit, pondering over what happened. The hostage situation was something out of their control, yes, but it is true that some measure of control should be needed when it comes to preventing such things from happening again. 

However, they can't be always guaranteed when it comes to such strong memories involving events that changed the lives of many for better or worse. 

*** 

As Ed continues to run in the direction of Tany's footsteps, he does while also evading any trash can and piece of wreckage stumbling on his path, whether it's the flaming graveyards of cars, flaming barrels on the floor, the trembling and scowling bystanders inside some of the torn down buildings, it didn't matter how many times Ed has to slow down to dodge any of these obstacles, it is for his own safety as well as Tany and others to be in a stable mind and gain enough strength to fight for another day, no matter how dire things may look.