Shadow Thief

38 - Selfish Me

I took first watch, walking the perimeter of the campsite which was much bigger than I would've liked. Still, I was traveling with a group much larger than I would've liked to, but that was unavoidable.

"Hello, Little Fighter," Chris said, stalking over to me with a smile on his face.

"Why do you still call me that?"

"It's a fitting nickname, don't you think? You proved it in the fight two days ago, and the fact that you're still alive proves it. You're defiantly a fighter. And you're not exactly big so, you know, you're little. Little Fighter."

"Fine, then I get to call you Mr. Ass Hat."

"You can't be serious."

I shrugged at him. "Fair is fair."

"Fine, I get it, Lena, or is it Shadow?"

"Lena's fine."

"You know, we didn't exactly get news in the prison. I hadn't heard about you until a year or so ago when someone got caught and was trying to turn you in to save himself. He yelled everyday about how he knew where the invincible Shadow was."

"Invincible Shadow? I wish I could've heard that."

"He was executed for murder. The next time I heard about you was from Rosy. She was actually bragging about how the mighty Shadow had taken her captive. She seemed pretty honored. Actually I went asking around with the soldiers and apparently I missed a kickass criminal when I got caught. Still, I never would've thought it was you."

I didn't reply, instead I looked out in the distance at the barren landscape which was scarcely dotted with cacti. Seriously, how do you reply to something like that?

"I've been meaning to ask you, Lena, what do you plan on doing after all this?"

I looked at him now, again not sure how to reply.

He studied my blank expression for a bit before he asked his question. "You're not planning on surviving, are you?"

I gave him a weak half smile.

"Do you wanna die?"

"No one really wants to die."

"Then why?"

"Because I want everyone else to live."

"And what does that have to do with you dying?"

"Well, if everything goes like it should, which it probably will, it'll be me verses the Kaiser and his men. I don't want the others anywhere near all that. It's not that I'm planning on dying, per say. More like, I'll probably die."

"You know what? I was wrong about something. From all the stories I heard about how much of a ruthless killer you are, or were, I thought there was none of that little girl left in you. That I'd taken it all away. But I was wrong. You've still got that same personality."

"What're you talking about?"

"Remember? When I had your little sister, Mercy I think -right?-  you took me on by yourself so she could run. You're trying to do the same thing now. You wanna shield those kids from any real danger."

Kids. I wasn't sure about them all, but they were decently close to my age. In the physical sense, we were all more or less kids. In another, I was aged and dying.

"For different reasons. Then I was just trying to protect my little sister. She was all that mattered at that second. Now, I have a family I want to survive. They mean more to me than anything in this world, and I don't want to loose them."

"But that's not all, is it."

"No, it's not. I'm a criminal and a murderer. I've screwed up so many times and ended so many lives. I don't even remember how many."

"So you want to repent?"

"Something like that." I stopped for a second to breath. "Chris, can you do something for me? After everything's said and done, take care of them."

"Me?"

"Yes, you. I have a friend in the city named Ravi. If I die can you make sure he does the same? I want to make sure they live good lives after me."

"I don't think they can."

"What?"

"Those kids, they rely on you. Especially that one guy who follows you around like a lost puppy- looks like one too. I don't think they'll know how to live without you, I don't know if they'll want to."

"That's why I'm asking you to help them. You and Ravi both."

"Isn't that awfully selfish of you? You drag them into a revolution and then leave them behind with two unmarried dad's." I laughed at the bit of joking in the last part.

"Yeah, it is, isn't it." I smiled a bit, though I'm not really sure why. "Chris, will you take my selfish last request? Take care of my family for me after I die. Make sure they get around okay without me. If you can, help them to forget about me. No matter how much they hate you."

"Fine, since I can't convince you out of it. I'll take care of you're so called family." He let out a gruff little laugh. "It's a bit ironic that you're asking me of all people. After everything I did to you."

"I know, but I know I can trust you. You went to prison and let me survive and Mercy too. You changed the night you met me."

"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't."

"You did, and I know it." I looked at him, letting an awkward silence fall between us. "Welp, since you're awkae, why don't you take patrol?"

"Wait, what?"

"Night, Chris," I said running  off before he could stop me. "Don't forget about any of this. I'll come back and haunt your sorry ass if you do."

-Author's Note-

Yes! Double update! Even if this chapter is short, I'm still glad I wrote it. I also feel it's a bit poorly written and rush. I promise I'll come back and edit it one day in my life. Probably.

Thanks for reading, guys!