The Unwanted ~ Book 1

Chapter 41

"Okay, that's enough! I get it! I messed up! It happens! You're talking as if you've never made a mistake on a mission before!" A pause follows the echo of my voice as Andy stares at me in silence. His expression may be cold, but his eyes have changed. The coldness has been transformed into shock followed by grief. It seems that my words must have struck a nerve.

"Looks like I was right." I say quietly and after staring at me in silence for a moment longer, he sighs. Running a hand through his hair, his cold mask begins to crack.

"You were. But the consequences of my actions were way worse than fatal injuries. That is why I wish you hadn't acted so recklessly, Cas." The mask has crumbled, leaving grief and pain behind. Seeing him in this state leaves me in shock without knowing how to respond. One thing is for sure, he definitely does not want my pity, so I respond the only way I can.

"Andy, what happened?" I probe him softly and I can see it was the right reaction as he looks at me gratefully.

Swallowing hard, he takes a deep breath, before he delves into the story. "It was way before I became a member of the Oath Bound. In fact, it's the reason I became a member, or rather I was forced to. About five years ago now, we had received a mission from the government to infiltrate a highly dangerous city. The city was full of rogue individuals, who we know now as full bloods, and the government had asked us to only send in a small group of three people to take care of them. They knew we would think it was dangerous, which is why they sent some golems to 'help' us," I cut off his explanation with a gasp, my hands covering my mouth as I remember his reaction when we saw them before.

"But I thought they weren't going to send anymore..."

"Wait, you mean?" He nods in response to my reaction and I take a seat beside him on his bed from shock so that I can hear the rest of his story. Andy sighs and rubs his face in agitation before he continues. 

"Yeah, those golems were made by the government. It seems like it would be pretty helpful, having those giants help us in battle, but it's actually the opposite. Those golems have a huge weakness, a flaw actually. Those golems are made with no perception of friend and foe. They will attack anything and everything. It's one of the reasons why we started doubting and investigating the government."

I nod my head as I bite my lip in thought, think back to when I first came to The Compound and the Oath Bound told me how they were investigating the government. "The golems and full bloods were being used to ruin the reputation of the bibloods."

"Yep. The fullbloods would dress like us when they caused havoc, and on the occasion they didn't, just the fact that the amount of chaos was starting to increase was enough to worry people." All the pieces fall into place in my mind and it must have shown on my face as Andy smiles wryly.

"How can you keep trusting the people who are supposed to be protecting you when they aren't protecting you, but are failing to stop the crimes from happening in time?" I return Andy's wry smile with one of my own.

"Exactly. Anyway, back to the story. At this time I had yet to become a member of the Oath Bound but Brandon, who was the strongest at the time, and I were really good friends. In fact all five of us from the current Oath Bound were all friends with one of the members and saw them as our mentors. Which is why they would ask us for our advice about missions. This was the first mission of it's kind that we've ever had, so all the more reason why we were called in to give our opinions," Andy has to pause here as he relieves the pain of this memory, the pain he's feeling is written plainly on his face. He swallows hard a couple of times in order to bring himself to continue and I place my hand on his knee in encouragement.