The Elite

Nine

Tass

We were among the last ones to arrive in Los Angeles before the Elite Council decided to start the attack so we got to our perimeter guarding duties rather quickly upon arriving. And, well, it was surprisingly uneventful. We basically just sat there, doing nothing, for no one was fleeing. It was just dust as the recon drones we deployed picked up a whole lot of nothing in our area.

"This is probably one of the most defining battles in Elite history and we're missing it," Gabriel muttered, kicking a bit of rubble.

"I'm perfectly glad I'm missing my death," I replied.

I sat down on a large piece of rubble, taking another glance at the area. It was still a whole lot of nothing, destroyed when Sonic Death attacked Los Angeles and other Californian cities long before I was born. I'd heard some of the old women that took care of us at the orphanage talk about days when people knew America because they were powerful in the world, but I struggled to comprehend that view. It seemed a sheer contrast to my days, in which I only knew America for the fact that it was heavily destroyed in the early days of Talbots.

"Gabriel," a young, feminine voice drifted out of Gabriel's bracelet all of a sudden, "We're pinned down. I don't think..."

The voice quickly delved into a different language that I was unfamiliar with. However, I could reasonably guess that it was Portuguese, because I wasn't aware that Gabriel spoke any other languages besides that and English.

Then, all of a sudden, the words stopped, cut off by something that sounded like an explosion, leaving a dreadful silence hanging in the air

"Amélia!" Gabriel yelled.

There was no reply. Looking at Julian, I saw that his heart had softened as he reached for Gabriel, trying to place a comforting hand on his shoulder. Part of me wished he was comforting me, telling me that he was going to be my friend and not leave.

I quickly shook away from extraneous thoughts. I didn't need anybody to stay, especially not someone so mysterious and untrustworthy. It was better I left him to Gabriel, who would actually accept the comfort.

...or not.

Gabriel angrily shook off Julian's comforting hand and ran off, hurriedly asking his bracelet for Amélia's last known location.

"Gabriel!" I yelled. "Where do you think you're going?"

"To rescue my sister," he yelled back.

"She's probably already dead!"

Gabriel didn't listen to me. In fact, at my words, he only seemed to run faster, my pessimism somehow spurring him to get to his sister faster.

I debated just letting him run. Although he was my squadmate, I didn't like him enough to risk my life for him. If he was going to die — and due to his lack of skill, that was likely — I was inclined to leave him to it. But, of course, I was the only one who thought like that, for, all of a sudden, Julian darted after Gabriel, chasing him down. I took a second to marvel at how fast he ran before Leon darted after Julian.

"Come back!" Leon yelled.

"I've got to help Gabriel!" Julian yelled back.

He was probably going to get killed, but I had a feeling he knew it. Julian didn't seem like the sort to make rash decisions — I'd never seen him make one before — so I doubted he'd do so now. That left me with the fact that Julian had a kind heart as his reason for chaing after Gabriel — which seemed like a strange thing for him to have given his past, but I supposed some people were just good. I wished I knew more people that were like that.