Objective: Fire

Chapter 32

" this place look more dead than last time I was here..." Lloyd mumbles as both him and 47 stands before the once secret entrance of the old league.
" they're in there..." she replies and slowly grabs hold of one of her kunais.
" this used to be my home..." Lloyd replies as he now takes another step closer to the entrance. They had to enter... if the enemy were inside, then that's where they should be as well... right?
" it used to, it isn't anymore Lloyd.." 47 wanted to reach out to him and stop him from entering, but she knew she couldn't convince him to return to the others.. he was determined to finish this on his own... he was angrily...
" I won't allow anyone else to die by their hands... ever again."
47 quietly nods " no, never again. I won't allow it either." Lloyd turns to face her. He knew she meant it, but having her say it made him feel better. He wasn't alone, and he never will be with her by his side..
"I'm glad you tagged along. Sorry for being all mad earlier.. it wasn't right of me.."
47 quickly shook her head and grins up at him.
" I'm mad too, maybe it doesn't show, but I'm raging within, so there's no need to apologize. But we should use our minds. These people aren't stupid you know"
Without another word, she gently takes his hand in hers and leads him down into the tunnel of the old league. It was dark, and large boulders were covering the place, but it was still recognizable.
This had used to be the main entrance to the base where he usually went through after a successful mission.
But today, he wasn't entering just because of a successful mission... he was entering this cave to finally put an end to the dark lord and the x squadron's evil.
The hallway were wet and long, and it smelled like an old mans house, but it used to be home once.
Lots of old memories returned to them both and for the first time in Lloyd's life, he realized that he had happy memories of this place...
" look... there's our old sleeping quarters.. do you remember?" Lloyd points out a small room where he, 47, the twins and Morro had used to sleep.
A smile crosses 47's face as she remembered it very well.
" I do, and over there are the old training rooms. This place contains a lot of memories..." she mumbles.
" this place contains our whole childhood..." Lloyd replies.
" it sure does.. do you... miss it..?" The question was so unexpected that Lloyd almost stumbles over a rock.
" miss this place? It was a hell" he replies confused.
" yeah.. it was hell, but then again... we grew up her, we didn't exactly get tortured every second of our lives in here.." she mumbles as a reply.
" I just... it's weird to not call this home...I feel like this is my real home.. because I don't truly have one..."
Lloyd tightens his grip to her hand and turns his head to face her. What she had said was partly true. Yes this had been her home, but she was wrong about not having a home.
" you got us.. Wu, Jey, Nya, Kai...you got me... we are your new home, and you will always have a place in our hearts, you know that." He tells her.
A weak smile crosses her lips at his words.
" thank you... I just... wish my real family could still be alive.. I just found out about most of them being dead now... looks like my uncle is the only one last and... I .. I don't want to lose him too.." her voice cracks at the end of her sentence and Lloyd tightens his grip on his hand. He knew this was painful to her... I wasn't easy to deal with the los of your family when you thought they could still be alive after leaving the league... he was lucky... she was not..
" let's defeat the dark lord once and for all and then find your uncle... alright? I will help you" Lloyd tells her.
" alright.. as long as the dark lord is alive, everyone's lives are in great danger"
" it is indeed..."

" like anyone would ever be safe" Ashe's voice ran through the corridors like an echo, quickly bringing an end to Lloyd's and 47 conversations. They both grabbed onto their weapons and held it out, ready to fight if it would be necessary.
" just show yourself... what's the point in wasting time." Lloyd angry replies. He did not have to for this. Who would?
" you're jumping straight at it. Well then" corns of small black material slowly began to gather at the center of the room. Lloyd's gaze was locked on it, as he knew 47 got his back, just like the old days.
It didn't take long until the black material began to take shape and before them stands a guy Lloyd never has met.
" I... I honestly don't think we have met... at least not like this... face to face"
" I guess I never got the opportunity, your fellow intruder knows me quite well though." Ash replies as his eyes moves from Lloyd to 47.
" I only saw you with the mask on..." 47 replies. It was true that they had met multiple times when she had been a prisoner at their base not too long ago, but they had no serious business with each other.. at least not until now...
" true, but now that most of you already knows my identity, why wear a mask..?"
Lloyd's grip onto his sword hardened and a large wave of anger hits him as he realize who this guy truly was...
It didn't matter that he had been the guy who was leading the x squadron agents... what really matters though was the fact that this was the guy who had Armen killed... the guy who had held 47 captive and the guy who had kidnapped Kai...  he was the guy they were after.
" Lloyd... stay calm.." 47 grips onto his arm as she noticed how tense he got. She knew this guy was guilty of it all, and that he was to blame for what had happened lately.. but she knew he wanted Lloyd to lose his mind... to lose control, and that wasn't something she would allow to happen!
47 wasn't really that good with a sword, but she knew how to fight properly with one. She had never been as skilled as Morro or Lloyd, but she knew the basics, and that would be enough to hold them alive ... at least until someone would come to their aid.
" you're a fool to think that you can fight me girl" Ash calmly speaks as he grabs onto his own sword, ready to attack if it was necessary.
" why.. why bring the dark lord back!"
Lloyd angrily shouts at him, not moving his eyes off him.
" why? Why not? If someone can bring the dead back to life, then it has to be the king of death himself" Ash replies.
" my father wasn't ready to die, he wasn't even old and yet he died in battle, unfairly. But I guess good guys like you wouldn't have anything against that would you? To you it would just be another enemy out of your way wouldn't it?"
" how can you expect me to feel pity towards people who takes lives for no reason! Who destroys lives instead of building up ones!" Lloyd replies and 47 quickly turns to push him behind her.
" Lloyd! Calm down! Please... it's not worth wasting your energy on him..."
Lloyd slowly looks down at her, knowing she was right, but he couldn't help but still feel angry... this guy had taken someone dare to him away from them... how could he not feel angry? How could 47 even stay this calm around the guy who killed their little brother? ...
" it's true what she says Green ninja. You shouldn't waste your time on me," a grin crosses his face as Ash slowly steps aside and reaches out his hand to lead them into a room behind him.
" we have been waiting. And so has he... even though it's too late for him now"
47 could almost not believe his words... what did he mean by that? And who has been waiting for them and why!?
She looks up at Lloyd' who also looks down at her in confusion before they both slowly start to walk towards what used to be the main entrance to the throne room of the old league.
But this time, the room seemed different.. the whole room were covered in large boulders from what had happened two years ago... but it what surprised the two of them the most was the change of the paintings that once used to cover all the walls in this room.
Lloyd recognizes the old ones he used to see back in the days.. but now... there was a lot more..