"Jesus fucking Christ! That's so small!"
"That's what she said." Michael snickered as he heard that statement from the militia-idealist. "Now, it is disappointing. Can't even penetrate well."
"The damn tip is blunt too."
"In conclusion, the knife is shit."
Where they are now is the same place as Nathan and John was kept. Two birds in one stone, in Michael's judgement. The problem now is that they can't go out and escape. The blade they found inside the cell was rustic, dull, thin and tinier than some.
"Damn it, why did they need to take our crap!" Diana punched the metal rod and shook it off. It makes her fist numb though. "And secondly, we haven't even done anything other than eating and sleeping!" With what she said, the other one awake agreed but chortled.
The shit-show raised up as the lighting of the sun was too bright. Groaning, the scientist woke up. Sweating, whining and even crying at the torment. Shuffling closer whilst the woman was fiddling the weapon once more, the captain of the young group muttered "Nathan?"
The lull of the tune put the glasses-wearing professor in a calmer state. True, it terrified him to the core. From two near death experience he had, Nathan himself is hesitant to listen to anyone else but the people he knew. Snapping his lids ajar, he only sees haze. The rise of adrenaline was flowing to fruition until the soft laughter he got.
Michael pulled off his glasses and grasped on a handkerchief hiding in his pockets. If you remember the water bottle, they did not confiscate that. 'Thank God this is safe.' First, rubbing the glasses to put out the dust and then poured some water in the napkin. "Rub off the dirt in your eyes." he says as he put the wet cloth to the yawning boy.
A gigantic slam of the gate woke the scientist, immediate action to go away from the noise. Diana screwed up and cussed. Glaring at the cause of action she made, a dog approached with a bearded lad behind them. "8:00 is already rising." they exhaled, crouching to get a firearm close by the entrance.
There were some old men, thin and pale women and even different shapes and sizes of others. "Get your lazy ass standing already!" they yelled, bashing some of the pole with their gun. Going around, the mad hound ran around to the sound close to them them.
They saw rigorous movement and voices battling out. "RAUFF!" With that one noise, the full voice of Diana arrived to rouse the attention of many as she yells "THANK GOD, FINALLY!" The rusted tool became bent when she tried to pull it out. Pulling the unlocked door, the clanging it emmit permitted every outside attention in the makeshift jail come around them, trying to block their path.
"What in the..." a small portion of prisoners uttered out. "Hey, hey! Free us as well!" one of them shouted, fingers on the beams. Most of them nodded, "Yeah! Open these doors too!"
"YEAH!" the prisoners yelled, making noise that was clearly caught on, both by the dog and the lone guard. "OI QUIET DOWN!" The bearded fellow shot above, pissed as ever. The cur on the contrary, it sunk its teeth on Diana's leg.
John was still sleeping, his noggin muffling most of the voices as it was letting him be deeper to the void of black.
"Ah, crap!" the ex-soldier cussed out. She still held the bent tool because she only will hold agony if she killed the animal. The only logical thing to do was to push it with her palm. And she carried that out, pushing the stubborn doggo at her best. "Stop it already!" she hissed. Even with the chewing, Diana flipped the weapon to the blunt end and struck the canine with it.
Only for a moment, the teeth left her calf and a little whine from the animal. Within that singular second, she pushed it to the wall, attempting to shut its mouth but that only allowed the mutt gnaw at her forearm. "SHIT!" Diane withstood her ground. A minute lament told her what to say to her own leader. "Michael, forgive me for this."
"Wait, wait, what are you doing?" he asked, now glancing at her when he was kneeling on the ground, hands making an effort to find something solid.
Another chomp and she cried "I need to do this!" With that, she stabbed the dog that hurt her more than any gunshot since the fallout.
Considering that the weapon was bent, she had to stab it by doing a digging motion, digging through the inside of the now bleeding animal. She had to do it multiple times for it was blunt and dull. "I'm sorry." she muttered, still feeling the energy from the bite up until it went lax.
With that action done, she rested for a moment, watching over her wounds. She tore a piece of her clothing, dirty but the only thing she has to stop the incoming bleeding. Flabbergasted by the event, Michael looked down.
"I— uh... There's nothing we could do. It's only self-defence..." Ogling over her, he quipped "You know, that knife is useful only twice." but there was no laughter. Only a hiss. The figurehead helped her for a bit until he moved back, standing with what he wanted.
"Damn it, that was my favourite one... Oh well." Shrugging off that feeling, he acquired a rock to hold on as their items aren't even in their own person anymore. He shuffled into the two others that were still groggy and tired. "Hey, are you guys awake or nah?" he asked, shaking them lightly.
"Yeah. Wait a minute... Why the hell do I see black spots?" Nathan muttered out, finally fixing his 'new' glasses. "Carry me, you charismatic son of a bitch." he smirked, wincing in the most subtle manner.
Looking over at the other, he cooed "Doctor's 'sleep. Wake him up, I'll do what you said after I beat some bastards with this stone, Nathe." After, he walked out of the cage's panel, listening to the madness unfolding.
The only time Michael was important for the moment before was barely finding and getting that cutting tool by being... Well, it's free to you, so think about the possibilities. Wouldn't even matter if I tell you now, no?
Up until now, of course. Since the rowdy prisoners came to be, the only way to silence them was to eventually kill them. Not talk to another authority, but do that and some will be enraged and those were to be shot as well. The bearded sentinel gritted his teeth. "If you don't wish to die the same them, shut the fuck up."
On that cue, Michael tackled the guy, holding the stone to strike at the knuckles of his target. "You damn twig..." They kicked Michael in the shin after they hit him with their sturdy knee to the stomach. "Jesus, fuck." whimpered Michael, holding his abdomen. The rock was slipping from his grip but he held it on as much as he could.
"You crave to be like them huh?" spat the man, kicking him continuously and gripped him by the neck to point the gun against his forehead. "You really wish to die?"
Coughing out a short while from the slight beating, the chief retaliated with a "Sod off." Moving his legs once more to now free himself, the force strong enough to push them. "As if I'd be craving for death!"
"Oh please, you call that a kick?" they taunted, coming back from that miniscule haze of surprise. "I'll give you a real fucking kick." he emphasized each of the last words of the sentence, aiming now for the legs before executing the desired action instantly.
"Gack!" Michael cried in pain as he fell down face flat on the floor. "Ow, ow, ow." After that, the barrage of attacks used by the legs than the other limbs. Michael grabbed one of the calves that was next to him and pulled it hard.
Considering gravity was on effect, their cranium hurt and bleeding in portions, perhaps giving a slight headache. "You cunt!" Tackling once again, the boss of the faction we know of slammed them nearby a prisoner's cubicle. A live prisoner that stood quiet as a mouse.
"Help me here for a moment!" Michael pleaded, scalp stuck on the body of the warden. "Just for a minute!"
"On one condition." they uttered out their voice, clear as the day rising to them. "Unlock this door and let me go out of this place." Whilst listening to that, Michael tumbled back as his noggin was thrown to the side.
Without any deliberation, the faction leader murmured "Fine!" through his teeth, seeming pissed. When the bearded geezer tried to go and release himself from this pincer he was caught in. Problem was, they were straight off headlocked by a bony appendage.
"Get the hell away from me!" The sentry clawed the knuckle that tried to suffocate it. It only fuelled the flame that was made from his throat as the forearm had tightened their connection to the bars.
"A deal's a deal." They started to harden the grip whilst talking. "So unless you do what I ought for, I won't set him loose." What they hear most was the gasping voice of the bearded staff. "I can be of help to you one day, but you know what needs to be done."
"Yeah, I know." sighed Michael, panting but eventually punched them to make their breathing be shortened and faint faster. "Where's the key?" Another huff and punch was the order of the day while he queried the other.
"Up in the corner, by the entrance. I'll finish this one off." They told, sliding in another fist into the bar to pound the rib of the captive they had. Checking over, they only glimpsed a slight disturbance to the face of Michael. Growling a while, they asked "Well, aren't you supposed to move now?"
The only thing given to them was a quiet nod. "Diane! Help me with something here!" With that, he left the three remaining prisoners, one of them possibly by their side but the rest, traumatized or silent and scared.
Groaning whilst making a crawl to the physician, body beaten and tired yet still movable. "Christ... Damn those pieces of shit." he spat out to himself, within the reach of the shoulders of John. "It's fine if it was merely them scouting..." Nathan sighed, dragging the limb of the unconscious he.
Whines approached about after some tugging, writhing with slight discomfort. "Ugh..." John let his peepers agape, blinded by the light for some portion of time. He perceived something but it only became white noise to him.
"Jesus Christ, that took a while." Nathan rolled his eyes as he sat straight, spewing finally "Hey you there." In the most unfortunate timing, the doctor heard that sentence while fluttering his eyelids , mind rewiring and ultimately shut down afterwards.
'Please God, no. Don't.' he pleaded in his thoughts, slowly covering his face with his hands with shame. "You're finally awake." the scientist sighed, crown back on the wall. "You wer—"
"Don't even try it." Sitting on the damned cracked flooring, he spotted a simple leaf on it. He heard the soft laugh of the four-eyed chap, gazing around and perceiving the unsecure gate. "Wait, why the hell is the door opened?"
Nathan pushed the other's cheek to show. It required a moment of "Of course." until everything was back. "Want me to carry you?"
"Yeah." the scientist agreed, tired out of his mind and adding "I know that son of a bitch won't carry me much." He sighed, being carried. "I'm being a large ass baggage, am I?"
"Well..." John heaved and slouched to carry the other as fine as possible. "A bit." he answered, yawning still. "I mean, I just woke up." Nathan hummed. Snuggling to the crook of the neck of the medical professor, he whispered "Rest back after this, no?" A snicker was his response. "Say that to yourself, dear scientist."
"Diane! That's the wrong way, dammit!" Michael yelled, getting attention of a group of five outside. "Well shite."
"Why the hell did you even shout..." Diane groaned, disappointed and pissed. "Might as well get another batch in."
"Oh shut up!" Michael wailed for a second, glimpsing over the entrance and saw a set of keys for each cell. His eyes crawled back to the danger that is, as known to us all, an armed group with experience and weapons that are now held.
Thunderous thuds thumped through the soil and sand. "Kratos!" some cowered, going inside before the burly newcomer run over them. Their face was striking as they were furious...
"OI! THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?! THERE ARE ESCAPEES, AND YOU'RE JUST STANDING THERE?!" A random guy scolded, anger blinding him as they held the previous sentries and smashed their head into a wall. "IF YOU CALL YOURSELF A GUARD, THEN ACT LIKE IT!" Another barrage of smashing came to part.
This such witness to a person being decimated, beaten beyond repair. "J-Jesus Christ." Michael shuddered and ran towards John and Nathan. "Hey, you two free the guy in the room over there, ok? F-from near the door are the keys." he verbalized his thoughts as fast as he humanly could, not only from the fear but also the rising adrenaline.
"Wait, why us?" Nathan questioned, legs gripping to the doc's torso. "You can't do that to yourself?"
"I'll act as a distraction with our only soldier we got so that you don't die immediately." Squinting his peepers, John nodded. "Be sure that you don't die." the doctor voiced under his breath. "Good luck." With that farewell, they went to their designated position. John only gripped harder on Nathan's legs.
"Michael, can you fucking hurry up?!" Diane was currently grappling one officer after another, being thrown to the ground herself. Not only that, but also being smashed and stomped to the floor. "It's starting to get annoying."
"Yeah, sorry! I'm here with my own problem!" He responded, now using the stone he had before and whacked the skull of his opponent with it. "Argh, you arse!"
Bang! Bang! Twing.
Looking down to his figure for any shot that pummelled through him, he was thankful that there was none. Running with adrenaline even now, he smacked the noggin of the foe in his front. While that was happening, the voice of the bear-esque beast boomed once more with only one word. "Pathetic." None knows who it was directed to, but only the ones that knew him was fearful.
Diane, as wounded as she is, tried to get the upper hand when she was stuck on the floor. The captor she was fighting was grabbing her neck whilst going for their pants for their dagger to stab her off. When they were moving, the woman jabbed their rib and headbutted them afterwards, shaking of the shared pain.
"OH GRACIOUS LEADER, GET THE FUCK HERE ALREADY!" she ordered, her new wounds being shown and the cloth that tied it before now was slipping. "I TOLD YOU, I'M GODDAMN BUSY!" Michael disarmed his opponent and strike their crown to the ground and finally the stone for a blow of either death or severe concussion.
"Ahhh, finally." he sighed to himself when the other below him was unconscious and bleeding. "John, you close by there?" he asked, fumbling to stand up with proper position. "Nope. I'm struggling here." he heard, seeing that John was occupied with two others. Nathan flailed to help, but it was futile.
"This is fucking torture." he shook his body to relax. Before he can walk to the scientist and doctor, Diane gasped and yelled his name once more. "I—I have a pr-problem here!" she choked out, struggling to get out of the damnation that is Kratos. "Gack!" she coughed out phlegm as she was thrown back to the cemented floor.
"Shit..." Diane groaned and crawled up until she screamed when her hair was pulled.
'Fuck, fuck, fuck...' Michael thought to himself. 'Choose faster, you useless brain!' Within a single frame of a second, he ran over to the two scientists. Seizing over the shoulder of one of the opponents that hurt the wounded Nathan and John, he threw them over afterwards to a free space.
"What the— guagh!" In a manner similar to a rhinoceros, Michael charged once more and slammed his head to the abdomen. A harumph allowed him throw the poor lad into the menace himself. Diane was pulled back harder, her neck now grasped by the large figure of the scarred bear. The thrown lad became unconscious after they were punched with a similar force built up from before.
"You're a hindrance, aren't you?" Kratos spat out his saliva, now letting Diane be prostrated more than she was before by hurling her to the bars and smashing her then and there. "As I've said. Pa-fucking-thetic."
With shaking fingers, Michael stuttered "Th-this is gonna be difficult." The militant woman shuffled around to be hidden and let the target be her leader than herself. 'Sorry for this, Michael.' she thought, coughing over for some few minutes.
On the other hand, John was getting beaten up as his elbow was twisted. Nathan fell down, his legs doesn't move as much as it had before but still looked around to find a damn opening. "Ah, shit!" the clinician wailed, thrashing around and furious movements as ever. "Stay still, you son of a bitch!" The turnkey struggled, both of their palms holding him.
Nathan took advantage of this as he snatched a small blade above their waist. "Oi, what the hell are you doing!"
"Killing you, you motherfucker!" Stabbing the calf, they made them bend and mess up their angle and make them vulnerable. By the reason of them not sliding down, their full frame goes back first and smacked the physique of John. Immense discomfort was shot from up to down once again and set him sighing down near the floor.
Nathan stood up, similar to a newly-birthed doe and put his form flumped down to the light armour. Since the said armour was thin and only block the bullets that can be shot, the knife had only a faint portion of blockage until the blade was fully pushed through.
Only a dying gasp and the sounds of profound coughing appeared to part before it died out and gave John rest for a short minute. "You know..." the scientist started, now properly sitting down. "I think I agree with Diane calling you weak."
"That doesn't urge me to feel better at all." murmured the clinician, pushing aside the corpse. "I'm not fit enough to fight anyways."
"And that's why you're our pacifistic doctor." snickered Nathan before looking back over to the arm that was showing outside of its cell. "Ah right, almost forgot about that." Motioning over for John to get the keys, he observed the face of 'why me?' that was plastered on the professor.
"Because you can goddamn run and I can't. Now go! Chop-chop!" And so continued this 'mission' that was given.
"JESUS, STOP BEING A FUCKING BEAST!" Michael yelled, grappling and failing to win from this fight. "And you stop barking as a dog!" Kratos retaliated back, finally tumbling the brotherhood's creator. "A mutt, similar to the rest!" he spat, pressing down Michael to the cement.
"Tch..." Recognizing that he wasn't stuck much other than his face, Michael curled up his appendage and PUNCHED the crotch as hard as he could. "Ack!" It hurt like a truck trying to isekai someone but worse. "You're a dirty fighter, aren't you?" Kratos berated, holding his groin and hoping the torture will be gone.
Taking the chance of temporary freedom, the panting figurehead answered "Life and death, bitch!" He ran to the wounded soldier, hushing and helping her back on her feet.
"You sure don't look okay." Diane coughed out, stumbling once in a while.
"That's because I'm stressed. Now, walk faster. Don't like that guy running over us again." he hyperventilated, adrenaline on the rise once more and a high amount of blood pressure.
"I saw you punched him in the dick." Both of them laughed at the expense of gratuitous suffering. "Still hurts to do it, if I'm gonna be frank." he replied, tugging her wavering forelimb. "But seriously, what is he built of? Iron?" he hissed, complaining and walking over John.
"Don't."
"I know. But let me take her next to Nathan before this gets worse." Smiling soft, Michael shoved her off lighter than needed and put Diane to the clinician's shoulders.
"I'll be back!" And that would be truth. That's what he hopes when he'll be fighting with the monster.
"What's your name again?" he asked, worn out. His arms came to the front, blocking the opening to his body. 'No matter what, I'll be royally fucked. God, let me posses luck here!' he prayed to himself, now walking to the left bit by bit, eyeing the other.
"Kratos. Man who kills the unworthy." they grumbled, getting out of the agonizing thing he had to go through. "Also the just!" Michael added, raising his voice.
"I see." Kratos mumbled to himself but was discerned. It made the faction creator be off guard, softening a tiny amount. "You're another one of those fools." Towering over Michael, this beast walked to him, which lets him be on guard once again.
"The fuck do you mean, you cunt?!"
Infuriated, the other clicked his tongue and uttered out "Find that out for yourself, why don't you?!" Finally, the great sunlight has dawned on the prison. Bathed in incandescent rays, Michael taunted him forward.
The result was... Well, the task failed successfully. Who knew that the taunt didn't really fucking matter when they punched you first? Michael was taken aback and was hit on both fronts. One from Kratos and the other from the poles behind him. "Ouch, shit..." No seconds wasted, the bearish man jabbed his abdomen with his sharp knees.
Coughing out some of his pain, the chief was nearing to becoming lax and cold. Shoving himself over to the side was futile, going down is a symbol of surrender and even struggling to fight was impossible much to his chagrin.
'Fuck it.' he thought to himself before going down to hit him once more to the most sensitive areas of the body. Kratos gripped the hand with his thighs and stopped the motion before it hits the intended target. Kratos was ready to attack him but Michael ceased that by butting his head to the hardened torso. The force of a falling boulder emanated even if it was a miniscule size.
On that note, the boss of the faction flipped the monster over, the leg over his shoulder blade. Standing up, he ran over the bewildered John and the wounded two. Looking for the dog with the rusted and bent blade, he was momentarily paused when one of them questioned "Why are you going there?"
"I can't fucking kill him unarmed!"
"Oi, don't forget me!" They heard the banging of a corpse to the bars. 'Right! That inmate' he thought, running over to him as his foe was sprinting to John. "Just nab the gun and go."
"AGH!" Glancing over, Michael shook once more. Hurried hands went to the dead man's arms and pulled over the ranged weapon, stiff fingers stuck on it. Nathan and Diane attempted to fight with what they could. Nathan stabbed the lower abdomen whilst the soldier stood up and twisted Kratos' arm.
None of that mattered as much because the beast threw over Diane and pulled the dagger from his stomach and aimed for the doctor's heart.
Bang...
That single sound. That simple, minute decibel. It paused the fight as they spot Michael with a gun. The back of Kratos was wide open and so the Ironwill Brotherhood's creator utilized his need to survive.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Shaking hands hit the lower back and the upper one. The last shot hit the mark of the chest. John was dropped as well as the knife. The opening was crystal clear and John took this opportunity to stab them in one vital area. The artery.
Kratos chuckled, the voice hoarse from blood flooding out of their mouth. "For once, you've done well." he said out loud before kneeling to the floor and thumping down to bleed out from his chest.
The physician had their eyes widened. Dropping the knife from terror, he backed away near to Michael. "Wait no, this isn't— oh God what have I done." Intense breathing was the order of the day, for not only was John having problems but also Michael collapsing to his knees.
"Mikey. Comfort this man, let the other two take the keys instead." the convict suggested, perhaps even ordered the other.
"How the hell do you know that name?!" he snapped, attention now on the inmate. From that in and of itself, the scientist and Diane was out to find the keys. Stumbling over himself, he walked over the prison. Blinded by stress from all of this, he raised his voice. "Fucking don't try to use that again on me." he hissed.
Humming, the prisoner muttered "Gaea was right." "Right on what?" Michael exhaled out, power weakening. "That our reunion will not be what we wanted." he paused to see that the gears are turning in the other's brain. "It's been ten years, Michael, and it seems that you've forgotten who I am."
"How would I know... I'm tired and beaten up already anyways." he responded, sliding down at a snail's pace down to the ground once more. "And why would you mention her now?" Even if John heard this, his headspace was on limbo.
"Philip Adamos. The one you japed about being in an enclosure." On all of that haywire before, they all dissipate the moment he said those two sentences.
"Cronus?" The other hummed as an answer. "I thought you were dead..."
"I was taken in as early as a year ago. This man who calls himself Alexander is fucked up in the mind." Sighing, he continued on and backed off from the gate. "That's what I get for beating him up, I guess."
"At least you're not executed!"
"Why did you think I was dead?" Philip bemused, back straight to the wall behind. "I— well I thought Gaea was crying because of that." Michael answered, sitting down once more.
"Mi-Michael..." A choked sob flew out of the mouth of John. "Huh?" Michael turned his head and percieved that dying grasp of sanity was still there. There was a moment of 'Oh shit.' in the face of the leader and scoots over to him.
"Hey, hey. It's alright. Come on." he opened his arms and tried to comfort him but the other whimpered "It's not alright at all."
"You haven't kill someone inno—"
"I killed a human being! What the fuck do you want me to think?!" Erratic motions of inhaling and exhaling is letting the panic of John go higher than before.
"Calm down, just breathe with me okay? In." he inhaled. "And out." he exhaled. "Do you think you can do that?" Slowly nodding whilst hyperventilating, he implemented what he was told. The process was slow but it's effective as ever.
"We the keys!" Diane informed as loud as she can in the now hollowed hallway surrounded by iron rods left to right. Nathan had clumsy footing yet has not fall face flat. "Which one?" she looked around on the three survivors in the prison.
Gazing his eyes to Philip, Michael asked "Do you wish to be with me again?" It was drowned out by the other two screaming bloody murder for freedom. It became a garbled mess. Annoying and tumultuous. So, before the hysteria come back, Michael blocked off the ears of the doctor to silence the noise.
It went on for five minutes and the fuse of the militant now was out. "FUCKING SHUT UP YOU CUNTS! THERE'S ONLY ONE FUCKING PERSON I OBEY AND IT'S HIM!" she screamed out her frustrations and gained a bit of a breather. "Now, if you desire your freedom, ask him." Diane pointed at her boss that was cradling the poor lad.
"Find the keys for the one behind me. Nathan, let them out if you can. I don't fancy them being here." he finally replied the answer, shushing and letting the other relax. "Are you alright now?" he questioned, patting the back of John.
Glancing over the two, the scientist was shambling as he cusses out and tries some of the keys that was taken. Even if there are 10 chambers, there were only 7 in their hands. On the third attempt, one of them worked and it made the once anxious prisoner, unnamed as they may be here, jovial and pushed Nathan out of the way to run to the exit.
"Be fucking thankful, ungrateful bastard." he sighed under his breath, rubbing the pain away. The next one was lucky and the other had done the opposite, thanking profusely and leaving cautious yet quick.
"Got any luck there, Dia?"
"Fuck no." she breathed out, pissed. "Help me use the other two here."
"No, I'll do it. Just take care of John for me." Standing, he was beside her already and took the not used keys. "If none of these work, give me the dagger you gained, dear scientist." he informed, attempting to use the first one that was in his hand. The lock doesn't want budge since it wasn't much of a match even though IT'S THE FUCKING SAME SHAPE AS EVERYTHING ELSE!
Ahem. Discarding that key, he uses the other one. It came in halfway and did not budge afterwards. Twisting it over, Michael was floundering mentally since it was getting irritating. It was in farther but became stuck once more.
"Fuck it." He pulled the whole key. Looking closer to the keys, he saw that there were chipped parts on different ends yet it was so subtle that it was confusing to differentiate them apart from each other unless studied well.
"The knife?"
"The knife, please." John may be in the hands of Nathan now but the weapon was given without hurting anyone.
Near the outside, Philip was listening to it if there were some warnings to be told. There were some shootings, yes, but there was something wrong. 'The prisoners.' he thought to himself, leering the outdoors than the window. The inmates that were out are in the hallway and once one of them go out, the one inside the bars uttered "Be quicker, Michael."
"Hm? Yeah, I'm attempting to do that." Going back in trance of fiddling with the dagger to the gates was tiring. It was in where the was stuck before and that's when he fiddled it to open the inside of it. Lock picking is not their profession but there's nothing they can do.
"I'M FRE—" A massive shooting came to part, killing the first one outside.
"Shit...!" Panicking on the inside, he tried to go faster while also making an effort to not break the knife. "Diane, are you still wounded?" he asked, focusing more on the door. "Of fucking course I am. All of us are." she answered, sitting down.
'If there is a God, please fucking help me with this.' Another barrage of gunfire was made and stirring up the stress of the others as well. Two of the prisoners that became free were dead outside, starting to let the armed men and women to come to the jail. It was opened to all.
With enough fervour, the door of Philip's cell has been unlocked. That small triumph was broken as a few bit came in, 5 up to 8 of them. For a while, they were still. Up until someone familiar to both Michael and the retired Cronus walked inside.
"Sir!" they verbally saluted but still pointed their weapons at them.
"Haah... This damn commotion is maddening." Their voice was clear crystal, smooth as the water flow on the neglected bottle that fell. Discerning orbs caught hold of the two. "Chaos."
That singular word. The old alias he had, said with such a snake's poison on the tone. It terrified him to the core. Silence was strangling Philip's neck but it was gripping harder on Michael. Darting around any place to leave is now more difficult with this man here.
"Did you know he was there?" he glanced on Philip and back to him. Michael shook his head no as a reply. Exhaling a deep breath, they approached the group.
"What do you want?" Philip spat out, blocking the other from retaliating or fighting.
"Who the fuck are you?!" the soldier yelled out, groaning a bit.
"Silence." A booming voice echoed into the halls. "You have no right to speak."
"WHAT THE FU— MMMPH!" she was cut off by the hand of Nathan. "Shut up! We can't fucking do anything this time! If you want to kill yourself, just fucking fight them then!" Nathan whisper-screamed, shoving her face to gaze at the shaking Michael. Even if it was small and short, it was still shown.
"Now, to answer that question... It's you who have to decide. Either you lot will be stuck there until death or you take arms with me." they suggested, approaching closer. Diane wanted to protest but Michael stopped her as he verbalize his thoughts.
"Alexander." he started, getting the attention of the man. "I do not want to live for you to die on your campaigns." A sudden whiplash came to Alexander's face, chortling afterwards. "Who do you think I am?"
"You're trying to emulate Alexander the Great, are you not?"
"Oh you pitiful fool. Alexander is not an alias, nor am I trying to become like him." he paused for a second before he resumed. "Secondly, I don't want you to grow as another contender on this damned world. You understand, don't you?"
Michael never replied. He only steadied himself. "Why do I even ask." Alexander turned back his attention to Philip. "You, on the other hand..." The hissing was back yet it ceased to be anything but a threat.
"I have one question." the leader spoke up, shying away from the topic. "Are the Raptors yours?"
That infuriated the other boss, pushing out the poison spit. "Why in all of pandemonium would you think such a horrid thing?"
"I saw them come here before getting locked up." he responded, getting pulled back by Philip when he attempted to go near who he was talking to. "Of course, Gaea routed to somewhere else, which made them impossible to leer at." he added, kneeling before sitting cross-legged.
"They are a bunch of mercenaries. Those lot wouldn't live if it wasn't for us or that Romulus." Coughing a bit to let a different subject matter dominate, he declared "You hadn't given an answer yet. Do I need to force you or we'll be civil to this?"
Sighing, he uttered in a deadpanned manner to "Read between the lines next time." and whispering "It was blatant already anyways."
"I thought you were making a bluff. You'll still be a stubborn mule if ever I force you to our side." Gazing down his long old leader felt peculiar. It wasn't exhilarating as he thought it would be, only confusing to be frank.
"Can we make a temporary truce? I don't want us always getting fucking beaten up by someone more powerful." the brotherhood's maker requested, head resting on Philip's calf. "We can't take it anymore, left and right. Being bullied and killed for no reason ain't a joke, Alex."
Contemplating if it was a good idea, the one with the highest power within the vicinity gave in. "We can make an alliance for now. I don't trust those mercenaries one bit anyways." A soft smile crawled on to the lips of Michael. "You've matured, huh?"
Chuckling at that, he retorted "And you didn't change at all." It felt comfortable once he ordered to let their weapons down. If there was someone who had done otherwise and aimed at them, they were shot themselves. After all, utmost loyalty must be within one's kingdom.