(A/N: Note that this is my 1st time experimenting with character P.O.V’s
It might not be perfect, so I'll be happy to receive some criticism if I made mistakes on my part. Anyhow, expect more P.O.V’s in the future updates. Enjoy!)
~~~~~~~
⟨Alpha's P.O.V⟩
“What am I even doing...”
I muttered under my breath as I walk away from the house. I knew that Lee was keen on knowing where I wanted to go to, since the thought that a former Ascendant going outside made him rethink his entire life.
I don't blame him, or should I say I can't, since he has seen countless constructs be struck down by the corrupted, which are associated with us sometimes. If he still can't trust me, it's none of my business.
I make my way out of Yorktown street, which was where I'm miraculously living. A couple of people which I assume are the same age as me walked past me. They were all felines, which still made no sense to me up to this day.
What kind of god would transport a teenage soldier from a place full of corrupted machines to a planet with individuals having animalistic features? It didn't make sense at all.
‘Since they're going farming, might as well find something pleasing.’
I thought internally, before crossing the adjacent road. I find myself walking down into a sloped road made from older cobblestones. The street was connected to the main road, yet it was seemingly deserted, further piquing my interest. I stop in the edge of the block just in time to see two Victorian soldiers walking away from the place in a hasty manner.
What in tarnation would make them look like that? Their clothes had pockmarks of dirt and grime, like they got into a fight. Walking for a good five minutes or so into the deserted neighborhood, I finally spotted the first signs of life within the area other than the two previous soldiers I saw.
It was only one person, but their clothes contrasted the current fashion here in Victoria. Also, It seemed so out of place for two white vans to be out parked in the side of a deserted area of town, so I decided to stick close to the buildings.
Another person comes out from the parked vehicle and converses with the first person I saw. Both of them were male and of average height and build, but they were armed with weapons. It's my first time seeing someone carry a sword in public other than military officials, so my curiosity spiked even higher.
There was surprisingly a large amount of uninhabited apartments on this block, so I decided to force my way into one of them. It's not considered housebreaking when no one's around to be called a witness, so why should I be afraid?
I climb my way towards the second floor so I can get a good vantage point on these two individuals. I sit down on a dusty chair that was situated near the window and began listening in to their conversation.
“...said that we should keep it discreet when...mercenaries...” I heard the first man talk, but it was a bit fuzzy due to the distance.
“...tor is crazy, recruiting ex Victorian soldiers into our ranks... he's crazy, but I can't deny he has the brains.” The second man said. Both of their faces was covered in some sort of ski mask, and add to the fact that they wore sunglasses, I failed to see through their disguise.
The two of them soon talked in hushed tones afterwards, so I had no luck in further learning what they were up to. I did manage to get the word mercenaries out of their topic, so I had an idea what they were up to. I even had the luck to see that one of the vans was packed full of people in the back.
“Scout, Logos, pack up! We're moving out!” A loud and commanding voice came to the left side of the road, causing me to squint my eyes.
A tall and muscular man exits an inconspicuously looking building while motioning for the two men to get in the car. They responded with a firm nod and boarded the vehicle like they were told to. I had to duck my head from the window in order to avoid being seen as the bearded man carrying a large shield scanned the area.
After confirming that they were safe, the convoy of two white vans sped up towards the end of the block, before making a beeline and blending into the main road. I follow the cars as far as my I could see, before they disappeared into the distance.
“Must be a paramilitary group...or just a bunch of bounty hunters.” I said to no one in particular as I stood in the entrance of the deserted apartment.
The vehicles used didn't have much noticable marks, except for a small logo near the sliding window. It was a tower shaped like a pyramid inside a triangle, with the words ‘BABEL’ written near the base of the logo. As soon as I saw it, it was immediately engraved in my mind. Every detail of it, I already had it memorized.
Now that no one was around, I decided to check the place where that man came out from. The door was left hanging wide open, further strengthening my guess that it was just a temporary hold out or safehouse.
Entering the establishment, I quickly noticed that it was empty, with only a few wooden chairs scattered here and there inside the room. I checked the rooms that were deeper inside the house but found nothing of interest, so I decided to leave.
Thinking back to what I just witnessed, my views on this world shifted again. It's no surprise that there are organizations that are employing mercenaries to fight their was. After all, money is important. I just wonder what's the scale of the wars that are happening in Terra?
Is it fought with large scale armies numbering by the thousands? Or a couple skirmishes using fast paced guerilla warfare? Honestly, thinking about having to fight someone strong and worthy here makes my heart pound in excitement. Even though I'm weakened by the lack of Punishing Virus, I'm confident about my skills.
Sometimes, I get an itchy feeling in the back of my head to fight Lee in a mock battle, but I withheld from voicing it out. I just requested for him to build wooden dummies for me to spar in the backyard when I have nothing to do in the house. It was a great way to alleviate my boredom, but nothing beats the thrill and anticipation when fighting against a real swordsman.
Seeing that I have no further business in this place, I decided to head back to the house and just help out with whatever chores are left. Honestly, the reason I went out was to take a fresh air, since it felt...suffocating, to say the least. The way Jane and Nino jumped up and down while smiling brightly made my mood turn sour.
It's not like I hate them, more like I am grateful that they let us stay, but seeing them both so happy made me remember Luna. The thought that me, her sister, was stuck in here without her made me feel bad to the core. I wanted her to be with me...and live a normal life here...
So why? Why is it always so–
“...Unfair..?”
BEEEEEP!
A deafening horn makes me snap out of my sudden hailstorm of thoughts, making me look to my right. I then realized that I have unknowingly crossed the road while the traffic lights were still a go, so here I am, standing dumbfounded in front of a blue sports car.
“Oi! Can you please watch where you're going!?” The door opens from the left, and the driver pops their head out.
“Sorry, I thought the light was red.” I say with the slightest hint of sincerety before crossing the road.
I glanced back and saw that the driver was a female with deep blue hair and a set of piercing red eyes. I made sure to assert my dominance by intensifying the weight of the stare I gave her. She made a ‘tch’ sound before entering her car. But before she drove away, I saw that she was gazing not at my face, but at the weapon strapped on my waist.
That's when I caught a brief glimpse of her clothes, which to my surprise, was the same uniform that Nino have. She has horns too, so she's probably the same race as those two. Honestly, I don't care if she's a Victorian soldier or whatever she is. We both got lucky she wasn't belligerent about it.
I turn the corner of Yorktown street and saw that Nino's car was already gone. The road felt emptier than usual, with only a few people passing by.
‘They must be on the farm. Might as well help Jeanne with the store.’ I thought to myself as I scanned the block.
Just as I was about to walk on the sidewalk, the familiar sensation of being watched by someone made my honed senses go into alert mode. The gaze was sharp, and whoever that person is wanted for me to know their existence. And it felt so...close, like they were behind me.
Are they taunting me? If so, then the unchanging expression on my face was enough for them to see that I haven't bite the bait yet. Even then, as I entered the gate leading to the house, I can feel the lingering feeling of being watched.
Did I miss someone when I accidentally stumbled into what seems like a criminal organization in that part of town? Were they not expecting to be spied on? If so, then they were just bad at doing their jobs. I shook my head to clear out tye unnecessary thoughts as I opened the door.
“Oh? Alpha?” Jane's sweet voice filled my ears, making me look towards the kitchen doorway. She was wearing a normal shirt and leggings while carrying a still steaming plate full of newly baked pastries. I saw her put down the plate and wipe her hands on a towel, before handing me a glass of water.
I take it off her hands and gave her a curt nod, before drinking it.
“Thanks.”
“No problem! I was just wondering where you went, since...well, it's your first time going outside without Lee or us.” Jane asked curiously as I remove the sheathed sword on my waist. I place it gently beside the stairway and began tying my hair into a messy bun.
She must have been genuinely surprised to find out that I wasn't waltzing around the house, or in the backyard busy dismantling wooden dummies with my sword.
“Just went exploring a bit. The air is fresh outside y'know?” I masked some truth in between lies.
“Really? I thought you saw everything as bland, hehe, but it seems I was wrong.” Jane giggled and went back to the kitchen.
“Uhh, I'll just vacuum the floor...” I said aloud before activating the said equipment. I briefly glanced at the store window just in time to see a masked individual standing in the far side of the sidewalk. But before I could see more, the person vanished after a bus drove past by.
It felt like those scenes in the movies, which made me cringed a bit. I surmised that it was the person that was following me or something, and now that whoever they are knows where I'm staying, I might have just unknowingly involved myself and the others into something dangerous.
‘Welp, can't do anything about it as of now. If they target us...’ I glanced at the crimson blade that I have been using for who knows long now, and knew that whoever would storm in here guns blazing would meet death.
After clearing with the intertwining thoughts in my head, I then proceeded to help Jeanne with the remaining tasks to distract me from my worries.
.
.
.
///
Nino's Farm
Private property
Outskirts of Hillock County
Lee picked up the last sack of potatoes and threw it on the back of the pick-up truck, before wiping the sweat that glistened his face. It was already late afternoon, and the sun was beginning to slowly set down in the edge of the horizon. It was a great view from atop the hill he was standing on.
His gaze falls on to the female Vouivre who persuaded, or more like forced him to come to this place. Nino was down in the fields, busy pushing a roll of hay twice as big as her delicate figure. Even though they have been working their asses off for more than four hours now, well, here she was, still full of energy and she showed no signs of backing down.
She seems to have noticed Lee's gaze in the distance, making her smile and wave both hands at him. This in turn led the hay roll to topple over her, burying her body in a heap of golden brown grass straws. A couple of seconds later, she pops her head from the mountain pile of pasturage and gives him a thumbs up.
Lee jogged and approached Nino, who was now busy frolicking in the ground while lying down on the stack of dried grass.
“Are you alright?”
“Never been better!” Nino giggled. “Come here, come here! It's a great feeling!” She motioned for him to go on the empty space beside her.
“Hell no, my clothes would get ruined. But man, that was quite a spectacle.” Lee chuckled and offered her his hand.
“Fufufu, so it seems!” She grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the ground with a strong force. However, what she didn't calculate in that potato riddled brain of hers was that he would actually land on top of her, instead what she expected to be beside her.
*thud*
“Ow! You really need to be...care...ful..”
Lee lost his grasp on reality as he stared right in front of her face. Their faces was mere inches from each other, causing both of them to blush in instinct.
“I-I-I-I t-thought you would fall f-face first b-beside me!” Nino stammered as she covered her face with her hands. It felt like steam was emanating from her body due to the heat she was releasing.
‘Wait, did she just said face first?’
Lee bursted out laughing as he brushed the dust on his clothes. He was able to control his reaction, since he was too tired to deal with it for today. Well, he did get sobered up after what happened though. Who wouldn't want to experience youth like this with a fair maiden?
I bet you don't even have a girlfriend.
Wait what?
“Jeez, if you're gonna keep laughing, will you at least help me up?” Nino scoffed while she puffed her still rosy cheeks.
“Alright, alright. Heave...ho!” Lee grabs her hands and pulls her to her feet. Her body collides with him, causing them both to be in close proximity with each other again.
He knew that he was being overboard with the way he was teasing her, but he was enjoying it so much that he doesn't know how to stop it.
“You good? You've been holding my hand for a while now.” Lee asked with a coy smile, causing Nino to let go of his hand.
“I-I'm alright, but you didn't have to pull me up that hard!” She exclaims and rains down punches on his shoulder. He was immediately reminded how strong Vouivre women are.
“aUwUoH I'm sorRryYyy!” Lee was yet again dominated as his body was repeatedly shook by Nino. After seriously making him dizzy, she lets go of his collar and claps her hands repeatedly as if wiping the dirt off.
“That's for teasing me. And now this...” Nino bows down and extended her arms towards Lee, who was sitting on the ground.
He closed his eyes as he was expecting to be slapped or punched in the cheeks, but contrary to what his mind told him, something unexpected happened.
“...this is for helping me with the farm.” She pats him in the head and ruffles his hair, causing him to open his eyes. He glanced up to see her smiling at him warmly.
Meanwhile, on Nino's mind...
‘It's my first time doing this to a boy...oh god, his hair is so soft!’ Nino screams at herself internally. Now she couldn't control herself from ruffling his hair more.
“You've been helping us a lot, and even though you whine about the overloading tasks sometimes, you make it so perfect.” She stops patting him and giggled after seeing the befuddled look on his face.
“I actually thought that the diner would take longer to be renovated, but it went smoother that I anticipated because of your help. And then you...well, I kinda forced you to help with the farm, so I'm sor–”
“Nino,” Lee interrupted her before putting a hand on her shoulder. “You don't have to feel bad about it. I should be the one thanking you guys for letting us stay in your house.”
Nino shook her head. “It's not that... I'm worried that in the long run...you'll hate us or something...” she said and lowered her gaze into the ground.
“Oh my, Nino. I may get mad sometimes, but I'll never hate you guys. If it ain't for you two, Alpha and I would have been probably still...you know, killing to earn money.” Lee said and glanced around him. This way of living may look dull at first sight, but it's way better than before.
He didn't have to wake up everyday in his maintenance pod thinking that he may die in the next mission. He wasn't being rushed by hordes of bloodthirsty corrupted that are all savagely wanting to tear his body apart for food. He does miss the thrill of war sometimes, but he was able to sate his urges.
“Mouu~! Now I don't know what to say!” Nino said and smiled at him, causing him to burst out in laughter.
“C'mon now, these potato sacks won't carry themselves.” Lee waved her off and carried two sacks on his back, before motioning for her to follow.
“Alright then, we've harvested enough for today. There's always tomorrow, right Lee?” Nino replied while her eyes were half closed. He felt chills run down on his spine when he saw the way she was smiling.
The two of them stacked the harvested potatoes on the back of the vehicle before dusting off their clothes. Lee removed his sweater so that he can put on a new one. As he was wiping his body, he saw Nino was absent-mindedly staring at him. Seeing her state, a roguish smile forms on his lips.
“Hoh? What's this? Nino you pervert!” Lee mimicked a woman's voice, causing the Vouivre to flinch after hearing him.
“I-I wasn't staring!” She shouted at him before turning to look the other way. “W-What's with that reaction anyway!?”
“Liar. I saw you blushing you potato.” Lee snickered as he put on a new set of topwear.
“W-Well, I wasn't staring that hard. I-I was just curious if you had any scars and bruises on your body you know?” Nino puffed her cheeks as they enter the car. Lee laughed at her statement dryly before driving away.
It was half truth and half lie, and Nino was curious too. Even though they were staying with them for five months months now, Lee and Alpha rarely brought up their past. They would talk about it, but they make it seem so that it wasn't that big of a deal. To her, it was, since she wanted to know more about him now that they were close friends.
The question was left hanging in the air as the car occasionally reverberated due to the vibrations the uneven terrain made. Nino sneaked glances at Lee to make sure he wasn't offended with the question, and saw that he wore a rather nonchalant expression on his face.
From that moment on, she new that he was hiding a lot from that facade of his. It was rude for her to assume, but she has seen the sort of expression Lee has right now. She has seen it on Ch’en while they were still at the academy. She has seen it on Jane when they would see the news of the infected being oppressed.
Everyone, including her, has their own problems that they don't have the courage to say. No one would open up their entire life experience to a stranger right after they meet. Trusting someone takes time, let alone building a strong friendship between them.
And as Nino was about to ask something to alleviate the awkwardness she was feeling, Lee suddenly spoke.
“I do. I have scars. Too many of them. Lost the patience to count. Most of them are in here.” He lightly taps his temple repeatedly as he kept his eyes focused on the road.
“My body has been repaired more times than I can count, and my mind has been subjected to a lot of trauma for what I have seen. I've fought countless engagements to preserve humanity against the virulent corrupted that have been rampaging Earth. Met people that have come and go, and lost a couple of close friends along the way.” He narrated as they drove in the open fields.
“I sometimes felt the need to die after coming back to Babylonia knowing that we lost that operation again. But you know...seeing your friends still full of hope and determination makes you regret you ever had that thought. Don't get me wrong Nino. I'm not bragging or anything, since there's nothing to brag about it, but...the scars I have... I'm not sure if I'm able to stitch them up.” He adds with a sour smile.
Nino can only stare at him, before averting her gaze at the floor. She doesn't even know how to respond to what he said just now.
“You're not required to respond Nino. Sometimes, the silence is more comforting that words.” Lee said as they neared the outskirts of County Hillock.
“One just needs someone to talk to from time to time. You guys don't have to force yourselves to respond to everything I say. I just...need to vent my frustrations from time to time.” He sighed and forced a smile.
Nino nodded her head and gazed into the distance. The horizon was already painted in a mix of orange and the telltale signs of darkness. The drive back home was filled with a comfortable silence afterwards, but Nino couldn't take her mind off what Lee just said.
.
.
.
///
Next day
The sounds of snoring filled the room as Lee laid on his back atop his bed. Sunlight was shining through the blinds, yet he was still deep in his sleep, even though it was already time to wake up.
A knocking on his door can be heard, but despite that noise, he still dreamed of him being on a soft mound of marshmallow. As childish as it may sound, at least he wasn't being chased or haunted by nightmarish entities in his sleep.
“Lee? How long are planning to sleep?” A muffled voice, probably from Jane, came from outside his room.
“Urghh...one momenshh...” Lee responded groggily before shifting his body to the right.
“Come one now, or you'll miss the opening of the diner.” Jane added, hoping that it would convince him to get up.
She stood close to the entrance with her head resting on the door so that he could hear his response. She could only make out indecipherable mumbling noises coming from inside, so she deduced that he wasn't waking up anytime soon.
Last night when they returned from the farm, she was surprised that Nino and Lee weren't even bickering with each other. She could sense that something happened between them, but based on their interactions, it probably wasn't something bad or awkward.
Normally, they would always argue with the smallest of things. Even though Jane knows that she was in good terms with Lee, she began feeling a little bit jealous whenever she sees them together.
‘I know it's wrong to harbor any ill feelings...oh no... what's wrong with me?’ Jane internally sighed as she it knocked on his bedroom.
“Lee? Don't make me come over and wake you up! Get up mister.” She tried a more demanding tone, yet faltered in the end. After waiting for a full minute and heard nothing but snoring, she decides it was time to bring forth judgement day.
“*sigh*, pardon the intrusion...” Jane murmured, before opening the door. She could only sigh another time when she saw Lee, who was now lying on his stomach.
She squints her eyes as the blinding morning lights shone through the blinds. What was his eyelids made out of that even the sun couldn't wake him up? She waltzes quietly over to the bedside before shutting off the blinds. She then turns around and sits at the edge of his bed, before trying to wake him up.
“Lee~, it's already time for the opening of the diner. Come on, wake up~.” Jane leans close to his ear and whispers. Her instinctual reactions as a girl was to feel embarrassed and flustered, since she was quite literally on top of him.
“Hnnngggn...” Lee groans after hearing something, before stretching his body. He yawns afterwards, before groggily rubbing his eyes.
“–out time you woke up...” He hears a familiar yet muffled voice beside him. He looks to his side and saw Jane sitting on his bed with a grumpy expression on her face.
“Is this a dream..?” Lee uttered. In his mind, he could not differentiate reality and fiction right now.
“Uhm, no? Come on now, you're gonna be late to–” Jane's sentence was abruptly cut off when she felt Lee's hand grab her arm. A few moments later, and she was already falling towards the bed.
“L-Lee!? W-Wha-What are you doing!?” Jane cried out in surprise. Her face was instantaneously blushing as she was now lying beside Lee, who quite frankly was still half asleep.
“I should be asking you that Jane...” He half muttered in a low whisper before gently brushing his hand on her cheek, which made her yelp.
“Why are you always appearing in my dreams..?”
Jane couldn't understand what was going on as her mind tried to keep up with the current situation. If this were a sudden attack on a military installation, she would have already quelled anyone that harbored any ill will against her using her superior physical strength.
However, this wasn't her forte. No one trained her for this kind of circumstance, which made her unable to do or say something. Even though she's technically a soldier, one shouldn't forget that she was also an endearing and charming lady.
“Y-Y-You got it wrong! T-This isn't a dream Lee!” She closed her eyes and tried pushing him away, but her brain couldn't command her muscles fast enough. In a blink of an eye, she could already tell that he was on top of her.
“Is it now...” Lee's voice reached her ears, causing her to nod her head repeatedly. When she peeked her eyes a bit, she didn't saw the ceiling. Instead, it was Lee that was enveloping her vision.
‘W-What do I do!? I didn't know that this was how the maidens felt in all those Victorian novels I have read about!’ Jane internally screamed at herself.
She would always be so giddy with delight while reading her favorite authors’ written works. The way the main character would fall head over heels to the person they want made her heart melt. However, she wasn't expecting to be thrown in the middle of it, let alone in the most unexpected way.
She doesn't know what to do anymore. After all, the fluffy feeling on her chest that has been building up these past few months have made her mind cloud a bit. It wasn't like any of those emotions she has felt before. It was different. She was nervous, yet somehow excited at the same time.
‘Is this...love?’
Her heartbeat was thumping faster as she gazed in his eyes. Why was she being swallowed into that deep set of orbs he has? Why was her head spinning like this, making her feel like this? The only thing she could say is...
“Lee...w-we can't do this. A-At least not until we're i-in a r-relationship...” Jane shyly puts a hand over her mouth while averting her gaze.
Lee gazed at her with a puzzled expression, before realizing what was happening. Jane was lying on his bed while her face was flushed red, and he was on literally on top of her. He thought it was all a dream, but now that he knew what he had been doing, he was all sober.
“Jane? Lee?” Nino's voice came from the hallway outside, and her footsteps was coming in fast.
“Some customers are already lining up outside! What are you two... doing..?” Nino stammered as she stood still on the doorway. She couldn't believe what she was seeing right now.
Lee hastily stood up and had a flustered look on his face. All he could see was that Nino had a shaded look on her face.
“L-Look, this isn't what it looks like!”
*step*
*step*
*step*
SWISH
SLAPPPPP!
«‹⟨ TO BE CONTINUED ⟩›»
Published: March 26, 2022
Words: 5012