2 hours later.
The lights flicker in the streets of the Foxhole within the first hours of the sunset, similar to that of headlights illuminating the paths of a treacherous night in the forest so the people can pass through safely. Even though there's little to no danger when going around the Foxhole, a handful of bandits still roam in the shadows, preparing their time to rob and strike at the innocent for any petty reason they can come up with. Fortunately, Terry's patrols are around in the nick of time to ensure that the worst won't come to pass in any way possible.
But what if there can be none nearby?
As the chatter of the villagers echoes through the streets near the houses and some of the children play and giggle around with their toys, there are few living souls around to be found at this time of the day. It is justified in this case, as most of the energy was spent on the chores and labors of the morning and afternoon, a way to provide the inhabitants to be fed and educated in the best ways possible, and to ensure that their energy can be restored to continue for more days to come.
Such can be the cycle of the Foxhole, one to continue day after day until the end of times.
In one corner of the streets, namely in a corridor between two buildings, two certain figures walk by it, one seems taller than the other, with distant chatter that can be heard nearby as well. The further they leave the dark corridor, the more light it rays on them to show who they are. One is a young teen with dark skin and a green shirt, and the taller one is a tan-skinned man with a red shirt.
Dillon and Logan are out for a walk, it seems.
Logan holds the sheathed sword gifted by Nobu on his belt, keeping it close while he observes the streets in front of him in case of a potential bandit that may ambush them at any second. Dillon, on the other hand, can only smile blissfully while bopping his head forward, despite not carrying any earphones around. Listening to imaginary music in the head can be a source of comfort when going around in a place with little advancement in most aspects. At least when it comes to resting outside the battlefield.
Times like these can make one wary of when to trust somebody even outside the battlefield fully, but if people like Russ and Letisha have faith in Logan despite being one day since they first met, then it can speak volumes that Logan may be in the best hands for now, especially when he glances at Dill with a slight smile on his face.
Dill, you're fortunate to have a father like him, and honestly, a good fellow to have around. But if only... If only she could see this, to restore herself after what happened.
"Hey, something of the matter, dude?" Dill asks as he glances at Logan while walking side by side. Logan merely shakes his head and sighs as well.
"Nothing much, to be honest. Well, aside from the fact that this almost feels unreal to me," Logan replies.
"Eh? What's holding ya up in that case?" Logan glances away on his left side, passing through some shopping carts outside the shopping district.
"I mean, not sure how to put it in words you may understand but... Before this, I may have not lived for much longer, not with a... that dastardly woman..." Logan grunts as he explains to Dill about what happened beforehand. Dill slightly frowns yet keeps a close distance from him. He doesn't seem so bad, at least for him.
"What kind of woman? Some supervillain or anything more devious than that?"
"More devious, honestly. No, more than devious. She used a loved one as a way to kill me, to trick others. Even now, I can see it clear as day, no matter where I go." Dill paces with his eyebrows drawing together. For Dill, to escape from a brutal Alien attack is one thing, but to use a loved one as a bargaining chip? Something unthinkable.
"Oh, I get it. She was the lowest of the low, not a surprise given what those Zlocu freaks are made of," Dill replies as he rubs his left eyebrow while leaping at a piece of wreckage standing on the road.
"Perhaps, but even so, part of me wonders if I... If I can be ever forgiven for the screw-ups I've made in there."
"Then what? You think you're worse than them because of some screw-ups? Gotta lighten yourself up, ya know!" Dill says as he taps on Logan's while smiling, even walking in front of him to glance at him. "Like me, the one who will mock the evildoers in here."
"It's not like a round of tag or something like that. You'll risk getting yourself in the scope of soldiers trained with the singular objective of exterminating those beneath them." Logan sighs once more as well as he shakes his head while Dill walks backward. Dill closes his eyes while rubbing his chin, maybe to think of it that can cheer Logan up from that demeanor of his.
"I mean, if you put it that way, you'll be on the money. Hey, we can play this instead!" Dill says as he spots something behind him, running off away from Logan who extends in hand as a way to stop him.
"Hey, don't leave me behind!" Logan says as he runs in Dill's direction. Who knows what Russ may to do Logan if Dill goes missing under his watch, hopefully, it may be just one minor timeout in Russ' terms but still gives chase as much as he can. A missing kid is the biggest of worries for most caretakers, even for those who go with the duties of a hero.
Dill stops at a solitary round net, one resembling a basketball net but without standing high in poles. Said net has a handful of holes, some wide enough to throw a round object in them, especially softer ones. Next to Dill is a box that has many tennis balls stacked together in a perfect formation. Even if most of them are either worn out, full of dust, or even with bits torn off, the fact they're still around may mean that it's a fairly popular sport for many in the Foxhole when hanging around, at least in the daytime.
Logan catches up to him, panting softly as he rubs his knees due to the speed he used up during his chase after Dill. He glances up to see a smirking Dill as he grabs one of the tennis balls, who also bounces it and catches it some times. Maybe a proper "game" to cool off Logan.
"Ever heard of the drop-shot? It's the best comfort sport of the Foxhole, the best to ease your head full of worrybugs," Dill says, still bouncing the ball. Logan tilts his eyes while raising an eyebrow, his gaze still focused on Dill and the ball.
"You think so?" Logan asks. Dill merely chuckles in response.
"Well, you can't know until you find out. That's my life motto by the way. You use one of these fellas and then with careful precision, it should manage to pass through the net and land on the vault behind it. The clanging sounds makes it worth it!" Dill explains with a wide grin. Logan still tilts his head.
"But, don't you think they may be a bit too big to fit in?"
"If they were, then this darn game wouldn't even exist." Dill chuckles again, and within the blink of an eye, he hurls the tennis ball right in the central net, passing through it and landing on the vault. Clanging sounds are upon impact, each one as equally as loud as the first one. Once the ball stops bouncing up, it exits through a small opening below the vault, closer to the box of balls.
"Oh wow..." Logan mutters with widened eyes while Dill claps to himself as he picks up the ball he used for the demonstration. Dill throws it back into the box and picks up another one, this one seems the cleanest in terms of looks.
"Now's your turn, buddy, release the worries with that baby," Dill says as he hands the ball to Logan, who picks it up as his hand slightly trembles. Logan glances at the wide net, standing still aside from a small wave from the breeze above. If it's something that can release stress as Dill says, it's worth trying out, as minor as it sounds.
With one quick breath, Logan hurls the ball into the net, but it bounces off when it impacts the center of it. It rolls near a knocked-down stop sign, where it stops right in the center of it.
Logan sighs as he picks up the ball from the sign, while Dill rolls eyes over this mishap. Nonetheless, he nods at Logan to give it another try.
"C'mon, it's not that hard," Dill says while Logan breathes deeply again, squeezing the ball too with his gaze set on the center of the hole. He extends his arm even longer and hurls the ball toward the net again.
And like before, it bounces off the net, this time landing right on Logan's feet, all while Dill shakes his head at the other result and even clicks his tongue four times while Logan picks up the ball.
"Skill issue much?" Dill says as he shakes his head as well. Logan only grunts as he keeps his stance while glancing at the net with intense focus, perhaps more than ever while squeezing the ball tightly too, all while breathing slowly.
Stick with it, Logan, stick with it.
As Logan takes a third deep breath, his eyes open wide, tapping his right foot he tightens his grip on the ball. With one swift motion, he hurls the ball with a stronger force with the speed of his arm.
This time, it passes through the net, and clangs in all directions of many loud sounds while Logan swipes some sweat from his arms and breathes softly too. Dill is left with his mouth agape, likely in amazement at the sheer strength Logan proved with the throw, far more than he has seen for a long while with the game.
"Holy cheese and crackers!" Dill remarks as he taps Logan's shoulder rapidly and with a smile too. Logan glances at him with a smile too, only nodding while he gives a thumbs-up. For a moment, it does look like Logan has found someone who can provide much-needed relief outside of Russ' presence.
However, right when Logan is about to say something to Dill, a faint sound is heard from the distance, one resembling that of a shout combined with others. Dill turns around too, the noise getting closer with each passing second.
"That sound... Oh boy," Dill says, eyes widening again at the realization of who the sounds may belong to. Some very familiar ones at that, with Logan glancing at him as the sounds of footsteps are heard too. One that sounds like it comes from more than two people running.
Three certain figures run as fast as the wind while a dark figure chases them from behind. All three of them scream while they avoid carriages and other wreckage standing in their way, either by leaping or turning sideways, and in one instance, even jumping over a large gaping hole below them, reaching enough distance to keep themselves away from the figure behind them.
With one wearing a hockey mask, the other a leather jacket and the other being a skinny man with missing front teeth, it seems that the business with the Helldivers is far from finished in their ordeals.
"Yes, over here!" Blaze says as he keeps running at maximum speed, with the rest following behind even as they pant heavily from the force of the speed.
"She-she may be too fast for us!" the leader stammers as he runs.
"Don't worry, Tremor! Keep yourself and Gust close to me and you'll be fine!" Blaze says as he continues to run with all the strength he can muster. Even the lowest of crooks know that the best trick to surpass an obstacle is speed, even when it comes to escaping from a mishap they committed before.
However, as he continues to sprint with his companions, he spots two figures in front of him who stand still, with one even clinging to the taller figure next to them. Within the blink of an eye, the sound of an unsheathing blade is heard, and before he knows it, the tip of a blade is spotted in front of him. Blaze stops right in his tracks alongside his companions as they see Logan pulling out the sword with Dill clinging to his back.
"Stop right there. You must be the bandits that tried to hurt Dill before, isn't it?" Logan says in a fierce tone.
"S-sorry, we're not going to hurt him this time, we swear!" Gust protests as he shields himself with his arms in case Logan strikes them down. Tremor, however, merely clears his throat and tries to walk toward Logan with an unflinching stance.
"Now you listen here, pretty boy. Don't you think you can come alive when facing the mightiest ones of the Foxhole. With me, Gust and Blaze, the Helldivers will rise even from hell!" Tremor says with an imposing tone. Logan only replies by swinging his blade horizontally, barely grazing Tremor's chest as he leaps backward while yelping.
"Do you think that mere pettiness will get you somewhere? This town would be safer if you three picked an honest path in life!" Logan says while keeping his stance with his sword.
"Y-you don't understand, man. We-we just want money to live in, isn't that too much to ask?!" Gust stammers, still shielding himself behind Blaze who trembles at the sight of Logan with the sword. Dill smirks in response to this.
"Yeah well, maybe you can ask my sister who may be chasing your butts at any second now. Or you could pray your respects for messing with the great Logan Preaker!" Dill boasts as he taps Logan's shoulder. This response prompts Blaze to widen his eyes, trembling even more than before as he raises his hands toward Logan.
"L-Logan... Preaker? That Logan?! I thought you disappeared after that day!" Blaze says as his voice breaks, with his teammates glancing at him. But before they can try to say anything else, more footsteps are heard behind them, with a particular figure chasing them.
"What it is, Blaze?" Gust asks nervously as he glances behind them.
"No, don't kill me or my buddies, please!" Blaze shouts says he sprints like the wind right when the figure behind them heads closer, with the other two sprinting and screaming as well from the potential fates that await them if they don't do anything quick. Logan only stares at the escaping bandits as he sheathes his sword back to his belt, with Dill staring at him for a few seconds before the chasing figure reaches them, panting heavily but still in best shape.
"Oh hey, sister Terry," Dill says as he glances at the towering figure that is Terry, who breathes heavily due to the pursuit against the bandits.
"Damn, they got away. I have never seen such men run fast like that," Terry says in a firm tone without glancing at Dill who is next to Logan.
"What happened, did they do something?" Logan asks as his expression softens when facing Terry. Terry only shrugs in response.
"Tried to pickpocket the donation center. I was lucky to be there in time. Now, if only they could learn their lesson, this town would be resting easier," Terry replies firmly.
"And perhaps they would have stood still with Logan holding them off, but one of them somehow heard of Logan before. What could it be, dude?" Dill says as he glances at Logan.
"I don't know, maybe somehow heard of my exploits before?" Logan replies as he looks down, likely unsure of Blaze's implications.
"The radio here only picks up propaganda signals from the occupied government, and even the lowest of scum wouldn't dare to believe Zlocan propaganda at this rate," Terry says.
"Oh, then it could be something else. Have you had an encounter with Blaze before?" Dill asks Logan. Logan only shakes his head in response, while Terry leans near Logan with a frown on her face.
"If that were the case, he wouldn't have run away in a panic. You sure you haven't done anything important back then?" Terry presses on.
"I really don't know, maybe something I've forgotten about..." Logan says as he shakes for a bit. But as soon as Terry tries to get closer, Dill steps in front of her.
"Hey, maybe it's too complicated for him to talk about. Maybe we should go back instead? It's getting pitch black now and dad would get worried," Dill says. After a few seconds of silence between the three, Terry sighs and walks back in the direction of the Romano's house, with Dill and Logan following suit. While Dill holds to Logan's hand, Logan breathes steadily yet raggedly with his gaze focused on Terry's direction. It's almost like he's holding something so secretive that he doesn't want to admit it to the two at this very moment.
So ends the day with a bit of a showcase of a game of the village, and briefly stopping the common scum too. But even amidst the mundane nature of the day, there still lies a pressing mystery of what Logan has witnessed before.
Maybe something so terrifying more than he's willing to admit.