Greed.Greed.Greed.Greed.
I didn't care. I didn't care if hugging John was greedy of me. For so long I'd desperately sought out his touch and fighting alongside him only fuelled that hunger. Longing overcame reason as my arms had pressed against his ribs. Despite the many layers of clothing covering my body, I could still faintly feel his rapid heartbeat dancing in his chest. I wished I could've stayed there just a little longer to relish the moment with him but duty called and I was now walking alongside the Captain heading North. A light burning sensation fizzled across my collarbone but it was undermined by the warm glow building in my stomach. Maybe John had always been the remedy to my problems after all but I'd never appreciated him.
'How could you Rook?'
That damned voice. It riddled my brain like maggots feasting on the corpse of a deer. Gnawing and wriggling, planting seeds of guilt. The collapse was my fault. The mounting pile of bodies littering the county were my fault. The looming radiation zone was my fault. Everything I did, it was all because of my pride.
Pride.Pride.Pride.Pride.
'I was about to say you're being awfully quiet but then I remembered it's you.' The Captain chuckled to herself, a hint of nervousness escaping from her throat. The landscape around us changed dramatically and I immediately saw smoke billowing from New Eden in the distance. Stopping in my tracks, I swallowed hard and balled my fists tightly. The Captain saw this and placed a hand onto my shoulder. 'I won't blame you for going back. I know it was your home.' Her words were almost lost on me, the sheer mass of black ash rising into the sky capturing something dark inside the pit of my stomach.
Wrath.Wrath.Wrath.Wrath.
Shrugging the Captain off of me, the red mist began to settle at the corners of my vision. A million screams of the village residents as flames consumed them in rapid succession echoed in my ears. The flock had been decimated by the locusts and I was not there to protect them. Perhaps I was the snake in the grass that Joseph had preached about for so long? The snake who abandoned the people who needed them most.
Wrath.Wrath.Wrath.Wrath.Wrath.Wrath.
An unhappy grunt escaped my lips as I yanked my bow from my back and approached the compound. Wild-eyed beneath my mask, I had tunnel vision as each decisive footfall took me closer to the church. Flames licked at the wooden houses surrounding us and my breath began to hitch violently in my throat.
'Breathe Judge.' Lara murmured quietly, clutching a rifle in her hands. My lungs felt heavy and tight, constricted by the vast amount of smoke in the air. Entering the church, a feeble figure lay on the floor.
'Please.' Their arm outstretched towards us causing Lara to run over and pull the woman to her feet. Her skin was flushed pink from the heat of the fire, hood casting over her eyes. 'Ethan brought them here. The locusts-'
'Hey rabbit.' Lou's voice made Lara's shoulders tense. She turned around slowly, her lip almost curling up into a snarl at the sight of the twins. I moved just behind the Captain, giving the villager a chance to escape safely. 'Thought we took care of you. You just don't seem to wanna die. So fucking stubborn. We're stubborn too.' Lou clutched a canister in her hand, Mickey draped over her sister's shoulders menacingly. The blue clad twin moved to the side, unveiling an identical object held in her own gloved fingers.
'The shame of it all is we coulda been on the same side. You and us, we really could've done something. I guess it wasn't meant to be.' Malice etched in her tone. Lara raised her gun, seething with rage. In perfect sync, Mickey and Lou tore the lids from the canisters. Colourful spurts of smoke burned from the tops, framing the twins in their respective colours.
'So let's end this.' Lou growled, eyes boring into Lara. Tossing the cans to the ground, pink and blue gas exploded into the air, clouding our vision. It seeped beneath my mask, the scent of melted plastic and aerosol invading my nostrils. Spluttering, I fell to my knees and crawled my way outside. Clawing at my mask to no avail, I howled in pain as the gas stung my eyes and mouth. In the distance I could hear Lara's angry yells and the sound of bullets ricocheting off of stone. I had to fight, I had to help her.
Sloth.Sloth.Sloth.Sloth.
Writhing on the ground, I pressed myself upright onto my knees and struggled to my feet. The mist began to clear from behind my mask and I could see once more. Wavering for a second, it was only then that I noticed the red dot illuminated against my chest. Diving out of the way a bullet narrowly missed me. Pressing my back against a nearby barrel, I peered over the top to see Mickey stood on a roof. The jaws enclosing her helmet glinted in the firelight as she took another shot at me. Ducking, I crouched down and shuffled towards the lower thatching of the church roof. Pulling myself up, I produced my bow and loosed an arrow. It arced gracefully, slamming straight into Mickey's visor. The glass shattered and the arrow fell to the ground. The woman glared at me from the opposing roof, her eyes now visible to the world. Rapidly, she shot at me before I could react. The bullet tore across my upper arm, piercing the fur that draped over my shoulder. Hissing in pain beneath my mask, I buckled my knees and fell to my stomach in an effort to avoid her sightline. Sliding along on my front, I managed to hide behind a raised piece of wood.
'That the best you got rabbit?' Lou laughed manically just below me. It sounded like Lara needed more support. I had to take Mickey out to at least give her a fighting chance. Clutching at my arm, I felt the blood seep through the tough animal hide and press against the bare skin of my palm.
Wrath.Wrath.Wrath.Wrath.Wrath.
Springing to my feet, I darted off of the roof and began to sprint towards Mickey. Weaving between buildings she struggled to shoot at me. Leaping up onto the same roof as her, I ran at her and tackled her to the ground. Rifle flying from her grip, she laughed bitterly.
'Whatcha gonna do now lap dog?' She swung to punch me but I reeled my neck back. Pulling an arrow from my quiver with my bare hands, I raised it into the air.
'This is a little thing I learnt from Jacob.'
My memory of John viciously stabbing me in the leg made a sick smile spread across my face. I knew how much this would hurt her. Wrenching my arm back, I plunged the arrowhead straight through Mickey's thigh and relished the sound of her agonised scream.
WRATH.WRATH.WRATH.WRATH.
Trying to stand, Mickey stumbled from the rooftop and onto the ground. Raising my bow, I sent another arrow into the back of her calf.
'You fucker!' She screeched, still trying to walk. Eventually she succumbed to her pain and fell hard onto her knees. Lara rounded the corner holding a badly injured Lou by the scruff of her neck. Throwing the wounded woman against a rock, the Captain seemed remarkably calm. Mickey crawled to her sister's side, panting viciously. 'Fuck...' She groaned, clutching at her legs. Jumping down from the rooftop, I moved over to Lara's side as we both bore down on the twins.
'Hey Mickey. You okay?' Lou coughed, blood trickling down her dark chin.
'No! You?'
'No. Hey, you ain't dyin' are you?' Lou asked, the thin line of blood dripping out of her mouth flowing steadily. Mickey wrapped her hands around one of the arrows embedded in her leg and tugged, a deep withheld scream escaping her lungs. It didn't budge. Collapsing back against the rock she shook her head.
'I guess I broke my promise.'
'What?' Lou seemed perplexed, chest heaving uneasily.
'To mom. I told her we wouldn't end up like dad.' Lament and regret seemed to flit across Mickey's expression. Lara must've caught it too because her hold on her rifle grew slack.
'We had a lot of fun though right?' The pink plastic vest covering Lou's chest wobbled unevenly. She was dying. They gave a macabre laugh in unison with one another accepting their unescapable fate. It almost tugged at my heartstrings. Almost. Lou's laugh gradually faded into a final breath, Mickey's eyes growing wide with disbelief at her sister's sudden demise.
'Hey. Hey! Do not die first. You do not get to die first. I'm the oldest, I go first, goddammit!' Shaking Lou's corpse in desperation, Mickey gripped her leg in frustration. 'Lou? Lou?' Using her wrist Mickey pushed at the side of her sister's throat, willing for her to awaken once more. Stealing a glance at Lara, her eyes were glazed over with what appeared to be tears. 'I was supposed to take care of you. I was supposed to take care of you and I didn't and I'm so fucking sorry I fucked this up man. I fucked... this...' She spoke as though her sibling could hear but we all knew it was pointless. Casting her gaze to the two of us, Mickey leant against the rock and sighed heavily. 'Y'know rabbit, you remind me of our mom. She had hope. She had dreams. She... she just wanted to fuckin' make things better. I should've listened to her. But things just got carried away.' Her regrets seemed genuine as though if she could turn back the clock she would never lead her sister down the path of violence. 'Do what you gotta do. Ethan's gone after his father. You might have time to stop him. If not, well, you've had a good run.' Chest heaving, Mickey tipped her head back as though awaiting for her life to be cut short. But Lara turned her back, stalking away from the scene.
'Rabbit? Rabbit! Rabbit!' Mickey called after her desperately, seeking release. But Lara refused to give it to her.
'Come on Judge. We still have work to do.'