“CAN YOU HEAR ME!” I shouted, my voice blasting through the system, “IF YOU CAN, STOP FIRING! I GET UNDER COVER, AND PREPARE FOR A FIGHT!”
I turned it off, and was standing up when Ken and the others ran in.
“They are inside.” Ken panted. “There are sixty of them, all armed with pistols, bowies, machetes, or short swords.”
“They are prepared for close combat.” I said. A small group-maybe seven people-charged in. We all drew our weapons-a collection of swords and bowies- and engaged them. I swung my blade into the stomach of one, and started to fight another one. Left, right, stab, block- my mind focused on the man in front of me, parrying his strikes while attempting to deliver my own. As I forced him to give ground, I slowly got a view of the door. Someone was standing there…
Brooke.
I gasped in pain as the man managed to slice my left forearm. Before I could retaliate, Kaytie ran forward, shouting, “OH NO YOU FUCKING DON’T!”
Ken limped over to me. “Brooke.” He stated.
“I know. Let’s go.” We ran towards her, ducking as Kaytie leaped over us to assist the others. Brooke saw us approaching, and backed away. When we got outside the band room, we saw her run out the back. Ken and I exchanged glances.
“Trap?” I asked.
“Almost definitely.” He grinned. “Let’s spring it.”
We followed her outside. Standing there was Cahira, Dominika, Brooke, and-
“Ryan.” Ken sighed. “I’m actually not surprised.”
“Harley.” Brooke said softly, walking towards me.
“Why?” I asked her.
She stopped about a yard away from me. “I love Cahira.”
I stood there, surprised. “That’s why you betrayed us?”
“I’m sorry.” she said nervously, with her hand twitching towards her sword.
“Are you fucking serious? Are you telling me the “love” is the reason why you left us, and then lead an entire opposing faction to us? The people who sheltered and nurtured you?
“Yes-yes.” she responded nervously
“What the fuck do you think this is? A love story? Do you think that we would be perfectly fine with you leaving us, and then leading enemies here? To the ones who cared for you? Do you think I give a flying fuck if what you have is ‘true love?’?”
“No, I didn’t. I actually expected you to….”
“Die before you had to see me? That I would leave you alone?”
“Well, yes.”
“Then I am sorry too.”
“Why?” She asked.
I drew my sword. “Brooke, you have assisted in an attack. As a traitor, I sentence you to death in a trial by combat.” I looked up. “And you, Dominika. Same sentence. Ken, kill her.” I drew my sword. “Brooke, I will kill you.”
She sighed, sadness in her gaze. “Fine.” She drew her sword, and swung at me. I blocked, and slashed her wrist, lopping it off.
“You are a better fighter than that.” I said. “Fight.”
“Fight me.” said Cahira, striding forward. “She never had any intent on your death. Capture is what she wanted. I’m the one who wants you dead.”
I swung my sword in a circle. “Fine by me. I’ll finish what I started.” I swung my sword, cutting right through Brooke’s midsection. She collapsed like a puppet without strings.
“NO!” Cahira screamed in despair. “I said I will fight you!”
“And I said that traitors die.” I spat venomously.
“I will kill you!” She screamed. She swung at me wildly, again and again, missing each time, because I was backing up. I pulled my Colt 1911 and shot her in the kneecap. She shrieked in agony, and she fell, and I fired again, hitting her sword hand. I walked over to her, and shot her in the stomach. Then the foot. Then the shoulder. I took my sword, and slammed it into her thigh. I then drew a small knife with three edges that curved around the blade.
“Do you know what this is?” I asked her. She shook her head. “This is a Jagdkommando Tri-Knife. It is known as the most evil knife in the world, because it is very, very difficult to seal the wound. I drew another blade. “This is a regular jagged knife. This hurts.” I slammed it into her stomach, and twisted it ninety degrees. She screamed in pain. I then took the Jagdkommando and impaled her, shattering her pelvis. She screamed more, and louder. “You don’t attack me, or my family.”
“You… Don’t have a family… Only a sister…” She croaked out. I was impressed she could talk at all.
“I see Dominika and Brooke kept you informed.” I pulled the jagged knife out, and slammed it into the kneecap I didn’t shoot, shattering it. An explosion sounded from above, but I didn’t look to see what is was. “However, you are wrong. You see these people?” I pulled out the Jagdkommando, and rammed it into her off hand. She screamed some more. Another explosion, blowing a hole in the side of the school. “This group?” I grabbed the hilt of my sword, and twisted it one hundred eighty degrees. The screaming intensified. “We are all here for each other.” I grabbed my Colt, which I had dropped, and pointed it at her shins. I shot them, one after the other. “This is my family, and this place is my home.” I grabbed the Jagdkommando, and twisted it. She screamed more. “You made the wrong move, attacking here.” I pulled my jagged knife out. “Now,” I said, pulling the Jagdkommando out. “You will die in extreme pain, for I will not grant mercy.” I stood, and pulled my sword out. “Have fun bleeding out.”
“GO TO HELL!” she screamed.
“I already have a residence planned.” I declared, sheathing my sword and holstered my pistol. “I’ll see you there.” I turned, and saw Ken fighting Dominika and Ryan. He was… bleeding from his eye. What the fuck?
KEN’S POV
Dominika stabbed me in the eye, and I kept fighting. Even two on one, with me half-blind, I was winning.
I slashed and parried, stabbed and parried. I blocked and stabbed Ryan in the stomach, pulled my blade out, blocked a strike from Dominika, chopped Ryan’s arm off, swiped at Dominika, and lopped his head off. Then, something cold cut right into my lower back, and I collapsed, unable to stand. My head hit the pavement, and I blacked out.
HARLEY’S POV
I roared in anguish, and Dominika took one glance at me, and fled. I threw the Jagdkommando at her, and missed. I pulled my 1911 out, and fired at her, hitting her shoulder. She kept running. I cursed, and ran to Ken. His head had cracked the pavement, and… the sword….
“Oh no…” I groaned. She…. Cut right through his spinal cord.
Kenneth Ramos is now both missing an eye, and is paralyzed.
“KENNETH!” I bellowed. “SOMEBODY! COME HELP!”
EVELINE’S POV
Sword fighting has never been my thing. I prefer guns. Harley gave me these two little handguns. He said that they were called Glock 26s (he needs a life.) He also gave me a sawed-off shotgun. I also have my machete. Enough with equipment. There’s a battle.
I stood beside a window on the second floor, holding my M16 at the ready. I was with Oliver and Dusk, and we were waiting, listening for the command to fight. I had given Dusk my machete. I glanced at her, and she nodded reassuringly. I nodded back, and returned my gaze to out the window.
“OPEN FIRE!” I heard Harley roar. At the same time, Dominika yelled, “SHIELDS!” As we fired upon our opponents, they lifted these misshapen pieces of metal, and lifted them over their heads, successfully protecting themselves from the hailstorm of bullets.
“To kurwa.” Dusk cursed. “Guys, hold your fire. It’s going to be completely ineffective.” We stopped shooting, and we saw the Harley and the others had retreated. Suddenly, there was crackling over the loudspeaker, and Harley was shouting through it.
“CAN YOU HEAR ME!” he shouted, his voice blasting through the system, “IF YOU CAN, STOP FIRING! GET UNDER COVER, AND PREPARE FOR A FIGHT!”
Dusk nodded. “He must’ve completed it.”
I nodded, and turned away from the window, slinging my M16
across my back, and drawing my shotgun. Dusk and Oliver ran forward, and barricaded the door with the classroom’s desks. We stood, and waited. We could hear explosions and the sounds of combat from below.
Something rolled into the classroom. “GRENADE!” I yelled. I scooped it up, and tossed it out of the room. It flew into the room across the hall, and exploded, blowing a hole in the side of the building. I didn’t have time to worry about that, though, because the desks were shoved down, and eight guys charged in, machetes and knives in hand.
I pointed my shotgun at one of them, and fired, blowing a gaping hole in his midsection. Another one charged at me, and I parried his sword with my shotgun. He swung again, and his sword slashed towards me, missing by a hair as I dodged to the side. I pulled out one of my Glocks, and was aiming it at him, but he slashed his sword downwards, the flat of the blade slamming into my thumb, causing me to drop my gun. I jumped back as he slashed at my throat. He missed, and I was pulling out my other Glock when a large silver staff impaled him through the chest. The staff withdrew, and I saw Phoenix, holding her bo-staff. She charged to help Oliver and Dusk, spinning it, putting all of her old color guard skills to use. She impaled one guy in the back of the head, stabbed another, and slit the throat of the third.
I hastily picked my weapon off the floor, and looked at Phoenix in awe. When the last opponent fell, Phoenix glared around the room.
“Hey,” Maria said, walking towards me. She and Joselito must’ve accompanied Phoenix up here. “You alright?”
“I’m fine.” I said.
“You will have time for catch-up later.” Phoenix barked. “We are in the middle of combat right now!”
“She’s correct,” Dusk said. “‘C’mon. I had sent Faith and Eli to the gym.”
“I sent Lance, Madison, Phillip, and Frank that way, too.” Phoenix added. “The guys that were with Harley are holding fort in the band room. Harley and Kenny are outside. Last I saw, they were confronting Cahira, Dominika, Ryan, and Brooke.”
“Brooke’s alive?” I cried.
“Dominika’s with them?” Oliver shouted.
“Yes. However, Harley and Ken will handle that. Our job is to take out the rest of these guys. Let’s go.” Phoenix ordered.
As we followed her, I got a glimpse of Harley and Ken outside. Ken was engaging Dominika in combat, and Brooke was standing there, missing a hand, and her sword on the ground. Harley swung his sword, and it sliced clean through Brooke’s midsection.
“NO!” Cahira’s shout of despair rang throughout the school. However, we kept running.
The second floor was mostly empty, but we could still hear combat on the first floor.
“You sure the others stood in the band room?” I heard Dusk ask Phoenix.
“Last time I checked. However, they may have taken advantage of the fact that only two staircases in the school are unblocked, and lead to the band room. They may have gone to fight.”
Dusk nodded, and then we heard shouts, coming from the gym in front of us. Phoenix charged forwards, kicking the door open, swinging her staff. I pulled my Glocks out; Oliver had his bow, Jose and Dusk with their machetes, and Maria with her sword. The four of them jumped over the bleachers, and engaged the enemy. As I fired my pistols, I realized that there must be thirty guys in this room. As I reloaded, I saw Jose, surrounded by multiple people. He parried, stabbed a guy in the eye, decapitated another, and then had his right hand cut off. I heard Maria’s cry, and she charged forward, attacking the group. She managed to take down another guy before she was stabbed in the stomach, then the chest, then the someone cut her open from head to toe. Jose roared, and stood up, holding small pistol in his left hand, and shot one of them in the head. Then an arrow appeared in the head of another. I looked over, and saw the despair in Oliver’s face as he drew another arrow, aimed, and released, killing another one. Someone appeared behind him.
“OLIVER!” I screamed. “BEHIND YOU!” He spun, slamming an arrow into the stomach of the guy behind him. I looked back down, and saw Phoenix. Surrounded by dead opponents, she was engaging another in hand to hand, holding a small knife. I looked for her staff, and saw it sticking out of the chest of someone. She must’ve thrown it. Someone grabbed me from behind, and covered my mouth. I tried to shriek, but found I couldn’t. I saw Oliver was fighting someone, and I realized that no one could help me. I felt the muscles in the arm around my head tighten in preparation to snap my neck, when I felt his grip loosen, and was suddenly pulled off of me. It was Harley, his arms covered in blood, holding the guy who was holding me. Harley impaled the guy’s stomach with an evil-looking knife, and then shoved him away. He charged the guy, and slammed the knife into the right side of the guy’s chest. He pulled it out, and stabbed him in both of his armpits, right through the shoulders. He tossed the guy on the floor. He pulled his Colt (even I recognize the model of Harley’s favorite weapon) out and started to walk away from the disabled, bleeding guy. I caught his arm.
“It’s not like you to grant mercy.” I said to him. He stiffened, and looked at me. When I saw his face, I gasped, and stepped back. He had this dangerous, wild look on his face. He lifted the knife in his hand.
“You see this knife?” He asked me. I nodded. “This is called the Jagdkommando Tri-Knife. Because of the way the blade is shaped, to be stabbed with this means you will bleed out, because it leaves an insanely difficult wound to seal.” He gestured at the guy on the floor. “He did not get mercy. He has a more painful death.”
I gazed at Harley in horror, lifted my arm, pointed it at the guy on the floor, and fired my weapon, killing him. “That’s inhumane.” I said, fear in my voice. “We don’t torture.”
He glared at me, and sighed. “I know. That’s my rule. But…” His voice shook. “Kenny is injured. Badly. Dominika cut right through his spinal cord.”
I gasped in horror. “Kenny? That’s awful. But please, Harley, Ken wouldn’t want you to torture people in his sake.”
He narrowed his eyes, and wordlessly walked away, jumping the bleacher to join the remains of the melee. I sagged to the ground. The way he looked at me... For the very first time, I did not feel safe with Harley as leader. Dangerous and terrifying were never thoughts I had when concerning this man, the person I had known since he was a cheerful seventh grader.
However, now that has changed.
A WEEK LATER
November 17th, 2018
KAYTIE’S POV
L’o and behold, and take a good look at me, for I, Kaytie Maguire, am the new second-in-command.
Yup, Harley chose me. Well, he chose me after he chose Dusk. However, Dusk said she didn’t want to become second in command, so he chose me.
Surprisingly, we only lost one person in the Siege. It’s awful that Maria died, yes, but with three-to-one odds? I’ll say we did pretty well. We only have four serious injuries, Ken’s back and eye, Jose lost his right hand, Ace took a few wounds to her legs, and Alice is having difficulty using her left arm (she took a knife to the elbow. It didn’t go that deep, but it did hit a nerve cluster.) The sword that disabled Ken went cleanly through his spine and spinal cord. The stab that took his eye, however, didn’t cause any sort of damage to his brain at all. It’s like it fell out.
We buried Maria out by Jada. Jose was heartbroken, and he still refuses to get a new hand. Eli said that it may be because it serves as a memorial to why Maria died (I personally find that stupid. He should get a replacement, because he is pretty much useless right now.)
Harley seems to have taken Ken’s injury personally. He spends a lot of time working in the room he keeps the prosthetics, and when his is out here, leading the group, his tone and attitude are cold and harsh. I personally do not care. As long as things are still getting done around here, it’s fine by me.
Eveline is behaving oddly. She is super polite around some of us, and she refuses to meet our gaze. I thought it was because of Maria’s death, but Oliver said something else disturbed her. However, he refuse
d to say what it was.
Harley has not chosen a new lieutenant to replace me yet. He claims he is still looking.
The damage to the school is nonexistent in the basement, where we are, well, based. However, on the second floor, there are several holes blown in the walls, and there is a hole in the floor to the first floor. Harley said to leave them alone, but personally, I believe they should be fixed. I’m not going to argue about it now, though.
Cahira was on found outside, with Ryan’s and Brooke’s bodies. Ryan was decapitated, Brooke was sliced in half. Cahira… Was awful, even for me. She had multiple gunshot and knife wounds, none of them fatal. It looks as if she was tortured, and left to die.
Anyways, I’m going to go and talk to Ken.
“Hey Kaytie.” Phoenix said, looking up as I walked into the room. She was sitting in a cot by herself,
“Where’s Lance?” I asked her.
“He’s re-applying the antibiotics to Jose’s wrist. Jose refuses to get a new hand, and he refuses to stay here to heal properly. He’s going to get an infection.”
I sighed. “He needs to grow up.”
“That’s harsh.” a voice said. I looked up, and it was Ken. He was lying in one of the improvised medical beds. “He lost Maria. He deserves time to grieve.”
“Grieve, yes. Become a liability to the group? No, he doesn’t.” I countered. “However!” I near-shouted over Ken’s retort. “I’m not here to fight with you over this. How are you doing?”
He sighed. “As good as I could be. It’s been a little lonely, just us here. No one has visited but you.”
“What?” I asked, surprised. “Why hasn’t anyone visited?”
“I assume they are busy.” He said,
“That shouldn’t matter.” I said vehemently. “They should be visiting you.” I turned around.
“Kaytie, where are you going!” Ken cried out.
“I’m going to kick your ‘friends’ asses.” I tossed over my shoulder, walking away.
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