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A shadow overtook the group as they approached the compound’s makeshift wall. It was comprised of hollowed buildings stuffed with sandbags and a quick hardening concrete like material. Between them, large steel posts jutted from the ground with enough room between them to allow a rifle to aim through. Rooftop figures, silhouetted by a rising sun lazily stared off into the ash covered wastes. Above it all, the blackened city stared down at them, a miasma of soot emanating from its twisted fingers reaching to the heavens.

            Its remarkably clear today, Stitches thought mesmerized by the colossal monstrosity.

            It almost didn’t look real; this was the first time he’d seen it this close. Dotted around the city were crumbled remnants of buildings and massive twisted shards that were blown away by the ascension.

            I wonder if Maribel left yet.

            “How is it still standing?” Angels voice cut through their awe, “It shouldn’t, if the laws of physics still apply to it that is.”

            She supported the large bow hanging from her shoulder with her hands. She said she didn’t need armor but Stitches insisted she at least wear some medium rated gear protecting her chest and legs. The only thing she would have brought otherwise was an archery glove to protect her delicate fingers from the bowstring. She looked uncomfortable in the clunky plate armor but was otherwise content to finally see what the wastes had to offer.

            “Ah, I hope we get to see a mutant. I’ve been so curious about their anatomy since I first read about them,” she said as she adjusted her belt.

            “Anatomy? You’re not actually going to look inside one, are you?” Saul asked with a grimace.

            Angel smiled, “Of course I am! I want to see how their organs match up to other species!”

            “That’s weird, you’re weird,” Saul teased. He’d armored himself with a heavier set of armor than the rest and a large metal shield that he held with his left arms. Two short swords sat in their scabbards at his hip, “You sure about those techniques Stitches? Where’d you learn them?”

            Stitches had spent the latter half of the night before, teaching him basic sword and shield combat, he’d learned as a kid. He developed it to protect himself from packs of dogs but managed to alter it enough to be useful to Saul’s role.

            “I watch a lot of ninja flicks,” he joked.

            Saul laughed but was still concerned with the answer he received.

            “Your stance is still off,” Witch interjected, “Keep your center of gravity low and make sure you don’t get knocked off it when you block a strike.”

            Witch pulled off her hoodie and tied it around her waist. To everyone’s surprise (and Angels delight) 4 smaller arms from her lateral muscles stretched themselves out before wrapping around her stomach and resting on her belt. She tugged up at her handkerchief, ensuring it was secure. She reached back and tied her hair in a short ponytail as her antennae slowly stopped flicking curiously at the wind.

            “Oy Witch, I thought you said you had armor ready,” Stitches said while he tightened up his forearm guards.

            Witch wore belted stab proof shorts with a matching tank top and a sabre at her hip. She looked she was preparing for a light jog, not a fight. She knocked on the hard black plate affixed to her upper chest, “I have natural armor. Didn’t you notice?”

            Saul opened his mouth to ask which parts of her were armored but quickly realized that was a terrible idea.

            “I did but how tough is it?” Stitches asked.

            Her hands perched at her hips, “It’s handled bullets before.”

            Dull carapace wrapped her arms like living gauntlets dwarfed only by the powerful greaves that protected her legs. Her grayish skin peaked out only at her bodies flex points protected by tough flexible darkened bands.

            The bands on her biceps stretched as she crossed her arms, “Remember what I said about the staring?” she glared.

            Stitches averted his gaze, “Right, sorry.”

            “Hey Witch, what’s that on your back?” Saul pointed to the large bump that ran down her upper back.

            “Huh? My elytra?”

            Angel gasped, “You have wings?” curiosity filled her face.

            “Wait, you can fly?!” Saul asked, his eyes wide with excitement.

            “N-no, they’re vestigial…”

            “Don’t be silly Saul, she’s much too heavy to fly!” Angel smiled.

            “Ghk!” Witch blushed, “You don’t have to phrase it like that…”

            “Looks like they want us over there,” Stitches pointed.

A figure from a building waved at them kicking down a rope latter.

 

Climbing up the latter into an attic with half the roof missing, a pair of metamorphs waited for them. Sitting in an old roller chair and balancing a rifle on a window frame was an older looking woman with odd feathers haphazardly growing from her skin. A claw hook sat in place of her left hand and a rotten look rested in her eyes. A thin friendlier looking man with a tail greeted them as they made it up. His odd pupils and jagged smile put Stitches on edge.

“I’m Felix,” the man spoke, “That woman prefers to be called Jay, but I’m sure she’ll tell us her real name once she warms up.”

Jay glared at him harshly before turning to keep watch over the ashy rubble.

“I read your files included in the application, you’ve never experienced combat, correct?”

“That’s right,” Stitches answered.

“How do you deal with those things? What can they do?” Saul asked tapping his fingers against his shield.

 Felix leaned against a fallen wooden beam, “If you’re asking about ash people, they’re really just humans with some weird deformities if you catch one on their own. That probably won’t happen though, unless they’re trying to bait you into a trap. They’re quiet and crafty when they want to be, then loud and vicious once they surprise you.”

“How are they usually equipped?” Witch asked.

“With whatever they strip off corpses usually,” he answered, “If not that, probably a sharp piece of metal on the end of a stick, a couple skulls and maybe someones face.”

“A face?” Angel asked ponderingly.

“Oh yeah, they don’t usually report that part in the cities,” Felix tapped his chin, “If they catch you, they eat you and wear your face.”

“What the hell? Why?!” Saul exclaimed.

“I don’t know. They’re psychos, do they need a reason?”

“Guess not…” Stitches mumbled; his stomach unsettled.

“What about the mutants?” Witch interrupted.

“They’re more like dealing with a large beast; dangerous but usually on their own,” his eyes drifted towards the wastes, “they’ll eat you too.”

“But have you seen any up close? Have you seen eggs? Mating maybe?” Angel excitedly asked.

“Ma- huh?” Felix stared at her perplexed.

“The way mutants reproduce is one of science greatest mysteries!”

Felix scratched his ear, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen those parts on a mutant before, but then again, I haven’t been here long.”

“Jay! Have you seen any mutant parts?”

Jay turned to scowl at her, then returned her attention to the ash.

Felix sighed, “I wouldn’t bother the older ones with that question. Once they go senile, they start saying, ‘mutants are metamorphs that sin,’ or something like that.”

“Shut the hell up,” Jay growled, “don’t talk about shit you know nothing about.”

Felix rolled his eyes and shrugged with a grin.

Saul broke the silence, “What if there’s both mutants and ash people?”

“Back off and let them kill each other.”

“They’re not on the same side?” Stitches asked, taken off guard by the simple solution.

“Na, I’ve always thought of them more like animals up till now,” he snickered,” You newbies sure come up with some weird questions.”

 

“So,” Stitches arms crossed, “What’s our job?”

Before Felix could answer Jay cut in, “You sit down, shut up and do what I tell you,” her eyes scanned the surrounding rubble and mounds of ash, “Ill blow the ass off of anything that comes around, but if they get behind something or start throwing shit at us it’ll be on you to go down there and deal with it.”

Stitches turned towards Felix.

Felix, reading his thoughts answered, “I’m just her spotter,” his hand patted a pair of binoculars hanging from his neck.

“You’re doing a great job standing over there with your thumb up your ass.”

Felix smiled at them one more time and returned to Jays side.

 

Time passed slowly as the gang became more and more accustomed to the floor. The first time Jay’s rifle popped, everyone jumped right to their feet ready to fly into a fight. When she ignored them, they looked at each other confused and eventually returned to sitting on the ground. The next couple times, the same thing happened and eventually the group would simply look up to her for a second and the return their gazes to each other.

Their gear sat about next to them as they’d grown tired of holding it. Angel brought out her deck of cards and they lazily played some games, this time much more aware of the dangers of gambling.

The morning sun turned into an afternoon sun, and then an evening sun as shadows became longer and longer. Jay silently rested her head in the window frame, it’d been a long time since movement caught her eyes. Behind her, Felix sparked a light to a cigarette, the cherry illuminating his face.

Angel sighed winning her 53rd game in a row. Her streaks were only interrupted by her friends occasional lucky break or her purposely handicapping herself to add some excitement.

Suddenly she froze in place dealing a new hand, a silent gasp passing her lips.

Stitches laid on his side waiting for his next card. He finally looked up, noticing her odd behavior.

“Ang-mmph?!” Angels deck scattered across the floor as she lunged forward to cover his mouth. She held deathly still, her eyes staring straight forward. She held her pointed ears to the air not even breathing.

Her ear twitched and her eyes widened before she dashed to the windows.

The rest of the gang quickly rolled to their feet, gathering their weapons and tightening the armor that had begun to hang loosely.

Angel stuck her upper body through the window. She leaned out of it holding her head as high as she could, straining and bobbing her ears until she finally whipped her attention down towards a nearby building.

“What is it?” Stitches approached.

“Down there!” Angel shout whispered, “I can see something breathing!”

“Where?”

“There! Look!” she pointed down towards the base of the building draped in shadow.

“I don’t se-“

Frustrated, Angel grabbed Stitches by the back of the neck and pushed his head into her bicep to line up her arm with his eyes.

Feeling Angels panicked breath on his back of his head, he followed her arm to the point of her fingernail resting on a small discolored blob in the ash.

“The rock?”

“Hey freak! Calm down and back off, you’re distracting!” Jay coldly snarled.

Angel ignored her comment and stepped up onto the broken window pane drawing her bow. The fletching sat still at her cheek, the sunset smoldering in her ferocious eyes. The arrow fired away from her unfaltering body, her hair the only thing that slightly twitched.

The arrow plunged deeply into the pile of ash, quickly discoloring into a reddish brown. A humanoid figure ripped itself out of the ground screeching loudly as blood and dust sprayed from its mouth.

Piles of ash exploded into gray clouds as savages stormed towards the wall, their blood thirsty cries shaking the very ground underneath them.

“Fuck!” Jay screamed as she kicked the rifle into her arms, blasting away at the sprinting attackers.

Felix grabbed an extra rifle from the corner and began to fire as well.

The raiders bodies crumpled as their insides splattered behind them, letting out bloodcurdling death throws. The ones that brought up the flank quickly took cover. A sagging faced man caked in dust jumped out to throw an axe but was quickly shot in the chest, sinking to the ground and curling up as blood gushed from his wound.

Felix grabbed a rope ladder and tossed it over the window, “That’s your queue! Go!” he pointed his rifle back down towards the hiding creatures, “We’ll keep you covered.”

As Felix and Jan pinned down the cowering ash people, the group jumped out and quickly descended, landing in the shifting ash below.

Stitches patted Saul on the shoulder and pointed him ahead towards the side of the ruined building. They’d go around and hit them from the side.

Saul obeyed readying his shield and drawing his swords. Stitches and Witch followed at his sides while Angel ducked behind him nocking an arrow. Stitches drew his pistol and filled his palm with sparks ready to be casted. Witch followed suit, her sabre held ready while dark clouds began to float around her many hands.

Finally, Saul jumped out from the corner readying his shield as a spear shattered across it. Recovering, he pushed forward to catch a screaming savage charging him before plunging his swords deeply into its ash caked chest.

Stitches followed from his left, firing two shots into a stumpy looking one with a sledgehammer attempting to get behind Saul’s flank, then blasting another behind it with an arc of lighting.

Witch pushed forward to a snarling raider attempting to throw another spear. Black fire erupted in its face and its blind swing was parried before its arm and head were separated from its body. As the last turned to run, an arrow found its way through the back of its neck.

As their victims’ bodies lay still beneath them, the teams relieved faces smiled at each other, quite pleased with their performance.

Stitches interrupted the moment concerned with their safety, “Game faces, let’s get back to the wall. Keep your guard up.”

 

As they made it back, the latter was let down but then quickly pulled away.

“What’s going on?” Saul called up.

A silent arm pointed out behind them.

Stitches turned to study the gargantuan clouds of ash in the distance being kicked into the air. His eyes wide in disbelief at the sheer numbers approaching, couldn’t even blink out of fear they’d be closer when they opened again.

Angel gritted her teeth, her ears beginning to pick up the distant roars of a massive raiding party. Never in her life had she heard such an awful hellish sound.

Stitches dashed to the wall followed quickly by his team, “Heeey! Let down the fucking ladder!”

Felix called back, “We can’t, we have to fight them!”

“Fuck you ‘you can’t’! Let the fucking thing down!”

“I’m sorry… We’ll do our best to support you. Don’t run or you’ll be shot.”

Stitches caught a lump in his throat, “You motherfucker! Stop fucking around! We can’t fight a fucking army you shit fuck!”

“…”

“I swear to god if I see you again ill fucking kill you,” Stitches voice shook.

He spun around, his lips peeled past his gums and tears pooled in his fearful eyes. Their unescapable death approaching ever closer in the distance, he leaned back onto the cold wall behind him. He closed his eyes and a drop ran down his cheek.

In a place like this, on our first fucking day…

What lousy luck to get assigned to this post out of all the ones here?

I wonder what Maribel’s up to right now.

If I went with her, I wouldn’t be here.

If only those happy times lasted a little longer.

His hands wrapped around his pistol and his eyes focused on the barrel. It shined against the sinking sun. Just one to the head and he could leave. It would be less painful then being ripped apart and eaten.

“Stitches… what are we gonna do?” Saul’s voice quivered from his shaking body. Tears and snot ran down his chin. His eyes stared, pleading into stitches empty expression.

His eyes began to focus on his comrades. Angel held her mouth and stared at the ground. She attempted to stifle her whimpering cries but was unable to prevent them from escaping her fingers. She had so much she still wanted to see, so much she still wanted to learn. As her thoughts began to drift towards her parents a wail burst through her hands and she began to sob.

Witch ripped away her handkerchief and drew her sabre to her neck holding it by the blade. Her hateful rage filled eyes stared into Stitches demanding an answer. Her lips pulled back revealing her sharp vicious teeth. She wouldn’t die feeling the pain of being devoured but she would still hold stitches responsible. If she slit her throat and bled out feeling this fury, she knew she’d find him again in another life and make him suffer for bringing her here.

Stitches felt his face. The warm tears resting on his cheeks soaked into the contorting terror upon his eyes and mouth.

Ah, there you are. You’ve come back in my moment of weakness.

He spun to the wall and smashed his forehead into the building. As he peeled it away chips of the paint broke off and fell to the ground.

Die

His forehead again slammed into the wall; a trickle of blood left behind.

Die

He slammed it again and again, a splatter of blood widening from the impact

Die Die Die

One last time to leave his face drenched in red.

And don’t you ever come back

 

“The fuck are you doing?!” “Shit he’s really lost it hasn’t he?” “Stitches?...”

Voices called out to him as he stared into an angry pathetic expression in the blood.

That’s not what they need

He gripped his face in his hand digging his fingernails into the soft swollen skin. He dropped his hand away and the confident stern face of a leader stared back at him.

I won’t let them down again

 

A fist gripped the sabre’s blade and pulled it away, cutting its soft flesh. The hilt was placed into Witch’s grasp. Saul’s shield was hoisted from the ground and pounded to his chest. Angel’s tear stained hands were dried by the handle of her bow as bloodied palms curled it back into her fingers.

“We didn’t come here to die, so we won’t.”

As they looked upon his eyes, they believed him.

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