Two Vibrant Hearts
Chapter Fifty-Six
“Hey Babe?” I called as I stared down at my phone. Brian came into the room with his arms full of snacks for our previous plans of a movie day.
“Yeah?” Brian mumbled, his mouth full of chips. I looked up at him and gave him a serious look.
“Would you take a bullet for me?” I asked in all seriousness. Brian gave me a confused look but I continued to stare at him in determination.
“Most likely.” Brian answered, raising an eyebrow. I glanced back down at my phone before turning my attention back to Brian, a smirk beginning to cross my face.
“Good. Because you’re going to have to.” I told him, the smirk completely settling across my face as I bared Brian the news.
~
“Kid watch out!” Zach yelled as he pushed me onto the floor. There were gunshots and I covered my face as Zach crawled in front of me. “Are you crazy? You can’t just stand out in the open!”
“I was trying to scope people out!” I defended. Zach rolled his eyes and sighed.
“This is your first time, isn’t it?” Zach asked. I nodded and he chuckled. “Well, stick with me, Kid, and I’ll keep you safe.”
“Zach, I can’t ask you to risk your own life for me.” I protested. Zach motioned for me to follow him and I reluctantly crawled in the mud after him, my gun clinking against the dirt.
“I’m your big brother, it’s my job to protect you.” Zach claimed as he continued to army crawl under the brush. He suddenly stopped and ducked himself further onto the ground. I blindly followed his actions, and I saw him cock his gun through the bushes without being seen. I watched as he held his breath and began to aim, but soon let his breath go before sending me a desperate look. “There’s an enemy up the hill, but they’re too far away for me to aim. They’re closer to you; you need to take the shot.”
“Are you kidding?” I exclaimed quietly, sending Zach an incredulous look. “I can’t shoot someone!”
“Kid, either you shoot them, or they shoot us.” Zach argued, his voice low and hard. “Now you have to shoot.”
“Zach, I-”
“Kid, shoot now!” Zach commanded. I flinched at his words but did what he said and poked my gun through the brush. I fidgeted with the scope on my gun, zooming in to see my target. I pulled away and sent a scared look to Zach.
“Zach, I don’t think I can shoot her.” I whispered, my voice cracking.
“You have to, Kid.” Zach replied, moving his arm down to grab my hand comfortingly. “I know it’s hard, but you have to. She’s killed one of our own. Her own mate.”
“She killed her partner?” I asked in perplexity. Zach nodded sadly and I took a deep breath. I turned my attention back to the hill, where the enemy was still standing. She kept looking around, crouched behind a few pieces of scrap metal. I took aim and held my breath. “This is for the fallen soldier.” I pulled the trigger and watched as my enemy’s body jolt. She had enough time to look at her wound before she fell. Silence fell across the land, and the shots stopped as my enemy and victim was pulled out of the battle ground.
“You did it Kid,” Zach congratulated me as he rolled out from under the bushes. He gave me a high five before we both retreated behind an abandoned storage unit. I grinned at him for a little bit before the realization of my actions set in and my smile disappeared.
“I killed my best friend.” I stated, staring at the gun in my hand. “I can’t believe I just killed my best friend.”
“It had to be done, Kid.” Zach assured me. He put his hand on my shoulder and gave me a light squeeze. “She would have killed you in a heartbeat if she had the chance. That’s what she did to our comrade. I watched his death myself.”
“He’s in a better place,” I said, mourning the loss of my ally and dear friend that was now dead. I heard gun shots and looked over at Zach, who was on high alert as he heard them. “We should head out, find a better base.”
“You’re right.” Zach agreed. We began walking towards the end of the storage when there was a rattling. Zach pushed me against the wall, his arm holding me protectively away from the edge of the storage unit. He peeked around the side for a second before turning back to me. “I’m going to go check it out. You stay here.”
“No, Zach. What if they ambush you?” I asked, not wanting my brother to leave me fighting alone. He rubbed my face and shut my mask before letting out a breath and pushing out his chest.
“I’ll be fine, Kid.” Zach reassured me.
“Zacky, please don’t.” I begged as I grabbed his arm. He just sent me a sad look before pulling his arm away and leaving me behind the storage unit. I peeked around the unit, in search for Zach. I saw nothing; it was as though he vanished. “Zach?” I called quietly. It was dead silent and I took a step out from behind the unit. “Zach?” Still no answer. I began to worry when a hand roughly grabbed my arm and yanked me back. I began to scream when a hand slid under my mask and went over my mouth, muffling my plea for help.
“Kid, are you trying to get yourself killed?” Matt whispered angrily at me. I stared at him with big eyes and he let out a breath, not removing his hand from over my mouth. “Jimmy is a skilled sniper; you need to be more careful.” He pulled away his hand gently and I let out my breath.
“Thanks for the warning,” I mumbled, not looking up at Matt. I could feel his stare on me, but I didn’t want to meet his eyes. Strategically, having Matt as my ally in this all out war was beneficial in many ways. He was skilled in shooting, as well as hiding and secret attacks. But even though he was one of my best assets as an ally, it was still tough to be around him. I hadn’t seen him for most of this battle, but I was glad he found me before Jimmy did. “Have you seen my brother?” Just as I asked that, the sound of gunshots echoed in the distance. Matt and I threw each other a look before glancing around the corner of the unit. I watched in horror as I saw a few people pulling away one of my allies. My brother. I felt my heart drop.
“Kid, I… I’m so sorry,” Matt whispered, pulling me into a hug. I let out a soft sob into his chest, my shoulders shaking. I wiped away the few tears that had managed to escape before rage came over me.
“I’m going to find whoever killed my brother, and I’m going to torture them. I want revenge.” I announced in a rough voice. Matt looked at me with fear in his eyes, but also determination.
“Let me scope it out first. I’ll ask around our allies and see who killed him. You sit tight.” Matt cautioned. I sighed in aggravation, but reluctantly nodded. He smiled and rubbed my face lovingly with his thumb. “Stay safe.” With that, he went the way he came and soon disappeared around the side of the storage unit. I heard a few shots and held my breath to see if Matt was shot. I didn’t hear his body fall, so I assumed the shooter missed.
I stood behind the storage unit for a few minutes before I couldn’t take it anymore. I couldn’t just stand around and wait for Matt to come back. I had to find my brother’s killer, I had to avenge him. I checked around the corner of the unit before full out sprinting across the terrain to the forest nearby. I heard a few shots being directed at me, but the shooter missed. I got into the woods safely and caught my breath before slowly following the path. The light from the sun dimmed a little bit as I walked cautiously through the dense forest, my gun cocked and loaded. There was a rustle behind me and I turned around to shoot when an arm went around my neck and a gun touched the side of my mask, aligned with my temple.
“Well, well, well. If it isn’t the girl who killed one of my allies.” The enemy purred in my ear. I stiffened at the sound of her voice, it was so familiar. She let out a sickly sweet laugh as her arm tightened around her neck. “I’m sorry you couldn’t be there to watch your brother die. Because all of heaven knows that I did.”
“You did?” I asked, my breathing becoming shallow. Her arm was beginning to cut off my breathing, and soon she’d rid me all together.
“Well of course,” She chuckled. I shivered as I felt her helmet touch mine. “I was the one on the other side of the gun.” Rage filled me as the knowledge set in. She killed Zach. She killed my brother. I let out an angry shriek as I grabbed onto the arm that was holding her gun and twisted it so her back was to me. I hit the gun out of her hand and she let go of my neck, allowing me to put her in a choke hold, my gun up to her head.
“You’re going to pay for killing my brother,” I growled as I pushed her on my knees.
“Your brother is dead Kid. And I killed him. You’ll never see him again.” She spat, letting out a sickening chuckle. My vision blurred red as I pulled the trigger, allowing the shot to hit her right in the temple. She slumped in my arms and I let her fall to the ground before dashing in the direction of the largest hill. Jimmy had to be there, since snipers tend to stay on high grounds, out of sight of others. I reached the edge of the woods and checked my ammo to make sure I had enough to get the job done. I looked through my scope and pointed my gun towards the hill. I was on the side of it, so I could see Jimmy lying out in the open. He was easy to spot and would have been easier to kill if not for the fact that he’d shoot you dead before you got half way up the hill.
I loaded my gun before slowly going up the side of the hill, making sure I was invisible to those on ground zero. I crouched down and slowly made my way up, keeping my gun pointed at Jimmy in case he saw me coming. He continued to stare out of his scope, oblivious to my gradual climbing of the hill. I got to the top and was just a few short yards away from Jimmy. He had yet to notice me, but as I took another step, a twig cracked under my foot. He turned around and looked at me with a horrified expression. He began to point his gun at me, but it was too late.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered as I pulled the trigger, landing a bullet straight through Jimmy’s heart. His head hit the floor and I let out a staggered breath, trying to control myself. Enemy or not, Jimmy was still one of my best friends, and I just killed him mercilessly. I walked towards the corpse on the ground, wanting to mourn for the person I had just killed. I was almost to Jimmy when there was the sound of a loading gun. I looked up and saw someone emerge from bushes a few yards away from where Jimmy was laying. That person must have been protecting Jimmy, yet horribly failed. I should have run when I had the chance, but now I was trapped. It was me against someone else, who is no-doubt a better shot than I am. I began taking steps backward as the enemy walked towards me, his gun pointing right at me. I tripped over a rock and fell, letting out a squeal of pain. I saw worry shoot through the enemy’s eyes for a split second before his eyes went hard. Those eyes…
“B-Brian?” I stuttered, looking up at him in fear. Brian was now standing right above me, his gun pointing right at my head. I looked around to see if there were any of my allies left, but I saw no one. I must be the last.
“You killed my best friend.” Brian choked in a hard voice. I swallowed and gave him a desperate look. His arms tightened around his gun as he aimed. “I’m sorry, but this has to be done.”
“Step away from the girl.” A voice shouted from behind Brian. Both Brian and I looked behind him to see one of my allies pointing a gun at Brian’s head. Matt. Brian scoffed and turned his attention back to me and I stiffened once again.
“Why are you trying to save her?” Brian asked with a sickly serious tone. “She killed your girlfriend.” I saw Matt falter as he looked over at me with wide eyes. I nodded my head in shame and looked down, prepared to meet my death. I was a little upset that my own boyfriend was going to kill me, but in the war, an enemy is an enemy. Or at least that is what my allies taught me.
“She’s still an ally. I’d still die for her.” Matt retorted, standing tall. I stared at him in utter shock at his words. I understood the ally part, but he’d die for me? Brian sent a glance at Matt before putting his hand on the trigger.
“I’m sorry, Kid.” Brian whispered as he began to look down his sight. I closed my eyes and waited for the pain, but nothing came. Only a yell from Brian. I opened my eyes to see that Matt had cut his leg, causing Brian to fall to his knees. I waited for Matt to end it, but I realized that Brian had Matt down. I fumbled with my gun and loaded my gun. I pointed it right at Brian, who was staring at me with scared eyes.
“I’m sorry.” I said as I pulled the trigger. It all went in slow motion as my bullet, the winning bullet, hit Brian in the forehead. He fell face down and I struggled to pull myself up. I went over to Matt, who was pushing Brian off his body, and grabbed his hand. He stood up and gave me a hug before there was a huge buzzer.
Blue team wins. Congratulations Johnny, Zach, Matt, and Kid. A voice booms from the speakers. Matt and I took off our helmets before high fiving and looking at Jimmy and Brian. They stood up and laughed before coming over to us.
“You played the part real well, Kid.” Jimmy complimented as he pat my back. I smiled and looked at Brian, who punched Matt in the shoulder.
“You bitch!” Brian screamed, looking down at his leg. There was a literal cut in his armor, and his leg was beginning to bleed. “You actually cut me. You ruined my armor.”
“Sorry dude, it must have been the broken chain on my gloves as I slid the plastic knife across,” Matt explained as he showed us the loose and sharp chain hanging loosely on his gloves. The rest of the people ran up, Johnny laughing the hardest.
“Kid, you did amazing!” Johnny roared, wrapping his arms over my shoulder. “The look of hatred in your eyes as you shot Gayle! And Brain! You looked so fucking determined to kill your girlfriend.”
“You guys take Paintball way too seriously,” I chuckled as I put my gun back in the holster. “We should do it again.”
(Oh my God this was such a fun chapter to write :DDD )
“Yeah?” Brian mumbled, his mouth full of chips. I looked up at him and gave him a serious look.
“Would you take a bullet for me?” I asked in all seriousness. Brian gave me a confused look but I continued to stare at him in determination.
“Most likely.” Brian answered, raising an eyebrow. I glanced back down at my phone before turning my attention back to Brian, a smirk beginning to cross my face.
“Good. Because you’re going to have to.” I told him, the smirk completely settling across my face as I bared Brian the news.
~
“Kid watch out!” Zach yelled as he pushed me onto the floor. There were gunshots and I covered my face as Zach crawled in front of me. “Are you crazy? You can’t just stand out in the open!”
“I was trying to scope people out!” I defended. Zach rolled his eyes and sighed.
“This is your first time, isn’t it?” Zach asked. I nodded and he chuckled. “Well, stick with me, Kid, and I’ll keep you safe.”
“Zach, I can’t ask you to risk your own life for me.” I protested. Zach motioned for me to follow him and I reluctantly crawled in the mud after him, my gun clinking against the dirt.
“I’m your big brother, it’s my job to protect you.” Zach claimed as he continued to army crawl under the brush. He suddenly stopped and ducked himself further onto the ground. I blindly followed his actions, and I saw him cock his gun through the bushes without being seen. I watched as he held his breath and began to aim, but soon let his breath go before sending me a desperate look. “There’s an enemy up the hill, but they’re too far away for me to aim. They’re closer to you; you need to take the shot.”
“Are you kidding?” I exclaimed quietly, sending Zach an incredulous look. “I can’t shoot someone!”
“Kid, either you shoot them, or they shoot us.” Zach argued, his voice low and hard. “Now you have to shoot.”
“Zach, I-”
“Kid, shoot now!” Zach commanded. I flinched at his words but did what he said and poked my gun through the brush. I fidgeted with the scope on my gun, zooming in to see my target. I pulled away and sent a scared look to Zach.
“Zach, I don’t think I can shoot her.” I whispered, my voice cracking.
“You have to, Kid.” Zach replied, moving his arm down to grab my hand comfortingly. “I know it’s hard, but you have to. She’s killed one of our own. Her own mate.”
“She killed her partner?” I asked in perplexity. Zach nodded sadly and I took a deep breath. I turned my attention back to the hill, where the enemy was still standing. She kept looking around, crouched behind a few pieces of scrap metal. I took aim and held my breath. “This is for the fallen soldier.” I pulled the trigger and watched as my enemy’s body jolt. She had enough time to look at her wound before she fell. Silence fell across the land, and the shots stopped as my enemy and victim was pulled out of the battle ground.
“You did it Kid,” Zach congratulated me as he rolled out from under the bushes. He gave me a high five before we both retreated behind an abandoned storage unit. I grinned at him for a little bit before the realization of my actions set in and my smile disappeared.
“I killed my best friend.” I stated, staring at the gun in my hand. “I can’t believe I just killed my best friend.”
“It had to be done, Kid.” Zach assured me. He put his hand on my shoulder and gave me a light squeeze. “She would have killed you in a heartbeat if she had the chance. That’s what she did to our comrade. I watched his death myself.”
“He’s in a better place,” I said, mourning the loss of my ally and dear friend that was now dead. I heard gun shots and looked over at Zach, who was on high alert as he heard them. “We should head out, find a better base.”
“You’re right.” Zach agreed. We began walking towards the end of the storage when there was a rattling. Zach pushed me against the wall, his arm holding me protectively away from the edge of the storage unit. He peeked around the side for a second before turning back to me. “I’m going to go check it out. You stay here.”
“No, Zach. What if they ambush you?” I asked, not wanting my brother to leave me fighting alone. He rubbed my face and shut my mask before letting out a breath and pushing out his chest.
“I’ll be fine, Kid.” Zach reassured me.
“Zacky, please don’t.” I begged as I grabbed his arm. He just sent me a sad look before pulling his arm away and leaving me behind the storage unit. I peeked around the unit, in search for Zach. I saw nothing; it was as though he vanished. “Zach?” I called quietly. It was dead silent and I took a step out from behind the unit. “Zach?” Still no answer. I began to worry when a hand roughly grabbed my arm and yanked me back. I began to scream when a hand slid under my mask and went over my mouth, muffling my plea for help.
“Kid, are you trying to get yourself killed?” Matt whispered angrily at me. I stared at him with big eyes and he let out a breath, not removing his hand from over my mouth. “Jimmy is a skilled sniper; you need to be more careful.” He pulled away his hand gently and I let out my breath.
“Thanks for the warning,” I mumbled, not looking up at Matt. I could feel his stare on me, but I didn’t want to meet his eyes. Strategically, having Matt as my ally in this all out war was beneficial in many ways. He was skilled in shooting, as well as hiding and secret attacks. But even though he was one of my best assets as an ally, it was still tough to be around him. I hadn’t seen him for most of this battle, but I was glad he found me before Jimmy did. “Have you seen my brother?” Just as I asked that, the sound of gunshots echoed in the distance. Matt and I threw each other a look before glancing around the corner of the unit. I watched in horror as I saw a few people pulling away one of my allies. My brother. I felt my heart drop.
“Kid, I… I’m so sorry,” Matt whispered, pulling me into a hug. I let out a soft sob into his chest, my shoulders shaking. I wiped away the few tears that had managed to escape before rage came over me.
“I’m going to find whoever killed my brother, and I’m going to torture them. I want revenge.” I announced in a rough voice. Matt looked at me with fear in his eyes, but also determination.
“Let me scope it out first. I’ll ask around our allies and see who killed him. You sit tight.” Matt cautioned. I sighed in aggravation, but reluctantly nodded. He smiled and rubbed my face lovingly with his thumb. “Stay safe.” With that, he went the way he came and soon disappeared around the side of the storage unit. I heard a few shots and held my breath to see if Matt was shot. I didn’t hear his body fall, so I assumed the shooter missed.
I stood behind the storage unit for a few minutes before I couldn’t take it anymore. I couldn’t just stand around and wait for Matt to come back. I had to find my brother’s killer, I had to avenge him. I checked around the corner of the unit before full out sprinting across the terrain to the forest nearby. I heard a few shots being directed at me, but the shooter missed. I got into the woods safely and caught my breath before slowly following the path. The light from the sun dimmed a little bit as I walked cautiously through the dense forest, my gun cocked and loaded. There was a rustle behind me and I turned around to shoot when an arm went around my neck and a gun touched the side of my mask, aligned with my temple.
“Well, well, well. If it isn’t the girl who killed one of my allies.” The enemy purred in my ear. I stiffened at the sound of her voice, it was so familiar. She let out a sickly sweet laugh as her arm tightened around her neck. “I’m sorry you couldn’t be there to watch your brother die. Because all of heaven knows that I did.”
“You did?” I asked, my breathing becoming shallow. Her arm was beginning to cut off my breathing, and soon she’d rid me all together.
“Well of course,” She chuckled. I shivered as I felt her helmet touch mine. “I was the one on the other side of the gun.” Rage filled me as the knowledge set in. She killed Zach. She killed my brother. I let out an angry shriek as I grabbed onto the arm that was holding her gun and twisted it so her back was to me. I hit the gun out of her hand and she let go of my neck, allowing me to put her in a choke hold, my gun up to her head.
“You’re going to pay for killing my brother,” I growled as I pushed her on my knees.
“Your brother is dead Kid. And I killed him. You’ll never see him again.” She spat, letting out a sickening chuckle. My vision blurred red as I pulled the trigger, allowing the shot to hit her right in the temple. She slumped in my arms and I let her fall to the ground before dashing in the direction of the largest hill. Jimmy had to be there, since snipers tend to stay on high grounds, out of sight of others. I reached the edge of the woods and checked my ammo to make sure I had enough to get the job done. I looked through my scope and pointed my gun towards the hill. I was on the side of it, so I could see Jimmy lying out in the open. He was easy to spot and would have been easier to kill if not for the fact that he’d shoot you dead before you got half way up the hill.
I loaded my gun before slowly going up the side of the hill, making sure I was invisible to those on ground zero. I crouched down and slowly made my way up, keeping my gun pointed at Jimmy in case he saw me coming. He continued to stare out of his scope, oblivious to my gradual climbing of the hill. I got to the top and was just a few short yards away from Jimmy. He had yet to notice me, but as I took another step, a twig cracked under my foot. He turned around and looked at me with a horrified expression. He began to point his gun at me, but it was too late.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered as I pulled the trigger, landing a bullet straight through Jimmy’s heart. His head hit the floor and I let out a staggered breath, trying to control myself. Enemy or not, Jimmy was still one of my best friends, and I just killed him mercilessly. I walked towards the corpse on the ground, wanting to mourn for the person I had just killed. I was almost to Jimmy when there was the sound of a loading gun. I looked up and saw someone emerge from bushes a few yards away from where Jimmy was laying. That person must have been protecting Jimmy, yet horribly failed. I should have run when I had the chance, but now I was trapped. It was me against someone else, who is no-doubt a better shot than I am. I began taking steps backward as the enemy walked towards me, his gun pointing right at me. I tripped over a rock and fell, letting out a squeal of pain. I saw worry shoot through the enemy’s eyes for a split second before his eyes went hard. Those eyes…
“B-Brian?” I stuttered, looking up at him in fear. Brian was now standing right above me, his gun pointing right at my head. I looked around to see if there were any of my allies left, but I saw no one. I must be the last.
“You killed my best friend.” Brian choked in a hard voice. I swallowed and gave him a desperate look. His arms tightened around his gun as he aimed. “I’m sorry, but this has to be done.”
“Step away from the girl.” A voice shouted from behind Brian. Both Brian and I looked behind him to see one of my allies pointing a gun at Brian’s head. Matt. Brian scoffed and turned his attention back to me and I stiffened once again.
“Why are you trying to save her?” Brian asked with a sickly serious tone. “She killed your girlfriend.” I saw Matt falter as he looked over at me with wide eyes. I nodded my head in shame and looked down, prepared to meet my death. I was a little upset that my own boyfriend was going to kill me, but in the war, an enemy is an enemy. Or at least that is what my allies taught me.
“She’s still an ally. I’d still die for her.” Matt retorted, standing tall. I stared at him in utter shock at his words. I understood the ally part, but he’d die for me? Brian sent a glance at Matt before putting his hand on the trigger.
“I’m sorry, Kid.” Brian whispered as he began to look down his sight. I closed my eyes and waited for the pain, but nothing came. Only a yell from Brian. I opened my eyes to see that Matt had cut his leg, causing Brian to fall to his knees. I waited for Matt to end it, but I realized that Brian had Matt down. I fumbled with my gun and loaded my gun. I pointed it right at Brian, who was staring at me with scared eyes.
“I’m sorry.” I said as I pulled the trigger. It all went in slow motion as my bullet, the winning bullet, hit Brian in the forehead. He fell face down and I struggled to pull myself up. I went over to Matt, who was pushing Brian off his body, and grabbed his hand. He stood up and gave me a hug before there was a huge buzzer.
Blue team wins. Congratulations Johnny, Zach, Matt, and Kid. A voice booms from the speakers. Matt and I took off our helmets before high fiving and looking at Jimmy and Brian. They stood up and laughed before coming over to us.
“You played the part real well, Kid.” Jimmy complimented as he pat my back. I smiled and looked at Brian, who punched Matt in the shoulder.
“You bitch!” Brian screamed, looking down at his leg. There was a literal cut in his armor, and his leg was beginning to bleed. “You actually cut me. You ruined my armor.”
“Sorry dude, it must have been the broken chain on my gloves as I slid the plastic knife across,” Matt explained as he showed us the loose and sharp chain hanging loosely on his gloves. The rest of the people ran up, Johnny laughing the hardest.
“Kid, you did amazing!” Johnny roared, wrapping his arms over my shoulder. “The look of hatred in your eyes as you shot Gayle! And Brain! You looked so fucking determined to kill your girlfriend.”
“You guys take Paintball way too seriously,” I chuckled as I put my gun back in the holster. “We should do it again.”
(Oh my God this was such a fun chapter to write :DDD )
Ohhhh, I love this!!!
12/13/16