Chapter Three:
Huff, huff-huff (rough breathing)
A long path ahead of me that stretched so far that I can't really see the end of this alleyway. I was running, why was I running? I hear faint voices behind me giving a quick glance behind me I see distorted shapes of something; it looked like a person there seemed to be more than one of them it's too dark I can't really see.
Who are they? Why was I running in the first place? From them? I don't know but I just keep on running, just keep on running as fast as I could, not stopping even as my lungs burned inside me sweat pouring down from my forehead to my chin then to the ground below where I step on.
Finally, at long last I see light ahead of me yes, I thought to myself I can make it, I can make it as I finally approached that last of ray of hope it was soon distorted by shadows that appeared before me reaching its hand to me and then nothing.
"Wake up! Wake up! All of you wake up you lousy maggots get up before I shove my boot up your asses get up on your feet!"
Jolting up out of my dazed state due to the loud thundering voice that rang across the room. It even reached all the way here to this small corner of the room from the other side.
"Get your asses up don't make me repeat myself all of you get running now get up now you have thirty seconds you damn mutts!"
Hearing his voice caused a shiver down my back and everyone around me quickly jumped out of their beds and started rushing out the door in a disorganized manner bumping into each other as the room was quite dark.
"Hey! Hey! Where are we going!?"
I heard a boy near me nervously ask out loud.
"Shhh! Stop talking just go get outside hurry!" another boy in front of me replied back urging him to keep on running.
"Wahh!
"What's going on where are we going?!" a terrified young boy next to me was screaming loudly next to my ear.
"Who knows just keep running don't stop we'll be fine just go go~!"
I reassured him as I reached and grabbed onto his arm pulling him along as I ran truth be told I was also nervous too, I didn't know what was going on none of us did but we just ran.
We ran as our lives depended on it and what was going to happen to us next.
"Well it's another morning in this shit hell of a place."
Seven kept that comment to himself as he continued running down the corridor with everyone else.
"Hurry up! Hurry up! you damn Mutts form up form up!"
Once Seven reached outside the sky was pitch black that even seem to cover the ground in a shroud of darkness with only the stars and moonlight to shine a dim light for him to see where he is going but it was still difficult for his eyes still have not adjusted to the darkness yet.
Many of the children who rushed out couldn't really see where they were going as they constantly were bumping into each other knocking each other over to the ground even. As multiple screams that belong not to the children covered the air in waves freighting them as they were scrambling everywhere about.
"Hey hurry the hell up what's taking you F*** tards so long huh?! Whack!" one tall man that stood near the children with his face covered by the shroud of darkness yelled out as the object in his hand was visibly due to the electric current running along its shaft.
"You lazy lots still haven't even formed up yet!? You lousy pathetic piece of shit tards you all are just a waste of food you all don't get to eat today drop down and give me a hundred pushups you weasels!"
The leading man in front of the group of adults surround the children screamed as the long metal pipe that gave off a glow in the moonlight in his hand swung down on one of the children's head in front of him.
Wack!
The child went head first down to the ground as he couldn't even see the object that was come down on his head so he couldn't move in time to avoid it.
The child laid there on the ground unmoving as the man moved away from him and smacked his pipe on another kid's head as several grown men from the group behind him took the kid laying on the ground away.
"249! 249!" wack! On of the closest child saw that and ran after them only to be smacked down onto the ground by another man.
"Shut the hell you brat and start pushing!"
"Guh~" knowing that he could not fight back the child sucked up the pain and didn't rise back up on his feet but started the push ups after crawling back with the other children.
Seven saw the whole scene but couldn't do a single thing about it as he quickly turned his head away from the scene as one of the grown ups came and smacked him on the head knocking him off balance tumbling to the ground.
Holding his head due to the pain and feeling a little dizzy his hand was feeling a little wet as he withdrew his head from his head he could clearly see his hand a shade darker than what his skin color usually was Seven knew instantly what the extra shade of darkness was on his hand it was his blood as he can also feel it coming down his face forcing him to cover up his right eye so the blood would not go into his eyes.
But he knew if he made any noise they would just beat him again despite his head feeling a little dizzy he got back on all fours and resumed what he was doing.
It wasn't until what seemed like almost forever till the adults told the children to stop after an entire series of work outs.
Seven slowly got to his two feet while trying to bear the numbness in not only his arms but several other parts of his body as well because during the whole ordeal they were not just doing pushups but other types of exercises as well at random and nonstop.
It was only when Seven got onto his feet that he noticed that the sun has started rising over the horizon.
Fast forward some time later during the day with the sun high up in the air burning 107's skin as he was navigating through some rocky obstacles with several other boys right beside or behind him along with another group in front of him.
Climbing up a steep rocky slope with only the slight room of a crevice within the surface of the slope to allow them to climb and hold onto for dear life.
"Seven you okay, keeping up alright?" in front of seven or rather to be more precise above him was E57.
"I'm fine." E107 responded while trying to reach for another curve in the rocky cliff to climb up.
"No need to push yourself, and don't rush there's still quite some distance to climb, so save your energy."
"I know I know no need to tell me so many times E57."
"You know that is only because-"
"Hey E107 E57 look out!'
One of the boys next to them cried out.
Whoosh~!
Sudden from out of nowhere behind a aircraft came up behind the group the wind current caused by the aircrafts engine caused a air current that sweep over the boys like that of a high tidal wave.
""""Ah~!'"""
"E55~! E104, 64, 73 no~!"
"Forget them there's no saving them now!"
"I'm losing my grip~!"
"Hey don't you dare let go E090, you hear me! Don't you dare let go! Hang on!"
The current was so strong that several of the boys lost their grip and fell pluming downwards to the dark abysses below the cliff that they were climbing. The boys that were still hanging on clung desperately onto their one and only life line as they could only watch as the unlucky ones fell to their death their cries echoing around them
"Waa~!"
E107 despite trying his best to hold on to the curve that he was hanging off of but lost his grip and was begin his descend as well.
"Seven~!"
"E57 don't be an idiot hey~!"
"E57~!"
E57 upon seeing this immediately let go and nosedived towards E107 despite the cries of the other boys around him, watching in absolute horror as he began his fall towards E107 reaching out his hand towards him, all the while calling Seven to reach out his hand to him.
"Seven grab on~!" reaching out his hand towards seven as they both were falling rapidly gaining speed.
"Are you out of your mind~!? What are you-!?" Seven upon falling felt a rush of despair overcome him as he slowly began falling from the steep cliff, as the rush of emotions and memories of those who were with him before and those that he lost resurfaced in his mind. He knew that this is where he was going to die lost among the fallen in the darkness below never to be found again and with no to remember him.
So seeing E57 jumping after him seven cried out to him in hopes of changing his mind as he did not want to bring him along with him to his death causing him to fall deeper into despair at his powerless state.
"Just shut up and trust me come on~! Reach out to me! I'm not letting you die we're going to live we promised~!"
Before seven could even finish what he was about to say, E57 cut him off while furiously trying to reach him.
Upon hearing what E57 said E57's face was sudden overlapped with another's though Seven couldn't remember who this was anymore for he was long gone, but his voice still rang clear to this very moment. Saying these same words that E57 was saying to him that face was telling him these same words.
"I'm not letting you die we're going to live I promise you this!"
Hearing those words again awoke something within Seven as something that he thought that was lost to him but resurfaced again, but he didn't understand what it was fully yet but it was enough to change his heart at the last second.
Though he didn't understand what this feeling was but there was one thing that he did understand but that was all that he need for now.
He wanted to live!
So seven compiled reaching out his hand towards E57 as the latter grabbed onto him defying the laws of physics itself as he pulled him to his chest, before in a matter of seconds with an unexplainable show of force was twirling them around with their bodies facing the cliff once again as they continued to fall, paying no mind to this fact however E57 was focusing his sights on the cliff as they were falling then suddenly shot his arm out towards it as they were falling. In doing so he miraculously managed to grab onto open crack within the steep cliff coming onto a complete sudden stop with seven close to his chest warped around his other arm.
"Hah, hah~, see we're okay trust me." E57 said while breathing heavily looking at seven who was nested underneath his arm.
"You should have just left me you crazy guy." Seven responded angrily as he started into E57's eyes which in contrast held nothing but care and worry.
"You know I don't do that."
"I know."
"Hey~! You guys okay~!?' From up above the two the voices of the boys up on top cried out though they were not visible to them as they fell quite some distance downwards.
Yeah~! We're okay~! What about you guys~!
"No we're not okay you crazy asshole you scared zebra's stripe down my freaking underpants asshole~!"
"Oh quit crying you big baby I'll wash it for you when we get back~!" E57 cried back with a smirk on his face looking at his face even Seven who was in his arm was smirking a little.
"You guys go on ahead Seven and I will catch up to you guys~!"
Suddenly the cliff began to shake violently as a dust cloud formed over head that Seven and E57 could see looking up.
"What was-"
"Gah~!"
"E99~!"
Overhead along with several cries was a cluster of massive boulders that began rolling and falling down the cliff, the boulders miraculously avoided seven and E57 as they pressed their head against the rocky surface. Looking from the corner of his eye seven was able to see a something else falling alongside the massive boulders, though what he could only see was an arm underneath a falling boulder at that very second but it does not take a genius to understand what it was.
At the same time a shadow came from up above looking up it was E One O One (E101) who was nose diving alongside a couple of boulders knocking them away before hitting the pair.
Once he got close enough he twirled about around in the air in an elegant acrobat fashion 'landing' heavily not too far above the pair unlike E57 E101 used his strength digging his fingers into the rocky surface causing several cracks along the surface along a place for him to hold himself to place.
"Stay behind me and keep your head down!"
"One!"
Another gust of wind came upon the trio as the same aircraft from before appeared behind them causing another massive wind current, that sweep through them but unlike before they were unmoving. The aircraft however moved slightly upward above the trio's position once it reaches a height of a couple meters overhead it fired its weapon towards the cliff.
As a flash of light passed over them and a barrage of missiles that launched out from the aircraft flew forward into the steep cliff causing a explosion of cloud dust.
As the cliff began to shake greatly again the trio held on, while overhead clusters of rocks and boulders began falling towards them with one massive boulder in particularly heading straight towards them.
"Stay behind me and just stay at my ass!" E101 bellowed out to the two below him as he raised his right hand which curled up into a fist and just as the boulder was right in front of him they threw his fist forwards meeting the boulder three times his sizes head on.
However instead of his hand being smashed into red paste along the surface of the massive rock it scattered and broke in half falling to the side of the trio.
"Come on climb I'll guide you." E101 began climbing upwards while knocking a smaller rock that flew down his way away from him with a swipe of his hand.
"E57 let me go I'll climb."
"Yeah and let you fall again, I'll pass besides you're not that heavy I'll manage." E57 dismissed what E107 said and he began climbing behind after E101 even managing to keep pace with him despite carrying E107 in his arm.
-------
"Hey~." They're here come give me a hand."
"Ok hey grab my arm don't let go k?"
"Yeah yeah I know I've got you."
The trio finally managed to reach the top of the cliff after an untold amount of time as soon as they were in view, the boys who reached the top immediately got into action trying to help them up. A group of boys linked arms and scaled the cliff to reach them pulling the trio upwards.
Once up on top they all drew a deep breathe and let out a huge sigh as they collapsed onto the ground exhausted.
"We-we made it."
"Yep we did." Seven said while gasping and out of breath during the climb back up he repeating demanded for E57 to let him climb up himself till E57 finally concede to his wish.
"Hey how many did we lost?" E101 asked one of the boys around them as he slowly rose to his feet while one of them supported him up.
"Well~" the one sheepishly replied while looking down to the floor."
"Hey how many brothers did we lose?" E101 getting a little frustrated asked again in a more demanding tone.
"We lost about 46 brothers today possibly even more, we just don't know any more." Another young boy walked forward speaking with a dead tone in his voice the color in his eyes were also gone filled with nothing but emptiness void of any life in them.
"I see." E101 upon hearing that lowered his head as an aura of silence overcame the boys several of the boys began to drop down on their knees holding their heads fighting back their tears but to no avail, as stream of tears ran down their faces and soft sobs escaped from their lips.
"Do not cry for them." Sudden Seven lifted his head and said in a stern voice causing everyone to look at him in shock.
"All this time we have only been drowning ourselves in self pity and sorrow fearing for the next day to come to, and fearing who was going to die next."
"But so what?" sudden Seven spoke in a cold stern voice.
Seven continued while turning his head around to look at his brothers who were gathering around him looking at him in horror at what he just said, while wiping away the tears in his eyes.
"So what if we die tomorrow or the next day or the day after that, it's coming for us no matter what we do, it's just a matter of time there's no avoiding it. We need to face that and we can't cower before it anymore, otherwise we won't be able to look at our fallen brothers when we go to meet them on the other side."
Listening to Seven talk to the boys stopped their tears and listened, absorbing in what he was saying. Nodding their heads as he spoke wiping away their tears as a slight but slowly bright flame of light was beginning to slowly form within their dead eyes.
"We need to live out our lives no matter how short it is, however we can and how we like it."
As he said this Seven looked towards E57 who was nodding with a fall full of tears and E101 at his side with an unreadable expression on his face look at Seven with unblinking eyes.
"And the guys who left earlier than us they wouldn't want us to use their death as an excuse for our cowardice; we will live with our head held high so that we won't disappoint those who left earlier than us. We will carry on their will with us for as long as we live we are not alone they live on within our hearts they are not gone or dead, they are…..just not here at the moment."
Seven upon saying this closed his eyes while placing his palm over his chest before reopening them and continuing.
"Not only that we still have each other right here right now. Though we might lose one another in another minute or so it doesn't matter for we will on carry each other memories with us. Though the world will forget them we will not, we…..we are living testaments that proves that they were here, they were alive. And should we fall another shall take our names and the memories we carry with them and so to that end."
"So....Cheers to the dead-" Seven said at the top of his lungs holding a fist to his chest over his heart before bringing his hand out in a fashion like he was holding a cup in his fingers upward towards the sky.
"-and to the next one to die!"
That last part of that sentence Seven roared out with every fiber of his being as if trying to have the heavens hear his voice.
"Cheers to the dead AND TO THE NEXT ONE TO DIE!" not long after Seven finished his last words E101 shouted out what Seven just said and raised his hand up on the same motion.
"""""Cheers to the dead AND TO THE NEXT ONE TO DIE!"""""
The boys around him copied his words and action as a new look of resolve on their faces no longer bearing the faces of those who have lost hope, but faces of those who will faces the challenges head on with no fear.
The once dead looking eyes were once again filled with life as they all huddled together embracing each other tightly.
"Hey look at that." Sudden one of the boys cried turning everyone's attention to where he was pointing seven was no exception to this as he looked over to where the boy was pointing towards.
Behold the horizon of his vision he could see the same sight that he has seen over there in front of him since almost forever as far as he can remember, a massive tower like structure, which one can easily misidentify as a mountain over the horizon in front of him. It was not just any kind of tower it was about the size of a mountain not just in height but the size as well; massive does even not fit the description for it.
"Damn no matter how many times I see that it's still so breathtaking to see, it truly is a sight to behold but unlike before I can fully appreciate it now."
"Indeed, what a truly magnificent sight it is."
A moment of peace came for them as they gazed upon the object of their admiration before them admiring the view of the world that they lived in but hardly ever get the chance to see.
But that soon was cut shorted as several aircrafts flew up out of nowhere blocking out the sight as it twirled around and the hatch to a cabin at the rear of the craft open and several men in uniform called out for the boys to get in. Herding them inside like pigs in a pen houses not caring if they were too tightly pack in next to each other below in the cargo area of the aircraft while the adults had the entire upper level to themselves.
As they were packed inside Seven looked out the window to look at the towering figure on the horizon again burning the image into his mind, but he could have never known in the near figure that image was what would change everything as the aircraft flew off into the sky as the tower despite its sizes became smaller and smaller as time passed.
By the time the sun went down from the window E107 could see a massive building complex, with several building linked together with sky-bridges linked to a massive doom like structure in the middle between them. Their craft was heading towards one of the outer building from the wall one can see a massive letter E on the building roof where the aircraft was heading towards.
'Home sweet home' E107 thought to himself in his head as the aircraft began landing on the landing pad on top of the building.
Within a tightly compact cell like room E107 along with a handful of other young boys were all bunched up together as there was little room to even crawl around in let alone walk in. Being raised in this kind of environment all their life, the boys were all use to it and rather preferred them being close to one another as they had nothing but each other to keep each other warm when they sleep.
Now was but another normal day after a tortures day now bunched up together covered in blood, dirt and a strong stench of odor filled the air but they were also used to it already but the room now seems more spacious than usually. Where before less than a day or two ago there was barely enough room for them to even lay down, now there could at least spread their legs open on the floor.
Though this would usually be a nice change for many people but this fact hit Seven hard like a bullet piercing through his flesh causing him great agony though not physically, cause this open space meant the brothers that was never coming back. Each time they walked out through the only door in the room fewer and fewer are walking back in.
The metal door the only way into the room sudden opened waking Seven out of his half dazed state, as a man with a tablet-like device in his hands along with two others in uniform carry guns walked in. Though the moment he walked in, his face distorted greatly bearing a face full of disgust from smelling the strong odor in the room because of the room had no window, while overlooking the young boys with eyes of contempt as his eyes sweep over them.
"Alright you animals listen up for your number when I call you, if you can even remember them anyway heh-heh."
The man smirked and gave out a small laugh at his own comment as he began calling out some numbers in response one by one the boy's number that was called out stood up and headed towards the door where the man stood.
"--E57, E101 and last but not least E107 now I put a large sum of money on you rascals so you better deliver I want to make some money~."
As the last of the boys were called the man herded the ones called out in front the armed guards as the rest in the room followed behind with more boys joining them along the way down the corridor from other rooms heading down the corridor as well.
"Guess it's that time again I wonder how many is going to come back this time eh One?"
E57 whispered quietly to E101 beside him enough that even E107 couldn't hear what he was saying who was in front of them.
"It does not really matter all we need to do is ensure that HE comes back alive, our light has finally began to shine to guide us down our path we can't let it be snuffed out before it can fully mature."
E101 was looking towards the others in the group that came with them with each member seeing that and respond with a mild nod towards him. He gave a mild nod back in response as well the group walked down to the end of the corridor, once they reached the end of the corridor what greeted them was a massive steel door that was a large of the corridor itself.
The man with the tablet walked forward towards a holopad at the side of the door after typing a code into the holopad the door slowly began to open.
"Alright you filthy monkeys time to get your games faces on and get out there and give me a good show like the dirty pigs you all are."
The man turned around to face the massive group of young boys behind him as his face held a scornful smirk, as it seems he truly meant what he said looking at them like animals instead of people before continuing.
"It's time for the deadpool."