I hope I'm not too late I think to myself as I rush towards where they went. I told them not to do this. This is suicide! Not only that, this will lead to the death of many innocent people. We should've just lived the rest of our lives in hiding but they did not agree with me. They chose to oppose Amphibia, they'll regain their freedom and reputation or die trying.
Still, I hope I can stop them. They seemed really angry when I told them I wouldn't join them. They left without saying goodbye and I let them leave. I shouldn't have let them leave. When I came to my senses, I immediately rushed out to follow them. That's what I'm doing now, rushing to their aid. I must stop this war from happening, I can't lose my remaining friends and I can not let innocent people lose their loved ones because of this.
These thoughts keep me from giving up and I follow in their direction. Soon, I noticed that the land was becoming more dry and humid. This got me really worried; what's happening up ahead? The more I press on, the worse the land becomes. Surely the higher ups haven't nuked civilian area just to kill us right? Surely the rest of the numbers haven't lost control; they haven't done that right?
I along with my worries make it to the battlefield and that's where I lose all hope. The surrounding area is practically a wasteland. How many nukes have they dropped in this area? The smell of death is too strong here, this is not right, this is not how it's supposed to be. The higher ups promised that we would be free to do whatever we wanted after our services were done. So how has it come to this? Where are my friends?
That's when I saw him, buried under piles of bodies, just his burnt face showing. I saw Sebastian, my best friend, my rival, my comrade. Tears fall out of my eyes, heavy tears filled with irreparable grief. I go up to him and sit beside his head. Here lies number two, a hard working, compassionate, funny, caring, honest guy. He is not a monster, none of us are monsters. But in the end that is what we have become in the eyes of the common person. In the end, people could not come to trust anything that is remotely different from them. They took us out for their own survival even when we did not threaten it.
I lose all hope. I unwind all my principles and beliefs. I let them shatter and become truly empty inside. I am no longer Jackson, the human. I am now number one, the beast, the monster. I deserve to be killed by humans. I want to die here along with my comrades.
I just sit there beside Sebastian and start to sob. After some time, I see many trucks full of soldiers coming to the site. They must be reinforcements. Now I can finally die too.
The soldiers notice me and jump out of the trucks. They rush to intercept me and I allow them. I don't know how many knives, swords, daggers go through me but I just sit there beside Sebastian. I don't know how many blows I take but I just sit there beside Sebastian. I'm coming to join you soon, buddy.
That's when Sebastian opens his eyes, "Live," he croaks out and his eyes close.
Sebastian wants me to live! That's his final wish! He doesn't want me to die here! My friend has forgiven me for not joining him in battle! I can't die here then! I can't!
I jump into the air and run away as fast as I can. Each time I take a weapon out of my body, I run faster. After a while, I take out the last weapon. I look behind me; my pursuers are nowhere to be seen.
I've lost them I thought to myself before everything went blurry and pitch black.
**********
I wake up gasping for air. I'm in someone's house, on their bed. So I'm not dead. I look around, there are clothes beside the bed. I put them on, they're a little big on me but nothing serious.
A young woman enters the house. She looks to be around my age. She notices that I've woken up and gives me a bright smile.
"How long have I been out?" I ask.
"A day or so," she responds.
She gives me a puzzled look. Did she realize how fast I've recovered? Does she know who I am? Should I kill her?
"What's your name?" the woman asks.
"I don't have one," I respond.
She frowns, clearly not pleased.
"Well, if you want food, you gotta give me a name," she demands.
That's when I realize how hungry I am and I also notice that she's cooking something in the kitchen.
"Jackson, my name is Jackson," I say flatly.
"Well, Jackson, you are welcome to join me for lunch," says the woman, smiling.
She smiles too much.
The strange woman and I eat the pasta she made. Out of curiosity, I ask her a question.
"Do you live alone?"
"No, I live with my parents. They are proud Amphibian soldiers. They went to fight the numbers a couple days ago and haven't returned yet," she answers.
They won't be coming back, I say in my head. Judging from the woman's looks, I'm pretty sure she has realized this too. We eat on in silence.
After the meal, I thank her and prepare to leave. When I was about to leave, the woman holds my hand.
"Are you sure you're okay? You can stay a few more days, please, I insist," she says.
She looks really lonely. Well I guess it's because her parents are always on missions and she's probably home alone looking after the house. Now, they won't be coming back and she's the only one left in this house. I guess I take pity in her and decide to stay for a couple more days.
My decision to stay brightens up her face. Now I am kind of embarrassed. No woman has ever made that kind of face in front of me. I tell her I want to sleep and quickly walk away.
Like this, a few more days pass by. One thing I've come to realize is that this woman really talks a lot. She talks about random things, anything really and I don't even care about anything she says. But, if I'm not replying to her, she'll begin to sulk and I being the gentleman that I am, continue to fall into this trap of hers.
There's a reason why she talks so much. She always smiles in front of me but whenever she thinks I'm not looking at her, her expression takes a depressive stance. At first I thought it was because of her parents. Then I noticed that all the other villagers near her are treating her as if she's some kind of monster. Kids throw stones at her and the adults gossip about her behind her back. They haven't driven her out of the village yet only because I am here with her.
In order to protect her, my stay becomes one of weeks instead of days. One day I decided to confront the woman. I told her to explain to me why the rest of the villagers were treating her like mud. She told me that since her parents were killed by the numbers, her household basically became cursed. She, the only remaining member of her family is the cursed remnant of her family. The villagers were afraid that as long as she lives near them, their families would get cursed too.
When I heard this, I was about to teach everybody a lesson, but the woman begged me to just let things be. She told me that as long as I was with her, nothing bothers her. She told me that I make her happy and that there's nothing else she needs. How ironic, I thought, me, a monster, making someone happy.
And so, my stay with this woman went from one of weeks to one of months. After some time, I began to show my true self to the woman. I realized that she was a strong, bright person with many good qualities. She looks at someone for who they are not what they've done. Her useless talking became something I looked forward to everyday.
We lived like this for a while until the day I saw soldiers come to the village. They had a poster of me, they were searching for me. They heard rumours that I was here. They threatened to burn the village down to the ground unless they gave me up. The villagers were scared I might attack them so they weren't sure what to do.
So, one night when she was sleeping. I decided that it was finally time for me to go. I would lure the soldiers away from the village and she will be safe. That was the plan but then I see that she is awake and standing with her arms crossed. I really don't like the look on her face. I hate to do this to her but it's for her own good.
"Where are you going?" she demanded to know.
"You saw the poster, you know what I am now, I'm a monster, let me leave," I announce.
The woman begins to laugh. The laughing turns to crying. I don't know what to do. Should I just leave? I try to leave but she glares at me hard enough to make me stop.
"You think I did not know? I knew from the first day. I knew since you healed so fast that day," she said.
"So? You wanna hand me over now or something?" I reply.
I hate making her sad like this but if I'm going to leave, I should just make her hate me. But her expression changes into one of concern and that really hits me in my heart. She really cares about me, I am not a monster to her.
"I'm coming with you," she says.
"No you're not, you're young, you have your whole life ahead of you. If you're with me you'll constantly be on the run and you may even die. I can't do that to you," I try to explain to her.
But she won't listen to me. Her eyes tell me that she knows exactly what she wants, who she wants.
"Please take me with you. I have no one else except you; you know that. You're my everything, I love you!," she bursts out.
I sigh. What have I done.
"I'm sure a woman like you will find something else worth living for. Living with you for these last few months really made me feel like I can just let everything go and live a normal life with you. But that is not the case, I will always be number one. This nation will always be corrupt. I am going to change that, I've decided that this is the reason why I'm still alive. This mission, will take a long time, and I must be alone in order to carry it out. I'm sorry but I have no time for love. I don't deserve love."
I point at her dad's skull mask. I ask her to give it to me. I put it on.
"From now on, I am Skull. When the time comes and Skull is turning Amphibia upside down, I want you to not be here. You're the only person who can't be here, you got that?"
"After this mission of yours will you come back to me?," she asks.
"I'm sorry but that's probably a promise I won't be able to keep. I want you to move on, got it?"
She doesn't get it. She starts crying and I leave her there. If I comfort her now, I may not be able to leave.
Once outside, I attack the soldiers' camp and lure them away from the village.
I take one last look at the house. The house where someone loved me for who I was.
My eyes start to water, "I love you too," I say.