Chapter Twenty
The Black Knight stood on the edge of the building, crouched low as he spoke quietly through the radio. "Capture them and await my command!" The Black Knight nodded to himself, flicked the radio off, and crouched even lower as he watched the trio. "I can't believe they made this for him..." Lauren whispered, Charlotte on her shoulders as Trae stood beside them, all of them staring up at the golden statue of a Spectre. "He was...the bravest man I knew," Trae said mournfully, patting Lauren gently on the back as Charlotte kept rereading the note from her father, the paper now creased from being folded several times. "He wrote that just before he left, I think. He must have snuck it into my pocket while I was unconscious," Trae murmured, seeing Charlotte with the paper. To his surprise, she handed it back to him, "You look after it for me...I need to be with mommy."
Trae hesitated, and then he slowly took the paper and fed it back into his army pocket. It had been hours since the funeral service, but Trae had worn his army uniform because it seemed more respectful to his fallen comrade. "Come on," Lauren said, turning away from the gold statue, wiping water from her eyes as the skies darkened, and then she said to Trae, "We better get you to the hospital. Your appointment is in twenty minutes." Trae nodded, pivoting on his crutches and then hopping along with Lauren and Charlotte, who had gotten down from her mother's shoulders and was leading the way across the low-cut grass and onto the concrete pavement. Already, Trae could see the outline of the hospital in the near distance. Charlotte didn't even try kicking leaves on the ground or stepping on sticks to see if they would snap, she just walked quietly forwards with Lauren and Trae close behind her.
"Are you...ok?" Trae asked after several minutes passed, only the wind being the comforting sound that soothed them both. "I'm not sure," Lauren said quietly, remaining silent for more minutes until she finally said, "War is so...pointless. I've lost the person I love most in the world." Trae nodded as he swung next to her, the hospital nearing as the two walked, "He did what he thought was best to protect you. He killed the General and disrupted their Army. He saved us on that battlefield." Lauren seemed to agree with Trae, no matter how saddened she was, "Do you think the war is over?" Trae sighed, unsure himself, "I dunno, Lauren. Zack has given us real hope, though." Lauren stopped suddenly, as did Trae, and they looked to their right to see the playground they used to play on with Zack as kids.
Even now, Trae envisioned the younger him, Lauren and Zack playing and climbing on the plastic place, laughing in the rain and jumping in puddles to see who could create the biggest splash. "If I ever get married, I would wish to be as happy as you two were," Trae whispered, and Lauren chuckled, "We were happy, weren't we?" Lauren suddenly looked down, tears stinging her eyes as she also whispered, "I would give anything to have him back." Trae put a comforting arm on her shoulder and whispered, "Me too." Then, after staring at the playground for a couple more minutes, they rushed to catch up with Charlotte, the hospital now in plain view, unaware that someone...someone in black clothing with a mask around their face and a large scar across their left eye was watching, sword sheathed to their side.
***
They entered the hospital, spoke to the receptionist, and then headed down the many corridors and hallways, rounding yet another corner and finding themselves in a wide corridor that had two people seated on chairs outside a room. "Ah, Trae," said a black man in army uniform, a brown beard growing on his face as he stood up and immediately shook hands with Trae. Trae shook back, realizing the second person was Jade, and the man said, "I was wondering when you would get here...I'm Richards, the new Captain of the United State Alliances...and this is my other colleague, Jade." Trae stepped back and nodded at Jade, "We've met." Richards looked surprised, looking around at Jade before turning back to Trae. "Ah, that makes it easier...I came here to ask if you were still willing to fight the Zodiac Empire."
Lauren looked like she was about to declare that Trae would not, but Trae nodded eagerly, grinning at the opportunity. "Excellent!" Richards said, clapping his hands together and also looking excited, "You and Jade are going to be with me, leading the Army. I want you both as Lieutenants." Trae raised his eyebrows and couldn't think for a moment, too shocked to do anything, and Jade looked shocked as well. "You want us?" she whispered, and Richards nodded as he looked back at her again, "Of course. You two are good soldiers who are needed in this fight." Before anything more could be said between them, however, there was a loud beep through the speakers in the corridor, and a clear female voice said, "Trae to the fracture clinic, please." Richards looked disappointed at the time cut short, but Jade quickly said, "Richards needs to speak to the security, but I can grab a coffee and meet you back in the main waiting room."
Trae and Lauren nodded, Charlotte standing next to her mother with a confused expression on her face, and Richards indicated to the room next to them, "Lauren and Charlotte, you can both wait in there. Just until Trae is all good to leave," Richards said warmly, and Charlotte nodded first, opening the door and seeing the toys and pillows kept against the back wall of the small room, and she hurried inside, her mother right behind her. "They will be watched, won't they?" Trae whispered, and Richards nodded, pointing to the camera looking down at the door the two had just disappeared behind, and Trae breathed a sigh of relief. Then all three of them headed down the corridor and went in three different directions. Someone in black leaped from the ceiling and landed on the floor in the corridor, slowly stepping towards the room that was at least fifty meters away, their shoes squeaking against the smooth tiled floor.
***
"Your leg is looking perfect," said the doctor, Daniel, as Trae flexed his leg. Daniel had made quick work of removing the cast from Trae's leg, and then Trae chuckled, feeling glad to be free of the constraints. "The cast was just a precaution but...your leg is absolutely fine!" Daniel said his accent a heavy Australian as he grinned at Trae. "Just don't go getting into any trouble over the next few days, and you should be allowed to leave now." Trae laughed, nodded happily, and said, "Sure thing...I'll try to take it nice and easy." His attention was slowly turned towards a monitor on the doctor's desk, which showed four screens. The top left one showed a familiar hallway, pointed at a door that was now open, a figure in black standing in the doorway.
***
Lauren looked up, as did Charlotte, as the door unlocked and swung slowly open, creaking loudly as it revealed a person, a man, in black clothing, his mouth covered by a black mask and a scar through his eyebrow and cheek, his eye looking fine against the wound. Lauren gasped, frightened to do more as the man drew his steel sword, pointing it at Charlotte while staring at Lauren and whispering, "If you don't come with me now...both of you...she dies." Lauren nodded fearfully, praying something happened as she shakily got up from the blue couch she had been sitting on and took a step towards the man. The man disappeared as Trae kicked him in the face, sending him away from the door and skidding down the corridor. Trae charged at the man, but the man ran to meet him, leaning forwards and doing a handstand, kicking out with both legs, catching Trae in the chest and sending him flying backward.
The man picked up his sword, lifted it, and sliced down, but Trae rolled aside. The man sliced down again, and it hit the spot right next to Trae as Trae leapt to his feet. Instantly, the man spun on the spot, slashing his sword through the air as he did, but Trae stumbled backward, barely avoiding the tip of his blade. The man snarled and leapt forwards yet again, kicking Trae in the stomach. Trae grasped the man's foot, and the man flipped backwards, his other foot landing against Trae's head and sending him falling back onto the floor. The man stood over Trae, fury in his eyes as he dramatically raised the sword over his head, and brought it down. There was a bang! The man's sword flew away, scattering across the floor, and the man turned to find Jade stepping towards him, gun in hand.
"Stay right where you are!" she shouted, and the man turned again, picking his sword from the floor, charging into the room where Trae had just left, and Richards followed, firing thrice as he also disappeared into the room. "Hey...are you ok?" Jade asked, coming to a stop besides Trae and helping him to his feet. "Yeah...but it looked like that man was going after Lauren and Charlotte..." Trae said, and then a second voice said, "Trae that was stupid! But...really brave." Trae turned to Lauren, who now looked thankful, and Trae sighed, "You and Charlotte have been through so much...you don't deserve this!" Richards came by them, wiping sweat from his brow as he fixed his gun to his side. "He escaped. Jumped out the window before I could pull the trigger," Richards snarled, apparently angry at the man's escape. "Lauren, you can head back home with Charlotte. Soldiers will be outside your house, and you will be protected 24/7."
Richards turned back to Trae, his voice now more commanding than it was before as he said, "Trae, I want you and Jade at the camp for first light. In two days, we march against the one place that the Zodiac Empire refuses to let us touch. It is there that we will make our last stand."