*Damian's*
Why do I remember that name? Why do I remember that face? And why does my heart beat faster and painfully?
I can't remember why. All I remember is that I have loved this person more than anything in the whole world. And now, she is within my reach. As she held out her hand to me and showed me that smile, I lost all sense of control and the only thing that I knew was that I need to have her.
But before I could even, a machete sliced off her arms and blue liquid poured out. A deafening screech followed suit. I had to cover both of my ears because it was awfully loud.
"Damian… Damian come on"
I opened my eyes and saw Commander Zeph shaking me violently. I looked at the being that stood before me earlier and what was left was the Echidna-like monster.
Before I could even register what happened, Commander Zeph raised me to my feet and began dragging me. Maki was ahead of us shooting the monsters down that were following suit.
I didn't need any explanations right now, I knew what I had to do.
"Commander sorry I could run now"
Commander then let me go and ran. Maki and I followed him. I don't exactly know what happened but when I looked back, a pile of dark gray smoke was already enveloping the subway that we were just in.
"Smokescreen, that should buy us some time"
I looked at Maki and instantly felt sorry that I had to become a burden at some point.
"We climb up top now"
Commander Zeph who stopped suddenly exclaimed to us and pointed to a stairway that was leading to another station.
We could question him for our safety's sake but none of us did. Our original plan which was to use the subway and go up to the ground once we reach the front house had already drastically failed.
Maki and I climbed up to where some of our comrades were shooting down the monsters that had gone past the smokescreen. Commander Zeph was the last one to climb up and once he already did, he turned around and sent a grenade flying down below.
Every one of us had to move somewhere safe before we could even lose our footing.
Smoke that came from the grenade which enveloped every part of the station dissipates within seconds. Maki was the first one to come closer to what was now a pile of rubble blocking the subway's entryway.
"Come on, we should regroup"
Commander Zeph commanded with an exhausted voice and there was that tiny voice ringing in my head telling me that I was partly the reason for it.
And I can't even deny it. Maki tapped my shoulders as if he was reassuring me that everything was fine. But I know it wasn't. We followed the others who were beginning to regroup. In the back of my mind, I had wished that everyone was okay but that was a far-off dream.
12. That's how many of us are left. I gazed at Commander Zeph who was only standing there silently as he look at the remaining soldiers.
The saddest part, we don't even know the names of those that we had lost. There were no lingering attachments since we can't remember their names nor if we have memories that we shared.
"Four of you scout the area, go in pairs of two. The rest look for someplace that we could stay so we could re-plan"
Everyone complied with a single nod. Everyone was beyond exhaustion and we don't exactly know where we are now. I looked at Maki and was about to go with him to search for someplace but Commander's voice stopped me.
"Not you Damian, let's talk"
I gazed at Commander Zeph and his stern look told me that I need some explaining to do. He walked to a nearby beam. I nodded at Maki and followed the Commander. Once I reached him, I received a punch in the fact that I was certainly not expecting.
"You could've died, care to explain why you were standing back there like an idiot"
Being punched in the face was the worst but I couldn't exactly spit out the blood that was gushing in my mouth from accidentally having bitten my tongue so I swallowed it instead and stared at the Commander.
"I heard a voice."
His face contorted like he just got angrier at my brief explanation. I breathed out heavily before explaining further.
"It was Maia's voice"
It was then that the Commander's face shifted to a softer expression.
"You--- do you remember Maia?"
I shook my head. This wasn't the response that I was expecting.
"I Don't, but when I was in a trance down there, I could hear a voice and a face that made my heartache and before I knew it, that name came out of my lips"
I stared at Commander Zeph and was surprised when a tear escaped his eyes. He didn't even bother wiping it when I saw it. Instead, he bit his lower lip like he was suppressing his pain.
"Commander, who is Maia exactly? And where is she? Somehow I knew that she was special to me but why? Why do I feel in pain?"
It took him a moment before he could respond to my questions and when he did. I could only feel my heart shattering even though I should have my emotions numb out.
"She was our light… but she died"
I don't know what kind of expression I was putting up now but I somehow knew that it wasn't pretty.
Commander Zeph gripped my shoulders
"Damian, we're doing this mission for her. Because of her. Whatever you are feeling, suppress it. We must finish this"
I slowly nodded but I felt like my head was going to burst. As someone who had their emotions and memories sealed, Something like this isn't even comprehendible. I don't know how to process information like this but I do know that I have a mission to finish. So for now, I'll suppress these emotions and find out about them upon our return.
The remaining of us returned and we slowly grouped to where they had found to be a safe place. I also found out that the other two guys who we were talking to earlier also made it out.
"I found a signage earlier that indicates exactly what station we got ourselves into"
Commander Zeph laid out a map for Maki to point where exactly we were. As it turns out we were only a few blocks away from the front house.
To be exact. If we had continued running underground and gone up to the next station we would have gone directly up at the front house.
"There's an abandoned town on the west of here. If we could get through it without any problem then we would reach the front house"
Commander Zeph looked at every one of us. He must have sensed the dreary atmosphere surrounding us. He rolled up the map that he had laid out and put it inside his side pocket.
"Let's rest for an hour or two, everyone keeps your guard up and sit up in pairs"
As if on cue, everyone slumped down and let out a deep sigh collectively. I guess we all were exhausted.
It seemed like all we did from the moment we got outside was to run away and I think that's what makes it more exhausting. We couldn't even mourn for the ones we lost.
"Hey, you good?"
Maki sat down beside me and took out his canteen to drink. I eyed him before leaning my head back at the beam where I planted myself to rest.
"How about you? Still feeling breathless?"
"Not anymore, but what was that about?"
I knew he was going to ask me too but I can't tell him to as I don't know what happened. But I do have a rough idea.
"I saw and heard someone who I think is special to me"
"A hallucination?"
"Probably, I think you feeling breathless and remembering something down there might have been the same too"
"What do you mean?"
I looked up at the pipings visible above while fiddling with my fingers.
"It's hazy but after hearing and seeing that person, a glimpse of my memory suddenly came raging in. A picture of her freezing up was my most fear. Having to feel her cold body and touch was the thing that scared me the most"
"Her name"
I shifted my gaze at Maki who was now slowly tearing up.
"Is it Maia?"
My eyes widened as soon as Maki blurted out her name. Too stunned to even ask him how he had known, I could only stare at him.
"I think she's family, but I don't remember. I had this vague image flash through when I saw you earlier standing in front of that monster"
"Was our memory not fully sealed?"
"I think it's more likely that it's slowly unlatching"
Maki wiped a tear that had escaped from his eyes. He then breathed out heavily.
"I guess we're doing this for the same person. We better not mess it up hahaha"
His forced laughter resonated throughout my entire being. He's hurt too. Preferably in pain. But he was right, the living ones are alive because we still need to do something.
If Maia was our light then that means we lost her while she was fighting for our freedom. And right now we're just the ones that need to complete that mission.
After regaining most of our strengths, we set off to complete the task that we were assigned too. Dodging off mines and cameras that could signal the front house, it took us almost a day to finally reach our destination.
This was it.
This is the start of us fighting back.