Michael and I walked the campsite that was turned into a battlefield. Pushing through the harsh winds and rain. Hoping that we'll be able come up with some sort of plan at the watch tower.
I couldn't help myself but think about how long Michael could have been doing this before. He seemed so unfazed by seeing a dead body. Though I can't say I'm new to them but seeing Haru's lifeless body was different. Something I don't think I could ever prepare myself for or get used to.
"How long have you been doing this?" I asked him.
"Huh?"
"Being a soldier? You didn't seem bothered by Haru. So I couldn't help but think you've been doing this for a while." I said as I walked beside him.
"Of course Haru being dead bothered me. Though on the field it has to be something that doesn't stop you. But it doesn't mean it shouldn't hurt you when you see a friend die." Michael responded with this drained expression on his face.
It was almost as if this advice was coming from experience. As if he's seen many of his friends die in front of him. While all he could do was push forward.
"I'm sorry if I brought up something you didn't want to remember."
"No don't worry about it. It's sadly something that's inevitable for us to experience. But what keeps us alive when we make it home is having brothers like us willing to talk it out. Whiskey also helps." Michael said in a way where it was hard for me to tell if he was joking.
Our conversation was able to help us pass the time as we walked. Finally reaching the watch tower.
Though something neither of us were prepared for was to find it on fire. The whole thing from base to tip was in flames. Somehow still standing upright it stood like a beacon of terror.
To the right of it stood a man completely hypnotized by the flames. The only thing I could recognize was our uniform on him. Though from the light of the flames and the rain being blown in my eyes it was hard for me to see who it was from where I stood. However, from Michael's reaction I could tell he knew who he was immediately.
"General! General! What's going on right now?" Michael asked running up to him and grabbing him by the shoulder.
"We were sent to war to bring hell to earth." He said as I walked closer to the two of them.
"What are you even talking about? This isn't the time for you to be losing hope General. We still have a chance!" Michael said in an attempt to snap him back to reality.
"Why don't you understand Michael!? They're all working together here! We weren't sent here to protect the people or anything else. We were sent here so the people had something to fear! How else do you think they were able to find our location so easily?" The General said as he grabbed onto Michael.
"Sir. What's important is that we're all able to go home. And we can't do that if we don't get out of here." I pleaded with him as I put my hand on his shoulder from behind.
"Yeah…. Home.." The General said to himself as he stepped away from Michael. "Though I can't say the same for Michael." He said as he pulled his gun on Michael.
I was just fast enough to grab ahold of him before he fired. Bringing his arm down to where the shot hit the ground. I pushed my right arm under his vest to firmly hold him. As I hard him and his arms down with my other arm.
"You need to snap out of it Sir! We aren't the enemy!" I shouted as I tried to reason with him.
"You can't say that. He could have been sent here as a double agent and same for you! Both of you could have been sent here to make sure we all go to hell!" The General frantically shouted as he tried to free his arm. Still sending shots off into the ground.
Michael stood there in front of us staring at me. As if he was asking me what he should do with his eyes.
I had no clue. The fight has obviously broken him mentally. It would be wiser to leave him but if we let him go he would kill us both. If it wasn't already obvious. But I couldn't see either of us going through with killing him either.
"Sir. If you don't come down and rationally think things through we will all die." I said trying to reason with him.
"Then so it shall be."
The General hit my face with the back of his head. Causing me to let go of him for just a moment. And in that moment he was able to drop his gun and grab the grenade strapped to his chest. Before either of us could react in time he was already able to pull the pin on it.
Without hesitation like I was a man possessed. I grabbed the grenade from his hands and held it to the General's chest. As I was able to get behind him and aim his body away from Michael.
The grenade blew up in my hand killing the General and blowing my left arm off. Leaving me barely conscious with my back on the ground.