Hope expected the request to be more or less about food.
Well, he supposed it was since these kids wanted whatever would be left. That was understandable. Hope was hungry himself.
Either way, killing was an easier job.
That was what he was trained for. Maybe an Awakened's job was slaying monsters and hunting Nightmares. But blood was spilt nonetheless. No matter how less grandiose of a job his was to theirs, a kill was a kill.
At the moment, Hope was pressing himself against an outside building as a stench of rot hit him like a wall. He kept a quiet eye on five figures walking down a street hugged within the dim fog. Daylight being noticeably hushed by this hour.
The voices they heard earlier came from these men.
Hope recalled back to their conversation:
"Don't use it until completely necessary."
"You're not going to take it?" The girl clenched the gun tight in her hands.
"If there are more people around, I'm not going to announce myself. It's better to kill them with my own hands." Hope paused. "But I'm not going to help you whatever comes after though."
"We can take care of ourselves." The eldest boy proudly said.
'Sigh…'
Hope shook his head from the memory. He observed his targets. Average height men. One hat guy. One fat guy.
All smiling. Joking.
Oblivious.
Hope pulled away and looked down at the kids.
"So the direction of their checkpoint is in the same direction as the Awakened?"
"Yup yup."
"And just these five men right?"
"Yup." The girl said. But all three of their faces were brimming with…excitement?
"Ok then."
"..."
The youngest fidgeted in the back.
Hope tilted his head. "What now?"
"You're…not going to ask why?"
'Ah.' Hope peered out the corner again. Although he was now a part of this problem, he wasn't curious about the details. He was used to not asking questions about his assignments anyway. This was no different.
If Hope hadn't had these injuries on himself, he would've done the job by now. If not soon. Instead, he watched the five men disappear into the fog.
"You've said you've met this Awakened before." Hope said instead.
"A few times." One of them shrugged.
An idea crossed Hope's mind but he dismissed it as it came. Hope couldn't pull another stunt as he did with that Adam boy, pulling the emotional strings with a child in his arms for entry. These kids had no purpose beyond his journey.
At the corner of his eye, the little girl stared at him as if she sensed something. "How do you know him exactly?"
Hope looked back at her. "I also need a favor from him."
"And what's that?"
"To get to somewhere else."
"Why?"
"To meet with some people."
"Why?"
"Because they're my teammates."
The girl paused and pointed at the source of the rotting smell in the narrow alley they hid in. "You mean people like them?"
Hope's eyes dragged towards the grim sight.
There above their heads swaying in the breeze were six figures. Hung from a single line stretched across the gap like a clothesline, the bodies twisted, the faces bloated. And the fabric of their clothes fused with the mottled remains of flesh. But it was the same red insignia Hope had casted aside earlier that twisted a dark feeling inside of him—the Special Force badge.
Behind them was some writing on the wall in faded white lettering scrawled by a shaking hand: The Price of Loyalty.
'Fucking hell…'
Hope couldn't understand it.
Loyalty was a known virtue, a cornerstone of the Brave Arm's oaths. He'd been told that since the first day he'd donned his uniform. This…didn't personally concern him did it? He was a Reservist. A part-timer. A damn simple soldier. Whatever happened to them wasn't his burden.
Hope glanced down at the six pairs of eyes waiting for his response. Unfazed by the slaughter.
If they lived outside any sector in this environment, there was no doubt they'd developed some callousness.
"Believe it or not, I'm not like them."
"Told you…" Muttered the youngest as he tugged his brother's shirt.
"..." Hope blinked.
'What?'
"You don't act like them. You stole it or somethin?"
'Ah. I did.'
But for the acting part. Special Forces…Hope had met a share of prideful bastards.
"Enough of that. You said you know a way in. Lead the way." With the rustic pipe, Hope nudged the little girl forward.
She grumbled, glaring back, before she crouched to inspect the street for any particular oddities. Whatever she was looking for, she found it and beckoned her brothers to fall a step behind her. Hope followed in pursuit.
A couple of buildings down but to enter through the side she had said.
It sounded simple enough. Except when the traps started to appear. The girl hopped over cracks in pavements, and stained patches. The others mimicked her precisely.
Hop. Hop.
Hope couldn't help but be pulled back to a memory like this.
For the first few seconds, his eyes blurred to when neighboring kids played together. He watched from above as the outside lightly poured and the streets emptied. But then there was a boy—too far to properly describe—squatting as if studying the earth. He then traced out tiny blocks in the mud which more children came out to hop on one foot. And their laughter would grow with each heavier splash.
Hope blinked away from the memory.
There was no laughter here.
After a dance of long strides and ducks, they weaved through a side street half-buried beneath a pile of greenery.
The grayness yawned overhead as they reached a back gate twisted with rust. But if one tilted their head a certain way, there was the sinister glint of wires strung taut across the gap.
The little children naturally dodged in between.
Hope followed, stopped to take on thorough glance at the trap's instruments, and followed after.
***
In front of them was a metal garage door. Its paint was long peeled away. Dotted with bullets even.
But…
"There's no other way in besides through here?"
"Unless you wanna dig through rubble." The girl pointed her gun at a far corner.
'Huh. How unfortunate.'
"I'm telling the truth—"
"Didn't say you weren't." Hope held back a sigh and crouched down. "Hold this."
"M-me?"
The youngest clumsily hugged the pipe in his little arms, the sight looking awkward on the boy as if he never carried a damn thing in his life.
Hope blinked as he inspected it. "How do you know it's unlocked?"
"Well…" All three fidgeted awkwardly.
"..."
'I'm not going to question it.'
Hope ignored their reactions and began wrapping his fingers on the handle. At first, it worked smoothly, minus the metal groaning no matter how slow he went. But the door lifted for about 2 feet before stopping like it was jammed.
'Dammit.' Hope frowned.
"Hey." Hope called back. "There should be a chain to hold the door open. Pull on it."
"Oh! Ok."
"Come on…"
The girl tugged on her brothers' sleeves underneath. The soft taps from their heels echoed as they scurried in.
"Err…umm…"
Silence.
Then shuffling of feet.
"It's that thing right?"
"Duh! What else is a chain like?"
"Stop– You're pulling the wrong way!"
'Oh for fuck's sake…' Hope leaned his forehead against the metal gate.
There was no memory of him interacting with kids like this before. Too informal. Too unlikely. Too inconvenient.
Haven't they been through here before?
After several seconds, Hope heard a collective of huffs and puffs before the weight jerked from his hands. Immediately Hope ducked under, sliding through with a painful grimace as he smelled a waft of oil.
When he straightened up on the other side, he beheld the sight of three children's faces scrunched up in fiery red. With all of their might, six hands yanked on the chain.
Hope…didn't know exactly what to think of it.
"Hey…"
No one answered.
It was as if their mind was locked in a scenario of life and death.
Clink.
"Let go."
Gasp!
After one kid let go, the other two collapsed onto the floor. They covered their ears as if a bomb would diffuse. But to their surprise, the gate lowered with ease as it was being lulled to sleep.
Hope let go of the steel chain, tilting his head at the children's amazement. "You kids done?"
"Don't call us kids…" The eldest boy muttered.
'Ah.' Hope paused in thought.
He wasn't particularly interested in their names. And they weren't in his either. But he supposed if they would be moving around together at this point…
Step. Step. Step–
Hope stiffened.
There was a sudden motion and Hope snapped to a crouched position in front of the kids.
On the other side of the room was a door where a sliver of light peeked beneath. Steps echoed beyond. Hope reached for his pocketknife.
Then the person paused—
Hope raised the blade slowly. Hands steady.
The man on the other side grunted as he stretched, then moved on, whistling quietly to himself.
"I…I think I'll stay here…"
"What?" The girl hissed at her younger brother. "We have to stick together."
Hope remained still for a little while before standing. "She's right. We want to be in and out as quickly as possible."
Hope didn't want the trouble of going back for the kid. The faster they move was a step closer towards the damn Awakened. Job done. Collect whatever these men have, and be gone before sunset.
'Which seems to be approaching.' Hope thought, recalling the dim fog outside.
The day was almost over.