Jack

I listen for the trucks.

Usually, I'm good at things like this. Especially, the things that matter. Right now, though, I'm distracted.

"Two minutes out."

It feels like an eternity. I crouch low, balancing on the balls of my feet. My shins strain a little.

"Maybe we should go over the plan again."

"I would actually prefer silence."

"You okay, Jack?" Rudy asks.

"I'm fine."

A brief, and deafening, silences fills the Comms.

"We should focus." We all silently agree.

"Thirty seconds."

The bustling sound of the tactical trucks grew in volume. I take a deep breath. Quickly, they drive into view, right into position. Just as planned.

I jump down from the roof and into the street. The truck screeches to a halt. On both sides of the street, U.F officers run out, guns raised. After seconds, I'm surrounded. I don't move an inch as the tactical truck unloads the entire Alpha Squad. I stare hard at each one of them, looking for Kim.

"I assumed you knew we would come for you."

It was Brody.

"After all, you attacked one of our own." He walks slowly, his helment was off.

I watch him as he circles me. He seemed to be on edge.

"So, I am offering you this option only once. Stand down."

I almost laugh. Instead, I turn to face him. My hands hang loosely from my sides.

"I'll take that as a no."

He nods to the first unit. They try to rush me, but it doesn't go well. For them. I step out of the way of most of them. One tries to tackle me, so I swiftly kick his head. It bobbles and slumps. The rest back away, guns raised.

One shoots, no effect.

"Get him!"

They rush me again. I grab one guy and toss him aside. I block a punch from another then kick him away with so much forces he flies into another guy. The last guy of the unit stands, bewildered. He knows better.

"What are you doing!? GET HIM!"

He tries to hit me with the butt of his gun. I almost laugh at his attempt. I step back out of the arc of his swing. He then tries to get me with a simple roundhouse kick, but I catch it. Swiftly, I yank him up and drop him.

"GET UP NOW! The next person to fall has W.S.T for the NEXT THREE MONTHS!" The veins pulsed from his neck.

He's on edge. I can use that.

The fallen unit rises to there feet, more afraid of W.S.T than me. Two of them rushes me. I'm grab one into a choke hole and bring him under my arm while I fend off punches from the other officer. Another runs up from the behind, but a swift kick knocks him down. I toss the officer under my arm at the one direct in front of me.

Without thinking, I through a high kick that misses. I correct my mistake immediately with jab to the chest. He stumbles back, but doesn't fall. A officer from the left shoots me, but like before, it has no effect. I pick up a gun and hurl it toward him. He slumps, unconiscence. The other throws weak, uncoordinated punches in a desperate attempt to preoccupy me as Alpha Squad members move into position. I shove him away.

"FINE! I will handle you myself."

"Jack, he called for reinforcements, wrap it up."

The electric whip drags behind him as he walk toward him. Another is behind me. It lights up as he lashes it out at me. It catches my hand. I yank, but he doesn't budge. The currents of electricity don't affect me as my suit absorbs it.

"Just die! DIE DIE DIE!"

He's losing it. This is my chance. I rush him, but another whip tries to grab my wrist. I catch it and yank. I reach Brody and duck. Everything kind of blurs after that.

Something exploded, someone screams, and something else explodes.

When things seems to settle, I realize that a Alpha Squad member is attacking me. With a sword. I move out of its way the best I can. It catches me one good time.

"Special Weapon Hit. Strengthening suit skin."

I couldn't think straight for the seconds that followed. Something hit me. Twice. I fall to my knees, I think.

My brain doesn't start to process what's happening around me until a punch lands on the side of my helmet.

"Ow!"

I know that voice. On my feet, I stand to see Kim holding her hand. Her helmet is off and her blonde hair is messy.

"What the heck is..." She feels her head. I pick up her helmet.

"Get out of there."

I walk over to her.

"Jack, leave now."

I hand her the helmet.

"JACK! Move it!" She looks up at me and I swore she could see through the helmet. I swore, for a moment, she could see through me. I didn't move. I couldn't.

"Get out of here." It was barely audible. I nodded. Then I ran.

./.

"I had it under control."

"Really because it looked very out of control to me."

"You wouldn't understand."

"Understand? Understand, what? That you have absolutely no clue how to handle your feelings."

"Excuse me?"

"You know what I'm talking about."

"How I feel and what I do with those feelings is my business, Milton."

"It becomes our business when it effects our work."

"Well maybe I don't wanna do "our" work anymore."

I couldn't think straight. Whatever came into my head came out of my mouth. I didn't really mean it. I didn't want lose what we worked so hard for, what my father worked so hard for. I just couldn't take Milton's judgement anymore.

"We just expect more from you."

"Milton."

"What? It's true. If you were older , Jack, maybe you would take this more seriously. Lives are on the line here and you're playing flirty with the Chancellor's daughter."

"You're opinions mean nothing to me. But you know what does? Kim. For once I can actually say that I feel something real. So, if you think you can just ask me to give that up then you're dumber than Jerry."

"Jack. Milton. Think about what you guys are saying."

I look at them both.

"I need some air."

./.

I clench and release my fists.

Maybe they're right. She knows me. She could figure it out then report me. All our hard work finished.

Maybe they're wrong. I could keep it from her. I have been for weeks, why stop now?

Because she's different.

I run my hand through my hair. I hate being so conflicted. Especially, when I know exactly what i'm supposed to do. I need to be - no - I have to be what everyone expects if me. All this responsibility and the burden that comes with it is getting to me. I want was best for my people, but I love...

Stop it stop it stop it.

"Jack. Bro, you alright?"

"Yeah." I had to pretend as if my mind was a thousand miles away.

"I haven't seen you lately. I thought you were avoiding me."

"No, it's not you. It's me. I'm... I got a lot on my mind."

He begins to go on about how he bets its Mr. Lance's class thats got me all messed up.

If you only knew.

"Jack."

"Yeah."

"I overheard some stuff earlier."

"Yeah?"

"It was about the renegade. They said something about him influencing the Colonists."

"You know we're still Colonists too, right?"

"Yeah, I know."

"Well... do you think think they're right."

"He's definitely a symbol of hope and that's a dangerous thing. I mean, you seen what it does to people when they think they got something to root for. They'll keep hoping until the last breath. In the end, it tears us apart."

I stare at the East side.

"He could also be the thing that finally brings us together." He is silent for what seems like eternity.

For a few seconds, I thought he knew.

"He's a symbol, sure. But he's gonna get himself and a lot of people killed. That's my only problem."

"Yeah."

The bell rung. I sigh low in relief, I need some sleep.

"I'm hungry."

"What else is new?" I lay my arm on his shoulders. He chuckles at my sudden show of emotion. I try hard to keep that smile on my face.

./.

I grab the tall grass in between my fingers, tugging slightly. Its so serene. I bask in the warm, quiet air.

"So, you're conflicted."

It was more of a statement than a question.

"A matter of responsibility and faith. The decision of a lifetime."

I know he's behind me, but he sounds far off. I make no effort to check and see.

"If you expect me to have the answer then you're in for a rude awakening. This is all you."

"But why?"

I stand up, facing away from him.

"Why can't you help me? Why can't I help me? Why is this all on me? Why... why do I have feelings for someone I can never be with?"

I turn around to see Eddie pacing. He seems to be deep in thought.

"The answer is you, Jack. This is happening because you are you and nobody else. Because you are strong enough, smart enough and brave enough to be the one who can suffer and still come out on top. You just can't see it now. All this... all of this is a product of you being you; of you having a identity."

"What the heck are you talking about, Eddie? I'm a mess! I can't believe you can just stand there and say that crap to me."

"I'm saying this to you because you know what being you entails, but you're suppressing it. You're afraid."

"Shut up! Stop it!"

"Having this responsibility is apart of your identity. You-"

"I said shut up!"

"Jack."

"SHUT UP! I get it alright. My dad chose this life, so I really have no choice. I just have to be "me" and fight the power and whatever else this job entitles. But, what good is it to be me if I can't have the freedom to be me?"

Eddie stared at me with a smile. He was so optimistic and I'm just here complaining. Sometimes I wonder about that day. If he was alive instead of me. He would probably be great at this; helping people was always so natural to him.

"Why do you question yourself? Your ability? You were, and still, are one of the bravest people I know. Yet you sit here and act like you haven't grown in these past couple of weeks. Like you haven't had great friends and leaders to point you in the right direction. Your life, this suit- heck - everything you've ever been blessed with is not because your father or mother or anyone, but because you know who you are. And let me tell you, your identity is powerful. You seen what a lack of it has done to the Colony."

My chest rose and fell quicker. My mouth hung ajar. Eddie smiled at my speechlessness. He walked over and hugged me.

"You know what you have to do. You always did."

I cried into his shoulder for what seemed like hours.

"Get up, Jack."

./.

"Get up, Jack."

I open one eye. Jerry stares at me, his brow furrowed.

"You okay? You kept saying Eddie's name in your sleep."

I sit up and rub my sweaty, warm face. It felt so... real. Almost like, if I blink, I could go back at this very moment.

"There was ambush today."

I look at Jerry.

"Then a bombing. And some officers were injured. I heard the renegade was the target, of course they couldn't catch him, but now things are worst."

"How so?"

"Well for starters," he sits on my bed, "the order for his capture turned into a kill order. Like a murder on site type of deal."

"Where did you hear this?"

"Heard it during W.S.T earlier."

"Um, since when did you have W.S.T?"

"Since last week. You would know if you were around or, I don't know, talked to me."

"I'm sorry, Eddie. I been busy with-"

"You just called me Eddie."

I didn't even realize it.

"If you're hurting then you can talk to me."

I stared at the edge of my bed. Why did I say Eddie? I rub my face for what it seemed like the thousandth time.

"I know." I glance over at the clock, its almost two.

Jerry punches my shoulder then walks over to his bed. Solemnly, he lays down.

I can't stand myself right now.

Sup, peeps!

Hope you all been good. Reading old comics, eating sushi, and reading old tumble post. You know, the normal stuff.

Yo, shout out to all the anonymous reviewers on The Right Choice. Check out the thirteen chapter. Yeah. Okay.

Um, so let me know what think. Critiques and constructive criticism is always welcome So, Review, Favorite, and Follow, even if you don't like it. Please and thank you. If confused PM me, I'll be glad to clear things up for you. Enjoy your life... and the rest of this story.

Byes, lovlies!

-Angel