Heroes to Hunted

I was enveloped by an endless void, my only companionship were my thoughts.

'Back here again, huh?' I sighed, recognizing the feeling of isolation all too well. What I would give to stay here for just a while. That's all I'd ask.

Suddenly, a voice shattered the silence, piercing through my thoughts.

"-ey!"

'The sound is familiar…whose voice is it again?' I tried to open my eyes, but they refused me.

"-y!"

My body was wobbling. 'Are they shaking me?'

"HEY, GET THE HELL UP!" a flash of blunt pain flashed across my cheek.

I jerked myself awake at the stimulus. "W-What happened?"

"What are you doing?!" Takagi exclaimed. "Who blacks out in the middle of escaping? Are you an idiot?!"

'Blackout? Idiot?' It occurred so suddenly that it took a moment to remember where I was. Though I was curious about many things, my focus was drawn to the aching in my cheek. I brushed my fingertips across it to find it was warm from light swelling.

"Did you slap me?" I asked.

"Huh, oh no, I didn't…." he turned from me, smirking and darting his eyes suspiciously. "I, uh… I punched you."

I shook my aching head before speaking. "...Why a punch?"

"A slap didn't seem like it'd work," he shrugged.

As much as I wanted to argue, he was right that his punch woke me up. Although it was for the low price of a fierce throbbing in my head. I could almost feel my brain popping out of my skull.

I made an attempt at soothing the pain by rubbing my forehead, but just the act of lifting my arm exhausted me to the point of queasiness. Thankfully I had no bile left; otherwise, I likely would've vomited by now from the crippling headache.

I placed my palm on the floor and pushed myself back up. Then, staggering to my feet, I wearily asked, "how long was I out?"

"A few minutes," Takagi replied with crossed arms. "What's wrong with you, anyway?" I couldn't tell if he was concerned or condescending me.

I coughed violently, expelling a bit of saliva through each fit. The air and spit grated against my throat as it exited. It left a lasting pain even after I regained control over my breathing.

I examined my skin and noticed that it had turned deathly pale. "Looks like anemia," I said with a sigh.

Takagi furrowed his brow and asked, "What does that mean?"

Given Takagi's delinquency, I guess it made sense that he didn't understand. He was definitely more of a "brawn" than a "brain," that assertion was indisputable.

"It means I need some proper bandages," I replied with a chuckle.

Takagi scoffed and asked, "So, are you useless then?"

I found his bluntness refreshing; it reminded me of my old drill instructors. "No, this is nothing. I've endured worse," I said tiredly, forcing a grin.

"Acting tough, huh," he crossed his arms behind his head. "Alright, I'll play along. What's the plan then?"

I glanced and gestured at Agawa. "Would you carry her for me? I don't think I can anymore. But I can still fight well enough, though."

Half of what I'd said was a lie, and half wasn't. I could still, just barely, support Agawa's weight, but I didn't know when I might black out again. If I did with her on my back, I'd be dooming us both to death. So, in the end, Takagi had to be the one to carry her.

'There's no point in the all of us dying,' I shrugged.

Takagi glared at me, then clicked his tongue in frustration before reluctantly agreeing. "Fine, I'll take Agawa duty. But don't think I'll let a sickly, washed-up soldier have all the fun!" he cracked his knuckles and wore a beastly smile.

"That's harsh," I chuckled. "Yeah, I'll appreciate your help."

"So, are we escaping like this?" Takagi questioned.

"Hell yes," I grinned. Those were the words I longed to hear most. It was finally time to break free from the nightmare. Finally, time to fight back.

Despite my giddiness, I knew to maintain caution. One wrong move led to death in these situations, so each had to be meticulously planned and flawlessly executed.

"We need a plan of action before we do anything," I responded.

Takagi impatiently fidgeted and asked, "And how exactly are we going to do that?"

I pulled up the map I'd stolen from the girl and beckoned Takagi to take a look. With him standing beside me, I pointed toward a string of rooms. They appeared identical in layout to the cells I woke up in, so chances were any prisoners still alive would be there.

As expected, the hallway proceeded past the cells to what I now call "harvesting" rooms. Beyond those appeared to be a service tunnel leading out of the manor. I had yet to learn where, but the mansion was the last place we wanted to be, so it didn't matter.

Another route led to the tunnel, it would probably have less resistance too, but it would take longer to traverse. Sadly, we were racing against the clock. It would only be so long before they noticed the missing patrols of guards, and we had to be long gone by then.

I looked up from the map and met Takagi's eyes. "We'll need to make our way to this tunnel," I said, pointing to the location on the map.

As I described our route in detail, I noted possible entry points for enemy combatants and how we would handle them. I also pointed out nearby supply closets and storerooms that would allow us to avoid detection.

When I finished tracing our predicted path, I took a deep breath and waited for Takagi's response.

Takagi scratched his unkempt hair and clenched his jaw in thought. After a few moments, he nodded and said, "Sounds like a plan! And maybe we'll run into more bugs! It's kinda fun smashing them," he grinned and pressed his foot to an unconscious guard's back.

I frowned at his cavalier attitude towards the guards we may encounter. "Remember, our focus is escaping. We need to avoid confrontation if we can."

"Relaaaax," he raised his arms and shook his head, "I won't hurt anyone who doesn't deserve it," he finished with a smirk.

I sighed and wearily rubbed my forehead to soothe my already exhausted mind. 'Convincing this kid to follow the plan, let alone the rules of engagement, is going to be a battle on its own…'

Before we set off, I rummaged through the kitchen and found some clean cloth to change my soiled bandages. The old bandages were caked with dried blood and had become fused to my skin. Removing them was a delicate process, requiring a series of gentle tugs to avoid worsening my injury.

As I peeled away the old bandages, the sight and smell of my rotting flesh made me wince. The gash was a deep purple, with clotted blood encrusting the still-open wound. The odor was overpowering, a putrid stench that filled the air and made my stomach churn. It smelled of decay, like something rotting beneath the scorching Sun.

'I'll need medical attention soon, or I'll risk amputation.' The wounds were no doubt on a fast track to being infected and were beyond healing naturally. While dressing them, footsteps echoed from the mess hall toward me. Not wanting Takagi to see the state of my arms, I hastily finished tending to them.

"You ready yet?" he asked impatiently.

I clenched my teeth and tightened the cloth binding to my arm. "Y-Yeah," I winced and secured my bandage with a safety pin, "let's go."

And so, we left the mess hall and proceeded down the dark hallway.

Considering everything, I was grateful that Takagi was the one I found. Although he had a sharp tongue and the problem-solving of a raging chimpanzee, he was reliable in the end.

Out of our group, I could think of no one more capable of watching my back in a fight. I had no idea of knowing how right I really was…

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