I always believed that at the end of one’s life, you should think about your love ones in all the happy times you spent together, but that was the last thing going through my mind. Watching a fire consuming my home the only thing I could think about, was how bad I fuck up.

(20 minutes earlier)

“Wow she is cute.”

“Yea, how old is she?” Both my partners stare at my phone in admiration.

“She was seven years old when that picture was taken.”

“We wasn’t talking about the little girl, we’re talking about the hot mama next to her.” Realizing that they was ogling at my wife, I snatch my phone from their perverted hands.

“Seriously Shane, if you got such a hot babe as a wife, then what the hell are you doing here in this country.”

“It’s simple, I believe I have a duty to protect my country and any others that might need help.” I look at my family picture on my phone. On the left was me back when my hair was longer and I didn’t have a five 0 clock shadow on my face. Standing next me is my daughter.

Somehow she didn’t inherit any of my looks, her hair was blonde unlike my black hair, and her eyes was light blue, unlike my dark brown eyes. And standing next to her was her mother who also had blonde hair and blue eyes. All three of us had the biggest and brightest smile on our face.

Looking at the picture always filled me with hope, but at the same time it also makes me unhappy, since this picture was taken three years ago, and I haven’t seen them since.

“Fuck duty.” A man who had a full black beard, slam his fist on the table “If I had a woman as fine as that, I would leave everything and run away with her.”

“As weird as this sound, I actually agree with Jacob on this one Shane.” Jake, a man with light brown hair roughly pats Jacob on his back. “You serve the army long enough, don’t you think it’s time for you to return to your family?”

“That’s none of your concern, I’ll go home once my duty is done.”

“And when will your duty be done, when you die?”

“Give it up Jake, you already know Shane is one of those justice nerds, he won’t stop until we somehow achieve world peace.”

“I’m just doing what I think is right.”

“Yea, yea and I’m trying to find a hot girl to bang.”

“Jeez your repulsive, how does any women put up with you?”

“It’s the beard, the beard always gets them.” Jacob grabs and strokes his beard comically.

“Whatever.” I stare at my family picture to calm myself down. But the opposite ended up happening when the alarm in the base suddenly went off. All three of us cover our ears to block out the ear piercing sound.

“What the hell are we under attack?!” Jacob shouted.

“I don’t hear any gunshots or explosions, maybe this is a drill.”

“I don’t thinks it’s a drill.” I look up at the sky to see a group of helicopters flying towards our base. It seems our break is over.” I got up from my seat and stretch my body. I look back at my team to see Jacob was still sitting down even though the entire base was in a panic.

“What are you doing?”

“No one told us to do anything, so I thought I relax until someone say otherwise.”

“You do have a point, but I’m team leader, so I’m telling you to get off your butt and get ready for combat.”

“Yes sir…” Jacob reluctantly got up from his chair.

“You two head back to the barracks and get your gear.”

“What about you?” Jake ask with a hint of worry in his eyes.

“I’ll catch up with you in a few, but first I want to figure out what’s going on, the more we know the better we can prepare. Now get going.”

“Yes sir!” Both the man sprinted towards the barrack as fast they could. The moment they left, I quickly got to work and question anyone that bother to listen to me. But strangely no one seemed to know what was going on. Even though the base alarm is going off, everyone seem clueless as to why. At this point every is running around with their heads cut off. Seeing that I wouldn’t get any answer from a regular solider, I decided to head towards the entrance. The soldiers that guard the entrance need to get information first, if they want to be able defend our base.

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As I got closer to the base, I notice one soldiers was pointing a gun at a kid that was standing on the opposite side of the gate. I ran over to the gate and grab the guard’s hand and bend his wrist until it was close to breaking.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?!”

“Command told me to not let any enemy near the gate!”

“Enemy?” I look down at the kid. The boy wrap his entire body and a worn out cloak.

“It’s just a kid, did you really consider this kid a threat?!”

“I’m sorry, I was just follow orders!” Seeing the solider nearly in tears I let go of his hand.

“You're lucky, if you would’ve hurt this kid, you would’ve had more to worry about than me just a breaking your arm. Now do you mind telling me what’s going on?”

“We've been attack. Multiple U.S base have been destroy.

“Attack?! By who?”

“I don’t know. All I was told was that anyone approaching the base must be consider a threat.”

I see, that’s why he was so trigger happy with the kid. But it doesn’t explain who’s attacking us. Yea American has a lot of enemies, but right now we’re in Japan, far away from any battlefield. So whoever is attacking us must have deep hatred for us, but that really doesn’t narrow anything down.

I look at the kid and saw he was staring at me with dead eyes, getting a better look at him, I realize the kid wasn’t healthy at all. The kid look like he haven’t eaten in weeks.

“What’s your name kid?” I knelt near the gate so they kid didn’t have to strain himself to look up at me.

“???” Even though I saw the kids lips move and even heard him speaking, I didn’t understand a word he said.

“Did you get what he said?”

“N-No sir.” The guard nervously shook his head.

“Can you go find someone that speak Japanese, there has to be a reason why this kid came to during such a critical time

“Sir, I just can’t abandon my post.”

“You’re not, I’ll be watching your spot until you come back. Now get moving.”

“Yes sir!”

After the guard left, I return my attention back towards the kid, who still looking at me with a hollow gaze. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him every time I stare at his frail body.

“Open the gate!” I shouted at the man who was near the gates control

“I can’t sir, I have orders to keep everyone out.”

“Look at him! This kids is on his last leg, are you really going turn a blind eye to dying kid?”

“….Fine.” The guard press a button opening the gate. The kid runs through the gate the moment it open and hug me.

“Hey it’s going to be fine.” I hug the kid hoping it would make him feel better, but I immediately felt something was wrong the moment I wrap my arms around the kid. Something big was attach to the kid, since he was wearing a cloak I couldn’t tell what it was. The moment I heard a ticking noise, my instinct took control over my body and push the kid away from me. I almost felt sorry for harming the kid, until saw a smile on his face, a smile a kid dying of starvation shouldn’t have. The moment I saw that smile it click to me. The ticking noise I heard and thing I felt underneath his cloak, all told me one thing. This kid has a bomb.

“Everyone get dow-“A bright blue light erupts from the kid’s body engulfing me and everything that was near the kid.

.

.

.

And that pretty much sums everything up. I was able to somehow survive the explosion, but my lungs seem to have been damage, making it impossible for me to breath.

I can’t lie and say I didn’t deserve this, it because of me people got killed, but the sick bastard that use a kid as bomb deserve die even more than me. As my vision faded, I took one last deep breath not an a pathetic attempt to save myself, but so hopefully so I could say one last thing before I die.

“I know a sorry won’t make up for what I did, but…. I promise and my next life… I’ll avenge all of us….”