Chapter 33: You're a Bastard
With the situation as it is, Leo finally addressed the group:
"Since Captain Leonardo and the rebels from the Terra Bunker are severely injured... let's have Commander Raine come forward to decide on the new leader of Rockhill Valley."
At this moment, Caitlyn, who knew the truth, looked troubled. She alone was aware that Raine was gravely ill and was about to die. To avoid chaos in Rockhill Valley, she calmly said, "There's no need. Raine is unwell. Leo, you should temporarily take over as the commander."
At this point, Caitlyn didn't want to say any more. She sighed and turned to leave.
Upon hearing Caitlyn's words, Leo was overjoyed. Becoming the commander had always been his goal, and this moment was thanks to Alex's cooperation. He immediately walked over and shook Alex's weary right hand.
"Master Alex, we did it. Let's celebrate tonight!"
----------------------------------------
That night in Seattle, the moon hung high above the silent ruins, casting an eerie glow over the land. A flock of migratory birds flew overhead, their panic clearly visible—something was wrong.
Sure enough, from the north, a massive "nest" silently approached, sending the birds fleeing. But that wasn't the most terrifying part. In the eastern mountains, another mechanical city "nest" appeared.
And as if that wasn't enough, along the Olympia coast, yet another "nest" was heading southwest. It was clear that all of these were headed toward the Renier Hills to the west of Rockhill Valley—the location of the Rockhill Valley Refuge.
The inevitable had arrived, and Rockhill Valley's great disaster was about to unfold...
----------------------------------------
At the Rockhill Valley's grand plaza, several feast tables were set up as the rebels celebrated Leo's ascension to commander. Leo raised his cup and spoke to the group:
"Thank you all for your support. I, Leo Auster, have finally become the commander. I swear I will protect Rockhill Valley with my life. Let the machines come!"
Leo's words fired up his supporters, who cheered and urged him to drink.
Despite the celebratory atmosphere, Leo couldn't help but glance toward the rebel camp's headquarters, wondering why Commander Raine had not shown up. What illness was he dealing with?
On one corner of the joyful plaza, a small group consisting of Joey, Brenda, Shelly, Susan, Gordon, Dylan, and John—former members of Team 6—sat together. They kept to themselves, enjoying their own little party, not interacting much with the other rebels. But despite that, they were having a great time.
However, they were waiting for someone—the one person who was the true star of the night: Alex.
After some rest, Alex finally appeared. Everyone greeted him with the fervor of heroes, chanting his name.
"Alex! Alex!"
----------------------------------------
Since stepping in front of the gun for Alex, Maggie had only become more certain of her feelings for him.
Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.
Now, standing in front of a mirror, she took a deep breath and spoke to her reflection:
"If I'm willing to die for him, then there's nothing to fear. Let's do this."
After giving herself this pep talk, Maggie decided to do something special: she was going to put on makeup. She wanted Alex to see a different side of her.
"What do you think?" she asked, turning to look at Mike, who stood nearby. Mike, though downcast, forced a supportive smile.
It was a difficult and cruel moment for Mike. Although he had secretly liked Maggie for a long time, he knew she had always had eyes only for Alex. He had accepted that he couldn’t compare to Alex, and this was just something he had to live with.
----------------------------------------
Alex basked in the cheers of the crowd, enjoying the attention. Many of the women in the crowd found his heroic actions against the Terra Bunker resistance even more attractive, flocking to him with admiration and affection. After all, he was a rich young heir—what woman wouldn't be drawn to him?
As he embraced the attention, he continued to drink heavily, holding women close, completely intoxicated.
At that moment, Alex seemed no longer like the person he used to be. He was no longer the hero or the soldier. Instead, he acted like a true spoiled rich kid, ignoring his old comrades—Joey, Sherry, and the others who had fought by his side in the past. They were left sitting off to the side while the celebration continued.
"How did it end up like this? Alex... he's completely ignoring us?"
Sherry sighed, and John shook his head.
"Well, he was always a rich kid... and now he's a big hero. He probably doesn't care about us anymore..."
Joey, deeply disappointed in Alex, stood up and said resignedly to the group,
"Let's go... we’re done here."
And so, the group of old friends left, feeling abandoned, while Alex remained oblivious to their departure, wrapped up in his celebration.
Among the women flocking to him was one who caught Alex's attention—her name was Judy. With her golden hair and a demeanor that reminded him somewhat of Anna, she immediately captivated him.
"I heard you single-handedly took down the Terra Bunker resistance. That’s so cool!" she praised, and Alex found her compliments refreshing. Despite her resemblance to Anna, Judy was warm and open, quite the contrast to Anna’s reserved and distant attitude. Alex was intrigued and wanted to get to know her better.
As they chatted and drank, Alex felt increasingly drawn to Judy and, in a drunken moment of boldness, made a proposition.
"...Would you like to go somewhere special?" he asked.
Judy smiled and replied, "Where?"
Pointing upwards, Alex leaned closer to her and said, "Let's go up and watch the stars... You know what the galaxy is, right? The tiny glowing dots in the sky, stars..."
Before he could explain further, Judy eagerly agreed.
"Sure, take me!" she said.
Delighted, Alex took her hand and prepared to leave the square. But just as he turned to walk away, he saw someone standing right in front of him—it was Maggie.
"Maggie..." Alex couldn’t believe his eyes. Maggie was wearing a stunning white dress, having taken off the glasses she’d worn for so long. She had done her makeup in a fresh, clear style that perfectly complemented her short hair—she looked absolutely beautiful.
Alex was shocked, but Maggie was even more surprised to see him holding hands with another woman. Her hopes of surprising Alex with her transformation and confessing her feelings were shattered, and she quickly withdrew, clutching the gift she had been planning to give him behind her back.
"Who is this girl?" Maggie asked sternly, her eyes narrowing as she confronted Alex.
But Alex, too drunk to notice Maggie’s change, was still focused on his new company. He didn’t understand her feelings.
"This is my new girlfriend... Didn’t you want me to forget about Anna? Well, I have. But hey, you look so pretty tonight—are you going out with someone?" Alex said, completely oblivious to the fact that Maggie was standing before him, heartbroken.
Maggie’s face fell, and she struggled to speak, "Right... it’s none of your business."
She turned her face away, trying to hide her tears, but Alex didn’t notice. He simply continued walking away with Judy, leaving Maggie standing there silently. As soon as they passed, Maggie couldn't hold back her tears anymore.
But someone couldn’t stand it any longer. He immediately rushed over, punched Alex, and for the first time, shouted at him.
"You’re a jerk!"