Chapter 6: Joining the Resistance
"Hey... What are you doing all by yourself?"
The young girl, Anna, strolled over with her chin held high, her posture commanding as she waited for Leo to respond.
"I’m practicing my shooting... You’re Anna Raine, aren’t you?"
Leo, an awkward teenager, struggled to speak to girls and could barely meet Anna’s gaze—even though she was just a 12-year-old girl.
"That’s right. Got a problem with that?"
Anna, sharp and impatient, answered as she made her way to the next shooting station, casually preparing her gear. Then, she turned back to Leo and asked:
"How good can you shoot?"
Challenged, Leo’s shy demeanor gave way to a boyish urge to impress. With a beautiful girl in front of him, his instincts kicked in. He picked up his gun and fired off ten shots in quick succession.
All ten bullets landed just outside the bullseye—a remarkable feat. Confident, Leo set the gun down, grinning as he looked back at Anna.
"See that? Want me to teach you?"
But when he turned, Anna was already raising her gun, aiming with the precision of someone far beyond her years.
The 12-year-old Anna, with a laser-focused expression, fired ten shots at lightning speed. Every single bullet hit dead center in the bullseye. Her golden ponytail swayed as she moved, the sight of her shooting etched into Leo’s memory forever.
She coolly tossed the gun aside, turned back to Leo, and said with chilling composure:
"I can’t stand boys who think they’re hot stuff."
That moment stuck with Leo to this day.
"'Think I’m hot stuff,' huh? Hmph..."
Leo chuckled bitterly to himself as he walked away.
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At the recruitment station outside the resistance camp, streams of young people lined up to sign up. Most of them were girls who idolized Leo or boys looking to impress Anna. But as long as new blood kept coming in, no one minded their motives.
"Next!"
The recruiter called out as the last applicant left. The next person stepped forward, slamming his hand on the table and declaring theatrically:
"I—am—joining!"
No one else could pull off such a showy introduction except Alex.
The son of the Hawk family, who owned most of the factories in Rockhill Valley, joining the resistance was an unprecedented event. The news caused quite a stir, and, of course, Anna heard about it too.
Anna approached Alex with a knowing smile, her expression brimming with amusement.
"Master Hawk, are you sure about this? Joining the resistance means fighting terrifying mechanical beasts on the surface... Are you up for it?"
With a beautiful girl standing before him, there was no way Alex would back down. He spread his arms wide, radiating confidence as he declared:
"Just watch! I’ll become a hero and earn your approval!"
Anna couldn’t help but think to herself:
How can someone be this shameless?
She felt both amused and exasperated, throwing him a cold remark as she turned away:
"Alright. I’ll be waiting."
Though she walked off with her usual air of indifference, Anna couldn’t resist glancing back at Alex.
At the very least, Alex had succeeded in catching her attention.
But this development didn’t escape the ears of Alex’s father, Bryan Hawk...
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"What are you doing here by yourself?"
A young girl, Anna, walked over, tilting her chin up with a look of superiority, waiting for the boy, Leo, to respond.
"I'm practicing my shooting... You’re Anna Raine, right?"
Leo, not very good at talking to girls, stammered his reply, avoiding eye contact with Anna, even though she was just a 12-year-old girl.
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"That’s me. Got a problem with that?"
The stunning Anna responded impatiently as she walked over to another shooting station, preparing her own gear. She glanced back at Leo.
"How accurate are you?"
That question triggered Leo's instinct to show off. Despite his shyness, the presence of such a pretty girl compelled him to raise his gun and fire a series of shots.
He fired 10 rounds in total, all landing near the bullseye—a very impressive performance.
Feeling confident, Leo put down his gun and turned to Anna with a grin.
"See that? Need me to teach you?"
Before he could finish his sentence, Anna had already raised her gun and taken aim.
At just 12 years old, Anna wore a level of concentration that exceeded her age. With lightning speed, she fired 10 shots in a row, every single one hitting the dead center of the target. The way her hair swayed as she fired left an indelible mark on Leo's memory.
Anna casually tossed her gun aside, turned, and said coolly:
"I can’t stand boys who think they’re all that."
Those words stung, and Leo would never forget them.
"Think I’m all that... huh!"
Leo muttered to himself with a bitter smile as he walked away.
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At the recruitment station in the resistance camp, young people were lining up in droves to sign up. Most of them were girls admiring Leo or boys wanting to get closer to Anna. However, new blood was always welcome, regardless of their reasons for joining.
"Next!"
As the recruiter finished signing up the last applicant, the next person stepped up, dramatically slamming his hand on the desk and saying:
"I—am—signing up!"
That kind of dramatic flair could only come from Alex.
The fact that the heir to most of the factories in Rockhill Valley wanted to join the resistance was a shocking piece of news, drawing murmurs from the crowd. Of course, word of this reached Anna as well.
When Anna heard that Alex had signed up, she approached him, flashing a sly smile.
"Mr. Hawke, you do realize that being part of the resistance means going to the surface and facing terrifying machines, right? Think you can handle that?"
With such a beautiful girl in front of him, Alex couldn’t back down. He spread his arms confidently and declared:
"Just wait—I’ll become a hero, and you’ll have no choice but to recognize me!"
Hearing this, Anna thought to herself: How can someone be this shameless?
Though her expression remained cold, she couldn’t help but find it both amusing and infuriating. She responded with a simple:
"Alright, I’ll be waiting."
Though Anna turned away with her usual air of indifference, she secretly glanced back at Alex.
At the very least, Alex had succeeded in catching her attention.
Unsurprisingly, the news also made its way to Alex’s father, Brian Hawke.
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"What?! You’re joining the resistance? Absolutely not!"
The luxurious Hawke family estate at the top of the mid-valley ridge in Rockhill echoed with uproar as Brian Hawke reacted to his son’s announcement.
Brian couldn’t accept the idea of his only son joining the dangerous resistance—a decision that could very well be a one-way ticket.
"Do you even understand what you’re doing, Alex Hawke?!"
It wasn’t just Brian who disapproved. Relatives present also voiced their objections, trying to talk Alex out of it. However, Alex ignored them, happily packing his bag and preparing to move to the resistance camp.
"I know, I know... But what’s a little risk if it means I can make Anna my wife? Don’t worry, Dad, I’ll come back once she’s mine!"
Alex tried to reassure his father, placing a hand on his shoulder. Even Alex’s mother, Camilla, chimed in to support her son:
"Come on, honey! Anna’s such a wonderful girl. Imagine if she became our daughter-in-law—how amazing would that be!"
Faced with the double attack from his wife and son, Brian had no choice but to give in. He wasn’t exactly a strict father, after all. Taking Alex to the quiet balcony, Brian spoke to him earnestly:
"Son, do you understand the responsibility you carry?"
His father’s serious tone annoyed Alex, who replied impatiently:
"Yeah, yeah, I know. I’m supposed to take over the family business..."
Brian didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he pointed to the residents of Rockhill Valley below.
"Look. Why do you think they can live peacefully here? What do you think makes that possible?"
Alex frowned.
"Isn’t it because your factories provide them with jobs?"
Brian chuckled softly.
"That’s part of it... But the real reason is protection. Without protection, there wouldn’t be any peace for them—or for us. Taking on that responsibility is part of being a leader. Whether you join the resistance or come back to be a big boss, it’s not just about satisfying yourself. You’ve got to learn that."
After saying this, Brian patted Alex on the shoulder and walked back inside.
But Alex, at this moment, wasn’t listening. His gaze was fixed on the direction of the resistance camp, his thoughts consumed by Anna Raine.
"If I become a hero like Leo... will you accept me, Anna?"
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The next morning, before the residents of Rockhill Valley were awake, the whistle for new recruits echoed through the resistance camp.
"New recruits, gather up!"
A sturdy, muscular man, though not very tall, stood at the front of the assembly area, calling the new recruits to attention. Nearly 200 young men and women stood in formation, bags in hand. The man walked back and forth, scrutinizing them as if trying to see right through them.
After his inspection, he returned to the front and began to speak.
"Listen up! I’m Chad, your drill instructor. I don’t know how much you know about fighting the machine army, but let me spell it out for you... Every time we go to the surface, some of you won’t make it back."
The majority of the recruits were young, and Chad’s words caused visible unease among them. He noticed everything.
"I’ll give you an opportunity now—if anyone wants to leave, you can go."
Sure enough, people began to leave. Many of them had only signed up to get close to Anna or Leo, the exact type of recruits Chad didn’t want.
Without a higher purpose, it was nearly impossible to achieve greatness, let alone make sacrifices.
Chad watched them leave with a cold expression, unimpressed. However, one person stood out to him—someone who remained completely unfazed.
Chad approached this individual with curiosity.
"Well, well. The Hawke family’s golden boy... What are you still doing here?"
Indeed, it was Alex Hawke, heir to most of Rockhill Valley’s factories.