June 24, 2075

1015 CDT

Near Winner Tower, South Dakota

Ruby Redheart's Point of View

Well, the explosion wasn’t as spectacular as I expected it to be, but it got the job done. The bridge is still standing, but now there’s a big-ass hole in the middle of it. Mission accomplished. I am so, so amazing.

“Maurice would’ve loved that, Ruby!” Zachary happily praises.

“Good job,” Michelle congratulates me, obviously impressed with my talents.

“Nice work, Ruby,” Sonya compliments with a look of approval in her eyes.

“Wow!” Billy Boy says in awe.

“THAT WAS INCREDIBLE, RUBY!” Rachel screams from above.

Ah, what perfect timing. My left ear is slowly getting better.

“Yeah, that was so cool. I’m just happy that we’re not saying hello to the pavement below. Now quit messing around and get your butts up here,” Drew yells in a monotonous tone as he tosses the new rope down.

“Don’t be such a party pooper, Drew!” I say. “We’ll be right up there, you big hater!”

“Ruby, you’re amazing,” Zachary states the obvious as he hugs me.

Mmm. Warmth. I didn’t know how much I needed this. Just hug him back and close your eyes. Even superstars need breaks.

No pain, no worries, no anxiety, or sadness. The only thing I feel in his arms is peace and happiness, but it’s not time yet. There’s still so, so much work to be done.

“I am aware of how amazing I am, Zachary,” I say.

“We would’ve died without you,” he responds as we slowly let go.

“Heh. I am aware of that as well,” I say.

“Don’t get too full of yourself, Ruby Redheart. You saved us, but your recklessness and irresponsibility endangered us in the first place,” stupid Sonya chimes in with a sharp tone.

So ungrateful!

“What?! We tried to save Maurice, but you were just going to watch him die!” I shout.

“Oh, I was going to watch him die? You mean exactly what you guys did when you jumped down there, thinking you could save him? He was dead the moment he fell through the glass, and you idiots need to get it through your thick fucking skulls. I don’t care if you hate me, but you have to realize what a hopeless situation is, so you don’t put yourselves and others in needless danger again,” Sonya snaps back.

“Shut your mouth! It wasn’t a hopeless situation! I-I had to try. I didn’t, I couldn’t watch another one of my friends die in front of me!” Zachary responds in anger.

“But that’s exactly what you ended up doing, dumbass,” Sonya rudely retorts. “You need to understand that shit just happens sometimes.”

“You don’t know shit,” Zachary declares in frustration.

“No. You don’t know shit, which is why we’re having this conversation,” Sonya quips back.

“Screw you, Sonya,” I say. “You’re just a heartless bitch that nobody likes! You wouldn’t be talking shit if it was Luke who fell down the glass! Also, I’m older than you, so I don’t even have to listen to you!

“Ruby, you’re acting like a childish brat for no fucking reason! You want to act like a kid? Then fine, I’ll treat you like one. Your opinion of me is irrelevant because I’m in charge of babysitting your ass,” Sonya states with her ugly glare. “And how could you say that about Luke? Despite how I act, I care deeply about all of you, and I would be devastated if one of you died. My role is to safely lead you guys, but I can’t do that if you’re making selfish and idiotic decisions that will get everyone killed! I’m not your mom, and I won’t tell you how to behave. So you want to act like a fucking idiot, then go right ahead, but be aware that your actions don’t just affect you. If you’re older than me, then you need to grow the fuck up and act like it.”

Fucking know-it-all!

“Whatever!” I say. “You’re, you’re not even an Olympian! You’re from The Scorpion Kingdom! A Black Scorpion! You guys murder people left and right for fun, so of course, you wouldn’t understand the value of life!”

“I’ve never met someone so smart and yet so stupid before in my life until I met you, Ruby. You know what? Maybe you should have been the one who fell instead of Maurice!” Sonya finally shouts back.

WHAT?!

“Huh?!” I say. “What did you say?! Don’t make me kick your ass!”

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“I’d be happily obliged to humble your ass again!” Sonya states as she marches forward, unaware that she’s about to get knocked the fuck out.

“Arguin’ is so uncool! Both of you need to calm down!” Billy declares as he and Michelle, hold us back.

“I am calm!” Sonya and I say.

Jinx!

“Both of you need to take a breather!” Michelle orders in anger.

“Whatever!” Me and Sonya say again.

Double jinx!

“Captain, you’re just going to let her disrespect Maurice like this?” Zachary asks Michelle.

“I never speak ill of the fallen. If I saw a way to save Maurice, then I would’ve done it in a heartbeat. He broke his legs upon impact, so his fate was sealed the moment he fell. He had no chance of survival, and yet you put us all at risk anyway despite witnessing the same shit I saw,” idiot Sonya explains with her ugly scowl.

“You don’t understand. I watched all of my squadmates get massacred by those monsters today, and there was nothing I could fucking do about it. I thought it would be different with Maurice; I wanted it to be. You don’t know what it’s like to helplessly watch your friends die,” Zachary answers in a depressing tone.

“Stop assuming what I know and don’t know!” Sonya cries like the baby she is.

“Zachary, you need to calm your ass down,” Michelle orders as she stands in his way. “And Sonya, you need to back off a bit and give him some space. We’re not as experienced as you. Most of us know what we have to do, but doing it is a completely different story. We’ll get there, but this is literally our first mission, and we’ve already lost so much and gained so little. And Sonya is right, Zachary. I hate to say it, but you did put us at risk for no reason. Once he fell through the glass, the only thing we could do was grieve later and continue the mission, and maybe… just maybe… one of us could have just shot him in the head before he was ripped apart. God. What, what am I saying?!” Michelle says as she begins to tear up. “This world is so fucked up. As a captain of the Olympian army, a mercy kill from a squadmate is the most logical course of action,” she cries out in tears. “But what the fuck is wrong with this world?! It’s making me think that putting my own friend down like a dog is the most humane thing to do! You don’t know how much I just want to curl up in a ball and cry, but I can’t allow myself to do that because I still have a mission to complete. We have to fight for our friends and allies who are still alive, risking their lives in battle as we speak! Don’t forget that we’re fighting for our loved ones and family back home in Olympus. We’re fighting for a chance at a better world!”

Silence…

“I’ll never place human lives over a mission because it’s wrong. I’m not following leaders who’ll prioritize a stupid mission over human lives. I’m outta here.” Zachary storms off.

He’s not going up the rope?! No! Why is he heading towards that large dim hallway?! Even though it connects to Winner Tower, traveling without a light source is a stupid fucking decision! Maybe it’s just dumb luck, but not even one zombie has emerged from that darkness!

“Don’t Go! Stay together!” Michelle and Sonya order in unison.

What?! W-why am I following him? Oh no. Teresa warned me about this, but Zachary is right. Sacrificing lives for a simple mission is inhumane. I didn’t sign up for this shit, I was forced. I would’ve stayed in jail, had I known life was this bizarre out here. And screw Sonya! I quit because I’m reckless and irresponsible like she said, and I refuse to disappoint my fans and haters! Squad Zeus will have to learn how to take care of themselves without me because Ruby Redheart is going solo.

*

“The others are assholes, but I’m glad you came with me, Ruby,” Zachary reveals as we get closer to the dark corridor.

“Yeah, they just don’t understand us, you know?” I say.

“Don’t listen to them. You saved our lives. You almost blew us up, but you saved us in the process.” He says with a soft smile. “Exploding isn’t the way I thought I would die.”

“Heh. What’s wrong with death by explosions? If you ask me, I say it’s a pretty lit and boss way to go out. Going out with a bang, giving the finger to whoever did you wrong in your last moments, or just giving a finger to the world is cool too.”

“I have to disagree with you there, Rubes. Do you ever think about leaving all of this behind? Olympus, all this responsibility, and just explore the world?” Zachary asks me quietly.

“I actually do want to see The Eight Kingdoms! I am a talented guitarist and singer, and if this world didn’t suck, then I’d be able to share the magical gift that is rock & roll. Squad Zeus are, ahem, were going to be my bandmates. My world tour will begin with Prometheus first since nobody knows shit fuck about them.”

“I bet they have aliens,” he blurts out.

“Scoff! Aliens? If there was such a thing as aliens, then I guarantee that they would’ve either saved us or exterminated the zombies by now.”

“Who’s to say they didn’t bring the zombies here? I mean, nobody knows where they came from,” he states logically.

“Ah, touché.”

“Believe it or not, my squad was gonna desert before this mission started. Nobody in their right mind would willingly want to fight these undead bastards! Michelle inspired us to keep fighting, though. Her brother was a veteran who died in a past expedition, making her the only child of her family. I think his death motivated her to honor him and make her parents proud. Being a parent in this world must suck unless you’re a Royal. Anyway, desertion might’ve been the best option because maybe everyone would still be alive.” Zachary explains.

“But then we would’ve never met, and you would’ve been exiled from Olympus.”

“It probably would’ve been for the best.”

“Scoff! Asshole.”

“Wait! I didn’t mean it like that. I just mean, I know Michelle meant well, but look at where her leadership led Squad Hades,” Zachary badly explains as we near the dark corridor.

“Timeout! That’s not fair, Zachary! I’m sure she tried her best. Our superiors can’t control everything! People will inevitably die, but the ones who live have to go on and keep fighting to honor the fallen and strive for a better world. GASP! I’m so stupid! That’s exactly what Sonya and Michelle were trying to tell us! We’re so dense! Zachary, I think we should go back and apologize before something bad hap…pens.”

*

What, what is that? In the corner of my eye? What’s Zachary’s body doing on the ground right next to me? Get up, Zachary! No. No way! Not Zachary! Not Zachary! Why is there fucking blood spewing from his neck?!! H-his head is gone! No. Heads don’t just disappear. Where did it go?! Is it behind me?! Something flew behind me before he fell! Why am I so terrified to turn around?! Stop body! Don’t turn around, don’t turn, don’t turn, don’t turn around!

It, it all makes sense now. On all fours, sticking one of its blades through the severed head of Zachary while devouring him in the same way a person would eat a corn dog, is a mutated zombie! This is a monstrosity with throbbing blood-red skin, its body the size of a queen-sized bed, sharp blades attached on both forearms about half a meter long, a tiny head with even tinier eyes swollen deep into its face, and way too many sharp fucking teeth! Gulp!

The Chaser threw Zachary’s head at my feet like a fucking ragdoll, and now its gaze is focused on me!

It’s shrieking at me!

I-I-I can’t fucking move! Damn it, not again! The others won’t make it in time! Is this how I die? I’m not ready for retirement, god no! Somebody… please save me! I-I can’t watch. Mom, Dad, Scarlett, please… somebody… please…