A Sky That Bleeds

"You persist with this futile act even in the face of defeat. Unbelievable." Sarah sighed, removing the device from Alex's shoulder. She muttered something under her breath, her words a whisper of impending doom that Alex couldn't quite decipher. His despair was all-consuming, closing his eyes to the subtleties of their conversation.

As the soldiers began to drag Alex away, one of them noticed Dr. Shun. The soldier raised his weapon, aiming it at the unconscious doctor. Panic surged through Alex. With a sudden burst of strength, he broke free from the soldier's grip and lunged forward, knocking the soldier aside. He landed heavily on the ground but ignored the pain, crawling desperately towards Dr. Shun in a frantic attempt to shield him.

"Please… don't… just don't hurt him…" Alex's voice cracked with raw desperation and frustration, his plea a desperate cry in the chaos.

James sneered. "Huh. Didn't think you had any conscience left in you." He glanced at Dr. Shun, his expression cold and calculating. "Must be someone significant. Hey Sarah, what do you think? Should we eliminate this guy or not? We should bring this other guy back instead of this…"

"It's pointless. He's dead." Sarah's reply was immediate and emotionless.

Alex's heart stopped for a moment as he heard those words. He slowly raised his eyes toward Dr. Shun, fearing to face the truth head-on. To his dismay, he couldn't see the slight rise and fall of breath anymore. Alex couldn't believe it—no…he didn't want to believe it. Struggling to kneel before Dr. Shun's motionless body, he reached out with his cuffed hands, desperate to feel even the faintest sign of life. But there was nothing.

Alex's world shattered. The only beacon of kindness in his bleak existence was extinguished. He could only stare, his eyes wide with horror, at the nightmare unfolding before him. He clung to the hope of denial, searching desperately for any sign, any hint that Dr. Shun was still with him.

Unable to find any, he started to blame the unreasonable scientist who had been killed by James earlier. Alex could have stayed close to him and noticed something wrong with Dr. Shun if he hadn't made so much noise.

But as he searched for another reason to blame, the horrifying possibility struck him: he might have been the one who caused Dr. Shun's death. What if…the punch he gave him was way too strong? What if, as he had carried him earlier to escape, he had accidentally caused even more harm to him? As this realisation sank in, something inside Alex snapped.

Sarah's gaze flickered to Dr. Shun for a moment, then back to Alex, and finally to the soldiers who had restrained Alex earlier. "Let's move, we're done here. Restrain the target and extract back to base," she ordered, her tone brooking no argument.

The soldiers moved quickly, grabbing Alex again and hauling him down the corridor. Alex's grief simmered beneath the surface, his expression unreadable—a mask of pure despair.

James followed, his initial sneer replaced with a more sombre expression. He was fully aware of the tragedy that had just unfolded. The gravity of the situation seemed to weigh on him, though his resolve remained unchanged.

As they marched through the cold, sterile hallways, Alex couldn't shake the image of Dr. Shun's lifeless body out of his mind. That last, sad smile that Dr. Shun gave him scarred his heart. The stark fluorescent lights cast the soldiers' long shadows on the walls, and the facility's familiar layout loomed around Alex, yet everything felt different now—more oppressive, more suffocating. Tears started falling from Alex's eyes, and audible sobs could be heard.

Soon, the exit loomed closer. Sarah glanced back at Alex, her expression unreadable. "Keep up," she snapped at the soldiers, who tightened their grip on him.

James walked in silence, his eyes forward but his mind seemingly elsewhere. Despite their transformations and ruthless actions, there was an unspoken tension in the air, a hint of something more human beneath the cybernetic exterior.

Reaching the destroyed exit where Alex had first encountered Sarah and James, the soldiers dragged him up flights of staircases leading to the actual exit—the place he had been aiming to reach all along. But Alex felt no joy. His heart was heavy with grief and guilt over the loss of Dr. Shun and the crushing weight of his dire situation.

Emerging from the actual exit into an open grass field surrounded by ruins, Alex saw a levitating aircraft waiting for them. An entire army of soldiers stood nearby, alongside a temporary outpost. A man in a high-ranking military uniform was at the forefront, seemingly commanding the whole operation. Upon spotting the group, he quickly made his way toward them.

"Good work, operatives! I knew you were up to the task!" The man's voice boomed with authority, echoing across the open field. His posture exuded confidence, every movement deliberate and commanding.

As his gaze fell upon Alex, a predatory smirk curved his lips, revealing a hint of malice beneath his veneer of professionalism. "Is this the infamous man we've been longing to capture?"

"Yes, Commander Zax. He is none other than—"

"Ah, stop right there! Do not mention his name, for it is taboo. Even the mere mention of it sickens me." Commander Zax's eyes narrowed with disdain as he fixated on Alex.

"You've been an evasive SOB, but that ends today, ya scheming bastard. You shall pay dearly for the atrocities you've…" Commander Zax's taunting speech was abruptly interrupted by a hesitant voice nearby, belonging to a bespectacled young girl dressed in a familiar scientist uniform.

"Uh…Commander, you might want to take a look at this…" Her voice quivered with urgency.

"Hmph, can it wait?" Commander Zax's impatience was palpable. He was eager to continue his long-awaited taunt session.

"I highly recommend your immediate attention, sir…" The bespectacled girl's insistence gave weight to her words, compelling Commander Zax to reconsider.

"Sighhh…fine. Gentlemen, hold this man down until I return from whatever's happening back there." With a wave of his hand, Commander Zax delegated the task to his subordinates, who tightened their grip on Alex, ensuring he wouldn't escape.

Even without the vice-like grip of the soldiers, Alex remained utterly immobile, tears tracing silent paths down his cheeks. Though the sobs had subsided, a profound sense of despair still lingered in his expression. His spirit was shattered, burdened by the weight of guilt, while his body, drained of all strength, could barely muster a tremble.

Alex raised his head and looked up into the sky, seeing a mysterious and unusually crimson shade of a sunset, which brought him a slight comfort.

"I see. Even the sky bleeds."