27 CHAPTER - 27 { Mere Mortals }

"Eva, are you okay?"

"I-I am fine."

Creed held the little girl Eva and jumped over a car blocking the street.

He was able to see that most people were running towards this direction and not long ago he met with two police officers.

They told him that up ahead in the distance, the rescue teams were gathering citizens and taking them to a safe location.

"Uncle, what will happen to my home?"

Eva asked in a low voice, her face hiding in his embrace and close to his chest.

"Nothing, nothing will happen to this city. Everything will be back to normal again. Those stupid aliens you see, the mighty heroes like the man in blue uniform with the round shield will defeat them. Ya, that's what's going to happen."

With encouraging and calming words, Creed petted Eva's back while running as fast as he could. People around him were far left behind.

His secret? His identity? If today something happened to Eva, all because he tried to save himself, Creed might really die.

Die on the inside.

A promise to the dead is what to be kept. It's a rule in Creed's life, same as he never killed children.

"Sir! Over here!"

In a heavily guarded building, the rescue team shouted towards Creed. Military armored vehicles and soldiers all surrounded the building to protect.

'Finally!'

Thought Creed. The distance was about a hundred meters when a huge object crashed into the building.

BOOM!

SWOOSH!

The strong wind, a screen of smoke and flames, and the heavy shockwave pushed Creed flying backwards and crashing on a car.

BAM!

It felt like all his bones in his body had broken and all his internal organs had exploded.

"Ahhhge!"

Blood gushed out of Creed's mouth, yet he maintained the tight grip on Eva without hurting her in the slightest.

Ringgg!

His ears were rumbling with ringing noises, not one sound could he hear. The world spun in his eyes, blurry and foggy.

"Cough! Cough! U-Uncle? Uncle! Uncle!"

Eva's voice echoed in his ears, low and unclear. Creed was puzzled, stunned and unable to react to anything.

His eyes darted from one spot to another, trying to focus on one thing but couldn't.

"Uncle! Here! Look here!"

The soft and warm touches on his cheeks turned his head in one direction where Eva's face was staring at him.

Scared, worried, filled with sorrow but hadn't lost hope in those bright eyes.

Covered in dust and ashes, Eva wiped her tears and bitterly smiled at Creed.

"U-Uncle, you p-promised my mom that you will take care of me right? Come on! Don't leave me!"

Hearing her voice, Creed suddenly remembered as flashes of memories surfaced up in his mind.

"Ahhhhh!"

Everything returned back, all his senses with his scream. Looking around, Creed was in overwhelming shock.

Wherever he looked, only destruction was visible. Not one person was alive in that collapsed building.

The gigantic object that crashed on the building was a metal creature like a floating dragon. Its entire body was now scrapped.

Boom!

From within the creature, a man wearing otherworldly armor flew out. He held a hammer which he swung up and flew in the sky.

In Creed's eyes, the man had to be responsible for the many deaths and the destruction of this building.

Even if he was fighting the aliens to protect the city, when nothing was left after the aliens lost, what would become of that victory?

"Eva, there's no safe place here anymore."

Creed muttered in a disappointed tone. Eva lowered her and hugged him.

* * *

Near Brooklyn Bridge, many temporary barricades were built. People were still rushing out of the city to escape the pursuit of aliens.

"Fire!"

The military commander shouted loudly at his soldiers, who were aiming their guns at the incoming aliens.

Da! Da! Da! Da!

Rain of bullets pierced the groups of alien carriers, killing them all before they could get any near the barricades.

May and Peter, among the gathered citizens, were currently moving towards the bridge to get out of the city.

"Aunt, it's Gus!"

Peter raised his voice and directed May's sight towards the barricades.

Creed holding Eva in his arms, with ragged clothing covered in dust and dirt, crossed the military soldiers.

"Creed! Here! Quick!"

As he heard his name being called, Creed narrowed his eyes and saw May waving her hand at him. On her side, Peter was also gesturing to him to make haste.

Meeting familiar faces, he hurried and united with them. Together, the group went on to the bridge.

"Who is she?"

May asked, eyeing Eva in Creed's arms. From her knowledge, he was not married and didn't have any family.

"Her name is Eva. She is with me now."

From his expressions, May was able to understand Eva's situation. She felt sorry for the little girl and her losses.

Boom!

A small explosion sounded behind the group's current location, in the middle of the bridge.

"Aliens! Run!"

"Fucking hell! Fuck God!"

Panicking, the people stormed their way towards the end of the bridge. No one cared who they had to push or pull, all mattered was their own lives.

"Get down!"

Seeing this, Creed shouted and held out his arms around May and Peter as well.

Thud!

Bam!

He could feel the stomps and kicks from many different individuals on his back. Fortunately he had covered May, Peter and Eva so they didn't have to go through it.

Boom!

This was a sole alien, holding a weapon like a blaster and killing everyone in the way it looked.

"Uncle!"

Eva cried in fear, her small figure trembled. May immediately embraced her and tried to comfort with warm words.

"Don't cry. It's okay! Everything's okay!"

Creed closed his eyes, taking a deep breath he calmed down and stood up surprising the three.

"What are you doing?"

"U-Uncle?"

"Gus?"

Pulling out the last axe remaining, Creed stepped forward and advanced towards the alien quietly. He hid his body behind the cars and approached it from behind.

"Ahhhh!"

With a great leap from a truck, Creed slashed the axe at the alien's head.

Bam!

The axe cut the head in two and he slammed on it hard. The two fell on the ground and Creed groaned as all the injuries accumulated had started acting.

"Haah! Haah! Ahhgg!"

Panting, he leaned on a car and looked at his right arm. Blue marks appeared in the flesh, the blood vessels popped out pulsating underneath the skin.

The bone in his right forearm had fractured.

"Don't ever do that again!"

"Uncle!"

May rushed to his side with Eva and Peter. They were worried dead in their hearts. They could've lost him today. Or so they thought.

"Let's get out of here before more come."

"No more talking!"

May helped him stand up, then with Peter's support he took slow steps. Eva was in the lead, and then in a few minutes the group reached the other side.

* * *

The dark sky, stars and moon, there was no signs of any more aliens coming.

Creed's apartment was completely destroyed, thankfully May's one was doing well.

"You need a doctor."

May said, looking at his hand fractured arm. He nodded and sighed. The painkillers he took were useless now.

The pain was just too extreme.

"Can you take care of Eva, for me? For sometime until I return."

"Of course! Is it even a thing to ask?"

On the dining table, Eva and Peter sat on opposite sides. Peter did his best to make her laugh or talk but Eva had seen a lot today.

The death of her parents was going to be a heavy toll on her young mind.

Creed could only hope for the best…