Daffodils

They went to their respective posts and have hunkered in, setting up their equipment and watching the traffic on the other side of the border afterwards.

"What do you want to do while waiting for our shift?" Tristan asks Jeremy.

"I heard that Polish women are beautiful this time of year." Jeremy replies before chuckling.

"Yes, but you gotta teach me how to approach a woman. I'm bad at talking to girls." Tristan added.

"Let's go get you a girl." Jeremy states

"How about you Edward? Want to have a good time?" Tristan asks.

"Huh? No thanks, I already have a girl back home." Edward replies before smiling at them.

"The more for us then!" Jeremy cheered.

Jeremy walked off towards the street while Tristan follows behind. Jeremy wondered for a while and he crouched down by the side of the road before taking out his bayonet. He cut the stems of the daffodils growing by the roadside and handed them to Tristan, advising him to hide it behind his back. Tristan did as told and followed Jeremy towards a bus stop where three women stood under.

"Uhm miss...Good day, may we take up a fraction of your time?" Jeremy greets before bowing.

"I don't think it would be much of a bother now won't it, girls?" The woman asks the two beside her.

"You see, you've caught the eyes of my friend here and he was wondering if he could maybe have a little stroll with you?" Jeremy politely asks.

"Is that true sir?" The woman asks before smiling.

"U-uhm...yes, yes it is miss." Tristan shyly replied before hesitantly handing her the daffodils.

"What are those two doing? Don't they have anything better to do?" Richard mumbles from the distance as he looked at them.

"Let them be, we can relax for once." Jacques states before patting Richard's back.

Meanwhile, Hilbert help set up the machine guns for the pillbox near the wall. He carried crates of ammunition to every pillbox and post around the border while he waited for his night shift. He was just finishing up when he overhead the soldiers laughing along with the voice of a little child. His curiosity got over him and he decided to check out what the ruckus was all about.

"Why don't you go play with the other kids?" A soldier asks.

"We just got here so I don't know anyone yet." The child replied

"What did you say your name was again?" Another soldier asks.

"Kolin Petrovich, my mom calls me Goldy because she says it's like my hair." Kolin added before crossing her gaze with Hilbert and smiling at him.

Hilbert shifted his gaze and walked away while carrying the crate but was stopped when Kolin suddenly tugged on his coat. Hilbert froze for a moment before looking at her coldly.

"Mister, can you be my friend as well? Kolin asks as she gave Hilbert a warm smile.

"You shouldn't be talking to strangers, the world is a dangerous place for a child like you." Hilbert replies.

"They won't be strangers if I befriend them, right?" Kolin added.

"That's- so naive...But if you'll stop bothering me then fine, I'll be your friend." Hilbert coldly replied.

Kolin lit up and gleefully skipped away before looking back and waving at the soldiers. Hilbert shrugged it off and finished up his tasks while everyone else took they're time in unloading. They didn't know how long they would be stationed there and they were having the time of their lives so they didn't notice the days slowly passing by. Despite this, Hilbert was preoccupied in the day when Kolin would visit and ask him to play with her. He was hesitant at first but Hilbert couldn't ignore his soft side when it comes to children and little by little he entertained Kolin.

"Mister, I have a gift for you. Come closer." Kolin ordered.

"Okay, what is it?" Hilbert asked as he leaned down.

"There you go, it looks good on you." Kolin replies after she placed a pendant made out of daffodils on Hilbert's coat.

"Thanks, you're very creative." Hilbert commented.

"One more thing, mister. You haven't told me your name yet." Kolin muttered.

"It's Hilbert, you can call me Hilbert." Hilbert replied before leaning back.

"Hmm...I'll call you Bertie then!" Kolin exclaimed before smiling.

Once the sky would turn an orange hue, Kolin would bid farewell and go home for the night and would promise to come back the next day. He wouldn't admit it but Hilbert felt happy to see in her what he had lost before. The thought lingered in his mind but not for long, his mind has been programmed to cut off all emotions to maintain mental stability.

"It's probably just the serum wearing off." Hilbert mumbled to himself before opening a small box and injecting himself with the serum.

This cycled for several more days until the city's bomb raid sirens started playing an ear piercing melancholic symphony. Everyone was on high alert and the border closed right after the city announced a lockdown. No one was allowed to leave their homes and the streets became a desolate place where not a single soul roamed. A day passes and nothing happens, the other side of the border worry of a sudden attack from the Soviets. All available units were mobilized to the border to prepare for the worst. Dusk fell upon them and the silence was broken by a man running in the streets while screaming that the Soviets are taking all able men from their houses to join their ranks. They are inching closer to the city and this worried the Lanstonians and only fed their fear of another war breaking out.

By the next morning, the citizens woke up to Soviet soldiers barging into their houses and dragging out all the men and boys, shooting any who interferes with them.

"Aren't we going to help them?" Edward asks.

"We have orders to hold our ground and only fire when fired upon." Jacques replied.

They could now see the Soviets who were just a few blocks away from the border. The Lanstonians watched as the Soviets forcefully dragged men and children out of houses and buildings. All but Hilbert who ran out of his post and ran towards the hotel where Kolin's family stayed in. He ran past the Soviets who were dazed at the sight of a Lanstonian soldier. He climbed the stairs as fast as he could and frantically looked for Kolin's room number but he was too late. He arrives to a trashed room and Kolin's parents laying in a pool of their blood by the front door. By the bedside was Kolin, her clothes ripped off and the corner of the bed sheet tied around her neck.

"Hilbert just ran into the city." Jeremy tells Jacques.

"Don't go after him. He has clearance to disobey any direct order." Jacques replies before sitting down and crossing his legs.