Frustrating Mind

Let's go back in time a bit to the time of the ambush several chapters ago. Evan watches as the Hell Barge looks down at him. 

"Son of a-"

Suddenly, a beam of light from a Hell Razer flies past his helmet, grazing it but luckily not hitting Evan's head but damaging the helmet circuits and rendering its camera and radio useless. 

After avoiding a near-death experience, Evan notices the Hell Barge bringing his fist down on him. Instantly, Evan flies away from the roof and the massive fist hits the roof of the building, demolishing it entirely.

Avoiding another near-death experience, Evan hurriedly flew at supersonic speed and was about to head back for the team until he spotted three Immoran Fighter class Ships flying towards him and began firing at him.

Stopping himself, Evan goes to another direction and flies away from them, but the three Immoran ships chase after him and begin blasting him again.

"ZA. WARUDO!"

Just a nick of time, before the projectiles could make contact on him, everything stops around him and the world becomes monochrome. Once he had stop time, Evan quickly lands on the ground and hides in an alleyway before murmuring.

"Now time will move once again."

At a moment, time had moved once again and the ships suddenly lost sight of him, looking around but with no luck for them, they decided to fly somewhere else to look for him. 

"Phew! That was close..." Evan sighed in relief, as he stared at the three tiny dots which were the ships, Evan realized something. "Crap! The team!"

Realizing he forgot about the rest, Evan tried to communicate through the helmet, but nothing was working. He took off the helmet and saw that the helmet was damaged a bit due to the laser beam that grazed it. 

"Brilliant." 

———————————————————————

*Flashback End*

"Then I decided to go back to the area where we got ambushed and found only guys in red armor and ships looking for something or should I say someone. I understood that they were looking for all of us. I decided to head for the portal site, but then I found Green ready to be blasted by a Tyrant and saved him and now here we are. Pretty much that's my story."

Listening to Evan's story, Rodeo let out a sigh, "At least your back and that's what matters." Rodeo said before looking at Green and asked, "And why were you severely injured?"

"Well..." 

For half a minute, Green had explained his fight against the strong skull-like demon with green armor, shield, axe, and a shotgun, everyone immediately realized who he was referring about.

"...The Marauder?" 

Once Rodeo uttered a word, the team and Finn's gang were basically shocked and surprised by the explanation he gave about his fight with the Marauder. 

"So you're saying that Argent based weaponry was able to harm your Stand, and you decide to let him punch a hole through your abdomen so that you can get an easy shot on him?!"

"Yeeeeah..."

"Green, that Marauder could have killed you easily millions of times if you didn't have your Stand on your side! And why take a risky shot that could have cost your life?!"

"That guy wasn't going to go down easily so I let my guard down and let him take the bait, so that I could end it with a barrage. The risk was worth it."

"...Green, I get it, but I don't want all of you to fight one on one battles because that's what the enemy wanted and almost succeeded, but we used our abilities wisely and got out mostly unscathed."

He sighs forebodingly, "I just don't want to see you guys dead and since I'm the leader, I'll feel responsible if something were to happen. I want to know more about leadership, you know, but then this invasion happens and we get deployed a bit too quickly when I'm still trying to understand the whole leadership thing. I'm just saying that a team should stick together, and the enemy was successful in doing just that almost..."

Rodeo sighed again, "I'll check the train's controls. You guys keep a lookout in case we get attacked again." he said to the rest before heading for the train's control. Michelle, feeling concerned for his mental state, decides to follow him. 

"Should we follow them?" Miguel asked.

Green replied, "For now, no. Rodeo has a lot going in his head especially given the fact that he is the leader of this team. He just needs some time."

"Da green." Nickolai agreed with his words and added, "But being a leader and being responsible for what happens to the team and it's members can frustrate anybody who is given that position. So it's only human that he is feeling concerned for his team's well being."

"You're right on that part, Nikolai."

Meanwhile, Rodeo was checking the train's control, as he looked forward through the glass window of the train, flashes started appearing again but this time whispers were heard in his head.

YOU THINK YOU WILL GET A HAPPY ENDING IN THIS WORLD? THE WORLD OF SCPS?

"Shut up. The flashes and blood on my hands were enough, I don't need those little cliche whispers now."

PEOPLE DIE IN THE SCP UNIVERSE ALL THE TIME, RODEO. YOU THINK YOU CAN GIVE ABBY, IRIS, AND OTHER NICE SCPS A NORMAL LIFE? THEY ARE DESTINED TO BE ANOMALOUS FOREVER. AS IT WAS WRITTEN IN THEIR DESTINY LONG AGO

"Shut the hell up."

YOU ARE AN ANOMALY IN THE FOUNDATION'S EYES. BECAUSE OF YOU THOSE SOLDIERS ARE DEAD BY THE GOC, BECAUSE OF YOU, DR. BUCK AND AGENT GREEN LOST A SHOT AT A NORMAL LIFE AND BECAUSE YOU AND THE STANDS EXIST IN THIS WORLD, THAT'S WHY THINGS ARE… ESCALATING A BIT TOO QUICKLY. I'M PRETTY SURE YOU NOTICED IT BY NOW

"You're just whispers. You're just a part of my PTSD. You're just in my head." 

WHY DON'T YOU LIVE THE QUIET LIFE LIKE KIRA DID?

"Because that life is absolutely ridiculous. That's why."

"Rodeo?"

"Oh now you're using Michelle's voice? How classic."

"Rodeo!"

Slightly startled, Rodeo turned around and saw Michelle by the entrance of the door.

"How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough to see you talking to yourself. Are you feeling alright?"

Rodeo takes a seat and Michelle follows.

"Yes and no. Yes, because I'm glad the entire team is alright, and no, because Evan and Green were the only ones on their own. Sure, Evan had his Time Stop and Green had Cerberus, but still doesn't change the fact they almost got killed or could have been killed because we weren't there backing them up because the enemy separated us."

Looking outside of the train to Rodeo's right, soon enough, in the streets the monorail train passes, he saw damaged and destroyed wreckage of military equipment, and most of all, corpses of soldiers, units from the US Army.

Not only them, countless bodies, bodies of men, women, and children were laying there alongside with the soldiers. Judging by their corpses looking so pale and old, they seem dead for only almost a day. All of them had one thing on their faces, and that is the look of horror and desperation. It all but seemed like they were too late to save them.

"...Then there's dead people around us in this city... who we could have or couldn't save and dead military and MTF soldiers who got themselves in stopping these maniacs or keeping them at bay so that we can reach the damn portal and close it! And now I'm hearing whispers in my head along with the flashes as well." Rodeo sighs, "We got deployed here a bit early when we were still making our team after Gustav's capture and I was ok with it. Maybe I thought keeping the team together and being a leader wouldn't be a problem, and this was a test. But then, the ambush happened and I couldn't keep the team in check and I know it's my first time doing leadership but... it's just that so many things are being rushed on us and things like this invasion, Stand factions, Chaos Insurgency, Global Occult Coalition and so on are piling up on us and we have to deal with them. It's... gonna drive someone insane." He said in a frustrated tone.

"I know, Rodeo. Most of us here were not expecting our team to be deployed that quickly and the other things that you just said right now, but you're not the only one taking the responsibility and burden." Michelle said reassuredly. "We are taking it as well so don't think that you're the only one who is also having problems in being team leader or should I say member. We need to share the burden and responsibility with each other equally rather than taking it all on yourself."

"Yeah, you're right. Sorry if I concern you regarding my mental stability. I know it must stupid showing your weakness to a team member." Rodeo slightly chuckled.

"We're not just team members, you know. We're friends as well so sharing things regarding what you feel is normal. It's not stupid."

"Thanks for understanding, Michelle."

"You're welcome." She smiled sweetly.

Smiling back at her, which Rodeo couldn't show due to his stoic face, he turned to look outside the window and saw the train had stopped, realizing they had finally arrived at the station that was closest to the hotel that they needed to head for.

"Looks like we're here. Come on."

Michelle nods and stands up to meet up with the rest of the team and Finn's gang outside the train. 

"Ok what's the plan, great leader?" Evan asked as he and the others stared at Rodeo alongside Michelle that they came out of the driver cabin.

Hearing his words, Rodeo immediately corrected, "First, it's not Great Leader. Second, we keep going straight and we will reach the hotel in no time. Now let's move out."

"Right!" They all yelled out.

With determination in their souls, they head for the hotel and find the door which will lead them straight to the portal site. 

———————————————————————

With the Marauder, he was still lying on the top of the roof of an abandoned normal ice cream truck out cold, until a voice was heard next to him, revealing to be a figure wearing sunglasses.

"Wake the fuck up, warrior. We got a world to burn."

The figure crouched in front of him, the Marauder slowly opened his eyes and saw it was Revenant, wearing sunglasses and the same Revenant that Green encountered and had frozen in place.

"Why am I not surprised to see you again, Revenant? Also why are you here?" Marauder asked, at the same time Revenant took off his sunglasses and began to explain.

"After Remnant, some of our members leaving and going separate ways with one of them being you, Davoth's unfortunate demise at the hands of the Slayer, Immora is almost being taken over by the Night Sentinels, losing access to invade other dimensions."

"However..." He continued, with a bit of excitement in his tone, "The General is taking leadership of Immora and the forces of our dimension, then finding out that there is an old ally of Davoth, meaning that their is a chance for multiverse conquering and devouring can be once again possible with his ally's help, finally we have purpose once again!"

"You'll never change old man, even after that idiotic accident with the portal." Marauder said.

"I'm not that old, but anyways need help? You look like you've been blasted by a powerful being of deadly capabilities."

"...For once, I'll let you help me get back up." 

As Revenant helped him back on his feet, his armor started beeping and he pressed a button on it. This was his armor communicator or radio.

"Hello?"

[Revenant, how long has it been?] The person, which sounded like the Archvile before asked him.

"Very long time ever since Remnant. What's the occasion for calling me?"

[Remember that conversation I was having with the General regarding something very important, it involved going out of the city and finding the guys who opened the portal in the first place and that the only one he trusts should be the one to carry out all of this?]

"Uhhh, yeah."

[Well that trustworthy one is me.]

"What?" 

[Look, what I'm getting involved in and being part of is a back up plan of the General in case things go south with the portal. So I need you and anyone from our team that are still following you to head for the very large tunnel, reach the end of it and meet up with me and we'll head for a secret location which is part of the back up plan.]

"And why are you telling me this?"

[There's a flaw to the portal and the doors itself. I'll explain the rest of the details once you get to the tunnel, also another reason I'm telling you this is after everything our team went through and learned from Remnant, I think friends like you deserve to know the truth rather than being left out.]

Hearing the Archvile's passionate words, Revenant couldn't hold his magma tears and sniffed, "T-That's the nicest thing I've heard from you soldier. *sniff* We'll be there."

Ending the radio, Revenant, with a serious expression, instantly turned around and roared out loud.

"IMP! CACO! BARON! STOP LOOKING FOR ICE CREAM IN THIS DAMN TRUCK! WE'RE GETTING OUT OF THE CITY!" 

Imp, Cacodemon and Baron who were also the same ones that met Green come out of the Ice cream truck that the Marauder crashes into were holding some frozen treats. 

"Gentlemen, we are leaving the city and meeting up with an old friend!"

"Basically we're running away." Imp simply said as he ate a frozen treat in his mouth, which had suddenly melted in an instant.

"Nonsense! It's a simple tactical retreat and coming back to this city and unleashing vengeance!"

"I think we're running away."

"Shuch up! Now move it, men! The day and night are still young!"

Jumping off the roof of the truck, both Revenant and Marauder land on the ground and move forward while the rest follow them. Marauder was holding the left side of his head which was bleeding quite badly but decided to bear it for now.