Chapter 9

Austin wasn't pleased with himself but it was either Rakel or the guy he didn't know and he chose the now-dead man. " Are you alright?" Rakel was in worse situations but it still scared her to think of the worse even though she stood up on her own she found herself brushing it off as she grabbed her gun from the ground. Austin only followed her after grabbing the extra bullets from the one guy he had taken the dagger from before. " Uh, where are we going?" Rakel seemed lost in her own mind as Austin clearly wasn't cut out to really get an answer as she knew everything was coming up before her very eyes. The horror she felt knowing what was at stake as the memories didn't just feel like they were coming back and not just haunting her but the feeling she had was just adrenaline. Rakel was worried about herself as the only memory that seemed to be on repeat was the one that had her question her existence.

It didn't matter what she had done she still got punched and it hurt like hell. " You think you've got it, ha you're not trying, maybe I'll kill you. It'll be more interesting." The man pulled back spitting at her as she only hung her head but not in shame. " Deal with her!" She was dragged out of the building as her feet only dragged behind them. Not a single weapon was on her and the two guys held her before one of the guys grabbed her forcefully she blacked out completely before the guys only beat her more and not in the way the other guy had said.

By the time she had to awaken blood ran down her face and not only that she could barely move. She hated the feeling and not only that she didn't want to know as the only thing she did was cry. They thought they had killed her but if anything she wished she was dead.

She wished the memory would leave her alone but she didn't understand it as she was jerked back harshly as she turned at the same time pushing the person backward before they both crashed into the wall. Rakel didn't realize the knife she had grabbed from her pocket was against Austin's neck although His hands were in the air she seemed distraught with every thought. " Austin. I don't know why I just did that." She lied through her teeth trying to shake every bad thing from her head. " Okay, Rakel. You need to calm down. " He wasn't sure what to do other than surrender then again he wasn't the bad guy. He knew if they turned on each other there'd be no argument he'd already be dead. Austin put his hands out showing surrender as she only looked out past the waterfall that went through the open hole above. Mounds of slippery rock they could climb on laid out but they'd have to jump. Rakel only hoped that it wasn't almost broken or going to break if they actually jumped across to the other side. Rakel couldn't even see from where she was even when she was on the edge. She was exactly sure if there was another side.

Austin walked halfway from her and then surprised himself as he ran out past her before grabbing hold of the slippery rock as his fingers dug into the dirt around the rock Although Rakel wasn't in shock she was just surprised it held as she figured by now nothing was going to surprise her when it came to him.

She followed after but jumped a little higher thankfully grabbing onto another rock as the water hit her face. It felt good and thankfully it wasn't salt water. They were almost too close to the beach so it was interesting to her to know everything was going great and that said a lot considering her outcome. " Hey there's a way down here but I think we would need to hold our breath. Not sure." Rakel wasn't really in the mood and she was getting aggravated about not having the map already. " I thought we'd be there by now." It confused her as well as Austin stared out into the massive hole that seemed to go somewhere.

" I really don't like this." He didn't have to really say it for her to understand why he didn't want to do it. " Move." She didn't ask nicely she just wanted to map before she went crazy. Getting in the water before she even went into the hole she was immediately greeted with the warmth as well as the coldness that swarmed her. " How am I supposed to know if you make it or not." He looked at her and then at the massive hole before looking back at her. " You'll be fine, decides I would hope you'd follow." She wanted to roll her eyes but she refrained as she held her nose going underneath the water opening her eyes as she pushed against the ground. She wasn't met with anything but at least not until she met with the surface. it took everything to not scream as Austin came up right behind her before she noticed more guys walking around with their guns in hand. She slammed her hand across his mouth before he could make his tantrum over the dead body that lay over the water facing his eyes open. Austin's mind definitely wasn't expecting that as he looked where Rakel was looking as he mentally groaned in annoyance.

" Stay here." He could tell something was up but he wasn't exactly sure as he didn't get to question as she dived under the water heading towards the danger. Why did he have to wait? He heard a faint yell as he saw the body being dragged into the water. He groaned under his breath before faint yelling was heard only he didn't like she was doing all the work on her own when something could go wrong. He swam towards land hiding in the bushes he just ended up watching in amazement at Rakel swinging with her fists at one of the guys that tried to tackle her. " Woah." It was as if everything happened way too fast while trying to kill the one guy she punch another tried to sneak up on her as he freak worried about her. Before he could do anything she had kicked out at the one behind her knocking him out immediately as she choked the guy that tried too hard when it wasn't enough. " The hell. Where the hell did you learn that? " He heard himself but she never got to answer as a shot rang out as a yell escaped Austin after she looked out past him. " Austin!"

Blood sept through his shirt before he felt the color drain from his face as he almost fell back into the water. Rakel pulled him to her as another shot was heard but she quickly moved them both. Grabbing the RPG she shot through from where the shots were coming from before she turned her attention to Austin as the bleeding only continued. Rakel worried pulled herself to him holding him to her putting pressure on the wound from his shoulder from behind as she had to somehow jerk out the bullet. " Okay sit still. I'm putting more pressure on this." She didn't just put pressure on it she dug her finger in the flesh gripping the bullet barely but with her fingernail. " Ah! That hurts. " She grabbed the bullet with her fingers as blood coated her pointer finger and thumb before more blood seeped out.

She ripped part of her shirt putting it against his back shoulder and pushing against it as he hissed through the pain. " You'll be fine I just need your belt. " He didn't look too hot but with one hand he unbuckled his belt trying to move as she only made him stop. Rakel grabbed his belt slipping it through the hoops after barely slapping him as his eyes practically rolled up into his head. " Austin. Hey, stay with me. " Thankfully she pulled the belt around his shoulder keeping him from using his arm as much. " This should help some." Pulling him up she looked around at where she had used the RPG she wanted to laugh and congratulate herself. She didn't even aim and yet she still got that shot right she was surprised by it as they both walked toward where the guys had come from before she almost got attacked. " Can you walk at least another mile? " She looked at him as he still looked pale though she knew he was in a lot of pain he still nodded as his right hand went to his left elbow.

Sure enough a mile in, the darkness loomed over them as half a moon showed through the night sky along with a sky filled with stars. Austin didn't just feel like he was going to black out but he practically did after Rakel had set up a tent and the fire that kept them both warm. Rakel sat at the fire as Austin slept in the tent wondering if things would be faster if she went ahead before he awoke. She barely had to think too long as she immediately went out into the night leaving Austin under the care of the stars that probably wouldn't be much help. She only hoped nothing was going to hinder him while she was gone, she had already made sure his wound wasn't infected before he had slept so he could sleep peacefully. Rakel honestly didn't know if she had made the right choice but she needed the map so she didn't think twice before climbing over the small opening into the mountain that loomed over where Austin and the tent hid.

Not only was she upset with herself but she went through all the emotions before she finally found it. She hated snakes and spiders and crawling through the hole towards the light that shined through. She felt it feeling as she immediately jerked towards the right slamming against the rock pile that jutted out of the dirt everywhere around her. " Why every time I gotta do this, ticks me off." She gritted her teeth pushing through as she got to finally breathe through as she pushed herself through the side of the mountain or it felt like the pit of the earth. " Freaking mother of God. I can breathe again. " Rakel looked at where the sun was barely coming up as she didn't have to think of Austin as she went to his aid but she just noticed he still slept as she collected more firewood. Rakel hunted for rabbits as well as grabbed the eggs from the bird's nests she had to climb for. Grabbing her things she put them in the tent as she had a little more time to look at the map that looked too old and broken. The map held the location but for right now she wanted to keep it a secret as she only wanted to have him only worried about himself. She was glad she had found more of that weird water stuff from the fountain as she sprinkled it over his wound.

By the time he had even stirred in his sleep, it wound was gone and he was more relaxed. Several times she was just glad to be alive and not only that but she still couldn't shake that feeling like they were being watched even when she went out and got the map herself. If Austin wasn't here she would've already been done or so she would think. When he awoke she already had breakfast cooked as well as the memory of the map in her head. " You're going to hate me but I got the map while you were sleeping. " " Without me?" He stared at her for what seemed like a second as she could've sworn she saw something behind the way he was feeling. " I'm fine. I just figured since you were healing and tired I'd go ahead and get it. It was taking us too long to grab anyways." On top of that, she didn't want to say that she was almost knocked in the corner of the other guys but she must've had a look as Austin stared at her as something came over him. She sat close to the fire that was burning out quickly as the only thought that ran into his mind was to push her in.

He didn't understand it before he just wanted to think without the feeling overwhelming him. He felt as if he was drugged but he knew he was fine as he only sat on the right side of her as the small fire still kept him a little warm. He ate his food quickly shoving off the feeling as she only looked tense possibly even worried about him. " You're wound needs cleaning. " She already had so of her supplies as well as some water for the creek that she had found earlier that day. " Can I?" She looked at him in his face before he just sat there staring as if she wasn't good enough to talk to. " What are you hiding?" Austin couldn't face another day with someone he didn't even know, Considering what all they had been through he still saw her as the stranger that he was fighting himself over. He told himself to behave but every time she would do anything got him in a way that made him feel like they could possibly be more but he refrained and told himself he didn't know her really had helped. " My life. When my dad vanished no one wanted to take care of me and when they tried to put me in an orphanage I ran away, changed my name and now I'm grown up. People try to tell me what to do and I don't like it I never did. A lot has happened, I tried to find my dad and that says a lot considering everything, and not just that but I probably should be dead, and not just that but long gone dead. The bad guys know who I am clearly. I don't want to be alone but every time I even open up it seems like everyone runs away or dies, I hate that about me. " Rakel didn't even want to say it like that but she wasn't about to go into story time and tell him about her life this wasn't some sort of nighttime routine.

"That's harsh if anything even if I wanted to leave I don't think it would be right if I did that. You might be a deadly weapon but you're still a human being. You need help too...whether or not you think you do. " He meant every word as the way she looked away gave him a vibe. Why did she suddenly look guilty? He tried to look at her but through the pain, he couldn't see anything else. Austin and Rakel ended up packing up the last bit of their things which wasn't much and hicked towards the Southeast while doing that he could tell Rakel was fighting herself and what she had said to him. It was a little fast for him and most of the time even during this he felt like he should've already been dead. His mind kept that on repeat as if it still had a mind of its own as he only breathed out deeply thinking of happier thoughts. Rakel on the other hand wasn't sure if he had even noticed before she felt the wind change drastically as she turned her head and stopped abruptly before Austin stared dead ahead at what lay out in front of them. The black mass from before underground was in the shadows as if it wasn't really seen. Something shifted just from within and he saw as fear only crept on him once more. The only thing he wished was that he was back in the tent sleeping soundly.

Rakel saw it clearly as she felt like the world around them had gone dark again only what she saw Austin didn't. What it was had killed her before and instantly. She didn't like the part where she had seen herself standing right in front of her but she could tell it wasn't her at all as she seemed evil; very evil. When she moved forward with her hand out she saw the eyes from the clone as it also moved, but it still didn't seem right as she suddenly found herself falling before she faced an older man with facial hair he only bent down facing half away from her before he stood up as he didn't act as he had seen her. " Um. Hello." She tried to get his attention but he still didn't see her as he walked away humming something very familiar as the eyes were the shade of her father's; Light brown. It wasn't what she had thought but it was weirder when she understood immediately what he was humming. Her father used to sing a song to her and just seeing the man and hearing the tune made her feel like she was in a nightmare. She breathed harder than she thought as she quickly came back to reality grabbing her knees in the process.

Austin still couldn't believe the black mass as it faded into the trees before he looked back at a crouching Rakel who looked very upset. Her breathing wasn't shallow but her breathing was off as was the sudden atmosphere change. " The black mass thing, it was, and then.I don't know where it went." Austin wasn't lying as he even looked back at where he had even seen it. " It's fine. " She barely walk a few steps before she almost fell over but Austin was quick to react. " Woah, thought you said you were okay?" He had his arm around her waist holding her upright as they both walked toward the unknown. He wasn't even sure what they were even looking for let alone what he was doing he was just trying to do what Rakel did. " You can let go now."

Was it bad he didn't want to? His arm was around her waist and not one time did he really think about letting her go if anything he was worried she would fall over. She hadn't exactly gotten any sleep and she might be used to but not him. " Are you sure? " Even after asking he felt like at least she should be honest with him instead but everything seemed to suddenly get very blurry as what happened next happened too fast.

she forced him to let go by jerking him harder than necessary by his other arm as he tripped over her leg and not on purpose, she had meant it when she had said let go. By the time he had even 'tripped' she had pushed him more onto his side than his stomach. The mer second that he lay there looking over at her wasn't what he had expected at all and it wasn't what had scared him. The part where she had changed a little too much even in front of him scared him..she wasn't the same. It said a lot he still didn't know a lot about her and he tried to get her to talk but apparently, nothing worked. " My great granddad used to do things like me only he was constant with it, he had a life outside of this but he would always prefer being on the run having mankind even though it would hurt him. " Austin wasn't sure if he even had heard right as he quickly got up from the ground and ran towards her. " Wait so what happened to your dad then?" He regretted it as she turned with a look on her face before he felt like he shouldn't have said anything. " I'm sorry." It was more of a question as they both went through most of the trees Austin noticed the black cave from afar. " Another cave.." Austin finally caved as he complained. He couldn't help it he didn't like the darkness that seemed to evaporate the closer they got.

Rakel didn't think of anything other than her father and what she had seen only every time she saw him she saw her worst nightmare. They both heard the gunshots as well as yelling before they both looked at each other scared. Rakel definitely wasn't ready as they both saw the temple in the midst as well as arrows in flight towards the east. " The Hell!" Rakel watched in astonishment as Austin looked very upset he couldn't even fathom it felt like he was dreaming. " I knew it would lead us here but this isn't exactly what I imagined." The view alone wasn't great there were too many guards planted everywhere and the only opening Austin saw was jumping. It was too far of a drop but it was the only way that he knew of as he heard the distance yelling of someone else that quickly got both of their attention. " What are they doing?" Rakel grabbed one binocular before tensing up as she cussed inwardly. " I'm going crazy." Rakel murmured cuss words as Austin only saw the atmosphere as it was before he became more confused about Rakel. " What? Who is it? " Rakel didn't bother to answer instead she ran with her grappling hook over the wire as her body trailed throughout half the city as he only cussed going after her. " This is nuts. "

Austin grabbed hold of her from behind but only because he had crashed into her as they both fell into a body that was immediately knocked out. All around them were the ruins of the city and Austin was surprised they had made it that far but he didn't want to think too long on that as he only feared the worst over the both of them. Trying to keep his mind from wandering he grabbed the dead man's gun and reloaded it before looking at Rakel and the look of terror on her face. " What's up with you?" He didn't mean it in a hurtful way he just wasn't great at talking when she had tried several times to hurt him. She looked demonic after he asked that he stopped looking at her and more at the task at hand. " Can you at least tell me what we are doing first and who you saw?" Rakel didn't seem sure of anything at least not yet but she wasn't ever in the mood to say much about herself or her life. " My dad." Austin barely heard her over the scream as shots rang out. " Find them and kill them. " Could they say anything else besides that, it was annoying and yet terrifying. " Okay, so I guess we just take them out one by one." Rakel didn't even wait to hear what he had to say she jumped from the ground and did her parkour onto the roof he only felt like absolute crap as he only confided in himself to keep going.

Austin groaned out loud before trying to catch up to her only he was quick enough as he had to take cover. Multiple men in armor flanked him as more with just guns shot at him as he barely got a glimpse of Rakel climbing the roof. " Ahh! " His hand stretched before he grabbed the bomb that hung from his belt taking the bolt out and throwing it over the crate as he didn't have to count back before it went off. He heard the screams that followed and weren't surprised by some bodies as parts flew past him. After that, he didn't even question anything he ran past all the dead bodies barely jumping through the air as he easily landed on the other roof. He didn't want to yell for Rakel but he knew there was just no way she would leave him; would she? Austin really didn't want to think too much about it but then again he shouldn't have to. Running with his gun in hand he jumped from roof to roof only he didn't understand quite well what was going on as a few guards stood to watch before he turned his attention to Rakel who suddenly had a bow and arrow as the arrow flew towards the guy that was about to kill the shaggy man that didn't look so good.