The darkness expands once again and everyone stay close to six big fires.
Stan pull Aphrodite to his side and walk much further from the camp"do you want to tell me something?" Stan with a serious face and his heart beating like crazy he says "take your clothes off"Aphrodite's eyes wide open"Stan, you are crossing the line now"
He push her to the tree and says "I want to do it " Aphrodite punch him in the stomach to go back, Stan rush to her and grabs her, with one of his hands holding hers and the other between her legs, her whole body froze and she open her mouth without any sound coming out of it.
Stan rubs himself on her and downs her pants and he sees scars running down to her ankles, Stan's heart slows down and he leaves her, crossing his hands and holding himself, Aphrodite stays frozen for another minute and then puts her pants up and goes back with tears flowing, Stan then pierce his flesh and place his head on the tree, making a minuscule gap and hits his head, hearing a whisper from behind him he quickly turns and sees two yellow eyes on the dark, looking from the opposite side of him but he doesn't give a second look,
He then goes back, sees Aphrodite laying on a tree, he take his gaze and continue fore with a plaintive look and meets a soldier "I want to talk with Jorogumo" "im sorry but she's busy, you can meet her at the morning"
He grit his teeth and then says "I need to see her now" the soldier sigh "alright, only because I see that she has a liking for you" Stan says nothing and they move for a bit more, seeing her surrounded by many other soldiers "Jorogumo, the man wanted you to see you" she turn and says "Stan, what is so important to come at such time?" "I want to join your army"
Everyone look at him and some leave a small laugh.
Jorogumo open her hand " are you sure? You have seen what happens to many of us, you cannot rush a decision like this"
"Jorogumo, do you have regrets?"
Jorogumo eyes open and take her hand back
"Stan, let's go for a walk"
They walk away from every ear and go deeper, watching trees with shiny blue fruits, open in half and showing their green color,
That even in the darkness someone can spot them.
They walk close to it and Jorogumo says "you ask me if I have any regret, in this journey I have many, I had to order more careful coordinates, I had to build masks and suits with the first chance, but I believed that the atmosphere and the microbial couldn't harm us, I regret that I couldn't do something to save so many lives, " Stan look at her eyes and says " how can you still hold after all of these?"
"It's a small secret that I may tell it to you someday, now tell me why do you want to join all of the sudden?"
"I just want to continue that's all"
"I will not ask why but if you are dedicated to join I will not stop you, just take some time and in the morning tell me"
"Thank you Jorogumo"
Brown bugs appear, having their two arms extend forward and with their tongue slowly attaching to the tree to find their way and when they arrive at the fruit they eat it and then open their bloated stomach, storing it inside.
Stan and Jorogumo go back and Jorogumo leaves him to discuss with the soldiers while stan goes and lies on a tree.
The fire lightning his feet as he look at the camp and Aphrodite, with the first green ray he wakes up and goes to Jorogumo, her eyes having dark circles but her face looking alive "I thought about it and im ready to join now"
Jorogumo nods her head and guides him to the other soldiers, as they approach the soldiers, loading their guns, speaking about their interest Jorogumo says " soldiers, from today this is our new member"
Stan smile and burst a timid laugh "hi im Stan weber" Nice to meet you"
"The soldiers look at him silent, they then look at Jorogumo noding her head and one after the other they give their hands "im happy to meet new people, my name is sia"
Another soldier says "you don't mind to call you new blood? It takes a bit of time until I learn a new name, also my name is hierne"
Another soldier shake Stan's hand up and down and shouts "egine, nice to meet you"
Stan says " im glad im here with you"
Jorogumo says "now train him right, I have to go locate the source of a signal"
She leaves and egine says "do you mind if I test your physical capabilities?"
"Sure, what do you want me to do?"
"First let's see your strength, but the armor above you suit and do as many wish ups and squats you can do"
After Stan wears the armor he starts making push ups and then squats until his muscles feel sore
"Not bad "ten push ups and thirty squats, tell me do you do any physical training?"
"Absolutely nothing"
"Then you are blessed with good genetics, now let's see your cardiovascular state, start running until you feel you have no breath in your lungs and then we will see how efficient you are with a gun"
Stan runs, shoots and when they let him rest egine asks hierme "you can't disagree that he has some good genetics"
"Maybe but not the best"
Egine burst a short laugh"you are never pleased with anything arent you?"
Stan full of sweat asks "can I go now and change?"
Egine says "yes, go take a shower in your barrack and come back when you done, we still have to show you many things" "and where is my barrack?"
"Didn't Joeogumo tell you where you are assigned?"
"No, she just brought me to you"
Hierme open her one palm "you can't get mad about this, she is working day and night, I don't even know if I ever see her sleeping"
Egine reply "then I will assign Stan to one of them, cone one follow me" Egine guide him to a small barrack, she open the door and say "soldiers, today you have a new member, stan weber, assigned by Jorogumo" Stan enters, everybody come to him, giving their hands and greeting him, he feel a warmness here, he hears a soldier and egine behind him whispering "have you come to see me?" " I was worried" "worried for what?" "That may be our final days are close" "do not say that, we will survive until the end" Stan greet them all, the mercurians lay down a blanket and say "this is your bed"
Stan lift his eyebrows "don't you have beds here?" "We will have, maybe but first we must give them to the people" Stan show no emotion, and Egine shouts with a laugh on her face "goodbye" they wave at her and as she close the door the soldiers ask him "so Stan how does a man like you came here to the mercurian army?" "It's a big story" "well we have enough time for you to tell us" "sorry but I prefer to not say anything" the soldiers look at him and one of them says "you've come to the right guys, almost all of us don't want to share their stories"
Stan faintly smirk and lays on the bed "im going to get some sleep" "sleep, well comrade"
He wakes up at night, getting up and his body full of sweat, he looks around at the soldiers sleeping, he open the door and goes to the same tree as yesterday and stare at the fires and Aphrodite, he sigh and slowly walk to her, as he makes another step close she makes a step further, Stan then quickened his steps and both walk inside the forest, Stan suddenly runs and Aphrodite freeze, he take his arms away from her and says "Aphrodite please, at least let me apologize" "Stan I know this is not your fault, you can't control it, but it's better for us to stay away"
"Please don't leave me, I don't have anyone else"
Stan clunch his hands and his heart beat faster "Alina, Mason they are both dead, I have no one else"
Aphrodite look at him with her lips tight
"I know Stan, I wanted to be together with someone who understands me and I believed we could stay together even with your problem, but it seems I cant"
Stan's eyebrows slowly pull together and his eyes half close "can I ask you one last question?" "Yes" "how do you feel now about the abortion?" "It's better, I feel relieved that I did it, but it still hurts"
Stan grabs his armor tight and says "I wish the best for you" He leaves and go to the barracks, egine and hierme sleeping and sia curving the wood with a knife, she notice him and says "why are you here all of the sudden?"
He sigh "nothing important, I just wait for Jorogumo to give us orders and I don't want to go to my barrack"
"Well you are a soldier now but as long as I know her she will not throw you to the action so quickly"
A soldier burst the door and clamors "every soldier must be outside their barracks" Egine and Hierme get up and Sia asks "do we have another expedition?"
He makes a massive sigh "it's possible, but I hope not"
Stan hears Egine whispering, not understanding her words.
Stan waves at them and goes to his barrack,
Finding everyone outside in a line, he quickly goes there and hear a soldier shouting "we will continue further into the jungle to find the source, always remember this is for the benefit of" a soldier waves his hand to him, the soldier look at the line and says "of the whole humanity" Stan look with wonder, pensively looking at the ground, but the soldiers start moving, the vehicles get ready and the soldiers take position, making a wall of themselves and guarding the people.
Stan watch the sky with the peak of the mountain clearer than before, and looking at Aphrodite trying to have her look as far away can be, he hears a whisper behind him, H saying " aren't you two together?" His spines sievers, he look behind him and sees Hierme and says "yes we were together" "so how did it come to not even talk now?" Stan clunch his hands "you don't need to know"
"Come on I may give you some solid advice"
Stan shouts "I said you don't need to know" Hierme back down and says with a dulcet voice "im sorry, u have the quirk to ask people very personal questions"
"I have to apologize for shouting at you"
"If you want my advice, talk to her if it's possible, you may lose something precious"
Stan left speechless, he clunch his palps
And Hierme notice, out of the jungle yellow eyes immerge the soldiers draw their guns and start firing, human like creatures two and a half meters tall come from the trees, carrying on their backs small creatures that resemble humans, with yellow eyes and small legs and arms, the creatures rush and break the soldier's defense while the soldier shoot them, the creatures evade the bullets and take with them as many people they can. As they leave and the people beg for help
Stan shoot two in their heads, the bullet passing through their skulls and the other creatures start screaming, the sound of bones cracking and the screams of people suddenly getting silent.
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