The Girl With Metal Claws

War : How much courage does it take?

NISH

Everyone immediately got onto their duties.

Elliott, Nish, Isis and Jack had set out to barricade the two main entrances of the locality. They split into groups of two and parted ways. Elliott insisted on coming with Nish and the only explanation she could find to his persistence was because he thought Nish wasn't strong enough.

But again, that was just a theory and Nish didn't deny the fact of her power's disadvantage for barricading an entrance.

They entered the outskirts of the right wing and decided to avoid being in sight of anything. They didn't have enough physical strength to fight anything head-on.

"How far is it?" Nish whispered.

"We just have two cross two more blocks," Elliott replied, alert.

"Till then we'd be dead already," Nish said. She wasn't too confident of Elliott's lead yet but she couldn't lead herself.

Suddenly, the familiar low growls sounded from a block away and they flinched. The husky footsteps of feet dragging on the harsh ground and the limping bodies finally showed up exiting an alley. The corpses, more decayed than they were and the rotten smell even intact from metres away, walked into the streets and started spreading out.

"Oh god, is there another way?" Nish asked, panting with fear.

"Not any that I know of," Elliott replied, stepping backwards. He was leaving Nish alone, trying to run off.

"Where the f*ck are you going..?" Nish let her voice trail off, her heart buzzing in her ears as the footsteps grew closer. It was a feeling that made her almost want to break down.

"You have powers. You'll be fine. I won't," Elliott confessed. Nish looked up at him in realisation. All these days she had worked to get ahold of her powers then why was she backing down at the time it was required the most? She found herself nodding.

"But where are you going?" Nish asked, frowning. She asked again but his face told her a different story, "You're.. going back to the safe house, right?"

Elliott shook his head, exposing his intentions.

"Where?" She asked.

"I'll be fine," Elliott said those last words before leaving and disappearing into the streets. Worried, Nish turned back around. She realised everyone was trying as hard they could. She stared straight ahead while still keeping to the shadows. Her bones chilled with the presences of the corpses five steps away from her.

She centred her mind and kept repeating the urge to disappear in her mind. When she opened her eyes and looked down at her hands, she was gone.

Cautiously and noiselessly, Nish stepped out of the shadows and into the street. She stood in front of the bunch of corpses who were once fighting to defeat the Phoenix. But now they all had ended up being living dead.

No one reacted or noticed her. Gasping deeply, she stuck to the corners and without losing focus, she walked past all of the unknowing corpses. After holding her breath for a few seconds while tackling the last one, she started bolting.

She ran till she had crossed the two blocked and stood in front of the tall main entrance. After that, it just required a little strength that her powers lend her as she pulled the metal gates close and locked the chains with the lock and key she had.

~

ISIS

"Do you have a plan?" Isis asked Jack, keeping her voice monotone. Jack shook his head and glanced at her.

"I do but.. you won't like it," he said. She looked up at him and smiled bitterly. She hated the situation she was in and walking beside Jack was her only relief.

"There's a lot of things I won't like. But we're all shackled, aren't we?" Isis looked up at him as they walked through the street. For a minute it felt like they were taking a stroll late at night. Like after a few minutes they'd be able to walk back home together. Safe and sound.

"I don't know about such philosophical things," Jack laughed softly, "but I can tell you the plan."

Just as Isis nodded, Jack took out the two handguns tucked in his ankle holsters. Then he took out a few reels of bullets and held it in his mouth while he loaded the guns.

"If you shoot them, will they stop," Isis asked, unsure.

"No, but they'd be temporarily paralyzed. I think that's the best we can do right now," Jack explained, gripping his guns that fit right into his hands. Like he was made for them.

"I'll help," Isis declared.

"How?"

"I can send them flying," she said, smiling softly, and holding her hands out in front of him.

"You don't have to worn yourself out, you know right?"

"I know. I just don't wanna be a burden anymore," she replied and watched Jack fight his urge to disagree with her statement but he nodded instead.

"Very well then," Jack held up his head and handguns, "here they come!"

Isis saw the group of walking corpses advancing at them and she held her breath to the point where all her hesitation drowned into something deeper. She knew Jack had her back and she just had to try. Because it was the day to end the reign of terror by Phoenix and take Isis's revenge for the trauma she had to go through.

She held up her hand and both of them advanced head on at the agitated corpses. As Jack shot the bullets and it hit the centre of their heads, they toppled back, falling on the ground.

Isis used her powers by concentrating them at one corpse at a time and throwing them out of her way with a swipe of her hand. With that, bravely, they overcame the hurdles and were able to pass through them to reach the second entrance. Isis sighed with relief as Jack pulled the door shut and returned back to her.

"You did great," Jack said, hesitantly.

"Thank you," Isis smiled with a funny feeling in her stomach. People would call them butterflies but Isis was just not ready to admit it.

Yet.

~

MERAKI

"Last time.. the flames got out of control," Meraki confessed as they stood on the rooftop of a building waiting for those creatures to pass by so she could test her powers on them.

"It is to be expected," Fred sighed.

"I didn't tell you this for you to underestimate me," she snapped back and Fred held up his hand in withdrawal.

"How could I do such a thing?" He said, keeping his eye open.

"I really dislike the way you talk," Meraki rolled her eyes, getting impatient that she couldn't do anything except wait.

"Don't make me count out your flaws," Fred chuckled. That's when gunshots sounded two streets away from the building they were on.

"Who was that?" Meraki said, trying to get a clearer view from her position but it declined because of the darkness.

"Jack. He likes to show off his bullets," Fred sighed again. For a man in his 30s, he sure did sigh a lot. "But that's a good thing."

"Why?"

"I've noticed these corpses are reciprocating to sound. It'll be just a matter of seconds before you'll see the corpses walking towards the direction of the gunshots," just as he explained, Meraki noticed the corpses walking past the building. She signalled to Fred.

"You'll be fine," he encouraged.

Meraki looked down at the dead men roaming and formed their image in her brain. Then she opened her eyes and set that image on fire. Immediately, their clothes set on fire and as the flames grew, they were burning.

Their rotten skin was starting to melt and they fell to the ground twitching and squirming. They watched the corpses burn and turn to dust in a matter of minutes. Then, Meraki gazed at Fred and he patted her shoulder.

"Get ready, we have more dead people to burn," Fred's voice had a sense of relief and curiosity to it that Meraki admired. Hell, she admired everyone's courage.

~

GABRIELLE

"Have you seen Turner?" George asked, entering the room where Meredith and Gabrielle were preparing for the chant.

"He said he will be with his men," Gabrielle said.

"Ah, I'll go check. I could already smell trouble," he said, scratching his chin.

"Did something happen?" She asked.

"Everything's going alright. Meraki's plan worked about burning the corpses and the entrances were barricaded. But as you instructed, one entrance to the locality at the back is left open just in case we had to escape," George explained and she nodded. "I'll go check on Turner."

After George left, Gabrielle turned back to setting up the board with the protection symbol drawn on it. The candles were lit by Meredith but she looked distressed. It seemed like she didn't have much confidence on the method. Gabrielle tried to comfort her with a smile and she smiled back.

After five minutes, George barged in through the door gasping.

"They're gone," he said, panting. Gabrielle stood up, frowning.

"What do you mean.. gone?"

"They ran away leaving us here stranded. They left behind their walkie-talkies and the tracking chips that were installed on their clothes. They escaped, Gabrielle. They bailed out," George's face was carved with horror as Gabrielle covered her mouth with her hand in shock. She fell back on her chair, distraught.

"Hey.. you're joking right?" Meredith spoke up. George shook his head and she balled up her fists. "We're dead. We can't do this alone, it's impossible."

"Don't be like that. We can do it together. Our strengths together can make us succeed so don't lose hope, please," Gabrielle reached over and clasped Meredith's hands trying to convince her to not lose hope.

"We're just mere humans. What could we even do?" Meredith said, fidgeting uncomfortably.

"I have a plan."

"What plan?"

"Plan D."

Meredith's eyes went wide at Gabrielle's proposition and how calm she looked while saying such a thing. She sat looking at her wide-eyed.

"Gabrielle, I need you to come with me," George said, heavy hearted. Reassuring Meredith, Gabrielle left her and walked out of the room with him. They exited the house to reach the street when George pointed at finger at the tallest building a few houses away.

Even if it was pitch-dark, Gabrielle could still make out the clouds of ash smoke coming out of the building.

"Is it Meraki?" She asked and George shook his head.

"It's the trouble we're trying to avoid," he said. Phoenix.

They stood there for another ten minutes watching the building slowly crumble down without any sign of fire.

"I must go and prepare," Gabrielle said.

"I'm counting on you," George smiled back as she walked back inside. She slowly pushed open the door to not startle Meredith as she already looked scared.

She shut the door behind her and turned back to the empty room. She frowned, her heartbeat growing. Meredith wasn't there. There was no place to hide in the small room but Meredith was no where.

Gabrielle, stunned, was about to call in George when she noticed the piece of paper lying on the table. She picked it up and carefully read those pitiful words written by Meredith.

"I'm sorry. I can't do this," the note said.