I woke in the middle of the night to the sound of screams. Multiple screams. I was quick to reach for the pistol I had stored under my pillow just in case I needed to defend myself. My instincts were right.

I rushed through the tent flap only to see Colonel Hitchen with Lily held in a headlock, the civilian tents burning to ashes behind them. I didn't get a chance to yell out instructions or orders before Colonel Hitchen spoke.

"Hello Bane."

I raised my pistol straight for him. "How the fuck did you know we were here?!"

The feeling of cold metal hit the back of my head. "Put. Your. Weapon. Down."

Lieutenant Davis...

Slowly I lowered my arm and watched Lily continue to squirm in Colonel Hitchen's hold. "Release her and answer my question."

They didn't need to speak as Dawn stepped out from behind Colonel Hitchen.

"Traitor!" I seethed.

"Now, now, I am no traitor. I'm simply getting fucking payback. I will get revenge for Nami's death."

I heard the gun Lieutenant Davis had prodded against my head click. He's ready to shoot at any moment if I make one wrong move.

"Nami's death was an accident! Don't blame her death on me! Blame her death on them! They're the enemy Dawn, don't let them fool you too!"

She chuckled. "Fooled? Oh honey, you were the one who shot my dear darling sister to begin with. And Leonard let you get away with it. They all did. Except me." She glared at Lieutenant Davis and nodded. "Do it."

I was quick enough to point my pistol backwards and fire a bullet into Lieutenant Davis' foot making him yelp in pain and recoil away from me, dropping the gun that was once held at my head. "I don't think so."

Colonel Hitchen only tightened his hold around Lily's throat, restraining her and depriving her of oxygen.

"R...rinna." She squeaked out as tears began rolling down her eyes as her efforts to escape were unsuccessful.

Again I raised my arm at Colonel Hitchen. "I'm gonna ask one last fucking time. Let. Her. Go."

He gave me a cold hard stare and didn't answer me but rather continued to watch Lieutenant Davis suffer in agonizing pain.

"Do you want me to shoot you?!"

Private Riley came out from behind the trees and tackled me to the ground. On impact I accidentally pulled the trigger, shooting Lily through her lungs.

"Lily!" I called out. But, I knew it was hopeless. If she couldn't breathe before, she would never release another breath now as blood began to spew from her mouth, rolling down her chin and neck before staining the ground below her in red. She's drowning in her own blood. Colonel Hitchen only released her when he felt her clothes drenched in her blood and her body fall limp.

Private Riley released me to join at Lily's side to try and apply a tourniquet to keep pressure on her chest, sure that will clot the surface wound, but internally, she will continue to bleed and die.

"Lily!" I cried out once more after realizing what I've done. "I'm sorry! I'm so fucking sorry! For everything!" I couldn't pick myself up from the ground. I've killed before. Lost people before. Saw the life drain from others. So why does the shock suddenly hit me hard?

Get up.

Come on Rinna, pick yourself up.

Get the fuck up.

But I couldn't. I didn't have it in me. I felt my breath get heavier and heavier then I noticed that my hand was clutching my uniform over my heart. My sight began to blur, sounds became hums and pitched ringing.

You killed her.

You killed your sister in arms.

She asked for peace and mercy.

You couldn't even give her that.

Fuck- You didn't even forgive her and rebuild the bridge that you burnt in the first place.

"No... no, no, no, no!" I forced my head to look up at them. When I did, I was processing what I saw. Dawn's on the floor, her throat slit. Private Riley licks the blood from a blade. The blade. The very blade that Dawn gave to me when we first met. The very blade that I used on Private Riley to slit his stomach open. He must have taken it when he tackled me.

"Now. We are even."

Lieutenant Davis crawled his way over to Lily and lifted her corpse off the ground, cradling her like a baby. His nose brushed softly up against hers, his lips scraping hers as he spoke sweet nothings to her. When his eyes darted to mine, I felt the fire and hatred behind them.

"I'm sorry! It- It was an accident! I didn't mean to-"

"Save it." He growled. He turned to Private Riley and nodded. "I think it's only fair if you finish her off."

Colonel Hitchen nodded in agreement. "Kill her. We will take Lieutenant Willow back to The Elite Strike Force base, there we can send her body home to be buried. This ends here and now."

The two higher ups turned on their heels and began their descent. Taking Lily with them.

"No..."

But they couldn't hear me. I scrambled on the floor in a poor effort to push myself back with each step Private Riley took towards me.

"Now it's my turn. To return the favor."

He got closer and closer. My back soon pressed against a boulder resulting in the blood soaked blade being pressed against my throat.

"M-mercy." I begged. "C-come on Phoenix- It's me- It's Rin. Your best friend. Your sister in arms-. Pl-please don't do this- please-"

He only shook his head at me. "You didn't show me mercy the day you literally put a blade in my body and twisted it. You have no right to call me a friend. A brother. I am nothing but the man who will kill you."

My breath hitched, my eyes closed tight shut. I thought he was right, that I'd join Dawn in Hell.

But distant gun-fire rang out. The bullets flew past us both before Private Riley finally took a hit to his back causing him to fall forward and jab the blade into the boulder.

I kicked him off me while he was weak and ran. I ran until my eyes met with Felix and basically threw myself at him when my legs decided to fail me. I chuckled softly through the panic and tears that rolled down my cheeks in an attempt to humor the situation. "Heh... we still got to work on your aim..."

He only smiled softly back and blocked my body with his own. "Unfortunately... We ran out of time to learn. But I'm glad you're okay... make your way down. Leonard, Raphael, and Sophia are waiting for you to join them. I'll take care of this punk." He held an M15 toward Private Riley.

"No!" I got between Private Riley and the barrel of the gun. "No" I breathed once more. "Keep him as a pri-prisoner of war... please... he can be co-converted... please... take him to the infirmary, p-patch him up, he'll talk out of the f-fact that we saved his life- plea-ease-"

"Rinna... he's a threat- he just tried to kill you for fucks sake-"

I placed a hand over his mouth. "Tr-trust me... please... it's what Li-lily would've wanted me to do... please..."

He sighed, lowered the gun, and cupped my face, wiping the tears from my eyes. "I do trust you... but if he makes another stunt like that again, I'm going to be the one to blow his guts out if they aren't already blown-"

I leaned into his palm and whispered my thanks.

"I'll see you down the mountain, in the meantime help any of the survivors... I know the others are onto it... now, go."

I swallowed a nervous lump and willed my legs to allow me to stand on my own two feet again. "Don't-... don't take too long..." Was all I could say to him as I began my descent down.

"Oh trust me, this won't take long at all."

⌖ ⌖ ⌖

My heart ached as I passed the burning tents. The sanctuary and safe haven that we thought we would have up here is now turned to nothing but ashes. We lost so much up here.

Shelter.

Resources.

Men.

Woman.

Children.

Friends.

Families.

All of it was lost due to a traitor in our ranks.

I knew Dawn was crazy but I didn't realize that she would go so far as to hurt the very people she strived to protect from The Elite Strike Force's clutches. I guess I was wrong. She would have done anything if it meant I'd die. Pay the price for taking her beloved sister's life. Nami's life.

I wish I didn't pull the trigger on her.

Maybe then I would've gotten to know her.

Maybe then Dawn wouldn't have betrayed us.

Maybe then this war would've been over in the blink of an eye.

I am the one to blame for all of this.

I've lost everything.

"Not everything..." I whispered under my breath when I finally made my way down the mountain ranges just in time to see dad, Raphael, and Sophia down below.

There is a chance to end this once and for all.

"Rinna!" Dad called out as he ran up to me and held me tightly in his arms. "Are you hurt?"

I simply shook my head. "No... I'm okay, but Dawn- she-" I lost my words again.

"We know... I'm sorry it took us this long to realize it..."

"And Felix he- he's still up there-"

"I'll go get him, make sure he's alright... you three stay here and help those who were able to escape the blaze." In the blink of an eye, he was already making the hike to the tops.

"Well- that settles that... but I'd rather wait for them, you look white as a ghost and could use a breather. Take a seat, talk to me. What happened up there." He found a small dry patch of grass to sit on.

I joined his side and rested my head on his shoulder.

"D-dawn is-... Lily- she's-..." Again I swallowed a lump that was hanging at the back of my throat before I willed words to escape my mouth. "They're both dead..."

He sighed, wrapped an arm around me and held me close. "It's okay... we'll handle it."

I shook my head. "Colonel Hitchen and Lieutenant Davis are long gone by now..."

I watched Sophia's brows furrow. "We... we didn't see anyone come down- just you-"

I shot up from the ground.

That means... they're still out there.

Dad did too, I assume he was thinking the same. This place only has one way up, meaning there is only one way down. They're still here. Somewhere.

"We shouldn't wait here much longer then... we need to move, this place isn't safe anymore."

"What about Felix and Ralphie?" Sophia spoke up.

I turned my head up towards the pinnacles again, they were indeed coming down but Felix looks like he's covered in blood.

Raphael is helping him down.

At first, I thought of the worst. But as they crept closer, I saw that they're both safe. The blood on Felix is from Private Riley who's still bleeding profusely down Felix's left shoulder and back.

"Let's get the fuck out of here."