Genevieve was sitting in the wide window, she was not worried about her dropping twenty stories towards the ground. She knew that her balance was good, not as good as it used to be. Tears stung in her eyes, something that happened a lot lately. Especially when she thought about her old life, the last city she called home. Her gaze went aimlessly over the buildings that stretch out before and under her, it was another city. How knew? Apparently Rycharde Erewaker did, he left Benevolence just before shit hit the fan. Before Justin took over, before Justin used the Freedom Fighters as his own personal army. Before she was forced to see everyone she loved die, her crew, friends, her adoptive parents. Although she never saw them die, she heard their screams, she could hear Allia fight for her live when Justin did his worst to her. The police and some freedom fighters that were on Justin's side were holding her down, which was a wise decision. Because she had killed Justin then and there. She swallowed the vile taste that crept into her mouth away, it was blood mixed with her hatred for the man. Her mind banned the thoughts of him, and let it again wonder towards the city that she saw right before her eyes. All the buildings that she was able to see were covered with plants, which was a fresh breath of air. No pun intended, but plants were rare in Benevolence. There were some trees in the more wealthy districts of the city, but the rest of the city was covered in neon lights. Her hand went towards the wound, or where the wound had being. It was healed up now, although it had left a nasty scare, no more crop tops for her. Unless she wanted to explain the scar every time someone saw it.
"Yeah, I got that one when I was forced to fight the man I once loved. No, he was the commander of the Freedom fighters and I admired him. But then I discovered that he was the one we initially were fighting, and he had used us to do his dirty work."
No, that wouldn't be a fun opener for any type of conversation. Her gaze went down, the people down there would never understand her. Not that she would give them a change too, she was not even allowed to leave this apartment. She was not a citizen of this city, and after what happened in Benevolence, she doubted that the city council would ever expect her as one of them. She raised her hands, they seemed to be clean, but they were drenched in blood. Genevieve had killed a lot of people, in the name of freedom. No, that was not in the name of freedom, but back then she didn't know that. Still, that was no excuse for the crimes she had committed. Funny enough, it was Justin that told her that a soldier was not allowed to make that kind of excuse. They all had a brain, and they needed to use it.
"Ahh, I already thought that I would find you here." A deep voice behind her said. It didn't scare her to hear it, this was his home, after all. "Wallowing in self-pity, as per usual." She turned her head to face him, by the wasteland, he looked so much like him.
"What else can I do, old man." She said, with a low voice. She was not going to use his name, he lost that privilege when he left. "I have slept, eaten, trained, used the bathroom once or twice, and now all that I have left to do is wallow in the sad reality that is my life. Which I deserve, don't you agree." She knew that he didn't agree with that at all, he made that crystal clear.
"I didn't patch you up, for you to waste your life away." Rycharde snapped at her. "I know that legally aren't allowed to leave this house, but that never stopped you before. Where is the Freedom Fighter I once knew?"
"She was killed, she was killed by your son." she snapped back. "And now what is left of her, is done fighting." She climbed out of the window, and went towards the bed. "I am sorry that I turned out to be a huge disappointment." Genevieve knew that he didn't see her in that way, he never had seen her in that way. But he knew her as the bright young girl, the girl that joined the Freedom fighter from the tender age of fifteen. Rycharde back then was the leader, and he placed her under Justin's watch. He had trained her, taught her everything she knew about various type of combat and weapons. Her taught her how to hunt, harm and kill. All things she believed she needed to survive, but now she knew that he was grooming her into the perfect obedience tool.
"I am sorry, Genevieve, I really am. But no one place a gun to your head when you joined, you wanted to be part of the Freedom Fighters." he said, and this was true. Nobody hold her at gunpoint. She let herself fall upon the soft mattress, it was softer than her last bed. Not that it reflected into her rest, her nights were hunted by the memories.
"Not when I joined, but after you left. There was a gun placed to Meak's and Allia's heads so that I would stay. There was a gun to their heads when I was reluctant to kill, and trickers were pulled when I refused to do anything Justin wanted." she said. She looked up, and saw that his whole stance changed.
"Did you..." he started to ask. He wanted to know if she was inside the room, or house when Justin killed her adoptive parents. She shook her head, no, Justin knew that it would break her.
"I was pinned against the wall, just outside. I was forced to hear them scream, to hear the gun shot, to smell the scent of their blood. And after that I was forced to complete my mission, which was to kill another official." Genevieve replied. "I did, kill them, because now the guns were on the heads of my friends. My friends didn't let me into the house, before the bodies of Meak and Allia were removed. They knew that they were next, they knew that if I placed one toe wrong that they wouldn't see the next sunrise." Tears started to stream over her cheeks, her friend who in the end gave their lives for nothing.
"What happened that night?" he asked. She bit her lip, it was not something she wanted to talk about. But there was no point of keeping him in the dark.
"I was not able to complete a mission, Markus and the others knew that one of them would be killed because of it. So instead of waiting who was going to die, they attacked Justin and the men that were loyal to him. I couldn't stand by and watch my friends fight, so I joined. Justin taught me well and in the end it was just him and me left standing. Everybody else was dead, of course Justin knew that there was no way that I would do his bidding after that. He tried to kill me, and he almost did. Only I was able to get a couple of blows in, which left him incapable to finish the job." Her lip started to quiver.
"I taught you too well, it seems. Little Genevieve, look at you all grown up, the perfect soldier." Justin said with a chuckle. Blood was pouring out of his mouth. "But as usual, you didn't think things through. Did you really think that I would let you live? No, I am going to burn this city. I am going to burn it all down, and there is nothing you could do about it. Nothing. You have failed, once again. If I were you, I would start running, maybe you are able to get out of the city in time." He chuckled again. "I doubt it, but you can try. You can try to keep that stupid promise."
"Genevieve, come back. You are not there, you are in Maraud. You are safe," the voice of Rycharde brought her back to the room. She was tired, so dammed tired. All she wanted to do now was sleep. The image of the dying Justin was still front and center, so she wouldn't find must piece there. Still, she didn't want to battle against sleep. "By the wasteland, I thought that I lost you."
"In many ways than one, you did lose me." she replied, and then let her eyes fall shut. "I lost, I failed, I died." and sleep took her away.
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