(Reverence 4, 59 / 12:18PM)

  In the present day; in the backyard of the adobe.

  Agents all pinned their weapons down toward the rest of the sinners that y in front of them, their fingers on their triggers as they analyzed the criminal’s movements.

  Stan and Gary, who were the only ones that weren’t injured, raised both of their hands in the air, their knuckles facing the agents that slowly walked toward them. One of the agents, a skinny tanned man with no facial hair, pulled out two sets of handcuffs from his side pocket.

  Both Stan and Gary dropped their hands, their wrists locked on tight with the metal, as they watched the rest of the agents do the same to Fred and Diego.

  (Stan’s thoughts) So this is how it ends…

  Being pushed to a sidewall, Stan and Gary knelt with both of their knees sinking into the dry soil underneath. Their boots pressed onto the back of an abandoned outhouse, their hands kept still onto their lower back, as they watched the agents bring Fred and Diego from up the dirt ground.

  Putting handcuffs onto the two of them, blood continued to litter his shirt, his dead eyes looking down at the ground while being led to Stan and Gary. As for Diego, his spttered nose only bled down to his throat and chest, his feet barely able to walk him to the others.

  (Stan’s thoughts) We’re really going to be spending the rest of our lives in a cell with P Mimmy…

  Last but not least, Jumbo was carried and handcuffed by two agents, as his feet and legs weren’t sturdy enough to even walk. Dropping him to the ground, his face fell ft on the soil, as the dirt tried to molest and assault into his parched mouth.

  Walking without injury, Jenny cast her gaze down to the ground, her eyes unable to meet with Stan. Kneeling on the same line, she, Stan, Gary, Fred, Diego, and the colpsed Jumbo all settle into the ground that comforted their moistened skin.

  (Agent #1) Now we just have to await further orders from Briggs. He should be here any minute—

  Every agent took a step back away from the group.

  Giving the man with below-average height a bow, in his right hand softly held the wrists of a 14-year-old girl with pigtail braids. Letting her go, he pointed in the direction of the other sinners who knelt near the outhouse wall, causing her to pucker her lips before walking to them.

  Folding his arms, he gnced at a nearby agent walking to him.

  (Agent #1) I heard you got into a fight with one of Sumiko’s daughters.

  (Agent Briggs) I did. Had to use dirty tricks to finish it.

  (Agent #1) But you didn’t capture her?

  (Agent Briggs) I gave her a punishment suited for her. I don’t discriminate in fighting, but I don’t like punishing women that hard.

  (Agent #1) Good to know.

  Pcing both of his hands into his tuxedo’s pockets, he slowly kicked off hilltops of red dirt that painted the tip of his boots red. Sprinkling the soil onto the faces of the men and one woman that were captured, his eyes looked down onto the ginger-brownish-haired elf with freckles, his cold eyes freezing Stan’s feet.

  His feet were loose from their base, his hands balled into fists within pockets, and the hot desert wind fluttered the side bang that covered his left eye.

  (Agent Briggs) What did you guys expect?

  Gary, Diego, Jenny, and Loraine all looked up in unison to see what Stan was seeing, their eyes widening at the void-filled eyes of the agent in front of them. As for Fred, even the void couldn’t bring him out of his own, his eyes growing darker and darker as he stared at the red dirt.

  (Agent Briggs) In the end, sinners pay a hefty price; either here or below.

  Three agents stood up from the hard soil that comforted them.

  Clutching the right side of his stomach, Eren had both of his hands littered with his blood as he stood next to Briggs. His breathing was heavy, his eyes on the verge of shuttering close, he put his right hand onto Brigg’s shoulder.

  Still bleeding from her right ear, Ada put the leftover top of her ear into her pocket, standing in front of Fred who couldn’t budge his eyes, neck, or face up. In the back of Briggs, a limping woman with drool dripping down both corners of her mouth gred straight at the monolid woman with gsses.

  (Agent Eren) You guys could’ve come with us quietly from the start.

  (Agent Ada’s thoughts) If only he was an agent, or even an unsinner, then…

  Briggs grabbed a hold of Stan’s hair, pulling him up as he brought him close to his face. His face grew pale, trickles of sweat rained down from his cheeks and forehead, his body shivering under the cold water that drenched him.

  Pulling out his golden revolver, he pced the barrel straight into Stan’s neck, his finger on the side of the gun.

  (Agent Briggs) If you even flinch or try to escape, I would sculpt your brain into Aizzonian cheese. Please don’t push my luck.

  Pushing the elf toward one of the agents, Stan almost tripped as one of the dirt hills smmed onto his right foot. Looking toward the others, they all soon began standing up without the use of their hands or arms, their pants and shoes reddened from the dirt.

  Shoved again, Stan walked toward a van coated in bck, with no windows or seats.

  Inhaling in the dry air that grew on him, he pushed it back out into the world that betrayed him. By just seeing the inside of the dark shadows that held inside the van, his feet couldn’t bring him up to settle down in there.

  Like watching a pig or cow being sent to a sughterhouse for bacon or steak; the soul would be his offering.

  (Stan’s thoughts) I haven’t accomplished a single thing…

  A cold hand grabbed the back of his neck. Pushing him straight into the center of the van, Stan tucked himself like a ball, his eyes staring into the dark corner of a shadow.

  Gary, whose eyes remained low to the ground, helped himself up to the floor of the bck van. Sitting down beside the balled-up Stan, he looked up to the ceiling, seeing nothing but the metal that enclosed him.

  Neither stars nor light could give that same feeling when looking up at something encompassed in bck; Gary knew.

  (Gary’s thoughts) I wonder how my parents are doing up there.

  Both Diego and Fred plopped themselves onto the floor, their chins grazing the metal of the bck van that seemed to bnket them like a loving mother. Blood still oozing out from his broken nose, Diego closed his eyes, his eyelids letting him whisper him to sleep.

  Fred stared at the side metal wall, his mouth slightly open as air brustled his throat.

  His thoughts were dead, with not a thought going into his silent wheezing.

  Throwing the beast-human into the van, it nded right on top of Fred. The air squeezing out of him, it wasn’t like st time when Fred was angry and frustrated. Instead, only a soft, lifeless groan wept from his vocals.

  Unconscious, Jumbo slept soundly simir to Diego.

  Sitting next to Gary, Jenny’s eyes began to water as she looked at the three men who welcomed the metal floor. Her throat quivering, she closed her eyes, trying to imagine the same darkness that she saw after her fight with Alexandra.

  But the afterimage of the three men in front of her only caused her to bite down on her lower lip.

  (Loraine) Let go of me!

  A skinny tanned man dragged her to the back of the van. His fingers dug deep into her wrist bone, and both of his teeth clenched together while his eyes trained a crimson red.

  (Agent #2) Get in that van or else I’ll—

  Opening her mouth wide, she bit his forearm like a wolf chomping down on a criminal's hand.

  Yelling, the agent jerked his head up, as a steaming hiss seeped from both of his lips. Digging his fingers into Loraine’s wrist even deeper, he pulled the girl close to his body, raising his right knee…

  And jabbed it into her stomach.

  Drool and saliva vomiting out from her mouth and throat, she let her knees sm on the dirt, clouding an inch of soil to bust out. Having her teeth out from his forearm, she pced both of her elbows onto the ground, her eyes grazing the pebbles that glow under her saliva.

  (Agent #2) Do you think you could bite me?!

  Pulling back his right foot, he thrust it toward her stomach, causing her to vomit out another load of saliva deep in her throat. Repeatedly kicking her, a couple of agents including Eren ran toward the commotion, despite having a bullet to his stomach.

  The more he kicked, the more she spat out. Feeling as if a metal baseball hat smmed ten times over her liver, her mouth was wide open for the dirt to settle into, along with her body trembling and shivering from the excess pain.

  (Agent Eren) That’s enough!

  Using whatever strength that Eren had, he pulled the skinny agent away from Loraine. Gripping the agent’s colr, Eren’s jaws clenched together while the other agent gred back at him, causing Eren to spit while he yelled.

  (Agent Eren) She’s just a girl! You didn’t have to do that!

  (Agent #2) Anyone who attacks us deserves punishment! I’m upholding it you pacifist-loving—

  A gunshot ricocheted the air all around them.

  All the agents looked over to the commotion between the skinny agent and Eren, seeing a carcass of blood spttered all over his face. His face widened, his grip on the skinny agent loosened, pulling back his hands as…

  The skinny agent colpsed onto the soil.

  A bullet in the back of his head, blood fertilized the dry soil that long-awaited water or tears. His life already forfeit, a plume of smoke drawn out from the barrel of a golden revolver, a revolver belonging to none other than…

  (Agent Eren) Briggs…

  Holstering his gun back to his waist, he looked at the carcass that he created, his eyes cold and filled without a gleam of light. Huffing out an excess puff of air from his nostrils, he looked at the blood-spttered Eren, whose eyes widened from pure shock and fear.

  (Agent Briggs) Take the group to Ridgemente. The Zirardge train will stop at the station near the port tomorrow.

  (Agent Eren) B-Briggs… you—

  (Agent Briggs) Now.

  Walking backward, Eren’s breathing hardened as he ran to the van’s driver's door. Opening it wide, he allowed himself in before smming it shut, roaring the engine to life with a fog of smoke plundering out of the exhaust pipe.

  Putting both of his hands inside of his scks pockets, Briggs noticed Ada who clittered her teeth in fear, along with Alexandra who clutched both of her hands together. Both women stared at Briggs, Briggs looked at Ada before pointing to the passenger side door.

  (Agent Briggs) Close the door to the back of the van. Join Eren while you’re at it.

  (Agent Ada) G-Got it sir.

  The rest of the other agents slowly back away from Briggs, they enter into their own vans, smming their doors shut as they hide away their pale faces. Alexandra, who was the only one near him, nudged her to come closer to him.

  (Agent Briggs) Bring a body bag for Greg here. Report that the beast-human was the one who shot him.

  (Spartan Alexandra) O-Okay…

  As she did her thing, Briggs looked up to the clear sky that held no clouds. Still daytime, no stars shone, no moon, only the yellow sun that glistened onto his pale skin.

  Looking down toward the van, he witnessed the sinners finally being put to justice, as the road the van took led them South.

  ______________________________________________________________________________

  (Reverence 4, 59 / 1:05PM)

  (The Zirardge Train)

  Not even Luke nor Hope took out both of their weapons.

  Watching the man cd in bck tower over them, the only person that he had his eyes on was none other than Luna. Her entire body trembling, her legs losing the strength to walk, her elbows loosened from their joints and her arms felt like jello.

  With the two metals cshing between one another, sparks and embers screamed and shone on the surface of the metal walls. Smoke filled up the train compartment, Luke and Hope sniffed once before walking back slowly to the door.

  But gncing at Luna, he picked her up to pce her onto his back.

  And while doing so, he took out both of his uzis, as Luna’s fingers dug deep into his chest to carry herself onto him.

  (Luke) Run Hope! Let’s get out of here!

  As Hope sprinted to the second train compartment, Luke pced both of his fingers on their triggers while backward running. Seeing that Kenichi was walking toward them, Luke grit both his upper and lower teeth, letting his fingers sink deep into the metal.

  Causing both barrels of his guns to bze the air.

  Raising both of his dual-wielding chainsaw bdes, Kenichi used the chains to split the bullets in half or direct them into the nearby walls. Lifting his chainsawed bdes like pieces of paper, the swift motion of his slices cut the air as if he were slicing cake.

  Luckily for Luke, he reached the door between the third and second train cart.

  Turning his body back, he noticed Benn and Jack sleeping on the ground, with Hope trying to pull Benn to the front train cart. Seeing Sean still trying to load in whatever money he found in the vault, his right brow furrowed as he saw Luke’s face pstered in sweat.

  (Sean) Hey, what’s the matter, Luke?!

  (Luke) What are you doing!? Just run!

  Stepping foot into the second train cart, Kenichi coldly stared into the depths of Sean’s soul.

  Sucking in whatever air that situated inside of his throat, Sean pushed it down into the deepest part of his airways. Dropping a bag of gold coins from his hands, he quickly pulled out his Thompson, his finger already on the trigger.

  Spraying all of the bullets in the chamber, the train cart lit up as Kenichi soon raised both of his bdes again. Slicing and dicing all of the bullets that Sean shot, the air itself pushed Sean to take a step back while firing.

  (Sean’s thoughts) Come on Luke! Get them out of here!

  Seeing Hope dragging Benn, Luke made eye contact with Hope before nudging his head to the red-haired man who swiftly slept. With a single nod, Hope ran toward Jack, putting both of her hands onto his shoulders and pulling him to the door, her upper body rexing more as Jack was far lighter than Benn.

  With Luna on his back, Luke grabbed Benn’s colr before using all the strength in his body to pull him out. The firing of his Thompson ceasing, Sean holstered it back into his jacket before grabbing the coin bag that he dropped.

  Sprinting to the front cart, Sean noticed Miles, Elizabeth, and Johnny all standing in front of Doug who y down near the edge of the train. Waving his hand, he got the three of their attention.

  (Sean) Hey! We have to leave right now!

  (Miles) Got it!

  Coming out of the train cart, Hope managed to pull Jack out, leading Sean to run to her and the sleepless young man. Carrying him with both of his arms, he rushed to the others, not looking back as sweat drenched every part of his body.

  As for Hope, she clenched both of her hands together as if she were praying, gazing at the dark room while standing in front of the door. Her breath shallow, she didn’t pay the others any mind while they ran to the circuit board of the train.

  (Hope’s thoughts) Please come out Luke.

  Her heart beating out of her chest, she could hear the rapid thumping that chiseled her earlobes. Holding her breath, she took a step forward, ignoring the thundering footsteps that jingled in back of her.

  Then came Luke.

  But instead of walking out of the train cart, it seemed as if…

  He flew out of the compartment.

  Holding onto Benn, while Luna held onto Luke, all three of them tumbled out of the cart like a couple of ragdolls. Hitting the back of his head against one of the metal crates, Luke shut his eyes while opening his mouth and moving his jaw from the pain.

  Steaming out the stress with his hissing lips, he raised his right hand onto the bruised area of his head, rubbing it with his fingers as he felt it stinging his skull. Almost like it was stabbing him, he dropped his hand to the metal floor, his hand near Luna who was clinging to him with wide eyes.

  Eyes that saw her grim reaper.

  His chainsaws still cshing against the metal, he looked down at Luna, Luke, and Benn, in which Benn barely managed to wake up from his unconscious slumber. Opening his eyes, he had his mouth sealed shut, along with every muscle in his body to freeze upon seeing the dual-wielding chainsawed man.

  (Benn) What now Fenix?

  Even Luke froze by just analyzing the chainsaw-wielding man.

  Holding onto Luna’s hand, she clutched back firmly, her fingers locking and wrapping into his. Analyzing upon analyzing the number of embers that chunked out from the chains, he stared deep into the light that was encapsuted in his eyes.

  (Luke’s thoughts) I’m not the best in combat … and Luna is practically suffering from PTSD from him … so …

  Letting go of Luna’s hand, Luke slowly stood up with both heels of his feet, while having his hands raised up to the height of his shoulders. Closing his hands into fists, his eyes rgened from fear, yet his feet stood him unshaken.

  (Luke’s thoughts) I have to set an example as a leader to them, even if I’m practically the weakest male in the group.

  His breathing in control, Luke slid his right foot back, as he watched any movement along Kenichi’s arms, hands, legs, feet, chest, or even—

  The embers of the cshing chains ceased.

  Putting them back in the inside of his bck jacket, Kenichi scurried his slightly wrinkled fingers around his holsters. Taking out a simple rope, the rope was long enough to hold a dozen people, and upon gazing his eyes down at Luke, Benn, and Luna…

  (Kenichi) He told me to take you all in alive; with Luke being a dead or alive case. If you disobey, you will get cut or shot by me or him.

  Several barrels locked onto Kenichi’s body. Their fingers on the side of their guns, their bones and knuckles hardened under the soup air that tainted the metals with their water.

  In the center of the group, Miles had both of his sawed-off shotguns ready and loaded, as Sean and Christian stood on his right. With Pacifica and Chris standing to his left, Miles cleared his throat, pced both of his feet together, and tilted his head up.

  (Miles) I don’t think you understand here. We’re leaving this train, no matter what your boss says.

  (Doug) And I say; try.

  The sound of a trench gun being reloaded can be heard in the back of them. Unable to turn around, Miles continued to keep his aim at Kenichi, yet his eyes gnced at the back of Doug who now aimed his gun at him.

  Not only that but a woman with turquoise-colored hair the same as Doug pushed herself off of the ground. Holding her stomach, her breaths were loaded with metal that stretched from her blood and leftover remnants of cigars.

  (Doug) You need to rest now Viv. Don’t push yourself.

  (Vivy) I need to heal … I need Rimy.

  (Doug) She’s in the second compartment, but I don’t think she would…

  Crawling out of the second cart, a short-haired woman wearing a ft cap and thin jacket grazed her nails on the metallic floor. Her cheek smoldering the surface, drool and blood mixed to leave a trail that dripped from her right lip. Along with her stomach pouring out an excess of blood, she looked up to see the rope that Kenich had in his hands, her mouth churning up to form a smile.

  (Doug) Despite how she looks, she might end up shooting you if you pn to fight. If you promise to surrender yourselves to us.

  Both sawed-off shotguns that Miles wielded began to tremble softly. His finger moved to the side of the gun, his head tilted down, his eyes grazing the floor while biting down inside of his left cheek.

  Christian lowered his Thompson down to the ground, pointing the barrel to the floor while gulping down whatever dry saliva was inside his throat. As for Pacifica and Chris, Chris softly pced his Mauser pistol on the metal floor, while raising his other hand. Since Pacifica had no gun, she raised both of her open-palm hands to the height of her shoulders, looking down without seeing Miles or Sean’s eyes.

  Like a domino effect, Miles finally lowered his weapons, holstering them back inside his hips.

  (Sean) What are you doing Miles?

  (Miles) Don’t you see the man standing in front of us? If he’s fast enough to deflect bullets, then he’s deadly enough to sughter all of us without a second thought. Besides, there’s a good chunk of barrels pointing at us.

  (Christian) Take it from him, Sean. From the looks of it, our option of fighting has been repced with death.

  Luke lowered his hands to the height of his stomach, his knuckles facing Kenichi while the back of his boots grazed the metal crate. Noticing Benn do the same thing, Benn rubbed his knuckles with his thumb, feeling the round and unrigid bones that he was born with.

  Slowly walking toward them with the colossal rope hay rope in his hands, he towered over Luke himself. Bringing down some of the rope from its clumped-up ball state, Kenichi took out a simple pocket knife from his bck jacket. Sshing the rope three times, there was a wide enough string of hay to hold three separate people.

  Using his fingers, he nudged the three to come forward. Luke and Benn, obliging to Kenichi’s request, cast their heads down as the afternoon sun shone onto the back of their necks.

  (Luke’s thoughts) There’s gotta be a way to get out of this…

  Unluckily for them, a short-haired female guard raised the helm of her sniper onto the edge of the crate. Her right eye indulging in the minuscule scope of her Springfield rifle, her breathing hardened, and reeked of metal and iron.

  Her aim; was the ginger-haired elf who still pointed his gun at the man cd in all bck.

  Noticing a long barrel being pointed at him, Sean slowly lowered his gun. Unable to look at the others, he scrunched up his eyes and quenched his breath.

  While Kenichi began tying Benn and Luke first.

  (Benn’s thoughts) I guess there is no way, huh Fenix…

  Gazing his eyes down at the stuttering woman, Kenichi lowered his body to kneel on the floor. Wrapping the rope around Luna’s frozen body, she closed her eyes, and thoughts from the past soon blistered and warped her mind like a tsunami of memories.

  As if her life fshed before her eyes, yet there was no danger.

  Birthdays, hangouts, homework, teachers, friends, boy bands, brothers, father, shopping.

  Then the fall.

  Swords, blood, strength, training, comrades, David; Luke.

  Everything pyed out in single order, with every memory taking up a microsecond in the reality in which she faced. Opening her eyes, she saw the man cd in all bck standing up, his eyes shriveling up her body from the toe up.

  Before the fall, he took everything from her, and even now, he’s taking everything back from her again.

  Unable to push up with both of her numb feet, she continued to keep her gaze on Kenichi, as his left hand soon grabbed the end of the rope she was wrapped in. Pulling her up like a handbag, he also dragged Luke and Benn, their lower bodies all clutching to the dirt and water on the floor.

  (Kenichi) Let’s hurdle them up like cattle Doug.

  (Doug) Sounds good to me. Get me some rope will ya, I could help you tie them up while Rimy keeps an eye on them.

  Taking the three of them to the center of the front train cart, he dumped them right in front of Miles and everyone. While Hope and the sleeping Jack sat near the edge of the train, Kenichi’s eyes gnced at the two of them, her pushed-up eyes causing him to sway his head softly. Wielding the colossal rope with his left hand, he cut seven pieces of rope, his dull pocket knife bde cleaving off any weak metal on the handle.

  Tossing five pieces of rope to Doug, Kenichi began walking toward Hope and Jack, his eyes trailing the sleeping red-haired man whose eyes remained shut off. Tying up Miles, Chris, Pacifica, Christian, and then Sean in that exact order, both Rimy and Vivy watched from opposite ends of the cart to watch every muscle that moved. Both their eyes on the verge of closing off, Vivy shook her head twice, while Rimy spped her cheek with her left hand.

  (Doug) That should do it.

  Dragging Hope and Jack who were already tied up with the hay rope, both of their calves and boots grazed against the metal. Dropping them off next to Luke, Benn, and Luna, Miles and the others soon knelt beside them, all of their faces staring at the metal or up at the daytime sky.

  Another woman, a wrinkled woman with blood streaming off from her lips, walked out of the second train compartment.

  Seeing the woman, Doug raised his hand to wave, causing the woman to limp her way to him. Her right foot dragging on the metal floor, Rimy also did the same, except she began crawling her way to Doug as well.

  As they slowly reached toward them, Doug looked at none other than Benn, whose eyes began to snt inward to form a gre.

  (Doug) You look familiar to a certain shark-human that I know.

  Benn slowly tilted his head upward to look at the chubby-faced man.

  The rope stabbing itself straight into Benn’s stomach, causing him to bite down onto his lower lip while looking to the right side of the train. Not making eye contact with Doug, the chubby man took two steps forward, his body shadowing the shark-human.

  (Doug) Your kind knows him the most. Kirk The Shark-Human. The beast-human that started the demi-human skirmishes almost 30 years ago. Now tell me, Benn? Do your friends know about your past?

  Everyone turned to look at Benn, their heads tilted to the left or right with their brows furrowed upward. Except for Jack who slept, and for Luna who continued to deeply stare into the metal floor, Luke was right beside Benn who started to clench both of his teeth shut.

  Both his upper and lower enamels all grinding and sparking against one another, Benn had his lips closed shut while looking up at the smirking Doug.

  Wielding his trench gun with both of his hands, Doug’s fingers loosened from the wooden part of the gun.

  (Doug) Your friend here isn’t your typical shark-human. When reading his files, there was a lot of bck, but we decoded a simple retive you’re reted to.

  Luke stared deep into Benn’s face, while the shark-human only looked down to avoid both his and Doug’s gazes. Continuing to bite down on his lip, a small trace of blood spurred into his mouth, leading it to moisten and paint some of his teeth red.

  (Luke’s thoughts) Wait … can Benn be …

  Pushing the trench gun onto his right shoulder, Doug used the palm of his right hand to hold the butt of his weapon. His smirk reached up to the height of his ears, and his pupils shrank without the need of the bright rays above, whilst cocking his head to the right.

  As both Rimy and Betty finally reached the group.

  (Doug) Born 28 years ago. The start of the skirmishes was also 28 years ago. Coincidence, I think not.