A Fighter's Story

Chapter 12 (1/5): A Horrific Hero

The air was unsettling tonight. As if there was some sinister plot created by the stars. A plan to eradicate all the life that poisoned Earth's precious land. He took another whiff of the air as it rushed past him. If he focused, he could feel the tiny crystals cutting through the air. Those crystalline structures that, while unseen, made up such a vast part of his life.

"You okay, sir?"

He absently turned his head to the right, now focusing on the young woman that broke his silence. The recruit tried to keep her eyes on the dusty road, but he watched as her focus sporadically snapped to-and-fro.

He didn't provide her a response. He instead took another long drag of his cigar. That choking scent still leaking towards her even with the open window. She took a deep breath before continuing, "Are you nervous?" He still didn't give her an answer. "Cause I'm nervous..." her voice was young, high-pitched, and filled with passion. He could hear the slight tremble in her words as she laughed off her statement. "This is my first call ya know. Well, not my first call. My first major call. I've covered lots of jobs before."

He took another long draw of his cigar as she continued rambling. "I mean, I've handled plenty of petty theft calls before but..." He heard her take a sharp inhale on that pause, the forest green tips of her hair rolling off her shoulders. His eyes drifted towards the steering wheel, her knuckles whitening as her grip tightened.

He shook his head, allowing a large billow of smoke to pass through his lips. "Shotzi."

She jumped at his voice. That gargled noise that sounded like he was choking on water as he spoke. "Yes, sir?"

As the smoke flew away with the rushing wind he slowly spoke, "Where are we going?"

"Huh?"

He lightly scratched the remaining stubble that graced his chin. "Where are we going?"

Shotzi looked back at the road. It was just compacted dirt and sand grains by the billions for miles. She took a deep breath, "Oasis, the City in the Sands."

He gave her a reassuring nod as he continued, "And why are we going?"

"To answer a public disturbance..."

He let the air grow stale as he awaited her continuation. His patience grew thin, "And?"

She gulped, "And reported shots fired."

He noticed her teeth gnawing at her bottom lip. "Getting cold feet newbie?"

"It's just, so sudden. I don't think I'm ready."

"You never will be, not on your first call." He glanced at her once again, her eyes darting back and forth as she seemed to be analyzing the simple terrain. He figured the kid would be impressive in the future, but he hated having to manage her while she was green. "Listen, kid, don't get your panties in a twist." He returned his gaze to the great expanse of sand, "You think someone's been shot?"

"Isn't that what shots fired means?"

"Not always..."

Shotzi ran her hands up and down the wheel, "So they might have just fired to cause a ruckus?"

"Sure... Or someone's been shot." Shotzi's eyes bulged at the thought. She had been trained for such situations, but training and the field were two different stories. He grew tired of seeing paranoia plastered across her face, "Listen, you're going to be fine. There's probably nothing left but the aftermath."

"Why does there have to be an aftermath?!"

He finally plucked his cigar out the window, "Do you trust me?"