ʏᴏᴜ'ʀᴇ ɴᴏᴛ ᴍʏ ғʀɪᴇɴᴅ | ᴀɴ ᴇᴅᴅsᴡᴏʀʟᴅ ғᴀɴғɪᴄᴛɪᴏɴ (ᴄᴏᴍᴘʟᴇᴛᴇᴅ!)

【4】

The year is 2028.

The Red Leader is-and has been-the most powerful dictator in the world. He's conquered countries, fought in battles, shed some blood, he's seen it all. Pretty much nothing is new to him. Blood doesn't make him sick or vomit. In fact, he loved it. He had his own base, his own army, prisoners, and his own (human) experiments.
But yet he couldn't seem to get them out of his mind. James Edward Golden. Mathew Aaron Harper. Thomas Hartley Rose. Their names keep popping back up and they wouldn't stop. He wasn't able to focus anymore. He had to take pills. It didn't matter to him. He's done it before. He's done and tried everything he could to get them out but they just wouldn't leave. He knew they were out there somewhere. In the ruins of their old home. How many times has he destroyed their home? Two? Tord was indeed proud of himself but he still needed them. He needed to have them captured for his little collection. Some may call him a sadist, a freak, a homicidal maniac. They never knew those are the kinds of things Tord wanted to be called. He built up his empire, now he needs his prized posessions. Things that'll finally make him happy. He already had some unfortunate commoners who served as his prisoners or lab experiments. Thinking about the three makes him unable to focus, often leaving a patient dead.
Tord pressed a button on his walkie-talkie and called for Paul. As soon as Paul entered the room, he stood straight and saluted. "Yes sir Red Leader sir!" he exclaimed. Tord sighed. "Hvor mange eksperimenter har vi gjennomført?" he asked.
"About forty-six sir."
"Hm. I am not satisfied with that number."
"What are you suggesting we do sir?"
"Find more rats."
Tord opened his drawer and pulled out three photographs. He set them down on his desk, facing Paul. "I need these three. Pretty sure you know them." he explained. Paul studied the photos carefully and nodded. "I am fond of them sir." he replied. Tord hummed.
"Find them and bring them to me immidiently."
"Yes sir Red Leader sir!"
Paul saluted once again and walked out the room. Tord watched and nodded proudly. Oh Paul. One of his best leading soldiers. He didn't know what he would do without him. Sighing, Tord opened his desk drawer again and took out his half empty bottle of pills. He screwed off the cap and took two, popping them into his mouth. He swallowed, holding his head. Looking down at the images in front of him, Tord grew red with anger. He swiped the photographs off his desk. In a sudden realization Tord knew exactly what he was going to do to them. He smiled deviously. "Jeg gjorde det på min måte.."

Tom looked around to make sure no one was there. He grumbled softly. Stupid bandits. Always trying to steal people's rations. Tom would usually tell them to fuck off and then proceed to beat their asses. He's always hated those guys. Approaching the worn-down, yet stable old garage, he knocked on the door. It was a synchronized knock that he, Edd, and Matt knew. One two three, pause. One two three four, pause. One two three, pause. One two three four five. Not being able to trust anyone anymore, the three created that. They lived in an abandoned garage when their apartment burnt down. Allies of the Red Leader probably burnt it. Or at least that's what Tom thought. The Red Leader never showed his or her face. What a coward. They didn't want to get their precious little hands dirty. How dare they fuck with Britain. Tom grunted under his breath. The door lifted up slowly and he slipped inside. The door moved back down behind him as he walked and sat down on the couch. "Psh. I hate everything." he mumbled, sighing loudly. Edd walked over to him. "Gee, calm down." he said, "What happened?" Tom sighed again. "I saw them again. Those stupid soldiers." he answered.
"For the Red Army?"
"What other army has taken over Britain and is kidnapping people to do god knows what!?"
"Hm."
"I saw them while I was grabbing supplies. They grabbed a little girl and her mother out from hiding. The mum was crying and the kid didn't know what was going on. I should've helped them.. I-I shouldn't have let them take them. I just hid like a coward and watched."
"..."
Tom buried his face in his hand. He sighed. "We can't risk getting caught Tom.." Edd mumbled quietly, "You know what would happen if they found us-" he was cut off when Tom decided not to listen. "-No! I don't Edd! None of us do! Who knows what they could be doing to the people there anyway!?" he exclaimed, "Edd, you know damn well that I can't just sit back and watch people burn anymore! Hell, you've helped me and countless others! What's so different now!?" Edd stayed silent and glared at Tom. "What's so different now Edd!? Tell me!" Tom shouted. Edd clenched his fists and exhaled. "Back then I didn't have a fucking target on my back! Back then I didn't have to look over my shoulder every two seconds while I was walking down the street! Back then, I didn't have to fight other people for food and water! This is not the Britain I know anymore! Like hell you expect me to go around and help random strangers! We can't fucking trust anyone! Not anymore! We can't risk getting caught!" he shouted back. Tom glared back at him. Of course he would say that. He was a wuss. But Tom? Tom wasn't going down wihout a fight. He couldn't even remember what he used to see in that man. "You can't." he muttered under his breath. Edd glared at him. "When I see someone who needs help, I'm gonna help them whether you like it or not. You may not wanna get caught but if it's for others, I'm doing it. I don't care. This isn't the Britain I remember either, but this also isn't the Edd I remember. And you know what? I'm fucking glad we broke up." Edd sighed sadly. His glare turned into a soft, hurt expression. "Tom I-" he was cut off when Tom ran off into his little makeshift room. Edd sighed again in disappointment. Tom was right. He was being selfish. But at the same time, they never knew whether it was a soldier in disguise for an actual person in need. They were too precious. Too important. Tom was too important. He missed Tom. Back when they were on good terms. Back when they were all on good terms. He didn't understand where all the frustration was coming from. He was just trying to keep them safe.
There was a sudden knock on the garage door shortly after. Edd paused, staying silent. No one else made a sound. That wasn't the knock they used. It had to be someone else. Then, the person knocked again but instead of one knock, it was many. One two three, pause, one two three four, pause, one two three, pause, one two three four five. Edd slowly but silently walked over to where Tom and Matt stood. They were in the garage as well. Who else could know their knock? Feeling suspicious, Edd asked, "Should I open it?" Tom nodded and Matt shook his head. "How do we know who or what might be out there?" he whispered. Tom shrugged and Edd huffed. By that time, the person at the door knocked again. One two three, pause, one two three four, pause, one two three, pause, one two three four five. Edd swallowed hard. "Tom, you know what to do. Matt, get your gun and get mine." he instructed. Trying not to make any noise, Matt slowly shuffled toward the bedroom. The knocking didn't stop. Matt tossed Edd a gun. Edd nodded and sighed. He slowly shuffled over and made his way to the door's controler and pushed the button with his gun aimed toward the door. "Be careful!" Matt whisper shouted. The door opened slowly and a figure came into view. Actually, many figures came into view. The main one was a man. He had big, bushy eyebrows, a red shirt, black pants, combat boots, and a blue overcoat.

A Red Army soldier.

"Hello Edd." The man greeted. Almost immidiently, Edd started to shoot. Matt came up behind him and started shooting as well. Paul ducked out of the way and looked at the other soldiers behind him. "Ta dem!" he ordered. The soldiers charged and fought Edd. Edd started shooting the soldiers straight through their chests. He groaned when there weren't any bullets left. "Fucking dammit!" he exclaimed, punching a soldier clear in the jaw. Matt took Edd's cover, shooting any soldier that came near them. Edd practically wrestled with the soldiers, taking multiple blows in the stomach. Nonetheless, Edd fought back, punching and kicking every single one of them who laid their hands on him. He had to admit, they were good. "LET ME GO!" he shouted. More soldiers rushed in and went for Tom. Matt dropped his weapon as soon as he ran out of bullets and started fighting to get Edd back. Tom, getting angry, turned into his monster form, sending many soldiers flying back. He stepped in front of Matt, protecting him. He roared and snarled. Killing about ten soldiers with one wack of his paw. "Sender sikkerhetskopi!" one soldier exclaimed, talking into his walkie-talkie, "Jeg gjentar, sender sikkerhetskopi og skaffer sprøyten!" Tom didn't know what that meant but he saw it as a threat, so he killed him. Edd fought with the soldiers currently hauling him into the back of an army truck. He strained and leaned away as Paul stuck a needle in him, making him pass out instantaneously. Soldiers came in with their guns and soon, Matt couldn't hold them all off. He huffed and panted, feeling the open wound in his forehead. "Goddammit.." he mumbled before being knocked out by one of the soldiers. Soldiers then shot Tom, sticking some kind of syringe into him and before he knew it, he was down. The soldiers rounded Matt and Tom up, tying them together, back to back with Edd. They forced them onto the truck and drove off to the Red Army base.
Up in the front, Paul grabbed his walkie-talkie and pressed a button. "Vi har dem." he spoke. Tord smiled sinisterly from his desk.

"Perfekt."