Wanna Make You Mine.

43

Ray's hand was still stretched out in front of her.

Emma looked at him, while the tears streaming down her face didn't want to stop. she ran towards him, letting herself go into his arms

Gilda and Don finally managed to reach and find them, following Emma's desperate screams, that spread throughout the entire area.
Seeing her in that state was heartbreaking for them.

Emma had always been a point of reference for the family. Even though she suffered, she always tried to do it in silence or hide it. She preferred to appear strong and help her brothers.

But she was human too after all. Many times she wanted to scream too.

And that's exactly what she was doing.
For the first time in her life she felt lost, she didn't know what to do and tried to cling to the boy who had always been by her side

Ray held her tightly, humming the lullaby she liked so much to calm her down.
He gently stroked her hair, kissing her forehead softly

Don and Gilda watched them in silence.

Nobody dared to say a word.

After a few minutes Emma finally calmed down, and Don and Gilda took the opportunity to get closer

<do you feel better now?> Gilda asked worried.

<I'm sorry..> Emma said as Ray wiped away her tears

<for what?> he asked

<for...everything...I should have comforted Gilda while she was crying, I should have listened to Don's plan; moreover, if I hadn't accepted the elder demon's proposal to rest for a while in his house, we wouldn't have wasted time, maybe we could have arrived in time to protect them, and maybe ... those two children would still be alive ...I'm pathetic> Emma said, bowing her head

Ray looked at her with sad eyes, but when he was about to say something, Don preceded him.

<I can't accept your apologies> he said, catching Ray and Gilda's attention.

<huh ...?> Emma looked at him confused.

<I can't accept your apology. You have no reason to do it> he continued.

<Don it's all my fault we're in this situation>

<no it isn't. We all decided to stay together. Maybe you're right, if we had left earlier we probably could have protected them, but now it doesn't matter anymore. It's now part of the past and we cannot change it>

Emma gritted her teeth
<Don our family is missing! We don't know where they are, nor if they have been captured, nor if someone is torturing them .... not even if they are alive!>

<Emma, Yuugo and Lucas were here with them. It was you who told them it was better if they stayed to protect the family and wait for Minerva's allies! I don't know if the reason they're not there now is because they managed to escape or someone captured them .... but there are those two adults with them. And I trust them, I'm sure they're not in danger.>

Ray put a hand under his chin.
<But we don't know how things really went. We weren't there to say for sure if they were kidnapped or just escaped.>

<guys we can't keep wasting time guessing. We need to investigate and try to find some clues> Gilda pointed to the shelter

<you're right. We need to find some trace> Ray said following Gilda into the shelter.

Emma was about to follow them but stopped when she felt Don's hand on her shoulder.
<Don?>

<don't think about always protecting others. You have to take care of yourself too because you're part of the family too.You don't have to apologize for your tears or show your weaknesses to us. Even Heroes need time to think, be sad, cry, feel human.>

Emma looked at him in amazement.

<Whatever happens, don't be afraid to cry in front of us
You're my sister Emma. I have a duty to protect you too.> Don said, smiling stupidly at her

Emma giggled and hugged him
<thank you, Don. You're the best!>

<I know,I know. Besides being a handsome guy full of charm, I'm also an exceptional brother ... I know ...> Don said waving his hands in pride.

Emma burst out laughing, followed by Don, but they stopped when they heard Gilda's screams coming from the shelter.
<guys. stop wasting time and give us a hand.or you have no idea what awaits you two.>

<yes sir!> the two said miming a military salute, and headed inside the shelter.

.

Gilda was right. It was all destroyed.

Countless bullets decorated the floor along with the rubble of furniture, glasses, plates.
They began to walk through the corridors exploring the place as if it was new to them.

They reached the monitor room and began to glimpse the first blood-painted walls.

Emma felt the tension rise but she tried to calm down. She had to be calm and think straight.

Ray noticed a detail
<this must have been one of the rooms where Yuugo and Lucas had a fight with someone>

<How can you say that?> Don said confused

<look. There are a lot more bullets in the floor of this room than in the other in the shelter. Plus if you look carefully ....> Ray bent down to take two bullets which he showed to his friends.

<Those are Lucas and Yuugo's bullets!> Gilda said.

Ray nodded
<Yuugo once told me about it when we went on an expedition together. he told me that Lucas and the children of Goldy Pond had managed to design and build a special type of bullet that they still use today.>

<and how can you say that they're Yuugo and Lucas' bullets and not some of the children of Goldy Pond?> asked Don

<the children of Goldy Pond have bullets with a more curved tip, while those of Yuugo and Lucas are more pointed and deadly> said Ray throwing the bullets to the ground

<there are too many bullets to have been shot by one person, even considering any reloads> Gilda noted

<wait. Maybe the cameras recorded something!> Emma said pointing to the monitors

Gilda sat down in a chair and began to press the keys on the keyboard in a certain sequence.

<wow ... I didn't know you could do that> Don said smiling at the girl

Gilda adjusted her glasses
<well ... there were no computers in Grace Field to do this with>

<so? Did you find something?>

<almost all the cameras were damaged. I'm trying to retrieve their last moments of registration>

The three nodded.

Twenty minutes went by and Emma and Ray left the room, to let their younger sister concentrate  and take the time she needed.
The two split up, looking for more clues around the refuge.

Ray headed for the library, luckily still intact. He loved that place, where he spent hours reading or just relaxing.
It was his happy corner of the world, able to connect his old hell life,spent in Grace Field, with his new free life.

He headed for a bookcase, and stopped to admire the books on the shelf, getting lost in his thoughts.

<are you okay?>

Ray heard a voice behind him, almost habitual now.
<I'm so stupid...> he replied smiling, without taking his eyes off the books

<you know it's not your fault.> the voice continued

<you tried to warn me that night. And I didn't have time to hear your words because of fatigue. If I had listened to you carefully, they would all still be here>

<Are you sure, Ray? Isn't that presumption what I fell coming from your words?>

"presumption?"

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love ya all guys!
hope you like how the story is going! :D

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