The Commander's Bride

25. Lithium

Zapper Zaku P.O.V.

I can't believe I didn't get invited to Commander and Raine's wedding last night. Well, I didn't deserve to go to the wedding because first I killed Raine's mother, Sirah when she was three years old and I almost killed her baby Skylar before she was born. It sucks because now I have to sleep in this jail-like cell until Commander or Sergeant says I can get out. I laid on my army cot and tried to take a nap when I hear the basement door open. I assume that it is Commander or Sergeant coming down to bring me my breakfast. So, I got up out of bed and stood up, and faced the cell door. It's Sergeant Fenrir alright but who's that organic with him? I remembered that the little girl walking with him is his granddaughter, Skylar. She has Commander's hair color and Raine's eye color. "Stand close to your grandfather, little one!" Sarge said in a cheery voice as Skylar who's still learning to walk trips and tumbles down the steps. "Pappy, Me fell!" Skylar started crying. "Poor thing!" Fenrir watches as the newborn Skylar picks herself up and waddles over to my cell. Fenrir arrives at my cell, opens it, and hands me my breakfast. I watched as he locks my cell door leaves with Skylar in his arms. "What about me shaving?" I asked in a very weak voice. "Grappler will help you shave," Fenrir said as he and Skylar leave the basement. I ate my breakfast and went to take a nap.
I used to be an honest person. I fought fairly, cared about my friends, and believed that people become stronger by keeping promises. That was before I became a squad leader. When I was promoted, my personality became twisted.
I was simply known as Zaku, a low-ranked officer in the Dark Axis. One day on board the Magna-Musai, I came across a pair of Zako soldiers who were fighting each other. I quickly stopped the fighting, telling them that it's best to get along with comrades. When one Zako told me that the other Zako was a liar who didn't keep his promises, I stated that not keeping promises was not a good thing. When the lying Zako told me that he believed that a Zako who keeps promises could not be a great soldier and mentioned that he wanted to be a big-shot, I chuckled and told the Zako that he wouldn't get any wiser if he didn't keep his promises. When the Zako insisted that there was no advantage in keeping promises, I explained that I believed that keeping promises made me stronger since keeping a promise required a lot of effort. To prove it, I pledged the Zakos that I would become a squad leader and command many soldiers. The other Zako told me that there was going to be a tournament to choose new squad leaders for the invasion of Lacroa, I decided to enter and told the Zakos to burn the sight of my victory into their eyes. I finally made it to the final stage of the tournament. My final opponent over the position of squad leader would be Solitary Gyan. When the referee said that this would be a fight without weapons and hearing Solitary Gyan say that he did not even have any weapons, I hurled my machine guns to the Zako I've spoken to before, telling him not to give my machine guns to anyone until the tournament was over. When the tournament started, I quickly gained the upper hand, throwing Solitary Gyan into the air in a grapple and pushing him back with my punches. However, when I was about to deliver the finishing blow, Solitary Gyan used a flamethrower to engulf me in flames. Despite all my attempts to convince Solitary Gyan to stick to the rules, Solitary Gyan ignored me and pummeled me with missiles from his shield until I was on my last legs. Tired, weak, and exhausted, I could do nothing but watch as Solitary Gyan requested my machine guns from the Zako that I entrusted them to. Despite Solitary Gyan's threats and promising me that he would not give anyone the machine guns, the Zako rushed onto the field to give me my machine guns back. I watched in sheer horror as Solitary Gyan shot the Zako in the back with a missile, fatally wounding the Zako. Hearing the Zako tell him that he wanted to be just like me and watching the Zako collapse, I rushed over and tried to wake up the Zako. Realizing that the Zako was dead, I cried in anguish. Deciding that my ways of keeping promises were what caused the Zako to die, I completely abandoned my old methods. In my rage, I took my machine guns and started firing in every direction. Discovering that I felt good from firing my machine guns, I turned my attention to Solitary Gyan and fired at him. When Solitary Gyan begged for mercy, I refused to show Solitary Gyan any mercy when he showed no mercy at all, and let loose with one final volley of machine-gun bullets, scrapping Solitary Gyan. Shouting that I had been reborn, I changed my name to Zapper Zaku to reference the way I wildly fired my machine guns. An impressed Commander Sazabi, who was watching the whole match, granted me a commander fin. I quickly gathered a legion of Zako soldiers and headed out to conquer Lacroa. I closed my eyes and went to sleep. Should I go back to the old me who is honest and keeps my promises? I thought to myself as I drifted off into a deep sleep.