Running From Your Shadows

Chapter 3

Sam could see the sun beginning to peak over the horizon, indicating it was dawn. He couldn't help but fall into his mindset as Locus about this kind of scenario. Locus remembered how Felix thought nature was always cliché, but he always knew the man dismissed simple and meaningless things.

"Am I any different?" Locus wondered as he remembered his CO always having them up at the crack of dawn for training, and it became second nature to be up early, or at least sleep with one eye open.

"Stop, Locus, I am living a civilian life. I am not that way anymore."

"You are worse than that, you are a monster within a soldier. You are Locus."

"No, I am Samuel."

"You are a suit of armor and a gun, Locus! You follow orders!"

"Sam! You are doing it again!" Sam snapped his attention to his right to see Martin there. Sam didn't even need night vision goggles to see that Martin cocked one of his eyebrows. Sam sighed as he rubbed his eyes.

"Shit, I'm sorry." Sam's arms hung loose, his rifle sagging with him.

"Sam? Are you alright? You keep muttering Locus and Felix to yourself." Sam looked away in embarrassment, but then faced where the light of day was peaking over the horizon.

"I am fine. In a past life, I was Locus, and Felix was someone I knew, hated, but worked well with." Martin could tell there was a finality in his statement, and decided not to press anymore about who Locus was. They soon resumed walking, but Martin could see how tense Sam had become, including how his shoulders were standing at attention rather than at ease.

"Locus was an armor class in the UNSC that specialized in stealth, I'm guessing that was you?" He could see Sam nodding. "I was a protector. I mainly hung around Dr. Halsey ironically enough. If you've served, where were you stationed?"

"Reach." That one name told Martin everything he needed to know. Reach was a devastating attack and loss during the Great War. If Samuel was on Reach at that time of the glassing, he has seen and endured more than anyone has ever seen in war, unless they were the Master Chief.

"Oh." Samuel was grateful that his partner left it there as they continued to patrol, occasionally finding wildlife and chasing away wild Moas. He knew there was a rare time he could see a Guta on Reach's moon, but he didn't want to indulge his curiosity.

As more time passed with the sun rising just enough where the sky was really turning from a dark purple to a lovely orange, Sam and Martin began walking back to their settlement to switch out with another patrol unit to watch their sector.

"Martin? I came across a woman last night who I guess looks after the children. Who is she?" Martin raised his brows at him, surprised that Samuel would ever ask about a woman since first meeting the man a week ago. He somehow knew where this may be going, but decided to indulge a bit.

"Her name is Marina Yvonnovich. She is a widow here who looks after our children if both parents work. Since all the adults are working, she and a few other women look after our children. She is my son's teacher. Her big dream is to open a school for gifted children, catering to their needs on growing to be successful and confident people, giving them a chance to be someone when they are taken down at all levels." Sam was intrigued by this. She seemed so... normal, so basic, but at the same time very strong. Sam smirked in amusement as he resumed his attention forward, thinking back to how her hand felt in his, and how her gaze pierced his heart even if it was apologetic.

"Marina? Interesting, I'm guessing her kids play with the other children?" Martin froze, and Sam looked at him quizzically. He wanted to know what happened.

"Her son was killed by rogue grunts during the war on Reach. They don't even spare children." Sam felt the color drain from his face at the mention of his former post.

"Fall back, men! This is a retreat! Those flagships aren't going to simply get the drop on us, we need to leave!"

"What about my child? He's trapped in that building!"

"My daughter is still at home!"

"My husband is still out there!" Sam sighed as he continued to herd the civilians he could into the civilian evac. He looked ahead to see a teenage boy with his kid sister running for the ship, when suddenly an elite with a squad of grunts rounded a corner and they began to open fire. Sam could feel his instincts kick in as he ran towards the children, hearing his CO yelling for him to come back. He kept running, his rifle pointed past their shoulders to take out the Covenant. By the time he reached them, Sam did his best to shield them from the enemy fire. One shot from the elite hit the leg of the girl, and she collapsed to the ground.

"Erin! C'mon get up!" The young man hoisted his sister up and kept running. Sam managed to get onto the ship but a stray plasma round came through the blast doors when they closed, and they pierced through both of the children. Both brother and sister collapsed to the ground, now at peace they made it to the ship, and died knowing they were safe.

"Yeah... they never cared about kids..." Sam muttered under his breath, wiping a stray tear away at the memory.

"From what she told us, her husband gave himself to two Hunters to let her escape to the civilian evac." Samuel suddenly felt the air get sucked out of him, remembering Hunters in the field.

"They are vicious." Martin nodded, and kept walking with Samuel in tow. Suddenly he glanced at his partner, and Samuel knew that smirk anywhere. It's the same mischievous smirk Felix had when he had a crude idea.

"Why? Are you curious about her? Given by how you look, Samuel, I'd say you could have a shot with her. I hear a lot of the single ladies ask about you, wondering if you're single." Samuel adamantly kept his eyes forward as they entered the settlement and was met with the next unit.

"You will not set me up with anyone, Martin. I shall see you tomorrow."