Chapter 71 (2/2)

Clouds were brewing overhead, with low rumblings coming from the north. They had been lucky, in terms of weather so far. There had been some scattered rain storms, but nothing serious. But this one…

Thunder rumbled, and Decklan saw a flash of purple lightning from the clouds.

This one wasn’t natural.

“Alright boys, we’re going home,” Decklan called, and then turned and started jogging. The rest of his team, tiredly joking and carrying various parts of their quarry’s body back to the base for Sam, followed.

****

When they arrived at the stadium the line was around the block, and a sea of people jostling to get closer to the gates. A dozen men with assault rifles stood by the entrance, glaring around, keeping even the most rambunctious concert goers in check.

There was certainly some similarities to a dictatorship in the post-system world. The constant threat of force hung over everyone.

For his part, Randidly was bemused. The people ran up against him and rebounded, their difference in stats showing even though Randidly didn’t exert any strength. But people clamored forward, pressing around them, and he was forced to extend his arms to keep Tessa from being crushed.

She looked at him gratefully, one more eyeing the very form fitting clothes made for Randidly by Sam from the fur of the shadow cats, and then leaned backwards into him, pressing the length of her body up against him. For a moment, Randidly’s thoughts shifted in a lustful direction, but then he just shook his head.

So much had happened, he had changed way too much to imagine ever being intimate with Tessa ever again, even if she was quite cute.

Besides, Lyra...

Randidly paused, wondering how to finish that sentence.

Luckily a nearby commotion distracted him from this train of thought.

“Make way! Make way! Freedom Fighters, coming through!”

Surprisingly, Randidly recognized the voice. It was that pessimistic man on the patrol, who had talked about there how there were two types of people, and he one was on the lesser ones, that it was useless to struggle against your role, etc.

Or something. Randidly honestly had a hard time recalling.

He shoved his way forward, followed by several athletic looking men and women in ripped clothes. Pistols and a weird, saber style weapon hung at all their waists. At the center stood an extremely tall man, probably almost 2 meters tall, with fiery orange hair. His arms were extremely long and lanky, and at his side hung two of those sabers.

As he passed, the patrol man noticed Randidly and Tessa, but his eyes went straight to Tessa, drinking in the curves of her with a lewd gaze, his smirk making him really seem like a sleazeball from a bad gangster flick.

“Tessa! What a coincidence. Did you manage to get tickets to the concert?” As he spoke, he reached out for her shoulder. Frowning, Randidly knocked his hand to the side. The man’s face fell and he turned to glare at Randidly.

“Alex-” Tessa started to say, but the man’s face was already red.

“You fuck, are you trying to say you are better than the Freedom Fighters?!? While you are sleeping safe at home, while your government is too scared to move, we are the ones risking our lives on the front lines! You have some fucking nerve!”

Randidly gave him a sidelong glance. The crowd had quieted around them, drawing back away from the confrontation. Although he hated to actually deal with this worthless person, since Tessa was here...“...weren’t you saying how struggling was worthless for us, just yesterday? You sure changed your tune fast. Now on the front lines? Very admirable.”

“You…!” Alex clenched his fists, eyes flashing. One of the bigger guys from the small group stepped forward, laughing.

“Common newbie, don’t be so tense. Hey man, I just think that’s Alex’s girl. She just needs to come with us, and everything’s forgiven. Otherwise…”

The man smiled grimly, the threat hanging in the air. The crowd around them began to mutter, but they kept their eyes on the ground, looking away.

Randidly just chuckled. “Do you think that if you say things nicely, that changes things? You want to take an unwilling woman with you. That’s rape.”

The man’s eyes darkened, but his smile stayed easy. “Haha, rape? Now, now, now, don’t throw around words like that. If it was rape, would all these people really stand by and just watch it happen?”

The crowd crept back further. The group of Freedom Fighters, aside from the tall orange haired man at the center, glared around, drawing their sabers.

No one spoke.

“Yes,” Randidly said simply. “For they are weak.”

Tessa was sobbing quietly. “I’m so sorry… I’m sorry…”

Alex leered at the two of them. “So, you are the only one who thinks somethings up.”

“Now he’s just a Newbie,” The man drawled, “But he is still a Freedom Fighter now, and afforded certain… protections. And one of those protections is against civvies like you stealing his woman while he is away, fighting on the front lines. And-”

“Stand down.”

Randidly blinked, and looked towards the central figure, the tall man with orange hair. He hadn’t spoken then entire time, but now he interceded, his tone brooking no dissension.

The orange haired man then grinned, and added. “The concert is about to start. I’m not gonna miss Raina because we were fucking around with some girl. Move.”

Unwilling, but ordered, the Freedom Fighters sheathed their sabers and pressed forward through the crown.

Alex, eyes bulging, hissed. “You’re lucky this time. Don’t you ever fucking let me catch you again, asshole, or else.”

Then he turned and left.

Randidly, still bemused, shook his head, then moved to follow.

“Randidly! What are you doing! They won’t do anything now, but after the concert- We should go hide-” Tessa’s voice wavered, but Randidly just yawned.

“No worries. I’m sure it will be fine. Besides, would you really waste these backstage passes?”

Tessa stood still, torn. But Randidly just walked casually forward, pushing his way right through people, and she was forced to sigh and hurry after him. After all, if he was going to waste his time rather than train, or search for Sydney or Ace, he sure as hell wasn't going to waste his time in the nosebleeds.

Inwardly, she wondered when he had become so brave. Or so dumb.