41 Chapter Forty-One: Just Like You (1/2)

After The Six Guns crew and Don return to Vega, Don leaves the job of dispatching the rescues to his men. Meanwhile, Don and the crew went back to the basement of their hideout. When they get there, and no one is left in the room besides them and Ruby, Don pulls a gun out and points it at Siran.

”Now explain to me what's really going on here” Don says, ”I don't buy this returning hero bullshit!”.

Zia pulls out one of her pistols and points it at Don, without saying a word. It was now a standoff. At least, it was, until Ruby spoke up.

”Can you guys shut it!?” Ruby complains, ”I have a killer headache... and not the kind of killer that I'd prefer right now”.

”And what's up with the suicidal prisoner?” Don asks as he pulls the sack off of Ruby's face, exposing her identity.

”Oh hell” Ruby says, ”there better not be any natural light when I open my eyes! This migraine is going to make me go blind from pain”.

”What... the hell?” Don asks. ”A Mage? How... why? Why do you have a Mage?”.

”Jesus Tap Dancing Christ!” Ruby yells, ”one question at a time! What part of killer headache do you not understand?”.

”How did you get captured?” Don asks. ”A Mage... of all people!”.

”Didn't you have a better question to ask?” Vivi asks. ”You seemed so uptight about it that you even pulled a gun on Siran. Zia still has her gun to your head, so if you don't start sorting things out now, your brains will become the new paint job of that wall over there. I'm sure even Ruby here can help you answer that question”.

”I really don't feel like answering questions, to be honest” Ruby says, ”but seeing as how there's people with guns and I'm tied up and all, I guess I don't have a choice... so you said something about returning hero or something?”.

”Yeah” Don says, ”Who is Siran for real?”.

”He's the war criminal” Ruby says.

”THE war criminal?” Don asks, confused.

”You know” Ruby asks, ”the one from the stories? The one who fought Naris? This couldn't possibly have slipped your mind... it's one of the biggest events in history”.

”So he's...” Don begins to ask.

”About 200 years old, yes” Ruby says.

”That's not what I was about to ask” Don says, ”but... I mean... that means”. Don then drops his gun in surprise as he realizes ”my men picked a fight with THE war criminal”.

”Wow” Ruby says as she begins to giggle, ”they did? That's pretty stupid”.

Zia slowly lowers her gun as Vivi asks ”So, all settled down now? Are we all clear here?”.

”But how did they take one of The Mages?” Don asks.

”To be fair” Ruby says, ”I kind of let them capture me”.

”Why?” Don asks.

”I was hoping they'd kill me” Ruby says.

”BUT WHY!?” Don asks, getting even more confused.

”I don't want to be a part of The Mages Guild” Ruby says. ”Never wanted to be, really”.

”But then the guild will just replace you with someone potentially worse” Don says.

”Won't be my problem” Ruby says.

”If you don't want to be one of them” Siran says, getting exhausted, ”then why not help take them down and just go your separate way when it's all done”.

”Tempting” Ruby says, ”I'll be honest, but I have several personal issues with that. Like, I don't feel like betraying my whole country, I don't feel like working with idiots, I don't actually like any of you, I don't feel like doing any work I don't need to do, and since my career in the military is basically over; I now have nothing left”.

”Nothing left?” Siran asks. ”What do you mean?”.

”I mean” Ruby says, ”I don't have anything left in life to hold onto and I'm not about to share my personal story with a bunch of... outlaws”.

”That's fair” Alex says.

”Are you sure there isn't anything we can do to change your mind about that?” Siran asks. ”I'm not here to dismantle your country or kill all of The Mages. I'm just here to take out the ones in power that shouldn't be in power”.

”And killing half of the military in the process” Ruby adds.

”Yeah” Siran says sarcastically, ”because I'm sure all the soldiers would be willing to talk it over with a cup of tea...”.

”You've got me there” Ruby says.

”Look” Siran says, ”I'm not going to say we're not the bad guys. Not only because that's subjective, but also because we really are the bad guys here. Like a necessary evil, if you will. But I didn't come out of hiding to let people get out of life by killing themselves and letting the world rot in their absence. I came out of hiding to help people stand up for themselves”.

”You're talking like The Mages are just a group of bullies...” Ruby says. Siran looks over to his right and nods his head to show that he does in fact believe that's a good summarization of The Mages Guild. ”I guess you've got me there again” Ruby replies.

”On to the other thing I wanted to ask you” Siran continues. ”What were The Mages doing with all that endo from Naris's body?”.

”Wait...” Don says.

”Do what?” Finn asks.

”Come again?” Vivi asks.

”With who!?” Rose asks.

Siran looks around the room and realizes he never mentioned that to his own team before in detail. ”I'm not entirely sure” Ruby says. ”I know that they had extracted his remains from the desert and that they were also using the endo he left behind to increase their own force. That is, until you came by and stole the rest of it”.

”And that's what's causing your current condition?” Alex asks.

”Yup” Siran says. ”Did you take any of the endo?”.

”I did” Ruby says. ”I'm not sure what else they planned to do with it though. I mean, there's a lot. Like... a whole lot more”.

”Where!?” Siran asks.

”You... didn't know?” Ruby asks. ”I assumed that's why you guys attacked the city”.

”Oh shit” Siran says as he facepalms himself. ”That's what they were so focused on protecting in Omnium Guild!? That's what was in that building!?”.

”I mean... yeah” Ruby says, ”that should've been obvious”.

”And they haven't told you their plan at all?” Siran asks.

”Garreth and James keep most things a secret” Ruby says, ”even from us. They don't trust us, they just use us. I mean, that's not even a secret. They make it pretty obvious”.

”How many of you are there that don't want to follow James and Garreth?” Siran asks.

”Most of us didn't want to” Ruby says, ”but by now, they've all probably sold themselves to James and Garreth for power. The only one I'd say would probably be worth saving is the new guy, Kyle Ross. He's probably the only one who hasn't been tainted by those two yet”.

”And you?” Alex asks.

”I told you, I've already lost this game of life” Ruby says. ”I'm not worth saving”.

”That's a good enough reason to help you in my opinion” Siran says.

”Why are you so insistent on helping someone who has nothing?” Ruby asks. ”I won't be useful to anyone anymore”.

”Because I was just like you!” Siran shouts. Siran took a deep breath and said calmly, ”I was just like that before the world became like... like this. If you have nothing else or no one else to fight for... then don't you think it's time you finally fought for yourself?”.

Ruby's head hung low as she began thinking to herself. ”We were all like that at least once” Zia says. ”We're not much different, and Siran can see that. That's why he wants to help. You're no longer our enemy... and now, you need the help more than anyone”.