“I pulled the car up to the crimson-pauldron guard, and mustered my courage. We were too close run, besides, the road was blocked by a heavy steel beam and the captured mutants’ car as well. As I approached, the rest of soldiers returned from the back of the encampment. The mutants they had left with were nowhere to be seen.
Their apparent leader approached the driver door, and I preemptively exited the vehicle. I breathed in, and took off my helmet.
‘Good morning, Captain,’ I stated, noting the twin bars on his arm, and the rifle in this hands. I gestured to the detained mutants’ car.
‘Thank you for cleaning up our streets.’
He nodded in appreciation.
My words disgusted me, but I continued on, ‘The United States Restoration Corp, it’s good to have a group like you out here.’
‘Why, thank you traveler!’ the captain responded, with a pervading southern accent, ‘What’s your name, son?’
‘Henry Green,’ I responded, pulling out my wallet, and showing him my ID.
‘Pleasure to meet you!’ the captain boomed, a smile creeping across his face. The bluff had worked.
I slammed my helmet back on, drawing deep breaths.
‘Well, nothing left to do but a cursory search of the vehicle and you’ll be back on the way,’ the captain continued, gesturing for a soldier to move the mutant’s car blocking the road, and another to raise the gate.
‘I don’t see why that nec…’
‘Search the car,’ the captain directed to the Red-Pauldroned Guard. I saw his decalled shoulder glide past me like a blood-red apparition.
My heart stopped. Preparing for conflict, I took a step closer to the captain, closing the distance and putting myself within an arm’s length.
‘You know, I used to be in the army myself,’ I commented.
I heard the sound of the passenger door open and the Red-Pauldron called ‘Clear.’ The slammed shut door shut, and I heard his footsteps receded to the back.
‘Well, we are always in need of good soldiers,’ the captain commented, ‘If you’re ever in need of employment, you know where to find us.’ I extended my arm to the captain as if to shake his hand, ensuring I was close enough to disarm him.
I heard the trunk door open.
…and all hell broke loose.”
Their apparent leader approached the driver door, and I preemptively exited the vehicle. I breathed in, and took off my helmet.
‘Good morning, Captain,’ I stated, noting the twin bars on his arm, and the rifle in this hands. I gestured to the detained mutants’ car.
‘Thank you for cleaning up our streets.’
He nodded in appreciation.
My words disgusted me, but I continued on, ‘The United States Restoration Corp, it’s good to have a group like you out here.’
‘Why, thank you traveler!’ the captain responded, with a pervading southern accent, ‘What’s your name, son?’
‘Henry Green,’ I responded, pulling out my wallet, and showing him my ID.
‘Pleasure to meet you!’ the captain boomed, a smile creeping across his face. The bluff had worked.
I slammed my helmet back on, drawing deep breaths.
‘Well, nothing left to do but a cursory search of the vehicle and you’ll be back on the way,’ the captain continued, gesturing for a soldier to move the mutant’s car blocking the road, and another to raise the gate.
‘I don’t see why that nec…’
‘Search the car,’ the captain directed to the Red-Pauldroned Guard. I saw his decalled shoulder glide past me like a blood-red apparition.
My heart stopped. Preparing for conflict, I took a step closer to the captain, closing the distance and putting myself within an arm’s length.
‘You know, I used to be in the army myself,’ I commented.
I heard the sound of the passenger door open and the Red-Pauldron called ‘Clear.’ The slammed shut door shut, and I heard his footsteps receded to the back.
‘Well, we are always in need of good soldiers,’ the captain commented, ‘If you’re ever in need of employment, you know where to find us.’ I extended my arm to the captain as if to shake his hand, ensuring I was close enough to disarm him.
I heard the trunk door open.
…and all hell broke loose.”