Beyond the Walls

Whatever It Takes

“This is sick…” Kiko complained as he reached the metal bar above him and pulled himself up. He climbed up more before the passing cold wind blew his hair. His legs trembled at the coldness creeping up to him.

“What the f**k really!” He embraced the bars as he calmed himself.

Early night, just after the sun had set. He found himself climbing a 160m in height ride. A ferris wheel.

“Hey, come on, there is only little left.” Not too loud but Elijah cheered from above. He is already inside a cable.

Kiko continued to curse while he resumed climbing. The destination is not the top place but it’s still fairly high. If one slipped out and fell from this height, it will be a miracle if one will survive.

When he was at arm’s length Elijah offered his hand and he did not hesitate in taking it. Elijah pulled him up.

“Haaaa. Haaa.” As if he had run a marathon his heart was still beating out loud.

“Dude, Why didn’t wait for Lucas?” Elijah said fearlessly peeking down.

“Dude… dude.. Dude?! Do you think I have time to worry about others?!” He answered agitatedly.

“Lower your voice. If they heard you, this will all be in naught.” Coming on the other side, is Aaron.

“I’ll wait for Lucas, go up.”

“Aye aye.” Elijah saluted and dangerously leapt to the metal bars and started climbing up on the next cable. Mirrorless window cable, Kiko watches him in mere seconds reaching the next cable.

“What the hell was that?” He mumbled.

Aaron peeked out and saw a miniscule figure of Lucas climbing up. He was the last of them to reach the destination. Jack is already on higher cable with Elijah. He decided to take a seat first while he waited on him.

“What?” He asked when he caught Kiko frowning at him.

“I don’t get it. You have a chance on the winning team, why still come here? Just look at his pathetic skills.” Kiko complained.

“...” Aaron was not able to answer.

“Is it loyalty? Just because he saved you once or twice. That might be it but it’s too much for you to stick with him until the end.”

“...Loyalty huh? That’s not it. It’s not that… You might not understand this right now but that man is a survivor and that is all it matters in a world like this.” He answered.

It’s true that Lucas has no redeeming qualities, he can barely kill undead but he possesses knowledge about the apocalyptic world. Even that is not enough. Knowing is not enough but somehow, he always knows the best way out…

He can’t pinpoint it firsthand. As he searched for the right term… he remembered their stay in the rest zone.

“...YOU WERE AN OUTLANDER!”

“Yeah, where do you think he got his knowledge from?”

“I could say he stayed outside for a couple of years. Around 3-4 years”

“Ah, let me correct it, he had lived outside the wall for an estimated 3-4 years, minimum.”

He is different. Now he knows the proper term.

“...He is someone who has been and seen this hell before. Someone who got out. A veteran.” He continued.

Not totally convinced and unimpressed, Kiko was about to say something but he just turned his head away.

Everyone who lived 20 years ago has experienced hell before that’s why they are still alive.

‘What is impressive about that?’ he thought.

It took a few more minutes before Lucas had reached the cable and Aaron had to pull him.

Lucas is taking deep breaths and as if anytime he will have convulsion anytime now, his entire body is trembling and he is drenched in sweat even if there is a cold wind blowing.

‘What the hell is impressive about this person?!’ Glowering while looking down on the slumped person on the flooring.

“Water?” Aaron offered a bottle of water.

“...T,thank y,you.” Shakingly he went for the offered water but he looked at it with a question…

“It’s not mine…” He said.

“It’s mine.Take it.”

Kiko looked at them as if something ridiculous was going on.

“No… I…”

Aaron opens the lid and forces Lucas’ hands to take it. “I said it’s fine. We need you in full strength if we want to win this.”

Lucas looked up to Aaron as he tremblingly put the water in his mouth. He took a small sip and another before he gave it back to Aaron.

“Is that it?” the water had been barely reduced.

“We don’t know how long we are staying here, it’s best that we save as much as possible and take only little to function.”

“Can I take the first rest?” Kiko interrupted as he was already stretching his legs on the seat. He had received a glare from Aaron but he decided to not meet eyes with again, He was reminded of Liam’s loyal dog, the third placer, Michael.

He had been with Liam since the first round and they stuck together, all the time.

“I’ll take the first watch. I will not be able to sleep for a while too.” Submissively Lucas said, which made Kiko click his tongue.

How in the world will he be able to follow such a… not appealing person. Nothing screams and even a speck of leadership qualities. ‘What were his additional skill points again? I think there was no leadership skills. Ahh. whatever. I’ll just die when the time comes.’

Taking the seat available beside Aaron, Lucas started in an away place. He remembered being in a place like this before… a long time ago.

The highest place is the scariest at that moment but everything is washed away after seeing the bright view of the bustling city.

“Wow! Mom! Look… there are so many cars… Hehehe.” Stupidly laughing, his point of view turned to woman who is holding him on her laps.

“Yes. That's right. The view here is spectacular.” She replied sweetly.

“Spec..lar.”

“Hahaha. Okay repeat after me… Spec.” Slowly she pronounced each syllable patiently as he repeated after her.

“Spectololar!!” Proudly screaming the word. The woman laughed and ruffled his hair.

“That’s right, my son is really smart.”

*Bzzz bzzz

As if it’s television losing connection, the woman’s smiling face is turning dark. Her usual properly combed dark hair becomes short and hidden on a bonnet. The angelic smile and soft skin turned dark and scarred.

She is staring down at him with anger and all disappointed. Her soft caress had turned to a strong grip. Her bright green eyes had turned dark.

He couldn’t hear it but he could tell, the woman was furious at him.

It was that again, whenever he is sleeping, memories from a long time keep resurfacing time and again but sometimes fragments of it replays in his head even when he is awake.

“...cas..Lucas! Hey”

Lucas snapped out of it when a hand was placed on his shoulder.

“What are you looking out so intently?” Aaron asked. He looked outside and there was nothing but darkness.

“Nothing.. I am just thinking.” Now that Lucas is looking outside again, he can see traces of the use to be the ‘paradise’ world of the kids. Looking down his heart was pounding and in that split second look, he saw multiple mutants running around.

“Like you said, they are active even at night.” Aaron said seeing it too.

‘They are not called mutants for nothing.’ Lucas thought.

They were silent for the next few minutes until Lucas initiated a talk.

“Why did you choose this group?”

“Can I ask you something first? What was the last thing you talked with Hiraya?”

“I confessed that I was an outlander.” Lucas remembered his last talk with Hiraya. She had given him a warm hug after she cried for him. Saying how scared he must have been during the apocalypse.

“I figured. She has always been sensitive on these matters.” He mumbled.

“...”

“The truth is, I don’t care if I win or lose in these games. I just want to get my revenge… You see, my sister had been r***d by disgusting creatures called ‘soldiers’ Though I killed them, it didn’t felt satisfying. I was sent to jail after. While my case is ongoing, my sister has been killed. Hiraya was the only one that almost drove me to the brink of losing it. Until, Hiraya came to the prison and said that she took care of all the funerals and even gave me the address of the cemetery my sister was in. She was nothing but a stranger at that time, when I asked her why she did such a thing she answered me with ‘Because, we are all humans. Don’t we need to rely on each other at times like this?’ She had given me hope… to me that wanted to lose it, start getting back on my feet… until someone had informed me that Hiraya had been sent to prison because of some bastard’s obsession. I felt hopeless, I atleast wanted to repay her kindness. I was desperate so when a devil surfaced given me a chance of pardon. I took it so I could have a second chance at killing that bastard that sent Hiraya to Prison… but then I saw her here in the games…and in this wretched place… she too was killed. ”

Lucas finally knew the strange attachment he had with Hiraya. Peeking at his side, he notices Aaron is shaking. The first time he had seen him shaking.

He is angry and vengeful. That’s how he perceived Aaron right now.

“...I wanted to win this game so I could kill that bastard.” He said while grinding his molars.

“...”

“Can you make it happen?”

“I, too, need this win… Someone back at home is waiting for me. It’s not the matter of if ‘Can’ make it happen… I will make it happen… Whatever it takes.”

Aaron finally sees it. Lucas’ other face. The indifferent and cold face.