Zeke Walker: End of Childhood

The rain fell in torrents. The sounds of artillery could still be heard in the distance. He knew he was needed out there in the main fight, but he couldn't bring himself to move. Reluctantly, he let his tears fall, dripping onto the dashboard console in his mech-armor. He could hear the others calling his name, asking where him and Asher were at, but he ignored them. All he could hear were his cries of shock and surprise and the strangled scream that had torn from Asher's throat mere minutes ago.

He looked through the monitors in his mech and saw that the reaper that had tried to kill him was still flat on his back, but not dead. The air immediately surrounding the reaper was hazy enough to see through the cold, biting sheets of rain that continued to soak the earth underneath.

A beeping noise sounded from the cockpit, the boy glanced up and read the words SYSTEMS FAILURE across all 5 monitor screens. The auto eject initiated and the 8 feet tall armor shed itself from the boy. Now the reality was sinking in. He shivered, not sure if it was from the rain or his fear.

He could hear his father's laughter echoing in his ears, "You? A hero?" His father had guffawed the day he left for the academy a year ago. "You'll never be a soldier Zeke, let alone a gods damned hero! HAHAHA! You've too much of your mother's softness in you, but go on, I won't stop you, learn for yourself how useless you are! HAHAHA!"

"He was right......" Zeke whispered, "I am useless. All I did was....just hide behind others and let them coddle me." Zeke fell to his knees, "I'm sorry, Asher." He looked at Asher's form, blood was steadily trickling out, his uniform in tatters. A foot or two away, his sword was sticking out of the mud, the tip of the blade was buried in the muck. Zeke saw cracks along the length of the sword, a testament to how well it had been forged. Asher had used that sword to block the reaper's blast that had been aimed for Zeke. Tendrils had broken away and dug small holes through the older teen's body, and they would have continued had Asher still not had the strength to push the blast back at the reaper.

Zeke crawled the short distance to Asher, out of the corner of his eye, he could see the reaper begin to stir. It would not be long before he would get back up, Zeke knew. Then that would be the end of this stupid boy.

"I'm sorry, bro." Zeke said to Asher, "I shouldn't have let you save me. You said you would look after me, but I didn't want this!" He could feel a fresh wave of tears, his next words choked on sobs, "Why did you do that...damn it! You had so much waiting for you back home! You were going to be engaged to Kyrie...she adores you...not me, you! Why did you throw that away for me?"

"How pathetic..." the reaper's dark voice drawled out.

Zeke's head shot up, accessing the damage done to the reaper, who was slowly getting to his feet. The reaper's armor hadn't fared well, after having his own blast shot back at him. The right side of the steel armor was partially disintegrated, exposing the bare shoulder, arm, as well as the right side of his torso. The skin looked to have severe burns, and bits of the armor seemed to have fused to the undoubtedly painful skin.

Despite all this, the reaper seemed completely collected. He appeared to ignore the severe wound and focused all his attention on the boy and seemingly dead young man that the boy pitifully knelt by.

"He was foolish to save the life of a whelp like you..." The reaper continued in that irritating velvety voice. "He must have been a skilled fighter, deflecting my magik like that, by directing it back at me, no less!" Zeke could not tell if Asher was being praised or mocked.

The reaper stooped low to collect his blade. "It's a tragedy, that he must have been more pathetic than you, to deem you worthy of saving!"

Zeke clenched his fists and tried to fight back the fresh wave of tears that threatened to spill over. Though there was plenty of fear, there was something else he was feeling: Anger. If someone had likened his fear to a small candle, flickering in the dark, then this anger was a raging firestorm threatening to destroy everything in its path! No one disrespected Asher! Asher was one of the best!

Asher was what normal humans called a maverick. Human only in appearance, they had come from parts unknown when humans began to colonize space. Mavericks were able to match the Reapers in power, but they did not want to eradicate humans. Asher was a gifted maverick at only 18 years old. He was able to turn sound defeats into resounding victories. To conquer impossible odds with pure determination and heart alone, as well as his maverick abilities.

The 14 year old boy felt a burning need to destroy this evil being in front of him. But he lacked the strength, he couldn't so much as touch him with the way he was now.

"...he's not...pathetic...you bastard..." a meek voice sounded.

Zeke whipped his head in the direction the voice came from, as did the reaper.

"Asher!" The young teenager cried.

Asher lay on his side, he had been flat on his back, Zeke realized he had been so focused on the reaper in front of him, that he didn't see his friend begin to stir, the same must have happened when he felt the fiery anger consume him.

Asher was beginning to get his arms and legs under him, it took Zeke a moment to register that his friend might need help, but he knew that the young man would not accept it, even in the state he was in.

Zeke felt a surge of confidence coarse through his body.

"He isn't pathetic." Asher said again, this time with more strength and conviction in his tone. His strangely colored red-brown irises glared daggers at the reaper. They appeared more red to Zeke at the moment. No doubt Asher was drawing on his maverick abilities.

The reaper's pupils blackened. No other form of shock appeared visible but Zeke could hear the alarm in the reaper's voice. "How are you still alive?"

Asher grinned assuredly at Zeke, but the boy could tell that Asher was fighting the urge to faint.

"I'm sorry!" Zeke exclaimed, his anger at the reaper temporarily forgotten. "That should've been me! I-" Zeke was cut off by Asher grabbing the front of his uniform. "HEY!" Asher barked, "Don't ever say that! Got me? Your gonna be a gods damned hero one day, and your gonna live to see that day!"

"Enough of this!" The reaper exclaimed and swiftly moved to dispatch the annoyingly stubborn young man.

KA-BOOM!

A single artillery shot rang out from the rear. From the human lines. Zeke knew that they had won.

The artillery shell landed between the 2 teens and the reaper. It landed much closer to the reaper though, who was knocked back and flew several yards in the air before crashing to the ground.

"Good..." Asher said with satisfaction, "That'll...give us just enough time..."Asher was on his feet by now, though his posture was crooked and his legs looked ready to fail him. His body was racked by a coughing fit, followed by Asher spitting blood from his mouth. "Just enough time...for this...give me your hand, Zeke."

Zeke, who had still been stunned by the artillery effect, saw Asher reach for his hand. He instantly complied but asked, "Just enough time for what, Ash?"

Zeke was even more surprised to see that the reaper was already getting up. "Enough time for you to finish this." Asher answered after also seeing the reaper rise once more. A white aura surrounded his hand and arm, it felt soothing to Zeke, warm even. "I'm passing my power to you, Zeke."

Before Zeke could question his idol's judgement, the reaper's laugh boomed throughout the air, the rain hardly did anything to muffle the sound.

"Ridiculous!" The reaper chuckled, "Any rabble on the street knows that a human can never receive a maverick's power without becoming a time-bomb or going mad! And this boy? Ha! It'd kill him instantly!"

Zeke's face fell at the words of the reaper. "Zeke...listen to me, buddy." Zeke turned towards his friend, who's arm still had that white-gold aura surrounding it. "This isn't that much different from wielding a sword or shouldering a rifle, ok? Trust me."

"You'll die as soon as it transfers over to you!" The reaper shouted directly at Zeke. He caught that slight hitch in the reaper's voice.

"He's afraid, Zeke." Asher stated what Zeke already knew." He wouldn't be shouting like that if he wasn't...All you need to be a maverick is a heart of fire and a soul of iron...you've got both those things, whether you see that or not." Asher began to subtly transfer the power to Zeke. "And besides, it isn't gonna be permanent, that way is attained differently. This is just going to be enough to take this mother out!" Asher's eyes gleamed once again.

Zeke felt the rush of power, it was like a fire rushing through, he felt the heat, but not the burn, flowing through his body, as well as rushing past him. He felt empowered by the surge of energy, like he could take on the world!

Asher let go of Zeke's hand and dropped to one knee. Zeke moved to help but was stopped by Asher holding up his hand. "Don't worry about me!" Zeke noticed the blood was coming out of Asher faster now. "Take this guy down, now. I want to see it...before....just go already, I'm sick of looking at him."

Zeke nodded with determined look in his dark blue eyes. He turned and walked towards Asher's sword. The vermillion colored blade was still cracked, but as soon as Zeke grasped the handle, the white glow filled the cracks and appeared to fill them somewhat.

"Are you done yet?" The reaper asked venomously. His body was surrounded by a dark aura, while his eyes were void of any color but black, and the veins in his face were more pronounced with the black blood running through them now, his blade crackled with energy.

Zeke raised the sword in front of him, "I'm about to finish this!" He shouted.


To be continued.