"Time to give up, Dane. You're a murderer. A traitor. A war criminal."
Thunder rumbled in the sky as the rain continued to pour down. A flash of lightning outlined the figures of two men standing in an alley, guns drawn, pointed at each other.
"Those are the only words they have for revolutionaries, Sam. You only become a hero after the war is over." The man cornered in the alley responded, a resolute gaze leveled on the man he had once called his closest friend. "We are the ones who shape the world, not them. They have used us enough," He lowered his gun. "I know you. You won't shoot me."
Clack!
Dane's gun dropped into a puddle as he stared Sam in the eye. Eyes he had known for many years stared back at him, turmoil swimming behind them.
Sam faltered, his stance relaxing, his arms lowering. He did not want to kill his best friend. They had survived on the battlefield, had each others backs through thick and thin. And yet, he was the one sent after Dane when the latter's betrayal was discovered. As he was hesitating, Dane swiftly moved, pulling out a back up pistol and aiming to shoot.
Bang!
Blood splattered, mixing with the puddles of rain water on the ground. A body fell to its knees. Dane's eyes went wide as his hand shot to his throat, trying to stem the tide of blood that came gushing out.
It was pointless.
Within seconds, he had lost too much blood, and he fell face first into a red puddle of blood and water. Sam took a deep breath, his hands shaking. He closed his eyes and allowed the rain to wash over his face.
.
.
10 years later...
"Marina!"
A young lady in her teens turned around when she heard her name being called. The group of teens around her were not particularly pleased to see who had called her.
"Aden, where have you been?" The young lady, Marina, smiled widely when she saw her best friend. She and Aden had grown up together, practically in the same cradle, as their fathers had been close friends.
"You shouldn't hang around with that bunch of kids. They just want to get close and use you to their own ends." Aden scolded her like he was her older brother despite her being several months older than him.
"Oh, please. You know I'm not that gullible." Marina chuckled and smacked Aden's arm as the two of them walked away from the entrance of their school, leaving behind the group of irritated students. This was not the first time he had gotten in the way of their 'socializing'.
The two young teens slipped into a vehicle that had waited to pick them up. Inside, a well dressed chauffeur greeted them.
"Good afternoon, Young Lady Marina; Mister Aden." The aged man nodded slightly while adjusting his glasses.
"Uncle Berthold. Please, there's no need for all the formalities. I've told you this many times already." Marina laughed. The older man was like family to her, despite being just a driver in her mother's employ. He had been there throughout her life.
Aden nodded back in greeting before turning to look outside the window as the car drove away. The sky was clear and bright in this part of Ankledom. This district was specially meant for those of highborn status and influential individuals on Mars.
Ankledom was one of the supermassive cities on Mars, founded around the initial landing site of the Colonial Carriers. There were two other supermassive cities on mars, and a few dozen smaller ones scattered around the surface of the terraformed planet.
Crackle...
Diplomatic discussions with the officials of Earth continue to remain tense concerning the instatement of proper government institutions to handle the affairs of the Free People of Mars! Rising tensions remain between both planet's armies as talks for peace reach astall!
The backdrop of the car's radio rattled out and Aden frowned. He noticed Berthold also frowning before turning down the volume. The man was old fashioned and preferred to listen to the radio rather than using other modern means to get the latest news. Aden wondered why anyone still even bothered with radios in this age.
Aden's mind slipped into thought. He was almost done with university. Things that seemed so distant were no longer so far in the future again. The real world was waiting, and it did not wait with open arms, but with rugged knuckles and barbed arms. Everyday, the situation remained stagnant with no progress being made with the United Terran Government. They kept pushing their demands on the Free People of Mars, trying to reclaim their previous hold over Mars and keep the people of Mars under their thumbs, oppressed.
Aden turned to see Marina also with a thoughtful expression on her face. Even though he had promised to keep her safe from the troubles of the world, the harsh reality reminded him that it was only a pipe dream he had as a child and it would never be accomplished. After all, Marina was the adopted daughter of the President of Ankledom. There was no way to keep her out of the spotlight and the dirty grasp of politics. She was well aware of the situation of Mars and the pressure her stepfather was facing.
The pair remained in silence as they were driven home. Aden was dropped off at his home first before Marina was taken home.
"I'll come over tomorrow so we can talk, okay?" Aden waved as the car pulled away from the curb and took off down the road. The silent hum of the electrical engine was what he was left with as the car hovered away at a brisk pace. He turned around and faced his home. His father was probably still away, so he was left alone for now. He walked into the house and closed the door, but froze when he heard the click of a gun. His head slowly turned to the side to face a masked individual holding a finger to their lips.