Chapter 28: Tears Part One

Mai heard Ai's order and looked at the machina that was rushing towards them at lightning speed. Tears were in her eyes and fear was filling her mind telling her to run but she refused to leave Ai alone to fight it. With her hands trembling, she pointed the gun at the incoming machina. Ai was about to fire her first shot when she heard a scream coming from the direction her and Mia's parents were in. "Yas no!" 

"Fuck!" Ai yelled as she aimed her gun and fired. "Mai fucking shoot!" The problem with a single bullet weapon was that the first type machina, was very fast. Making it easy to miss the target. Ai turned to look at Mai who was pale in the face trembling in fear and knew the girl was not going to be able to shoot in her condition. Gritting her teeth and looking in the direction her parents were in and then at Mai, tears filled her eyes as she ran towards Mai grabbing her hand as she yelled: "Come on, run!"

She had no choice. The situation was at a point to where if she did try to save them, it would most likely leave it with just Mai alive. She knew if she went now with the scream just now she would be blinded by rage and would sacrifice everything to save her parents. For now, she could only run and hope that maybe just maybe one of them can survive somehow. She did not have any melee weapons on her, only the pistol. Her father had been carrying the melee weapons after they left the library. As they ran they heard another scream this time it was female. But Ai couldn't tell if it was Kazumi or her mother, Shizune.

As she pulled the frightened Mai along she continued to fire at the first type machina. Ai knew they couldn't just keep running, she was looking for something she could use as a melee weapon. It was not until they made it near the bunker when she saw a few of the metal poles she left out near the bunker entrance as a just in case measure if they ever needed a weapon. It was at this point that she was happy she had thought to do something like this. 

Ai ran over, still pulling Mai along. Before picking the metal pole up she shoved Mai over the debris to get her out of sight before holstering her gun and picking up the metal pole. Right as she stood back up the first type machina launched at her from the side. She could only hold the pool sideways to block the double-bladed attack from the first type machina. Using the momentum of its lunge, she pushed off hard allowing her to move back and to the side quickly narrowly missing the rear legs of the first type machina that stabbed out towards her. 

The first type machina crashed into the ground and tumbled into a pile of rubble. Ai did not waste this chance as she jumped up and slammed the pole into the machina piercing it through and stabbing it deep into the ground. It flailed around a bit before it finally stopped moving. Sweat dripped from Ai's forehead and tears ran down her cheek. She knew she couldn't sit still as she quickly uncovered the bunker hatch and went over to where Mai was. 

When she went over to Mai she found Mai curled up into a ball crying. "Mai!"

Mai looked up her face full of snot and tears. "Ai, I'm sorry! I freaked out." 

"It's fine. Go down into the bunker and close the hatch. Do not open it unless you hear my voice okay?" Ai said. She had to confirm if the other machina had killed their parents or not.

Ai helped Mai up and led her to the hatch and watched as Mai began climbing down the ladder. "Remember do not open it unless it is me. There are enough supplies down there for one person to last three years. If I do not return, do not leave and continue to practice everything I taught you until you have no choice but to leave understood?" 

Mai looked up at Ai. She was reluctant to let her go but she knew at this time her state of mind was a wreck and would just be a burden to her. She reluctantly nodded her head as tears continued to flow from the corners of her eyes. She reached up and closed the hatch and locked it firmly before climbing down to the bottom of the ladder and squatting on the floor. She pulled her knees to her chin and buried her head into her knees rocking back and forth. She could only pray that Ai would be okay.

Ai heard the hatch click and turned around. She picked up another pole and walked out towards the street. She had heard many gunshots while she was dealing with the machina that had chased her and Mai. But now she heard nothing. When she made her way up over the rumble and out of the basement of her house, the street below came into view. Her face sank when she saw the streaks and puddles of blood. Right away she saw two bodies laying on the ground completely mutilated. The tears that had been flowing did not stop. There were three machinas not moving near the bodies. There was also a trail of broken parts. This told Ai that the machina must have activated their last stand… The ones on the ground were male and female. The male was Yasuhide and the female… Ai's tears began to flow even faster as she knelt down next to the mutilated remains of the female. 

"Mom..."