We reached the boat, the body still floating. The sight of hundreds of dead just buried to be forgotten, burned into my mind. I moved toward the bow of the boat, clutching the wheel. It was similar to my speedboat. I turned to the Marines. "This is personal, you know that?" I asked them, and they both nodded. "Names." I said. The first Marine dropped his helmet onto the floor. "Simon." He said. The other sat, airing out his hair. "Brian." I nodded, pain racking my head. Simon and Brian were the last two I knew the names of. And both were dead. "Let's roll."

--

Two boats sped toward us. "Brace yourself!" I yelled, spinning the boat on it's side, and Simon opened fire. His bullets splintered one of the boats to shreds, and it began sinking into the water. The other boat spun onto it's side, as Brian grabbed his machine gun, and also opened fire. Bullet peppered the boat, but it's strong steel hull prevented too much damage. "Aim up!" I yelled, as the Japs on board were peppered with bullets. One dived into the water, trying to save his own life. Simon and Brian stopped firing, as a Marine crawled up onto the deck, blood caking his body. He wore only sodden, blood-stained pants. "Get him on board."

--

The bleeding Marine we rescued wore SAS pants, covered in blood. "SAS?" I asked. He nodded, weakly. "I'm Australian." He forced out of his mouth, his accent powerful. I grabbed his arm, and threw it around my shoulder, but he insisted on walking himself. He could walk fine, but he was hungry, and thirsty. "Get food, and water." I said, realizing suddenly that I hadn't eaten in two days. Hunger and thirst should have taken it's toll, but my desperation pushed my beyond my normal limits. Cuts, bruises and scars covered my body. The effects of this war were more than physical. All the killing and bloodshed had stained my mind, and emotionally, I was consumed. My bloodlust was now insatiable, and I would have to die to end this. I looked to the island, a tear forming in my eye.

--

I was transfixed for several minutes, tears falling from my face, wiping away the grime and dirt. It seemed almost symbolical. Suddenly, an explosion lit up the horizon. I held my gaze, my mouth open. They had one other target, that was now destroyed. The military base. The airport still stood, and I knew that the rest of the population would be there, ready to die for a cause. Then the Japs would be mobilizing toward them. I looked around me, at the three Marines, all wounded but ready to fight to the death, most possibly the last of the Marines in Hawai'i. All the other islands would either be evacuated, or defending O'ahu by now. Either way, I watched the sun rise, on the final morning. Today, Hawai'i would die.

--

I reached the shore once again, clutching a small handgun, the three Marines behind me. Zac walked up next to me. "This has really affected you, hasn't it?" He asked me. I kept walking, still staring ahead, my gaze never shifting. After several minutes, I nodded. "Yes, it has affected me. Adversely." He shot a glance to me. "This hasn't always been your home, has it?" He asked again, still looking at me. I nodded, pain covering my face. "I used to live in Australia. But everything I had there was destroyed. Death and destruction has followed me my whole life." Zac looked at me, shocked. He now knew why it was so easy for me to kill. I had grown up with it.

--

We rounded a corner, as Zac continued to contemplate my life. "Duck!" I yelled, as I grabbed Zac, and flung him to the ground. A missile overshot us. The airport was just ahead, and broken highways surrounded us. I saw the Japanese blockade, several hundred strong, and knelt with the Marines. "Stay." I said, standing from the rubble. I held the gun lossely, on one finger, and stepped forward to face them.

--

"Stop!" I yelled, in English. All the Japanese soldiers within earshot turned to face me. A commander type man walked forward, punching me in the face. Zac frowned, and prepared to run. I cracked my nose back into place, and felt the commander's knee slam into my stomach. I crumpled under the blow, my hand landing on his side, silently removing his hand gun. The commander grabbed me by the neck, and made me face him, close enough to smell the aftershave he used that morning. He hissed. I pressed the gun against his stomach. He looked down. "You can't afford to be killed." I told him, in Japanese. A sudden realization came over him, as he faced his soldiers. "They are good fighters!" He yelled, spitting in my face. "Probably." I cocked the gun.

--

Zac jumped to his feet. "No!" He yelled, and Simon dragged him back down. Japanese soldiers surrounded me, obscuring Zac's view of me. As they surrounded me completely, I looked at him, realizing what I had to do. I glared at the Japanese commander. His pupils dilated, expecting the worst, and I knew it. "The worst is yet to come." i said, bluntly. Two rough hands wrapped themselves around my stomach. "No-one comes prepared for war, with an empty clip." I said, as rain began to fall. I flung the gun backwards, and shot my captor, and stood once more, aiming at the commander. I held my hand up. All the soldiers knew that I would kill if they moved. One body already lay behind me, and another death atop the countless others was not out of the question.

--

I stepped back, and the JapIanese soldier melted away, forming a path out, my aim still set on the commander. My foot found the rubble, and I stepped over it. Simon sat, cowering against it, sweat covering his face, an expectation of certain doom lingered in the very atmosphere. "Move." I said, almost whispering. Zac and Brian began to crawl away. Simon sat sitting. "I can't do it. So much death." He said, quivering. "You have to move, now." I said, emphasizing the 'now'. He nodded, rubbing his forehead. But, instead of crawling away, he stood, and faced the Japanese troops. "You're mad." I deduced, out aloud. A tear began to well up in his eye. "I know." He held his gun out, still trembling slightly. "Run." Was all he said.

--

I turned, and sprinted, as Simon opened fire, and hundreds of guns opened fire, all missing him, miraculously. Several soldiers collapsed to the ground, either wounded and bloody or dead. Simon's bullets were doing severe damage to his victims. Tears were rolling down his face, as one of the soldier's he shot fired. The dead man's bullet hit Simon in the stomach. The Marine grunted in pain, but kept shooting. I rounded a corner, catching up to Zac and Brian. "Where's Simon?" Zac asked. I looked around the corner, as Simon stood still. "My fucking god..." Blood was pooled around his feet, constantly growing bigger. He made no sound, apart from the rat-tat of the machine gun. A stray bullet flew through the air, as everything seemed to go in a slow motion. The bullet hit Simon in the head, and he fell backwards, as I caught a glimpse of the front of his body. His chest was covered in blood, and his face was wounded severely. "Now, he's dead."

--

"Run!" I yelled. The rain was fairly heavy now. Rubble and debris still covered the streets like a veil, and running and jumping was all we could do to escape. Hundreds of places to hide, but there were hundreds of men chasing us. "Hide!" I frantically whispered, bounding over nearby rubble, and entering the remains of a burnt down building. The charred remains crumbled as I touched them, making hiding difficult. A single rock sat in the center of the room, and I tripped. I landed in amongst the charred ruins, and I was covered in soot.

--

I crawled into a small crevice, just big enough for me to worm my way through. I watched as Simon entered a different building, surrounded by glass and rubble. Zac followed me, hiding under the remains of a statue. The charcoal covered entire body, clumping in my wounds, and pain racked through my nervous system. "Zac!" I whispered, trying to get his attention. I saw from behind a huge demolisher, driving toward the wall. "Move!" I yelled, not worrying about getting caught. If I could save him, I would, even at the expense of my life. He rolled out of the way, covering most of his body in soot, and charcoal. His body, like mine was as dark as his silhouette.

--

The demolisher drove into the wall Zac had been sheltered underneath. It collapsed with a loud smash, followed by several Japanese troops. I turned my head, sweat forming on my head. It came out blackened, and rolled down my face, dropping onto my foot. The Japs ran past me, as I slowed my breathing. My gun lay resting at my feet, a stupid idea at present. A single ray of light could give away my position. And it did. "Fuck!" I said, as the Japanese soldiers turned to face me, the light reflecting off their guns. I ducked, holding the gun up, aiming at them. I fired once, and ran, and broke several pieces of rubble. Japanese bullets followed my steps, as I glared up at the armour plated demolisher. Zac cocked his gun quietly, and opened fire, killing all the soldiers.

--

I ran to the demolisher, throwing the door open. The driver was shocked, as I threw him out, and Zac shot him. I saw Simon clambering toward us. Zac climbed in, sitting behind me, and there as enough room for Simon to stand. A huge plane flew overhead, dropping several Marines down, chuting to the ground. Suddenly, several flak cannons opened fire, and bombarded the plane. The plane's armour was thick, and endured all but the final shots. A huge explosion rent the plane in two, crashing in two huge infernos. One of the Marines landed, unfolding the chute, as bullets pierced it. In the sky, the Marines opened fire. Two of them were killed, there bodies hitting the ground hard, dragged along by the chutes. The others landed, and ran to the end of the street, where the Japs waited. They had seen how large their force was, so why run? He watched the Marines, and as they got decimated. Simon cambered into the demolisher, and I began to drive, away from the Japs. "Why away? We have to fight them!" Zac asked. I chuckled, and explained my plan. Smiling, he agreed.

--

I slammed into the huge wall, against the Japanese flank. Simon and Zac dived down, as Japanese guns tore into the demolisher. "Stop!" I screamed, in Japanese. The firing stopped, as Simon and Zac jumped to their feet. Behind my back, I held a small grenade launcher that we salvaged from some wreckage. "Eat this, motherfuckers!" Simon yelled, as he opened fire with his machine gun. We took the Japs by surprise. I looked up to the airport. I flung the grenade launcher over my head, catching it with my off hand, and began firing. Using my other arm, I opened fire with a machine gun. Zac emerged with a shotgun. The three of us stood heavy ground, the Japs rapidly retreating beneath our onslaught. A small SUV drove toward us, splitting the Jap forces. I focused my grenades on the vehicle, and my machine gun on the soldiers. Several seconds later; seconds that seemed like hours, and days, the vehicle exploded, spiraling onto the Japanese forces. Zac stopped firing, to reload. Huge trails of smoke drifted into the air, as more and more grenades exploded. Zac continued to fire, as I stopped, retreating behind him. Sweat covered Simon's brow, for he had not stopped.

--

I shot a quick glance up to the airport. Hundreds of men started running out of it, all clutching guns, and rags and cloth covering many wounds. "Behind!" I yelled. We spun around, and ran behind the demolisher. Simon climbed in and spun it on it's side, hand on the gear stick. "You two hide. I've lived my life." He said, sweat caking his brow. He removed his shirt, revealing hundreds of small wounds. "Ancient Chinese torture methods, still applied today." He finished. I watched a single tear well up in his eye, as a grenade exploded in front of him. We ran behind a small wall, a window fixed in the middle. More and more grenades exploded around him, tears rolling from his eyes.

--

I realised what he was planning to do. I broke my cover, running like a suicidal maniac after the brave Marine. "No, Simon!" I screamed, my lungs sore from the effort. The demolisher stopped, bullets erupting from Simon's gun. Several Japs were injured, and two killed. I leaped onto the demolisher. Reaching my hand into the cockpit, I screamed for Simon. "You don't have to do this!" He nodded, still firing, until his clip emptied. "I know. But I can." His free hand pushed me off him, and I fell to the ground, rolling. Spinning the vehicle, Simon drove at the Japs, a small plastic explosive tied to the floor. With a single glance back at me, he reached his hand up, in a salute. His finger fell upon the trigger of a detonator. Many Japanese froces had surrounded him, the moment the vehicle exploded, with tremendous force.

--

I sat on the bitumen, coming to grips with what had just happened. Now he AND Brian were dead, by my hand. "'Tis not you're fault, sir. He choose it for himself." Zac condoled me, peering at the burning wreckage, surrounded by bodies. The men from the airport had set up a temporary fortification, that was movable. Blood was splattered around the streets. "Move your ass!" I yelled to Zac, as we stood, and opened fire. Several Japs fell beneath our initial barrage of bullets. We hid behind the huge plumes of smoke rising from the wreckage. I opened fire again, not knowing where I was shooting. Zac lay belly down, among the dead, observing my shots. He watched a stray bullet kill a Japanese colonel. His finely pressed blue and white uniform was stained with blood by the lone head shot. The Japanese soldiers around him watched in horror, as the body limply hit the floor. I vaulted the demolisher, eyeing the obliterated corpse of Simon, and rolled to my feet.

--

I opened fire again, as Zac accompanied me. Together, we assaulted the Japanese left flank. Hundreds of stray corpses were littered among the Japanese ranks, at least one thousand soldiers still standing. Many of the airport's defenders were still fighting, though most with fresh wounds. I looked around momentarily. War had ravaged a once peaceful island, and this was the end result. Decades would have to pass for O'ahu to become reinhabitable; in a sense of medical health. A bullet flashed right past my head, and I jumped back into the present. Zac lay on the ground, commando crawling, firing at the same time. I noticed several grenades on the body next to me. "Zac!" I yelled. "Grab their grenades!" I started ravaging at the bodies, ripping away their grenades. After several minutes, we had almost one hundred grenades. Zac looked at me, clutching a grenade, ready. I nodded, lobbing a grenade high overhead, and it landed among the Japs, exploding on impact.

--

Smoke began to rise viciously from the ground. We kept throwing grenades, killing many soldiers; at least two or three per grenade. After several minutes had passed, Zac handed me the remainder of his grenades, as he opened fire. Huge plumes of smoke prevented us seeing into the Japanese ranks. We watched as several men emerged from the smoke, screaming in horror. Zac shot them down, reloading rapidly. He dropped a clip, fumbling in the waning daylight. I grabbed a duffel bag that lay randomly nearby, and filled it with more grenades. "Cover me!" I yelled, as Zac nodded, resuming fire. I grabbed a few, and placed them at my side. I lobbed one, the explosion rocking the ground. I grabbed another, pulling the pin, ready to throw. Suddenly, an SUV burst from the smoke. "Shit!" I yelled, and began running. Zac rolled to the side, diving behind some rubble, noticing that the SUV was bristling with guns and soldiers. It was a small tank. Unknowingly, the driver stopped right over our bag of grenades. One of the the soldiers emerged, clutching a minigun. I dived behind the demolisher, eyeing the masses of body armour the man wore. A heavy helmet covered his face. He was nearly indestructible. I poked my head out from cover, eyeing Zac's position. He crawled slowly along the rubble wall, and jumped up, offloading an entire clip onto the street under the car. The man smiled, beneath the helmet. "Shit, no!" I yelled, throwing myself into the open, lobbing my grenade under the man's feet. Zac stopped firing, a single bullet in his magazine. Time seemed to slow, as the smoke amongst the Japanese ranks cleared. Still in the same essence of slow, Zac vaulted the rubble, rolling, and fired his single shot. The lone bullet sped toward the grenade.

--

The Japanese soldier opened fire. I rolled out of the way, time still in a strange essence of lag. Zac's bullet slammed into the grenade, splitting the green, bumpy edges. In the same instant, another of Zac's bullets ignited the duffel bag, and a stray bullet struck a grenade within. Simultaneously, the duffel bag, and the grenade at the soldier's feet exploded. The SUV exploded almost instantly, as time repaired itself. Hundreds of grenades within the vehicle also blew up, alongside hundreds of pounds of gunpowder. Within seconds, the entire SUV had been blown to smithereens. There wasn't even a scrap of metal left, or a hint of flesh. All that remained was a massive hole rent in the ground, and fire. I looked up, at the Japanese ranks. A mere hundred still stood alive, Almost one thousand bodies surrounding them, and the road was ripped to shreds. That was, I realised, a direct result of the devastation of our grenades.

--

The survivors grabbed guns and started to open fire, the slaves they were. Zac and I dived behind cover. The men near the airport opened fire, devastating their ranks. Zac and I crawled out of cover, examining the scene. It was then that the total devastation took it's toll on us, mentally and emotionally. Physically, we were beyond perfect repair. Our scars would stick with us, for the rest of our lives. My mind suddenly became overcome with the horror this island had faced. I had been brought up in it, but for the survivors, it was devastating. Blood and bodies covered the streets. Guns, bullets and explosions caused no less pain than the traditional swords and shields. Modern technology was founded from war, that was fact. But nothing would sprout from this.

--

In times of war, do not crave honour, pray for amity or surrender. Only hope that you outlast the day. I had read that before, and it stuck with me, as it stuck with me. Zac knelt beside me, two hours after our tough victory. None of the bodies were moved, Japanese or American. "You okay?" He asked, as a tear welled up in my eye, once more. "No, not really." Zac sat. "I thought stuff like this didn't affect you, but you seem to swear a lot." I nodded, the single tear rolling down my face, wiping away the dust, grime and uncleanliness of war. "I swear because of desperation, and I don't enjoy it. I hate it. I grew up among death and language. The bad side of LA, I guess you could say." Zac nodded. "I know the feeling. Australia's not exactly pretty." Nodding, I continued. "My father was the leader of the second largest drug bust in the city. And my mother was involved in it." He was horrified. "And they STILL let you in the Army?" I nodded. "I was twelve-"
"That's horrible." Zac was shocked.
"Twelve months. I was strapped to my mother's back as she was shot in the leg by the police."
Zac sat back, utterly shocked.

--

I stood, watching Zac stare at the ground, trying to contemplate my life. "Don't. It's a waste." I muttered. I quickly cracked my knuckles, the quiet, ensuing sound resonating through the eerie silence that befall the temporary camp. Sweat, dirt, and overall grime had covered my body during the fighting. Blood mingled with the grime in other places, as well, covering my body in a torturous looking mixture. I looked at my many scars, eyeing also the grime. This is the physical evidence of war, I said to myself. The mental evidence was deep. Far too deep. I sat again, dropping myself onto the concrete. Zac stared into my eyes, and opened his mouth to speak. Then, he saw the small glimpse of hope that I held in my heart. It was the tiniest glimmer of light, in the infinite depths of my eyes, yet it was there. He saw it, and I felt it. His moth still gaping wide open, he watched the first of many tears accumulate in my eyes. Overhead, the clouds rumbled, indicating the presence of rain to come. The first drop of rain fell from the sky, as the first of my tears rolled down my face, wiping away the muck covering my face. The single, lone raindrop landed softly on my head. I blinked, the tears covering my eyes, as the rain began to fall. Zac leaned back, intertwining his hands. More and more rain followed the first and, mingled with my tears washed away the dirt from my body. I looked up at Zac. I was new. I was clean.

--

Two Marines, clad in tattered Kevlar approached Zac. I grabbed my gun, and aimed it at them. "Names?" I asked, bluntly. They were both taken aback, the pattering rain invading the awkward silence. One of them stepped forward, nodding at me. "I'm Shawn." He began. "This here, is Alfie." He gestured to the man standing next to him. Alfie nodded. My next question was as blunt as the last. "Your business here?" They were shocked, once again, "We simple wish to join you and your-" I glared at Shawn. "His name, is Zac." Shawn nodded, nervously swallowing. "Zac, here." He finished. Alfie nodded. I smiled, wiping the tears from my eyes, under the veil of rain. I stood, holstering the gun. "You not speak, huh?" I asked Alfie, coldly. "Wouldn't you like to find out." He shot back. I turned my back to him, a smile creeping across my face. "Yea, I would, if I'm to lead you two Marines to war." Alfie stepped back, in line with Shawn. "So, that's a yes?" Shawn asked. I turned to face him. "There was no question. But yes."

--

A man ran around the corner, slipping on the wet road, grazing his knee. He kept running, despite the obvious pain. Blood covered his face, and he slipped once again, as Shawn ran to grab him. The man collapsed into Shawn's arms, breath heavily. "Put him down." I said. Shawn nodded, looking the man in the eyes, as he was lowered to the wet ground. His knee wound was paining him, obviously, and he was covered in water; not rain even. Panting, he begged for water. I ordered for a canteen to be brought to the man, who drank thirstily. He sat, forcing air in and out of this lungs, leaning against a piece of rubble. "What the bloody hell happened here?" He asked, his voice a croaky groan. I knelt in front of him. "Hawai'i is no longer the peaceful tourist destination it ws, a week ago." I began, swallowing. "A war happened. That's what."

--

"Same over..." He began, trying to orientate himself. He kept spinning around, trying to find a location. He found the smoke, and pointed, passionately. "There. There was a huge battle." I got onto my hands and knees, and crawled to his side. "Define." I said, matter-of-factly. He faced me, sorrow overcoming his face. His voice was suddenly aroused to normality; his voice a deep, flowing speech. "I am a Marine." He began. "I was guarding the land entrance to the Marine base. Me and another man. We had killed several Japanese scouts, and we were expecting a land attack; none of our forces were at the rear. Suddenly, we heard an explosion, from behind. All the other men turned to fight, and I ran." The Marine stopped, breathing heavily before continuing. "Hundreds of Japanese soldiers rose from the water like ghosts, as we opened fire. But they were a distraction. The main force flew in from overhead, and we shot the planes down; but too late. They had already dropped the Japanese men, and they were parachuting in. Only one hundred of us were ready to fight; the others were all wounded or dead. Then, more Japs poured in the base, from the sides. Me and two other men fell back, firing wanton together. Then we knew we were doomed. I knew there was a secret tunnel network, that housed most of our bombs. I ordered everyone else to evacuate. Two men turned, and began to run, but were gunned down, from the Japanese men invading us from the front now."

--

The Marine continued. "I ran for the tunnels, as explosions shook the base. Many men were dying, rapidly. We Marines were being overcome. Suddenly, the tunnel entrance burst open, and a small group of SWAT members raced forward." I pressed my fingers against his lips, signaling him to stop. "SWAT?" I asked, stunned. He nodded, shrugging. "I dunno, either." I moved my fingers. "Continue." Silently, he nodded. "I didn't keep watching; all I heard were screams and groans from the men. I kept running, clutching one of my grenades. The tunnels weren't very long; only about a quarter of a mile. I reached the end, and kicked the door at the end down, dropping my grenade." He stopped, catching his breath once again. "Long story short: I detonated the tunnels; along with the bombs, and escaped with my life. Barely. I'm the only survivor. I was crawling through the wreckage, when the rains fell, and I saw it." He stopped again. I fell back on my butt, absorbing the end of the tale. "Wait.. Saw WHAT?!" I asked. He swallowed, and looked at me. "The Japanese barge."

--

I stood back upright, cracking my knees. Alfie looked at me, a sudden wind blowing in the air. "That does THAT mean?" He asked, genuinely concerned. "It means.." I began, searching for the right words. "What we JUST experienced was no war. THAT was a skirmish. The tides of war have gathered against us." Alfie stopped me. "What about everything else? All of the stuff we've been through and seen, just to be standing here right now, alive." I sat again, all eyes upon mine. "I don't know. But, we might all die." Laughing, Alfie sat beside me. "We didn't grab guns, and fight off an army of Japanese soldiers, so that we could just live. We ALL prepared. Think about it." He paused, studying me, momentarily. "You have an army. At YOUR disposal. Decide now." I stood, cocking my gun. "We march. Once and for all." I paused, staring out to the harbour. "To beginning, of the end." Alfie smiled, and thrust his gun into the air. "To the end!!!" He screamed. I turned to face the marshaled army of Marines and soldiers. All were able bodied. They followed Alfie's lead, and thrust their guns in the air. "To the end!!" They repeated. I turned, and began to march.

--

As we marched, I took every opportunity to survey my surroundings; looking for any more Japanese soldiers. After several minutes, I found some. A small group, camped just around the corner, with a sentry standing, like a statue before them. Alfie stopped them too, and Shawn raced to my side as his beckoning. "What to do?" He asked. I looked around the camp some more. "They aren't here to fight. They know we could kill them, all. They're here to bargain." I said. "Or truce." Shawn added, shrugging. I placed my hand on his chest, still looking at the sentry. "Bargain. Stay." I said, stepping around the corner.

--

The sentry stopped me, and began to walk forward. I held my hand out, signaling him to stop. He stopped, folding his arms in front of him, then fidgeting and shifting them behind his back. I kept walking, until i could spit in his face. "Mr Brown." He said, in English. "I prefer Jasan." I said, hiding a smile. "Very well, Jason." He turned to get something from his pocket, and I grabbed his throat. "Jasan. Like Ja-Zan." He swallowed nervously, and nodded, sweat forming on his forehead. "Continue." I said. He swallowed again, reaching into his pocket, and pulling out a note. "I don't have time for notes. YOU read it." I said. He shook his head. "I can not read German." He said, nervously expecting another outburst. Smiling, I responded. "Neither do I, dumbass." The man loosened himself, and I struck. I grabbed the cuff of his shirt and threw him to the ground. "You know the bloody message. Tell me." The men cowered in fear on the ground. "The army comes. Highway, four hours. There it will all end."

--

I looked up, to the camp. Several barrels of oil sat around the tents the men occupied. I ripped a pistol out of my back pocket, and aimed it at the sentry, lying stiff on the ground. "I will be there. You won't." I shot him, and aimed at the barrels, firing. The friction hitting the bullet ignited it, and exploded on impact with the barrel. The men inside the tent were immediately obliterated, and the men in the other tent ran out, hands up high. I ran forward, jumping the flames, and dropped my gun. I kicked one of the men behind the knee, and he dropped to the ground, screaming. Another swung at me with a metal pole, and I sidestepped, grabbing the pole. The man kept going, releasing the pole. Another man ran at me, and I kicked his stomach. He dropped to the ground, winded. I let the pole fall to the ground, before saying, "You know, I only need to keep one of you alive."

--

I stood at the helm of my army, grabbing my prisoner by the collar of his plaid shirt, dragging him along. Blood caked his arm, and his shirt was torn from the battle I had with him. In the end, I had to slice his shirt and cut his arm. The man was squirming like mad, until Zac hit him with the butt of his gun. The man grunted, and stopped moving, still conscious. I had, however, salvaged weapons and ammunition from the remainder of the camp. Four medium sized katanas were found among one of the tents; completely unharmed. Zac had one, I had one, Alfie had one and Shawn had one. Behind me, were almost four hundred fighters, armed and ready to die. The sun began to appear from behind the clouds, and I realised it was now the last day. We had fought on, through the night. Already, we were at a severe disadvantage. But, I wanted to launch a surprise attack. And this was the only way we could, and everyone else knew it. They knew they were now freedom fighters; fighting for an island, not just themselves. I turned, throwing the hostage onto the ground, and he grunted once again. "Today, we fight!" I stepped over the hostage, looking him in the eyes. "This!" I continued. "Will not be beautiful. It will not be fun. Or even amusing. This will be the ugliest thing you've ever experienced." I stopped, unable to resist my urge. "Even worse than this guy's grandma." I pointed to the hostage lying on the ground. The men chuckled, and I smiled. I turned, the smile vanishing, along with the laughter, and a serious aura hung in the air. "We march."

--

The sun was high in the sky, but it was not yet noon when we reached the highway. Several yards away, a Japanese blockade stood before us, but it was vacated. There were several large tents behind it, from which a delicious smell emanated. "They're having their last lunch." I stated, bluntly. "How do you know it's to be there last?" Shawn asked. I smiled, rounding Alfie and Zac to my side. "Get the others to set up camp in the street. We'll hit the Japs early."

--

Zac, Shawn, Alfie and I kept low; crouching as we moved, in an awkward fashion. Zac held his katana, his pistol holstered. I was the most heavily armed of the group; two guns and a sword. We reached the barrier, and my thighs hurt from the awkward motions. "One at a time!" I whispered, more a suggestion then a command. Alfie shook his head. "All at once; that way we stay together." I nodded. "True." The four of us counted down, and vaulted the barrier. Zac stopped a single sentry, leaning against the edge of the bridge. Silently, I ordered Zac to take him out. The young Australian soldier ran up behind him, and stabbed him through the heart, flinging the body over the wall, and down off the bridge. Inside the tent, someone yelled a name. "Shit!" I whispered to myself. "Move!" I yelled, as Shawn, Alfie and I sprinted toward Zac. Suddenly, a gun erupted from inside the tent. Instinctively, Shawn fired a single shot. The gunfire stopped, and we could see a man lying dead, covered in blood. A drunken fight. "They're drunk." I said. Alfie nodded. "Kill them all." I grabbed a grenade, and we raced to the front of the tent. The runks inside all spun around, and looked at us. They knew we were enemies, but were too wasted to do anything. I nodded, throwing the grenade. Two of the men, the two most wasted, looked at the grenade in awe. Until it exploded. Zac, Shawn, myself and Alfie all ran, as the grenade's explosion caught the gunpowder and alcohol inside the tent. It only took a few seconds for us to reach the other side of the bridge, but by then, the damage was done. A gaping hole was burnt into the bridge, where the tent once was. Nothing remained. "It's over." Zac said, Alfie nodding. I shook my head. "It's just begun.