The Survival: Cruelty's Curse

Chapter 4:

Quill Demoted

"Crack!" Went the butt of the rifle when it hit Quill in the gut. Quill sprung awake, and saw two men with rifles standing in above his bed. He get out of his bed and tried to swing at one of the men, but was hit in  the back the butt of a rifle, making him kneel.

"DOWN on your knees, asshole," said the man.

Quill let out a grunt of pain. The two men dragged Quill outside, and dropped their guns in the snow. One man picked him up under by his arms, and holding them. The other man punched Quill in the face hard, making Quill enraged, he tried to break free, but no success. The man delivered a left cross to Quill's right jaw, almost breaking it. Quill got furious and headbutted the man behind him, and whammed his fist into the other man's face, knocking him down. Quill got on top of him and released a barrage of fists at his face, breaking his nose and jaw. But the man that had once been headbutted kicked Quill off of the other man.

"Ack!" Quill grunted.

The men got up and started to kick Quill while he was down. Quill blocked his face from being kicked, soon, the men realized Quill had enough. They stomped on his arms to stop from from blocking, the two men grabbed his arms and dragged him across the snow to a familiar cabin. Quill growled in bitter rage, but managed to keep calm. One of them opened the door to the cabin, and dragged Quill in. And dropped him right in front of a desk.

"Rise and shine, sleepyhead!" Gilda shouted.

Quill's vision was a little fuzzy from the beating, but his eyes cleared, and he saw Gilda, and gulped.

"SPEAK when I'm talking to you!" Gilda shouted once more.

"Did you fucking order those guards to jump me!?" Quill asked.

Gilda nodded. Quill growled angrily, but Gilda knelt down with one knee, and grabbed his cheeks with one hand, and punched his gut. Quill groaned in pain.

"Why the fuck are you doing this!?" Quill shouted.

"Why? WHY!? WHY I am doing this is because our spies came back, and told me that they overheard Rainbow Dash talking to Soarin' about YOU. She talked about you, how she loves you, and how you SURVIVED with her for six years," Gilda explained," And you told me that you never met her."

"That could have been someone else. You have no proof that it was actually me." Quill replied.

"Oh no?" Gilda replied, "This says otherwise!"

Gilda tossed the picture of Rainbow Dash on the floor in front of the floor. Quill's jaw dropped, he got very, very angry.

"We found this in your backpack, this confirmed the news given. And you know what makes me laugh?" Gilda questioned right in front of Quill's face.

Quill spat in Gilda's face

"What!?" He shouted.

Gilda punched Quill's testicles, knocking the wind out of him. Quill gasped for air, but Gilda grabbed a baseball off her desk, and swung it at Quill's arm, knocking him down. Quill moaned in agony.

"What makes me laugh is how you, a cruel, heartless fuck like you managed to get a pretty girl like Rainbow Dash to fall in love with you." Gilda said in a happy tone.

"Don't you fucking say one word about her, or I SWEAR TO GOD I'LL!"

"Look! Quill has a heart! He's sticking up for the girl of his dreams. You swear to God you'll WHAT? Kill me? That's cute. You might be good at killing infected but you can't beat me," Gilda said.

"You don't fucking know me, Gilda. For seven god damn years, I've survived. Six of those years were spent with Rainbow Dash. You don't know how much I've been through!"

"That reminds me, Rainbow Dash spoke about your visions! How you and your uncle knew about this infection before anyone else did! How precious! Tell me Quill, where's your uncle now? Dead? That's what I thought." Gilda reminded.

"Gilda... I'm warning you, you're opening a can of worms here..." Quill responded.

"No, Quill. You opened a can of worms right when you joined us, you just didn't know you did. Tomorrow, at six in the morning, we're going to execute you with your pregnant lover. Guards, throw him in the basement."

Gilda left the cabin, and the guards picked up Quill by the arms, and opened a trapdoor. They kicked him down the stairs. Quill almost broke his neck! There was a single candle down there as his only light source. Quill hugged himself, it was very cold down here, the fire was the only source of heat and light, a blanket sat in the corner. He screamed in anger.

"That fucking bitch, I'm gonna kill her."

Quill ran up the stairs and tried to ram the trapdoor open, but it was locked a padlock. Quill wasn't getting out anytime soon, he started to feel sad, so he remembered something,,, He remembered his Uncle. His Uncle Swatch Swift helped him and Rainbow Dash through the first stage of the infection. Quill grabbed the blanket, and sat in the corner while covering up form the cold. He stuttered with every breath he took. It was still early morning, and he had some time to kill.

About seven years ago, when Quill and Rainbow Dash were in Cincinnati, they found Swatch Swift's safe house, it looked like a crack house, and it was. Since Swatch's real house was taken over by the military, he had nowhere else to go. The memory was a bid hazy, but Quill remembered the details. As much as Quill had forgotten, he never, ever, forgot his Uncle. When Quill and Rainbow Dash found the safe house, Quill's uncle opened, and let the two in. Swatch Swift looked a lot like Quill's dad, he was muscular, and he had a thick beard. He of course had some grey hair, but it was long, and Swatch always put it in a rat tail. Swatch loved the M1 Garand, and was surprised to see Quill holding it. When Rainbow Dash stepped inside with Quill, she noticed that it was run down, and looked a little haunted. With the paint chipping off of the walls, the floor and ceiling were rotted. At least it was still livable and tolerable, but then Swatch noticed something.

"Are you and Dash finally dating now?" Swatch asked.

Quill and Rainbow Dash blushed, and shook it off. They found Swatch's safe house the day after they kissed. So, could we say that they were dating? But, anyway. Swatch happily let in the two to sit down, talk, and rest for the night. At one point when Rainbow Dash had went upstairs for a nap, Swatch had a little private talk with Quill.

"So, are you and her dating?"

"Nah, we're not." Quill replied.

Swatch groaned.

"Are you kidding me? You've been friends with that girl for like, what, ever since you were two! You gonna make a move?" Swatch retorted.

"Look, if we dated, and we broke up for I don't know what. We wouldn't look at each other the same ever again. It would ruin our friendship."

"Good point. But that's the same problem your father had with your mother. They were best friends in High school, but when your mom had a crush on your dad. Your dad didn't want to ruin the friendship." Swatch reminded Quill.

"Uncle Swatch, I don't appreciate you talking about my dad. I like to keep it silent."

"Quill, I can talk about my own brother in front of you. If he were alive today, he'd be so very proud of you. Even where he is now, he still loves you." Swatch explained.

"I don't believe in Heaven, Hell, or a God. There's just too much shit in the world."

"Nonsense, I so do believe in those three things. Everything happens for a reason, and I believe there's an afterlife because our life on this Earth seems to go by so fast when you're about to die. I pray, and I get prayers answered. Just pray, and everything will be alright. And remember what I always say, Follow The River!" Swatch explained again.

"I prayed many times before, and nothing happened." Quill retorted.

"There's a difference between saying a prayer and actually praying. You pray with unbelief, just believe!"

"But about dad... I don't want anyone walking about him..."

"Quill, I understand. The day your dad got news that your mom was pregnant with you, he was very excited, because he knew you were going to be a very special kid," Swatch went on, "But not like special needs, he knew that you were going to be something better than him."

"Looks like he got his hopes up too high. I ain't really special," Quill said.

"You are, I watched you grow up ever since you were a baby. Your mother made me babysit you a lot, and you know that. I remember that you're just like your dad. You still are! He always doubted himself, and when he didn't, he wouldn't bite off more than he could chew, meaning that he'd be self-aware of his shortcomings. You're just like that, Quill." Swatch conversed.

"Huh, thanks for making me realize that. All because of a car crash... I didn't get to see him." Quill said with a tear.

"Car crash? A CAR CRASH?! Who told you that he died by a car crash?" Swatch asked.

"My mom, why?"

"Typical. Your dad was shot, and killed nineteen minutes before you were born. Y-You see..." Swatch tried to keep himself from breaking down, "You're aunt Paint Drop was at the hospital with her, and she called your dad to tell him to come to the hospital for a surprise. On his way, he was mugged, shot, and killed."

"A-Are you serious? My father was killed?!! Bye who!?" Quill yelled.

"The detectives couldn't find out, your mother was too heartbroken to even cooperate with the police. This is why your mom hates you so much, she keeps thinking you're the one who took her husband away."

"That's because I am, I got my own dad killed." Quill said with a tear.

Swatch put his hand on Quill's shoulder, looking into his eyes with comfort.

"No, it's not your fault... He was taken on his own, I think it's an old high school bully way back in the day."

"Who is he?" Quill asked.

"His name is Hit-Switch. One day, when your dad, Pen Tale broke up with an old girlfrie-" Quill cut off Swatch.

"Who was his ex-girlfriend's name?"

"Cheerilee, her name was Cheerilee."

"She's one of my high school teachers. No wonder why she was always nicer to me than the other students, she was still friends with him after they broke up, right?"

"Yep. But, to continue, your dad was walking down the halls when she saw Hit-Switch come up to him and hit him, making fun of your dad and calling him names. But your mom told him to get off, and she even punched him! But Hit-Switch slapped her... and that's when your dad LOST it," Swatch said.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Your dad hated when men overpowered women, he beat the shit out of him. And by that, I mean breaking 3 of his ribs, and breaking his nose. I saw the fight, your dad had Hit-Switch laying down against the lockers, kicking in his stomach. I think that's what would have been a motive for murder, revenge."

"I know that feeling of rage."

"And that's also how your mom and dad met, they actually talked to each other in the principles office, when Quill got suspended for ten days, but at lease there were no charges. And boy, was your Grandma PISSED."

Quill smiled warmly.

"Well, I better get some rest. I'll see you in the morning, Uncle Swift!" Quill retorted.

Quill hugged his uncle, and walked upstairs, finding a separate bedroom from Rainbow Dash's. Quill put down his backpack in the corner, and climbed to into the bed, closing his eyes, falling asleep. But late in the night, Swatch shook Quill awake, Quill jumped when he woke up.

"Come on, we need to get out of here! Grab your things!" Swatch loudly whispered.

Quill picked himself up out of bed hastily, and snatched his backpack put the corner, also grabbing his rifle. Swatch and Quill ran to Rainbow Dash's room, shaking her awake.

"Jesus FUCK!? What's the problem!?" She yelped.

"The soldiers found our safe house, we need to get out of here!"

Rainbow Dash got up quickly and grabbed her guns. Quill, Rainbow, and Swatch sped down the stairs, all three of them heard soldiers running around, and dogs barking, obviously the K-9 unit. Swatch went to a bookshelf at the end of the stairs.

"Quill, give me a hand with this!"

Quill rushed to his Uncle and pulled the book case while Swatch pushed. Rainbow Dash's eyes widened when she saw a gigantic hole in the wall. Quill and Swatch stopped and looked at the whole.

"Now we gotta be careful going down their," Swatch said.

Swatch went first, he leaped down, Quill went next, jumping down. Quill opened up his arms.

"Okay, I got you, I got you."

Rainbow Dash nodded and jumped down into Quill's arms, she smiled, and they both followed behind Swatch. Rainbow Dash heard the soldiers break into the house, she swallowed her heard and said,

"We got company!"

"Shit, find a place to hide, I need to clear a path!* Swatch said.

Quill took Rainbow Dash's hand and ran through the hall, illuminated by flickering lights, the place looked like a basement cafeteria, eight-stool tables sat around, some rectangular tables were flipped over to be used as chest-high walls. Quill got the idea of using them to their advantage. Quill rain to one with Rainbow Dash, Quill poked his head out, and saw soldiers sprinting through the cafeteria, shooting at the direction where Swatch was running. A couple soldiers had bullets fly into their heads from Swatch's rifle. But Rainbow Dash pulled Quill's head down when she heard footsteps around the part of the cafeteria they hid in.

"Scout around for the other two from earlier, they were spotted with the fugitive! They couldn't have gotten far!" The soldier shouted.

Then it struck Quill's mind that his uncle was a wanted man. No wonder! All because of the Martial Law, Swatch had no choice but to put bullets in the heads of some soldiers. A corrupt government is never a government to trust. Quill luckily peaked his eye through a bullet-hole in the table, he saw three, count 'em, three soldiers in the cafeteria. Rainbow Dash handed Quill a beer bottle, she knew the drill! Quill tossed the bottle into the other half of the cafeteria. Two of the soldiers walked over to it, stupidly, being very gullible. Quill got out from behind the table, and grabbed the soldier by putting his arm under his neck, and putting his arm on his head. Quill pushed both his arms in, making the soldier drop his gun, and fall asleep in Quill's sleeper hold. One the military officer was out cold, Quill dragged him behind the table. The soldiers in the other half of the cafeteria turned back and saw the third one had disappeared.

"Quill, I recognize one of them! The guy on the left is the one who killed that family!" Rainbow Dash whispered in anger.

"Don't be-" Quill was cut off when Rainbow Dash poked out and shot the soldier on the left in the head, making him drop.

Fortunately, Rainbow Dash ducked down in time to dodge the fire coming from the other soldier's rifle.

"Stupid," Quill finished.

Quill saw another chest-high wall made by a square table. Quill dashed to it quickly while the soldier fired at him, the soldier walked to the table, putting the barrel of his rifle to his head.

"Night night!" The soldier said.

Rainbow Dash sprung up and threw it at the soldier's head, the soldier dropped his gun, and Quill laid a full force punch to the soldier's jaw. The soldier fell down to the ground, covering his face. Quill stomped on the leg of the table, breaking it off. He grabbed it, and started to wham the soldier in the head with it, bashing in his face. Rainbow Dash almost threw up, but swallowed it.

"Let's go..." She said.