Talow clutched the plans, watching his fellow United Flame and Sword soldiers as they shook their heads and muttered amongst themselves. He saw a few lower their swords and বন্দুক just to have them raised again after receiving looks from their superiors.
“You don't understand, if we continue the way we are this war will never end! We'll continue fighting with the Bellators until who knows when.” He looked towards Luca who wouldn't make eye contact with him. “You use fuel like it can be dug from the ground instead of traded for at the market. আপনি don't see that everything is running out অথবা already has.” He could feel the small vial of liquid he had taken from প্রথমপাতা digging into his side.
“Who suddenly made আপনি the spokesperson for us?” One of the soldiers asked. A few nodded and looked at each other like they didn't know how to make a decision for themselves.
“I...” Talow spoke but was cut off দ্বারা another soldier stepping to the front of the crowd. Raza.
“You speak like আপনি know all. Like you're perfect and the rest of us are savage animals. Your family used the same things our families did before this all happened. They had automobiles and aeroplanes just like ours. আপনি say we did all this.” He gestured at everything around them. “That we ruined the world and plunged us into this war. Why don't আপনি think about yourself, what you've done. What your family did in the Old Age.” Raza stood watching Talow, pure hatred in his eyes. Talow didn't know what to say. It had never struck him that his ancestors were just as guilty as everyone else. He looked at the plans held in is fist, was it worth the risk? Sharing these with those who were already over their heads in war অথবা who simply didn't care? Talow lowered his gaze and tucked the plans into an inside pocket.
“What do আপনি want me to say? That I'm as guilty as আপনি all are? I'll admit it, my family probable used their share of natural resources but we're different. We need to stop where they left off and start over. We need to make a better world that doesn't rely on fossil fuels and destruction.” Talow met the eyes of the soldiers who were looking. Seeing sons, fathers, uncles and friends. All had been torn from themselves to fight in a war that had been going on for generations. Boys not much older then he was, and men old enough to have families of their own. Everyone one of them had the ability to change but none knew how. Talow was telling them how, but were they listening.

Silence fell over them all. Gunshots could be heard in the distance from battles going on deeper in the city and in villages like his own. Talow watched emotions fly across faces, disappearing beneath the scar worn faces hardened দ্বারা fighting for their lives. One solider caught Talow's attention the most. Raza, the ex-Bellator who had tried to kill him during his first few days as a soldier. Raza wasn't looking at the ground like most, অথবা even at the others; instead he was looking past Talow at the jungle not five feet behind him. His eyes never left the green leaves as his hand went up to his jaw, tapping twice with three fingers. Talow didn't understand what he was doing but that didn't matter. From the foliage, battle cries and gun আগুন broke out as a group of Bellators leap from the jungle and started firing on the UFS. These were met with answering shots and jets of flame as the UFS fought back.

Talow was caught in the ক্রুশ fire. He dropped to the ground and covered his head, crawling towards the UFS soldiers as the fought against the surprise attack. Nobody knew what was happening except that they were being threatened. Talow found a spot where he could stand and draw his sword, the sound of steel on steel met his ears as others did the same and struck out at the Bellators. Talow swung his blade as another came towards him. The two blades met and sent each holder back a few steps as the battle roared around them. Talow looked up to see his opponent, Raza. He stood tall with আগুন in his eyes.
“But I thought...” Raza caught him off again with another strike.
“You though wrong. Did আপনি really think I would just run away from battle, run from the chance to slice apart the UFS? Ha! All we needed was to get আপনি into one place where we could plan an ambush. I told আপনি about his alley and আপনি took it.” Raza laughed as he slit the sleeve from Talow's arm exposing his UFS brand, now a thin line ran through it as blood created a scarlet ribbon down his arm. Talow felt used. He had trusted Raza and put his life in his hands. He had saved him from execution and this was how he was re-payed! Talow felt fury building up inside him as the sword in his hands took on a life of its own. He slashed at Raza, giving him a matching scar down his arm and a hilt to the jaw. Raza held a hand to his jaw as he blocked Talow's blade. He was the better fighter having done this for years and Talow was an easy opponent. Talow could feel the muscles in his arm straining as he lunged and shielded himself. He caught a glimpse of some of the boys from battalion V35 fighting to his left against a crew of Bellators much older and আরো experienced then them. He could already see bodies piling up with bullets torn through them and burns marking the flesh. The past little while felt like a dream; being recruited, joining forces with Luca and fighting with these boys who felt like family. All of this was being taken away from him and there was nothing he could do about it except fight.