It wasn't meant to end this way for him.
Gates knew it was going to all end eventually, this pathetic life of his.
But the last thing he'd expected was to be left to die of rust pollution in a prison cell.
-What had he done wrong?-
The news of his Sect master's death had hit him with both shock and joy.
At the time, he didn't even care about who had finally offed the tyrant-of-a-master.
He was much more curious about who would take over the reins of leadership and if life would get better for him with the new rulership.
The life of an AIRFINDER in these times was typical.
The absolute runt of society and yet with the most important assignment.
-Finding oxygen and trapping it-
As he was half dragged completely nude through the streets, Gates considered grabbing a rock to help himself end things faster, but his body hurt and his ego even more.
-He couldn't even lift his head up or move himself -
Especially as he kept on bumping rocks and stones and dirt.
One thing Gates wanted to know before he died was this;
-Who had set him up?; who had imagined that tagging the crime onto him was the best course of action?-
He thought of Viva, his only friend and the only person who had ever rooted for him and he felt so terrible that she had to see him this way, he felt even more terrible that he wasn't even given the chance to explain his innocence to her.
People had gathered in the dirty streets, observing the spectacle in amusement.
He could hear their laughs muffled by the oxygen masks and he could feel their eyes boring into his limp naked body.
-What was wrong with these people?; was it so amusing that someone was being reduced to the dust?-
Suddenly he remembered. He had also chuckled a few times when he saw people being pulled naked through the streets, was this how bad it felt?
Finally they arrived at the prison yards- if they could still be called that.
The place was relatively large, basically a clump of aged rooms and had great resemblance to a junkyard.
He could see other condemned criminals, writhing around and groaning for clean air in their cells.
-That was soon going to be him-
The guards and his former colleagues exchanged words and Gates finally summed up the courage to look up at her.
-He still couldn't understand why they'd let her follow along to see him in this degenerate state-
She also looked down at him, but rather than pity he saw something else in her eyes.
-It wasn't disappointment either, infact it was no expression distantly similar to the one someone he had shared a deep bond with should have had-
It was a subtle relief, he could tell because he had seen her make that expression very few times.
He was just about to call her name when she bent down to his ear and whispered;
"Thank you again Gates... for taking this one for me"
His eyes widened when the realisation hit him.
But by then, his former fellow sect members were through making arrangements with the guards.
He was roughly thrown to the guards and they wasted no time to pull off his oxygen mask.
As the unfiltered air hit his nostrils, Gates began to gasp.
The guards chuckled as they dragged his thin frame into a cell.
He watched as Viva and the others walked away, he wanted to scream, shout, explain himself.
-But all through his life, he had been a bottled up wimp who never stood for himself except if Viva helped him-
Viva.
Why had she killed the boss? And why had she pinned the blame on him? Did their friendship all those 10 years of his 17 meant nothing?; Had she always planned this from the get go?
The pain of betrayal almost overcame the agony of being directly exposed to polluted air.
He saw Viva turn back one last time and he foolishly hung onto hope that she was coming to explain everything to the guards and rescue him, just like she had always done.
But she was smiling.
"Have fun buddy" a guard sneered.
"Maybe in your next life...you won't kill a person"
The pain was searing, it burnt into his internal organs with each breath he took, he tried to hold his breath but he couldn't tell what was more agonising.
He felt life slowly slip from his fingers, but at this point, he wished it would happen faster.
If he did have a next life, then he hoped he would be the one to betray someone rather than be betrayed.
"How many have we picked up?" The General asked as his eyes scanned round the cells.
"About 33 sir" his assistant responded.
He nodded; "Adding up with those we already have... this mission can finally commence"
The sounds of someone groaning in agony caught his attention.
"Check on that person"
The assistant swiftly set to action, he bounded up to the cell and studied the half dead body.
"He's still alive sir!...I don't know how but he is"
The General came over, he looked at the body and shook his head.
"Nah, too thin... he's probably not even going to survive a day"
They were just about leaving;
"I don't want to die...I don't want to die this way" Gates croaked from unconsciousness as he sputtered out blood.
The General turned one more time to look at the body;
"Pick him up Sirius"
"Sir?-" "I said pick him up"
Sirius nodded and lifted the body up.
"But why did you change your mind sir?" Sirius asked the General as they were driven to the base.
"Nothing...I just felt like giving him his wish, at least he's going to die somewhere else"
Sirius nodded;
"Information from the boss says he was an AIRFINDER, apparently he killed his Sect master and that's how he ended up there"
The General shrugged;
"Whatever...it's not like he could change the scheme of things of he joins the mission"