Episode 42 : Ruminating

Zawaq looked back. The Arab soldiers were retreating and taking cover from the battlefield. Zawaq turned his body and joined the Arab soldiers in retreat.

That night, the soldiers were performing the Isha prayer while Zawaq was having dinner with the severely injured Arab soldiers.

"Name?" asked one of the Arab soldiers, whose hands and legs were wrapped in bandages, directing his question to Zawaq.

"Zawaq," Zawaq answered.

"So, you're the rumored super soldier of Israhell who sided with the Arab nations?" the soldier asked Zawaq.

"Your name?" Zawaq asked in return.

"Samir," the Arab soldier said while eating his chicken porridge with his uninjured right hand.

"I'm sorry. I wish I could help more," said Zawaq.

"You've done your best, Zawaq. Many of our Arab military medics were killed while trying to rescue our wounded soldiers. The Zionist Israhell regime deliberately targeted and killed our medics to cripple us in this war," Samir explained in detail.

"Is the war still ongoing?" Zawaq asked Samir.

"We will continue to fight Israhell until the occupiers leave Palestine," Samir replied.

"How is the economy of the Arab countries?" Zawaq asked.

"Just average, but there are rumors that the war against the Israhell occupation in Palestine won't last much longer," Samir replied.

"Is anyone having a fever? Feeling sick?" a military medic asked the wounded Arab soldiers.

Zawaq turned toward the voice. It sounded familiar. Zawaq and the Arab medic exchanged glances.

"Zawaq?" the Arab medic asked.

"Yes, that's me? You—who are you? You sound familiar," Zawaq asked him.

"I'm Zaqwan. Have you forgotten me, Zawaq? How could you? It's been over two years since we last met," Zaqwan said to Zawaq.

"I'm sorry. I lost my memory because of what the Israhell government did to me," Zawaq responded.

"It's okay. Tell me what you remember," Zaqwan said to Zawaq.

After listening to Zawaq's explanation, Zaqwan took a moment to think.

"Hard to believe?" Zawaq asked Zaqwan.

"It really is. You were supposed to be dead, but by God's will, you're still alive," Zaqwan replied.

"My best friend is alive, but my wife and my infant child... I don't know yet," Zawaq said, holding a wooden cup filled with water, not yet finished.

"I'm sorry for what happened to your parents," Zaqwan said before taking a sip from his wooden cup.

Zawaq nodded weakly and leaned against the dirt wall of the trench where the Arab soldiers had set up camp for protection.

"Are you planning to go back to that cursed country to find your wife and child?" Zaqwan asked for confirmation.

Zawaq nodded. Zaqwan understood his feelings.

"I don't agree with this, honestly. Your wife betrayed you, leading to your parents' murder because of her. She doesn't deserve it. I think you should just leave your wife and child there," Zaqwan said.

"You never agree with me on anything," Zawaq replied.

"You should be grateful that I'm always on your side," Zaqwan said.

"I'm still going to find my wife and child," Zawaq insisted.

"I can help you, and I don't expect anything in return," Zaqwan said as he pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Zawaq.

Zawaq took the paper and unfolded it.

"This is a map I'm giving you. It's a safer route from where we are now. I want to minimize the number of Arab soldiers who have to die escorting you," Zaqwan explained.

"I understand. Thank you for helping me, Zaqwan," Zawaq said.

"No problem," Zaqwan replied.

The next morning, Zawaq set out toward his destination, leaving the battlefield behind. His only goal was to find his wife and child, as he refused to believe they were dead.

He crossed vast deserts, walking tirelessly in the uniform of an Arab soldier. Step by step, he continued forward, never stopping.

His steps halted at a place where the land was scarred with craters and trenches from countless explosions. It was clear that the Arab forces had suffered a devastating defeat against the Zionist occupiers of Palestine.

Now, Zawaq understood why he had to take this route alone, without Arab soldiers escorting him. He continued his journey until he encountered a battalion of Israhell's super soldiers.

"Enemy!" one of the Israhell super soldiers shouted upon seeing Zawaq ahead of them.

"Evolution!" another Israhell soldier yelled before transforming. All the Israhell soldiers in front of Zawaq changed shape and turned into black, shadowy figures.

"You guys are lucky to be able to transform at will," Zawaq said to them.

Zawaq assumed a battle stance. The Israhell soldiers charged at him at full speed.

Zawaq fought them off, exchanging blows and using his strength against the dozens of Israhell soldiers. One by one, he punched them down. He dodged their attacks with skill and agility.

His eyes turned completely red, glowing like blazing fire. His emotions swirled as he recalled the moment his parents were murdered right before his own eyes.

One by one, he killed them—breaking their arms, snapping their legs, twisting their heads until their necks shattered. However, he also received kicks and punches as more enemies swarmed him.

Zawaq refused to give up—his revenge fueled him. The Zionist Israhell regime had killed his parents, and now, after witnessing the horrors of war—where children, women, and the elderly were mercilessly slaughtered—he burned with rage.

Zawaq drew a sword from its sheath and slashed through the bodies of the Israhell soldiers around him. He sprinted forward, cutting down anyone in his path. The number of enemy soldiers attacking him dwindled.

Then, the experimental soldiers advanced toward Zawaq. They attacked with their arms and legs, which were reinforced with sharp metal blades like swords. They slashed at him relentlessly.

Zawaq dodged and parried their strikes as best as he could with his sword. But little by little, their sharp blades cut into his body. Though his wounds healed rapidly, the pain remained fresh and unbearable.

Their movements were too fast for Zawaq to counterattack, forcing him to focus entirely on evading their strikes. He leaped into the air, landing at a distance from the metal-limbed Israhell soldiers. Zawaq pulled out an AK-47 and opened fire.

Some of them were hit by the bullets. Anyone who tried to approach Zawaq became his target.