Inspired by fandomlover's Dark is the Day story.

Based on a previous work, Always Save You.

Prologue:

Zhalia

From the shadows, I watched as Klaus fired a Poisonfang that struck Dante square on the back. I winced for him knowing what would happen to him next, but other than that, I didn't dare move. I was already on thin ice with the Organization and with Klaus. This was my time to prove my loyalty. But I didn't think it would hurt this much.

Dante was winded and struggled to breathe. I know that the magic would feel as if it were burning through him right now. There would be no evidence of it on the clothes, but underneath, the poisonous venom, however amount that had hit him, was stinging his skin, seeping in ever deeper to the muscle. Klaus's magic and experimentation with it always led to the bodily harm of the person instead of having it go through any barriers such as clothing. It was an easier way of killing someone without magic leaving an apparent trace.

A part of me felt sorry, wanted to stop things. But I couldn't listen. Though, I had considered that an option, I figured nothing good would come of it. I would be a traitor to both the Foundation and Organization. Then, there would be absolutely nowhere I could hide. So, I let things go on.

Dante was alone. I had ensured that there was no one left to help him, and Klaus had brought his steroid-pumped goons to make sure that Dante couldn't muscle his way out of this one. If he was smart, he wouldn't fight, he would let things play out.

"I see you are no fool, Vale." Klaus said as Dante took a moment of respite. I could hear the gloating in the old man's voice and I almost scoffed.

Klaus didn't know Dante like I did. At least I didn't underestimate him. I kept my focus, and I watched as his eyes quickly surveyed the area. He was using this moment of Klaus's monologue to think of a way out. But like me, he came to the same conclusion, and I watched as he resigned himself to the situation, slightly relaxing and letting his muscles rest for a moment. He was alone and all he could do was listen to Klaus continue, "You were an ideal specimen…That is, for my lab."

Were. Past tense. I could feel a chill run through me and my stomach twisted hard, so hard that I felt sick. I knew where Klaus was heading with this.

"So, now what?" Dante asked as he struggled to get back on his feet, but his arms collapsed from under him and he settled for resting his weight on his elbows. He wasn't playing at injury and wasn't going to risk using an Everfight if something new was going to be introduced to the field. "Are you going to finish me off?"

"No," Klaus answered as he stepped off to the side, a cue for me. Klaus always was one for dramatics. "She is."

I stepped out of the shadows, staring Dante down and making sure our gazes met. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Klaus smile because we both saw it... the despair that clouded amber eyes.

"Zhalia?!" Dante asked incredulously, his voice tinged with worry.

That surprised me. That wasn't the tone I expected to hear, and then, I saw those eyes soften, as if silently pleading with me to stop. I couldn't keep his gaze so I broke it and turned away. I found myself almost taking a step back, but I kept my composure, held onto that stone cold front I had mastered in the time I had been trained for missions like these. The ones that ended the same way. I walked up to Klaus handing him the bag of Vlad Dracul's Titans. For the first time in a long time, it was a struggle, keeping my emotions in check. But I took a breath, forcing myself to hold it together and shot out nothing but a blank and emotionless stare when I turned back to him.

"Finish him," Klaus ordered of me as he stepped to the side of the tower allowing me clearer access to the battlements... and to Dante.

"Double Spell," I whispered, "Venomhand."

Both of my hands came to life with an eerie purple green light that swirled around my fingers and my palm. Up to my wrists, the aura of the spell pulsed with life, but we all knew it meant death. Just two blows, one to the neck to cut off his breathing and one to the heart would be enough to kill him. I was trained for this moment. I knew exactly what to do.

I squelched the protesting feeling in my body, my stiffening muscles that slowed my approach. I paused for a moment and promised myself to make this quick, but something in me couldn't continue. However, I was close enough to him. He didn't move, didn't back away. He was practically at my feet. Close enough.

I raised my right hand and ready to launch the first strike when-

"Zhalia." he whispered my name, being both kind and pleading with me at once. I froze.

"I know that at the end of the day I can trust you."

"Zhalia, you're a good person. I know that."

His words and memories of missions flooded to mind. He was nothing but kind to me when I didn't deserve it. All my sabotages and purposeful mistakes, he forgave them and helped make it right for the team. He saved us all if we got into trouble. He caught me whenever I fell. All of it came to mind... all of it, too late.

"I'm sorry." I replied, my voice shaky and almost inaudible in the rain, but from the look that registered in his eyes, I knew that he had heard me. I hoped he understood that I had to do this. That I needed to.

Please, don't look at me. I found myself silently hoping, but his amber gaze wouldn't close or turn away from me. His eyes showed nothing but kindness and understanding, and he was nothing but calm, as if he accepted this. Accepted me being his killer.

I couldn't find a reason to strike. I tried to reach out for that confidence I had had at the start of this assignment, for that want to kill him as a challenge to prove I was worth something. Tried to think of the time I thought of this as a game, of how beating out all others meant I was superior to them. Killing Dante Vale... the ultimate goal for field agents. I tried to reach for that feeling... that want. I had that once.

But nothing came to me. Nothing... I couldn't kill him. So, with a crack and as hard as I could, I brought my left hand across his cheek, backhanding him with a force hard enough to just knock his tired, beaten being into unconsciousness.

It would be easier this way. For both of us.

The sound of armor moving broke through to me and I looked up, realizing that Caliban was still invoked... and I just attacked his Seeker.

The warrior launched at me, sword raised ready to defend Dante against me. I stepped back to defend myself, about to shoot a power at him, but my voice wouldn't come to me. Striking him down... it would have been the same as killing Dante, and for the second time this night, I couldn't attack. I hesitated, again. I waited for the sword to fall as I looked down, at Dante... praying his end would be as quick and less painful than mine.

But the sword never fell. And the shadow passed over us, prompting me to look up and watch as Caliban's leap went over Dante and me. The Titan landed behind us brandishing his sword… at Klaus. Dante's Titan was… defending us! Defending me?!

I continued to watch, frozen, as the remaining mutated Seekers used Hyperstride to come to Klaus's defense. Flying over Caliban and me, one's deformed voice echoed around us as he fired spells that missed the Titan completely and exploded near me almost knocking me off my feet.

"Hey, watch it!" I screamed at them as I turned to the Seeker who lay at my feet.

A strike to the heart and he'd be dead. My mission would be a success and I could quit it with all these lies… the lies about me being trustworthy and about me being a good person. About-

"Venomhand!" I cried and brought the spell to life once again.

Something in me, the weakest voice in my mind, begged me to go on. To take the power that was mine. To not be the orphan Klaus found at the fountain in Vienna. I would be powerful. I would be respected. All I needed to do was... kill Dante.

I knelt down at his side and looked at him once more. The rain had matted his hair on his face, and I took a moment to brush it off to the side.

Then, suddenly- Memories... of us... all of them... they came flooding back and flashed before me.

NO!

I- I could not.

I would not.

I made my choice.

I called off the spell and whispered another, "Thoughtspecter."

Behind me, Caliban had managed to keep all three of them at bay, only deflecting spells, buying me time to do whatever I needed to do. But I knew he was tired and one Raypulse managed to hit him in the back. It sent him exploding into a ball of blue energy that disappeared, flying back to its amulet that hung on Dante's neck.

As if scared of another surprise attack, Klaus approached me with hands glowing, ready to fight whatever came his way. But nothing happened. There was nothing left, just a body lying at my feet. I waited patiently as Klaus walked up beside me and studied my handiwork, I saw his demeanor change the moment he believed I had killed him. He was relaxed, relieved that it was over.

"You could have just used Venomhand to make it look like an accident." he said as he noticed Dante's neck was angled in an impossible way.

"No." I replied coldly as he knelt down and tried to feel for a pulse, but I knew he was terrible at it. Nothing would be blown. He seemed satisfied with the kill and look back at me as I said softly, "This was personal. I wanted to do it my way."

Klaus merely nodded before he headed back for shelter from the rain.

"Take his Titans." he ordered as he walked off, toying with the bag of Dracul's Titans, as he said with a laugh, "He won't be using them anymore."

I extended my hand trying to think of another way besides leaving Dante with nothing, but in the two minutes I had to think, nothing came to mind. Unfortunately, amulets I couldn't fake.

I'm sorry, Dante.

"Sorrowbond."

Metagolem, Caliban, Freelancer, and Solwing flew out each in golden orbs of aura and they hovered over my hand. I glanced back at their Seeker one last time and I noticed the four marks where my nails had made contact with his skin were now four blistered scratches across his left cheek. If he were to live, they would be scars and constant reminders of today. Of what I did...

"Goodbye," I whispered as I rushed away with his Titans in hand leaving him for dead with no defenses and no Titans.

I'm so sorry.

I don't know the moment when it happened, but Caliban and Solwing had slipped out of their gold auras and fell into my hand, glowing with new life. It was only when I felt a foreign power in the back of my mind did I realize what had just happened. That the two of them had just bonded with me.