This was it. She could feel it, as she lay there in the frigid snow after the beast had run away. One..two..one..two. Shallow breathing, blurry vision..a dull thudding in her ears. She was dying. She loses consciousness for a brief lapse of time..it feels like she's floating..it's painless. A gentle shake snaps her back to the land of the living briefly, her blurry eyes trying to focus on the black haired blur. Cole. It's Cole. It takes some effort to focus enough to speak, but when she does..it's raspy. Pained. "Cole..I don't think-" The raven haired master of earth is violently shaking his head. His voice cracks as he starts to protest-even though he knows she's right. "Don't you ever say that! I never wanna hear those words leave your mouth!" He's angry. At himself. He couldn't stop it. Cole just carefully picks her up, laying his head in her neck while he cries. He promised. He told her he could keep it under control. But when hadn't he hurt her? Was this time any different?
He lifts his head from her neck to breathe and gazes at the body shaped spot between the heavy bloodstains in the snow. There was so much.. the copper scent made him sick to his stomach. A raspy wheeze leaves the girl in his arms. "Cole..don't cry-." She frowns and slowly tries to pull away enough to get a good look at his face. "You look better when you smile, Cole. You know that. You were so happy when we got the tea to help..you..hnn.." Her words are getting slower. Cole's chest feels tight. His bandana is tied over her wound-but it's soaked by now. There's no stopping this. "You.. You can't leave me yet, Deity, come on-" It's a strained plea..he's trying not to fully break down in front of her. His throat feels tight with pain. Each swallow feels like he's trying to force his heart back into his chest. Deity slowly lays her head against his chest. Even though her ability to hear is a little dulled from the blood loss-she wants to hear it. One more time..hear his heart beat. She wants to hear the way his voice seems to rumble inside his chest. Deity slowly forces her arms around the shaking earth master and squeezes him. It's a feeble attempt-with almost no force behind it. "Cole..I love you. I'll see you again one day, okay?" Cole tenses and slowly looks down at her. Tears are spilling out of his bright red eyes.
"You..You promised-" Cole doesn't care that his tears are starting to soak her shirt. He had to be dreaming. This had to be a nightmare right? He..He'd wake up and she'd be asleep, curled up in his very first ninja suit. He shook, trying not to squeeze her too tightly. The bitter sting of the winter breeze in the night air, followed by a sickening waft of copper-reminded him that this was sadly reality. His gaze drifts back to her. She's smiling. It's a loving, fading smile..and her eyes are getting dim. Cole keeps his cheek against hers. "I'm sorry." He shakily apologizes. She gives a weak, feeble nudge against his cheek. "..I know." She sounds so weak..her body is going limp. Cole doesn't hear the rapid crunch of snow from his brother running up to them. He doesn't hear the yelling. He just sees her. The only person he ever let this close. Deity's hand slips from his face and she slumps forward into his chest. He doesn't scream. He's got a protective grip on her, so hard that Zane has to shove his brother away from the girl. Muffled voices surround him. He hears Jay slowly focusing his element into a make shift defibrillator. One shock. Two. Zane tells him to still and wait while he's using his suit shirt to wrap around her bleeding abdomen. Another shock.
He doesn't hear his nindroid brother, exasperated and calling for the bounty. "We got a weak pulse."