When Killer first spots the odd aircraft, he thinks of the man from Uyuni's altar and a little tingle of fear runs up his spine. This time Lady's not going to be able to bring him back from the edge of death, 'cause if he goes down, she'll have her hands full fending those snakes off.
He focuses on Lady's brother. Knock him down and the rest will follow. But with all that brat's Malice...well, you gotta fight fire with fire, Killer figures; he'll use all the Malice he's got. He'll probably turn into a monster, like Edna, but it doesn't really matter.
There's a sound like thunder when the aircraft crashes into the gate, sending rocks crumbling off of it. Though he looks back, Lady doesn't even flinch at the racket. "They're here now," he says, just to make sure she knows. When he looks back at her, he's surprised to see Lady's finally turned around; not to find the sound, but to face him. And even though her face hardly changes emotions, he can still see that there's a difference in how she's looking at him now and how she first looked at him when they met.
The little imp's always so cocksure, thinking he knows everything, but Killer knows better. Gilbert says she's a creature of Malice, that it's just a matter of instinct she wants to open the Gate, and he might be right about that. But he's wrong to say she'll never become human.
She's already the best human he's ever known.
"You saved me, you know," Killer says, "It's the first time...anyone ever did that for me. That's why..." He looks down at the ground, feeling for a rare change embarrassed. Because it's true that in some way she's not human, and he's got no clue if she knows what he means or if he's just providing some free entertainment for Gilbert. But she is human in every way that matters, so she deserves to know--if he can find the right way to tell her. "I'm not trying to thank you" he says--no idiot goes across two continents just to say 'thanks', "but I'll protect you as long as I can. 'Til I die."
He hears the soft scuff of sneakers, but ignores it, watching Lady as she nods, slowly. She understands then. Of course she understands, she's human, it's just that everyone else is too blind to see. So, Killer muses, he'll just have to rip their eyes open.
The footsteps stop and Killer turns to look at the motley band. The boy stands out in front--his weapon isn't even out yet, the idiot. "So you want to kill Lady, huh?" Killer asks as he walks towards them. "Not a very good brother, are you." That hits a nerve; the blond flinches, and Killer decides to twist the blade a little. "Don't you even care about your own sister's happiness?!"
"You're wrong," the boy shoots back, "she doesn't want to destroy the world."
Killer glances at Lady. She's still standing there, waiting, waiting, waiting for the Gate to open and show her a new world. One where she--where they belong. "I'm gonna help Lady get whatever she wants. I couldn't care less if this world is destroyed!" This world is worthless, anyways, if people don't know what it means to be human. "As long as I'm with Lady, I'm happy."
"I have a wish too," says the woman at the boy's side. Her hands are already on her tomahawks, and she jerks her head to indicate Lady. "It's to kill that woman."
Of course. She's got a one-track mind when it comes to Lady, and Killer knows already that nothing's going to dissuade her. "This kind of talk really isn't my style," he admits, and draws his daggers out. "If you go against Lady I'll cut your hearts out. Now that's my wish." Gilbert, this woman, Lady's brother...the only thing that's human about them, the only thing that's warm is their blood, and he's ready to spill it. "This won't be like last time," he promises himself as the malice floods his body, changes it. "Lady! I'll protect you!" and then there is no more chance to talk: his mouth is gone.
He's not worried, though, because his right hand has elongated and morphed into a blade. In this situation, it's the only thing he needs, and he immediately targets the blond. He's changed too, once again taking the form of a man--not that that helps him much when the heavy bone of Killer's arm slams into him. This time he's the one who grunts in pain, the one who flies into a wall; but unlike Killer, he doesn't get up right away and Killer's ready to make sure he stays down for good. The only thing that stops him is the collective agony of three spells cast at once, a mixture of fire, earth and lightning. Goddamned fucking mob! None of them would last a minute against him in a fair fight, so they use their numbers and press on all sides, bullets here, needle-sharp skewers there, fucking daisies of death from the bloodsucker. Killer slashes his sword over and over, sending them scattering.
But the wind spells whip around his wings, shredding them, and he can't move as fast anymore--and the bullets in his gut, one was like a mosquito bite but ten hurts like the devil--and he knocked the mariachi out but the bloodsucker's at his side, reviving him--and the Gate is on the verge of opening but it won't open soon enough.
Again he tries to focus on the boy, but this time the kid sees it coming and runs at the blade, ducking beneath its sweep and raising his own blade of Malice, slashing it through half of Killer's leg. Killer's knee buckles, no longer able to support his colossal weight, and leaves him wide open to their final wave of spells, steel, and Malice.
Killer knows before he's finished changing back that he's dying. The blood seeps into his clothes, bolding the red and darkening the black. He stands up, trying to see if he still has any chance of picking one of them off. But his body's not cooperating.
Lady. He needs to warn Lady, to save her from these people who won't let her be human. He croaks her name out just before his knees buckle once more.