The shriek that had left Kim's mouth moments before left behind a short echo that was soon drowned out by the gruesome background noises of the battle raging just around the other side of the short rock structure they stood behind. Kim's fists were clenched tightly at her sides, her eyes wide and brimming with tears. Tremors ran through her body in uncontrolled spasms, causing her to shake immensely. Kim's green irises were locked firmly on the still, bloody, broken form of her partner.
Her partner. The one who had always been at her side, the one who had never left her alone. He was always fighting alongside her, protecting her while she protected him. They always had each other's backs, always coming out on top and winning, saving the day. He was the one who promised she would make it out of this fight alive, promised that everyone would make it out alive.
He had promised, Kim thought numbly.
That little string of words that Jack had formed into a promise too big to count on, that last thing he had promised her, slammed Kim back into reality, her vision sharpening and her tremors ceasing. Jack had promised her that everyone would get out of this battle alive. And everyone includes you, Jack, Kim thought.
Kim slowly leveled her gaze with Evaline's, her eyes stony chips of green ice as she locked with the glowing, demented red orbs before her. Kim could hear her pulse pounding in her head, throbbing through her veins and making her slightly dizzy. Kim felt her jaw lock as she tightened her grip on the handle of her katana. Kim felt pure hatred mixed with raw adrenaline racing through her limbs, urging her forwards, egging her on to slice right through Evaline's chest.
Then Evaline did something Kim wasn't expecting. She laughed. "My, my, General," she chuckled out, her red orbs narrowing in sick amusement. "With a look like that, one might think you were a murderer in disguise. But face it, Kimmy. If Jackie here can't beat me, what makes you think that you can? Wasn't he the best fighter?" Evaline huffed and kicked at Jack's side, his body rolling listlessly with the movement. "I really had hoped I would be presented with more of a challenge."
Kim could no longer hold herself in check. A piercing scream ripped at Kim's throat as it tore it's way out. She rushed at Evaline, moving faster than she ever thought she could, surprising both herself and Evaline with her speed. Kim sliced at Evaline, grazing her shoulder before Evaline was able to leap out of the way.
Evaline zipped a few feet away, clutching her shoulder where the blade had connected with her arm, a low growl emitting from the back of her throat. Kim stood defensively over Jack's body, breathing heavily and eyes dancing with fury.
"Don't touch him, Evaline," Kim spat, her voice thick with rage as she pointed her blade at the monster before her. Kim watched with fury tinting her vision red as Evaline looked up from her wounded shoulder and growled deeply, animalistic now in stance, all teasing light gone from her demon eyes. Evaline stalked forwards toward Kim, still keeping her distance from the blade but threatening in presence even still.
Kim narrowed her eyes as she stared down her prowling enemy, heart pounding in her ears and her breathing short and shallow. She would never show it through her eyes, but Kim was terrified. Jack was at her feet in a bloody pile, and Kim wasn't sure if he was even still alive. Evaline was circling her like a hawk about to swoop down on it's prey and Kim's hands were shaking so hard from rage and fear that she could barely keep her blade steady.
Kim glanced down and behind her at Jack, her gaze lingering on his bruised and swollen face, her eyes filling with tears as her breath hitched in her throat. As Kim went to turn back to face Evaline, she found that her enemy had taken advantage of her emotional breach and launched herself at Kim. Kim gasped and raised her sword to meet Evaline, only to find it batted aside.
The impact with Evaline left Kim breathless and her vision spinning as the two tumbled backwards from the momentum of Evaline's attack. When the world started to even out again, Kim found herself pinned underneath Evaline and unable to defend herself.
Evaline smirked down at Kim and shook her head. "Here we are again, second time in one fight. My, my, Kim, you really are out of shape. How's that head of yours by the way? Still concussed I would assume."
Kim scowled, hating that Evaline was right. The pain hadn't been as unnoticeable as she had let on to Milton and Jack. Before her confrontation with Evaline, the ache had been a dull throb in the back of her head. But now after tumbling around on the ground, the pain was coming in sharp flares that spread throughout her entire head, making her eyes water and her body feel weak and numb. Despite this, Kim glared up at Evaline and refused to show any signs of weakness.
Evaline sighed and pushed aside some hair that had fallen into Kim's eyes. "I want to see your expression clearly when I demoralize your troops by turning you into one of us, my dear Kim."
Evaline smiled down at Kim, her demonic, sharp-pointed teeth poking out of her gums, prepared to sink into the flesh of Kim's neck and turn her against the ones she was supposed to lead; the ones that she loved.
Wriggling underneath of Evaline, Kim refused to give up, even though she knew she couldn't do anything about her situation. Looking up at Evaline, Kim narrowed her eyes defiantly and stared Evaline down, refusing to make a sound as she watched the beast of a girl leaning down to Kim's neck, fangs bared and poised to strike. Kim closed her eyes and prepared herself for death, taking in a deep breath and steeling her nerves.
Suddenly, Evaline's body was jerked with a sudden movement. Opening her eyes with a gasp and looking up, Kim's eyes widened. Evaline's back was arched, her chest thrust forwards because of a sharp metal rod sticking out of the center of her chest. Thick, black oil looking substance mixed with blood was dripping from the tip of the rod and oozing from the new hole in Evaline's chest. Evaline looked down at Kim, the red color gone from her eyes as they began to fill with tears.
"I'm so sorry, Kim," she whispered.
The rod was jerked out of Evaline's chest and her limp body fell sideways, freeing Kim from the hold. Scrambling to her feet, Kim looked to her savior and found Jack, hunched over; leaning heavily on the rod he had just used to kill Evaline. His face was still bloodied and bruised and he looked altogether broken. But to Kim, he had never looked more handsome. She was about to rush over and hug him when something in her peripheral vision. Whirling around to face the infected that had launched itself from a nearby tree, Kim reached for her sword, only to realize that it had been lost somewhere in the grass during her fight with Evaline.
Desperate, Kim tried to fumble her pistol from its holder, but she knew she was going to be too late. Kim started to stumble backwards, finding that her legs were weak and shaking, leaving her unable to run. Kim suddenly found herself on the ground, her knees giving out completely. Throwing her arms up in front of her face in a last frantic attempt to protect herself, Kim braced for death yet again. But when the blow never came, she quickly lowered her arms and looked up, her eyes widening in horror at the scene before her.
Kim watched, frozen in place, as Jack crumpled underneath the weight of the infected as it landed on him. As they fell, the infected sank its fangs deep into the flesh of Jack's exposed neck; it's red eyes glowing in triumph.
Kim scrambled to her feet, hearing someone screaming in agony and wondering which of her other comrades had fallen to the infected that had ruined their lives. As she grabbed hold of the rod Jack had discarded on the ground before rushing in front of her, Kim whirled on the infected and bashed in it's head, throwing it off of Jack's limp, twitching form. It was only then that Kim realized it was her that was screaming.
She gulped in a breath and stopped screaming, dropping to her knees next to Jack and pulling him gingerly onto her lap, holding him close and not caring about the blood that was now staining any clean spot left on her clothes. Kim's hands were shaking so hard that she was barely able to keep her hold on Jack as she sobbed over his bloodied chest, hearing his shallow, uneven breathing as the poison of the disease infiltrated his bloodstream and began to take over.
"Jack," Kim whispered in a broken, hoarse voice. Clutching him to her chest, Kim sobbed into his shoulder as he twitched beneath her, fighting the poison that threatened him.
"Kim…" came a weak, breathy whisper. Pulling away from Jack's shoulder, Kim looked down at Jack, tears spilling from her eyes and carving tracks in her dirt and blood smeared cheeks. She found his eyes and almost melted in relief to see that they were still their beautiful, radiant brown color. Trying for a smile through her tears, Kim held Jack gently, keeping him close to her.
"Jack," she whispered again. Shaking her head as her tears started to fall even heavier, Kim managed to say around her sobs, "I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. If I wasn't so weak, you wouldn't have-"
As Kim broke off with a sob, Jack reached up and weakly brushed aside a loose strand of Kim's dirty blonde hair, looking up at Kim with sad eyes, a soft smile on his lips as he looked up at her. Kim looked down at Jack with watery eyes, watching as her tears dripped down to fall on his bloody cheeks.
"It's not your fault, Kim," Jack whispered. "You were brave, so brave. And you never gave up on us, any of us. Even when things were so hopeless, you were there to bring us back. Don't ever think you're weak Kim. I won't be around to prove you wrong for much longer, so you're going to have to start realizing for yourself that you are strong."
Kim squeezed Jack's hand as a sob escaped her lips. "Don't say that, Jack! You have to live! You can't leave me alone, please! I need you Jack," Kim whispered the last part. Lowering her forehead to his, Kim let her tears fall onto his face as she whispered again, "I love you, Jack."
Jack reached up with a weak, trembling hand and cupped Kim's face in his palm as he pulled her closer. Kim allowed him to guide her face so that her lips found his. The kiss was gentle and soft, their lips pressed together with only minimum force as they clutched each other's hands in their embrace. Kim tasted her salty tears mixed with the metallic taste of blood in their kiss, but more overwhelming and overpowering was the taste of just, Jack. Warm and sweet and strong and it comforted her for a moment to know that he was still him and he hadn't turned yet.
The thought of him turning was enough for her to gently pull away and turned her face into his hand that still cupped her cheek, kissing his palm as she grabbed his hand, keeping it on her cheek. Fresh tears were falling from Kim's eyes and dripping onto Jack's hand as she cried.
Jack's hand moved to Kim's belt and when she looked down at his hand, she found that he was fumbling with releasing her pistol from its sheath. Kim reached down and grabbed his hand, forcing him to stop. She looked at him with wild, panicked eyes.
"What are you doing, Jack?" she asked in a strained voice.
Jack's eyes met hers and she felt her heart skip a beat as it dropped to her stomach. The warm brown color she had fallen in love with was slowly fading and giving away to the demonic glowing red that had possessed Evaline's eyes.
Jack's breathing was uneven and keep hitching on it's way out, making Kim shudder as she listened. "I need you…to kill me, Kim. You said…yourself…either kill yourself…or have someone kill you…for everyone else's benefit…I'm no exception."
Kim shook her head as her eyes watered all over again, but now Kim was sure that they had never dried. "I can't do it, I can't kill you Jack! Please don't make me…"
Jack grabbed Kim's hand and squeezed it tightly. "I can't do it, I'm too weak and I don't…trust myself. And I…want you to be…the one to do it…please Kim..."
Kim knew that she wouldn't win this argument and she knew she had to kill him to save everyone else. Her heart and her mind were locked in a war about love over logic, and Kim's heart was losing. With tear-blurred vision, Kim pulled her gun from her belt and clicked off the safety, readying her weapon for the kill she would never forget, that she would always regret.
Leaning down, Kim pressed her lips against Jack's one last time as she pressed the barrel into Jack's chest. With a trembling finger, Kim tightened her grip on the trigger. Kim winced as the backfire's kick hit her in the chest, right over her heart. Kim pulled away from Jack's lips and watched as the red light dimmed from his eyes, followed by the light that was always present in his warm brown irises. Kim set Jack's limp form down on the cold ground after clutching him for a moment longer, closing his eyes before she stood.
You won't die in vain, Jack, Kim thought. You promised me everyone would get out alive, and everyone will, even if you can't.
A/N: Omg guys please don't kill me for this. It hurt me to write this but I had to do it. Don't ask me why I just had to. I love you guys so much. Only one chapter left before this story comes to a close.