The Everett Interpretation

by John Creel

Post TLG. Second part of the "From Hades" duology: Time heals all wounds, or so they say. A year has passed since the war, and everything has settled back into a sense of normalcy. But nothing lasts forever, especially peace. As an unprecedented foe pulls the strings, the entire world will be thrown into a chaos that only Artemis can save it from. Rated T for violence and language.

21. Pain

Author's Note:

Second part of this arc. Read and enjoy, and be sure to tell me what you think. Cheers!

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West Wing, Orion's Mansion

The first thing Holly Short saw when she rounded the corner was blood; blood and mutilated corpses. The carnage was everywhere, and it was painfully obvious that all of the LEP operatives she had raced to support were dead. They were strewn about like road kill, and the fire and smoke that rose up from the far wall made it clear that some serious fighting had gone down. Holly took all of this in during the span of two seconds, and despite being appalled by what she saw, she was far more infuriated by who she saw. A single man, wearing a bloodied white suit and choking a dying elf against the wall, was just ahead of her. There was no mistaking who it was—his spiked hair and the unsettling look on his face was a dead giveaway.

Shouting out in fury, Holly raised her rifle and aimed it at the human. Perhaps the elf he was choking could still be saved! She had to try.

"Drop him, or I swear by the gods I will kill you!"

But despite her overt threat, Billy Kong only looked at her. There was a haunting madness in his eyes, and his face, spattered with blood, was displaying all of the most terrifying emotions.

"I know that voice," he said smoothly. "I can't forget it, not after that disaster at the Paradizo Chateau." He paused, turning to face her, but also keeping the dying elf in his grasp and at the barrel of his gun. "Holly. That was your name. You're the demon who was working alongside Artemis and his annoying colleagues. I have to say that I am both glad and displeased to see you."

"Shut your mouth!" Holly spat, keeping her rifle aimed. "You can't win this. Let him go and I'll take it easy on you. Believe me it's far better than you deserve!"

Kong was ridiculously unfazed. "I don't care what the odds are, demon. I will never stop fighting you. I will never make compromises for my own sake if it means sparing one of your wretched creatures."

Holly knew that there was no way to safely resolve the situation, but she tried again anyway. "I'm warning you. Let him go!"

Billy Kong didn't move an inch, but his face took on an even more disturbing look. Ignoring the numerous weapons aimed at him, he spoke as if he didn't care one bit about the whole situation. "Tell me, demon, can you still peel off your face as you did then? Can you reveal your true form behind that mask?" He paused, as if listening to a voice inside his own head. "Or do I have to peel it off for you?"

Holly had had enough. This man's blathering was wasting her time and jeopardizing the mission. She would have to take Billy out before he could pull the trigger; she would have to time it perfectly. She was waiting for a proper opening when the man cocked his head, and let out a disappointed chuckle. With a swift motion of his hand he snapped the dying elf's neck.

"Oops, looks like this demon's dead too," he said smoothly through a mocking grin. "You failed again, Holly."

"Bastard!" the elf rasped. She went to pull the trigger, but then a massive explosion tore through the window and filled the area between her and Kong with fire and debris. Her and her comrades backed up defensively, and as the smoke cleared they saw that Billy Kong was now at the far end of the corridor, still holding the dead fairy.

"D'Arvit, after him!" Holly yelled, taking lead and bringing her rifle to bear once more.

But even with the LEP forces attacking him, Billy Kong only smiled.

"Did you take all of that seriously?" he asked calmly. "I was just stalling. Ta ta for now."

Not a second later came the sound of turbocharged engines and rotors, followed by a gust of wind from outside the shattered window. Holly turned to see a human gunship hovering just twenty feet beyond the building, and there was literally no time to even swear in realization. The gunship opened fire with its cannon, spraying a dense stream of explosive rounds right at the LEP operatives. What windows were left were blasted inwards, and as glass and 20mm rounds tore through the air, the LEP forces were literally torn apart.

Holly threw herself to the ground, cursing outwardly and inwardly hating herself for letting her team get ambushed like that. Explosions erupted around her, and the terrifying sensation of projectiles rushing right over her body abounded. She gritted her teeth in absolute fury, but there was nothing she could do. She could only lay there and hope that none of the rounds struck her; she could only hope that the gunship's pilots thought her dead.

For twenty seconds the barrage lasted, obliterating everything in its path. It ceased abruptly as the gunship ran out of ammunition, but resumed with appalling force when the pilots switched to the helicopter's S-5 rockets. Several of the missiles plunged into the corridor, blasting walls to pieces and spewing shrapnel everywhere. Holly was thrown back by the blasts, and a barrage of shrapnel pieces sliced into her armor. She flew through the air and struck the wall, leaving a hole in it, and then slammed to the floor on her back, her lungs knocked empty by the impact. Then it was over. With the LEP forces utterly destroyed, the gunship peeled off and disappeared from view.

Holly lay on the floor, facing up at the ceiling with her eyes wide with shock. Her helmet had been blown off and her combat armor was riddled with shrapnel; her face was covered with sweat and blood; and her eyes were filled with psychological pain. As she stared upwards she couldn't help but wonder if her luck had finally run out; if she was finally destined to die instead of living on to regret every decision she had made. Piecing her clouded mind together, and shoving aside her agony, she slowly checked herself. Once more she was surprised to find that she was alive and well, her only wounds being a gash on her forehead and a broken rib. Those healed quickly thanks to her magic, but even with her body in perfect order it was impossible to do the same for her mind.

Holly got to her feet slowly and shakily, afraid of what she would see around her. Such dreadful anticipation did nothing to ease the pain. Strewn about the corridor and in some cases on the walls was every single one of her comrades. They were all dead, mangled and ruined beyond almost any recognition, and yet she stood amidst them in one piece.

"D'Arvit…" she rasped, haunted by the dead faces of her comrades.

Holly took a few steadying breaths, doing her best to push aside her dread; by the gods how it drained her! But she had to keep moving; there was still work to be done, and if she failed all of the lives sacrificed would be for nothing. That would be unacceptable.

Finding an operational pulse rifle and picking it up, Holly turned to face the direction Billy Kong had fled in. She glared venomously.

"You'll pay. I swear it!"

The elf moved out, her weapon held at the ready and her visage contorted with warring emotions—shame and anger, bitterness and spite, hate and sorrow. Soon she was gone, leaving the bloody carnage behind. But the images followed her nonetheless; they would always follow her, like persistent birds of prey. It was clear that, along with all of the other horrors she had witnessed over the years, these ones would haunt her to the grave.

North Wing, Orion's Mansion

Orion walked calmly down the corridor, his hands clasped casually behind his back. He was flanked by several of his men, and was followed by several more who were watching over Artemis and Minerva. The small group was moving at a brisk pace, and the distant sound of gunfire and explosions was constant, but that was not to say that they were worried—except for the captives of course. Orion was perfectly in control, his visage betraying nothing but a slight look of anticipation—anticipation for events that he knew would happen and would enjoy immensely. Nothing seemed to perturb him, not even the distant blasts that shook the floor they walked upon.

Behind Orion watched Artemis. He too put on an outward appearance of confidence, but the main difference was that he was really quite anxious. Apart from being uncharacteristically useless, he was also dreadfully worried for his friends. There was a merciless battle taking place and they were in the thick of it. Furthermore, Orion had already won by all accounts. He had Nº1, whom Artemis knew to be part of the man's overall scheme, and he was currently making his escape unchallenged. If things kept up like this, it would be a decisive victory for the enemy, and an appalling defeat for the LEP and its allies. Artemis also had a feeling that, if Orion had his way, humanity too would suffer. It was clear that Orion was just using them—he really didn't care one bit about their struggle, after all he orchestrated it in the first place.

"Are you alright?" Minerva asked him, clearly noticing the mounting anxiety that Artemis was trying to mask.

The young man nodded, but both of them knew he was lying.

"We are getting close," Orion said abruptly, directing his speech towards Artemis. "Your friends have yet to reach us. That is a shame. I really wanted for them to bid you farewell." He paused to continue his mockingly at-ease speech when, from an adjacent corridor, Billy Kong appeared. He was covered in blood that was clearly not his, and he seemed to be in a hurry. So sudden was his appearance that Orion's operatives almost shot him dead, but they were trained enough to avoid such blunders.

"Ah, Mr. Kong," Orion said smoothly, noting his ruined suit. "I see that you were true to your word. No doubt that blood belongs to those demons."

Billy Kong only nodded, and then gave a hateful glance at Artemis and Minerva. Then he was looking at Orion again.

"We engaged the enemy forces in the West Wing and wiped them out entirely. We had some support from the VDV as well."

"What is the status of your team?" Orion asked.

"All down, sir," Kong said, though he didn't seem to care. "But we took out over twenty demons, and their commanding officer to boot. That bitch named Holly."

Holly? Artemis felt a rush of emotion, but before he could yell out in anger he was subdued by one of the guards. Orion glanced at him, and then smoothly returned his attention to Kong.

"Are you certain that she is dead?"

Billy Kong nodded slowly. "A gunship unloaded all of its ordnance into her and her forces. There is no way she could be alive after that."

"Do not be quick to adopt such conclusions," Orion warned, evidently unconvinced. "I know for a fact that this female officer survived a lot worse situations than that. The probability is that she is alive, and it is only reasonable and safe to assume that she is indeed alive." He paused, glancing back in the direction they had come from. "However, that is not to say that she can stop us now. She will live on to suffer under the weight of her regret and her frustration with constant defeat. The horrors of this war will break her mind eventually, of that I am certain."

"It would be better if she were dead," Billy Kong growled. "Do you want me to go back and kill her?"

Orion shook his head immediately. "There is no need. It would only get you killed. Besides, what better way to make your hated enemy suffer than to let them survive whilst all of their friends do not? I studied psychology enough to grasp how destructive this traumatic stress can be. But anyway, there is not enough time to ruminate over such things…" He looked at Artemis, his eyes cold and haunting. "Besides, I do not think that you appreciate our banter, not when it concerns your best friend."

Artemis would have replied had he not been kept from doing so.

"We should get moving," Orion said firmly, suddenly shifting his demeanor entirely. "We cannot afford to stall any longer. Our means of extraction is waiting, and there is much work to be done. Mr. Kong, I suggest that you come with us. You will have many more opportunities to kill demons later. For now I need you to make sure that Artemis and Minerva do not try anything."

Kong seemed a little conflicted, but he seemed to be attentive to reason enough for him to choose the most logical course of action. He only nodded, and took up stride beside Artemis as the group proceeded.

"You should have seen it," he said into Artemis' ear as they walked. "I slaughtered your demon friends like the little vermin they are. I would have done the same to that little skank you're so fond of. In fact, I will the next time I see her. I might even make you watch."

Artemis boiled inwardly, but he said nothing. There was no reason to respond to the man's provocative speech, not when it would only help sate his sick desires. No, he needed to be strong, and that meant showing no signs of weakness to this man.

Billy Kong seemed to be annoyed by his lack of response, and went to say something else. But at that moment there came a loud bang from behind them—the sound of the wooden door at the other end of the hall bursting open and slamming into the wall. Everyone stopped and spun around, and that was when a fearfully serious voice called out.

"Stop right there!"

Artemis froze; he knew that voice! He turned around with the others, and there she was, standing in the middle of the corridor with her SIG-Sauer P226 drawn and aimed. It was Juliet Butler.

"Don't you dare move, you bastards!" she seethed, breathing heavily but nevertheless keeping her weapon aimed stably. She looked terrible, her face covered in grime and spattered blood and her eyes showing signs of significant trauma; it was as if she had gone through hell and back. But she was strong, and these things didn't intimidate her. Neither did the group of armed men staring her down.

There was a long silence as everyone stared at the girl, the muffled sound of distant gunfire the only sound that traveled the halls. Artemis could see Billy Kong in the corner of his eye, and it was apparent that the man had tensed up. It was no secret that he hated the Butlers. Then there was Orion, as composed and unworried as ever, staring into Juliet's hard eyes with an even harder gaze.

"So one of the intruders managed to break through in time, and it is a Butler no less," he said smoothly. Then his tone softened a little. "Juliet…I have not forgotten your face, even though for me you died thirty years ago. You look exactly as she did, but unlike her you survived in your reality; you did not throw your life away for your principle." He paused, glancing at Artemis and then back to her. "Do not be so quick to do the same now. It will only be a waste of a promising life."

Juliet didn't budge under the man's gaze, nor did his words do anything but increase her fury. "Shut up! I don't care if you are Artemis; you are still going to pay for what you did, and if it means me dying to bring you down then so be it!"

Orion smiled—a cold, reminiscent smile. "I expected nothing less from you. I almost feel bad that we are enemies."

"Well I don't!"

A distant explosion shook the corridor, reminding everyone of the bloody struggle that was waging. Orion eyed Juliet for a little longer, and then shook his head.

"As much as I enjoy this, I must take my leave. That includes Artemis as well. I am afraid I cannot let you have him."

Juliet's eyes glinted with anger. "Oh no you don't!" She took a step forward, aiming directly at Orion, but such a move only resulted in escalation. Orion's men drew their own firearms, as did Billy Kong, but none of them fired—they seemed to know that Juliet could kill Orion before they could kill her.

"Well this is a predicament," Orion stated, taking in the standoff with a cool gaze. "But I call your bluff."

Juliet tensed up even more in anticipation of a shootout. "I'm not bluffing!"

Artemis watched the standoff with an analytical eye. He could tell that Juliet was indeed not bluffing—she was just afraid that she would get him or Minerva hurt. Had this been a different situation she would have killed Orion without a second thought. Orion clearly knew this as well, but he still acted as if he didn't in order to vex Juliet. It was getting intense.

"I'll give you one last chance," Juliet said. "Hand over Artemis and Minerva, and I will not kill you."

This time Billy Kong replied, and he was evidently angry just by seeing a Butler face to face.

"You aren't in the position to make threats, not when they can get your people killed…" In a flash of motion Billy Kong grabbed Minerva by the neck and yanked her over to him, pressing his handgun into her temple as he did so. Kong grinned hatefully at Juliet. "You do anything and I will use this girl's brain to turn the wall into a Jackson Pollock painting!"

It was a creative threat, but it was very simple in its ultimate intent. Juliet gritted her teeth, but she didn't back down; if she did they would shoot her dead.

For Artemis it was another added layer of regrets. Minerva was now at gunpoint because of him.

"Let her go Kong, use me instead," he pleaded.

"Shut it kid, we both know that you are actually valuable. The French girl is only here to serve precisely this purpose."

"You don't have to do this!"

"You sure? Because I really want to."

Minerva took slow, calming breaths as this happened. She could feel the cold steel of Kong's gun pressing into her head, and she could anticipate the feeling of a bullet tearing through her skull. It was terrible, and she felt herself begin to shake with fear. But with that fear also came courage—a desire to make a difference. As everyone kept their eyes on Juliet, Minerva clenched her fists. But she didn't act. No, not yet.

Orion calmly checked his watch, unfazed by Juliet aiming at his head. "This is wasting my time. I suggest you get on with it."

"I'll take all the time I want," Juliet growled. "I may just wait until the others arrive to help. Then we'll see who the big shot is!"

None of Orion's guards seemed willing to escalate the situation any further, but Billy Kong, driven by his anger and madness, was not one of them. His eyes smoldered as he looked at Juliet, and after a moment he made up his mind.

"How about you just die already," he said, taking his gun from Minerva's head and aiming it over her shoulder towards Juliet.

Now! Minerva seized the moment, no longer having to fear the gun pressed against her head. With a suddenness that took everyone off guard, she tore her hands free of the already broken bonds and reached around Billy Kong's arm, pulling the firearm aside just before the man fired. A shot rang out, and then all hell broke loose.

Orion's guards opened fire all at once, and Juliet fired as well, though she was forced to aim at the attackers instead of Orion. Bullets flew everywhere, and as one of Orion's men dropped from a bullet wound Orion himself drew a SIG-Sauer P250 from his coat and directed fire at Juliet, forcing her to take cover behind a wall. Artemis ducked to the side as the gunfight broke out, but he was more worried for Minerva than himself. The girl was still grappling Kong's arm, and the man was severely pissed off.

"Damn bitch! Let go!" Billy Kong fought with her for a moment, but she was uncharacteristically resilient—the result of adrenaline. Growling with acute frustration, Billy Kong reached into his suit pocket with his free hand. The flash of a chromed pistol came from within.

Artemis saw it and rushed at him. "No!"

But he was too late. Billy Kong pressed the weapon into Minerva's chest and, without any hesitation whatsoever, pulled the trigger. That shot rang out above all the others, and it splattered blood onto Artemis' face—Minerva's blood. The girl gasped, and then sagged over, falling to the floor in a heap.

"Minerva!" Artemis yelled, frantic and emotionally distraught after seeing his friend get shot. He rushed over to her, but someone grabbed him from behind and pulled him back. He struggled, but it was no use. All he could do was watch as Minerva lay on the floor, sobbing with pain as she bled out.

The shooting abruptly stopped after Orion made a gesture. Looking down at the wounded girl, he shook his head.

"What a waste," he said heartlessly. He then nodded to his men and started down the corridor, and as he passed Billy Kong he spoke with a deadly tone—there was also a little remorse in it.

"Take care of Juliet as well."

Billy Kong nodded, and he did not forget to give Artemis a wicked grin as the young man was dragged past him. Artemis could do nothing at all as he was taken away from Minerva, and no matter how loudly he yelled it was still the same. He was crying before he knew it, the tears falling for the girl he had sworn to protect. Soon he couldn't see her any longer, for he was taken into another hallway. But he could still hear her pained cries even from a distance, and they burned him to the core.

Back in the other corridor Billy Kong stood over Minerva, a pleased look on his face. The man spat on her, grinning wickedly. "Serves you right." He then left her behind, continuing onwards to where he knew Juliet was hiding. He stopped a dozen yards from her, an air of confidence about him.

"It's your turn, Juliet Butler," he said darkly. "I have not forgotten what your brother did to me back then, nor have I forgotten how he likes to conspire with those demons. You have no idea how much I have looked forward to meeting him again; to get revenge." He had two handguns, one in each hand, and he kept them aimed at Juliet's cover. "But instead of him I get you, his younger sister. At first I was disappointed, but now I am elated. What better way to start undoing Butler than to kill his dearest sister? Besides, I have always wanted to test you, Jade Princess." He chuckled maliciously, his eyes glinting with murderous intent. "I will surely take my time with you, and when I'm done your poor brother will not even recognize you. The look on his face will be modern art."

Bastard…Juliet thought as she stood behind the wall, her handgun held at the ready. She had not been injured in the gunfight, but she was terribly drained by how she had failed to save Artemis and Minerva. Even worse was the fact that Minerva had been shot. Now Billy Kong was upon her, intent on ending her life in retribution for his previous encounter with Butler. It was a dangerous situation, so much so that she actually felt afraid. Madmen like Kong were rarely as skilled as he was, and that made him a novel and terrifying foe.

"You can't hide forever, little girl," Billy Kong called out. "Come on out, cowardice doesn't suit a Butler like you!"

It's not cowardice. I'm waiting for you to do something stupid. Juliet edged closer to the end of the wall. She could hear Billy Kong getting closer, and she waited until she was certain that she could pull something off. She pressed her gun against the corner of the wall, and angled it just right. Then she fired, blasting a bullet through the plaster and right out the other end, right into Billy Kong's path. It didn't hit him, but it ruined his concentration, thus providing a window of opportunity.

Juliet sprang into action, aiming around the corner with her handgun and firing towards Billy Kong. One of the rounds clipped his arm, but he was ridiculously fast. Dodging out of her field of view, the man avoided her other shots and subsequently opened up with his two guns. Bullets tore chunks off of the wall, and Juliet drew back under the hail of lead, feeling one of them pass through her hair.

"Is that the best you've got?" Billy Kong bellowed. He kept firing, and as he did so he walked towards Juliet's hiding place, intent on keeping her pinned down until he was upon her.

Juliet waited out the storm of bullets, unable to do anything but that.

"I'm going to kill you!" Billy went on, still firing. The flash of his firing pistols reflected in his maddened eyes, and glinted off of the shell casings that constantly ejected from the firearms.

He reached the wall she was hiding behind, and blind fired around the corner. His shots nearly struck Juliet, but she had anticipated this and was already moving. Rushing underneath his shots, she closed the final distance between them, bursting around the corner and effectively surprising the man, who had also just run out of ammunition in both of his firearms. Using this to her advantage, Juliet brought her own weapon to bear and aimed it point blank at Kong's head. He knocked her arm aside with his forearm as she fired, sending her bullet screaming past his ear. Both of them were wearing hearing protection, so the noise did nothing to impede either of them.

"It won't be that easy!" Billy yelled, retaliating by swinging the grip of his empty pistol at her head.

Juliet ducked the swing and once again aimed her gun at him, and once again he dodged it at the last second. This progression went on for a few intense seconds—Billy Kong dodged and diverted her attacks, moving smoothly and confidently despite being unarmed. They were beside Minerva's motionless form when Billy Kong outmaneuvered another one of Juliet's attacks and retaliated with a devastating punch to her gut. Juliet stumbled back, and Kong swiftly spun around and delivered a decisive kick to her head. Juliet blocked it with her arm at the last second, but it still sent her sprawling. The force sent her handgun clattering across the floor, leaving her in the same boat as Kong.

"Come on, get up, I'm not nearly done with you yet!" Billy Kong growled, looming over her. He stomped down on her with his foot, but she rolled aside and got to her feet before he could make contact.

"I won't let you beat me!" Juliet said angrily, bringing her fists up and assuming a ready stance.

Billy Kong smirked, circling around her like a wolf on the hunt. "I heard that from a lot people. Funny thing is they all ended up dead anyway."

He lashed out with a series of powerful strikes, moving faster than the average eye could track. Juliet was immediately on the defensive, stepping backwards as she avoided or blocked the man's punches, every move she made precise and strong. She was almost backed into a wall, but she was not fazed. After ducking a kick and blocking a punch, Juliet backed into the wall and let Kong strike right at her face. She ducked that the last second, resulting in the man slamming his fist through the wall and getting it stuck for just a moment. A moment was all she needed to make him hurt. She grabbed his trapped arm and twisted it, while at the same time maneuvering around to unbalance him. He tried to resist, but she quickly had him. Using momentum she literally flipped Billy Kong upside down and sent him crashing to the floor, cracking his shoulder. He yelled out in anger and pain, but he was moving almost immediately, avoiding her next attack and jumping to his feet.

"That was pretty good," he admitted, absentmindedly popping his right arm back into its socket. He didn't even flinch.

Juliet said nothing as they circled each other once more. She was focused on winning the fight, not making useless utterances.

The fight resumed with suddenness and brutality. Billy Kong and Juliet fought back and forth through the corridor, their physical blows moving so fast that they blurred together. Eventually Juliet landed a solid hit on her opponent's torso, and as he stumbled back she used one of her trademark moves from her wrestling days to vault over him and grab him by the neck on the way down. They both hit the floor, though Billy was the one who absorbed most of the impact. Nevertheless he broke his fall well, and broke free of Juliet's hold. Then they were on their feet again, and the whole process repeated once more.

Two more minutes passed, and neither gained the upper hand.

"Your brother could have finished me by now," Billy Kong said mockingly as they fought. "He was always the better one. You are too young, too foolish, and I doubt you will ever amount to what he is. Maybe in ten years you will be half the master he is, but you won't live for more than another ten minutes let alone that long."

Juliet simmered on the inside, but she held her tongue. She would not fall for his tricks.

"Where is he by the way?" Billy Kong went on. "Did he try to hold off the VDV all by himself? Did he send you to save Artemis in his stead?" He grinned when he saw the look in Juliet's eyes. "So he did. What a fool. He thinks that your life is safer here than there? What kind of brother makes such idiotic choices?"

They fought back down the corridor towards Minerva, taking hits and shedding blood as they went.

"He will fail, Juliet," Billy said smoothly as he avoided a kick. "You will die, and he will suffer the loss. Only then will I kill him, and it will be a slow, excruciating death."

Juliet growled out of sheer spite, but refrained from saying anything articulate. Instead she increased her efforts, putting everything she had into fighting this evil man. As she did so she could not forget her brother; how much he wanted her to live, even to the point of sacrificing himself. It made her eyes water ever so slightly. For Domovoi. I have to succeed.

They fought harder and harder, exchanging blows and moving with a speed and professionalism that would certainly break records. Juliet studied Kong as they fought, analyzing his style and memorizing his habits. He was ridiculously good, but she knew that everyone, including herself, had their shortcomings. Now where was his? After taking a few brutal hits—and learning from them—she found what she was looking for. Billy Kong left an opening in his guard, though it was barely existent. Juliet exploited it immediately.

Luring him into the same situation that led to the opening before, Juliet waited until she saw it again. Then it came, just as he was drawing back from retaliation. It gave her clear shot as his head, and a certain chance at striking him down. She didn't hesitate. In the split-second moment that was allotted to her, Juliet pierced through Billy Kong's guard and went straight for his face. But as it happened he didn't even blink—he saw the punch coming, and he actually smiled.

Oh no…Juliet thought in that moment, realizing that the opening wasn't an opening at all—it was a deception.

The next thing Juliet knew her arm was in Kong's grasp, followed by her head. He pulled her downwards and brought his knee up into her chin. Juliet's head snapped back, and she felt extraordinary pain to the point that she cried out. Then she was on the floor, staring up and blinking rapidly against the unconsciousness that was threatening to take her. She managed to fight it off, but she was still terribly disoriented, and by the time she could see anything she saw Billy Kong looming over her, his bloodied face twisted with both sick pleasure and disappointment.

"The sister of the famed Domovoi Butler," he said mockingly. "Hardly living up to your family's legacy. You are far too reckless. No wonder you failed your Blue Diamond training." He casually picked up one of his discarded handguns and loaded his spare magazine into it, and then looked Juliet in the eyes. "This is the end for you. You will die a failure, and your death will do more to kill Domovoi than any bullet ever could. Consider that as you rot."

No…Not like this…Juliet thought, but she was unable to get up. Her body was still in shock, and it would take more than the time she had to resolve it. She hated to admit it, but there was nothing she could do. With her eyes still watering from the pain, she could barely make out the man as he stepped closer to her. She heard him release the slide of his handgun, loading a fresh round; the metallic click of the weapon's action echoed in her mind like the toll of a church's mournful bells, and it filled her with dread. Then the man's voice sounded as well, filled with wretched delight.

"Farewell, Juliet Butler."

A single shot rang out, loud and echoing in the large corridor. Juliet anticipated the swift death that was so certain, knowing that she would likely not even feel the killing shot before she died. But that didn't happen. Juliet's vision cleared in time to see Billy Kong looming over her with a hateful expression plastered on his face. But his gun was not smoking, nor was Juliet the one who had been shot. Billy Kong blinked, suddenly surprised and pained by something, and then he looked down to his chest. There was a hole right through it, and though his suit was already stained with blood, the crimson substance nevertheless spread from the wound and soaked him even more.

"What the f…" he rasped, dropping his gun and looking over his shoulder. What he saw was Minerva Paradizo, lying in a pool of her own blood with Juliet's handgun in her grasp. The gun was smoking from a single shot, and Minerva's face, though pale and fraught with agony, was contorted with judgment and finality. Billy couldn't believe his eyes. The girl he had shot in cold blood—the girl he had thought as a spineless, spoiled brat—had dealt the killing blow.

"Killed by a damn…French girl…" he gurgled with disbelief, blood pouring from his mouth. He cursed vehemently, though such utterances were soon unintelligible due to him choking on his own blood. He collapsed beside Juliet, hitting the ground with a splat. His face, turned towards her, was contorted with hatred and madness. She could see the fury in his eyes, but as the life faded from them, it was fear and sadness that appeared more than anything else. As blood dripped from his mouth and nose, Billy Kong croaked his final words.

"Eric…I'm sorry…Eric…"

A few tears fell from the man's eyes, and then all life departed from them. Billy Kong died then and there, his harsh existence—so filled with violence and insanity—finally put to an end.

Juliet slowly got to her feet, never taking her eyes off of the dead man. Firstly she wasn't taking any chances, and second she was astonished by what had happened. Minerva Paradizo had saved her life. She switched her gaze to Minerva to find that she was no longer holding the gun, but was again flat on the floor. Oh no… Juliet rushed over to her, crashing to her knees and gently putting her hands on the girl. She spoke urgently.

"Minerva, can you hear me?"

The girl didn't move, but she whispered just barely.

"I can…"

Juliet nodded, at least knowing that the girl was still holding on for her life. She checked her wound, and immediately grimaced. Billy Kong's shot had entered just below her heart and had ricocheted off of the ribs, resulting in damage to both of her lungs, her spine, and several arteries. The bleeding alone was appalling, and nothing Juliet did would stem its flow. It made her face contort with frustration and sorrow—the damage to Minerva's body was beyond repair.

"Don't worry," Juliet said comfortingly, doing her best to ease the dying girl's pain, "You will be fine. Everything will be alright."

There was a long silence, followed by Minerva's tired, faltering voice.

"You don't need to lie to me...I know..." There was a rattling in her throat, and her breaths were short and labored. "Please...turn me over..." she rasped slowly. "I want to see…"

Fighting back tears, Juliet nodded. She gently rolled the girl over until she was staring upwards, and then cradled her head in her arms.

"I'm sorry," Juliet said morosely.

Minerva shook her head just a little, her tearful eyes locked with hers. "I shouldn't have…been so rash…" She coughed suddenly, blood pouring from her mouth. Her face contorted with pain and fear, and when the fit of bloody gagging ended she was crying. "I don't…want to die…" she sobbed, tears flowing down her young face—a young and beautiful face now pale and smeared with blood.

Juliet did not know what to say; what could she possibly say that would change what was happening? Without a word she held the dying girl close, gently caressing her and comforting her in her final moments. Minerva cried with an increasing weakness, her body shaking and her tears flowing uncontrollably, and after a few moments she was almost still. Juliet could feel her pulse fading away, slowly and persistently as Minerva fought a losing battle to live on. It was tragic, and Juliet found herself silently crying as well.

Soon Minerva stopped moving entirely, but her voice—her captivating, intelligent voice—whispered just enough to be heard.

"Tell…Artemis…"

Minerva gurgled on her own blood, and Juliet, as she looked sadly into the fading girl's eyes, knew what she intended to say. She nodded, slowly caressing the girl's head with one hand and holding her shaking hand with the other. She gently squeezed Minerva's hand, tears streaming from her eyes.

"I will, I promise."

There was a shimmer of gratitude in Minerva's eyes, and she barely—so very slightly—squeezed Juliet's hand in return. For another moment Minerva held on, fighting to the last second; how desperately she wanted to live! Then her blue eyes, filled with fear and sorrow, lost the brilliance that her life gave them, their light dissipating until nothing remained. Juliet watched her fade; with tearful eyes and a sorrowful heart she waited. Soon she felt the girl's hand loosen from hers, and heard the final breath slowly pass from her lips. Minerva passed away in her arms, but even though she was dead Juliet held onto her, unable to let her go.

"I'm so sorry…" she sobbed, gently squeezing her pulseless hand.

She remained there until she heard the sound of footfalls coming from behind her. Stricken with sadness, Juliet got to her feet and aimed her pistol—which was now stained with Minerva's blood—at those behind her. But when she saw who it was her defiance evaporated, and her gun fell from her hands, forgotten.

"Juliet…" Butler said softly, looking into her eyes and seeing the grief that racked her. Holly was right behind him, and she rushed forward when she saw Minerva.

"Oh gods…"

Holly dropped down next to her body, putting her hands on her pulse with frantic precision. Her head drooped down when she realized that the girl was dead, and her eyes, already tormented and red, shed bitter tears.

Juliet just stood there, not knowing what to do with herself. Butler came up beside her, and then knelt down and his hands on Minerva's face, wiping away the blood and brushing her golden hair aside.

"Minerva…" he said softly, his hard voice broken by grief. He had come to know her well during the three years that Artemis was missing in Hybras, and she had helped him through that time of loss. Now she was gone, a life so full of promise cut so terribly short. It cut deep into him, hurting him far more than most things could. He was silent for the longest time, and then, with an almost inaudible apology, he gently closed her eyes for what would be the last time. He stood up slowly, never taking his eyes from the tragedy before him.

"We have to keep moving," he said bitterly, tears in his eyes.

Holly, still kneeling beside Minerva, nodded in agreement. But she too was broken, and her expression showed it.

Butler helped the elf to her feet, and then put his hand on Juliet's shoulder.

"Don't destroy yourself over this…" he whispered knowingly, looking deep into her eyes.

Juliet looked at the ground, ashamed of her failure. "What if I already am?"

Butler squeezed her shoulder gently, consolingly. "Be strong."

Juliet stared blankly at Minerva's corpse, feeling any and all warmth and optimism seep from the holes grief had made in her heart. If only it was that easy. She nodded nonetheless, and put on a relatively stable expression to appease her brother. Then she tried to carry on. By god how difficult it was just to keep herself from trembling! Such was her sorrow; such was her feeling of complete and total failure and loss. It was something she would never live down, not in a billion lifetimes.

They took a moment to tear one of the tapestries from the wall, and gently lay it over Minerva's body; its brilliant white was stained by the crimson on her blood in an instant. As they did so they said their final goodbyes, though silently and within the confines of their stricken minds; spoken words did little to impart what they felt. Then they broke away from the tragic scene, one by one. Holly was the first, followed by Butler, but Juliet hung behind for the longest moment, unwilling to leave the poor girl alone even though she was dead. Standing over the concealed body of the girl she had failed to save, Juliet stared on with hollow eyes.

"Forgive me..."

With those words Juliet pried herself away from Minerva, though the pain she felt could not be pried away at all. She could only hope that those who would find her body would treat it with dignity. She could only hope that Minerva would be put to rest alongside her father and brother; that her spirit could find peace. Hope; that was all she could do now. It was all she had left.

---

The three of them moved with haste, leaving behind the girl they had failed and going after the boy they could still save. There was no resistance to be met along the way—everyone seemed to be missing. The sound of explosions and gunfire had faded, and a terrible, unnatural silence draped over everything. Holly ran alongside Butler, her visage contorted with anger. Inwardly she couldn't stop thinking about saving Artemis, but now the loss of Minerva piled on top of the loss of all of her officers. By the gods...this is too much...far too much... She did her best to retain control over herself, but it was getting harder and harder with every tragedy that befell those she cared about. The best she could do was carry on anyway, letting her soldier-sense do all the thinking while her softer side remained an isolated disaster. It would have to do.

She focused on putting one foot in front of the other, and keeping up with Butler. The man was ahead of her now, and was constantly searching for his principle. After a few minutes he stopped, glancing down another corridor. His face tightened with determination. "This way," he growled, his SIG-Sauer ready for its one and only purpose.

They sprinted until the smell of fresh air and a cool breeze could be sensed, and it led them straight to a large staircase. Running up it without pause, the three of them reached its summit in a matter of seconds, and as they did they could hear the sound of a helicopter powering up.

"They're leaving with him!" Holly yelled, her face contorted with rage. She rushed ahead of the others, possessed by her accumulated loss and her fear for losing one of the only people she had left—the human who had become her greatest friend. There was a large wooden door in front of her, but there were also windows on either side. Refusing to slow down, Holly threw herself through the window and onto the helipad beyond. When she rolled onto her feet she had her neutrino drawn and ready, and she immediately took in her surroundings. There was a Ka-60 helicopter on the helipad, fitted with rocket pods and side-mounted machine guns, and it was just starting to lift off. She didn't fail to see Artemis getting shoved into the helicopter's cabin, nor did she fail to hear his shouted warnings.

"Hold on Artemis!" she yelled, taking a step forward. But before she could get any closer she saw Orion step into view from the other side of the craft. He eyed her coldly, and he only said one thing.

"Admirable…"

Orion drew his handgun and fired with such swiftness that it caught Holly off guard. A bullet struck her right in the chest, and it threw her backwards onto the ground. Her ballistic plate stopped the round, but it still bought Orion enough time. Boarding the chopper as it lifted off, the man gave Holly an insultingly casual wave, and then closed the craft's side door.

"No!" Holly screamed, scrambling to her feet and rushing towards the chopper. Butler and Juliet had emerged behind her, and they were doing the same thing. They moved as fast as they could, but it was no use. The helicopter lifted off just beyond their reach, and the wind generated from its liftoff pushed them back.

"No! Gods dammit!" Holly screamed. She aimed her neutrino at the helicopter, but she couldn't pull the trigger, not when Artemis was inside. Instead she stood there, watching as the chopper lifted into the sky. Butler and Juliet couldn't do anything much either.

"Artemis…No…" Holly rasped. There was no way to pursue him, or so she thought.

Another helicopter burst into view while they were distracted with the other. It was an Mi-17 of the VDV, and as it flew up just beyond the helipad its side door slid open, revealing a door gunner. The machine-gunner opened fire immediately, the shots primarily directed at Holly. Yet the elf didn't care all too much—she was still thinking about getting to Artemis, and the helicopter before her looked pretty easy to fly. At the same time as the gunner opened up, Holly dashed to the side and sprinted towards the chopper. As she ran she aimed her neutrino and knocked the gunner out, and once that was done nothing could stop her. The helicopter's pilot saw what was happening, and veered away from the platform. But it was too late.

Holly ran to the edge of the helipad and recklessly vaulted off of it towards the chopper. She just barely made it, grabbing hold of the ledge of its side door and pulling herself inside. She was immediately met by the sidearm of the copilot, but she effectively knocked it aside and simultaneously shot the man in the chest. That left the pilot, who was split between flying the craft and drawing his sidearm.

"I hope you don't mind," Holly growled, shooting him in the back and shoving him from the seat. The helicopter immediately lost control, but Holly, combining her skill with her desperation, managed to keep it aloft. Once in control she flew it back to the helipad, and waited for Butler and Juliet to board.

"That was quick thinking," Butler commented as he and his sister entered.

"And pretty damn awesome," Juliet added.

Holly shrugged, doing her best to manage the controls that were made for someone twice her size. After the Butlers had dumped the three unconscious men onto the helipad, Holly brought the engines to full power and veered off towards the direction Orion's helicopter was heading. It was well ahead of them by now, but it was still visible. That was more than enough for Holly.

Juliet sat in the back beside the door gun while Butler moved up to the cockpit, sitting down in the copilot's seat and helping Holly, who was having a hard time reaching all of the controls. Soon they had the chopper moving at its top speed, and were gaining on the smaller aircraft which was evidently taking it easy—it didn't know that it was being tailed yet.

"Keep on him!" Holly said above the noise of the rotors and engine, taking the opportunity to check the flight systems on the console. Only a glance at the radar confirmed her suspicions. The Russian forces had noticed their heli-jacking, and now had several gunships in hot pursuit. Their intent was immediately affirmed by the launching of several missiles.

"Deploying flares!" Butler bellowed.

A series of hot beacons shot out from both sides of the chopper, and at the same time Butler took it into a dive. The missiles followed the decoys and exploded in midair, and judging by the fact that no more came it was evident that the enemy gunships were out of ordnance. They veered off, and surprisingly they did not bother to return.

"Must have spent the rest of their ammo on the battle," Juliet said from the back.

Butler frowned. "Or they know something we don't."

"It doesn't matter," Holly said firmly, her eyes on the chopper ahead of them. "We have to get Artemis and take down the other one. That is our mission and I'll be damned if we lost so much for nothing!"

The Butlers felt the same way.

The chase brought them through the Sayan mountain range, weaving between towering hills and peaks and blasting over grassy knolls and small lakes. It was clear that Orion had noticed them, because his chopper opened up full throttle to outrun them. But when they reached a particularly large line of slopes, both of them had to slow down significantly, and that brought them closer together than ever before.

"We're gaining on them!" Butler bellowed.

"We'll need to get in close," Holly said.

Butler gave her a look. "What are you planning?"

The elf gave him a reckless smile. "I'm just going to hitch a ride."

Holly's plan was ridiculous and unpredictable, but it would seem that Orion had called it nonetheless. As they neared the Ka-60, it suddenly spun about to meet them, and that meant that its two miniguns and its rocket pods were directed right at them as well.

Holly grabbed the controls and veered the chopper to the side, narrowly avoiding the spray of bullets and rockets that came from the chopper. I should have seen that one coming! She thought as she fought against the force of gravity. The bulky chopper they flew was far from maneuverable, and Holly was already doing things with it that were clearly not supposed to be possible.

"They're leaving again!" Juliet yelled.

Holly gritted her teeth as she and Butler brought the chopper back into a stable position. By the time they had done so Orion's helicopter was several kilometers away.

"No you don't!" Holly yelled, opening the throttle and pushing the craft to its limits. But it wasn't enough, not against the much lighter and faster Ka-60. Orion kept gaining distance, even as Holly did everything in her power to keep up. It infuriated her, the sight of her goal slowly outrunning her. It was a mockery of all of the lives that had been lost in trying to achieve their goal, and it burned to watch.

"Come on! Go faster you piece of junk!" Holly gritted her teeth, furious and filled with a growing sense of dread. She refused to let it end this way! It was unacceptable! She had to save Artemis and stop Orion. She had to make something out of this disaster; for her fellow comrades, for Nº1, and for Minerva. If she failed it would all be for nothing.

When the fleeing helicopter continued to gain distance, Holly let out a furious shriek. It was driving her mad, but she was the only one.

Beside her Butler let out a sigh, seemingly coming to terms with their defeat.

"It's over for now, Holly," he said softly.

"No it's not!" Holly yelled, glaring spitefully ahead at the nearly invisible dot in the distance. "I have to get Artemis. I have to finish this! What has all of this been for…" She was almost crying now, all of the weight on her mind now starting to crumble her resolve. "What did they all die for? What did Minerva die for?" She shook her head, clutching the controls with a white-knuckled grip as tears streamed down her cheeks. "No, I won't let it be for nothing! I would rather die!"

"Don't say that," Butler said softly, trying to talk sense into her.

Holly ignored him, her tormented eyes glued to the sight of Orion's chopper fading from view. She was so concentrated on it that she didn't notice the sudden intrusion on the Mi-17's onboard radar—a clear indication of a rapidly approaching aircraft.

At several dozen miles away and closing fast, a Russian MiG-35 blasted over the mountain range, its engines glowing hot as it raced towards the helicopter. Its target was already within range of its R-77 missiles, but the bulky Mi-17 was absolutely defenseless and impossible to miss. Without any fear of being attacked, the pilot calmly locked in on the aircraft and pressed the fire control, sending the air-to-air missile blasting towards its target at Mach 4.5.

By the time Butler noticed the incoming fighter craft on the radar it was far too late. The missile was upon them in seconds, and Holly, finally snapped out of her ignorance by Butler's warning, saw the glint of its approach at the last possible moment.

Oh gods no…

The missile struck the tail end of the helicopter, sheering off the entire rear end while sending shrapnel slicing through the engine. For those on the inside it was like nothing they'd ever experienced before—the noise, the destruction, and the sudden sensation of falling. The helicopter immediately lost control, fire spewing from its ruptured engine and the ruined tail while it spun madly through the air. Losing altitude at an appalling rate, it was clear that they would meet the ground in a matter of seconds.

"Hold on!" Butler yelled, clutching the controls but finding that there was nothing left to control.

Holly held on for dear life, dizzy and sick by both the out of control motion as well as the realization that she had failed. She vomited for these two reasons as fire and smoke began to fill the cabin, and despite the enormous danger all she could think about was all of those who had died before her. She had failed them all.

The flaming helicopter spun out of control until it reached the mountainside, where it slammed into a steep slope and started to roll. Butler, Juliet, and Holly braced for the impact, but that didn't prepare them for it in the slightest. There was a loud crash and a rending of steel, followed by the constant drone of twisting metal. Everything shook, and no matter how tightly they held on the three occupants found themselves knocked about like tossed dice. This brutal chaos only got worse.

Rolling down the slope at an ever increasing speed, the wreck eventually reached the end of the descent where another sizable drop resided. It fell fifty feet into a forest below, where it then crashed into trees and rocks and once again plummeted down another slope. Fire and smoke followed in their wake as fuel and debris was left in a destructive trail, and soon parts of the forest caught on fire, further adding to the calamity. After a minute of this brutal treatment the wreck reached a small plateau, where a small lake ran off into a river and then a waterfall. It came to a halt just a few dozen yards from the waterfall, slamming into a large tree and splitting into several pieces. Then it was still—an utterly ruined pile of metal blanketed with searing flames and spewing black smoke.

Within the burning wreck Butler groaned. His head was bleeding and he had several broken bones, but far worse than this was his fear for his sister and friend. He dislodged himself from the pile of twisted metal, ignoring the pain, and searched through the smoke.

"Juliet! Holly!" he called out, choking as smoke entered his lungs.

"I'm alright!" Juliet called, evidently from outside the wreck. She had likely been thrown from it when it struck the tree.

Butler kept searching for Holly, who had not said a word. When he found her he felt his heart freeze. The elf was wedged in between several large pieces of metal, and she was bleeding from multiple lacerations. Her magic wasn't even working away; she wasn't moving at all.

"Holly!" Butler called, scrambling through the destruction until he was beside her. Adrenaline was coursing through his veins, and with a loud grunt he tore away the metal that had trapped her. Fires burned all around them, but Butler was not intimidated at all. He picked Holly up and raced right through the flames, covering her with his body and ignoring the searing pain. In seconds he emerged from the wreck, and when he did he almost collapsed due to smoke inhalation. But he didn't; he could not afford to become a casualty when Holly needed his help.

Butler ran until he was a safe distance away from the wreck, and then he gently set Holly down. Juliet was beside him in an instant, and though she too was covered with wounds, her face was filled with concern more than anything else.

"Dammit, she's not breathing!" she said, her voice frantic and raw.

Butler put his hands on Holly, checking for a pulse. He didn't feel anything. This filled him with a sense of urgency; he had to act fast. Moving his hands over her chest, he immediately applied cardiopulmonary resuscitation. He and Juliet worked desperately to revive the elf, and even after several minutes of having no success they kept trying.

"Come on Holly! You can't go out like this!" Juliet urged, tearful despite her strong tone.

"She's strong…" Butler growled as he did compressions. "She wants to live, and she will!" He then focused on Holly's face. "You hear me Holly? You will survive this!"

Another minute passed, and when it started to look as if Holly was not coming back, the elf's eyes suddenly shot open and, with a huge inhalation of breath, she started breathing again. She coughed heavily for a few moments as she regained consciousness, and then settled into a relatively normal pattern of breathing.

Butler and Juliet both sighed with relief, an immense weight lifting off their shoulders.

"Holly, can you hear me?" Butler asked.

The elf was disoriented and weak, and she was blinking rapidly. After a few seconds of gathering her senses, she nodded.

"How do you feel?" the man asked.

Holly coughed again, a sour look plastered on her face. "Like hell..." With the help of Butler she got to her feet, taking it easy as her magic worked away at the lacerations and fractures that she had sustained in the crash. When the painful healing was done she glanced about, taking in all of the destruction that their ruined helicopter had wrought. "D'Arvit," she rasped, "We aren't going anywhere…"

There was a long, negative silence as the three of them observed the destruction. The fires had spread, but the warm breeze that came from overhead pushed the black smoke away from them.

"We have to make contact with the LEP," Juliet finally said. "We are on our own out here. We need evac pronto!"

Holly checked her gear, only to find that it was almost completely totaled—her communicator, her neutrino, and even her armor's built-in transceiver. The only things that still worked were her body and mind, and right now neither could do much to reach her colleagues hundreds of miles away. "Dammit…" she cursed, grimacing as the weight of the situation began to come down upon her. However, she didn't have much time to hate herself over her failures, because from the distance came a sound that immediately filled her with dread.

Butler and Juliet looked up at the same time, drawing their holstered SIG-Sauers as the sound of helicopters roared around them.

"They marked our crash site!" Butler yelled.

No sooner had he said this when the intimidating sight of several VDV choppers came into view. The wind suddenly slammed into the three survivors, and none of them had much time to prepare. Gunfire erupted from the door gunners on the transports, tearing apart the crash site with hundreds of rounds of high-powered ammunition. Holly followed the Butlers as everything around them was blasted to pieces, reaching the cover of the debris and the large tree that their Mi-17 had collided with. Dozens of VDV operatives rappelled from the choppers into the clearings around the crash site, and the sound of gunfire was soon drowning out everything.

"This is getting way too crazy!" Juliet yelled out. She aimed her pistol in the direction of a team of VDV operatives, and fired as fast as she could. The highly trained soldiers were quick to establish strong positions, and in moments they were returning fire with their automatic weapons. A number of rounds whizzed past Juliet's head, and one just barely grazed her cheek. "Ah shit!" she exclaimed, throwing herself to the ground while still firing away.

"Are you alright?" Butler called out, hunkered down behind the tree with Holly.

Juliet was extremely cross, and her tone made it clear that she was on the verge of losing it. "Yeah, just a scratch!" The girl growled a number of expletives as she reloaded her weapon, and then peaked up to lay down some covering fire for her comrades. A whoosh of air and the crack of a bullet screaming past her head made her dive for cover again, but not before another series of shots rang out. Instead of hunkering down Juliet simply collapsed, her body going limp and her face betraying shock and pain.

"Juliet!" Holly screamed, horrified. She was right beside Butler, but in the blink of an eye the man mountain was gone.

"Juliet!" Butler yelled, firing madly at the enemy whilst he rushed to her side. He grabbed her unceremoniously and held her close to his chest, all the while shooting back at those who had hurt his sister. Then he ran back, ignoring the hail of bullets that flew all around him; ignoring death itself in order to save his beloved sibling.

The man reached Holly again in a matter of seconds, and he immediately set Juliet down on the soft grass. Holly was at her side in an instant, fearful that the girl was dead. Butler was doing the same, and despite the iron look on his face, his eyes were filled with the tears of a broken man. Holly saw his inward agony and felt it as her own. Please, please be alright…

Juliet was bleeding from the head, but upon closer inspection it was evident that it was only a grazing wound. She was alive, but she had been knocked out cold, possibly into a concussion by the sheer force of the grazing bullet; she was extremely lucky the bullet had not been a centimeter to the left. Holly put her hands on the girl, and let her magic heal the wound. It was done in seconds, and that was all she could do.

"She'll make it…" she said softly.

Butler was frowning, his eyes filled with anger and grief, and as he took a few potshots at the advancing hostiles he growled his response.

"Thank you."

A flurry of bullets blasted away a chunk of the tree they were using as cover, and the spray of splinters forced Butler to duck back down beside Holly and his unconscious sister. It was at that moment that Holly noticed that the man was bleeding profusely from his side.

"You've been shot!" she exclaimed.

Butler glanced down, noting the crimson of his blood spreading from the wound. He didn't even look to be in pain, nor did he react at all to seeing his own blood. He reloaded his weapon with an air of confidence despite the wound, and only then did he speak. "So I have."

Holly was desperate to help him—by the gods she didn't want to lose him too! She moved towards him, intent of healing it as best she could. "Let me…"

"No," the man interjected, shaking his head.

Holly was flabbergasted. "What?"

Butler gave her a stern look. "We can't win this. We will lose. Juliet and I, we are not capable of going anywhere, nor do I want to." He paused, racking the slide of his pistol. "I need for you to survive this, Holly. I can't let you lose your life too."

"I can't let you lose yours either!" Holly retorted.

Butler shook his head, a reassuring look in his eyes. "My life is not in your hands. It has always been mine to use, and give if need be."

Holly didn't know what to say. "You're crazy Domovoi!" she said after a moment, her voice filled with anger and sorrow.

The man smiled at her. "That's what friendship does to people I'm afraid." He put his hand on Holly's shoulder. "You have to go. You have to carry on this fight. We no longer can."

Tears were streaming from her eyes, but their sting was nothing compared to the one in her heart. She shook her head furiously, her face contorted with emotion. "I'm not going! I refuse!"

Butler's gaze was unwavering. "I know."

Before Holly could do anything Butler's grip on her shoulder became as hard as iron, and then he lifted her off the ground like a football. Without any hesitation the man threw Holly into the rapids that ran a few meters from them, where the current immediately pulled her further away. The freezing cold of the water was completely ignored by the elf who, as she was forced away from her friend, could only watch as he tossed his weapon aside and surrendered to the VDV. The last thing Holly saw before she was tugged over the waterfall was Butler being surrounded by armed men, and of them beating him to the ground with the stocks of their rifles. Then she was in midair, free falling amidst the cascading water of the falls.

She fell for what felt like forever, the sight of the sun's rays dancing off of the water droplets that swirled all around her. But with a suddenness that shattered the sensation like glass she collided with the river below, ending up several meters below its surface before she knew it. The undercurrent pulled her even deeper, and for a moment she thought she would drown. But with her determination and skill she quickly fought her way from the deadly trap, and emerged into the open air before her lungs gave out.

The rapids were still strong and fast, and it became immediately apparent that Holly had been underwater for a lot longer than it seemed. The waterfall was completely gone from sight, as was the sound of the struggle taking place. Holly desperately wanted to go back—by the gods how she wanted to!—but the current was too strong. She could do nothing but go with the flow—a flow that took her further and further away from two of the few friends she had left. The distance between them hurt even more with every tree that she passed, and despite being caught in a life-and-death struggle with the chaotic waters Holly let out an infuriated, broken scream. It was drowned out by the sound of crashing water, and soon she was pulled beneath again by the current.

The heavy rapids lasted for another fifteen minutes, and by the time it calmed down it had taken Holly a distance of several miles. Now she was in a low valley, far below the mountains that she had been in not too long ago. Lush forests lined the gently flowing river, and the water, clean and crystal clear, shined dazzlingly in the sunlight. Holly floated through it on her back, exhausted not by the dangerous voyage, but by the dreadful thoughts and memories that filled her head. Though she was surrounded by beauty and nature—things that would make her smile—she was absolutely sick. There was a darkness within her, and it preyed on her now.

What have I done…

The current took Holly a little further, where it gently deposited her in a shallow stretch of the meandering river. She felt herself stop, and mechanically rolled over to crawl her way out. Her arms gave out suddenly, by both grief and exhaustion, and she ended up face first in the river. Everything was muffled underwater, and for a moment she remained there, staring blankly at nothing. For a second her haunted mind contemplated staying there, entertaining the idea of drowning herself and escaping the agony she felt; it would be easy, so very easy, to take a breath and bit it all farewell. But she quickly got a hold of herself, and once more began to crawl her way out. Water was in her mouth and eyes, and she blinked rapidly and coughed to get it out. When she reached the shore she had stopped coughing, but the blinking never ceased. At first she thought it was more of the river water, and it was not until she started to sob that she realized it was her own tears.

"What's…wrong…with me!" she sobbed, crying openly as she stared at the ground. Her tears fell like rain on the grass that lined the river, and they were like diamonds in the sunlight—gemstones of a broken heart.

Holly was shaking, and her eyes were filled with torment. All of the images of what had happened that day slammed down upon her, and crushed her feeble resolve like fragile glass. The loss of Nº1, the deaths of all of her officers, the tragic loss of Minerva, the loss of Butler and Juliet, and lastly her inability rescue Artemis, all combined into one monumental image of her defeat. Seeing the faces of those she had failed, and knowing she would likely never see them again, Holly cried out in an explosion of pent up anger, sadness, and pain. She then sobbed into the earth, and being incapable of keeping her emotions at bay, she snapped.

"Dammit!" she screamed, punching the ground with her fists with such force that it broke a few fingers; there was no magic left to heal them. The broken bone and the pain didn't even register in her mind, such was her sorrow. Instead she continued to deteriorate. "Why this? Why this?!" She slammed her forehead into the ground, and did so again and again, oblivious to the pain and unable to control herself. She kept hitting the earth with her own head until it was bleeding, and the only reason she stopped was because she had run out of strength. She stared at the ground anew, oblivious to the blood that was now smeared on the grass.

"I couldn't…" She sobbed, tears streaming from her eyes and blood trickling down her face. "I couldn't even save one of my friends!"

How true it was. How damning it was. Only a few hours ago she had been the most confident elf in the world, certain that she would save Artemis and bring an end to the enemy's reign of terror. Oh how the tables had turned.

Holly felt another wave of revulsion as she again remembered all of the dead. She heaved, but there was nothing left to vomit out. Again she struck the ground with fury, and again she cried out with a tormented, broken voice.

"What did they die for!? What did any of them die for!?" She shook her head furiously, all the while beating her bloodied fists into the ground. "Nothing! Not a single gods damn thing!"

Holly was so overcome by her emotions that her arms gave out, and she literally collapsed onto the ground, her face striking the earth before anything else. She didn't move at all; she remained where she had fallen, crying into the grass that was already soaked with her blood and tears.

"All of this…All of them…for nothing…" She squeezed her eyes shut, as if to hide from the images that haunted her. "Artemis…Domovoi…Juliet…Minerva…everyone…everyone's gone, and yet I'm not…" It made a bitter feeling rise within her. Yet again, just like so many times before, she was the only one. She had survived, and it wasn't a good thing in her mind. Oh but how highly people praise the last one standing! Bullshit! The last one standing was doomed to be alone—doomed to live while that which they lived for was no more—and that was precisely where she was now; beaten and alone. For all of her strength, for all of her grit, she was nothing now. She was broken, a shattered being, and it felt as if she was beyond repair. She was changed forever, and it was for the worse.

"I'm sorry…" she cried, feeling so terrible it was as if she was dying, "I'm so sorry everyone…" She had never been more repentant in her entire life, but it was useless. Her words were unheard, her grief was unseen, and her sadness was isolated to herself. Her friends were all far away from her, facing hells of their own. It was useless even speaking, but Holly didn't care. She was long past caring; long past reason.

For the longest time Holly remained on the ground, her very soul aching and her mind in tatters. It was far worse than it had ever been before; far worse than the numerous other times she had dealt with traumatic stress and psychological shock. She even started to hear voices, and they taunted her endlessly with mocking tones.

"Oh how the mighty have fallen!"

"You could never save them Holly. You can't save anyone!"

"Why don't you just kill yourself? Do the world a favor!"

"Julius was wrong to believe in you. You made a fool of him!"

"Failure! That's all you are!"

Holly did nothing against the barrage of insults. What could she do? It was herself saying them; her own destroyed mind perpetuating a cycle of decisive self-destruction. She was her own worst enemy. But then the voices changed suddenly, becoming not her own but rather those of her friends. It froze her with dread and fear.

"Major, what happened to us?" an elven officer asked.

"You were supposed to lead us to victory!" another yelled.

"We died for you, and for what?" yet another officer whispered.

"Answer us!"

Holly trembled under the barrage of haunting voices, each one reminding her of a dead face, and she could barely articulate a response. "I…I…" She couldn't finish; her words fell apart on her tongue. The voices were far from finished.

"Why did you let this happen?" Nº1 asked coldly.

"We trusted you!" Another elf yelled.

Holly heard them all around her, and so horrified was she by it that she put her hands to her ears in an attempt to stop them. They only got louder.

"We failed, Holly. It is over because of you." Butler growled.

"It's all your fault! I took a bullet to the head for nothing!" Juliet shouted.

Make it stop… Holly's eyes were darting about, and her face was contorted with fear and sickness. She tried to speak, and her words came out in clumps. "I…I don't…please…stop…" When the voices only got more persistent Holly began to claw at her own head. "Please!"

"I don't want to die!" Minerva sobbed. "Why did you let me die?"

"I cannot believe I trusted you Holly," Artemis whispered. "You betrayed me! You betrayed us all!"

Make it stop make it stop make it stop! Holly felt herself crumble completely, and with an agonized shriek she clawed at her head, tearing out hair and drawing blood. "Stop! Please! I'm sorry!" She slammed her face into the earth over and over, her eyes wide with madness as she tried to get the voices to vanish. "Leave me alone! I can't take it anymore!"

"It is far too late for that," Artemis said. "You brought this on yourself."

"No I didn't!" Holly shrieked, blood covering her face. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen!"

"That is irrelevant," Artemis replied coldly. "We do not mean for a lot of things to happen. But they happen all the same, and the blame still rests on us. This one is on you, Holly."

"No!" Holly shrieked, once again plugging her ears to no avail. They're not real. The voices are not real! She thought this to herself over and over again, but it did little to help. She was incapable of rational thought, and her mind, so torn asunder, was incapable of silencing the voices. The elf trembled, completely helpless as the voices haunted her. It was so terrible that she started to consider killing herself—she could see a rock not too far away, perhaps if she hit her head against it enough she could get some peace and quiet. This was insane, but then again, so was she.

With unnatural, trembling motions, Holly started to drag herself towards the rock, the idea of silencing the voices now too good to pass up. Her broken body screamed in protest as she did so, but she felt nothing in her whirlwind of insanity. She reached the rock after four minutes of agonizing work, and every second of it was filled with the shouts and cries of those voices, and haunted by the faces they belonged to. Staring down at the smooth, grey surface of the large stone, the elf breathed heavily, not because she was afraid of killing herself but because the voices kept getting worse. She had to make it stop!

Without any hesitation Holly slammed her forehead against the rock. She did so without enough force to cause any real damage, but it hurt like hell, so much so that she actually felt it. This made her stare blankly at the rock, and the fact that the voices were not reduced at all made it clear that it would be a lot harder than her crazy mind had anticipated. But the voices drove her onward, and she lined herself up for another try. In the moment before hitting herself again she noticed the handle of her combat knife. She had forgotten about it entirely, and there it was sitting in its sheath, waiting to be made useful. Holly looked at it insanely, tears streaming from her tormented eyes. It was a way out; a way to silence it all!

She grabbed the knife and drew it out of its sheath, and then stared at it wonderingly. The sun glinted off of the blade's razor sharp edge, and its deadly simplicity was beautiful. The elf put her finger to it, and cut herself by just barely touching it. The sight of blood flowing from the wound made her madness amplify. Yes, it would work; it was just what she needed. Constantly staring at the knife, Holly lined it up with her throat where her armor would not stop it, all the while sobbing and crying. She did not know what she was doing, yet she did. Such was madness. Such was the broken thing she had become.

"Go ahead, do it," Artemis said in her head. "It will bring a tasteful silence. It will set you free."

The point of the blade was pressing against her throat, and her tears, flowing endlessly, dripped along the blade's length. These droplets of her sorrow glinted along with the edge of the weapon, where they accumulated and fell onto the earth. Her hand was shaking, as was the rest of her, and she could barely keep the knife on target.

"End it," Artemis urged. "End it, Holly. All it takes is just a little push."

Just a little push... Holly had the knife's point centered on her throat, and now its tip drew a small rivulet of blood. The voices grew even more persistent, and their combined roar left her with nowhere else to go. Hands shaking and eyes weeping, Holly tightened her grip around the weapon in anticipation. She was on the verge of pressing the knife all the way when, from amidst the crowd of voices, a new voice arose. That one voice, one that she had not heard in ages, broke through them all as if they were but air.

"Holly."

The elf stopped crying, her tormented eyes widening with realization. The knife stopped a micrometer away from piercing her jugular.

"Stop, Holly. You can stop this now."

The voice broke through to her, and it shattered her desire to end her own life. Her hands, so tightly clutching the knife, suddenly loosened and fell to her side. The knife dangled from her right hand, and then fell to the earth, forgotten. Overcome by her brokenness, Holly too fell to the ground, all of her strength now gone. The voice spoke again.

"Oh Holly, what have you done to yourself?"

Holly took a shaky breath, blinking away the blood that had gotten in her eyes. That voice, she knew that voice. Yet her torn mind couldn't quite put her finger on it. She struggled against her madness, trying to understand. The voice whispered to her again, and it was then that she realized that it was not coming from inside her head. It was coming from right in front of her.

Trembling constantly, the elf agonizingly pried herself off the ground, and slowly looked up. When she did she was immediately struck to the core with surprise by what she saw. There, standing before her under the warm rays of sunlight, was Julius. It was so impossible that she gaped at him, unable to speak.

"It has been a long time, Holly," Root said softly. His words were real to her, as was his face, yet it seemed improbable nonetheless. But he was there, and his words penetrated into her mind. And his face—the stern but caring expression on his face—was undeniably genuine.

"J…Julius?" Holly croaked, unable to grasp what she saw. Was this her mind playing more tricks on her? Was this what pure madness was like? A part of her thought so, but that was counterbalanced by the fact that the other voices—the ones that had driven her over the edge—were gone. No, this was entirely different from the other ones. This was something beyond her understanding. Staring at the elf who had died so many years ago, Holly blinked uncontrollably.

"H-how?"

Julius' expression did not change—it remained strong and caring. "You have lost your way, Holly. I am here to help you find your way back."

His words were so real that they struck her like a punch. Her arms gave out, and she crashed to the ground once more. But this time, as she lay on the tear soaked grass, she was not alone. Holly looked up to see Julius extending his hand to her.

"I always admired your strength, but sometimes even you need a helping hand. There is no shame in it. Everyone falls someday, and you stood longer than most."

Holly looked at the hand, again wondering if she was seeing things. Surely this was a dream? That question would remain unanswered as long as she did nothing. Not hesitating any longer, Holly reached up with her trembling hand and locked it with Julius', and contrary to her skepticism the elf's grip felt absolutely real. The feeling of being pulled up by that same hand was real too, and she stood in awe as she was on her feet before the elf.

"One day you will understand," Julius said knowingly.

Holly could only stare and hope that she didn't fall over again. She was weak and mentally exhausted, and even a breeze could topple her now. But that meant nothing to her when she looked into Julius' eyes, where she found a comfort that she had never felt before. It calmed her tormented mind, and eased her trembling body. As this happened Julius stepped closer, and rested his hand on her shoulder. The warm sensation of it made her feel as if she could say anything to him, and she did. She let out all of her anger and sorrow, all of the failures she had allowed to happen that day, and spoke bitterly of her own selfish survival. It came out in a rush, and it was over before she knew it. In the silence that resulted she stared into Julius' eyes, which had only grown more tenderhearted. The elf didn't contemplate what she said; he seemed to know everything already.

"What happened was not because of you," he said. "You can't bear the weight of the world on your shoulders and expect to brave it all. I tried to be like you once, in my younger years, and I had the same result. It is a hard truth, but in the end you can't save everyone. What matters is that you keep moving forward, because there is still time to change what is happening. There is still time to save those who remain."

The tingle of madness was still in the back of her mind, but Holly found herself able to think a littler clearer. She looked at her feet with shame, feeling absolutely terrible.

"How can I move forward when I have left so many behind?"

"You did not leave them behind," Julius said immediately.

"I was responsible for them and so many died!"

"People die, Holly. That's just how it is for soldiers like us."

"It's not fair!" Holly cried out, tears falling from her eyes. "Losing so many for nothing! It's not fair at all!" She paused, sobbing as she looked into Julius' eyes. "Just like losing you wasn't fair…"

Julius was silent for a moment, but his expression spoke volumes. When he did speak he did so softly and with understanding.

"I know. It isn't. But as soldiers it is our duty to stand nonetheless. The cards we are dealt are rarely fair, but we make do all the same. That is what it means to be strong; to be a leader when all others crumble."

Holly found it hard to hold his gaze. "I don't know if I'm strong enough, not after this…"

"You were always strong enough, Holly. You've only been knocked down; it does not mean you can't get up again."

Despite her mental breakdown Holly started to understand Julius' words. They were a voice of reason and strength to a mind that had been shattered and a heart that had been broken. It made the tingling madness subside even more, and Holly found that she was no longer shaking. It was such a sudden change that Holly knew it not to be natural. No, this was something else entirely. She looked to Julius once more, feeling more in control than before.

"What should I do now?"

"All that you can do," Julius replied. "You will find a way. I know you will."

Holly shook her head, filled with pessimism. "How can you be so confident in me after all that has happened? After letting you die…"

"Because you have earned it," he said firmly, his voice suddenly stern. "Stop being such a fool and do the same for yourself. That's an order Major!"

Hearing Root's commanding tone snapped Holly's mind into focus even more. It brought her back to the days in the academy and as a lowly officer, a time when Root was always breathing down her neck and giving her hell. Those memories broke her out of her stupor, reminding her of where she had come from, and giving her a reason to keep going. She suddenly found herself complying with the dead elf's orders, the soldier mentality that was hardwired within her kicking in, and it would have astonished her had she not been focused on his stern visage.

Julius studied her for a moment, and then his iron persona evaporated into an almost fatherly one.

"See, you always had it in you. You just had to find your way."

Holly just stood there, internally piecing herself back together. She was by no means whole, but she was once more within the realm of sanity—though she was still very close to its edge. After calming down her frazzled nerves and heartbeat, Holly set her eyes on Julius again, noting that he was still there despite her having retained her mind.

"I have to go now," Julius said to her.

"Where are you going?" Holly asked, already fearing of being left alone with herself.

Julius smiled ever so slightly. "To a place where we will meet again some day."

The elf turned around and started to walk away, but before he could get far Holly blurted out what was begging to be answered.

"Are you…real? Or have I just lost my mind completely?"

Julius stopped, and looked over his shoulder with a knowing expression. He smiled ever so slightly.

"That is for you to decide, Holly."

Holly frowned, and looked at her feet in contemplation. When she looked back up Julius was gone. He had not made a sound, and there was no sign of his passage; not even the slightest disturbance of the grass. It was as if he had never been there. Maybe that was the case. Or maybe, just maybe, something impossible had just transpired; something that Holly had only ever dreamt of. Regardless of the truth, Holly found herself in control once more, and that was what mattered in the end. She glanced behind her, to the river she had been carried down, and remembered what it had taken her away from.

"I will find a way," she whispered, her previously broken voice filled with iron. "I will, Julius."

Without another word Holly walked into the woods, disappearing into the foliage in moments. Her thoughts were still troubled and her mind still worn, but at least there was something keeping her from falling over the edge. Though pain and sorrow still assaulted her, she withstood its barrage and moved forward. That was all she could do at the moment. Keep moving forward. Keep living, in hopes that one day she would find a way to atone for her sins and put an end to the madness that had ruined the world. It became her purpose and desire; a husk of a being bent on one thing and one thing only. The images of the dead followed her still, but now they did not break her completely. They were her motivation and a reminder of the price of failure; a morbid inspiration. They did as much to push her onward as they did to break her heart. It was terrible and a heavy weight on her soul, but it was one that she could bear. After all, Julius was right. She was strong, and even though that meant that she was miserable and haunted, it was still enough for her, for how she felt personally did not matter. What mattered was that everyone else could one day live in peace and happiness; that by her actions she could change the world. Some would call this the making of a hero—of selflessness and courage—but Holly did not see it that way. She was only being herself. She was only being what Julius had taught her to be.

I will find a way. I promise…

In the distance Holly could hear the human helicopters which were undoubtedly searching for her; there were likely many more on the way. She reached to her neck around which a thin cord was wrapped, and quickly yanked the end of it out from underneath her suit. It was a sealed acorn unit, like the one she had used back during the Arctic Incident to recharge, and she had been saving it for a desperate time like this. If she wanted to get out of this mess, she would need all the magic she could get.