A/N
Wow this New Years kicked off with a bang.
That is to say... 6 foot flood in certain places.
Anyway, Happy New Years to all of you!
"H-Heroes...?" Ruby's cheeks flared bright pink as her silver eyes shot towards the floor. Her voice was quiet and timid, coming out in a weak stutter. "Why would we be- W-What? How...? In what way? He's been saving us the whole time he's been here in Remnant. I-If anything, it should be the other way around!"
"In this case, your words speak true." Kevin chuckled mirthfully, not even trying to deny the small leader's more than flattered expression and returning it with a bemused one of his own. "But during the show, it's not. We don't exist. He admired you lot, and not in the same way these boys had." Kevin deadpanned as he let his eyes fall towards Edgy and Clumsy D, who broke eye contact looking towards the ceiling and the ground respectively, and decided the best course of action to avoid attention was to whistle innocently.
"Does this have anything to do with that old saying?" Weiss put a finger to her cheek as she tried to recall the words. "Never meet your heroes because they're sure to disappoint if memory serves me right?"
"We... disappointed him?" The buxom blonde questioned with a baffled expression as she dramatically placed a hand on her chest. "You guys maybe,"
"Hey!"
"But the great Yang Xiao Long?." She waved her finger. "Nu uh, I don't think so."
"No no, nothing like that." Kevin waved off with a scoff. "Watching you all, I mean your show." He added when the girls grimaced at how that sounded. "Just happened to help him out at the hardest of times. He felt... lost at a point, without a purpose."
"But he looked fine to us." Ruby muttered quietly.
"Well you never asked him what his problems were, did you?" Kevin sighed as the girls broke eye contact, and looked away in shame. "Of course not, you're teenagers. Angsty, moody, edgy, hormonal, 'The world revolves around me' teenagers."
"I mean..." Ruby mumbled. "We would've listened if he'd just tell us..."
"And you're not?" Yang shot back.
"Nope. I'm 24."
The 3 girls balked at that, with Yang even looking him up and down before rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand.
"What?" The rotund man asked at their shocked expressions. "Why do you look so surprised? Did you really think Louis was your age?"
Their silence said it all.
"Oh boy, that's rich." Adrian tried to stifle a chuckle as he put a hand to his mouth. "He's 20, almost 21 if I recall."
...
"That's not too much of an age gap for Ruby and Blake but-"
"Yaaaaaang!" Ruby wailed as she blushed. It would've been cute, but it was ruined by her tear stains and red rimmed eyes, accompanied by dark tinted eyebags directly under it.
"But..." Yang continued nevertheless. "He doesn't look it. And neither do you."
"Probably followed the go back to being a teenager or the same age as the cast rule thing." Derrick shrugged nonchalantly. "Basically we all de-aged having adjusted to yours by this time frame. Physically speaking."
"Is that... even possible?" The heiress questioned with a raised brow.
"Hey, interdimensional travel just proved we aren't alone in the universe right? Why give a fuck about the laws now?" The rotund man let his shoulders rise and fall.
"True."
"So, what are his problems?" Yang asked.
"Hm?"
"You said we never asked what his problems were. So we're gonna assume you know well and good." Yang repeated in a tone that was half irritated, and half exhausted. "What exactly are his problems? What could we do to help?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Kevin asked, making the girls lean in with curiosity.
"He's out of commission."
The girls nearly tripped where they stood.
"Yeah, no shit jerkface!" Yang almost shouted as her eyes flashed crimson. "There's nothing we can do about that but wait now can we?"
"If you're asking us what his problems currently are, it's that he has a dual personality, and we couldn't tell who's in charge and when." Kevin admitted with a shrug, causing Yang's shoulders to slump. "Two, I wouldn't be telling you this if we couldn't do anything about it."
...
...
"Huh?"
"What?"
"Eh?" The girls asked in unison as they exchanged confused glances.
The boys's lips twisted into a smirk, Kevin almost cockily.
"I think it's about time sleeping beauty wakes up."
Shift
"Meeting with you guys in person supposedly filled his dark soul with LIIIIIIGHT!"
"Your voice cracked at the end there." Blake pointed out as she raised a brow, shoving a glass of water towards the maiden. "Also, is it just me, or is that last part echoing around the room somehow?" She looked around the room suspiciously.
"Sorry bout that." Amber coughed into her fist as she regained composure from what must've looked like a crazed moment for Blake. "Had to do it. Anywho, the point remains that you guys helped him, indirectly, and I guess this is just his way of paying back his debts. Then again I could be wrong, and he has his own reason for doing this unknown to even us."
"But we never asked for this."
"And you think we did?" Amber chuckled as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Also, knowing Louis you think he would've just sit still and watch his heroes splinter and fall?" Amber sighed, leaning back on her chair. "It would've been some good character development, but even I don't think the costs should've been that extreme. You're all not ready for this."
"And he thinks he is?" Blake almost yelled.
"Maybe not." Amber admitted, causing Blake's shoulders to relax at the fact that at least someone sharing her agreement. "Maybe we're just being as foolish as you lot are, thinking we can take on the world who's lore we know well ourselves. Maybe we're dancing with the devil while playing with fire by trying to change things for the better. Hell, I'm about to even meet one face to face, that's certainly not something I would ever expect in this life or the next." She shuddered, and Blake could see uncertainty in her eyes, along with a tinge of fear.
"Cinder..." Blake growled.
"You don't know the half of it." Amber's pitiful eyes met hers as she continued. "But quite honestly, if we were teleported towards the outskirts of Vale when this all started, and I could've convinced Louis to stay put and settle down, we would've."
"Don't get me wrong." Amber put up both hands as Blake's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Knowing how this world works, we would've been dragged into it or affected by it either way. But would you not have wished the same as I, seeing his condition now?"
The way Blake's regretful eyes glanced towards the ground says it all.
"He... never told us about it." She managed to croak out.
"Hm?"
"His inner demons." Blake fleshed out as she glanced towards the man in question. "His problems."
"Obviously not. You guys have your own problems to deal with which he would rather not further burden with his own."
"Sounds like him to do that." The edges of Blake's lips tugged into a fragile smile as she imagined those exact words coming out of his mouth.
"Right?" Amber sniggered back as she looked towards the ceiling. "We've altered the show enough times to have completely changed the timeline. In all honesty, we're not sure how far off from canon we are."
"Canon... like those things ships are equipped with to shoot cannonballs out of?"
"It's a term we use to differentiate what's legit and what's not. Basically, we've screwed with it so much we're not sure how or what's gonna happen after this." Amber sighed. "But one thing is for sure."
"And that's...?"
"The moment he wakes up." Amber's eyes roved towards Louis. "He's gonna leave us, and this time, on his own accord."
"What?!" Blake shrieked, and held her side almost immediately. "Why would he?!"
"You saw what that thing is capable of." Amber pointed towards her thigh, and even if it was covered beneath white sheets, the implication made the cat faunus squirm uneasily. "And the potential harm he'll bring. He believes that even if he breaks off to do his own thing, one day, with the same goals, our paths would cross, and by that time, hopefully, your bonds stronger."
Blake's mouth open and closed, but no words came out. "T-thats... "
"With that thing now fully awakened he won't dare come near you," Amber cut off before she could make a decent sentence. "And will choose to isolate himself in solitude if it means you lot are safe. So I'd say make whatever you will of your time left together, but make it count."
"We could fix that!" Blake insisted with a hiss. "Together! As a team. Like we always had. Was this last year seriously just his way to pass time?!"
Amber's seat scraped back as she got up.
"I hope he sees things the same way that we do." Amber sighed, took one glance at the distraught cat faunus, and shook her head. "I really do, for the sake of both our parties."
She stared at the door. "It was fun conversation while it lasted Blake. Looks like our time is up."
The door slammed open.
"Friends!"
"Hey Penny." Amber smiled bitterly, knowing what's coming next. "Good news?"
"Good? I bring excellent news Friend Evans! The people of Earth have finished their preparations for Aura Transfusion."
"Aura Trans...fusion?" The cat faunus exchanged glances between the ginger haired girl and the copper skinned woman rubbing the scar across her face.
"I'm surprised they didn't procrastinate further." The maiden admitted. "Thought they'd be finished by next week."
"Every passing second is one Louis won't experience."
"Kev." She greeted with a nod as the rotund man appeared in the doorway, the rest of the group pouring into the room from behind him. "Did you fill them in?"
"I thought you wanted to round them up first?" He asked with a raised brow. "So that we don't have to explain twice?"
"Right..." Amber muttered as almost every other member in team RWBY except Blake had tensed or flinched at the sight of her, Yang lilac eyes escpecially, narrowing and eyeing her warily, flashing crimson a few times while the blonde brawler grated her teeth.
Amber motioned for everybody to sit down, and after a moment of intense glaring that could have turned into a stare down which she doesn't seem to mind or had already expected, they eventually settled down, though their shoulders remained stiff.
"So uhh, where to we start?" Amber asked as she ran a hand through her hair. "Sorry we haven't checked in on a while, we've been busy preparing."
"Preparing...?" Yang looked at Weiss, who looked just as dumbfounded. "Preparing for what?"
"Let's be honest, you're not the only one who wants to see Louis open his eyes." Kevin pointed out. "We may have found a way to... how do we say it," Kevin rotated his wrist in the air as he tried to find the correct words. "Speed his recovery up."
...
"Wait."
"Hm?"
"So this whole time, you've been ignoring us..." Yang started with a puzzled expression. "Was because...?"
Kevin looked at Amber, who looked back just as confused.
It was she who answered.
"We know you guys were pissed at us for 'killing' off your teammate, your friend, so we figured we'd leave you alone with him to cool your heads."
"You are moody teens after all." Kevin said. "You need to clear your head before you can think logically, which, given the situation, is almost impossible."
"So instead of making the approach, we stepped back and waited for you guys to approach us." Amber explained. "And right on time too, otherwise we're not sure if we could postpone our meeting any further."
Weiss blinked owlishly, echoed by Ruby, Blake and eventually, Yang.
"What did you think we left you for?" Amber questioned with a raised brow. "The rest of the boys hadn't even unlocked their Auras yet, you could possibly kill them with one misplaced punch or jab. And knowing Yang..."
"I can totally see that happening." Blake deadpanned.
"Blake! I thought you were on my side!"
"And we thought you lot were the ones mad at us for letting Louis sacrifice himself for our sakes." Weiss muttered under her breath. "If it weren't for us, he wouldn't be in this comatose state."
Amber blinked, mirrored by Kevin.
...
...
"Oh boy." The maiden smothered a laugh as she scratched his hair. "Am I glad Louis isn't awake to see this. He would laugh his ass off."
"Wait..." Ruby muttered with a voice as fragile as glass. "You're all... not mad?"
"Furious." Amber rolled his eyes. "But not at you."
"Why would we be angry at you?" Kevin asked with a raised brow. "You weren't responsible at his state. Louis decided that he wanted to do this. It was his choice and his plan to decide that he wanted to protect you. All of you." He added as his eyes met everybody in the room. "If even we can't persuade him to do otherwise, no one can."
"So you guys aren't mad at us either?" Amber scanned the faces of Team RWBY to see honest disapproval.
"Why would we be?" The heiress asked. "You explained to us that Louis died in that Arena for a reason. A reason you aren't willing to explain until he wakes up." Weiss gave an exasperated sigh. "I still don't get why that's a thing, but nevertheless, we also want to hear it come out from his mouth."
"And if he doesn't," Yang added. "We'll have Nora break his legs!"
Blake raised a curious brow.
"Nope." Ruby popped. "Not happening." Ruby stated.
"So... the reason you were ignoring us this entire time... was because..."
"Well he who desires but acts not breeds pestilence after all." Amber quoted. "So it is written. We can't just stand by and wait things out."
"So we-"
"You were playing with your scroll the entire time!" Adrian shouted.
"Dwiki is dumb as hell, so it is written as well." Amber deadpanned.
"Where?" Dwiki challenged.
"In group chat."
Dwiki sulked. "Haaaargh... Why me?"
"So instead of sulking and brooding like you lot, I was joking." Kevin held out both hands when he was met with 4 pairs of eyes with dangerous glares. "We may have come up with a way that might help Louis return to the land of the living."
"I sense a but coming." Yang said.
"But-"
"Ap, there it is."
"But," Amber resumed nevertheless. "It's... risky." She admitted with a sigh as his eyes darted to both Ruby and Blake.
When no hands were raised to question their statement and everyone in the room remained silent, she took it as a signal to continue.
"We're not going to be Ozpin here." The maiden said honestly as he raised both hands. "This is all going to be your choice, and you won't be pressured into doing it-"
"Unless you put feelings into it, to which then, we can't really do anything about it."
"Thank you for pointing out the obvious Kevin." Amber deadpanned as Blake and Ruby looked the other way.
"Just a disclaimer." Kevin shrugged.
"What do they look like to you? Customer's looking to claim their warranty?" She somehow managed to deadpan further.
"If you remembered correctly, the machine that was supposed to transfer the maiden's powers into Pyrrha transfers her Aura, the catalyst of a person's life." The portly man started explaining. "This is similar, but we modified it."
"Go on." Weiss gestured, genuinely interested.
"Instead of it being a one way street and draining, thus effectively ending the life of one to be transferred to the other, the machine now opens a channel so that Aura will flow freely. To put it simply, imagine two batteries." His fingers hovered in the air to mimic an electrical circuit. "Instead of draining a battery to power a light bulb, you have two batteries. If you put both negative to both positive ends, you get a free flowing circuit that channels electricity through them, like an infinite feedback loop, charging each other endlessly, thus keeping both people alive."
"Unfortunately..." Amber scowled as she stared at the unconscious patient. "We don't have 2 live batteries. We have a dead one, Aura wise."
"Let me guess, Louis is the dead battery." The heiress stated.
"Bingo." Amber pointed at her direction. "Basically we're going to be draining one of your Aura's, and putting it into Louis, while at the same time, absorbing some of Louis's 'Bad' Aura into one of you."
"So... why is this risky?" Yang asked with a raised brow.
"Our Aura will always regenerate as long as we get enough rest." Weiss said as she put a hand to her chin. "Which, we've all gotten at this point, so even if our Aura gets drained we'll manage to recover it given time. I personally don't see an issue."
Amber stared at Kevin as they engaged in the silent conversation as to who would draw the short end of the stick.
"This has never been done or tested before," It was the brown haired woman who explained. "So honestly we wouldn't know if there are any side effects, fallouts or whatnot." She admitted as she looked at the ground. "The donor could gain his wounds, his personality or traits, his inner demon," Everybody flinched. "Or worst case scenario, join him and be put in the same state he is in right now without a chance of ever waking up." The maiden scanned the horrified expressions worn on each face. Each point she made just seemed to kill their self-esteem even further.
"Yeah... figures." Kevin scratched his cheek. "We don't have Aura in our world, and barely have the time to understand or dissect it, so we did our best to follow Professor Pietro's guidance. Still, even he of all people won't guarantee the success of his own work, and he's the best of the best in his field."
"Knowing Louis, he would never have approved of this, and would've used ourselves as guinea pigs to test this shit out," Amber admitted with a sigh. "But the boys haven't unlocked their Aura's as of now, and doing so right now would have the opposite effect of what we're trying to achieve. I personally would donate my own, but..."
"Your body is too weak for it." Yang snarled.
"And Amber's might screw it up because she has the maiden's powers." Weiss's eyes widened. "It could fail or cause the machine to malfunction and halt immediately."
...
"You have time." Kevin said as he glanced at the clock which states the current time is just about noon. "We'll leave, so you'll have the room to yourselves." He said as the boys, along with Amber, made their way out, wheeling Louis's body with them. "Don't rush the decision, this is crucial."
"Just don't take too long." Amber muttered from outside the room.
The door clicked shut.
Shift
...
The silence was deafening.
The girls exchanged nervous glances between each other and the ground as they considered who would do it.
This was the moment they'd all been waiting for... right?
A chance to revive their teammate.
Why were they hesitating?
...
...
After a while of staring at either the ground or each other, one spoke up.
"I'll do it."
"Wha-" Weiss asked.
"Ruby?!"
"Yang he saved us." Ruby sighed as she rested her hand on his forehead, running it down to touch his cheek. "All of us. It's the least we can do."
"Then at least let me d-"
"No."
"Why not?!"
"Because if this backfires..." Ruby smiled weakly. "I don't want to lose you too."
"And you're fine with me and dad losing YOU?!" Yang's chair barreled to the other side of the room as she shot up. "You're not the only one who owes him Ruby! Don't be stupid!"
"I didn't say that!" She screamed back, matching the blond brawler's volume as she tiptoed to meet her level. "The whole team owes him! I'm just saying I would be the most suitable to do this!"
"Why?! Why out of all of us, does it have to be you?!"
"Because me and Blake saw that... that thing when we entered Louis's head!" Ruby yelled. "We know what we're up against and how to deal with it, you and Weiss don't!"
...
...
Both sister's stared each other down and let their chests rise and fall, breaths coming out so hot it was steaming as the air left their mouths.
They looked like they want nothing but to smack the other unconscious for their own sakes, being less then a meter away from each other, yet they hesitated.
After what seemed like minutes, Ruby turned to Blake.
"I know you still like him, the same way I do." Ruby said slowly, causing the faunus to look down. "And it would be very unfair and selfish of me if I didn't give you this chance and hog it all to myself." Firm silver eyes met amber orbs. "But you aren't in a state to be walking, and you're still recovering your Aura. I know you wouldn't be able to forgive yourself if we're not giving it our all, just as how he had given it his to help us."
"Idiot..."
"Wha-" Ruby looked at the source of the insult. "Weiss?"
"You're a dolt." The heiress sighed as she pinched her nose ridge. "You're making it seem like you're the only one who wants to see him open his eyes. Although I agree with your logic, it's flawed."
"Flawed... how?"
"Assuming it would work, we still have no idea what it would do to you."
"You can't be suggesting..." Ruby's mouth fell open. "Y-you want to just... leave him like this?!"
"I'm saying I don't need to lose another teammate. And I don't mean just death." Weiss scoffed as she stood up and crossed her arms. "Personality-wise, you might change, and who's gonna set Team RWBY straight and lead them? I'll do it."
"I have the biggest Aura pool." Yang pointed out as she swiped a palm across the air. "I could take whatever he has to offer. I should be the one to go and do this."
"No."
"Rubes don't be stubborn!" The brawler hissed. "You still got a long way to go, and everything to lose!"
"So my opinion doesn't matter?!" Ruby sliced her hand in the air. "Just like how you were planning to make yourself the next maiden?! Just like how you've always decided what's best for me?!"
"Of course it matters!" Her sister screamed back as her fingers curled into fists. "But I don't want to lose you too, or see dad in that state again! Can you imagine what would happen if this goes south?! Do you even know what losing you would do to us?! Do you really want me to be the one to deliver the news, just like how Qrow did with mom? Do you really want to see Dad shut down again?! Dad, Qrow, me, and all your friends at Signal. How do you think I would feel?" She took a terrifying step forward as she pointed at the door. "How do you think HE would feel?!"
Ruby's bravado cracked a little as both her eyes turned misty, but she held her ground.
"I have to do this..."
"Why?!" Yang roared. "Give me a good reason why it has to be you!"
"You don't know that thing like we do."
"Blake...?" Yang's dangerous glare averted to the cat faunus. "You can't be serious in actually saying Ruby should-"
"I would've offered myself for this." Blake said honestly. "I'm the only one in this team with a lot to atone for. But... she's right. Both you and Weiss don't have the capabilities and the knowledge to face that thing, and even though you guys wouldn't blame me for it, I would've just blamed myself over and over if this doesn't work."
"Then just tell us how!" Yang's hands shot up in the air as she forced her anger down from almost ripping her locks out.
"Saying it and doing it are two different things Yang." The faunus sighed exasperatedly as she pinched her nose ridge. "The fear from just the sight of it would paralyze you. It's flames will consume you where you stand."
"See this?" Blake took off the sheets, revealing herself garbed with only a simple green hospital gown, and lifted it to reveal her thighs.
A black spot emblazoned itself on it, almost like a birth mark, but more charred.
"This is just from it barely touching me." The faunus explained. "What do you think it'll do now that it's out to kill?"
Yang made to complain and opened her mouth, but something latched onto her core.
"Yang..."
The brawler's hardened gaze met silver eyes from over her shoulders.
"It'll work." The small reaper reassured as she hugged the brawler from behind. "Trust me. Trust in me, even though it's difficult, not knowing if it'll work or not, just believe I could pull this off. I've made bad calls as a leader, and not listening to him is one of them. Just this once." The brawler could feel her sister sniffling into her back.
"Please... Let me do this." She begged.
Yang's crimson eyes tracked her sister, along with Blake, then Weiss.
...
She sighed.
"I'm gonna regret this..."
Shift
"I take it you all have settled on a conclusion?" Kevin asked from above the platform, with the rest of the men busy doing something else in the left tube.
"We have." It was the heiress who answered, taking her hands off the wheelchair that the cat faunus occupied, and parted with the others to let their leader step forward.
"Alright then." The rotund man sighed as he pressed a button on what seemed to be, a cuboid switch. "I speak for the boys when I say we apologize we couldn't do more."
"It's okay." The small leader muttered with a watery smile. "You did more than you think."
Gears and cogs whirred as the platform descended from a 4 pulley system, each placed on each foundation, secured by steel chains.
As it barely reached eye level, the girls finally got a peek at the fruit of the men's labor, the thing that had been keeping them busy for the past week.
There wasn't much visible difference between what Pyrhha had described with her encounter with Ozpin, but what was noticeable was a few extra tubes and wires sticking out on top and the sides connecting the two cylindrical tubes together.
One contained Louis's body, covered to their best attempts which ended up with him looking mummified in white towels.
The sight of it caused Team RWBY to look away, unwittingly reminding them of what will happen should they fail.
The whirring stopped as it reached ground level with a shrill screeching of brakes that slowed their descent, while Kevin hopped off the platform to press another button on the yellow control box.
The glass door on the other steel chamber popped open, hissing and groaning as the door swung outwards and up to allow another passenger in.
"Are you sure this is safe?" Yang raised her brow.
"Nope." Amber popped as she and the rest of the boys stood by their sides. "But it's all we have."
Ruby's shoulder's stiffened at the sight of their male teammate as she inhaled a long, sharp breath in an attempt to calm herself.
"Whenever you're ready." Kevin said.
Giving her team a tight hug, she whispered her thanks for the support, with Yang being the hardest one to let go as she engulfed her sister in a tight embrace.
"Come back... you got that?" Yang whispered in her ear, getting the small reaper to return it with a slight nod.
Ruby crawled weakly into the chamber, eyes darting around in equal parts awe and fear as the glass hatch clicked and locked itself shut.
"Okay..." Kevin muttered under his breath. "Here goes nothing..."
The tubes lit up with an eerie burgundy glow.
Sparks flew.
Electricity crackled to life as voltage arced across the two tubes, charging them up.
Ruby's POV
This is...
Terrifying.
Cramped.
I don't know what's going to happen.
What's going to happen?
I'm hyperventilating.
I need to calm down...
Calm...
It's hard to breathe...
The sight of my team being there for me is supposed to be comforting, but it's not.
Yang gave her a shaky thumbs up as she did her best to smile.
Then...
Nothing but sharp pain permeated my body.
Shift
"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"
"What's going on?!" Yang screamed as she looked towards Amber for an explanation. "Stop the machine! Now!"
"I don't know!" Kevin claimed with a horrified expression. "It's supposed to be painless!"
"RUBY!"
Ruby's POV
Pain...
Anger...
Hate...
Rage...
So much pain...
Eclipsed by Rage and Hate...
...
But if it's for him...
I'll...
I'll take it.
I saw Yang lunge and extended her arm towards me.
Shift
"Let... me... GO!" Yang roared as she tried to yank the iron grip the maiden had on her. "You're killing her!"
"And if you come into contact with them you'll kill them BOTH!"
"W-what...?" Yang muttered as tears poured out of her crimson eyes, breaths hissing out of her teeth.
"YAAAAAAAARRAAAAAAAAH!"
Her knees buckled as she fell on her hands, looking helplessly as her sister writhed around in pain.
"I'm sorry." Amber closed her eyes. "We can't interfere... even if we want to."
"No..." Both hands rose to Blake's mouth.
"Grh..." Weiss grit her teeth as she let Myrtenaster fall to her side, not even aware that she lifted it up till the last moment.
Ruby's POV
"Louis..." Ruby muttered through grit teeth as specs of what seemed to be scars grazed the palms of her hands.
Despite the pain spreading equally across her body, she retained her will to see her friend well and alive.
"Reaper Reaper..."
A voice...?
Where is it coming from...? Ruby's silver eyes popped open as she looked around the chamber, but it was only herself present. The wolf...?
No, the wolf's voice was gruff. Male.
This was... different.
Feminine.
It was calling out to me. It's light and sweet like honey. It purred as it caressed my ears.
"That's what people call me..." It continued, growing louder and in better clarity, becoming clearer than the thoughts of pain itself. "Why? Cause they all..."
...
"D I E . . ."
I gulped in desperately for air to somehow distract me from the overwhelming pain.
Then, I got my distraction... as darkness overtook me, and I felt nothing.
A/N
Nothing much to say here, still feeling a little down for all the people who's lost so much. Next Chapter should hopefully be Tuesday as usual.
Reviewer Sessions
paradox0.5white: Yeah I'm trying not to do that too often, just drags out the chapter like crazy. Lesson learned.
DankAnon: First, Evans wishes his thanks. That... might work for a gamer fic, which this is, unfortunately, not. I would keep tabs on the idea though, in case I do choose to make one, no promises. Yeah man, Evans is that side character people like more than the main, like Captain Levi on AOT.
Pazxxer: Seems like it... Man, wonder how that would go.
Lord Demolitions: Considering we died last time when Adrian is driving, that's less likely. Besides, this fic doesn't start off with "My name is Alice..."
Guest: Oooh, that's an idea I might use.
Anonymous 1987: Glad to have you along for the ride up to this point, and thank you for reading my fic. I hope you find another that suits your needs.