PART 8
ONE FINAL SHOT
Wolfwood moved slowly. He kept as focused as he possibly could. The sand crunched beneath his feet. His heart pounded hard enough to burst from his chest, and he was more than a little afraid the loudness of its beating would alert Alex to his presence before he was ready. His heart beat so hard, he could feel the veins pulsing in his neck.
He waited for something to happen. He muttered silently to himself, praying for some divine intervention to end this before anyone else was hurt.
As if his prayers had somehow been answered, he saw the dark figure of Alex dart from behind some rocks up ahead of him and dash behind the corner of the church's outer wall. Wolfwood managed to keep a steady hand. He only had one shot with this gun, and he could not afford to waste it until he was certain. He pressed his back against the wall and slowly edged, one foot coming up alongside the other before it would move. He held his breath, trying not to make a sound. From head to toe he trembled, his body unable to stay still. A huge lump was building in his throat, but he held back the tears. Here he was now, right next to the corner. All he had to do was move around the edge and finish it. He closed his eyes tight, forced his body to be still, forced his aim to be true, and leapt out into the open....
And faced nothing but sand and the church wall. Alex had vanished from sight. Wolfwood cursed, his body going limp as some of the tension lifted. He started to turn, and walked straight into the metal fast that had been waiting for him.
He was knocked to the ground, blood pouring from his mouth. Alex grabbed him, the metal claws ripping through the cloth of Wolfwood's shirt as he hauled him to his feet. He threw him back against the wall and punched him hard in the face, again, and again, and again, and again. Wolfwood lost count of the blows, his mind unable to keep a thought as his neck whipped back with the force of each punch. When the flurry of blows finally stopped, Wolfwood's face was shattered. He felt a small, hard object rolling around under his tongue, certain it was a tooth. Blood had soaked his collar, and more still came from his nose and lips. Alex switched his grip, trading his bare hand for the claw. He leveled the tip of those monster fingers at Wolfwood's eyes, ready to pierce through the eyeballs in a flood of liquid crimson and then push all the way through to the brain that lay somewhere in the skull.
"Leave him alone!" Millie's shrill cry alerted him, and he dropped to the ground, rolled along the sand, and was up on his feet in front of her faster than she could blink. He tore her stun gun from her hands, threw it aside, and grasped her neck with his bare hand.
"That's enough out of you!" he screamed, raising the claw high. Merryl and Vash, both now just coming around the side of the building, saw what was going to happen, forced themselves to move faster than they ever had before to raise their weapons...
Nichoals P. Wolfwood, 7 years of age, started down at the dead body of his mother. The tears blurred his vision, his hands trembling with rage and mourning. He collapsed onto her knees next to her, placed her cold hand against his face, hoping her fingers would ruffle his hair the way they always did.
"You could have stopped it..." Alex said between his teeth. Nicholas looked up at him through the tears.
"Alex, please..."
"Shut up! Shut up shut up shut up!" Alex screamed. He launched himself into Nicholas, they rolled along the ground, Alex's small fists beating on Nicholas' body. When they finally separated, Alex stared down angrily at Nicholas. "Whatever it takes Nicholas, I'm gonna punish you for it!" he growled, and with that he stomped his feet, spun around, and walked away.
"Alex!" Nicholas cried. But the cries fell on deaf ears, for Alex was no longer who he had once been...
They all stood, frozen. The gunshot had gone off, but it took them all a moment to realize just who had fired it. All eyes turned to Wolfwood, who stood, smoking derringer in his hand. If Alex was hit, he failed to show it. He stood, struggling for something to say.
Finally, he opened his mouth, but all that came was a hoarse croak. He tried again, making an even worse noise this time. Realization and horror all dawned in his eyes, and his breathing became fast and panicked. He reached up and tugged at his collar. Warm blood squirted from the wound in his neck, some of it splashing on Millie's face.
He released Millie, and turned stiffly to face Wolfwood. His eyes bulged beneath the hood, and he struggled to speak through his pierced throat.
"Nicholasss....you actually ssshot meee..." he remained standing for a only a moment before he collapsed, his body simply giving way under the weight of what was happening. Wolfwood dropped the derringer from his hand, and dashed over to the fallen demon's side. He tore the remaining claw from Alex's hand and tossed it aside. The metal limb twitched on the ground for a moment, and then was still.
"Alex!" Wolfwood said, the tears pouring freely now, "I didn't want to! I'm sorry!"
"It'sss so cold..." Alex hissed before coughing up a gout of blood. It splashed onto his chest, and onto their clutched hands. Vash, Merryl., and Millie all moved closer to try to see what was happening.
"Alex, please, say its all right, say you forgive me, please!" Wolfwood shouted down at him. Alex's hand tightened on his own.
"Nicholasss...I can see her..." at this Wolfwood's eyes widened.
"Are you sure?"
"I can see her face...she's so beautiful..." Alex took a single, trembling breath, and moved no more. Wolfwood clutched his hand, the sobs pouring from him now as water pours from the waterfall.
"Alex..." he whispered, and pulled the hood away from the dead man's face.
Wolfwood moved slowly. He kept as focused as he possibly could. The sand crunched beneath his feet. His heart pounded hard enough to burst from his chest, and he was more than a little afraid the loudness of its beating would alert Alex to his presence before he was ready. His heart beat so hard, he could feel the veins pulsing in his neck.
He waited for something to happen. He muttered silently to himself, praying for some divine intervention to end this before anyone else was hurt.
As if his prayers had somehow been answered, he saw the dark figure of Alex dart from behind some rocks up ahead of him and dash behind the corner of the church's outer wall. Wolfwood managed to keep a steady hand. He only had one shot with this gun, and he could not afford to waste it until he was certain. He pressed his back against the wall and slowly edged, one foot coming up alongside the other before it would move. He held his breath, trying not to make a sound. From head to toe he trembled, his body unable to stay still. A huge lump was building in his throat, but he held back the tears. Here he was now, right next to the corner. All he had to do was move around the edge and finish it. He closed his eyes tight, forced his body to be still, forced his aim to be true, and leapt out into the open....
And faced nothing but sand and the church wall. Alex had vanished from sight. Wolfwood cursed, his body going limp as some of the tension lifted. He started to turn, and walked straight into the metal fast that had been waiting for him.
He was knocked to the ground, blood pouring from his mouth. Alex grabbed him, the metal claws ripping through the cloth of Wolfwood's shirt as he hauled him to his feet. He threw him back against the wall and punched him hard in the face, again, and again, and again, and again. Wolfwood lost count of the blows, his mind unable to keep a thought as his neck whipped back with the force of each punch. When the flurry of blows finally stopped, Wolfwood's face was shattered. He felt a small, hard object rolling around under his tongue, certain it was a tooth. Blood had soaked his collar, and more still came from his nose and lips. Alex switched his grip, trading his bare hand for the claw. He leveled the tip of those monster fingers at Wolfwood's eyes, ready to pierce through the eyeballs in a flood of liquid crimson and then push all the way through to the brain that lay somewhere in the skull.
"Leave him alone!" Millie's shrill cry alerted him, and he dropped to the ground, rolled along the sand, and was up on his feet in front of her faster than she could blink. He tore her stun gun from her hands, threw it aside, and grasped her neck with his bare hand.
"That's enough out of you!" he screamed, raising the claw high. Merryl and Vash, both now just coming around the side of the building, saw what was going to happen, forced themselves to move faster than they ever had before to raise their weapons...
Nichoals P. Wolfwood, 7 years of age, started down at the dead body of his mother. The tears blurred his vision, his hands trembling with rage and mourning. He collapsed onto her knees next to her, placed her cold hand against his face, hoping her fingers would ruffle his hair the way they always did.
"You could have stopped it..." Alex said between his teeth. Nicholas looked up at him through the tears.
"Alex, please..."
"Shut up! Shut up shut up shut up!" Alex screamed. He launched himself into Nicholas, they rolled along the ground, Alex's small fists beating on Nicholas' body. When they finally separated, Alex stared down angrily at Nicholas. "Whatever it takes Nicholas, I'm gonna punish you for it!" he growled, and with that he stomped his feet, spun around, and walked away.
"Alex!" Nicholas cried. But the cries fell on deaf ears, for Alex was no longer who he had once been...
They all stood, frozen. The gunshot had gone off, but it took them all a moment to realize just who had fired it. All eyes turned to Wolfwood, who stood, smoking derringer in his hand. If Alex was hit, he failed to show it. He stood, struggling for something to say.
Finally, he opened his mouth, but all that came was a hoarse croak. He tried again, making an even worse noise this time. Realization and horror all dawned in his eyes, and his breathing became fast and panicked. He reached up and tugged at his collar. Warm blood squirted from the wound in his neck, some of it splashing on Millie's face.
He released Millie, and turned stiffly to face Wolfwood. His eyes bulged beneath the hood, and he struggled to speak through his pierced throat.
"Nicholasss....you actually ssshot meee..." he remained standing for a only a moment before he collapsed, his body simply giving way under the weight of what was happening. Wolfwood dropped the derringer from his hand, and dashed over to the fallen demon's side. He tore the remaining claw from Alex's hand and tossed it aside. The metal limb twitched on the ground for a moment, and then was still.
"Alex!" Wolfwood said, the tears pouring freely now, "I didn't want to! I'm sorry!"
"It'sss so cold..." Alex hissed before coughing up a gout of blood. It splashed onto his chest, and onto their clutched hands. Vash, Merryl., and Millie all moved closer to try to see what was happening.
"Alex, please, say its all right, say you forgive me, please!" Wolfwood shouted down at him. Alex's hand tightened on his own.
"Nicholasss...I can see her..." at this Wolfwood's eyes widened.
"Are you sure?"
"I can see her face...she's so beautiful..." Alex took a single, trembling breath, and moved no more. Wolfwood clutched his hand, the sobs pouring from him now as water pours from the waterfall.
"Alex..." he whispered, and pulled the hood away from the dead man's face.