Interlude

(I've never written an interlude before! Coolness! I know it is kind of dark but bare with me here. I'm going through some serious depression right now. Oh, and Stanton is kind of super mean to Serena in this, but it's for a reason so DON'T FLAME ME!)

Serena sat opposite from Stanton, her back perched against the shadowy walls. Her knees were clutched tightly to her chest, dampness clinging to her eyes where tears had streamed until she was incapable of crying any longer. It was a dull, dark morning now, as was every morning in Nefandus, but the episode of the night before still remained freshly scorched in her soul. She held her knees even closer. It seemed that as the days progressed, life became more difficult. By the time that all of this was over, she wasn't sure if she would have any strength left to go on. She averted her eyes sideways without craning her neck to catch Stanton staring at her intently. Disheveled blonde hair fell over his azure eyes, wild and un- groomed. He sat on the bed, his arms resting on his legs as he stared down to peer at her.

"Will you stop that?" she breathed, hardly a whisper. "It's suffocating".

He nodded and reluctantly transfixed his attentions to a painting across the room. She had only told him this fifty times, but he refused to listen, triggering her annoyance. They sat in an agonizing silence for a while longer. Taking a deep breath, she decided to ask him the question that had been eating at the back of her mind since the moment she had returned

"Where did they take them?" she inquired. After Michael had died, regulators had come to claim his body and an opposing Vanessa went with them.

"I'm not sure"

"Is Vanessa alright?"

A long pause. "Not sure".

"You're not sure about a damn thing are you?"

He turned to give her a cynical scowl. "Serena, if I knew, believe me, I would tell you".

"You didn't tell me about the fusion".

He froze at this and then winced a bit as if taken back. "I didn't have the time-"

"Neither do we, Stanton", she stood from her spot on the ground to face him. "Neither do we. If I can't find Vanessa in time…" She trailed off, unable to finish.

"You know what I don't understand?" he asked, pulling up from the mattress. "I don't understand how you can be so sure. Do you even know what you're getting yourselves into?"

"We're trying to save the world".

"Save the world?" Despite the sorrowful look in his eyes, he cackled, mirthless and void of emotion. She took a step back, surprised at the sudden cruelty in his laughter. "Just who the hell do you think you are?"

Serena crossed her arms nervously. "A Goddess. A daughter of the moon"

He snarled. "You don't sound so sure"

"Stanton", she scolded. "Why are you saying this? Why are you doing this to me?"

"Because", he started. "You're not Batman or Superwoman. You don't live in a fantasy world where good is good and bad is bad. Where evil falls and you are forever triumphant". He took her arm to reveal a long, red wound she had developed while cutting through the thrashing crowds. "You're flesh and blood. You laugh. Cry. You bleed".

"Stanton, you're scaring me".

"Think about it, Serena. Alright, so you grab a knife. A gun. Whatever. You off yourselves. Then what?"

Her breath caught in her chest. She had never stopped to think about what would happen after she made the sacrifice.

"Will Selene just magically transport her daughters down to Earth? Oh, wait. That's right. The Atrox is manipulating her powers".

"Stanton…"

"And suppose she did manage. I guess they'll just suddenly appear and kick the Cincti's ass. I mean you were one hell of a fast learner, right?"

Serena flinched at his sarcasm.

"But on second thought, they're probably all chained up somewhere".

"Stop!" she roared, pressing her palms against her ears.

"It's not as if they'd have a mentor anyway".

Serena dropped her arms to her sides to stare at him in utter disbelief. "How could you?"

"Face it, Serena. Jimena's gone".

"Stanton"

"She's dead".

"No"

"I need you to be strong".

"Stop!"

"For you"

"No!"

"And me"

"Stop!"

"Because we don't have anyone else".

"God!"

"We're alone now"

"Shut up!" she roared, heaving the cologne bottle she had bought for him across the room. She trembled as it shattered over the walls and reverberated through out the atmosphere. "Just stop it! STOP IT!"

Regardless of her wild outburst, Stanton remained unfazed. He only stared at her remorsefully.

"Fine", he whispered, his tone bitter. "You can play fairy tale if you want. The daughters sacrifice themselves to make way for the Atrox's rule in order to protect the greater good. Only to discover that there was none. But it'll be too late. How fitting". He stared down wistfully at a whimpering Serena. "The perfect end for the "perfect" beginning".

Serena nodded, strangely understanding where he was coming from. She looked up, her teary eyes determined. "There won't be a beginning".

Er… okay, I was in some kind of mood when I wrote this. I was in detention for some crazy shit and I was in the "don't fuck with me" mood. Plus I'm depressed so… yeah. I hardly understand this stuff myself… but I didn't spend detention writing away for nothing. So er… DEAL! Lol O.o I'll have something better next time.