Let me just start out by saying that, for those who review, I thank you very much. Your kind words make me feel happy.
Also, I saw the new episode of Loonatics: Unleashed today, and it was a very interesting episode. The time jokes were kind of...weird, but whatever. I loved Tech's expressions in the episode.
But anyway, here's chapter 4. Enjoy!
Feeling a strange presence, Ace quickly ducked as something flew over his head. He then jumped when something swung at his feet and tried to knock him down. The sound of footsteps behind him echoed clearly in his ears. Dodging to his side, he swiftly turned, grabbing his opponent's arm and spinning it around to block another blow from the one he was previously fighting.
Pushing the opponents away from him, the rabbit reached into his belt and pulled out his extending sword, using it to protect his face as one of his opponents attempted a blow at him. Pushing the other away, he gripped the sword's handle tighter. Suddenly he felt searing heat emanating from the blade. Swinging it at the presence in front of him, he pushed the blade into the hard surface, cutting it clean in half.
He then jumped up as his second opponent took a punch at him. Landing on the extended arm, Ace used it as a leverage to jump up even higher. Holding the sword above his head, he quickly brought it down, pushing the tip of the blade into the top of the opponent until only the hilt of the sword remained. Pulling the sword out, he then jumped back as the robot exploded.
Ace coughed as the strong smell of smoke filled the room. "Tech…" he said.
"I got it," he heard the scientist's voice reply. Soon the loud buzz of fans reached his ears as the smoke faded from his senses.
"Better?" the coyote asked.
"Much."
The door hummed open and footsteps slowly approached the rabbit. He turned to face the direction where the sounds originated from.
"Well, your senses certainly are improving," Tech commented, impressed. "At least better than yesterday."
"Yeah, that robot really kicked my butt."
"But you destroyed it…and these…And now I have to make more…" the coyote added, sounding a bit annoyed.
Ace grinned sheepishly. "Sorry…"
"Sure…anyway, turn that thing off for now. This could take a while."
Nodding slightly, the rabbit gripped the handle of his sword. As soon as he felt the heat subsided and heard the blade retract into the hilt, he put it away. "You really think that that's going to be enough to beat the metacs?"
"It should be. It gives off the same degree of heat that destroyed their physical forms before. As long as the handle isn't destroyed it should be fine."
"Hmm…" Ace said. "Don't you think I should be training against more than one or two robots at a time? I mean, with all the metacs out there…and I seriously doubt they'll attack me one-on-one."
"You have to take these things slow, Chief," Tech replied. To Ace, the other sounded a little distant and his voice seemed to be focused downwards. He guessed that the coyote was bending down by one of the robots. "Sending a hundred robots at you all at once won't really help you much."
"But we don't have a lot of time!" the rabbit argued. "I'm surprised it's been this long! Who knows when they'll be back, and I won't be prepared enough to stop them!"
"I know Ace, but you can't just rush into these things. And as long as we have the time now, we should make the most of it. Just jumping into things without the proper preparation won't be of much help either. So instead of wasting time arguing with me, you could be training some of your senses while I'm fixing this, couldn't you?"
"Yeah…I guess…" the rabbit mumbled.
"So…go do that, and I'll let you know when I'm done. Okay?"
Ace sighed softly. It had only been a few days since he had lost his sight after his encounter with the metacs, but he felt that his senses were fine the way they were. What he really wanted to focus on was using those senses to help him fight. Unfortunately, with the way Tech was behaving now, he decided it was best not to argue with the other.
During the past few days, the rabbit was able to sense some changes occurring with the three remaining others. The changes weren't necessarily bad, really, given the present circumstance.
With Tech, Ace noticed the coyote taking on a certain air of…authority. It was odd actually. The scientist had never really been that assertive about things unless it came to his inventions or science, developing a logical plan or idea that was needed for whatever they were doing. But now the coyote often instructed them on what to do and sometimes how to do it. With everything that Ace was able to do, he was often confronted with advice from the coyote about what would be the best choice of action and the best way to carry out that action. Not to say that Tech was getting bossy – that was entirely far from the truth – but rather he was taking charge of maintaining how things were done around the tower.
He wouldn't say that Tech was out for his position as leader. He was more of acting like a concerned parental figure, guiding them to do things that would be overall beneficial towards them.
Ace felt that it was probably because a part of the coyote still took the blame for a lot of what has happened. But, unwilling to bring up the topic himself, he was unable to convince the coyote otherwise.
But he certainly understood how Tech felt. He still often blamed himself as well.
The rabbit suddenly heard a sharp clang followed by a quick intake of breath. "Are you okay?" he asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine…" the scientist replied. He suddenly laughed softly. "I've done this a thousand times, it shouldn't be so hard…"
"I'm sure it's different with only one hand though. Why don't you get Slam or Duck to help you?"
"Well, I think they went off patrolling again."
"Oh…"
It was probably Danger's change that surprised Ace the most. Though he knew the mallard meant well, it did annoy him at times when Danger made it too-perfectly clear how much he wanted to be the leader. He could never really understand why, other than that Danger just really wanted the attention. But he had put up with it because the show-off was a member of the team, and his opinions, though not often taken too seriously to be honest, had a right to be heard.
When Ace had lost his eyesight, he had been fully expecting Danger to start insisting to be named leader since he was incapable of seeing or using his powers. He was caught completely off guard when the duck, not only avoiding his initial presumption, also always consulted either himself or Tech before performing any real action. He could never really recall a time when Danger ever listened to him with no questions asked, let alone Tech. And he seemed to go out of his way to help them, insisting that they ask for his assistance if they so needed it.
Was it a combination of the genuine want to help them because they were crippled – so to speak – as well as a portion of fear realizing his own mortality that drove Danger to this change? Ace wasn't sure, and he didn't quite know what to make of it. All he could do was appreciate the help he received from the mallard.
As for Slam, the change he went through wasn't necessarily bad. However, the rabbit was a bit worried. If asked, he would have had to say that among the team, it was Slam that had the best-rounded personality. Always willing to have fun and joke around with him and Rev, but truly serious when it counted. Never one to miss an opportunity to poke some fun at Danger, the devil always knew the limits based on his sense of what was right and fair. And he was always ready to help Danger, and everyone else, when they needed him. Slam's incredible strength and large build gave many people the impression that he was rather frightening, maybe even mean, but Ace knew of the truly gentle and forgiving heart that beat within the powerhouse. That was how he had come to understand Slam over the six years on the same team.
In those short few days, however, the devil seemed to take on a more somber air. The little that Slam used to say was replaced by even less words. If spoken to, the other would only respond with a few small grunts or grumbles, even just simple silence (Ace assumed it signified a nod or shake of the head). The rabbit found it rather disheartening that much of the communication between him and the other was no longer present.
Slam was still helpful, that much was certain. And Ace didn't have to worry about the strength of their friendship. It just felt different was all. The Slam he had come to know over the years was no longer the same person he was before.
The sting of reality had left its painful mark on them, changing them in ways that were easy for Ace to detect even with the hindrance of blindness. The feel surrounding them had altered due to the death of their friends as their own times were pending. The same instances had affected them so differently, leaving him wishing there was more that he could do for them.
He heard Tech suddenly sigh softly. "What's up?" he asked.
"I'm just a little worried," the scientist answered. "We still haven't heard from Zadavia yet. It's already been days since she was supposed to call."
Ace frowned deeply, folding his arms across his torso. "Do you think…maybe something happened to her?"
"I don't know…I really hope not, but…it's always possible."
"Do you suppose…maybe the metacs…?"
"No. If Zadavia had taken the people out of Acmetropolis, the metacs wouldn't have been able to go after her."
"Why not? You've never told me why we're still here, or how you can be certain that the metacs don't leave the city."
Tech was silent for a moment. Finally, he said softly, "Zadavia's satellites had picked up strange energy patterns coming from the metacs…"
The rabbit frowned again. "What kind of energy patterns?"
"We weren't sure. But that pattern made them easy to track. While we were evacuating the people, we kept a watch for the metacs and found that they settled under central Acmetropolis."
"Under? You mean underground?"
"Yes. And we weren't sure why. But we talked about it, and we decided that we wanted to keep them here for as long as possible."
"How were you going to do that?"
"Well, because the metacs generally hate heat, I built a heat shield to keep them here. The shield extends far underground as well, so they won't be able to pass through that way. But there were problems…"
There was always a catch somewhere. And judging by the other's tone, Ace knew this would be really bad. "Like what?" he managed to ask.
"Well…obviously a shield is going to prevent anything inside from getting out…"
That was the whole point, wasn't it? So he wasn't entirely sure why that was a problem. At least until he thought about it a little more. "We're not…on the inside of the shield…are we?"
The coyote was silent again. Then he answered softly, "Maybe…"
Ace wasn't sure what was most surprising: The idea of being the only ones in Acmetropolis with the metacs, or the idea of being the only ones in Acmetropolis with the metacs and no way out. "Why would you…?" he began to ask.
"The metacs had eaten almost everything in Acmetropolis," Tech said, cutting him off in mid-question. "Including the Acmetropolis Institute, the communications center, or anywhere else I could have gotten material to create anything, including the heat shield. Then there was the option of getting the equipment from another city, but we didn't want to risk wasting that time waiting, in case the metacs decided to resurface. The only place left that had the materials was in the one place the metacs hadn't destroyed…"
He picked up on the implication quickly. "Here…" he said, "in the tower…"
"Right," the scientist replied. "But as you mentioned earlier, there are difficulties working with only one hand. With my current limitations, I couldn't build a transportable shield."
"So what? Are we stuck in the tower?"
"Well no. We're only stuck in Acmetropolis. The shield just originates from the tower. However, because of my hand, and that it had to be built within the tower's technological mainframe, I had to build it manually. As such, someone had to be here to start it up."
Ace bit his tongue slightly before sighting. No matter what, building the shield meant that someone had to stay in order to activate it. After that, the person wouldn't have been able to leave Acmetropolis at all.
"Since I was the one building it," he heard the other Loonatic say, "I obviously had to stay behind to trigger it. But Duck and Slam said they'd stay here, no matter how much I tried to convince them to go with Zadavia and the others."
He had expected that from Slam. But with Danger it was a little more surprising. Not totally, but a little. Still, he was glad that they had offered to stay with the scientist despite the obvious dangers it entitled. It was really beginning to seem like a suicide mission.
"Then…" he heard the coyote speak up again, "there was the issue with you…At first, we thought of placing you on the carrier ship with Zadavia, but we thought that…"
"There is no way I'd go off and leave the three of you trapped here!" Ace exclaimed.
"…you'd say something like that…" Tech concluded before sighing softly. "I really thought you should have gone with Zadavia…"
"No way!" the rabbit protested. "You think I'd like playing it safe knowing that the three of you were stuck here with those metallic freaks?"
"We really should have left you with her while you were sleeping…" he heard Tech mumble.
"Hey! You three are risking your lives here! It wouldn't be fair if I wasn't doing the same!"
"There's more to this situation than playing fair, Ace!" the coyote said, his voice and presence a lot closer than before. "Maybe if you had gone off with Zadavia, you could have had better training to prepare you for the metacs!"
"What's the big deal? They're trapped in Acmetropolis, right? If I had left, it wouldn't have been an issue for me to fight them."
He heard Tech give an exaggerated sigh. "I don't think you're really getting it…" the scientist said softly. "The fact that the shield originates here in the tower is the biggest problem. We've been lucky so far, but it won't last forever."
The leader frowned deeply. "What do you mean?"
"Well…" Tech began hesitantly. But he was interrupted by the sudden piercing wail of a siren echoing around them.
Somehow amidst the deafening cry of the alarm, Ace was able to make out the electrical buzz of the door opening. "We got a huge problem!" he heard Danger say.
"The metacs?" Tech asked.
"Yeah! Not only are they back, but they've already started attacking the tower!"
The alarm was suddenly cut off, only to be replaced by a low rumble as the ground began to tremble. Though he somehow managed to keep his balance, the rabbit heard the sound of two bodies hit the floor.
"Are you guys okay?" Ace asked when the room was finally still.
"Fine…" the mallard responded, though sounded very sarcastic.
The coyote simply groaned. Not answering the leader, he instead said, "What happened, Duck? You and Slam were looking around the city, weren't you? Why didn't you let us know?"
"I was going to, but they attacked us by surprise! My communicator was destroyed!"
Something then dawned on Ace. "Duck…" he said slowly, "where's Slam?"
The silence that followed rattled in his ears, and he felt a horrible knot in his stomach. "I didn't see them coming up behind me…." he heard the mallard say then.
"Did he use his powers?" Ace asked softly. He had to know, no matter how painful it would be.
But surprisingly, Danger answered, "No…"
"No?" Ace repeated, confusion sweeping over him. If Slam hadn't used his powers and died, why did the mallard seem so somber? "Then what happened to him? Where is he?"
"He's gone…" Tech suddenly said softly. "He's not coming back…"
Silence fell over the three, and he could sense the waves of sadness rising from the other two. And he knew he should have been upset as well. He would have been if he hadn't been so confused.
"That doesn't make any sense!" Ace shot. Memories of the metacs' initial attack came back and created more questions. "The metacs don't kill people! Not like that! When they were eating the city that first day they came, they weren't going after people! What happened?"
Before he could receive an answer, the floor beneath them gave a violent jerk, throwing him – and the other two he suspected – to the ground. He felt as though he was sliding downwards, and suddenly he felt his back hit a wall.
"They're beginning to eat at the tower…" Tech said softly.
"What do we do?" Danger asked, his tone surprisingly calm for the situation they were in.
Ace then became aware of the unusual quiet around them. That normally never really meant anything good, but he sensed the solemnity that surrounded the other two. He knew that there was something that they just weren't telling him.
Suddenly the ground underneath him began to rumble. As he felt as though the floor was beginning to tip again, a hand grasped his wrist and helped him up. "C'mon!" he heard Danger say.
He was pulled along when the shorter presence in front of him broking into a run. Where they were going, he could only guess. But something wasn't right. He could hear the footsteps in front of him as well as his own while he was being led along. That was the sound of two people running. Where was the third?
The rabbit gasped when the figure in front of him abruptly stopped. Nearly knocking into the other, he had little time to recover before the mechanical door slid open and he was pulled inside.
The hand then released his wrist and the presence distanced itself from him. Having little time to wonder what was going on, he felt the presence return and place something in his hands. "Put this on," he heard the mallard say.
Frowning a little, Ace carefully felt the object he held. His fingers quickly slid over the smooth surface of the top of what felt like a small dome. Continuing to feel over it, he was surprised when the material seemed to change and thin out slightly. It seemed that if he pushed hard enough, it would break through, much like glass. As his hand neared the bottom, he felt the large opening. It took a few seconds until he realized what the round object was. "A helmet?" he asked, slightly surprised.
"Yeah," the duck replied, his voice sounding a little muffled. Had the other put a helmet on too? "Put it on so we can go!"
"Go?" Ace repeated, holding the helmet in one hand. "Go where? And what about Tech? What's going on?"
The ground suddenly rumbled, causing the rabbit to lurch forward. He would have fallen over had he not been stopped by the object in front of him. As he quickly felt it with his free hand, however, while steadying his balance, he found that he couldn't really recognize it.
"There's no time to explain!" he heard Danger exclaim. "Just put on the helmet and get on the jet bike!"
Jet bike? Was that the item that rested in front of him? But the urgency in the other hero's voice left him no time to dwell on the matter. Quickly putting on the helmet, Ace then had to feel his way on top of the bike, making sure he was sitting on it properly.
He heard the deep rumble and hiss of heavy movement several feet away, and as it faded he could smell the air and dust from outside. He moved back a bit when he felt the mallard's body sit in front of him.
"Hold on…" Danger said loudly as he started the bike's jets. Frowning a little, Ace placed his hands on the other's shoulders as he felt themselves slowly lifting off the ground before speeding straight ahead.
The air quickly whipped around him, and Ace knew they were no longer in the tower. He was suddenly startled by a loud clang behind him, sounding as though metal was collapsing into itself.
"The metacs are all heading for the tower…" he heard Danger mumble. "Just like he said they would…"
"What?" Ace asked. "Why are they heading to the tower?"
"Well, other than it being one of the few things left for them to eat," the duck replied loudly, attempting to be heard over the roar of the winds and jets, "Tech said that they can feel along the walls of the heat barrier. If they want to get out, they'd have to destroy the point where it comes from. So he said they'll follow it right back…"
"To the tower…" Ace finished slowly, the weight of the words hitting him full force.
"Ow, hey!" Danger said. "Be careful! I need those shoulders, y'know!"
Realizing what he had done, the rabbit relaxed his grasp slightly so it wouldn't be painful for the other. "Duck, we gotta go back!" he said.
"We can't go back!" the other retorted. "All the metacs are going there to destroy the place!"
"That's just it! Tech is still back at the tower, isn't he? We gotta go back for him!"
"We can't!" the duck insisted.
"What do you mean we can't! Why not!"
"Because…I need to stick to the plan!"
The statement caught Ace off guard. "Plan? What plan?"
For a moment, he was answered with nothing but the jets. Then he heard the duck sigh softly. "Look…" the other then said, "the reason you were at the tower with us was because that's what Zadavia told us to do."
"What?" Ace asked. "Zadavia?"
"Yeah, and I have no idea why she wanted you to stay here, but she did. Tech thought it would have been better for you to go with her, but he didn't argue. The problem was, at that point, we already knew that we would be trapped here when the barrier went up."
He found it a little frightening how serious the other was being right now. "Why is that a problem?"
"Why do you think? When the metacs found they were trapped here, and once they ate everything, they'd do anything to get out. So by following the walls of the barrier, they would head towards the tower to try and get rid of it."
"So you guys knew that they'd attack the tower?"
"Well, it's food for them too, so they'd eat it anyway. But Tech guessed that they'd all try to attack it in order to get out. And he was right, by the looks of it. So he came up with this plan."
"What plan?" Ace asked again. He was getting rather frustrated that there was so much the others hadn't told him about.
"Well…the original plan was for me and Slam to get you out of the tower, but…"
The sudden misery in the mallard's tone struck a cord in Ace that resonated through his body. "But how?" he asked. "If Slam didn't use his powers, how did he…?"
Danger was silent for a moment, and he could feel the hesitancy radiating from the other. Finally, he heard the duck answer, "The more the metacs eat, the stronger they become. The stronger they get, the more they can eat."
Ace frowned deeply. "What do you mean?"
"A few days ago, when we first saw the metacs, you said that they didn't attack people, right?"
"Yeah…"
"Well, that's because they couldn't."
"What does that mean?"
"Tech said that the metacs had to build up their strength," the duck stated. "When they first appeared, they could only eat things that didn't move. Non-living things. When they got stronger, then they were able to eat more complex things – things that were alive."
Ace felt as though all his insides were frozen at that statement.
"It might not be quite what you're thinking of," he heard Danger say after minutes of silence between them. "When Slam and I were evacuating people before, I had seen metacs enter people's bodies and come out a few seconds later. When that happened, the person a metac had entered started acting…weirdly."
"Weirdly?" Ace repeated. "What do you mean?"
"Well, when Tech came and was helping us, he said that those people were…insane…"
"Huh? Why?"
"Just the way they were acting. He said…that they weren't themselves anymore. He said…it seemed like a piece of their minds were lost or something."
"What happened to them?"
"Well, when Tech X-rayed them – or something like that, I wasn't watching – he said that…well…a piece of their minds were lost."
"Eh?"
"The metacs actually ate pieces of their brains," Danger stated, sounding rather disgusted as the words left his tongue. "Why only the brains? Dunno. But Tech said they didn't eat the whole brain because…'the living tissue was still too complex for them to consume more than just a piece'…or something like that…"
"But what about Slam?" Ace pressed. "What happened?"
"When we were patrolling today, the metacs attacked us," the mallard said, his tone as soft as the jets would allow, "but we did pretty well holding our own for while without our powers. That is until a metac snuck up on me. Slam saw it though and jumped at it…"
He was startled when a shiver shook the other's body. But as quickly as it had come, it was gone. "I saw…" the duck continued, "the metac go into his body and come out again. After that…he wasn't really himself anymore. He actually almost attacked me."
"Really?" Ace asked.
"Yeah…It was like he had lost control over…everything. Even his powers."
And then he finally understood. "So Slam himself didn't use his powers…because it was like he was already gone…"
Danger didn't answer him, and he didn't really need to hear it. The feeling that the other was omitting spoke in volumes, shouting out the truth he didn't want to hear. Against the dark screen that captivated his eyes played the images of the event the mallard had described, the way it might have been. The scene burned in his mind, and he pulled his hands back as they began to tremble. He could only imagine what it was like for Danger, who actually witnessed the event.
Suddenly the sound of a devastating explosion from behind reached his ears, echoing around them as a wave of heat crashed into them and hurled them forward.
"Hold on!" Danger said, and Ace could only comply lest he fall off the bike and hit the ground below – he could only guess how far that trip was. He felt as the mallard jerked the bike quickly, trying to keep them steady as the hot force pushed up behind them and threatened to throw them off course.
Finally the heat seemed to fade into nothing, and the jet cycle continued smoothly through the air. But Ace had to speak the question hanging in his mind. "What the heck was THAT!"
The duck didn't respond for a few minutes. But just as the rabbit was about to ask again, he heard the other say, "Darn it! It didn't work too well…there's still a lot down there…"
"Duck, what's going on…?"
"Tsk…well, do you remember that 'plan' I mentioned before?"
"Yeah…"
"Well…that explosion was part of it…"
It sunk in Ace's mind too quickly. "No! He wouldn't…!"
"He said he had to," the mallard replied. Though he tried to sound calm, the shakiness in his voice was still too noticeable. "He said that since the metacs would head over there anyway, he might as well try to get rid of them by using all of the tower's power to make it explode."
Ace wanted to shut his ears off. He couldn't listen to any of it anymore. This really was a suicide mission! And much to his own mental protest, he was forced to witness the scene of what might have happened as the tower self-destructed. And Tech…all alone with only countless monsters attacking from all sides. How had he felt…spending his last few moments like that? Waiting for that destructive end?
Even if the coyote could regenerate himself after that…the microbodies from within would quickly consume his life. Either way; Tech was gone.
Was it really worth living…knowing how many lives were lost to ensure it? It just didn't seem fair.
The bike suddenly swerved, causing Ace to nearly fall off. "What the…!" he exclaimed.
"Sorry," Danger muttered. "Just hold on."
"What's happening?"
"Well, Tech thought that he could destroy the metacs with the heat from the explosion. At least until the Queen made more. And it kinda worked…"
"But…?"
"But not all of them are gone…and they've seen us and are now trying to attack us…"
"Why?"
"Still hungry, I guess…Y'know, I really don't wanna find out." The bike suddenly made a sharp turn as Ace felt something just miss hitting his leg. The jet then began to roughly move back and forth, giving him the impression that the duck was doing his best to avoid attacks at them.
And just as he was wondering how the other was doing so well, he felt the sudden impact jolt the cycle hard, causing it to spin rapidly through the air.
"Whoa!" he and Danger both said, and he felt as the mallard attempted to readjust themselves. Soon the bike stopped spinning, but the rabbit felt as though they were losing altitude.
"Great!" Danger suddenly snapped. "One of the jets is melting!"
He didn't need to guess what that meant. "Now what?"
The duck was silent for a few seconds before asking, "Ya still holding on?"
"Yeah, but…" Ace was cut short when a burning sensation rattled his body and caused him to shudder. The strange vibration he felt throughout his body was oddly familiar, as though he had experienced it once before. But he couldn't recall anything about it.
When the feeling abruptly left him, the rabbit felt a hard surface underneath his feet. And just as he understood what had just occurred, the body in front of him suddenly left his grasp as Danger's pain-filled cry enveloped his senses.
Wrenching the helmet from his head, Ace grabbed out and caught the other before he fell. "Duck!" he yelled, easing the mallard to the ground. "Hang on, Duck!"
The duck was lying on the ground, but he could still feel the other writhing as the duck trembled, the screams echoing in his ears. His mind burned as what he heard and felt painted the disturbing image of what was happening right in front of him. What he hated the most was how he was just there, unable to do anything.
And too suddenly, Danger fell quiet, his body stilled. Ace's heart was pounding painfully in his chest, and he felt the terrible sensation of his body being constricted to the point where it seemed he just couldn't breathe. He felt numb, like the icy air of emptiness gripped him before the blazing heat suddenly melted his mind back to reality.
It had happened right there, right in front of him. Danger had died before him, and he had heard and felt it all. It had been different hearing about it, like he had with Rev, Slam, and even Tech. And though he had heard what had been happening to Lexi, even though he had been there, he hadn't known what was going on, he hadn't understood then. But it was different this time. He understood too well what had happened. He had heard the screams, knowing what they meant. He had felt his friend struggle with the overbearing pain before – all too quickly – the other had been taken away.
Ace found himself scooting back, away from the still body. He had done nothing. The other had died in front of him, and he had done nothing. But what could he have done? Had there been any way of helping Danger, of easing the pain of his passing?
The reality sank in quickly. They were all gone now. The five people he had come to know and care for over the years, the five who had been with him through the challenges and hardships, the five that had always caused him to reach past his limits and to push on when it seemed he couldn't keep going…they were all gone.
And soon he felt the loud anguished cry ripped from his throat – torn from his very core – as he pounded the dusty ground with his fists.
"NO!" he found himself scream. "NO! This can't be it! Not this way! Not like this! This can't be happening!" He heard nothing of what he was saying, but he felt each word with every pulse of his heart.
His body was soon trembling, and he felt the warm moist trail run down his cheeks. His eyes no longer worked, but that wouldn't stop the tears that were spilled from his soul.
Was it fair? After everything they had been through…after everything they had done…was this really how it was supposed to end?
TBC
Wow, that was kind of a depressing way to end it, don't you think? Hmm...I think it's because I've been feeling a little emotional this past week. Possibly because I'm preparing for that time of month (other women should know what I mean). But yeah, I think that's why I've made the end for this chapter really sad. But I kind of like it that way.
I apologize for any spelling or grammatical errors, or if it seems rushed at all. This week has been kind of weird, and I'm posting this at 2:30 in the morning. So after this is done, I'm going to get some sleep.
Hope you all enjoyed this chapter (or enjoyed as much as you can given the content...), and I should be posting up the next chapter in a week, so keep an eye out for that. Hopefully, that chapter won't be as difficult to right as this one was.
So yes. Please review (no flames please) and let me know what you think so far. Oh, and happy Valentine's Day!