Something that Blossom had always prided herself in was her strong sense of self-control. As a leader, she needed to keep a cool head at all times and never let her emotions consume her logic. If she was under pressure, she would have to keep calm. If she was angry, she would have to act polite. If she was sad, she would have to force a smile. She forced discipline on herself in order to be the strong lead figure that her sisters needed. But sometimes that outer shell cracked and it seemed that now it had finally shattered, revealing all of the emotions she had bawled up for so many years, along with all of the thoughts. She curled her face into her knees and trembled, hot tears spilling down her face, the only words she could form were curses and even those couldn't assuage her rage. She was angry, sad, and fearful all at the same time. The anger was from her stupid actions and decisions which had led her to this situation, and the voice inside her head only continued to fuel the anger, making it grow every second. She was sad because she didn't know what to do and just wanted it all to be over. When would she get a chance to just be happy and normal for once? Problem after problem after problem, could she never catch a break? And then there was fear...the most overwhelming emotion she could feel. Fear that she wasn't strong enough to push away this inner demon. Fear that she would do something worse than just throw a laptop at her sisters and knock Brick down, which was already bad enough. Fear that she was going to succumb to her anger and destroy everything. Because she hated to admit it, but she knew, deep in her gut, that she could indeed destroy everything. There was no way her sisters and the boys could fend her off for long enough. They would be too hesitant to fight her, her sisters would be lost without her, and Brick was still trying to learn how to control his anger enough to be a strong leader so they would have no plan, no strategy, no clue of how to take her down. Not to mention they wouldn't want to. But Blossom knew she would be consumed by her evil clone and wouldn't give the others a chance for hesitation or feelings, she would take all of them to the grave with her if she had to. And that absolutely terrified her.
She never thought that she would be afraid of herself, but here she was. It was degrading on a level that even the biggest clown on Earth couldn't reach. A super-heroine leader, expected to command the strongest, greatest super hero trio in the world as well as a set of retired villains, the world's last and only hope should a threat greater than themselves counter their existence; afraid of herself. But what if the person meant to protect the world from the threat...was the threat?
Blossom glanced over her knees and down at the enormous globe that sat thousands of miles away from her but looked near enough to touch. Her sisters, the boys, all of the citizens, they lived on that globe and needed her to protect them. They all needed her.
Her gaze fell to the sharp, pitted rock under her feet and she pressed her hand to it. The rock was cold, cold and hard, mostly made up of iron. She sighed. Soon that was what she would be like. Soon she would become corrupted, maybe she would feel like she was being controlled or maybe the demon would take over and she would just...die. It didn't matter what happened to her, what mattered was the safety of her family and the human race. She had to find a way to fix this, she refused to let the people she swore to protect die. But how? How!?
Fssshhh
"What the hell?" She scooted back as a tendril of red fog curled around her ankle and hissed across her calf. She turned her head. A cloud had rolled over her, covering the ground in a crimson mist. The weird fog lapped over her hands and she shot to her feet. It began to pull back and twist into itself, forming a pillar of smoke as tall as her. She took a step back and watched a figure take form within the mist. There was a grating cackle and then the fog fell away from the figure, dispersing into space. Upon recognizing the intruder, Blossom pinched her brow and collapsed back to the ground. "What are you doing here?"
Sharp stilettos clicked against the rock's surface and stopped right beside her. She didn't bother to look up at him. "I expected you'd be somewhat more delighted to see me."
She cringed at the split sound of Him's voice. "I don't really get excited to listen to repetitive lectures laced with hidden rhymes that are supposed to mean something important but take too damn long to figure out when you could just speak basic english like a normal person but you're a crab demon so I can't say I'm surprised...nor am I delighted to see you."
She felt his glare on her face. "I'm part lobster, you brat."
"Congratulations."
He scoffed, "What a despicable attitude." Red mist gathered around her legs once again and she assumed he was leaving. Then a blanket was laid out beside her.
She turned to him.
He sat down on the rather thick blanket and looked back at her. "What? I just had this dress washed." He said as he smoothed out the wrinkles on said attire. Disbelief momentarily crossed Blossom's face and then she curled herself into her knees again. Him noticed this and folded his hands. "I didn't come here simply to pester you, I know of your current... dilemma, and frankly want to help."
Blossom scoffed loudly and whipped her head around. "You want to help me? You should be happy that this is happening! Now you can finally get rid of me!" She clenched her fists. "Oh, no, wait, that's right! You want to kill me yourself so that's why you're going to help me!"
Him pressed a claw to his temple with a sigh. "You need to calm down, letting yourself get overwhelmed like this will only speed up the process."
She flinched at that and bit her lip.
"You threw a laptop at them and tried to attack them?"
No, no she didn't mean to, it was just that Buttercup had-
"Bubbles was crying."
T-that wasn't her fault. Bubbles always cried. S-she-
She watched his head snap back and collide with the solid, .475 magnum resistant wall of ice she had created and grimaced at the dent Brick left behind. She saw the line of blood that followed him as he slid down. She saw the pain in his face. And yet, she still turned away.
"Blosso-!"
"Good bye, Brick."
"NO, BLOSSOM!"
She had no excuse for that.
"Blossom, something is wrong...with you."
Quite frankly, she didn't have an excuse for any of them, it was no one's fault but her own that she was too weak to withstand the demon consuming her mind. No one's fault but her own that she was too stupid to figure out a solution.
She was an idiot.
A narcissistic, pathetic idiot.
"Narcissistic, sure. Pathetic, occasionally. But an idiot you certainly are not."
She glanced up.
He offered a small smile, which on his face seemed more like a leer. "What other six year old knows that there is no square root for 7 because it is prime? Or can figure out how to evade Mojo's traps? Who else can find their way out of a fear-induced anti-realistic but entirely tangible dream that I myself conjured up?"
She wrapped her arms around herself with a sigh. He was right of course, she had always been a genius, always. No matter the situation. But now? "Things have changed." She muttered against her knees.
Him shook his head. "I don't think they have. Yes, you are clueless as to what to do. Yes, you were clueless with Brick before I stepped in. Yes, you are succumbing quite quickly, but why do you think I am here?" He brushed a rock from his blanket. "Had circumstances been changed and one of your sisters or the boys had needed to save Brick, he would have been corrupted and you would all be dead."
She winced. "Do you really have to say it like that?"
He cocked an eyebrow. "Yes."
"Well...okay...I mean if you're here to help then-?"
He put a claw up to silence her. "It's not so much helping you as it is me giving you advice. You still have to do everything on your own."
Her stomach instantly fell, but she didn't let it show on her face. "Okay."
Him leaned back on his claws, staring out at space, and said something that shocked her. "You know, most villains don't actually want you dead."
She blinked. "Huh?"
With the flick of a wrist, a cup of tea appeared before him and he took a sip from it, the nonchalant action drastically contrasting the current situation. "They just don't know who else to turn their anger on. I, for one, enjoyed playing mind games with you three. Especially you, because you actually brought forth a challenge. And what else could a demon like myself do with their time? Should you three die, I would be terribly bored."
He said it so casually.
Blossom followed his gaze and looked at the speckled darkness. "So then why did you bring back the boys?"
Him paused and a look of awe momentarily rested on his face. He placed the cup on the ground beside his leg and folded his claws with a dignified sigh. "The same darkness that you struggle with consumes me as well, and sometimes it wins." He shook his head dismally, "I can't say that I'm proud of my times of vulnerability, nor am I sure of its recurrence, however, there is one thing that I am sure of," He turned to her, "There is a way to defeat it."
She let her knees fall away. "There is?"
He nodded. "Fight it, and win."
She considered his words for a moment and then her face began to fall. "Fight it?"
His sharp yellow irises landed on her. "You must summon your illusionary self, your alter ego." His voice darkened. "But beware, because when you summon it, a pathway is opened for it to take control. You can not allow it to take control, you must focus. Kill it, and you kill the darkness." She frowned. "It's some psychological demonology bullshit." He stated.
Kill it? She stared down at her hands, at the marks left behind by Brick and Him, still visible but fading into a brown scar, alongside the faint scratches left behind by the barbed spikes of the monster she had fought. But there were none from her evil self. "But how, how do I kill it when I can't even...when it can't even...really...touch me?"
Him's face sharpened. "Because the darkness is taking its own living form inside." He pointed at his chest and she pulled her knees back to hers. "Your clone is no longer a mere illusion."
"So then..." She ran her fingers over the scars. "It can kill me?"
He nodded. "It can, and it will do whatever it takes to do so, so keep your guard up. You have to let go of everything, of every thought and feeling, except for anger."
She whipped her head around. "Anger!?"
Him gave her a knowing glance and got to his feet. Her brows knit together as he offered her a claw. Blossom stared at it in speculation, wonder, before she slowly lifted her hand and gasped as she was pulled to her feet. He narrowed his eyes. "You have to listen closely, we're running out of time, as I feel we always are." He glanced to the side momentarily, thinking.
"Him?"
He closed his eyes and when they opened, she saw real fear within them. "It embodies anger so if you hold onto that emotion then it can not read itself. But you must be careful, should it find your weakness, should you falter by even a hair, it will pounce and tear you to shreds. It will be a battle for control, channel your inner stability as all leaders must in the midst of chaos. Do you understand?"
She nodded.
"This may be the most important battle you ever fight, it will be the hardest. But remember, this determines everyone else's destiny, so for Satan's sake: use your damn head." He set a claw on each of her shoulders and bent down slightly. "Do this for Townsville."
She clenched her fists, gathering what little remains of pride she could, and raised her chin. "I will."
She would do it for Townsville, for her sisters, for the boys, for Brick, for everyone. She had come this far, there was no way in hell she would lose now.
"I'm ready."
She had never thought about it before...but there was no such thing as silence, for even when a person is alone with no surrounding sounds, there is still the thrum of their heart and the whistle of air in their nose, the constant ringing in their ear, and the blood pumping through their veins, something one can only hear when in space, when they are the only sound for miles. Blossom had never heard the mechanics of her body as clearly as now, had never truly been able to feel the inner workings take on a mind of their own. She was disconnected from her inner self, her heart beat on its own, her stomach digested by its own free will, she had no say in any of it, she was not in control. But she had to be in control in order to summon her twin and defeat it.
She took a deep breath, focused on the idea that she was making the decision to take this breath, held it in for some time, resisting her bodies cries for release, and only did so when her heart joined into the cries. She let the air flow from her lips, analyzing the way the warm carbon dioxide brushed her skin. No human could be breathing like she was, for the vacuum of space would tear away their oxygen like candy from a baby and leave them with nothing, controlling them like little puppets. But she was no puppet. Her lungs, her body, she was stronger than the vacuum and she would not let the darkness suck her in.
"I am in control." She spoke softly to herself. "I am in control."
Her hands steepled at her core, where she focused all of her energy, all of her emotions, before letting them go, except for one. She held tight to the fire in her stomach and let it rest momentarily. When she was ready, she would let it erupt, but first she needed to find her center.
'A cool head is a smart head and you have ice breath.'
She smiled at the Professor's old words. So deft and shrewd, he always knew what to say. He knew himself and he knew his daughters. If only he had known how much danger he had been in.
She grimaced at the tug on her heartstrings, the way her stomach began to sink. 'No, no, not now.' She couldn't think of the Professor, she couldn't be sad.
"Pathetic."
She sucked in a shaky breath, letting it flow out in a smooth stream.
"Weak."
Her fingers curled into her palms.
"Selfish."
A hero? Selfish? After all she had done for her sisters, the boys, Brick, the Professor, Townsville, EVERYONE?
She felt the heat rush to her cheeks.
"Alien from Antarctica."
So ungrateful. What respect. She had saved them all, and how do they repay her?
"Bug eyed freaks."
Blossom's head shot up, that voice wasn't in her head.
She jumped to her feet.
"Oh, no need to be in such a hurry, I have all night."
She turned around and immediately narrowed her eyes at the despicable clone which now stood in front of her with a sly smirk. It was confident, it knew it would win...no, it thought it would win, but Blossom had a news flash. "I would savor it if I were you because it'll be your last night."
The clone only snickered and began to saunter towards her.
Blossom squeezed her fists tightly, anger rising at the simple sight of her twin. "How are you here? I didn't summon you."
"Oh, but you did. Your thoughts could not escape the idea of me and so here I arose." It tilted its head, "Not quite in control yet, are we?"
She didn't respond.
"You know, I can see all of your memories." It continued forward.
Blossom could feel the flames slither up her arms. "I figured."
The clone's face softened and it began to speak in a sympathetic tone. "I know how much it must hurt, to watch a man as smart and determined as the Professor fall victim to his own passion." It shook its head sadly. "Radiation poisoning is such a painful way to go."
"Trust me," Blossom hissed. "Your demise will be much more gruesome."
"Now that's not very-" Her twin was forced to duck as Blossom launched a sphere of energy at its head, singing a few hairs. It jolted back up with a pair of wide eyes.
Blossom pushed her lip out in a pout. "What's the matter? I thought you could predict my moves."
Her clone brushed a piece of charred hair back and scoffed, "Him has always been such a simpering fool. He always falls victim to the tears of little girls. Disgusting." It shook its head. "Of course he would help you."
"You sound jealous," Blossom leered. "Or maybe even scared, because now we're evenly matched and you can't read my mind."
The twin cackled loudly, "Evenly matched!? Even without the ability to read your mind I can still predict your every move because you're just that obvious. Simple. Basic. Don't you remember how boring everyone always thought you were back in middle school?" Blossom paused. "You do, don't you?" The flames slowly retracted. "All your sisters wanted to do was play, but you were always too busy for them. Even now, you lack the enthusiasm to have fun. Poor little serious Blossom, who grew up with no friends. Will things ever change? Or will you simply die a carved out, empty shell of your once ebullient self?"
Memories of endless nights full of homework, paperwork, crime fighting, interviews, bills, and reports filled her mind and she could see her sisters standing nearby, begging her to join them for movie night, to have just one hour of her time, but she never obliged.
"Try hitting me now you pathetic fool." Its voice hissed into her ear and she threw her arm back, only to have it caught in a sharp grasp. A set of nails sunk into her skin and she ripped her arm away. "Can't read your mind, huh?" It cracked its fist so hard against Blossom's cheek that she momentarily saw stars and nearly fell over. It pulled its arm back and curled its fingers into its palm with a shit-eating grin. "You're such a sad person to watch live, but even sadder to watch die." Energy pulsed around its fist before it threw it forward at lightening speed.
And met its target.
FWOOOSH
The impact sent a shock wave over the rock, piercing the air with a deafening clap.
Magenta irises flared.
The clone's smile fell.
Blossom tightened her grasp around its fist, "No," she growled, "YOU are the pathetic fool." And then she grabbed the collar of the clone's shirt, lifting it off the ground and throwing it over her head in a flash of pink, sending it flying to the other side of the rock where an explosion of gravel erupted. Blossom met her twin and dropped down, full force, into its stomach. The clone's mouth opened and a cry of agony escaped from it. Blow after blow, Blossom drove her fists into its face before pulling it from the crater and slamming its jaw into a protruding edge of slate.
"You bit-!" The clone's words were cut short as a burst of energy threw it backwards. Its spine hit the ground and it flipped into a somersault, raking its claws along the gravel in search of purchase. A stream of cold vapor slipped from the corners of Blossom's lips and she hissed, the smoke freezing over her teeth. The clone dug its heels into the solid rock and snarled viciously. "You're going to pay for that."
Blossom raised an eyebrow, challenging the twin to hold true to its words. It thrust its fingers into the ground, the sound of its nails snapping serving as a background to its wild pants. Blossom knew it wanted to attack, she could see the rage wafting from it in thick clouds.
"How is Brick doing, anyways?"
Blossom froze. "What?"
The clone rolled back up into a standing position with a slight shrug. "It's just that I have no idea how he's doing, even though I can see your memories." It hummed in disapproval. "Now that I think of it, I don't think you interacted with him hardly at all after his 'treatment'. It seems you were too caught up in your own affairs." Its eyebrows curved in a pained expression as it recalled. "After you all got home from the hospital, you forced the boys to go to bed without even checking on Brick. Then, the next day, he tried to talk to you but you slept through the entire day. Even the day after that, you refused to speak to him because you were just so exhausted." It clutched its chest. "Oh, but yet, your thoughts say that he is well and back to normal, that everything is fine. But there is no evidence to these thoughts, I see no images or memories, only your assumptions." A head tilt. "Is Brick really okay?"
A dull pinch pulled at her chest but Blossom took a deep breath. She had already scolded herself for neglecting Brick's and his brothers' well-being, it could not be helped at the moment, she knew that. It hurt to hear, but even more to hold onto; like a hot coal that you can cup in your palm as long as it continues to move around, but the second you let it sit still its orange skin begins to sizzle and melt away your own flesh. Blossom always had others' health in mind, or at least she tried to. Who did the clone think Blossom was doing this for? Certainly not herself. Blossom was going to kill this demon in order to protect everyone.
"And what if you die in the process?" Its bitter words rang through her ears. "What if I take you down with me?"
Death. It had never been so close to her. It had been close to others, she had witnessed the life leave other's eyes, but never herself. Had she even truly thought about it?
"What if Brick had decided to kill me all those months ago?" She thought to herself. A smirk crept onto the twin's face. "What if Blossom Utonium never came back? Then what?"
She frowned. So what if she never came back? She either died or everyone else did. They could survive without her, they were super-heroes after all, it wasn't like they were children who needed to have their hands held through life. Surely they could-
"Oof!" Blossom's eyes shot open with a gasp as a heel was driven into her stomach, throwing her backwards and into the rock with a hard thud. She grit her teeth upon landing and ended up snapping them down onto her tongue when a fist connected with her cheek. Blood quickly began to pool within her mouth and fill it with an iron venom.
"You're right, though." The clone's voice cooed as Blossom was lifted from the ground and slammed back down. The wind escaped her lungs. "No one would miss you, no one would fret over the absence of the pink puff." Again. Another gasp. "They would move on quite quickly. Actually, without you, their lives would be better than ever." Her head snapped back this time and hit the rock. She blinked away the stars. "But don't worry, they won't have to live without you anyways because I'm going to kill them right after I kill you." A malicious grin curled the clone's lips and a murderous twinkle flickered in its darkening glare as it once again lifted Blossom from the ground and wrapped its talons around her throat.
Blossom went stiff. "Did you..." She raised her chin to meet its eyes. "Just threaten..." Her fingers twisted over the clone's, the energy beginning to seep into her veins. "My...FAMILY!?" Her eyes blazed and an eruption of pink flames burst from her hands.
A scream slipped from the clone's lips as it pushed itself back to escape the flames. It stumbled and collapsed, releasing another cry as its back met a rock. Blossom strode over to the injured clone, watching as it slowly sat up, raising its trembling arms to assess the damage. Bright red patches of oozing flesh covered its limbs, resembling a chemical burn. Blossom bent down and clamped her hand over the burn. The twin seethed, hissing through clenched teeth but trying to hold back its vulnerability. Blossom met its steely gaze.
"Since I was a child, my only purpose in this world was to protect the human race. No matter where my head was, nor what situation I caught myself in, I only ever cared about the people, MY people." Blossom tightened her grip, the clone's nostrils flared. "It truly is the reason for my creation and the meaning to my existence. I must protect them until the day I die." She pulled the clone closer. "So yes, I may die today. You may dig your claws into my flesh and tear me away from this world, you may take me down to Hell with you and imprison me there for all of eternity but that matters little to me. The only thing I am concerned with is killing you, even if that means my death as well."
The clone's eyes widened, as though it was witnessing a revelation, an understanding that it had not seen before. Its body went slack in Blossom's grip and its expression faltered. "You really mean that, don't you?" Blossom tilted her head as the clone glanced to the side, something odd, almost innocent, flickering across its face, before it turned back to Blossom with a returned malevolence. "Fine then, lets go rot in Hell together bitch."
An elbow clocked her in the side of the head and she jumped back, catching the body that was thrown at her. She turned and slammed the clone to the ground as it tied its legs around hers, pulling her down with it. The clone's hands latched onto her shoulders and flipped them over so it was on top. Blossom snapped her head away as eye beams fired at her. She forced her knee into its gut and shoved it off, taking her place on top. She raised her fist and let the anger flow down to the tips of her fingers before driving it into the clone's face. Her knuckles connected with its cheek and a tooth flew from its mouth, a glob of blood splattering across her fist. She curled her fingers into the collar of its shirt and raised its face to her knee again and again and again until blood coated her skin.
"I'll fewking kill yew!" It snarled out at her with a mouthful of red liquid and then threw itself forward. Blossom twisted her body away in time to avoid being tackled but it caught hold of her ankle and dragged her down. A heel went into her spine and her arms were yanked back. She screamed as the bones began to crack from the bending. Just as she was sure her spine would split, her head was thrown to the ground. Nails grazed her skull and twisted themselves into her hair. It craned her head back and grinned, its bottom lip split down the middle, painting its teeth crimson. It brushed the stray hairs from her forehead before spitting a clot of blood into her face. Its grin widened. "Are you feeling okay princess? You don't look so good."
Blossom pulled her lips into a sneer, "Look who's talking."
The clone's grin vanished and it smashed Blossom's head back into the ground. Her nose made contact first and was mushed in with a sickening crunch. Her forehead hit second and a pain exploded in her skull, momentarily blinding her. When her head was pulled back up, blood squirted from her face like a fountain.
There was a chuckle, "Smile!" And her head was thrown back down.
Blossom's hands went out in an instant and she pressed herself up, resisting the clone's strength and holding her face from the ground before it could shatter her teeth. As soon as she got the leverage she needed, one of her hands shot out and wrapped around the clone's leg.
"GAAAAAHHHH!" A scream tore through the clone's throat as another burst of flames seared its thigh. Blossom took the opportunity to launch herself at it, crushing her forearm into its windpipe. The scream abruptly cut off into a gargled choke. "You will pay for tha-!" Blossom's fist silenced its threat and then she drove her knuckles into its stomach until it was gasping for air. Its arms flailed around, hitting her and throwing gravel at her, but she didn't feel a thing. Blossom returned to its face and pummeled it until bruises and blood struck it unrecognizable. She glared into its dark, raven eyes and rose to her feet. The clone made an attempt to crawl back up but Blossom slammed her foot into its chest. She held her hand to her side, a sharp slate of rock in it. The clone's eyes filled with maniacal glee and an insane chuckle rattled its throat. The chuckle split into a laugh and then it clutched its stomach, sputtered, and fell into a coughing fit. A spittle of blood flew back into its face and it groaned, collapsing to the ground.
"You pathetic, scared, weak little fool." Its coarse voice rasped. "You think that you've won, but you'll only return to a world full of hatred and horror. Your sisters, the boys, Townsville, they'll all have heard the news by now. They already know you've gone mad. The second you return will be the minute you die." Blossom pressed her foot down harder and it threw its head back.
"You can say whatever you like, demon, but I see you now. I see your weakness, your vulnerability, and most of all..." She stared into its narrowed gaze. "I see your fear. Someone in your position will try whatever they can to make a mark on this world before they leave it, but I am going to erase you, forever." She lifted the shard of rock and the clone's eyes seemed to fill with darkness. It made its final attempt to sit up but the wounds were too much and it could barely lift its head. Another rattle of coughs shook its body and flecks of blood painted Blossom's shoe.
It smiled up at her, a sinister smile filled with nothing but evil desire, and tried one last time, "It's much easier to be evil."
Blossom crouched down and returned the smile. "Yeah, well it's much more rewarding to be good and besides..." She pressed the slate to its trembling throat. "I don't do easy." And with a clean swipe, the flesh split, the demon's eyes widened, and the deal was finally sealed.
She waited for the life to leave its hollow face and then she leaned back.
The rock slipped from her hand, she watched it fall, then saw the empty body beneath her. "I-I did it." The words came out as near sobs and she got to her feet, a grin breaking across her face. "I really did it." She spun around and caught sight of the green and blue globe in the distance. The weight lifted from her chest, her sisters, the boys, they were safe. She looked down at her bloodied hands. She was alive. A laugh escaped her throat and she let the light tears slip over her cheeks. Things could finally go back to normal. They could all be happy. They could-
"Gah!" Her eyes flew open and she pressed her hand to her stomach as a sharp sting filled it. She pulled it away and stared at the fresh blood that tainted her skin. She had been stabbed? But when? How-?
The pain took the strength from her legs and she collapsed to the ground.
"No, no." She sucked in a sharp breath and cried out as the pain grew more intense. It was as though a knife had been freshly driven through her abdomen, and her throat, and her heart. She couldn't breath and her heart began to race. "No, please, I can't die now!" She tried to sit up but her body went slack. She was paralyzed up to her neck. "HELP! HELP ME!" Tears sprung from her eyes but these ones were devoid of happiness. She was so close, she had to see her sisters again, the boys, Brick. Was he okay? Were her sisters okay? The boys?
Pathetic
Weak
Scared
It was happening too soon, the darkness was closing in on her so fast. She had to do something! Her arms, they wouldn't move. She couldn't feel anything but pain.
"NO!" Her vision was going black, Earth, in the distance, fading away. She tried to scream again but nothing came out. She didn't want to die, this wasn't how it was supposed to be. She needed to know everyone was safe. She had to-to...she needed...
Her head lolled to the side and all she could see was the pitch black, empty void of space that her body was slowly slipping into. She tried to reach out and grasp for life one more time, but the pain and exhaustion were too much.
Her eyes fluttered and rolled back.
She knew her consciousness was slipping.
Her chest stopped rising and she could no longer hear the thump of her heart.
'Please, give me one more chance, I need to tell them...that I...lo...'
The darkness seized her, and she sucked in a final sharp breath, felt the last ache tear through her body. And then her head hit the ground with a thud.