Word Count: 765
C: Turn the Hour Hand Back
Marius tries. And tries again. He knows he'll go back to the dawn of June 5th, but he tries. It is a vicious cycle of failure and death, a hell worthy of Sisyphus, and he sees no escape.
In one iteration, he avoids the barricades, avoids seeing the blood spilt in the name if the Republic. He walks around the Field of the Lark, then to the Luxembourg, he does everything to avoid going back to the rooms he shared with Courfeyrac, for he knows that Éponine is waiting for him there. And yet, not even this gave him the mercy of seeing the 7th of June.
In another, he goes to the address Cosette gave him in the letter, intent on telling her the truth, but he backs out at the last moment. He decides not to tell anyone, and bears the weight upon himself.
He tries to change things little by little. Tries to grab M. Mabeuf's arm when he marches up to raise the flag, tries to be more careful so that Éponine would not take a bullet for him, but still he fails to end this hell.
He stopped waiting for the world to stop turning a long time ago, and by now, dozens of 5ths of June later, he is devoid of hope, more cynical than even Grantaire. Still, he goes to the barricades every time he awakes, and always there is that small glimmer of hope, that this will be the last time he goes through such an infernal day.
Today, on the 100th June 5th (he is not sure, for he has stopped counting a long time ago), he once again marches beside Courfeyrac and his friends. He does not stop M. Mabeuf when he spots him among the marchers, nor does try to tell Éponine to stay away from the barricade. He simply marches, and lets things run their course.
Everything happens as they are supposed to. Joly, Bossuet, and Grantaire are dining in the Corinthe when they build the barricade. Javert is caught as a spy because of Gavroche, who takes his pistol.
He does nothing when an officer shouts "Qui vive?" nor does he do anything when Enjolras replies with his strong voice "The French revolution!"
He merely crouches inside the barricade with his pistols when the first volley of gunshots rain upon them, nor does he stir when Bahorel falls the same way he always does.
He dares not stop M. Mabeuf when the old man volunteers to raise the fallen flag. He had no more tears to shed when the octogenarian once again falls in a blaze of gun powder.
As he did the first time, he uses up his two shots to save Gavroche and Courfeyrac. He remembers what he had done to save the barricade once upon a time, and he emulates it, even as he sees Éponine's hand block the bullet from its path.
He enters the tap room and seizes the barrel of powder, located where it has always been, near the doorway. He goes out to battle, obscured by the smoke that filled their side of the barricade, and once again trudges towards the torch. He tears it away from the paving-stones supporting it, and carries it away with his free hand. He climbs to the top of the barricade, as he has always done, and now everyone stared at him, calculating what he was about to do.
He stood there, with his foot upon the stones, the torch in his hand, his face lacking in emotion, when he lowered the torch so that they barely touch the barrel, and shouted.
"Fall back! Fall back or I blow the barricade!"
Marius could feel everyone look at him with bated breath, as if afraid that the slightest sound would make him drop his torch. The army officer stares at him, and he returns the gaze, panting and filthy and tired, tired of this repetition, and his eyes carried strength in them that he didn't know he still had.
"Blow it up and take yourself with it!" the officer retorts, a mixture of fear and disbelief lacing his voice.
He pauses for a moment, but he is determined to do it. He won't back down this time, for he has nothing left to lose.
His hand grips the torch tighter, as if it was afraid to let go. He replies, his voice stronger than it ever was. "And myself with it."
He drops the torch straight toward the barrel, and everything disappears into smoke.
A/N: Short update this time, and I swear this will be the last you'll see of the SADS arc (there is a pun to be made here, I think). If I actually follow my notes, the next chapters will be Marius actually trying to get to know the Amis. Meanwhile I got myself distracted and upset thinking up a Cosette-and-Enjolras-as-siblings AU where the end game is Enjolras singing ECAET because Papa Valjean was too late to save Enjolras' friends.