After this, I have one more interlude. But officially, the story ends here. Thank you everyone for coming on this journey with me and for sticking with me through the end. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Warning: Implied character death

"Let me get Quarry first," Rex says as he turns towards the other room.

"Wait, Rex-"

But the sight that greets him isn't what he expects. There are cops in the room (Calan's there, too) and they help out the surviving few scientists and Black Knight. But what really catches Rex's eyes is...

"Ex-Hitman Quarry, you are under arrest," Gatlocke declares, holding up a FBI badge and handcuffs. But huh? Wait! What? How can that be? How long has Gatlocke been FBI? Is that why he approached Rex? To get information? Is that what they've been to Gatlocke all this time? Is that why he wanted to find Providence?

Quarry does not argue or fight back. He just calmly holds up his hands as if he is okay with this. Almost like this is exactly what has planned. And oh... Rex gets it. That is what Quarry said, isn't it? That he'd clean up the mess? Is that why Quarry's here now? Is that why he killed so many people and hurt Black Knight? To out-shadow anything that Rex might do and then cover it up?

"Whua... What are-"

Six grabs Rex, jerking him to the side and out of sight. But Rex sees it. Quarry moving to block the view of this room from Gatlocke. There's no doubt now. Quarry did this to protect him. Quarry's going to take all the blame for everything that has happened. But that makes no sense! Why would anyone – Why would Quarry...?

"There's a bomb here! We need to get out!"

The Holiday Hospital is in an uproar by the time they arrive there. Doctors and nurses all rush from one area to another, yelling out some sort of a code. Rex can't help but to feel a little surprised because he's thought that Quarry hadn't left that many people alive for there to be this chaos.

Dr. Rhodes notices them, and runs over to Rex with a relieved look on her face. "Thank goodness you got here so fast," she says. She grabs his arm and begins to drag him away. "This way, Rex. Everyone was trying to contact you. She doesn't have long."

"Wait, what are you talking about?"

"... Didn't you come because you heard...?"

"Heard what?"

Dr. Rhodes sighs and stares at him with pity. "Oh Rex," she whispers. "I'm sorry but it's... It's Beverly. It's her time. She's been in the decline for a while now. I think she was trying to hold on for you, but..."

The room is deathly quiet except for the sound of machines. Not even Dr. Holiday makes a sound. She looked up when the door was opened and Rex walked in, but hasn't moved since. Questions run through his mind, but he's not sure at all how to phrase it (or even if she'll know the answers). Especially not to this silent Holiday who keeps staring at the still body of Beverly in bed before them.

"I'm sorry," he says finally.

It feels like his words are swallowed by the silence, gone without a trace. Holiday doesn't move to acknowledge his words. It's frustrating because Rex doesn't know what else to say. He's just recently learned that Beverly is apparently someone very important to him, but they've never been that close (sure, he cares about her, but not to the extent the people here seem to think that he does). But even so, this doesn't mean he wants her to... to...

"Holi-"

"I felt so useless."

It takes a second to sink in that Holiday just spoke up. Rex looks at her uncertainly, because she's speaking defeatedly in a way that he has never heard before. She's always been stronger than this. She's never looked... this broken before. But then again, even when Beverly was incurable, it wasn't that she was going to die. And as long as Beverly was alive, there was always hope.

"By the time you came into our lives, I've already given up. Everyone said that there was no way to save her. So this hospital was really founded as a way to keep her comfortable until her final days. But then you walked into her life. I've never seen her so happy before. I think I resented you at first for giving her so much hope when I knew that she couldn't be saved. But after a while, I realized that I was angry at myself. Why couldn't I have kept my faith? Why couldn't I have been stronger? Why couldn't I have been more focused on saving her? If I had... If I had..."

Holiday finally turns and looks at Rex. Her eyes are red and puffy, and it's only now that Rex realizes that she's shaking.

"She wanted me to thank you. And that she's sorry that she can't go around the world with you. But she had fun, Rex. She lived longer than anyone predicted, because she always looked forward to when you'll visit her."

"... lie..."

"I'm sorry?" Holiday asks.

"I don't believe it. You're just going to give up like that? This is Beverly we're talking about here, Holiday! There has to be something that we can do! There's always another way. We can't just give up! Beverly is-"

"Rex, there is no other way." Holiday's voice is firm. There's no room for argument, and it just drives Rex angrier. Because just when has Holiday ever given up like this?

"There's always a way! You've-"

"No, there isn't! Wake up, Rex! I'm sorry that you spent most of your life hung up on a girl who wasn't going to make it. I'm sorry that you got involved with some shady dealings for her sake. But Rex, she was never going to make it. She was..." Holiday covers her mouth, looking away from him.

And Rex hates himself for this, but he gets it. He understands. This isn't something new for Holiday. She's always known that this day will come. Holiday's always prepared for this. She's accepted that Beverly is going to die. But Rex... The other Rex didn't. That was why...

"If you've said your goodbyes, please leave."

Rex wants to argue. He wants to scream and shout. He wants to do something other than just accept the damned fact that this is now his reality. But one look at Holiday's shaking body, one look at Beverly's still form...

"I'm sorry, Bev," Rex whispers. "Goodbye."

César is waiting for him when he walks out of the room. The elder Salazar takes one look at Rex's face, sighs, and pulls him into a hug. "Oh mijo," he whispers, holding Rex tightly. "I'm so sorry."

"I didn't... I didn't even know her that well."

"It's okay, mijo. It's okay."

"I think I was trying to save her."

César and Rex sit together on a bench with hot chocolates in their hands. César has one arm slung around Rex's shoulder. He doesn't try to console Rex or anything. He just lets Rex talk.

"That's why I got involved with Quarry. That's why I was gathering money. To find a way to save her." Rex stares at the dark liquid in the styrofoam cup. And that's why he had Providence. That's why he funded the Nanite Research. Because out of all researches in the world, the Nanites were something that would be able to save Beverly. And in order to fund that research, he had to get more and more money, which led him down darker paths.

But it doesn't matter in the end, because I cut the funding. I disbanded Providence. I got rid of the one thing that could've saved Beverly. Rex closes his eyes and grits his teeth. I thought I knew what was right and wrong. But despite not knowing anything about the other me and what he was trying to accomplish, I...

"Rex, you did the right thing by walking away." César is looking at him seriously when Rex opens his eyes. His brother tightens his grip on Rex's shoulder, almost as if trying to prevent him from running. "You're in high school, for Pete's sake! This isn't something for you to be worried about! And even if you had the money, it wouldn't have saved her, mijo. You did the right thing."

"Then why does it feel so wrong? I could've saved her, César! I could've done it! But instead, I..."

César wraps his other arm around Rex automatically. "It wasn't your fault," he says. "It wasn't your fault."

But doesn't César see? If Rex hasn't made this stupid wish in the first place, none of this would have happened.

The hospital seems to have calmed down since Rex first came in. The others either left or are getting treatment. And for now, Rex just wants to wander alone, thinking about everything that's happened.

His guilt hasn't lessened. It's still coiling up tightly around his throat and heart. How many people has he screwed over? How many lives has he changed just because of this simple wish? How many people died because of it? Just why couldn't he have stopped to think about the consequences before he made that wish?

Because in the end, everyone-

A loud bellow of grief catches Rex's attention. He looks around and spots Cain. For whatever reasons, he's on the ground, screaming and punching the ground again and again. There are doctors and nurses next to him, trying to calm him down, but he will not be consoled. It's a scene that Rex is more familiar with. It's an emotion that Rex has seen too often.

He walks over towards them.

"... Cain?"

The man looks up and sees him. There's confusion in his eyes, which is always much better than seeing the hatred in them.

"You and your wife helped me before. Uh... at a gas station? You drove me home..."

His eyes flashes with recognition and he nods slowly. "You're that kid..." He seems a little calmer, much to the doctors' and nurses' relief. They pat Rex on the shoulder before leaving the two alone in the halls.

"Are you... Are you okay?" Rex begins uncertainly.

"I... No, I'm not. She... She's gone."

It takes Rex a second to realize that Cain isn't talking about Beverly. And when it finally sinks in exactly who Cain is talking about, Rex's eyes widen. No, no, no! Cain is supposed to be happy! In this messed up world, at least someone is supposed to be happy and stable. But instead, everything's going to hell and Rex just can't seem to stop it.

"... Salazar..."

"Excuse me?"

"Black Knight. She said it was Rex Salazar's fault."

Rex slowly backs away. What? Black Knight? When did she talk to Cain? But now that Cain's face is twisted with thoughts of revenge and hatred, Rex can see it more clearly. The Hunter from the original timeline. Fear creeps in, sending shivers down Rex's spine. He needs to run. He needs to get away. He doesn't have his builds; he can't fight. It appears that Cain doesn't know who he is yet but-

"Rexy boy! There you are!" Gatlocke shouts from the entrance of the hospital. He waves enthusiastically, not realizing just what he's done.

"... Rex?" Cain's cold eyes are fixed on him now. "You're... Rex...?"

No hesitation anymore. Rex runs.

There's ringing in Rex's ears and he can't seem to quite catch his breath. Half of him wishes that Holiday'll be on the comms, telling him the usual "Your biometrics have flatlined, Rex." It'll keep him saner than the silence of this world.

He hears the roar of the engine and turns before he registers what's going on. He sees the flash of a manic grin of a man who believes that revenge will soothe his broken soul. And well, Rex can't help but to think that maybe this is karma. Karma for the people who's died because of him. Karma because he's screwed up enough people hasn't he?

Ah, I shouldn't have made that wish...

Crash!

The first thing he hears is the sound of a machine beeping. And he doesn't know why, but he can't help but to feel that this is kind of lonely. Like there should be more noise. Like there's a soft whisper that he's supposed to hear but doesn't. He slowly opens his eyes. And he sees almond eyes looking down at him with surprise.

"Rex," the person attached to the almond eyes whispers. "You're okay."

"I'm... sorry? Who are you?" He looks around himself, taking in the sights. "This is a hospital, right? Why am I...?" He realizes that his body is moving sluggishly. "Am I hurt? Hell, who am I?"

There's a flash of something on the person's face before an easy smile appears. "You were in an accident," he says gently. "Your name is Rex. You're going to be okay."

"Wait but... But who are you?"

The person puts a hand on Rex's chest. It feels familiar, like they've done this sometime before.

"I'm no one important. After this, we won't meet again."

There's a small hesitation. Then the person tucks him in like he's some kind of a child. It bothers Rex, and he's not too sure why, but he doesn't speak out against it. He gets the strangest kind of fear that he's not going to see this guy again.

"Rex, mijo!" shouts a Hispanic man as he walks through the doors. He throws his arms around Rex and laughs. Behind him, there are more people. People that Rex doesn't recognize but all with matching worried looks that are slowly changing to joy.

"I... Who are you?"

There's a shocked look on the man's face but then it melts away into a sad smile. "Its okay," he mumbles. Then louder for Rex to hear, he says, "I'm César, your brother.

"Everything's going to be okay now, mijo. We're going to help you."

Rex glances around at the smiling faces of the people gathered. He doesn't know who these people are, but he feels calm seeing them. And hearing that they'll help him gives him hope.

He gets the feeling that he's going to be okay.

-End -