Part 1: Dawn

Chapter 1: The Long Goodbye

(ROY)

It seemed like it was getting brighter. Roy couldn't really tell; his vision was mostly red, pain shooting through his entire upper body, his legs numb, his arms going all tingly. He knew that was bad, but also knew there was very little he could do about it.

He remembered being shot, but he wasn't sure how long ago it'd been. He knew he'd passed out a few times, so it could've been a few days since the encounter with the men at the helicopter. He doubted it, though. A few days from now, probably more like a few minutes, he'd be dead.

Elza hadn't left him, all this time. She was apparently intent on dragging him through the streets to her motorcycle all by herself. Roy hadn't quite figured out what she intended to do after that, and he doubted she had either. It was just a reflex, her dragging him through the city, and one he was going to have to put a stop to if at least one of them was going to make it out of the city alive.

He didn't know where to start, though. His chest hurt; the bullet had missed his lungs (otherwise he would've drowned in his own blood), but it still made talking (or even breathing) uncomfortable.

Finally he just couldn't bear it anymore. "No" he coughed, shaking his head. "No…more…"

Elza stopped dragging him, panting heavily. This exertion was doing neither of them any good. Still, she wasn't ready to admit that. "Roy? What's the problem?"

"No…more" he repeated, painfully tilting his head to look up at her. "No…more. Please…"

"What…What are you saying?" Elza asked, disbelief in her voice.

"No more" Roy said again, a little more firmly, his teeth gritted in pain. "Please, Elza, no more. Please…just leave me here."

"No!" Elza snapped, standing back up. "No, we got into this together, and we'll get out of this together. I'm not leaving you behind."

"You…have to. It's the only way for both of us to make it out of this."

"But…I can't leave you here" Elza said slowly, tears running down her cheeks. "I can't do this alone. I need you. We have to do this together."

Roy shook his head. Like everything else he did, it was a deliberate motion. "I'm…so…sorry, Elza. But…you have to. I….We both know I'm done for. You've got to…leave me. Save yourself."

"Roy…"

"Please" he said desperately. "Elza…you have to do this…for me. I can't…let you die…not for me."

"I won't leave you here" Elza said firmly. He could tell her mind was set. Stubborn girl he thought angrily. Then he had an idea.

"There" he said weakly, pointing to a squad car a few feet away. "Take me there."

Elza looked at the car, then at Roy and nodded. "Okay. Just hang on, okay?"
The next few minutes were agony. Roy could see a small trail of blood leading from his back as Elza dragged him along. The abrasive asphalt continued to rub his back, not doing him any favors. It was a relief when they finally finished the fifteen foot journey to the car.

"Inside" he said weakly, tapping the door. Elza swung it open, then started to drag Roy inside, but he managed to painfully stand on his own, then climb into the back. He lay down in the back seat, stretched on the stained upholstery, then drew his Beretta and flipped it over, offering it grip first to Elza. "Here" he said. "Take it. I…don't need it anymore."

Elza looked from Roy to the handgun. "Roy…" she said again.

Roy managed a brief smile. His body was already feeling a lot more at ease. "Hey, don't worry. I'll be locked in. Totally safe. So take the gun. You'll need it more than me." He pointed to the driver's seat. "Any keys?"

Elza looked in the ignition, then shook her head. "No. Nothing."

Crap. There goes the easy way. "Elza…I'm sorry. I'm sorry it worked out like this."

"It's okay" she replied, giving him a big strained smile that was clearly faked. "I'm gonna go get my bike, find some help, then come back for you. I promise."

"Thanks" Roy said weakly. "You…you take care of yourself out there."

Elza smiled. "You too." The last he saw of her was when she shut the door, a smile on her face, moving quickly down the street.

Roy settled into the seat, his head back, eyes closed. He knew he was dead, had known for a while. It was just a matter of waiting for the end.

Slowly, blissfully Roy drifted off to sleep. He never woke.

Given what the cockroaches inside the car did to him, that was probably just as well.