Quick warning here.
Some descriptions of blood. If you want to avoid it, skip down to below the -(*-*)-
Descole staggered backwards as if hit by some invisible force. At first all he felt was a chilling numbness. His hand grappled at the place of impact; it was damp and... Somewhere in his mind he replayed the sound that followed the resounding rumble.
Something... was not right.
A searing pain ripped through his chest. He stumbled back, clamping down on his tongue too late to muffle the roar of agony.
With a trembling breath, he lifted away the hand that had desperately clutched his chest.
When he looked down, his face fell apart.
The blood-soaked shirt clung to his skin; the wave of red creeping further up his cape.
-(*-*)-
He pulled his head up, his mouth gaping open.
The woman in red brought back her gun, her eyes gleamed with satisfaction. That would show Bronev that she was serious about working for Targent.
Emmy exhaled a frozen breath as she let the icicle slip out of her hand; but her hold on Luke remained tight and protective. How could she do that in front of a child? She thought. Luke had been through enough today.
" Hah... ah..." Descole winced with another staggered breath. "I hope you're satisfied now-" Argh! He gasped in pain, gritting his teeth once again . His arm shook as he attempted to push himself up. There was only so many things a man could escape unscathed from and... he was afraid that this could be where his luck ran out.
He could see the woman's smug face grinning back at him. Behind her, Bronev looked on; resting his mouth on his fingertips.
The keystone rested loosely in Descole's weak hand - keeping a tight hold on it had become irrelevant; they could, and would take it now. Unless...
"Now now, Hershel. You wanted us to be a family again, did you not? This is your chance."
He opened his mouth, in attempt to choke out some more words - he needed to finish what he had started to say. "-satisfied that youve had your little follower go and kill your own son." He spluttered out the last word with a harshness that disguised his pain as anger.
He allowed himself to shut his eyes - besides, no one would be able to see. What was I thinking? That was a pathetic attempt. He thought to himself. As if reminding him would make him stop! Bronev didn't care about family - not unless it could persuade someone to get him what he wanted.
Eyes had shot over to bronev, seemingly waiting for him to confirm what Descole had said.
Bronev was his..? Aurora's eyes lowered. Family. She couldn't grasp it. She sensed that he had been hiding something about Bronev, but this? How could things have gone so wrong?
"Can you not see what you have become? You're not my father - not anymore!"
"Get the key!" Bronev snapped, directing his index finger towards Descole. His other hand twitched anxiously.
Son.
The uttering of that word had been just as unexpected as the gunshot.
"Quick! Get it off him!" He shouted again.
Alex looked back at him, raising her chin before she began to walk over. There was no rush - with a gun still in her hand, nobody would stop her.
A cold chill of air rushed through the cave entrance.
Emmy shuddered. She could see Layton's blank expression - and not blank in the way that indicated he was thinking. He looked completely lost - pained even - as to what to do. She just knew the he wouldn't allow her anywhere near after this - she had threatened Luke's life! She'd thought that the professor would have been able to stop her uncle, but now it was clear - against a whole organisation, even he had no hope.
When she began to approach, Alex saw Descole eye the sword that lay beside him. Immediately, she brought back out the gun. Thrusting forward her other hand, she demanded to recieve the key.
Descole curled his lip and snarled. She knew very well that he couldn't hand it her. If only that sword was a bit lighter then-
"Auugh!" Something pounded against his head. Hard.
And at that, Alex prised the keystone from Descole's grasp effortlessly. Even if he had the time to think to resist, his weak hands stood no chance of keeping hold. She made a triumphant "humpf" and walked back to where she was standing previously, keystone held in hand.
"Ughah- ah- ah..." Descole threw back his head, but his attempt to laugh was pitiful. The throbbing pain in his head felt somehow distant, . "Go on then, use the key. You can get us all killed, that way-"
"Nonsense!" Bronev retorted. He snatched the keystone from Alex's hand.
The woman huffed and folded her arms - he was meant to be cool and in-control at times like this. Letting family matters get to him - the exact reason why Targent needed a new leader. She tapped her fingertips on her arm and went back to Emmy - no doubt Bronev would require assistance again.
"I shouldn't be surprised. You never did care about your family, did you?" Descole could see a faint blue glow begin to appear above him. So now it decides to activate, he thought. Fate really did play me a cruel hand...
"What?" - another snap from Bronev. Rachel... Even after they had been taken by Targent she had urged him to look out for their two sons. Now their eldest was dying at his feet, and whose fault was it?
Descole let go of his breath for a moment. He hadn't realised that he had spoken out loud; blabbering on - silently or otherwise - seemed to be the only thing distracting him from his injuries. "Y-you!" The man squirmed in discomfort - upon shouting, his vision had become blurred, and suddenly the sound of his own breathing was like the roar of an engine. "You had already proven how low you were years ago," He said. "But-"
Another gunshot rang out, followed by the clinking of metal above them.
