A/N (1): Thanks to PrincezzShell101 for the review. After a bit of deliberation, this will be the last chapter. I decided that an epilogue that I had planned just wouldn't fit, and I was happy with how this went. So I combined this chapter with some of what I would have done for chapter 99. I'm happy with it, I hope your happy with it, so read on for the finale! (Extra author's note at the end)

Chapter 98
Final Destination

"Vladimir… Think about this…" Joshua said carefully, putting one hand carefully up.

"I have thought about it! This is what needs to be done!" Detrikov spat, his usual calm face twisted in anger and pain. "All of you need to die." He swung the pistol up, pointing it at Joshua's heart. "…All of you."

"Control this." Joshua continued. "I know you can. You are strong, I know you can control this. You've already done enough. Killing two cops? I'd give it five minutes top before this place is covered in uniforms. Just… Put down the gun and think about this. Be strong, Vladimir."

"That's the point! I can't be strong… I-If I was strong then Fisk would never have… If I was strong Elena wouldn't…" Detrikov bared his teeth. "I want to see them again! The only way is to dispatch of you… to prevent you from doing it… t-that is what he is telling me…"

"Myers is a liar, plain and true. Stop this… Please…" Joshua narrowed his eyes, knowing that Detrikov was too far gone. His gaze turned to the people that could help him, but it seemed hopeless. Nick was trying to comfort the crestfallen Derrick, who clutched Grace's body close. Dominika was actively shaking and Dorothy was pale. Joshua took a long breath before squeezing his fists shut. "Fine, have it your way. But none of us are going down without a fight!" Joshua motioned to a nearby alley. "Dominika! Get Dorothy out of here and keep your heads down!"

With a nod, Dominika grabbed a hold of Dorothy's arm and started moving, but Detrikov swung his pistol around with a manic grin. "Easy kills." Detrikov pulled the trigger. The bullet shot out straight into Joshua's arm, who had quickly stepped in the way.

"Not quite." Joshua gasped, his arm now hanging limp with blood running down to his fingertips. Before Detrikov could react, Joshua shot forward and slapped the pistol out of his hand, allowing the firearm to clatter across the floor. Joshua quickly weaved out of the way of a punch and latched his good hand around Detrikov's throat and squeezed tight. "Give up… or I'll have to end this…"

"Y-You… You aren't strong enough!" Detrikov thrust his knee into Joshua's gut with enough force to drive the young man into the air a small amount. Joshua stumbled back, gasping, before Detrikov reached down and grabbed the back of his head. "None of you are! I grew up on the worst streets in the world! I know many ways to kill a man with my bare fists! You are all… Worthless!" Detrikov grunted as he span around, using momentum to throw Joshua towards a wall. Joshua bounced off shoulder first, stumbling around right into a punch to the sternum. He collapsed backwards, leaning against the wall, panting.

Detrikov paced towards him, cracking his knuckles. "You d-don't want this…" Joshua croaked, clutching his chest in pain. "Think about this! You don't want this!"

"I DO!" Detrikov roared, spittle flying from his lips. "I NEED THIS! To see Fisk… to see Elena…"

"You don't need to kill us to see them. If you seem so intent on seeing them, then just go ahead and kill yourself! You don't need to screw this up for the rest of us!"

"It's not only seeing them Joshua… I want to… to feel them again… to walk and work and… live…"

Joshua shook his head, now holding his limp arm. "Don't be a fool! That's impossible! What you are saying is that you want them to come back? There are no more Chosen other than me Detrikov! So even if I did want to revive them, I could only bring back one, and even then I could only bring back Elena!"

"No… No, no… No… You don't understand Joshua…" Detrikov ran his hand through his hair, stepping close. "He promised me… that he would bring them back… H-He… all I need to do is kill you and he'll bring them back…"

"He's dead! Gerald Myers is dead! He cannot bring anybody back! I killed him with my own two hands!" Joshua growled. "Stop believing this nonsense! Gregory and Elena are dead!"

"Only for a little while… Only until I can bring them back…" Detrikov lashed out with his hand, curling long fingers around Joshua's throat. Detrikov squeezed tight. "Y-You were part of t-the problem anyway… Joshua… you… you never even tried to save Elena... Back then…"

"Back then? I was nine years old!" Joshua gasped, just enough room in Detrikov's grasp to speak.

"Your mother wasn't! Your father wasn't!"

"My father died and my mother was in mourning, you should know that! And besides, you can complain all you want about my family, but what about Fisk? He sat in a room while others died around him!" Joshua grit his teeth, trying to pull Detrikov's hand away to no avail. "This isn't about that anyway! You are just trying to make excuses. Elena died because of Death, nobody else! And that is what I am trying to fix! You are ruining it all!"

"I…I-I…" Detrikov's eyes seemed to flash slightly and his grip loosened. "…I want to… h-he- Argh!" Detrikov's grip tightened on Joshua's throat as pain coursed through his head. After a few seconds Detrikov looked back at Joshua, panting. Detrikov's grip was far too tight now, with Joshua's eyes bulging. "...W-With you gone… the others… they will be… easy pickings…"

Joshua eyes widened slightly, a dribble of blood leaking from his mouth. Then his mouth curved upwards in a small smile. "…Ain't so… e-easy pickings…"

"What do you-" Detrikov was cut off when a heavy fist slammed into the back of Detrikov's head. Detrikov stumbled forward into Joshua, blinking rapidly. Joshua pushed Detrikov backwards with his good arm. Detrikov stumbled right around to face the hulking form of Derrick. Derrick's face was etched in a combination of sadness, pain and anger.

"Y-You got… a guy who just lost his sister there…" Joshua slumped to the ground, the smile still on his face. "And… he's… itching to let his anger out on something… or… I guess… Someone..."

Derrick let out a roar and smashed his fist into Detrikov's stomach and drove his knee into Detrikov's jaw as soon as he bent down. Detrikov's head was flung back up again right into a solid slam of the head from Derrick. Detrikov stumbled back, now bleeding from the forehead. Derrick let out another roar of anguish and pain and lunged for Detrikov, but Detrikov crouched down and grabbed Derrick's arm, letting the big man's momentum do all the work. Derrick flipped over Detrikov and landed hard on the floor.

"Stay down!" Detrikov hissed, lifting his foot and slamming it hard onto Derrick's face. Wiping his mouth, Detrikov looked down to see the pistol. He reached down and grabbed it, before turning back to Joshua, who was now in a sitting position at the wall. "N-Now… to finish the job…" Detrikov pointed the pistol to Joshua but was suddenly tackled to the side. The pistol slid from his grasp again and Nick slammed a fist onto the downed Detrikov's face.

"I can't let you kill anybody else!" Nick spat, his eyes wild. "I can't let you hurt anybody else!" He drove a fist into Detrikov's jaw again. "Are you going to give up?"

"Never!" Detrikov kicked Nick off of him and stood up. Nick scrambled to his feet also, raising his hands and going face to face with Detrikov. "C-Come on then, cop! I killed two of you already!"

"…And you'll suffer for that…" Nick whispered, his eyes narrowing. "We've experienced so much pain… so much death… We have to stop Death! We have to! You will not stop us, not here, not now, not after everything we've been through!"

"What do you think you'll do to me, huh?" Detrikov let out a bark of laughter, all hint of the former Detrikov gone, his mind broken by Myers. "A cop who can't even protect the people he loves." Detrikov's glance towards Grace sent Nick into a fury. He lunged forward with a punch that Detrikov easily avoided. Detrikov drove an elbow into Nick's back, sending him to the floor. Nick gasped in pain but didn't stop moving. He spun onto his back and kicked out Detrikov's feet, knocking the man to the floor. Nick quickly got to his feet and let out a breath.

"…I… still have people I care for!" Nick growled. His gaze turned to Joshua, then to Derrick who was starting to rise, then to Dorothy and Dominika. "We are survivors… Together. And we'll continue to be survivors. No more will die by another's hand – I simply will not allow it. It isn't about being a cop anymore… it's about ridding the evil that is Death. You are preventing us from doing that… so you have to stop now!"

"I will not stop until I see Fisk and Elena again!" Detrikov suddenly pointed the pistol up at Nick, having picked it up off the ground. "Join her!" Detrikov pressed on the trigger. The bullet burst from the chamber, soaring towards Nick's chest.

The bullet pierced flesh causing blood to burst outwards. Nick stepped back in shock, staring at the man in front of him who had took the bullet for him. Derrick stared down at Nick, having taken the bullet to the back to protect Nick.

"D-Derrick…" Nick's eyes widened. "Why?"

"…'Cause… Gracie would hate me… if I let you die…" Derrick muttered, before falling to his knees with a heavy thud. "…You cared for her… that's… t-that's good enough… for me…" Derrick fell to the side, blood gathering in a puddle around him.

"No! Derrick!" Nick kneeled down next to Derrick's motionless form. He tested for a pulse, breathing out a sigh of relief that there was still one. "C'mon, Derrick! You weren't next on the list, so if you fight it, you can still live!"

"He will not live. Like all of you will not live." Detrikov sneered, the pistol pointed at Nick. "No-one is going to jump in to protect you this time." Detrikov slowly stood up. "I want to stand above you as you bleed to death in front of me, Nicholas."

"He's… completely taken you over… hasn't he?" Nick's shoulders fell in defeat. "Myers has… mixed your mind up too much… just… surely… Vladimir Detrikov… the real one… he's in there, still? If you can hear me Vladimir, fight this! Don't let Myers win even after he himself has died! Please!"

"No-one can hear you, Nicholas." Detrikov straightened his arm, the pistol pointed straight at Nick's head. Detrikov's finger twitched, before his hand exploded in blood and gore. Detrikov screamed in pain, drawing his hand backwards. His head snapped towards a woman standing feet apart with a pistol in both hands.

Beatrice's face was twisted as she stared at the damage she had done to Detrikov. "I can hear him." She said.

"B-Beatrice?" Nick panted.

"I don't know what it was, but something told me you were in trouble. And I cannot let the man who saved my life get killed." Beatrice let out a breath. "Gerald was killed by you, and I cannot thank you enough for that."

"That's my… that's my gun…" Nick said through pained gasps.

"I took it from your room. I hope you're okay with that. Does this man need to be killed, Nick?"

"No! Don't!" Nick shouted, catching Beatrice off guard. "Y-You cannot kill him… you don't deserve the pain of killing a man."

Beatrice lowered her gun slightly. "Okay… Okay, that makes sense. What do we do with-"

"I still got fingers, bitch!" Detrikov suddenly shouted. Beatrice's eyes widened as Detrikov flung his hand up, holding it with his thumb and index fingers, all the others having been shot off. Detrikov didn't even wait to pull the trigger. The bullet slammed into Beatrice's stomach. She gasped in shock, blood spilling from her lips.

"Beatrice!" Nick shouted as the woman fell to her knees. He went to run forward when Detrikov turned and shot Nick straight through the leg. Nick screamed in pain and fell down onto his chest, looking at Beatrice. "You… Y-You bastard!" Detrikov just smiled and walked towards Beatrice, pistol pointed towards her head. "No! Get away from her! Get the fuck away from her!" Nick looked around in a panic for somebody to help, but Joshua looked as if he couldn't move, Derrick was on his back, and Dominika and Dorothy who too scared to help. Detrikov placed the barrel right on Beatrice's forehead. "YOU BASTARD! GET AWAY FROM HER! SHE HAS CHILDREN! DON'T DO ANYTHING TO HER, SHE HAS CHILDREN!"

Detrikov turned to Nick with a deranged smile. Beatrice was shaking, tears running down her face. She faced Nick as well, eyes wide. Detrikov's smile grew. "I don't care."

With that, Detrikov shot Beatrice straight through the head. Beatrice fell backwards, landing in the rain-soaked streets. Her eye, still crying, looked straight at Nick.

"NO! FUCK YOU! YOU… You…" Nick fought to one knee but cried out pain as his other leg locked up. Nick grit his teeth and stared up at Detrikov, who was walking towards him. Tears spilled down Nick's face, combining with the rain. Detrikov stood tall, lightning flashing behind him, silhouetting his figure. "You… m-monster… you… evil… evil…"

Detrikov regarded Nick with that same, mind-broken smile. He glanced up as sirens were heard. "And here they come… but I'll be finished by then." Detrikov looked back down at Nick. "Any last words, Nicholas?"

Nick didn't have any. He just stayed on one knee, tears running down his face. He couldn't do anything… he couldn't do anything when Grace was killed… and now Beatrice… Derrick… everybody…

"So be it." Detrikov sighed. "This will be qui-" Detrikov suddenly screamed in pain as a metal shard was driven into the back of his neck. Blood burst outwards, coating Dominika in slick crimson blood. Detrikov fell to his knees, blood pouring down his chest and back. With gritted teeth, Dominika slammed the shard of metal from the previous explosion into Detrikov's neck again, severing arteries, and causing even more blood to splash out into the streets.

"Umeret!" Dominika cried out, stabbing the shard into Detrikov's neck a third time. Her eyes were wide and lit up, blood completely coating her chest and face. "Prosto umeret'! Prosto chertovski umeret'!"

Detrikov coughed, blood spitting out into Nick's face.

Fisk… Elena… did I… Detrikov slowly turned to see Beatrice's body, the back of her head missing. Was that… He turned towards the slouching Joshua. Did I… His eyes hit the barely breathing Derrick. Did I do all of that… I did… didn't I? He was… He was in my head and he… he… Oh… What did I do Fisk? Elena… what did I do? But now… now… it's cold… and… I see why… I deserve this… I-I want to see you again but… b-but I don't deserve to… for all I did… I don't deserve to see you again… I'm s-sorry… so sorry… Fisk… Elena…

Vladimir Detrikov fell forward with a heavy thud, to join those he loved in the darkness of death.

Nick looked at Detrikov with sad eyes, before being helped up by Dominika. They went towards Joshua and Derrick. Joshua glanced up, pale. He smiled slightly. "G-Good… work…"

"Not really." Nick muttered, his eyes looked at Beatrice. "Not good at all."

"I suppose… now… it ain't over… so… we got to do this quick… before… what happened to Grace… happens again…" Joshua let out a sigh. "So… who is it…? Who'll do it then? Who'll sacrifice themselves?"

Dominika and Nick looked to each other. Dorothy approached the duo as well, shaking from the sounds she had heard.

"…I will…"

The voice was faint and came from below them. All heads looked down towards Derrick, whose eyes were open.

"…I'm… gonna go… anyway… so I'll do it…" Derrick muttered.

"No!" Nick let go of Dominika and dropped back down. He put a hand on Derrick's shoulder. "You are not doing that! You can still survive that and you will survive that! For Grace! She wouldn't want you to do this and I won't let you do this, so don't even think about it!"

"…If I… I-I ain't doing it… for Grace… then you… y-you aren't…" Derrick whispered. "…Cause if you go… then I'll go too…"

Nick squeezed his eyes shut, clenching his fists.

"Then I'll do it." Dominika said.

"No, you –" Nick started what was stopped by the girl.

"If you and Derrick aren't doing it for Grace, then it's only me who could do it. Dominika is blind and David did so much to protect her. I'll do it." Dominika said sternly before her face loosened up into a smile. "Besides, I'm ready."

"Huh…" Joshua glanced up at Dominika. "…So… You willing?"

"Yes." Dominika nodded. "What do I need to do?"

"You just gotta… gotta… end your own life… if you're willing then the wall will break and… it'll be my work from then on…" Joshua grinned wearily. "…Okay… time for last words… now… since I'll be going as soon as Dominika… and my words… are simply… live the fuck on, you hear me? Nick, Dorothy… Derrick, you guys hear me?"

"…Yeah…"

"Yes."

"Of course." Nick dipped his head. He walked over to Detrikov and picked up the pistol, before handing it to Dominika. "Here."

"Thanks." Dominika took a breath. "So… what? I just… shoot myself…?"

"That's about it." Joshua nodded. "It ain't gonna be fun for a few seconds… but it'll be over relatively quickly. As long as you're willing, the walls will break... I'll handle it from there…"

"Okay…" Dominika ran a hand through her hair, shakily placing the pistol on her chin. "Ready… and willing… ready and willing… r-ready… and willing…" Dominika's eyes caught sight of the silver ring glinting on her finger. Lukas… I'm ready. I'm willing. With that final thought, Dominika pulled the trigger.

As soon as she started buckling towards the ground, Joshua closed his eyes and clenched his fists.

Joshua opened his eyes to discover the complete darkness. No colour, just black. Everywhere. Death's domain. He turned around to discover a bright white wall, stretching in every direction. Joshua narrowed his eyes just as cracks started to form on the wall, before it burst outwards. Joshua stepped forward and continued to walk.

A dot in the distance grew bigger and bigger, turning into a completely white figure. The figure didn't seem to respond at all to Joshua. Joshua just took a breath.

"…I used to think there'd be some kind of… fight or something…" Joshua spoke, his voice echoing. "Now… I understand… The fight is to actually do the deed…"

"Can you?"

Joshua grinned. "Miles died because I had to make an impossible choice. Lisa died because I was too foolish to believe we could be first." Joshua's grin faltered. "But it isn't just them… everyone… all the survivors, from the very first, to the very last. I could name them… one by one… but I won't. Because you know who they are. You know whose lives you ruined. And I'm here to end it. Finally. Sure, I wasn't expecting to do this at the beginning… but now, now it only makes sense. I've lost everything. Everyone I've ever loved. Ever since I killed Gerald, the only thing that has kept me going is this. The chance to do something great for the people I fought so hard to protect… I failed them a lot of the time. I broke my promises. But some are still alive and I cannot be more happy. You ask me if I can do the deed? For all the survivors… for my father… my mother… for Miles…"

Joshua smiled as he saw ghostly figures of those he spoke of. His father standing tall and proud, arm around Lisa's shoulder. Miles stood between them with a smile on his face. Behind them, everyone. From Jake and Dylan, to Jay and Josie, to Richard and Grace… and not only the survivors from recent days. All of the lists, all of the visionaries… everyone… it was them that made Joshua's mind up.

"My answer is of course I can. I am ready." Joshua said and stepped forward, reaching out. As soon as his fingers touched Death, the light burst up into Joshua's arm and surrounded him.

"And so… My place is taken. It is as it is. I have no qualms. You will do well in my position, Joshua Valentine."

"I guess that's it…" Nick ran a hand through his hair, now supported by Dorothy. He looked down to Joshua. He was grinning, though his eyes were blank, his body still and empty. "Now we have to believe he has done it."

"Wh-What do we do now?" Dorothy asked.

"Now we do what Joshua wanted us to do. Now we live." Nick said firmly.

"…How about… we get me a hospital…" Derrick called up weakly. "…I think I may actually be dying here…"

"You're stubborn enough as it is. You'll hang on." Nick smiled but the smile quickly disappeared. "We all will. But it's not just us that were affected by this, was it? You have families… friends…" Nick's gaze turned to Beatrice's body. "Children that cared… It's over… but the aftereffects are clear in my mind… so much death, so much destruction… It's over, but then again… then again it isn't over…" Nick looked up to the stormy skies. "…For those we lost… for those that lost them… we live on."

A/N: 194,620 words… 255 reviews… just over a year in the making. This has been one hell of a journey for my last – career-progressing – Fanfiction project. I gave myself a goal and I feel I've surpassed it. I have to say… I'm am goddamn proud of myself – and I'm goddamn thankful for all of you reading, for reviewing, for supporting, and for being awesome!

And thanks to these people for some awesome characters to work with:-

A Mosaic Masterpiece (Dorothy, Jeremy, Chloe, Tyrone, Richard)

Angie2282 (Riley, Becca)

LocalTalent53 (Jennifer, Jason)

Michelle Maria Salvatore (Lukas)

Patts9009 (Jay, Josie)

Meowth's Toon Dragon (Joshua)

And finally the ever-awesome PrincezzShell101 (Derrick, Grace)

To all of them, to all of you, I thank you all.

So while this may be the last story on fanfiction for a while (I have some… ah… secret things going on), I have moved on to something I've been looking forward to for a very long time.

As of this going up, the first chapter of 'The Lone Hero' should be up on Fictionpress on the same account name. That's right, my first every original story, a 'Dark Fantasy', look out for it and read it and review it! It's gonna be a doozy…

So, from me BTolson23, to you my faithful readers, thank you for experiencing this journey of an epic Final Destination. I've loved every single second of it. It's taken me a year – Through a birthday, leaving school, and finding a job – but I don't regret a single moment of this.

I will be signing out on Fanfiction for a while, but do come over to Fictionpress to see just how my mind goes when it's not locked down… My own universes to play with… oh boy…

'Till the future!