Disclaimer: Ebaz: Hahahaha, we can clone Steven so we can each have him. And thanks, I'm glad you liked that chapter even though it was depressing. I go all emo in my writing, it's not even funny. And yes, they do grow old together, so I think that's sort of bittersweet for them. Alright, it's settled- Jace X Larka is totally canon now. And yeah, I actually started learning miles/feet/whatever, but then they switched it on us X D it doesn't really matter how long it is, honestly. And thanks! I felt very creative when I decided to bold those words. Thank you for your wonderful, wonderful reviews, as always. Maeg: Oh, thank you so much! Would you like to request anything? : )

Question:

My Answer:

Characters: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR REQUESTING THIS INFERNO.

PLEASE READ:

THIS IS THE LAST ONE, GUYS! I'll tally the votes on FRIDAY, so once you're done reading this tell me who you vote for in your review! So far:

Odile X Brendan: 0

Odile X Wally: 0

Odile X Steven: 0

Let's change that! I'm not allowed to vote, obviously, but you guys are! So vote! I'll keep you guys posted on who's leading the scoreboard each chapter until Friday! So vote, vote, vote!

Summary: Oh Steven, can you be real please? I promise I won't stalk you. Much.

Choices (Part Three)

The last thing I heard before I went under was someone screaming my name.

Saltwater stung my eyes, and I saw Maxie's blurred form grinning down at me as the undertow sucked me downwards. My clothing wound around my legs, rendering them useless, and I reached upward only to realize that I couldn't touch the surface anymore. My lungs were ready to burst from lack of oxygen and panic.

Odile! Larka keened. Odile, no! Odile!

Help, I cried.

I'm trying! she wailed. I don't know where you are! What part of the lake did Maxie push you into? Odile, where-

Above the surface of the water I saw a red-clad figure- Maxie- withdraw something black and point it towards the water. A second later a series bullets were fired into the river, and I felt one of them slice my leg.

Instinctively, I opened my mouth to gasp in pain- and inhaled sub-zero water. Clawing frantically at my throat, I tried to dispel it, but screamed soundlessly when I found that I couldn't.

Odile? Larka shrieked. Odile, what the hell happened?

I tried to answer her, but blacked out instead.

000

Open your eyes!

A voice slashed downwards through the blackness, but I was too numb to even think of answering.

Odile, I swear that if you're dead I'll follow you to the next world and kill you. So open your damn eyes right this damn minute.

A prickling sensation, faint at first, slowly worked its way into my consciousness, and I realized that I still had a body. I wasn't dead yet. Larka?

Her voice came back at a painful frequency. Oh, thank Arceus. Odile, what the hell happened? I felt your pain, and then you fainted…

The prickling turned into a tingling sensation as the outside temperature chased away the numbness in my body. Slowly my mind cleared, and I was able to focus without my head aching. I was shot, I remembered. I was shot by Maxie after he forced me into the water.

Her anger surged through my mind like a fast-moving current, too overwhelming for her to put it into words, but a new voice caused it to fade into the background. "Odile?"

It was the same voice that had screamed for me earlier, and I opened my mouth to reply, but all that came out was water.

"Odile, open your eyes." The voice cracked. "Please."

My eyelids seemed glued shut, but with a tremendous effort I managed to pry them open. I was immediately assaulted by light, and I blinked rapidly, trying to adjust.

I expected to see Larka, but it was Steven who was hovering over me. His clothes were soaked, showing the lines of his shaking body underneath. The sinking sun glanced off his rumpled hair, turning it white-gold, and his pupils were so hugely dilated that I couldn't see a trace of his irises.

I felt my heart contract. "It was you?" I croaked. "It was you who was calling for me?"

His chest was rising and falling irregularly, the colour drained from his face. "Of course," he said, his voice muted. "I saw you go under, and I-" He swallowed, not attempting to finish the sentence.

Behind him, Larka was standing with her arms wrapped tightly around her. Her and Steven both wore the same miserable expression. "You saved me, didn't you?" I said, though it was more of a statement than I question. I examined his wet clothes through eyes that were becoming more and more hazed over by tears.

"Hardly," he answered, his tone turning bitter. "You were barely breathing by the time I pulled you out."

I realized that I was shaking my head, tears scalding me as they trickled down my face. "You could have been killed," I choked out. "Why would you risk it?"

He looked at me solemnly for a moment before pushing himself to his feet, sliding a hand underneath my elbow to help me up as well. "How is your leg? Can you stand on it?"

"Yes," I said uncertainly. Larka came to stand beside me, and I slung an arm around her shoulder, trying to keep my legs from folding underneath me. I waved away his anxious look. "Don't worry about it. Let's focus on getting out of here."

He let go of me without a word, but eyed me warily as I began to shuffle forward. As soon as I stepped pain screamed up my right leg, and the ground rushed up to meet me.

Steven was there in an instant. He swung me up in his arms, my leg dripping blood onto the ground, and the fabric of his shirt was cold and damp against the side of my face.

"Thank you," I whispered.

Then, for the second time that day, I passed out.