Muerte

"He seems fun. No wonder you like him so much." Mongoose said dryly as Alex was kicking himself. Plucking a book from its shelf she flopped down on the love seat. A casual smile painted itself onto her face as she read.

"Good to see you've survived our mutual enemy. So how long have you been spying?" Alex rebutted as soon as she finished speaking. Taking her eyes off the trashy romance novel, she cocked a brow.

"Rude of you to assume I was." She shot back. "Since this morning." And she followed up after a short pause. Of course she'd be spying. It seemed to be in her nature...

"Figures. You just can't stay away for long." Alex teased to a small chuckle.

"Guess I can't. So how do you want to go about this round?" Mongoose asked nonchalantly, closing the book that had been little more than a prop this whole time.

"I want to try and save at least one of the people Reza killed. No innocent civilian deserves that fate. I think we both know what he's going to do tonight." Alex's voice turned grim as he elaborated on his aspiration. He had full faith in her to help. Even if it was just one person, it would greatly help.

"That's going to be difficult. The Administrator will try to interfere." Mongoose replied darkly.

"How do you know that?" He asked bluntly. "She didn't seem to do so beforehand."

"Because I've been through this before. That's how me and Maverick know each other." Mongoose gulped down the feelings that bubbled up, and spoke as calmly as she can.

"I had a feeling. Something clearly went on for him to know your real name right off the bat. I guess all this happened before my arrival?" Alex questioned, his interest piqued. Obviously, he figured that something happened. But now was his chance to get the full story.

"Yes. I think it's obvious that you weren't the first to experience this. Let's just make sure now that you're the last: the one to end all this." Mongoose replied grimly. Her aspirations were made clear in those few sentences. She had big plans; ones that he wouldn't fail her on.

"Then let's get Maverick here and let him in on this. I'm pretty sure he'd appreciate the heads-up..."

A knock at the door alerted the two to Maverick's presence a few hours later, and upon opening the door, brought an interesting sight.

The dragon himself was there, complete with one of those bite proof vests Sebastian showed Alex that one time. Alongside that was some miscellaneous gear. A stunner, some zip cuffs, and a tertiary pouch below both.

"You're armed." Mongoose began. "Good, we might need that. Come in and have a seat." Stepping away, she allowed him access to Alex's domicile.

"I figured this would be about Reza." Maverick guessed to a pair of nods. "Then let's get this over with. I'd rather this encounter end well, save me explaining to the Chief why I stole gear."

"Let's. So we're going to try and stop a murder tonight." Alex started off the plan. "And here's how it'll go..."

The trio crept up to Maverick's primary hiding spot, observing an impatient Reza standing next to the generator - the same sight that was there last time this started. Alex was chomping at the bit to get started.

"Everyone know their roles?" He questioned, receiving two simultaneous thumbs up. "Good. Let's do this." With that, he slipped out of the bush, fiddling with his phone.

"About time. I was wondering if you'd show up. Now about your bluff?" Reza muttered suspiciously. Alex held his hands up in a pacifying manner.

"I know about the comet. But what about your plans?" Alex shot back, showing a card in his hand.

"So you weren't bluffing... good. So here's the deal. The dragons said it would take a month to make all of our generators. I think you can see the problem with that. So we need to get those as quickly as possible, and scram." Reza exposed his full plan. Now for Alex to do his thing.

"Are you saying we steal them?" The vigilante acted surprised at his adversary's insinuation. Reza's reaction seemed more genuine, his expression darkening.

"I'm saying we get them however we can, even if we have to kill whoever gets in our way. Are you in?" The opposition growled. And with that, he exposed his full hand. It was a shame Alex had to wait just a little longer.

"I suppose so." He said simply.

"Then come on. We don't have time to waste." With that, Reza turned to pick up the generator. Alex pulled his phone and flipped the flashlight on and off, on and off...

Mongoose readied the rifle supplied to her. That bullpup felt good in her hands as she trained its sights on Reza. It was admittedly difficult without a scope of any kind, but she managed.

"Better cover your ears. This will be loud." She warned a waiting Maverick. As usual, he paid her no mind.

"Just do it before he finishes fucking with the portal. And don't miss." He growled. With his go-ahead, she squeezed the trigger...

"Go set the generator between those pillars. Let's get it sent-" A loud Crack cut Reza off, driving a bullet into the metal console and leaving a smoldering hole. Another followed as the two took cover.

"What the hell is going on?! Who went- you." Reza's face contorted into a vicious snarl as Alex revealed his whole hand. He had been playing with a stacked deck this whole time! And now, it was stacked against him.

And part of that deck was a ready-to-fire FN Five-seveN. Another card, when he looked back, revealed itself in a rapidly advancing Maverick. He was beyond sick of these shenanigans already! Before he even realized it, he'd shot Alex in the wrist and chest, and Maverick in the foreleg and wing.

"Fuck you, and fuck your dragons!" Reza screamed as he ran off, with Mongoose in close pursuit. Alex just hoped she could carry out her objectives successfully...

The two waited patiently for Bryce and Sebastian, glazing over their wounds. Alex's blood continued to pour over his hand as it dripped thickly from each finger. Maverick seemed to get off lucky with his wound. He managed to dodge half the bullets at least.

"I think I'm officially over getting shot..." Maverick complained, applying pressure to his leg. Alex gave a dejected chuckle at the remark, pulling off his tank top.

"You think that's bad?" He half-joked, gesturing to his chest. The sight took Maverick aback for a moment. He didn't expect one man to have so many scars. It was almost like he'd been mauled by another dragon...

"As much as I'd love to hear the stories, I need to get this gear off me." Maverick rejected. His company didn't blame him either. Stolen property was nothing to sneeze at, especially when it was from the police.

Speaking of, he drew his karambit and got to work on his wrist. That bullet went almost all the way through his arm. It was difficult to pinpoint exactly where it was until most of the pain subsided. Right in the elbow... of course. He would have to be extremely careful not to damage the joint extracting that thing. The last thing he needed was an unusable arm so early into this...

Alex went to pull Maverick's vest off once he was all healed up. He didn't voice it, but he was thankful for the help. This stuff didn't look easy to put on from his perspective.

"I hope that girl knows what she's doing this time..." Maverick trailed off whilst Alex checked his phone.

"She won't fail this. Trust me, I know her well." The human stated with confidence. It was true, too. He'd been working with her for some years now...

Reza reached Tatsu Park without issue, thankfully. He'd been running ever since that other person started chasing after him. What betrayal he felt when the first shots were fired. He couldn't believe his supposed partner would turn on him like that. Then again, maybe he shouldn't be so surprised. Him and Maverick seemed a little off today...

A rustling of bushes ripped him from his thoughts. Following the sound, he caught a red flash light up the trees momentarily. That was it. That had to have been them. Readying his knife, he sprung from the bushes...

His blade found itself in the throat of a dragon. Their breath hitched at the cool metal burrowing deep into their flesh. But that wasn't it, either. To top it all off, Reza rammed them into a tree. His face sported a look of exhausted horror as he ran away. That was when another person came out from behind them. They were clad in jet black clothing with a strange helmet. A satchel clung to their left thigh, and a holster to their right. The fuzzy vision and mind made it hard to tell exactly what.

"Easy. We're going to get you some help." They spoke in Reza's voice. Something about that was rather unsettling to the dragon. They lifted a weakening arm, which was taken gently and put back down. "Don't move. That will only make it worse. Now let's see..." They trailed off as they inspected the wound. It was deep, finding itself in the lower abdominal area. The soft tissue was likely damaged even more from the impact of that ramming. But they weren't worried about that...

"Why... didn't you..." They were hushed by a finger on their lips. A hint of the real person's eyes could be seen through that visor of theirs. They were soft, holding nothing but worry.

"You need help. I'll deal with him later, don't you worry." Their voice changed on the spot to his own. They were croaky, but those masculine tones were in fact his. He was thoroughly unsettled by that. Not that he could do anything about it in his current state.

"I've called a paramedic for you." They paused momentarily. "I'll stay with you as long as I can, but once they arrive, I'll have to leave." Their voice, his voice was calm in spite of the situation. How could they stay so collected at a time like this?

"I didn't... even get to... say goodbye..." The dragon coughed. Looking to the person's visor, he caught sight of blood in his fading vision. There was someone else behind them now. Someone he knew.

"We often don't." They noticed him reaching his hand out. "I guess someone's here to see you?" They queried, to which he nodded.

"Yeah... my grandmother. She always did her best... to help raise me..." The dragon gurgled. Death was upon him, that much Mongoose knew. She knew she was used to people dying, but this? This somehow felt much worse.

"It sounds like she did a good job." Mongoose paused. "I think she wants you to go with her." She encouraged him. She knew this was hopeless, that this dragon was going to die. But maybe she could help ease his passage.

"You... think so?" He pondered to a nod.

"Yeah. Don't worry about anyone here. You'll get to see them again." The vigilante's breath hitched, her facade cracking. Of all the times people died, she never felt this way.

"You know... I never got your name." The dragon wheezed, coughing up more blood. Perhaps she could spare him that detail. It was the least she could do.

"S- Mongoose. Call me Mongoose. And you?" Mongoose hesitated in her speech. Not that he seemed to pay any mind to it.

The dragon didn't get a chance to answer. His death rattle jarred Mongoose a little. But she kept her cool all the way through. Closing his eyes, she stood back up.

"I promise you'll be alright... wherever you go." Taking a moment to collect herself, she started a call. "Is this a good time, Alex...?"