Danny's apologetic smile is the last thing Kovich sees before the pain forces his eyes shut. A furred hand claps over his mouth, and an icy claw slips between his lips. His throat burns and he struggles against the wall holding him in place. The pain is overcome with a dull, warm numbness that clouds his thoughts.
"Are you sure you want them to live?" The voice asks.
"Ye–"
"–Do as you see fit," the familiar voice of Samantha Manson reaches his ears, interrupting her fiance.
A muffled, indistinct noise from Kovich's right - Ramirez, likely reacting to the appearance of his 'dream girl'.
"I don't care so long as I never have to lay eyes on their filth ever again. Let's go, Danny."
A delicate hand snatches a key from Kovich's pocket, and Danny's cuffs fall to the floor with a distinct 'clink!'. Kovich blinks rapidly, attempting to clear his seared vision, but gets little more than blurry, indistinct darkness.
"We have to hurry," The voice urges.
His eyes feel almost sticky as his vision blurs. Ramirez has fallen unusually silent, and Kovich realizes that the icy lump on the floor is none other than his eccentric companion. His thoughts slow to a crawl as his own blood flow begins to slow, his eyelids simultaneously incapable of staying open, yet struggling to close.
I'll…
I'll kill you…
His world goes dark, and it's not long before the heart of the dreaded pirate, Yulian Kovich, slows to an eternal stop.
ZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzBREAKzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzZ
A pair of extra-dark sunglasses provided by the yeti of the Far Frozen had protected her sight, and Blizzard had moved with deadly speed to immobilize the two pirates. As of the moment, the yeti has a frigid gag in the pirates' mouths. Their feet are frozen to the stone.
"Sam."
The smile in Danny's voice warms the fury in her chest, filling her with the desire to rush forward and kiss him. A look at his dirty and gaunt face, however, chills her blood again. His pale skin is covered in bruises and tiny scratches. His wrists are encircled by cuffs that have rubbed them raw, staining their edges with his humanity.
However, too much of his own blood still stains his clothing, a grim reminder that Daniel Fenton is not entirely human.
"Are you sure you want them to live?" Blizzard asks from behind Kovich.
"Ye–" Danny starts.
"–Do as you see fit," Sam interrupts.
Ramirez makes a muffled cry, his thoughts slamming into her. ::That's my girl!::
She grimaces, the thought of earning his approval accompanied by a wave of nausea. Her fingernails bite into her palm. "I don't care so long as I never have to lay eyes on their filth ever again. Let's go, Danny."
She snatches the key from Kovich's pocket, unlocking her fiance's shackles.
"Sam…"
"I know," she whispers, her cold fingertips tracing those warm, painful marks of his humanity. She wishes she could get rid of them herself. "But…"
The sharp sound of creeping ice reaches her ears, devouring the wicked thoughts of Ramirez. It's an odd feeling, like a fan gradually slowing to a stop.
"We have to hurry," Blizzard reminds them urgently.
::I'll kill you…::
Kovich's thoughts are silenced before she can reply.
::Too bad, I got you first.::
ZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzBREAKzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzZ
She's so warm, Danny thinks to himself, tightening his grip around his fiancee's trembling shoulders.
::Weirdo,:: she sniffles in his mind.
::Whoops. You weren't supposed to hear that.::
She smacks his chest jokingly. ::You scared us all half to death!::
::So…more halfas? Ow-ow–! Sorry, it wasn't funny!:: He presses a brief kiss to her lips, relishing the feeling, the pleasant way it warms his body.
"Not a bright move, holding those little assemblies every day, was it?" Maddie questions.
"Indeed," Blizzard nods, "He should've at least left the patrols going."
"He was fixated on the idea of me surrendering," Danny frowns. "Really fixated. I thought he didn't want me to become some sort of martyr but there has to be a limit, right?"
"I would think so, since he got the edge on you in the mortal realm," Sam agrees.
"And I'm powerless for the time being. It'll be a while before he notices that I'm gone, though."
"That's good. It'll give you time to rest," Maddie nods.
::How are we going to beat him, though? Did you just underestimate him last time?::
::No, I…:: Danny's thoughts meander, returning to his conversation with Death about the 'True Crown'.
::... Danny, what's that? Pariah's trial? Why do you–?::
::–Ah, just… I'm still figuring it out. I think I need some more sleep, though. And food. Mortal food.::
It isn't long before he drifts off in his seat, his head resting against Sam's shoulder.
A/N: I know you were probably expecting this to be much more of a climax but trust me, the real point is...if I actually stick to my (revised) outline, 1-2 chapters away! (I've been spending so much time trying to build up to it dangitt. Why is it such a struggle? Lol)
