CONTAINS CONTENT:
Brief strong (and obscene) language, discussion of prostitutes, porn, etc. Action violence.
{{Unedited}}
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Marielle slipped back into bed with Vincent, and paused, her eyes growing wide with concern.
The empty area that she’d left was warm; he’d been laying there. He knew. He always knew. He was awake, wasn’t he?
Wincing, she settled herself and sighed, heavily, waiting in the dark. He might have heard Austin get up to go get them some food. Admittedly, this building creaked and rocked when someone moved down the hall.
She sat for a moment, wondering what he’d say or do; she could tell now by his breathing that he wasn’t asleep and she was waiting for whatever was coming next. The only thing that he did was sigh. Then he said, “I love you, Masin.” Her heart hurt in ways that she couldn’t possibly have guessed were coming. She curled into a ball and tears began to fall. At first, she tried to keep them silent, but they slowly became harder to do so as her nose filled and leaked as well. Vincent turned over and put his arm around her, tucking her against his strong chest and into his big arms. She wept further. “I’m here as long as you need me.”
“I need you, Vincent,” she pleaded. “I do.” She shook her head. “I’m very confused. He saved me… he… he’s so lost.” Vincent tensed.
Marielle could feel the tension against her back, and his heart start to pound. She sat up, turning and looking down at him as he shakily reached for his glasses. She turned on the light and met eyes with him. “What is it?” she asked, noting his shaking, she put her hands to his arms. He never shook. How could he tell her? How could he form words. “What did Cory do, Vincent?” His brown eyes found hers and he shook his head, signaling the end of the conversation. He wasn’t going to tell her. “You won’t tell me this time, will you? It’s too much.”
Vincent shook his head, and drew her into him, “listen to my heart, Masin. Just listen… please?”
“Your heart is racing, Vincent.”
“Because I’m going to lose you.”
“No, you’re not… you’re going to protect me.”
There was silence as he let out a long sigh, “I didn’t mean your life.” A pregnant pause. “I meant to Austin.”
She shook her head against the thudding under his bare skin. “You know that I’m not sleeping with him, right? Most of what we did was talk.”
“Most. About the two of you…”
“How do you know these things?” She asked, exasperatedly.
“Because I know you,” he explained. “And I know how you feel about him.” She put a hand to his chest, feeling his pounding heart, his hitched breath. He squeezed her, tightly, “Oh, Masin, Masin.” He whispered, gently rocking her.
“Vincent,” she breathed against his skin, setting him on fire for her again. “I’m not going to leave you,” she promised. “I told Austin that I will make no decisions until all of this is over.”
Vincent shook his head, “No…” he gently leaned her back against the mattress, coming over her body, “You are mine. Make no decisions, let me be it,” he pleaded, then his hands began to wander up her left leg, where he squeezed her thigh, “let me be yours- your only decision. Tell me that you love me.”
“I do love you, Vincent.” He shook his head; not good enough. “I love you, Vincent,” she breathed, meaning every bit of it. He squeezed her left leg. “You’re having a hard time, here…” She read him. “Your mind is full of memories, and sadness; at seeing me with no hair, at losing me to Kingdom, and realizing the depth of the necessity of my connection to Austin.” He stared down at her, the weight of his body gently crushing her, and nodded. “Don’t tell me that you’re not confused, too, my love.” She lifted her head and kissed him, gently. He swallowed and looked down, and she realized what he was thinking as she tucked her lips in.
The night that she came home from Austin’s house where he’d tried to get her into bed… Vincent had pressed her against the door. Whatever Austin did, it doesn’t matter. You didn’t sleep with him… I only taste you…
Dammit… She’d just kissed Austin not twenty minutes ago. He knew. It was mostly to thank him, and to keep him alive; but Vincent knew. She could see the flickers of realization in his eyes that he was attempting to hide.
Deciding to take control of the situation, she raised her head again, and claimed his lips, fully and completely, then slipped her tongue in, swirling, and losing herself in his body and kiss. He gave in, and responded, kissing her back. Then he grabbed her wrists and pressed them to the mattress, claiming her for his.
***
When Klara pounded on the door it was still dark out, and Vincent practically tore it off its hinges. “Do you want the bad news or the really bad news?” She asked, pressing her fingers together nervously. He glanced back at Marielle, and adjusted his glasses. Austin’s head was already in the hall, listening. “The bad news is that it’s hardly four o’clock. The really bad news is that they’re gearing up to plant again.”
Vincent heard Austin curse and slam his door, and noted that Marielle was already up and dressing. He turned to her. “No…” he was saying as he was waving Klara off. “This is obviously a push to get you and him back again!” Vincent cried gesturing to Austin’s room. Marielle was moving into the bathroom, pulling some pants on.
Austin burst into their room, “Obviously,” he growled, then he leaned back against the closed door. “So, what do we do?” Vincent was glancing between him and Marielle who was in the bathroom, door mostly closed, changing her shirt.
“We keep the both of you safe.” Vincent was pulling a shirt on over his head, and went to the desk to put his studs back in, and his watch on before slipping his button up shirt and vest on as well.
“And how do we do that?” Austin asked, crossing his arms tightly over his chest. “At this point I think it’s pretty obvious that whether we’re here or on the map we’re pretty vulnerable.”
“I’m not letting either of you fight,” Vincent said, pulling his pants on over his boxers.
For a moment Austin flicked his gaze away, letting Vincent finish zipping before approaching him. “Yeah, but if we stay here, then we’re also wide open,” Austin said walking towards him and throwing a hand out. “And you need us.”
“I won’t put Marielle in danger, again,” Vincent replied tightly.
“I’m not letting you make that call,” Marielle said coming back into the bedroom as she slipped her boots on, sat on the bed, and tied them onto her feet.
Vincent flicked his gaze from her to him, then back again, “Oh, so are you both ganging up on me, now?”
“Look, I hate to say this, brother… but I’m afraid that you asked for this.”
Vincent jerked around, coming nose to nose with Austin, “I know, Austin!” He barked. The two men glared at one another, panting. “And I plan on ending it… tonight if I can!” He pointed at the ground exaggeratedly. “Think that you could keep your hands off my wife for… I don’t know the next twelve hours?” he hissed, turning away.
“Oh, come on,” Austin growled, letting his hands drop to his sides. “You want to do this?” He gestured toward outside. “Do you, Vincent? Because I think you and I both know who would take who apart.”
“Stop it! This isn’t what’s important right now!” Marielle snapped, coming between them. She put her hand against Austin’s chest, demanding his stay.
“She’s not your wife… none of this was ever real,” Austin hissed.
Marielle turned to him and glared, demanding Austin’s silence in her green eyes.
Vincent shook his head as shame etched the lines in his face. “You’re right,” he whispered. He looked back to him, “But, my love for her is.”
“So is mine,” Austin sniped between clenched teeth. “But you always knew that, didn’t you?” Marielle glowered at him, and rolled her eyes. Why was he pushing this right now? “You know, we’ve all pretty much just… gone along with you and your plans, and your actions not really discussing the fact that you’re the one that did all of this, brother…” Austin pressed. “You’re nothing but a lying piece of shit.” Vincent raged at him, pulling Marielle aside. Austin whirled, catching him off-guard by shoving his elbow into Vincent’s nose, knocking him back. Blood dribbled from Vincent’s left nostril.
Marielle bent to Vincent who was on the ground, shocked and putting his hand to his nose. Austin glared down at him, pointing. “You know what that was for,” he hissed before he turned and started out into the hall; everyone else was already rushing to the room downstairs for a debrief.
“Wait,” Vincent said, holding a hand up. Austin paused, staring at the ground first, then turning to him. Vincent stood and took in a deep breath, then let it out. “I know that you are right.” He glanced back at Marielle who was staring at both with pleading eyes for them to stop this nonsense. “I know that Marielle is right, too. We have to stop, brother.” He closed some of the gap between he and Austin. “We’re all on high alert after… everything that’s happened. I,” Vincent hung his head, “I can’t even stand that we’ve lost Sasha. I hardly knew him and I wanted to know him more.” He glared at Austin. “Austin- you and I… we have always been doomed from the beginning, and yet we were friends at one point. We used to go to the bar, play pool, have a whiskey. We saw The Color of Blood together for your birthday.” This was an action film that had won several awards.
Marielle suddenly realized that she didn’t know when Austin’s birthday was. The only time she’d asked him, he’d lied to her. She decided to file that for later. Maybe he didn’t know? “I helped plan your bachelor party,” he said with a distant chuckle. “You used to put your arm around my shoulder, and tell me that you needed a friend… then drag me off to some seedy strip club to rant about your wife.” Marielle’s ears perked up and she listened more intently now, knowing that the topic of conversation was now back to her. “I wanted your wife, Austin.” Austin’s jaw tensed and his eyebrows came together in a straight line across his forehead. “But I never touched her… never, Austin. Not once. Not until you were divorced and because you couldn’t keep your damn dick in your pants!” He raged, pointing downward, “or your killer’s hands off of her…” He glowered at Austin. “I wanted to be your friend, and I wanted to help your wife.” Austin looked down, clenching his jaw. “She would cry in corners where she thought no one could hear her.” Then Vincent’s voice became deadly serious. “The problem is that you don’t know how evil you are,” Vincent explained. “Or how bad you can be or can get… You don’t know what the potential is for you and your depravity…” He added. Then he lifted his hands in mock surrender and stood back. “You could be turning that way, now.” He stepped back a little. “I have a feeling that you will know soon.” Vincent shook his head. “You’re not going to like it.”
“Yeah, you keep hinting at all of that, but you never just come out and say it.”
Jamie popped his head into the room, “Come on, guys,” he said hurriedly, then he continued down the hall and to the stairs.
“Why don’t you?” Austin crossed his arms and stepped a little closer, “Why don’t you just come out and say it?”
“You’re not ready to hear that, yet… Nor are you ready for what it would do to you.”
Austin smirked and shook his head, “You know what I think?” he hissed. “I think you that you just want to put distance between Marielle and I, and you just want to scare the crap out of her so that her only logical decision is for you.”
Vincent pushed his glasses up his nose, and came within an inch of Austin’s face again, his tattoos gleaming as he turned his spine to steel. “That would be convenient for you, wouldn’t it?”
“Okay, we’re done. We have to work together here, or none of this is worth it,” Marielle explained stepping between them again. “Please, shake, or … whatever you need to do. You can continue arguing about who has the bigger talent or whatever, later,” she growled, flashing a glance between both.
The men scowled at one another for a moment, then nodded their agreement. “Me,” Austin hissed, leaving the room.
Vincent rolled his eyes and wiped the blood from under his nose, turning to Marielle. She was staring at him with her arms crossed and her expression was severe disappointment. “He’s right, you know,” Vincent sighed.
Marielle raised an eyebrow, and jerked her head back, incredulously. “About him having a bigger-”
Vincent cut her off, “Oh, no… I have no idea,” he chuckled, shaking his head, and coming to her as he wiped his nose again. “He’s right about all of it. This is all my fault, and I don’t deserve you.” He put his hands on her shoulders, and squeezed gently. “I am grateful for my time with you.” He drew her into a hug, and she held him back. “Do you really want to go out there and fight tonight? After everything? I’m only trying to protect you.”
“Yes, and I also want to be with Austin. Despite what’s happened, he’s done a good job of keeping me safe, and you’ve done a good job of controlling everything else.”
Vincent sighed, heavily, and that sigh told her how upset he was with her and her decisions. “Okay. Then will you do like you did the other day and stay somewhere in the middle? Semi-hidden?” He asked. She paused for a moment, thinking, then nodded. “Then we can agree on this.”
“Will you please finish with this when we get back?” She asked gesturing to her back tattoo, void of weapons.
He would.
They let go and quickly made their way downstairs where everyone was waiting for them, all half awake, and trying to use coffee or liquor to come the rest of the way.
Liam was standing at the fireplace. “Okay,” he began shakily. “If we can help it…” Klara was crying into Tayane’s shoulder, “let’s do our best to not dwell on the fact that we have lost…” he paused, biting back tears, “another man… and that he was maybe the best man that I-” Liam glanced around the room, there almost wasn’t a dry eye. Sabine was softly crying, and John – under all his heavy disguise – was comforting her with an arm around her shoulders. Han’s face was buried in her hands, Jamie was sitting with her, rubbing her back, and whispering to her.
Wei Ling was in the corner where Sasha had stood a few nights prior with her. Except instead of standing tall, with their fingertips nearly brushing, her face was buried into the wall as she refused to let the others see her endless tears. “Yeah,” Liam said, clearing his throat and wrapping it up.
“What will happen to him?” Klara asked from the back of the room.
“We know that this will be the last attempt to plant a spike and that we’ll be done here for now after tonight… so, we’ll just take him home tomorrow.”
“Do we know that this is the last one?” Tayane asked.
Vincent nodded, “Oui. They only have the two. These things are not easy to make, they take time. Building takes a least a few months. We get this done, we go home for now.”
“If we don’t fail,” Sabine growled.
“We won’t,” Vincent said, succinctly. He stood from Marielle’s side, “We can’t.” He threw his hands into the air for a moment, then pocketed them, again. “I want to say something…” He turned to the room, and all eyes fell on him. “Tonight, a friend of mine,” he flicked his gaze to Austin, “reminded me that all of this is my fault. He’s right, and I’ve been selfish and wrong for just assuming that everyone is okay following my lead.” Vincent hung his head, and looked into the fire. “My negligence from the other day got two of our team captured.”
“Are you just now realizing that you’re a deadbeat, or…?” Sabine hissed.
“No, Sabine, I have always known that I am, as you say, a deadbeat. Would you like to call me some other names, too?”
“Narcissist comes to mind,” she growled under her breath.
“Selfish… egotistical… negligent… rude… conceited… killer…womanizer…” he gestured to Marielle, “well, before Marielle, anyways…” he continued, “liar,” Vincent said, nodding. “Manipulator,” he added. “I am all of these things.” He swallowed and looked down. “And I think that since I’ve been here, I’ve been trying my hardest to make up for everything that I’ve done that I know was wrong. But I can’t.” He looked to Liam. “The only thing that I can do now, is to try and stop this… but I am sorry that you are all involved.”
“If you’re a liar, then how do we even know what side we’re fighting for?” Han choked out.
“Yes, I am a liar.” He turned to Marielle. “I lied to protect Marielle. I am still keeping things from her… things that Cory told me when Kingdom took her and Austin. I don’t think anyone in this room believes that their side is good, do you?”
The room was quiet, they all knew he was right.
“And Sasha?” Jamie asked, gently stroking Han’s hair behind her ear. Austin threw them a glance that said that he desperately wanted to be comforting Marielle. Then he looked down shamefully. Everyone in the room also knew that he was having an affair with her.
“Let’s be clear, here…” Liam interjected, raising a hand to the room. “Sasha knew exactly what the risks were and what he was getting into,” Liam reminded. “He made this very clear the other night and said so. Sasha was brave, and strong, and one of the best men that I’ve ever known. He would have given his life for nothing less.” There were nods of agreement across the room. They all knew that he was right, that didn’t make it any easier.
Wei Ling pressed her face even further into the corner.
Something on Klara’s screen beeped, “running out of time, here,” she said quickly.
At that moment, the front door to the building opened and Chamber came in, raising a finger as if to say, “present.” Vincent nodded in greeting as his double crossed the room and stood silently at Vincent’s side.
“Okay, this is how I want this to go,” Liam said looking around the room at everyone who was available. “Han,” she raised her head to meet eyes with him. “I want you to continue to stay here with Tala. She’s still unstable, and needs a friend.” Han nodded, knowing that after Sasha’s loss, she was unstable herself, and probably wouldn’t be of any great use to them now. “I have Chamber, obviously,” Vincent said. No one argued this. “And I’ll take Kirra, John, and Sabine again.”
“Great,” Sabine scoffed.
Kirra nodded her compliance.
“I want Austin and Marielle together,” Vincent explained. Austin flicked him a look that said, ‘you sure about that?’ “Marielle said it earlier, despite everything, Austin has kept her safe. He’s done his job, and well.” He turned to Klara, “the two sites that are the most obvious plant areas for them are closer to Valorant Headquarters, here,” he gestured to the place on the map, “so, if anything should go wrong, go directly there, not back here. It’s closer if anyone needs assistance.” Everyone nodded, the room understanding that he meant physically.
“Right, which means that I have Jamie, Tayane, and Wei Ling,” Liam explained. They nodded as well; Wei Ling quietly dried her eyes. “Can you do this?” Liam asked her.
Wei Ling squared her shoulders, folded her hands at her waist and have him a single nod.
“Austin and Marielle, I want you to be between sites again, but for the most part, I want you to stay hidden.”
Austin looked to Marielle. -Do you want to be with me? She didn’t return his gaze, but nodded. –Did you… ask to be with me, Marielle? Again, she didn’t look, but nodded. -I don’t want to be with anyone except you. He said. She swallowed hard.
“They’re going!” Klara shouted, glaring at the screen. Tayane drew her into a quick hug and squeezed her hand before joining her team.
And everyone was off, going to their predetermined locations.
Marielle rested her head between Austin’s shoulder blades as they hopped onto the motorcycle, and sped away, leaving the rental behind. Neither one of them had slept. -I’m so tired. Marielle whispered. It was loud in Austin’s mind, even over the rumbling of the engine.
-I know, darling. I’m here, rest if you need to. I’m with you.
Both rode to a spot that was in a fairly empty part of town full of deserted and broken-down buildings, obviously left that way from the war.
They backed into an empty parking lot. It was quiet, and the night air was cool.
Marielle was wrapped around him and when he stopped, and turned the engine off, he was pretty sure that she was asleep. He adjusted a little, and leaned forward a little on the bike mentally trying to figure out what would make her the most comfortable. -It’s okay, Austin, I’m not asleep. I wish I was.
-I wish we were both asleep… together, in bed. It would be so much warmer.
-Mmm, wrapped up with you. She whispered, squeezing him around the middle.
He bit his bottom lip. She could feel his pulse quicken. He looked around. No one. -Sure you don’t want to take me up on that offer and run away?
She yawned, and sat up and away from him a bit, “You know neither of us is ready for that.”
He turned to her, “Mostly, I’m playing,” he explained. “I don’t think that I could run away from this, I need to see it through.” She agreed. “But would I ever love to be back in my room in front of the fireplace and in that blanket again.” She smirked softly at the memory from no more than two hours ago. “Can I kiss you?” She shook her head. He exhaled, understanding. There was a brief silence. The air was cold, and moist, and she shivered. He whirled on the bike so that he was facing her, and drew her against him. “I missed you when you left,” he admitted, combing some of her hair back from her eyes. “I still couldn’t sleep.”
“I couldn’t really, either. I don’t feel like- not after Kingdom, I mean- we’ll never be the same.”
He nodded, understanding exactly what she meant. They’d both been violated, they’d been forced to violate each other, they’d killed people. Marielle saw things she’d never seen; blood, and brain matter, eyes falling out of faces, bits of face blown off, revealing jaw, and bone. She knew that once they were home all of this was going to hit her in a different way.
“I know that I haven’t been.”
She looked him over, “You looked like you were going to go out, earlier… were you?” She asked.
He sighed, heavily, “I won’t lie to you, I was considering it. But I hadn’t moved in like two hours.” He looked off, distantly.
She twisted her head up to look up into his face. “Did you…” Her voice trailed off, but her thoughts betrayed her. -Use porn?
She felt his chest deflate. “Yes.”
She pulled away from him and got off the bike, walking a few feet from him. “Marielle, please,” he begged, gently. “Try to understand things from my point of view.”
“No, Austin… I won’t try. I know,” she said gently, but firmly. “This is why this won’t work,” she explained. “Because you go to these things… you do it when you are suffering. So, you’ll just keep on doing it when you’re suffering, and then when you’re lonely, and depressed, and inconvenienced, and anxious, and-”
He lifted a hand, stopping her. “I get it.” He paused, “but, I don’t want anyone besides you.”
She scoffed, rubbing her arms. “That’s not true, or you wouldn’t have done that.”
He approached her from behind, “It is true, Marielle. My addiction and my desire are two different things.” He took gentle hold of her small shoulders.
She jerked away from his grasp. “Right now, they’re two sides of the same monster, and I’m not dealing with it,” she said, flatly. “You have to find a different way to deal with your trauma and anxiety, and that’s the end of it.”
Pain spread across his chest as the reality of her words sank in. “So, you’re just going to call it?” he asked, shakily. “That’s it, this is over?”
“I already explained my stance to you.”
He looked off, incredulous. “Because I had a moment of weakness?”
“No, because it’s all of your moments of weakness. Because you’ll just keep doing it, and it’ll escalate like it did with Erin, and you’ll be alone again, and I refuse to be that fool that hoped in a fantasy where you changed for me. I know where this will take you.”
He stepped up behind her, again, and tried to touch her. “Marielle… Masin, please,” he pleaded, ever gentle.
“No,” she ordered.
“Seriously? You know what we dealt with in there! In Kingdom- you’re going to stop being close to me because I took the edge off of insanity with some naked girls?”
“Austin…” she turned to him, and met eyes with him, looking him in the face with an intensity that caused his hubris to wither. “It’s not about the girls. I care about you… I care about you so much.” There were tears in her eyes. “And I have respect for myself. You’re killing yourself. Addiction means that this is eating you alive. This is not a healthy response to your troubles, neither is the drinking.” She turned from him, again. “You’ll continue to sink again, and I will not be party to it. I won’t be your maiden voyage. That’s the end of it. I won’t discuss it anymore.”
He exhaled a shaky cloud of smoke into the icy night air as she continued to rub her shoulders, alone.
She didn’t need him, she’d warm herself, and that realization hit him hard. She wouldn’t allow him to touch her now. -Why can’t I touch you?
-Because you’re disgusting. That was a gut punch that connected, and connected hard. She couldn’t stop her thoughts, or the tears welling in her green eyes again. -And you make me feel disgusting.
-How do I make you feel disgusting? He glared at the back of her, clueless.
She rolled her eyes at him over her right shoulder. -You found women that looked like me, right? He swallowed and squared his shoulders. -That’s what you do. I saw the magazine in your room, I saw the woman on the cover. That’s what you do, right? You get surrogates for me. He looked down, trying to understand, and nodding. -You said the other night, I’m not a whore… so stop turning me into one! The flicker of realization passed in his eyes. -You turn me into a whore, Austin, and you make me do whatever you want me to do. That’s disgusting. And you do it when you have a minor inconvenience and to ease that anxiety that you need desperate help for. You told me the other night that you’d stop pushing me and stop making me into something that I’m not… You use these women, and you use them to turn me into something that I’m not! You force me, Austin.
Tears rimmed his eyes; he’d never once thought of it that way and the fact that he knew a little about Tundra now was starting to make his skin crawl. -I want to get better.
She scratched at her arms. -Then stop! They’re not real… I’m real. Do you understand how degrading and unhealthy that is? To have these surrogates that do whatever you want them to do; how that’s… warping your mind and your image of me? Can’t you just enjoy the pace? Savor the slowness? She glowered at him. -I’m no saint, but I want to be respected. I’m enough, Austin. I’m enough.
His legs shook a little. -You are enough.
-You haven’t proven that.
-Marielle, you haven’t chosen me. You’re still with Vincent, and as far as I know you’re going to be until… oh, I don’t know, until the end of time at this point? What am I waiting for?
She shrugged a shoulder. -Maybe there was a chance… but I’ve told you, I refuse to be hurt by you.
-Was? He pressed his chest against her back, and he gently tried to hold her again, but he paused, forcing himself not to continue to try and push her. His nostrils flared as frustration washed over him. -You know it seems to me that you have two pretty good guys vying for your attention, all things considered.
She scoffed and rolled her eyes. -Oh, yes, Austin… the liar, and the sexual addict. I’m sure that every woman is just lining up to be me. They’re all asking where to sign up.
-So, we’re done? She was silent. His tone came out gentler, more tender, -Please don’t give up on me… on this? She was silent still. -I didn’t lie to you. I could have lied to you!
-Oh, so I’m supposed to feel better? You didn’t lie to me; you’ll just tell me outright when you break my heart?
His knees felt weak and the pain moving across his chest was making it difficult to breathe. Realizing he was at the start of a panic attack, he tried to downshift before it got out of control. “Can you give me an ounce of credit, here? I have broken no promises that I’ve made to you, even though I wanted to briefly.” He stepped up behind her again as she processed his words. He was right, really. She hadn’t asked him not to look at porn, only not to have one-night stands and see hookers. She sighed. “Do you know how difficult that’s been for me?”
“Oh, it’s so difficult for you to not sleep with other women?” She hissed.
“No!” He wanted to grab at his hair, but it wasn’t there. He grabbed at his head, instead, letting out a few shaky breaths; desperate for control of his inner workings. If only he could just… grab her, and hold her close, he’d feel better. If only she could be inside of him, she could stop this; she could grab his heartbeat and pull it down to a normal rhythm so that he could breathe again. “Marielle, please,” he begged. “I want you.” She wasn’t responding to him at all; no thoughts. The panic was settling more deeply, choking off his air.
He grabbed her wrist, and whirled her, forcing her against him; desperate for peace. She forcibly pushed him back and he stumbled a little, catching himself before he spilled. But the fire raging in her eyes was enough to keep him from attempting that move again. She turned once more, ignoring him. He let out a ragged breath; waves of panic washing over him. “I’m kidding myself, aren’t I?”
“You love control, I’m telling you that you cannot have it,” she said flatly. “Deal with it.” He laced his fingers behind his head, and bowed his arms. Then he squatted down, trying to get his breath back, drawing his elbows together in front of his face.
Her compassion weighed heavily; she could go to him, find his pulse, and help it back down, but she stood her ground and let him experience this. She knew that he needed it and she couldn’t always act as a shield for him against his own emotions and the consequences of his actions.
He unbuttoned another button at his collar, pulling it away from his chest quickly over and over again, and continued to try and find his breath. –Please help me, Marielle.
-This might seem cruel, but I think you need it.
He stood, and walked to a lamppost for support where he could still see her. She went back to the bike, sat on it, and waited.
“We’re at A site… and we’re already locked in battle, here,” Liam spoke into the earpiece. Gunfire lit up everyone’s earpieces, and someone yelled in the background. “No sign of the spike, or either of our friends,” he meant Cory or Austin. “Just a bunch of Kingdom grunts.”
“Copy that,” Austin said in a thin voice. Then he put his temple to the lamppost and drifted, trying to tell himself to just breathe… relax… just breathe… it’s going to be okay. The mental flash of feminine hands placing a twisted crown of what looked like decaying twigs onto his head hit the side of his head like lightning, and he jerked back.
She glanced back at him, “Are you okay?”
He met eyes with her, and nodded, “Fine,” he said flatly. “Aside from the panic attack that I’m getting under control,” he added taking several deeper breaths as he put his palms to his knees and leaned over them.
Marielle sighed, and watched the lamppost lights.
***
The SUV that held Chamber, Vincent, Sabine, John, and Kirra was speeding toward a black van that held the group that everyone suspected was carrying the spike. It wasn’t at the other site, and according to Liam, no one of any importance had shown their face where they were locked in battle there. Liam also noted that they were all alive, relatively unharmed, and that the goons were thinning out significantly.
The sun was still at least an hour from making its appearance over the horizon and the cover of night gave battle an added challenge.
Still, the team was geared up and ready to go.
Chamber turned to Sabine and gave her a Cheshire cat grin through gum chewing.
She rolled her own greens and looked back to John, who took her gloved hand, lacing their fingers together and squeezing. This would be over soon enough. Come hell or high water, life or death, this part of the problem would be over for a while. Then they could breathe, rest, and grieve.
Kirra – still not over her perceived failure with Sasha – was in the front seat next to Vincent, rubbing her sinuses and silently crying. Vincent sighed, and reached over, taking her hand, and squeezing it. “You’re going to be okay,” he whispered. “You did nothing wrong. There was no failure on your behalf.”
“But I’m the healer,” she murmured back.
Vincent kept the car straight, and right on the van’s tail. “But life and death are not yours to bear, Kirra. They are no one’s to bear. Life and death are in God’s hands alone. Your gift has saved many, may it serve you until your last breath,” Vincent said with the kind of smile that said that he pictured her on one of her four AM runs at eighty-five years old.
Sabine glanced between the two of them, drumming her lip before she put her mask on over her face. But when Vincent let her hand go and returned it to the steering wheel, Sabine looked away presumably letting it all go.
Vincent smirked at her in the rearview mirror. She was still watching out for Marielle despite how much she and Sabine had bitterness between them.
Four motorcyclists came from either side and joined in the chase, opening fire on them. Chamber rolled his window down as he’d done before, and began to exchange bullets with the black riders.
John did the same on his side of the SUV. Sabine urged him to lean back, and she flung a poison orb into the street, which cracked open filling the air with the toxic gas, enveloping one of the riders. He skidded off and disappeared, never to be seen again.
“Could this all be a mirage again?” Sabine asked.
Pop! Chamber took one of the riders down with Headhunter, and Vincent swerved a little to avoid hitting any of the wreckage.
Vincent shook his head, “No…they’re pissed this time. They’re really here. They have something to prove now.”
“Do you think that we’ll see Cory?” Chamber asked from squinting down his sites.
“Really unclear. He might be watching this all from somewhere, or back home, now hoping that whoever this is will get the job done for him.” Then Vincent cursed Cory under his breath.
The party followed closely behind the other van for a short period of time until they rolled into the site where the vehicles stopped.
Several other masked riders were waiting for the van at the site already, and taking aim and firing from the tops of buildings.
One in particular; an abandoned multistory hotel, seemed to harbor at least five shooters, all firing from the roof.
Chamber pulled, aimed, and fired Tour De Force, with a hollow gong sound that split the night’s silence. One was hit straight through the chest and he waivered and toppled the twelve or so stories straight down, landing with a thud.
Chamber’s attention was immediately drawn to the left, where another man was shooting at them from above. “Heaven,” Chamber said, gesturing.
Kirra aimed her pistol, missed, and Vincent did the same, taking that man down.
Then she took in a deep pull of air, and closed her green eyes as they began to glow. She breathed out as she felt her own ability surge within her as she prepared to use her ultimate ability. “I’ve got your trail…” she taunted, feeling her seekers run down to the tips of her fingers, and with a flick of her hands, three floating star shapes that luminesced began to move through the air; soaring to find the nearest three enemies. One of them was shot, but this told Chamber where they were, and he dodged, ran up some rubble, and killed a man ducked behind a concrete pillar. Vincent and the other two guarded him from the above attacks.
The other two seekers collided into nothing.
Chamber came back to Kirra’s side, gave her arm a pat with an adoring smile, and readied himself for whatever was next.
Sabine gestured upward, to the top of the hotel, “Let’s go get them.” And in one fluid movement, John swept her up, and teleported them to the attackers on the roof where Sabine planted her feet, and dropped her snake pit, filling the area with gas as she and John began to shoot at the confused and panicked men. Sabine crept up behind one of the disoriented shooters, whispering, “welcome to my world,” into his ear before slicing his throat.
This was when the people in the van came out and Vincent and Chamber stared with wide eyes at… Sabine, and John – that is – Viper and Omen, they quickly corrected in their own minds.
The pair stared back at Vincent and Chamber with equally shocked expressions and Chamber glanced down, noting that Sabine had the spike in her right hand.
She threw it over her shoulders like a backpack; dangling by a strap.
A body plummeted from the top of the roof.
Vincent and Chamber exchanged looks, and both immediately threw their teleporters down at the right and the left and charged Viper and Omen.
Omen started a teleport of his own as Sabine began sprinting towards an empty building; Vincent hot on her tail.
Both Vincent and Chamber snapped, vanished to their teleporter anchors, set their watches, and pulled them back up into their arms. They’d suspected, correctly, that Omen was coming for one or the other of them, and their teleports confused him, when Omen had reappeared, neither of them were there to fight.
Chamber came from behind and grabbed Omen around the neck with the crook of his arm. Omen teleported again, out of Chamber’s grasp. “Don’t kill him!” Vincent yelled, turning back to Chamber.
Chamber nodded once; he already knew.
Vincent watched Viper dart up the rubble into the building, “Sabine!” Vincent called out, reaching for her as he ran.
Chamber correctly suspected that if Omen teleported again, he’d be going towards Viper, not away from her, and when he appeared again, Chamber and Omen were once again entangled in a fight.
Chamber threw a punch, Omen ducked, Omen threw one, Chamber ducked. Both whirled, and Omen disappeared, leaving Chamber in a confusing cloud of smoke that he backed out of.
Vincent was scrambling up the rubble while Kirra had taken cover and was firing at anyone trying to take Vincent and Chamber out.
Kirra leaned back against the wall and took in a deep breath, lifting her hand and sending her bird out, “Vincent, Chamber! Hawk out!” She shouted into the ear piece. Chamber threw an arm over his eyes to block the bright flash. Momentarily, Omen was disoriented, a throbbing green light encircling his head. Chamber came after him, but Omen continued, still a few feet ahead.
“I have the spike carrier,” Vincent said into his earpiece, “it’s Viper.”
Sabine was in the middle of throwing a kick to one of the men and tossing him off the roof when she made a sour face at this. “One or two more,” she hissed, whirling towards another attacker. “Then I’m coming for you, Sabine!”
John stuck his head over the roof and looked down, spotting Vincent chasing Viper. “Cover going out,” he said, throwing his own swirling black and purple smoke.
It landed in front of Viper, impeding her plan and momentarily throwing her off balance. Vincent caught up to her, “Sabine!” He cried, his hand up, reaching for her. “Please!” Omen dropped in next to her, and Chamber was following quickly behind but there were still several yards to go. “Please,” Vincent said, slowly moving to her.
She whirled, putting her pistol to his face, between the eyes before he could touch her. He nodded and shakily got to his knees. “Sabine, please don’t do this…” he pleaded.
“Shut up,” she growled from under her mask.
Chamber glanced at his path, and turned going up the other side, instead. He snuck up and grabbed Omen from behind, putting him in a headlock.
Omen was unable to get out of the headlock this time; his energy spent. Chamber kept him still for a moment.
“Please, just listen,” Vincent pleaded. “If I have a chance to stop any more bloodshed, I will.”
Viper scoffed, glaring down at him. Then she removed her mask so he could see the true cruelty of her expression. “You think that because I fucked you once that that makes us friends?” She growled.
Omen tilted his head from behind Chamber’s firm grasp. Perhaps, he wasn’t aware that this had occurred between her and Vincent.
“No, no,” Vincent explained shaking his head, “I am firmly aware that we are enemies… Sabine,” he swallowed, hard. “But that moment-,” he swallowed shakily. “You saved me.” She narrowed her eyes at him, inquisitively, the pistol trembling a little. “Please don’t do this thing, now.” He could see her tilting her head back slowly as if considering what he was saying.
Bullets continued to ring out behind them, but there was more and more space between their loud, ear shattering cracks.
“Listen to me,” Vincent said, raising one hand, and putting the other into his right pocket, “I have something for you. It should have always been yours…from the beginning,” he explained. He pulled out a small vial and put it to the inside of his arm. She watched him curiously as he drew blood from his vein, and flicked her gaze to Omen. She couldn’t see his expression behind his mask, but it was obvious that he was staring at this action as well. She glared back at Vincent. He pulled the tube from his arm and stretched it out to her. “Here.” He explained, pleading. “It’s yours.”
She cocked her head, “Why?”
“Sabine,” he whispered; tears forming. Then he came a little closer to her, still quietly speaking, “you brought me back to life.” He was still holding the vial in his hand. “I never should have taken it from you.” She slowly lifted her other hand, the one with the gun remained steadily on his face.
He leaned into her barrel, pressing it between his eyes, showing her that he trusted her in that moment. Chamber looked away. “You brought me back to life,” he repeated, more softly. She took the vial from him and held it up, glaring at the thick dark red, knowing fully well what was inside. She flicked her gaze once again to Omen, who – after a moment – lifted his hands in surrender. Chamber looked to Vincent and Vincent nodded- let him go. Chamber did, and Omen went to Viper, also looking at the vial. “It’s the cure, in my veins. You know it is,” Vincent said.
“I know,” Viper spat and it translated as shut up.
Vincent slowly stood before her, his hands still raised in surrender. “Cory has you all under a delusion; a spell. He’s told you all something, but I have the real answer, lower your gun and I will tell you,” he said shakily. She slowly did, her eyes fixated on his face as intimate memories past between them. Chamber was ready to pull Headhunter.
Vincent came in, towards her right ear, and whispered, “The cure is inside Cory and Finola’s blood. He’s told all of you that only I have it… to hurt me more. He’s lied to you all. But everything that you need- the cure,” he flicked his gaze to Chamber who knew what he was about to say as well, “how am I able to stay here without breaking down… it’s all there in my DNA. You’re a genius, you’ll work it all out.” Sabine took in a deep, quick breath at his words, “Go back home, and recreate it. You have the necessary information, and now the sample; take it. Give it to Omen, and anyone you want, and get the research out of there.” She looked down at the vial again, narrowing her eyes. Then Vincent’s tone became deadly serious. “We’re coming and we’re going to take Valorant down.” Viper flicked her gaze to him. He paused, “Run. Cory will kill you for this, you know that he will. Run, and hide until the job is done,” he finished, and a tear finally moved down his cheek before he gently kissed hers. “Thank you,” he breathed.
She watched him back away with compassion and hatred warring in her eyes, something passing between them that only they could understand- no words needed.
She stared at him for a moment longer before her own eyes filled with tears, and she took a step back.
Omen’s hooded face looked to the ground, “I do not wish to kill you, Chamber,” he said, referring to Vincent. He turned towards him, “You helped me, too.” Vincent nodded, his eyes flicking between Sabine and him. Omen touched her shoulder, “Come… wife,” he whispered, stretching his hand to her. Vincent’s heart warmed, and he smiled softly; satisfied… wife. That was new. “Let us shed no more blood tonight.”
Her lovely green eyes stared at the ground for a moment before she nodded her response and turned, taking his hand. She set the spike down on the ground and bent, pulling something out of it, dropping that something to the ground and stomping on it. “It won’t work now,” she whispered. Then she turned with Omen and the two opened portals from the devices on their wrists, and stepped through them simultaneously.
Before it completely closed, Viper met eyes with Vincent. “Thank you,” she mouthed. He nodded. Thank you.
Vincent went to his knees, panting. He pressed his earpiece, “Spike defused,” he said.
***
Austin was sitting at the base of the lamppost, knees drawn up to his chest when they got the message to fall back. He looked like a little boy who’d been punished and sent to a corner; not saying anything for a long while. But Marielle could see that he was breathing a bit more evenly as she approached him.
-How are you doing?
He looked up at her distantly, exhaustion edging every corner of his eyes. -Marielle? Please tell me that you’re not just separating us? She was silent, even in her thoughts. -I’ve never begged a woman before. He continued his nevers list. -Not about something like this. I don’t get on my knees for anyone. But I will beg you. Standing, shakily, he kept still for a moment, staring at her with sad, needy eyes. Maybe he was hoping that she’d finally give him relief from the intense anxiety pulsing through his veins. She didn’t move. –I just… want… to be with you.
She didn’t answer him.
Staggering a little, he went to the bike, and gestured for her to come to him. She did, and straddled the seat, still quiet both in her thoughts and with her words.
He paused before starting the engine; it rumbled to life beneath them. “Darling,” he pleaded. “Please.” She didn’t answer him. He looked down, terrified of the silence. “He’s a good villain,” he said, referring to Vincent, “and I’m a bad hero. And our worlds keep colliding… and everything is confusing.”
He started the bike and they began back out into the street.
They’d only ridden for about a mile before everything went silent altogether. Then upside-down… because the world seemed to crash and topple around them as the bike skidded on something they hadn’t been expecting in the road.
Ice.