So this is it.

This is how the infamous leader of Black Cross dies.

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Plumes of smoke cover the sky, preventing all but a few rogue ray's of light from piercing through. The afternoon sky is obscured by a black smog that seems to suffocate even the sun itself.

To my left my friends fight a losing battle, everyone I love and hold dear to me fall one by one or are stuck in a disadvantageous stalemate.

To my right a sea of flames flood our base of operations, 7 years of blood, sweat and tears burnt to ash. The blistering heat from the fire leaves me drenched in sweat, sapping away at what little energy I may have had left.

The sound of gunfire dies down and soon enough only the sound of crackling flames can be heard around me. Almost as if they were taunting me. 

"Hello....? Is anybody left alive out there?" A familiar raspy female voice can be heard amongst the carnage

"Virgo?" I manage to reply, my dry mouth leaving me with a hushed whisper "Are... Are you okay?"

Seconds go by without an answer, but to me they feel like an eternity.

I start to call out once more but I'm cut short. "I've not got much longer before I'm gone I don't think, they got me good. Barely missed my heart, but the bleeding won't stop, with Gin gone we're pretty screwed anyhow so it doesn't make much of a difference whether or not they hit my vitals anyways."

"So Gins dead? Fuck...Who else is gone?"

I knew the news wasn't good, all I had to do was look around me and I knew my answer. But part of me still held out hope, part of me wanted to believe at least one of my friends had managed to escape, hopefully unharmed, but I know that was asking for far too much. I can't help but think of all of their faces, we had a large family but I knew them all by name.

Their names, age, history. Their story. They were more than just members of Black Cross. They were no different than family to me. For a few seconds I'm left reminiscing about the past, happy memories floating around in my head.

"Where do I even start..."

Virgos voice snaps me back to reality, I brace myself for the news.

"Gin, Scarlett, Xavier, Viola, Jack, Manson, both King and Prince, The Twins. That's all that I know of for sure. We lost contact with B and C squad not long after the battle began. It seemed like B squad was hit the hardest, judging from their last few calls before we lost contact."

Tears begin to form in my eyes, but my body's become so dehydrated all it serves to do is moisten my eyes a little. I clench my fist and compose myself before replying.

"I'm sorry Virgo... I've let you all down."

I don't know how but I manage to not choke on my words. An overwhelming feeling of grief and guilt wash over me. A sick feeling in the pit of my stomach drives me crazy. At least soon I won't be alive to feel all of these negative emotions, I'll just fade to black. Into nothingness.

"Don't blame yourself Boss, we knew the odds were against us from the start. Through victory and defeat, we'll always stand by your side."

"Thank you Virgo..."

"No, thank you Boss-"

Just as she finishes her sentence I hear her break out into a nasty coughing fit. Sickly wet coughs, that's never a good sign.

"Virgo?"

I wait a while before calling out again,  scared of the silence that I'm certain will follow.

"... Virgo?"

Seconds turn into minutes, it feels neverending. A torrent of emotions assails every fiber of my being. Guilt, regret, anger, remorse, immeasurable sorrow and emptiness.

Despite the blazing inferno devouring everything around me my body feels cold.

A skin tingling type of cold, that sends millions of tiny little pricks throughout my body; sapping away any and all energy I have in reserve. Hungrily enveloping my entire being, consuming me.

I stare aimlessly into the sky. My vision begins to fade.

I wish I had prevented this.

I wish I could do things differently.

If only I had the chance.

That was all I could think of before everything went black.