Sage:
A fuming Arty stomped out the fire, pulling her mask down. Brushing past me, our mental connection was her tortured screams. I didn't mean to get mad at her. Choosing life was the correct course of action, my head bowing in shame. Climbing onto my bike, an annoyed Arty hopped on. Wrapping her arms around my waist, her apologetic smile told me that everything was going to be okay.
"I realize that we both overreacted. I am sorry for lashing out at you." She apologized before I could, pulling up the digital map. "What do you think is the most discreet way to get there? I am willing to listen." Pulling down my mask, my breath hitched at her request. Did she just ask me for advice? In all of our time working together, not once did she ask me. The usual attempt to do everything by herself had died down a bit, pride swelling in my chest. Typing in the coordinates, I adjusted the map. Thinking back to my days driving around the Badlands, one clear route stuck out.
"Thanks for asking for my help. I am sorry as well. I would much rather have you alive. Is it true? Are you cured?" I asked gently, turning my bike on. "Follow me everyone!" Wolfston's bike roared to life, the dirt crunching underneath my tires. Peeling onto the road, my route would cut the length of today's journey in half. One stipulation was the monsters, a dark energy building the closer we got to the oasis I deemed as a monster's paradise. Arty whistled for Blizzard and Dilly to come with her, Sunny not far behind her. Taking her staff out of her boot, it doubled in size. The four of them charged at the line of venomous demonic creatures. These were the worst of the worst, the damn things not standing a chance. Leaping into the air, lightning danced across the ground. Blood and guts rained into the sky, everybody looking like balls of light. Landing gracefully, my heart skipped at her real smile on her lips. This was the release she needed, the numbers dwindling. Raising her hand in the air, a silent spell escaped her lips. One by one the creatures bowed in her direction, petting them all with a goofy grin. My eyebrow twitched at her response, Wolfston picking up my jaw as she drove by. How the hell did she manage that? Climbing onto a fuzzy spider, it scurried through the forest. Dropping her off at the edge, a pristine ivory tower shot into the sky. Killing our engines, we hid our bikes in the bushes. Well, this was new. Lifting up her mask for a moment, her eyes fell on the spider.
"I need you to be a distraction, my eight legged friend." She cooed sweetly, tickling the fuzzy black shell. "Get out before they kill. Who's a good boy." The spider's butt wagged, a purple venom cloud floating out of its mouth. Catching it, she blew it back. Turning back to us, she yanked Sunny and Alfred to her side. Eight milky eyes blinked back at her, a wide grin spreading cheek to cheek.
"I need everyone else to clear a pathway for us on each floor. The bomb is in the basement." She explained calmly, pulling out a marinated veggie wrap. "Get out if you are in danger of getting caught. Milky will help you out, won't he?" The spider wagged his ass again, her lips brushing against the top of his head. A white layer of protection glowed around his massive body, one look sent him barreling towards the tower. The officers in their full onyx armor leapt into action, all of us sprinting through the chaos. Locking the door behind the last of us, a miniature bug spun around her finger. Extending a claw, she popped us out a key. Letting the bug corrupt the system, the lights flickered out. Ruby lights bathed the crisp white walls, heavily armored officers rushing down the hall. Feeling the wall for a secret passageway, dismay dimmed her eyes. Smashing the end of her staff on the floor, it crumbled away.
"Hold on tight! There has been a change in plans. We are going down." She warned quietly, everyone preparing for a rough landing. "My apologies now." Musty air lashed at my cheeks, our hair flying up. Crashing into a dumpster, metallic parts clanged. A knowing grin spread cheek to cheek, her eyes falling on Dilly and Blizzard.
"This is where you come into play. By cutting the power, I will need you to cut down the infected patients. They should be coming right about now." She stated simply, groans bouncing off the wall. Horror widened my eyes, Arty's body shook violently. Pure rage glowered on her eyes, gaunt yellowed humans sprinted around the corner. Dilly and Blizzard leapt out of the dumpster, their weapons raised. Fighting back tears, lightning bounced off of her arms. Jumping out, she ran through the growing river of red. Chasing after her, chaos erupted above the hole. Following her gaze up, a couple of smoke bombs whistled down the hole. Stiffening to an alert position, she hollered for us to run. Spinning her staff around, the bolts of lightning grew stronger. Cracks and pops echoed around us, the tunnel crumbling in on itself. The tower swayed, the foundation seconds from collapsing. More sick patients headed our way, Sunny swinging her ax around. Cutting off heads, Arty skidded to a stop. Thump! Thump! Her heart was beating out of her chest. An eager Mink blocked her way, Arty struggling to stay on her feet. Clutching her staff to her chest, her widened eyes met mine.
"Go ahead." She stammered with a quivering lip, Wolfston and the others running past them. "That means you too. You are the only one who can disarm it. Go! I said go!" Dusting off her silky white dress, her steel fans shimmered in the light. Running past her, our footsteps echoed down the abandoned halls. Something seemed off, a broken Arty rolled to my feet. Ivory tips stuck out of her arms, blood pooling around her face. Mink's emerald curls bounced with each step, her fans ready to cut us down. Struggling to her feet, Arty clicked her bones back into place.
"I said take care of the bomb." She snapped bitterly allowing her wounds to heal. "I need that bomb disarmed now. That is an order, Rabbit! Glancing down at her stomach, a deep cut oozed blood. Cupping her stomach, blood dripped from the corner of her lips. Wolfston dragged me along, Sunny standing next to her. Alfred stepped up to the other side, his arm raised.
"Not your fight." She wheezed, coughing up blood. "I need you to back him up. The people come first." Taking off the blood ruby, she dropped into my pocket. Cupping my hands, her hair clung to her sweaty face. Flashing me a bright smile, her lips brushed against the top of my hands.
"No matter what you hear, don't come back until I say so." She uttered calmly, her eyes showing the raw terror. "I will just keep healing myself." Blood poured from her ears, a haunted expression dimmed her face. Alarm widened our eyes, inky sludge poured from her golden eye. Running ahead, the team cut down any patient in the way. No wonder the officers abandoned this place, the experiment had gone awry.
"We have this." Wolfston assured me, pointing to the bomb. "You need to fix that." Her tortured screams stole our attention, Wolfston cupping my face. Shaking my head, the crack of her slap stunned us all. Low growls rumbled in her throat, my lips pressing into a thin line.
"You have to do this or it is all for nothing." She urged me desperately, a ten second timer flickering to life. "Make our efforts worth it. Think about Father Ash, and all those poor people who don't have homes." Nodding my head once, my boots skidded to a stop at the control handle. Shifting through my bag, my fingers curled around the pliers. A bead of sweat dripped off my brow, the panel moving aside with ease. My vision blurred, the myriad of information raced through my mind. The wiring was relatively simple, the pliers hovering shakily over the emerald wire. The color reminded me of her hair, my eyes shutting the moment I cut it. Waiting a few seconds, the numbers flickered out. A busted Arty limped in, her hand raised. A white dome appeared over the bomb, the biological chemical seeping out. Concentrating on the spell, Mink charged at her. Alfred leapt in front of her, taking the hit for her. Dropping to the floor, Arty couldn't move until her spell decayed the chemical to dust. Sunny cried out, Arty's arm knocking her to the floor.
"Don't be stupid." She warned darkly, the chemical decaying to dust. "You will die." Stepping over Alfred, her staff rose to the attack position. Lowering it to her side, she crouched down to his level. Feeling for a pulse, silent tears streamed down her cheeks. Mumbling to herself, a wail burst from her lips. Pulling Alfred onto her lap, he lifted his arm. Begging for him to stop, the last of his life force spun in his palms.
"I thank you all for the fun times. It is time to pay you back." He wheezed, coughing up blood. "Fire of the Fennec Fox, destroy the Mink with what's left." Releasing his flames, Mink clapped her hands before it hit her. The tunnel of fire destroyed everything in its path, the raw energy shaking the weakened building. His body began to decay to ash, Sunny falling to her knees. Shaking her head back and forth, her hand cupped the side of her head.
"I love you, Alfred." Sunny sobbed brokenly, holding what remained of him in a desperate embrace. "Think about the sunny fields we visited once." Taking her hand, his bright smile never left his face. Tears flowed from our eyes, Arty sobbing the hardest.
"I love you too, brat. I sacrificed myself." He choked out through a glob of blood, his eyes falling on a shaking Arty. "You need to win. Don't make my death invalid. One last thing, you had better name your next boy after me. I will miss you all. Goodbye." Decaying to ash, the light in his arm flickered out. Struggling to her feet, Sunny punched Arty in the face.
"Why didn't you stop him!" She screamed shrilly, hitting her repeatedly. "Why didn't you st-" Catching her punch mid-throw, she lowered it down. Scooping up his arm, she wiped away her tears. Clearing her throat, the words struggled to leave the tip of her tongue.
"We need to leave." She stammered numbly, giving Sunny his arm. "I am so sorry that he died but I didn't see it coming. I didn't plan for him to do that. Please believe me." Sunny's lips parted to speak, the building rumbling ominously. It was too late, the building collapsing over us. Stunned silence poisoned the air, Arty had a dome glowing over us. Blood poured from her nose, her head turning back towards us.
"I am going to faint after my next spell. I need you to get me home safely. Can you promise me that?" She asked quietly, feeling the fresh bruises on her face. "Blast this into the sky and purify to not spread this horrid disease." A blast of energy knocked her back, the rubble shot into the sky. Dissolving into white rose petals, her body fell forward. Too bewildered to speak, their eyes fell on me. Clearing my throat, we had to move. Tossing her over my shoulder, Sunny trembled in her spot. The numb expression on her face matched Arty's, Wolfston scooping up. Climbing up the rubble, the officers were nowhere to be found. Milky whistled, his leg waving for us to follow him. Guiding through a hidden path, the few remaining officers didn't know where we were going. Taking us to our bikes, concern filled his eyes. Kissing the top of her head, his leg pointed to the blood ruby necklace in my pocket. Dropping it over her head, the blood and sludge slowed to a halt. Writing in the sand, the words camp here laid out in front of me. Scratching it out, he wrote the words I will keep you safe. Clapping his front legs, the demonic creatures began to build a hidden hut. Watching in wonder, they continued until night fell. What did Arty tell them?
Arty jerked awake, her head bowing in the first second. Boots marched by, the officers not seeing the hut. Sunny stared blankly at the wall, her golden waves dripping through Wolfston's fingers. Steph spoke up for the first time, her hands crossing.
"Correct me if I am wrong but may I suggest a way out." She offered sincerely, a distressed Arty chewing on her nails. "I hardly think those two are capable of leading." My eyes flitted between the two of them, the two women were emotional puddles with blank stares. My heart shattered at the image of his bright smile in my mind, tears flooding from my eyes. A star died tonight, my heart breaking by the second.
"Fine." I gave with a long sigh, her dainty fingers wiping away my tears. "They really are in a state of shock. Arty never saw anyone killed on the job." My concern swelled at the sight of Arty scratching the tops of her hands, Wolfston yelling at her to knock it off. The words fell on deaf ears, Steph mouthing a silent spell. White circles appeared underneath us, a couple forming underneath the bikes. Energy swirled around us, everything and everyone landing in our bunker.
"Erase any trace." She whispered to herself, any evidence of the spell gone. "You should probably help your wife." Arty sat up, her wrists resting on her knees. A mixture of fury and sadness burned in her eyes, the tears still flowing. She had never had any die underneath her charge, the guilt was eating her alive. Sunny plopped down next to her, his arm clutched to her chest. Knocking off Arty's mask, she threw her own.
"You forgot this." She sighed dejectedly, giving Arty his mask. "He wrote you a note. I should have told you that he could see the future. I don't blame you. He must have seen you getting killed, so he jumped in the way. I miss him. I am going to go cry now with Mouse holding me." Peeling out a blood stained paper, her hands trembled.
"Dear Arty, I wrote this note three months ago. If you are reading this, I am dead. Not for a lack of a better term, an explanation is needed to be heard. The vision came to me three months ago. The blow would have killed you after you gave up your eye, ruining the whole point of your sacrifice. You need to hear this, the reaper was sent by me. He came to me earlier when you cut off my arm, ready to take me with him. I made a deal with him to collect me in three months but he needed something from you." She wept softly, chewing on her lips. "I want to thank you for the fun few weeks. One more thing, don't let the light leave your eyes. Signed, your biggest fan." Crumbling it up, she threw it at the wall. The mask followed, panic gripping her face the moment it cracked in half. Crawling over , she jammed the pieces together. Worry filled eyes watched her, her wails growing louder and rougher. Her voice kept cracking, her claws digging into the cracked concrete.
"I have this." I informed everyone brokenly, feeling the loss. "Today we lost a comrade. No, we lost a family member. From now on we will honor his memory." Scratching the top of her hands, Wolfston not bothering to say anything. Tossing me some gauze, she spun on her heels to console Steph. Scooping up the mask, Tatty came out with our twins. Struggling to her feet, Arty took them in her arms. Rocking them back and forth, each person went off on their own. Tatty rushed to comfort a blubbering Blizzard. All of us felt hurt, the mood in the bunker a dim one. Glancing over at the dining table, the image of him chatting with me with a bright smile haunted me. The corner of my lips quivered, my eyes falling on the doorway to the gym. Our memories of training him flashed in my mind, my body sinking to my knees. Sobbing into my palms, my whole body trembled. Death didn't need to take the biggest star's light, Arty shook violently in her spot.
"She's going to fucking die! I am going to get my revenge!" She roared thunderously, lightning bouncing off the walls. "No one hurts my family! No one!" Unable to calm down, her hair floated up. Tucking her tail in between her legs, her wet eyes met mine. Her ears flattened, the immense depression crushing me wasn't a new feeling. This time the sting pierced my soul, Arty running off for a moment. Precious moments passed, the minutes feeling like hours. Curling into a ball on the floor, a numb look haunted my eyes. Bare feet rushed up to me, an exhausted Arty laid down across from me. Clutching her close to my chest, she let me empty my emotions into her shoulder. Why did this sting so much? My heart wanted to break, my heart skipping a beat at Arty's emotional strength.
"Death doesn't get any easier." She whispered sweetly, lifting up my chin with her finger. "Time slaps a band aid on it." Kissing me passionately, her tongue danced in my mouth. Time stopped, my sorrow fading for a quick second. Kissing her back with an equal passion, her body arched towards me. My breath hitched at the beauty underneath her fresh bruises, her hands cupping mine.
"I wanted to remind you of what you had. I have to make dinner." She chimed with sorrow dripping in her voice, leaping to her feet. "My stomach healed, so don't worry about that. The twins want to spend time with their dad." Lifting up her shirt, a nasty scar greeted me. Helping me up, her bare feet crashing down the hall. Struggling to my feet, my boots clicked hollowly down the hall to our bedroom. Scooping up the twins, their giggles twinkled like bells. Stealing from my bitter mood, their fingers played with their toys. Not wanting to be alone, Arty hardly seemed surprised at the sight of me sitting in the darkest corner. Getting to work, teardrops smashed against the cutting board. The girls wandered in, red swollen faces greeting her.
"May we please cook with you? We don't want to be alone." Sunny begged through a wall of tears. "Just let us sit here with you. I don't want to be alone." Setting her knife down, Sunny melted into the gentle embrace. Refusing to let go, Steph took over the cooking.
"How about we set up a space on the floor tonight where you can all sleep near each other if you wish?" She offered sincerely, Sunny smiling weakly at her. "You will just have to deal with Lapine and Renard. How does that sound?" Sunny couldn't answer, another round of tears flooding from her eyes. Broken wails bounced off the walls, Arty holding her like her life depended on it. The cracks showed in the way she held her, Arty barely holding it together. Noises banged down the hall, my curiosity peaking. Wandering out to investigate, Blizzard and Dilly were setting up a projector with the memory cards of the bunker's security cameras.
"I thought we could watch the good times we had with him while celebrating his life. I am sorry for your loss. I am aware of how close you two got." He attempted to comfort me, pulling me into a warm hug. "We all miss his bright positive attitude in the bunker. The sky lost a star today." Beginning to sob uncontrollably, he guided me to the sea of pillows. Laying down, I wanted to do nothing. Squirming out of my arms, they rolled onto their backs. A sharp whistle stole my attention, a plate of grilled cheeses rested in Arty's palms.
"Do you have it ready, boys?" She asked politely, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. "Tonight we are going to celebrate the life of Alfred, the Fennec Fox. I had the boys get every footage of him. He was an amazing soul who didn't deserve what he got. When somebody would die in the campsites around the cities, we would hold funerals like this. After the videos, we can share funny stories. Then we would all lay in the same hut to bask in the warmth of their life. I know it may seem odd but we would cook their favorite meals. His was as sweet and simple as him, the profound grilled cheese. May we celebrate all that was Alfred." Sunny clung to her side, Mouse crawling to mine. Guiding Sunny to the front, she sat down next to her. Clapping her hands, images of him helping everyone played on the projector, our hours in the gym tearing me apart. Arty took my hand, sniffles echoed in my ears. Everyone missed him, a shattered Sunny resting her head on Mouse's lap. Resting my head on hers, the film slowed to stop. One by one we shared our stories, everyone passing out at some point. Only Sunny and I remained, Arty's arm was draping over Lapy and Reny.
"Thank you for training him." Sunny whispered with a gracious smile, yawning groggily. "I am so glad you took him underneath your wing. He said that you were like his father, making sure he didn't push himself too far. You listened to his sad stories, refusing to judge him. I can't thank you enough. I know for sure that he would sacrifice himself over again for her. Arty is like our mother in a sense. We all love her. Hell, I would sacrifice myself to protect her. I am sorry I punched her but I didn't know what else to do. Do you think she will ever forgive me?" Chuckling softly to myself, Arty let her hit her until the rage was gone.
"She let you do that. Arty is strange in that way." I joked tenderly, wishing that Alfred was sitting next to me. "Her heart broke the moment she saw it all go down. I don't think forgiveness will be necessary. You can sleep now. I am afraid that I ran out of tears." Curling her body around Mouse's, my attention turned to the broken mask on the coffee table. Time to go figure out how to fix it. May luck be in my favor.