Her scalp was in agony. That's what she noticed as she was dragged along the floor. The next thing was she couldn't move her head. And the last detail she noticed was her nose, which felt like it had been broken. Probably from the gun cracking down on it. She grabbed at her hair, feeling the cold metal of Corrupted's hand holding it tightly.
Yetta panicked, trying to yank herself free as panicked whimpers started to leave her throat. "Shh, shh. It'll be ok, Little Rabbit. You'll be fine," Corrupted crowed. "You'll feel everything, but that's not my fault."
The hunter's panicked eyes flicked around the room, settling on Crow. He was pinned to the wall by Stasis shards, one in each of his shoulders. Golden red dripped to the floor, dark and thick. He was unconscious, a trickle of blood trailing down his face. Corrupted reached the end of the room, tossing Yetta at the wall. "Do you remember me?" the antlered exo asked, leaning down. Her cold fingers gently stroked Yetta's cheek. "I remember you. Such pretty skin. It's a shame that flesh rots so quickly."
"Yetta!" She could hear Crow's weak shout, head snapping over. Corrupted, on the other hand, looked over calmly. "Let her go!"
"Brave, brave boy." Corrupted straightened, walking over. "Look who's finally awake. You know, she was about to turn and run, leaving you to me," she laughed, gripping his chin and turning it to face Yetta. "The coward's way out, of course."
"Good." The answer surprised both women. Crow continued. "If it means she can last longer, good."
Corrupted scoffed. "Sickening," she jeered. She turned back to Yetta. "Have you dreamed about me, dear girl? I just *know* you wanted to return, to come back and finish what you started. Oh, and here you are! Back where you belong! At the end of my sword."
"I belong with *my* Carman," the huntress bit. "Not with you."
"Oh, but you're wrong, dear. See, I never leave a toy unfinished." Corrupted stroked Crow's cheek, sharp shards of Stasis digging into the skin. "And you brought a gift for me! Sweet, sweet lover boy here! He wouldn't stop begging me to leave you alone." Her tone turned pouty, mocking. "Such a shame, really. I thought you two would have put up more of a fight. Now…who to start with, who to start with?"
. . .
Yetta stayed on the floor, Crow was still pinned to the wall. Corrupted had left the room, needing to decide who she was ripping apart first. "Crow?" Yetta called out.
"I'm here." His words were labored, nothing like the bravado he'd displayed earlier. "I'm here."
"We're not leaving alive, are we?" she asked. Her voice shook, and she crawled over to where he hung, trying her best to sit up.
"Don't talk like that," he ordered. "We'll get through this."
"Yeah, with a miracle." Yetta leaned her head on his dangling leg, sighing softly. "Do you think Carman, our Carman, is looking for us?"
"If she hasn't burned the world down already, yeah." Crow took a deep breath, trying to stay still as to not aggravate the shards in his shoulders. "She'll find us. She'll save us."
"What if she doesn't get here in time?"
"Then this time line burns to the ground. Simple. It won't exist anymore. There won't be anything left." Crow gently nudged her head with his leg. "I'd say cheer up, but that gash is bleeding again, I'm basically hung on meat hook icicles, and we're faced with near certain doom. That wouldn't do any good, would it?"
"Now who's being bleak?" Yetta weakly chuckled. "I think, I think I can tap into my Arc, if push comes to shove. It's been building up, I know it has. It was ready to cast days ago."
"If you're going to do what I think you're going to do- you'll die. Need I remind you that your guts almost spilled out the other day?"
"Worth it." Yetta sighed softly, looking at her hands. "This Carman is nothing more than a killer robot. If I use enough Arc, it can fry her systems, kill her that way."
"Yetts…" He sounded mournful. "Please don't…and if you have to do it, wait until I'm dead."
"No!" How she managed the shout, she didn't know. She collapsed back on the wall. "No. I won't."
"I won't see you basically electrocute yourself. I won't."
"Then don't watch."
. . .
The final hour had arrive, Corrupted dragging Lament behind her. "I've decided, after much deliberation," she cheered. Yetta woke up, eyes splitting open. "I'll just continue where I left off. Dear Crow," she turned her head to meet his eyes. "You'll be next. My grand finale." She chuckled. "And you, dear boy, can watch the show!"
"Leave him out of this," Yetta growled. "He's not what you want."
"Oh, but he is. You both are." Corrupted leaned close to Yetta. "You both have weak flesh, causing you nothing but suffering. I can bring you an end to your suffering. That's all I want. All I can give you, Little Rabbit."
"Cut the bullshit," the hunter spat. The world around her seemed to spin, static filling the air. Her eyes widened in recognition.
"It's not bullshit, Dear. It's the truth." The exo leaned down in front of her, gently petting her cheek. The sharp stings of multiple tiny crystals embedding themselves into her cheeks emerged. The audio slipped in and out of focus.
Yetta closed her eyes, and nodded, before Corrupted could say another word. "Do it, then. Or are you stalling?"
"Yetta?" Crow asked, fearful. "What are you- what are you doing?"
The instant that the world began to turn black, Yetta grabbed onto Crow's legs, and let herself fall forwards. Lament roared distantly behind her, and she closed her eyes, letting herself relax.