Deathbringer

"Greatness," he said carefully. He stared at Starflight. The guards were behind them. If only they weren't there, pointing the gun at his back. If only he could fight Greatness and go back for Glory.

What if Glory's dead and it's your fault?

There were two hints. The sound and the touch.

He heard the noise. He heard the soft breaths. He heard soft footsteps. It was barely audible. Perhaps the reason he heard it was because he had trained with her for so long. Maybe it was luck.

It was like madness. The gun pointing at his back, the firm grip, loosened by little. The guards had noticed, too. He knew he was next.

And he jumped out of the way.

For that, as much as he hated Morrowseer, he had to thank him. It was his training that had made him so deadly, after all.

He had jumped out of the way for two seconds when he realized that Starflight could be in danger. "Starflight!" He cried out, reaching for him.

Greatness got shot first. He had darted just in time.

Greatness was aware of the dart the second she crumpled to the ground. Her eyes flashed in anger for one second, and then fluttered shut. The next aim was him, and he knew it.

The guard didn't think so. Poorly trained, he dropped his gun and ran for his life, thinking that Greatness was dead. The other guard followed just as quickly.

The footsteps faded away. He searched the spots: yes, the stairs. It was pretty far, but Moon had deadly accuracy.

Starflight stared at him in suspicion, and he shook his head. "I'm not going to kill you." He turned. "And Moon, your aim is getting better."

Moon seemed surprised. But why wouldn't he notice? Deathbringer had grown up with her. When he and Greatness trained together, she was always behind them, tagging along.

He used to help her with guns. They didn't really talk, but it had been enough- he knew her reflexes just as if it was his own.

They were never close, but she was like the little, precious thing he never really understood, someone he had to protect.

She didn't flinch. She barely seemed surprised. She had always seemed mysterious, with the rumor that she was the result of Morrowseer cheating with one of the assistants. Greatness's mother— Battlewinner— had been furious.

She stepped out of the shadows. The air was clear, but he could smell the rising smoke. "You, take Greatness. Glory's friends, Kinkajou needs help."

Moon seemed like she had found something. Something about herself. She seemed like she was in control. It made him wonder if he would ever be able to find his own.

But you did. Glory.

"Of course," he replied. "Is-"

Is Glory okay? Is she dead? Did she make it?

Oh no. He could imagine her dead body in the smoke. Just like the image Morrowseer had shown him- the dead body of his mother.

What is Glory was dead, too?

Glory's friends ran out of the room, the blue haired one- Tsunami?- still holding the gun suspiciously. Without a word, they followed Moon, not even bothering to glance at him.

He didn't mind. He lifted Greatness off the floor and ran down the stairs. As they got lower, he could smell the smoke.

Some other people were there. Moon raised her dart and Tsunami stalked closer, raising her shirt so that it covered her nose.

They weren't guards. They weren't people from the wedding.

It was them- Qibli, Winter, and Turtle. They were helping someone, lifting up a girl. He ran into the room, letting someone else hold Greatness. The big guy was bleeding. Clay? It didn't matter. Nothing mattered.

Clay seemed confused. He was gripping his bleeding head, breathing heavily. He lifted an unconscious Peril into his arms and stared at him with haunted eyes. Deathbringer shooed him out of the way.

And there she was. Qibli was looking at her. Her face was covered in burns. She was unconscious. But peaceful, in a deadly way.

He stood there. Breathing in the smoke. Tsunami and Sunny ran over to them, and Tsunami managed to place Glory over her back. And then she ran to the stairs, following Turtle and Winter.

He and Qibli ran toward them. Glory could be dead and it will be your fault, his mind whispered. His head throbbed. He couldn't get the image out of his mind- the burns on her face, her closed eyes-

"Guys, get back," Moon shouted over the smoke. "I hear something."

He heard nothing. Only the pain, the despair. He couldn't get Glory's face out of his mind. What if he had lost her? What if-

That was when Scarlet stepped out of the shadows and laughed. Half of her face was bloody- it made him shudder. Her dress was ripped. Her eyes flashed in madness.

He instinctively reached for his gun, but he didn't have one.

Everyone was getting out, getting out as soon as possible out of this hell. To somewhere where they could help Glory.

Qibli gasped and pointed a gun at her, but it seemed like she couldn't bring herself to shoot her.

Moon raised her dart. She seemed pale as the fire got stronger and stronger. "Back away or I'll shoot you."

Scarlet laughed. The laughter eventually turned into coughs. He could see the blood that was on her hand, but Scarlet didn't even glance at it.

"Morrowseer's daughter, are you?" Scarlet rasped. "I saw you coming to save those little freaks. The ones that turned me like this!" She screamed. Qibli slowly backed away, and so did Moon. He followed them.

In the corner of his eye, he could see Starflight calling for help. No. Keep going.

"I will kill you all. I will KILL YOU LITTLE FREAKS!" Scarlet shrieked, reaching out with her jewel-covered hand. "I AM THE QUEEN!"

He backed away and Qibli fired, only to miss again and again. Scarlet was gripping something in her hand. Something small. But the corners of her bloody mouth was tilted up, like she was laughing at a sick joke.

That was when he realized that she wasn't mad after all- just determined.

"Moon, back away from there!" He shouted, reaching out, oh, to do anything. Moon turned and stared at him, her eyebrow raised to say, no kidding.

And then Scarlet threw the bomb into the fire, and it exploded. He screamed. It threw him back a couple feet, but it was the smallest one in their collection- the one that had been bought by Scarlet long ago.

"MOON!" He screamed. The fire lapped at his feet. Qibli got up shakily and she was dragging him to the stairs, away from the fire. The floor was beginning to collapse. And soon, so would the stairs.

He waved his arms desperately. He screamed and screamed and screamed, but all he couldn't hear anything.

He could see her body in the smoke, burning. A part of the fire. The little girl, the one that had been a part of his life without him ever realizing, the one that had been in control of her life just a few minutes ago. She was dead. Burning up.

Qibli tugged at him until he got up and dragged him down the stairs. He could feel the tears, the hate, the agony.

He could see his friends, the worried look on their faces. Sunny asked where Moon was. Qibli shook her head.

Was life really this unfair? Was life really like this? So short and so sad? So brilliantly horrible?

The tears kept falling, and he kept running. Running from what? Running to where? Somewhere better? How could anything get better, after what he had witnessed?

That moment, he wanted to die. But he just ran.

~