WARNING: Upsetting and very graphic content.

Finian's body seemed to vibrate ever so slightly, and it was keeping him alive somehow.

"That's it, you're doing great, Fin. Someone's on their way."

"You're... so bad... at l-lyin', M-mel."

Imelda chuckled, though the tears in her eyes revealed her true emotions. "Not true.
I've been lying about you being my friend for all these years."

Finian laughed, small amounts of green liquid dribbling out of his mouth as he did so.

"Mel... I c-can't keep going..."

"Shut up!
You can!
Look, I'll get you that medicine to speed up the process as soon as I can, but you don't need it.
You've healed without it before."

"Yeah, but... I wasn't in a room full of Yew X."

Imelda frowned.
"Come on!
The Finian I know doesn't quit."

"P-please, Mel..."

"Finian–"

"I'm scared, Imelda."

Imelda's face softened.

All at once, she was forced to confront everything her mother warned her about.

"Imelda?"

"I can't watch you die, Finian."

Even as the words left her mouth, she felt more weights crashing down on her, as opposed to being lifted off.

"It's ok... you don't have to sit with me."

"Don't be stu–"

"I don't want you to be sad, Imelda. Can't... can't see you hurting..."

Imelda felt her heart crumble, and she finally let her tears break out of their cage.

She reached forward and placed her head on Finian's chest, sobbing against it.

"I don't deserve you, Fin."

Finian's hand gently caressed Imelda's face.
She lifted her head up slightly, so that her chin was resting on Finian's chest.

"You deserve to be loved, Imelda."

"Finian–"

"Love... it doesn't make you weak.
I know... I know that's wh-what you've been taught, but... it's not true, Imelda."

He wiped away her tears, wincing in pain as more green liquid dribbling down his chin.

"Don't ever think that you don't deserve love, Imelda.
You h-have to... p-promise me, ok?"

"Finian..."

"Promise me.
P-please."

Imelda refused to believe that these were his dying words.
So, she didn't want to make a promise she wouldn't keep.

But looking into his eyes, reflecting on all they had been through together... well, it made her response feel like the only right answer for her.

"I promise."

★★★

Aoife slashed the nearest fighters in each of their legs, before heading towards the ringleader.

The ringleader didn't look fazed at all. In fact, she looked rather amused.

Ashryn couldn't help but feel quite glad that Aoife and the ringleader were fighting.
The ringleader seemed like more than a formidable fighter, and right now, Ashryn wanted to see Aoife in pain.

Aoife's katana sliced through the air, but the ringleader grabbed it before it could connect with her chest.
The ringleader gripped the katana tightly, her blood staining it.

To Aoife's surprise, the ringleader seemed to be enjoying the pain.
Not missing a beat, Aoife kicked the ringleader's stomach, making her double over in pain.

In amongst the commotion, Oren had made his way to Alessa, after making sure Faizah was ok.

The ringleader noticed this, and cocked her head to the side as she watched Oren tentatively help Alessa sit up.

Out of the corner of his eye, Raphael noticed one of the fighter's put something in Calihan's hand.
Unsure whether to speak up or not, Raphael just turned a blind eye to it.

Aoife used the ringleader's fascination with Oren to her advantage.
Whilst she was distracted, Aoife plunged the katana into the top of the ringleader's back, before slicing down her spinal cord.

The ringleader screamed out in pain, red smoke leaving her body, through her mouth, before falling to the ground.

A few seconds later, the ringleader and the fighters disintegrated, leaving pools of their blood behind.

★★★

"Wh-why were y-you so mad... that I w-want to d-do the T-trainer's programme?"

"Oh, it doesn't matter."

"It d-does."

"No, it's not important right now."

Finian's pleading eyes stared back at her, and the longer she looked, the harder she found it to resist.

"I just... it's in another town and I didn't want... I was going to miss you, ok?
You happy?"

Finian grinned.
"You lurve me."

"You're stoo-pid."

The pair chuckled.

"I'll miss you too.
Or, atleast, I would–"

"You're not dying, Finian!"

"Come on, Imelda!
I'm... I'm not surviving this."

Desperate to change the subject, Imelda searched for another topic to keep him talking.

"What do you think the training programme will be like anyway?"

"Don't know.
Turned it down."

Imelda's eyes widened.
"What?
Why?"

"Too much here worth staying for."

Imelda couldn't help but smile at this. Maybe it was the intensity of the situation, but she found herself leaning closer, until their faces were inches apart.

Her eyes flitted from his eyes to his lips. Before she could close a gap, she felt something brush against her leg.

She gasped when she saw a bone white vine near her leg.
She kicked at it, but that only seemed to make it grow faster.

"What the h*ll?
I thought this only happened–"

"At the end."

As if on cue, hundreds of vines sprouted from Finian's body, with some wrapping around Imelda's leg.

"You have to go, Imelda!"

"I-I can't!"

"Don't be a hero, Mel!"

"No, I mean, I can't!"

Finian's eyes widened when he saw the vines that hugged Imelda's leg.
He frowned when Imelda groaned, desperately trying to break free.

Without one second of hesitation, Finian pulled himself up and grabbed the vines on her leg.

"Fin, what are you doing?
You need to conserve your energy!
You know what will happen if—"

"You're not dying here, Imelda!
Not here, not now."

The pair tugged at the vines, trying to find the weakest area.
The other finds slithered towards them, like predators honing in on their prey.

"There are too many of them!"

"As soon as I rip them off, you need to run the h*ll away, ok?
Try and find a way out!"

Imelda winced.
"Fin, they're really tight..."

After what seemed like hours, Finian was able to pull the vines off Imelda's leg.

She scurried away, her leg throbbing with pain.
She looked back, her heart sinking to the floor when she saw Finian passed out, the last of the vines wrapping around his face.

"Finian!", she yelled, before letting out one final blood-curdling scream.

A burst of light appeared, and Imelda made out the faint outline of a shutter opening.

"Imelda?
Finian?
It's Olga!"

★★★

Whilst a thorough sweep of the agency was underway, the agents remained in the atrium.
Those with minor injuries were treated there, whilst Finian, Faizah and Alessa were treated in the Clinic.

Sophia, who had completed an emergency first aid training last year, helped tend to the agents with minor injuries.

"Are you ok?", asked Sophia, approaching the trainees.

"Physically?
Yes.
Emotionally?
A definite no", replied Raphael.

"Where did Head Guard Aoife learn to fight like that?", questioned Rhiannon.

"She's been doing this for a long time."

"Sophia... what was that woman saying about Agent Arden's mother?", asked Rhiannon.

Sophia looked down, a pensive look on her face.
"I-I don't think I should–"

"Please tell us.
We don't know anything about her other than that she's terrifying", said Makoto.

"She's our Handler after all", said Ashryn.
"We deserve to know."

Sophia sighed.
"I guess you're right.
This doesn't leave the room, alright?"

The trainees nodded.

"There were many missions to help save Agoraville.
Alessa's mother—Violet Arden, went on one of them.
She didn't die there, but she sustained some pretty serious injuries.
She never really recovered, and she succumbed to her injuries a few years ago."

Hi!

This was a VERY long 3 parter!

I'd actually really like some feedback on it please! Personally, I felt like it was too cluttered. The other chapters were quite simple, and just focused on the training, and then this chapter was just so chaotic.

If you agree, I am open to any suggestions on how to improve and make it less cluttered!

I would also love to hear your thoughts on the description parts for all 3 chapters please!

I know the trainees weren't involved much, but don't worry, they will have a fight on their hands soon!

What were your thoughts on Imelda and Finian's parts? Finian's backstory will be explained more soon.

So, The Nightshade mean business, huh? Do you think that's the last we'll see of them?

What did you think of the Alessa/ Faizah/Ringleader section?
We also learned more about Alessa's past!

Aoife can FIGHT.
Were you surprised that she was so skilled?

What are your thoughts on this chapter?

DoodleYeet

LeMystical-Puffle

ruesbennett

SoniczurcX

bardsarethebest