Stay With the Toppats... And Sven.

"No!" Burt cried, shaking and causing his fear to leak to Sven like a contagious disease. "I'll never go with you!"

"This is your last warning," General Galeforce snarled, gripping Carol's neck until his knuckles paled. "You go with me, and I'll leave your clan alone. You don't, everyone here goes to the Wall, forever."

"I won't leave Sven!" Burt retorted, holding his blue suit like his life depended on it. "I won't! Lock me up too, go ahead, but I'll never leave him!"

The warmth in the General's already-cold eyes vanished, and his hues narrowed.

"Fine, then."

Sven knew it was coming, but that didn't make it hurt any less.

The General's finger closed on the trigger, and the blast was heard by everyone.

Galeforce's grasp on Carol's neck loosened, and their body crumbled to the floor, their shiny black hair tangled and their eyes rolled back in their head already.

A gaping red hole between the strands of their hair was dripping crimson liquid onto the floor, forming a puddle beneath the body.

"Carol!" Sven shrieked and ran over to the body, falling down on his knees at the sight, but when Burt tried to follow, Galeforce simply grabbed his wrist and restrained him, pulling him back.

Sven grabbed their head in his hands, only to have it roll away, out of his grasp, onto the floor.

"Oh, my God!" he gasped, horror lacing his tone, as the severity sunk in.

Carol Cross was dead.

His best friend was dead.

Tears fell down his face as he desperately shook the body by the shoulders.

"P-Please, Carol, don't d-do this!" Sven screamed, pulling Carol into his lean body. "W-Wake up, p-please, C-Carol, no!"

"I do hope you enjoy your stay at the Wall." Galeforce raised one shaggy grey brow. "Because you'll be staying there for a while."

Sven vainly grabbed Carol's wrist, checking for a pulse, but in dismay, felt nothing of the sort.

He felt the air being sucked out of his lungs. 

Your duty was to keep the Toppat clan safe, and you failed.

"C-Carol, pl-please," Sven mumbled numbly. "I... I c-can't lose y-you..."

He felt his wrist behind grabbed and held above his head, but he made no effort to fight it.

He was done.

He'd lost.

"Sv-Sven..." Burt croaked. "Y-You can't g-give up..."

"I almost forgot!" the General cooed. "I need you to call the rest of the Toppats here."

"I would never-"

"Burt. Call them."

"Listen to the smart blondie. Unless you want your precious friend here filled with bullets. You shouldn't wanna lose any more of your clan."

Sven swallowed hard as he heard Burt sigh and mutter into his microphone.

Soon, the whole clan was there, wailing and crying when they saw Carol's body, and put the pieces together when they saw General Galeforce grabbing Sven's limp wrist.

Sven felt a person stand by him and drop down to their knees.

He looked over in surprise, and it was Burt, smiling weakly and putting his hands on his shoulder.

"What are you doing..?" Sven asked quietly.

"Following the leader's orders."

Hat Girl came and kneeled down by Carol's body, before resting her head on Sven's shoulder.

"Carrie..." she murmured.

Soon, another blonde Toppat came over and got to their - her - knees behind Sven.

Earrings.

One by one by one, the rest of the Toppat clan yielded everything and surrendered, their hands above their head, around Sven.

Despite everything, Sven smiled, the tears trickling down his cheeks.

"I told you I'd never leave you," Burt reminded him slowly. "And I stand... Kneel by that. You're my leader, and the leader's word is law."

<FAIL>

The law getting you locked up? Never heard of that one before. Oh, wait...