Chapter 25: End of the Line

I stare at Leon and the pool of blood speading out under him in stunned disbelief.

"Get up." I whisper. My eyes slowly turn to Haine, stuck in an eternal sleep. Hadn't we just been talking a second ago? We'd been through everything together. We always survived. Always. 

"Get up!!" I scream, the tears slipping down my cheeks. Suddenly I can't stop and the tears burn like acid. "I never got to tell either of you! I never got to thank you!!" I keep screaming at them to stand up. To stop joking around. But it's too late. They can't hear anything, but their faces are so bloody peaceful. There was still so much I wanted to say. How brave, strong, and cool they were. How much they both meant to me. Shenbad, Lucy, now Haine and Leon?! I curse and cry until I'm blue in the face. My mind refuses to calculate. A bullet to the brain or a bullet to the heart, Haine and Leon were too strong to be taken by something like that. Yet there they were. Blood pooling around them both.

"What a shame." Zaroff yawns. He stands over Haine and drops his gun onto his chest. "And to be killed by your own weapon, too." I snap my head towards him, glaring hatefully, rage causing my breathing to become rugged and heavy. Zaroff walks over to a wooden cabinet and pulls out Shenbad's katana. My katana.

"It's the ultimate disgrace," Zaroff smiles, marveling at the sword. "To be slain by your own weapon."

"Monster!" I shreik and curse him with the most dark and vile words I can pull out of my stunned brain. He walks and stands before me, pointing my own katana towards my neck. I stare down the blade with cold, unfearing eyes.

"This is your last chance, Miss Scarlet!" He roars. "Either submit to me, or join your friends in death!"

"Eat s___ and die!" I scream, my enraged words echoing. Something in his face snaps and he pulls back the blade that will take my life. I close my eyes, accepting death.

Haine, Leon, Lucy, Shenbad... A tear rolls down my cheek. This is the last time I weep. At last, I'll be able to join you all. At last...

I see a light. At the far end, my friends all smile and hold their hands out to me. A vision. I feel so happy, utter bliss. I'm surrounded in a blanket of warmth that heats me to the core in assurance. It's okay now. I don't need to fight anymore. I don't need to fight. I don't...need to fight?

~~

The truck comes to a stop and General Crimson stands. The doors fly open and one by one we're ushered outside. Chains are locked around all the generals' wrists, one cuff for me. Just as I step out onto the ground, something catches my foot and I fall face first into the dirt.

"Careful now, Miss Scarlet!" Crimson snickers and forcefully yanks me to my feet. "Wouldn't want you to cut yourself..." His hand drifts down to my backside and I blush. Before I can turn to tell him off, he pushes me forward to continue walking. I look behind my shoulder at Crimson, a blank expression on his face. I remember something my mother once told me:

"You're special, Ruri." She smiles. I roll my eyes, knowing this is what parents say to all their kids. "No, really. Haven't you noticed? You can see into a person's heart. This is why you're so honest. You know what someone is truly feeling inside. Never lose that, okay?"

As I stare at Crimson, I can see it all. The sadness and pain. His eyes plead and cry out for help. That's when I feel it.

Something has been placed in my back pocket.

~~

My eyes snap open at the sound of a gunshot. Zaroff screams and grabs his hand, barely holding the katana. Another shot is fired into Zaroff's right leg and he staggers back. I snap my head in the direction of the bullet and see... I see...

I drop my head into my hand and weep, a huge smile on my face.

"Back from the dead?" I laugh, my voice cracking. Haine grins weakly, his gun clutched tightly in one hand.

"Yeah," He breaths faintly. "I couldn't stand...an eternity with Leon...and Shenbad...so I came running...back." With a shaky hand, he flips open his jacket and a broken golden pin falls out. It falls to pieces and I realize something miraculous.

The pin took most of the impact from the bullet. That stupid little symbol of authority that Haine was going to give up in a week, saved his life.

"Tag," He says turning to me. He fires another shot, breaking the chains that tie me down. Haine closes his eyes. "You're in. And thanks...Zaroff...for returning...my gun. I'm...going to...take a nap."

"Thank you." I sigh and look upwards. "Thank you." 

I reach into my back pocket and stand.

"You think I'm finished?!" Zaroff smiles, barely standing. He holds Shenbad's katana with a bloody hole in his palm.

"You will be." I hiss. I charge forward and pull out the gift I'd gotten from General Crimson: a switchblade. Zaroff swings wildly and I parry his blows. Left, right, turn, duck. I move swiftly, dodging all his ferocious strikes. Though he's hurt, he ignores the pain and forces himself to fight. Even with his injuries, Zaroff is still a formidable foe. I turn, strike the katana right out of his hand, and dig the blade sharply into his side. He exclaims, and leans forward onto me for support. He grabs me tightly so I can't pull away. I gasp in pain as something pierces into my stomach.

Zaroff suddenly pushes me back with all his might before falling backwards onto the floor. He struggles to stand for a moment, rolling around in his own blood before his body gives out and he stops trying. I stare down at the blood spreading across my stomach and with a shaky hand, remove Zaroff's dagger. I hold my wound, trying to stop the bleeding. Forcing myself to stand, I locate Shenbad's katana, and grip the hilt tightly.

I stand over Zaroff just like he'd done to me before and place my boot onto his chest.

"I guess..." He smiles and coughs up blood. "...I lost...didn't I? Ahh, this hurts!"

"I swore to myself I would kill you. Looks like I'll be able to follow through with my purpose." Zaroff laughs at this, but stops abruptly from the pain.

"T-tell me, Miss Scarlet," He stutters, the unearthly cold I once felt myself starts to overtake him. "What a-are your plans after y-you finish me...o-off?"

"Don't know." I grunt, and raise my blade. I glance back at Haine and Leon. "But...if I can look cool in front of those two...that's good enough for now." I grip Shenbad's sword tighter and grimace at the stabbing pain in my stomach.

"C-can you at least f-f-f...finish me off with my o-own weapon?" He smiles, his eyes glazing over blankly. 

"Sorry." I apologize coldly. "Losers don't get an option...remember?" He goes wild with laughter at that and I bring my blade down, forever silencing that laugh. Once and for all.