Post by British Steel on Feb 19, 2020 18:10:48 GMT -5
((CONTENT WARNING - LANGUAGE))
42 lay on the floor swearing. She'd been shot. Actually fucking SHOT! And for some reason she couldn't access the powers of the Kheldian she had bonded with. She hadn't seen the Council sniper leaning out of the corner office. She hadn't known he was there until the first bullet hit her. She figured she could easily shrug off one round and keep going. But then two more struck her and now she was down. She saw Aerial surge forward and swing her huge flaming sword, cutting the sniper down. Blasts of dark magic followed striking other Council troops removing them from the fight.
"I think that's the last of them," she heard Anton say.
"Look like it," came Aerial's response. "SHIT! ANTON!"
Moments later, Anton and Aerial were kneeling beside 42. "Where were you hit," Aerial asked.
"I...don't know," 42 managed to respond. Strong hands tore 42's jacket away from her. "Fuck," she heard Aerial say.
"Bad," 42 asked. She knew by the look in Aerial's eyes when she took off her sunglasses that it was worse than she thought.
"You're going to be okay. We'll get you help."
42 shivered. "Fuck it's cold in here. Why am I so cold?"
The look on Anton's face was dark. She began to understand. "I'm gonna die," 42 said softly.
"No," Aerial spat. "You're NOT going to die!"
42 smiled weakly up at Aerial. "It's....okay. We had fun. But...nothing lasts forever I guess."
Aerial angrily wiped tears away from her eyes. "God dammit 42 HANG ON!"
"I'm sorry," 42 said in a weak voice. "For everything." She felt Aerial pull her into her arms and hold her close.
"Don't do this 42," Aerial whispered.
"Not like...I...have a fucking...choice," 42 whispered in response.
"Can't your Kheldian do something," Aerial demanded.
"Dunno," 42 said. "It's not....answering."
42 reached up and put a hand on Aerial's face. "Do a show for me sometime okay? I....love you."
42's hand fell from Aerial's face as her body went limp. Aerial removed her tiny clone's sunglasses. 42's eyes were vacant, staring at nothing. Tears rolled down Aerial's cheeks as she looked at 42.
"I love you too," Aerial whispered.
She was vaguely aware of Anton kneeling down next to her and putting an arm around her shoulders.
"She's gone," he said.
"I...I know," Aerial said finally. She collapsed against Anton sobbing. She had never been sure if her clones were mortal or not. But she had definitely never expected to watch one of them die, certainly not 42. After what seemed like an eternity, Anton and Aerial got to their feet. They left the building with Anton carrying 42's body. The Paragon Police officers that had been standing outside of the building were still there. The officers formed two lines and saluted as the still form passed by.
Without looking back, Anton and Aerial launched themselves into the air and carried 42 on her final journey home.
***
The memorial was more of a party than a funeral. Many of the people who had known 42 were there. Some there to mourn her death, others to comfort Aerial. Everyone had a kind word or a funny story to share. The afternoon passed quickly into evening, then into the night. Finally, sometime around midnight the gathering began to break up. Until finally, it was just Anton and Aerial. Delirious had disappeared the day before. Neither of them knew where she had gone or if she would ever be back. Aerial looked at the large photo of 42 that was set up in the room. She wiped fresh tears from her eyes and looked at Anton.
"I can't believe she's really gone," Aerial said. "All the times I joked that I was going to kill her for some stupid thing she did. Now I'd give almost anything to have her here."
Anton nodded. "I know love. I miss her too. She always knew how to make me laugh. That's something the two of you shared. She was loved. We were a family. It's going to be too damn quiet around the house without her."
Aerial sniffed and wiped her eyes again. "Yeah it will. But, I guess we'll get used to it eventually."
On the table next to the picture of 42 stood a mostly empty bottle of whiskey. Anton walked over and picked up the bottle. He held it up to the picture and said, "Rest well 42." He drained the rest of the bottle, then tossed it into the trash.
He turned and look at Aerial. "Come on love. Let's go home."
As they left, he hit the light switch and the room, with the picture of 42, plunged into darkness.
42 lay on the floor swearing. She'd been shot. Actually fucking SHOT! And for some reason she couldn't access the powers of the Kheldian she had bonded with. She hadn't seen the Council sniper leaning out of the corner office. She hadn't known he was there until the first bullet hit her. She figured she could easily shrug off one round and keep going. But then two more struck her and now she was down. She saw Aerial surge forward and swing her huge flaming sword, cutting the sniper down. Blasts of dark magic followed striking other Council troops removing them from the fight.
"I think that's the last of them," she heard Anton say.
"Look like it," came Aerial's response. "SHIT! ANTON!"
Moments later, Anton and Aerial were kneeling beside 42. "Where were you hit," Aerial asked.
"I...don't know," 42 managed to respond. Strong hands tore 42's jacket away from her. "Fuck," she heard Aerial say.
"Bad," 42 asked. She knew by the look in Aerial's eyes when she took off her sunglasses that it was worse than she thought.
"You're going to be okay. We'll get you help."
42 shivered. "Fuck it's cold in here. Why am I so cold?"
The look on Anton's face was dark. She began to understand. "I'm gonna die," 42 said softly.
"No," Aerial spat. "You're NOT going to die!"
42 smiled weakly up at Aerial. "It's....okay. We had fun. But...nothing lasts forever I guess."
Aerial angrily wiped tears away from her eyes. "God dammit 42 HANG ON!"
"I'm sorry," 42 said in a weak voice. "For everything." She felt Aerial pull her into her arms and hold her close.
"Don't do this 42," Aerial whispered.
"Not like...I...have a fucking...choice," 42 whispered in response.
"Can't your Kheldian do something," Aerial demanded.
"Dunno," 42 said. "It's not....answering."
42 reached up and put a hand on Aerial's face. "Do a show for me sometime okay? I....love you."
42's hand fell from Aerial's face as her body went limp. Aerial removed her tiny clone's sunglasses. 42's eyes were vacant, staring at nothing. Tears rolled down Aerial's cheeks as she looked at 42.
"I love you too," Aerial whispered.
She was vaguely aware of Anton kneeling down next to her and putting an arm around her shoulders.
"She's gone," he said.
"I...I know," Aerial said finally. She collapsed against Anton sobbing. She had never been sure if her clones were mortal or not. But she had definitely never expected to watch one of them die, certainly not 42. After what seemed like an eternity, Anton and Aerial got to their feet. They left the building with Anton carrying 42's body. The Paragon Police officers that had been standing outside of the building were still there. The officers formed two lines and saluted as the still form passed by.
Without looking back, Anton and Aerial launched themselves into the air and carried 42 on her final journey home.
***
The memorial was more of a party than a funeral. Many of the people who had known 42 were there. Some there to mourn her death, others to comfort Aerial. Everyone had a kind word or a funny story to share. The afternoon passed quickly into evening, then into the night. Finally, sometime around midnight the gathering began to break up. Until finally, it was just Anton and Aerial. Delirious had disappeared the day before. Neither of them knew where she had gone or if she would ever be back. Aerial looked at the large photo of 42 that was set up in the room. She wiped fresh tears from her eyes and looked at Anton.
"I can't believe she's really gone," Aerial said. "All the times I joked that I was going to kill her for some stupid thing she did. Now I'd give almost anything to have her here."
Anton nodded. "I know love. I miss her too. She always knew how to make me laugh. That's something the two of you shared. She was loved. We were a family. It's going to be too damn quiet around the house without her."
Aerial sniffed and wiped her eyes again. "Yeah it will. But, I guess we'll get used to it eventually."
On the table next to the picture of 42 stood a mostly empty bottle of whiskey. Anton walked over and picked up the bottle. He held it up to the picture and said, "Rest well 42." He drained the rest of the bottle, then tossed it into the trash.
He turned and look at Aerial. "Come on love. Let's go home."
As they left, he hit the light switch and the room, with the picture of 42, plunged into darkness.
